Harry Kane did not know if his transfer from Tottenham to Bayern Munich was going to go through after a “roller coaster” two days. Kane has endured a whirlwind 72 hours since Spurs agreed a fee with the German club on Thursday, which culminated in the England captain being unveiled before the press on Sunday lunchtime. He had already made his debut by then, coming on as a substitute in the second half of the DFL-Supercup, but his wait for the first silverware of his career goes on after Bayern lost 3-0 to RB Leipzig. It was a race against time for Kane to be registered in time to play