Pep Guardiola urged his Manchester City players to seize a potential “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity after reaching the Club World Cup final.

The Champions League winners set up a clash with Brazilian side Fluminense in Friday’s showpiece in Jeddah with a comfortable 3-0 win over Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

City needed an own goal in first-half stoppage time to get their campaign up and running in Saudi Arabia, but strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva after the break secured a straightforward victory.

City manager Guardiola told reporters at a press conference said: “We didn’t win it (before) – it’s the first time Manchester City are here.

“This is the last step – a title the club doesn’t have, so we’ll go for it.

“To play this final you have to have done incredible things – mainly to win the Champions League.

“Once we are here, maybe it is a trophy we play for once in a lifetime.

“It’s against Fluminense, a South American team, experienced, a lot of quality. I saw yesterday how good they are.

“But we are there. Tomorrow we will start to see Fluminense and try to do a good performance and win the title.”

City were without Erling Haaland for a fourth successive game due to a foot injury but were still far too strong for the Asian Champions League winners.

They had already created numerous chances before defender Marius Hoibraten turned into his own net to give City the lead.

Reds boss Maciej Skorza said: “They are the best team in the world in my opinion, but our plan didn’t work in the perfect way.

“We expected that possession would be huge in favour of Manchester City. We had our plan for counter-attacks, but this didn’t happen.

“Maybe this is the big difference in the physical aspect between the two teams and lack of experience of playing teams like City.”

Middlesbrough cruised into the Carabao Cup semi-finals after breezing past Port Vale 3-0.

Jonny Howson, Morgan Rogers and Matt Crooks fired the 2004 winners in to the last four with a comfortable win at Vale Park.

Boro had not made a major domestic semi-final since losing to West Ham in the last four of the FA Cup in 2006.

Vale’s big night – their first League Cup quarter-final – was ruined by the incisive and efficient visitors within 23 minutes.

Gavin Massey missed the hosts’ best chance but Boro boss Michael Carrick, a two-time winner with Manchester United, ultimately navigated a tricky tie with ease given their injury problems.

So depleted were the visitors that Carrick named four substitutes without a senior appearance, including 17-year-old Law McCabe, but it was the experienced Howson who fired them ahead after 11 minutes.

Boro had threatened through the middle and the midfielder was able to easily find space. With defenders giving him time, the 35-year-old needed no second invitation and his 25-yard shot clipped Jason Lowe to loop over Connor Ripley.

Missing 10 players due to injury and resting Rav van den Berg, with an eye on their bid to stay in touch with the Championship’s play-off pack, the visitors had a platform.

Ethan Chislett curled an early free kick over and plucky Vale – 15th in League One – had nothing to lose, only for a second Boro goal after 23 minutes to seal the game.

Again, it was a simple build up with Sam Silvera winning the ball on the right and he kept his composure to pick out Rogers on the edge of the box.

The former Manchester City forward was left completely unmarked to stroke a fine low finish into the corner – his fourth goal of the competition.

Yet, far from shrinking, Vale kept going and should have pulled a goal back three minutes later only for a stretching Massey to lift over from close range.

Boro should have been out of sight just before the break when Crooks shot over but it was just a warning as the midfielder struck eight minutes into the second half when he barged his way through and drilled into the bottom corner.

Worse was to follow for the hosts when Oliver Arblaster was carried off with a serious leg injury just before the hour.

It sucked the life out Vale and, from then, Boro were happy to see the game out and Ripley denied Calum Kavanagh a debut goal when the visitors threatened a late fourth.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes believes her side need to use their Women’s Champions League experience to get a result in their Group D clash at BK Hacken.

The Blues will go to the top of the group if they can beat the Swedish team on Wednesday night.

They were held to a goalless draw by the same opposition at Stamford Bridge last week but will have to face a lively atmosphere in the reverse fixture.

“Every game is a must-win game for us,” Hayes said on the club’s official website. “That is our mentality. We were disappointed with our performance last week. We worked on that, trained really well, played well at the weekend. This place will be rocking tomorrow night. This is going to be a difficult place to play.

“We are playing an opponent who are very confident in what they’re doing. They’ve had an amazing year, especially in the Champions League, and we have to deal with all of those challenges. But we have to be ready to perform.

“We’re experienced in Europe. We understand it’s a different surface, a little bit colder than London, a different type of opponent.

“I think it’ll be a much different game than Stamford Bridge, particularly because of the crowd. We have experience and it’s important for us to use it.

“The message I’ll give to the players is we have been in this competition long enough, we’ve gone deep in this competition and while it hasn’t been perfect in the group stages, we have a dressing room that is capable of winning.”

Chelsea do have some injury problems for the game in Scandinavia.

“Melanie (Leupolz) hasn’t recovered, she’s had a setback,” explained the Chelsea manager. “She tried to come in on Monday, but she is not well.

“Maren (Mjelde) has made it back with the squad so she is part of that. Kadeisha (Buchanan) had an issue with a back spasm at the weekend and she’s back in the squad.

“Jelena (Cankovic) is still out with her calf and obviously, the long-term one is Catarina (Macario). Ann-Katrin (Berger) is back; she had a slight ankle knock.”

Manchester City eased into the final of the Club World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

Without Erling Haaland, the Champions League winners needed an own goal to launch their campaign in Saudi Arabia but second-half strikes from Mateo Kovavic and Bernardo Silva saw them stroll to victory.

Having already added the European Super Cup to last season’s treble, City will now have the chance to claim a fifth trophy of the calendar year when they face Brazil’s Fluminese in Friday’s final in Jeddah.

With Urawa showing limited ambition against City’s formidable line-up, the only surprise was the game remained goalless until first-half stoppage time.

City may have been without a recognised centre forward in Haaland’s continued absence due to a foot injury, but the Reds defence was given little respite and goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa had a busy night.

Rodri had City’s first attempt on goal when he fired wide after eight minutes and he had another effort deflected past the post after Silva shot over.

Nishikawa did well to turn over from Matheus Nunes on the half-hour and he denied both the Portugal international again and Phil Foden from distance.

City finally claimed the breakthrough their play deserved just before the interval, although they did benefit from a stroke of luck.

Nunes broke down the right and exchanged passes with Silva before driving the ball low towards goal, where it was turned into his own net by Norwegian defender Marius Hoibraten.

With their lead established, City tightened their grip after the break.

Kyle Walker played Kovacic into space for the Croatia midfielder to lift the ball over Nishikawa for the second after 52 minutes.

Nunes should have added another moments later but headed wide from a Jack Grealish cross.

The third came just before the hour after Nishikawa pushed away another Nunes effort and Silva drove in the rebound with the aid of a deflection.

Guardiola began to make changes in the latter stages as he looked ahead to the final.

One of the substitutes, Julian Alvarez, was denied by Nishikawa at point-blank range and Grealish squandered another chance by delaying his shot.

Urawa had a couple of late chances as City eased up but John Stones cleared after Bryan Linssen seized on a poor backpass and Ederson denied Shoya Nakajima with his feet.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri faces a short spell on the sidelines after suffering a muscle injury in training.

The 21-year-old Spain international, who has started eight LaLiga games this season, will definitely miss the champions’ clash with bottom side Almeria on Wednesday.

An update from the club read: “First-team player Pedri got a knock in training and has a slight muscle injury. He is ruled out of selection and his recovery will determine his return.”

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez is confident his side can close the gap on LaLiga’s leaders but will need to cut out the errors.

Last season’s champions are nine points off the top after winning just one of their last four games in the competition.

Barca are currently third, trailing second-placed Real Madrid by seven points with Girona – who beat their Catalan rivals earlier this month – leading the way.

Xavi told reporters at a press conference: “The conviction in both areas is marking our season a little and that is what needs to be fixed and improved to be competitive in all competitions.

“Yes, I see it as recoverable but, of course, we have to be competitive rather than fail ourselves. In the end, what is costing us is our mistakes.”

Barca were held to a 1-1 draw at Valencia in their last outing but will be expected to get back to winning ways as they host bottom side Almeria – who are yet to win a game – on Wednesday.

Xavi said: “It is a very important game for us. We need a victory for the feelings of confidence, three points and to continue believing.

“There is still the league. There are still mathematical possibilities to win it. It has become difficult for us, but we have to go step by step and tomorrow is an important step.

“We have been playing good football but we need to win games. We need the fans and need to play that complete game that we have been missing until now.”

Xavi also gave his thoughts on his side being drawn against Serie A winners Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Like Barca, Napoli are finding defending their crown tough going.

“We are playing against the current Italian champions and I think it’ll be difficult,” said Xavi. “I think we have a 50 per cent chance because they are in a similar situation to our own.”

Despite their predicament, Almeria, who are eight points from safety, are hoping to make life difficult for the champions.

Head coach Gaizka Garitano, whose team claimed a goalless draw with Mallorca in their last outing, said: “We’ve competed on pitches where it’s very difficult to win.

“We’re going to go all out to obtain a good result with courage and desire to compete but, if we don’t give 100 per cent, they can hurt us.”

Philippe Clement believes sacrificing the personal for the collective can help Rangers to an “amazing” season.

The Belgian boss is still basking in the glory of the 1-0 Viaplay Cup final win over Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Sunday, his first trophy since taking over from Michael Beale in October.

Coincidentally, Beale’s departure came after a 3-1 home defeat to the Dons in the cinch Premiership which provided a body blow to the Gers’ title hopes.

However, Clement has also rekindled those aspirations amid his 14-game unbeaten run since arriving in Glasgow, while guiding the Light Blues into the last-16 of the Europa League with a stunning 3-2 win over Real Betis in Spain last week.

Ahead of the visit of St Johnstone to Ibrox on Wednesday night, where a win will take Rangers to within two points of leaders Celtic having played a game fewer, former Genk, Club Brugge and Belgium defender Clement said: “I think it’s logical, when I came into the club the confidence was not there but I saw what I saw in the games and the first days in training.

“Every experience makes you stronger. The strongest teams I played in were teams that were together for two or three years and those were teams that had a lot of experience together.

“Good but also bad because you not only become stronger out of good experiences but also out of bad experiences if you take the right conclusions together.

“Every experience with this group will make it stronger and winning in Seville, winning a cup and winning the first silverware, proving a lot of things that had been said not so long ago about these players, that it was wrong.

“They need to continue doing that and keeping this hunger. If they keep the hunger, if they also keep the collectivity and this solidarity that it’s not important to start or not to start, and it’s not about them but about the team then we’re going to make an amazing season. I’m confident about that.

“The moment players start to think about themselves and to take themselves out of the collective, it will be more difficult.

“Then we will speak with them. It’s going to happen, I’m not naive and I know if there is success there are also people around the players who are influential or who try to become more influential.

“We have to make it clear it’s about the collective and if the collective is good then the individual is also good because it works like that in a team sport.”

Nottingham Forest have sacked boss Steve Cooper and are in talks to appoint former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo as his replacement, the PA news agency understands.

The 44-year-old has paid the price for a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.

The Portuguese is the preferred candidate to take over at the City Ground and has met with club officials ahead of a possible appointment.

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears set for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.

Cooper has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term, but with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek businessman has lost patience.

Forest host Bournemouth in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday before festive fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester United.

Marinakis was eyeing a top-half finish this season after spending north of £100million in the summer, but, after a solid start to the campaign, results have not followed and they have won just once since beating Chelsea at the start of September.

Cooper has kept his dignity in tact following speculation surrounding his position and leaves the City Ground a hero after becoming the man to end Forest’s 23-year exile from the top flight when he guided them to promotion in the summer of 2022.

A difficult first year in the Premier League followed, where Cooper’s job was under continual threat before a late-season rally saw them finish 16th.

Expectations of a push towards the top 10 came after a heavy spending spree in the summer, but results have been disappointing and Cooper has paid the price.

Rangers have expressed “extreme disappointment” after confirming their fans will not be at Celtic Park for the cinch Premiership game on December 30.

Celtic refused around 700 tickets for the trip to Ibrox earlier in the season, citing safety concerns, with the Parkhead club keen for a return to the more traditional away allocation at both grounds of around 7,500 supporters.

Rangers were keen to take 7-800 tickets for the trip to the east end of Glasgow and took their case to the Scottish Professional Football League but despite SPFL Rule I27 currently stating that “the home club must make provision for the admission of such reasonable numbers of visiting supporters” the Ibrox club were left unhappy.

Rangers released a statement which read: “Despite winning a case put to an SPFL board sub-committee, Rangers FC, with extreme disappointment, will not have any supporters present at Parkhead for the Old Firm match on December 30.

“The sub-committee agreed with Rangers that Celtic FC’s stance of providing zero tickets to Rangers’ fans was unreasonable.

“Despite the fact that the sub-committee agreed with Rangers, the sub-committee was unwilling to determine what a ‘reasonable’ number of tickets for the fixture would be.

“The sub-committee was unable to determine this reasonable number due to the fact that the other party had not submitted enough evidence on this issue, despite having ample opportunity to do so in the weeks and months leading up to the hearing.

“Rangers’ position has always been clear. We want away fans from all clubs at our stadium and wish for that to be reciprocated when we travel to other clubs’ grounds.

“This decision calls into question the effectiveness, and highlights the procedural defects, of SPFL Rule I27.

“To Rangers, it is grossly unfair that if a club (in this case Celtic) fails to submit sufficient evidence as part of such proceedings, it effectively ties the hands of a sub-committee in being able to determine what a reasonable number of tickets should be; especially when the sub-committee agrees that the reasonable number cannot be zero.

“Conversely, if a club (in this case Rangers) complies fully and provides all necessary information in good faith, it can still be penalised.

“The club will consider its position before participating in any further SPFL led hearings.

“Rangers, alongside several other SPFL clubs, also looks forward to the overdue findings of the ongoing, protracted SPFL Governance review.

“Rangers will be making no further comment at this time.”

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has extended his contract with the club until June 2025.

The 34-year-old has been with Bayern since he was 10 years old and, since making his senior debut for the club in 2008, he has gone on to amass 684 competitive appearances for the first team, ranking him second in Bayern’s all-time appearance list.

Muller has helped the club win 12 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues, the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup trophies as well as six DFB Cups and eight German Supercups.

On the international stage, the German forward won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Muller told the Bayern website: “I’m happy my journey at Bayern is continuing. I want to play my part in us remaining successful, both as a team and the whole club.

“It’s important to me to be a foundation and to help steer the team in the right direction. I want to excite our fans with goals, helping create goals, my love of the game, my passion for football – and hopefully with many more titles.”

Sporting director Christoph Freund added: “We’re very pleased that Thomas Muller will be staying at FC Bayern for another season.

“He’s a leader both on and off the pitch, always a role model and incredibly valuable for the entire team. Thomas pushes every team with his open and positive manner on and off the pitch.

“The way he plays is extremely clever, for the team, and he’s very versatile in where he can play. Thomas is also almost never injured, always there – just quality and reliability personified.”

Bayern Munich will check on Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich ahead of their final Bundesliga match before the winter break against Wolfsburg.

The midfield pair missed the weekend win over Stuttgart with illness and they are still being monitored.

Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is not fit to return to the squad so Daniel Peretz will continue to deputise.

“We hope there are no more ill players,” Thomas Tuchel said on the club’s official website. “It’s an hourly update with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. It’ll be tight for both. We think the rest are fit.

“It looks like Daniel Peretz will be in the squad again with Ulle not yet back.”

Bayern are guaranteed to go into the winter break in second position in the Bundesliga table following an excellent first half of the campaign by Bayer Leverkusen.

They will have work to do if they are to claim a 12th title in a row, but Tuchel wants his side to finish on a high.

“Our work is always about looking ahead,” he added. “A lot has happened this year. We’re making good progress and are trying to meet our tasks.

“We want to continue developing our team. It’s all good and we’re looking forward to a break. But we want to take the next step in Wednesday’s game.

“We want to be better in possession. Wolfsburg have different tactics from Stuttgart. We’re again expecting a back five.

“We want more of the ball and will now take on a new task. It’s down to us. How good are the movements and distances? Let’s see what challenges the game brings. We hope we can have the right answers.”

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Tuchel is keen to temper expectations of teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic following his breakthrough in the team in recent weeks.

The former Chelsea boss said: “We knew before that we have Aleks and what he can do. He was always good in training. It helps nobody if Aleks is our solution in that position now at 19.

“We’ll do everything that makes sense for the club and youth development. We’re the biggest fans of our own youth players from the Campus. Aleks has earned it with the way he is and how he trains. It’s good if we don’t overpraise someone.

“It’s good what he’s doing. He always has a smile on his face and is very grounded. Quality always comes through.”

Luis Enrique believes Kylian Mbappe can continue to develop at Paris St Germain as the forward prepares to face Metz on his birthday.

Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash at the Parc des Princes coincidences with Mbappe’s 25th birthday, with the France international having already hit 16 league goals in 15 games this season.

Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in France’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, reports surfaced last week suggesting Mbappe’s relationship with Enrique has soured – but the Spaniard insists he wants to see the former Monaco man continue to make waves in Paris.

“Kylian is still very young at 25,” he told reporters at his press conference ahead of the visit of Metz.

“He is the age of my son which is quite something. I hope that Kylian Mbappe achieves so much more success both collectively and individually.

“We hope that will be here at PSG and we hope to help him develop.

“Of course, he is at a fantastic level and I’ve had the chance to get to know him as a person. So I am very lucky to have a player like him in my squad.

“With everything he brings, his individual statistics, he is impressive. He is at the top of world football”

PSG lead the way in Ligue 1, while Metz sit just three points clear of the relegation zone following their return to the top flight.

Despite the gap, Enrique is not expecting an easy night against Laszlo Boloni’s side.

“It will be a really difficult game,” he said.

“They will leave us with very little spaces to attack. We will need to be very precise and accurate to exploit those spaces.”

Enrique took charge in the French capital in the summer and has enjoyed his first half-season coaching in Ligue 1.

“I’m very pleased with the first half of the season in terms of results,” he added.

“Sometimes there were points when we weren’t so good but we are top of Ligue 1 and we hope to stay there.

“It is just the beginning, the most difficult part is still to be done in the second half of the season.”

PSG will be without Ousmane Dembele for the game, the winger sitting out as a precaution over a potential hamstring injury.

Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders says Darwin Nunez is having “a much better season than last year” and that he sees him as a player “full of fire”.

The 24-year-old Uruguay striker, signed from Benfica in 2022 and scorer of 15 goals in all competitions for the Reds in the last campaign, has seven so far this term.

Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United made it 10 club appearances without netting, his last Liverpool goal coming in the 2-1 Carabao Cup fourth-round win at Bournemouth in early November, but Lijnders says Nunez should not be judged on goals alone.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at home against West Ham, Lijnders said: “I think Darwin is full of desire, you see this in each game, and if we would only judge players on the goals that would be so unfair, because in our way, always when we reach our targets or really were there to compete, it was always about the collective.

“I feel there is a good connection between Mo (Salah) and Darwin, the way they see each other, assist each other, and I feel above everything that Darwin is playing a much better season than last year, the way how he defends for the team, goes, chases back, his counter press as well. He helps us a lot when we are deep and we can play with him as a reference.

“It’s a long time we play with a false nine, and now its Darwin Nunez. He is learning but I like a lot, and I think this guy is full of fire. That’s what our stadium likes and that’s what we need as well, to lead the line in this way. He can only become better.

“It’s always with goals, if you create a lot, the goals will come naturally. We are creating and sometimes you have to be a little bit lucky. He feels our trust, that’s the thing we can give him.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper’s position is under severe threat after the club held talks with former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo about taking over at the City Ground, the PA news agency understands.

Cooper’s tenure is in doubt following a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.

Officials from the club have spoken to the Portuguese about replacing Cooper, PA understands.

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears in line for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.

Cooper has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term, but with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, it looks as if the Greek businessman has lost patience.

Reports in Portugal suggest a deal for Nuno could be tied up before Saturday’s home clash with Bournemouth.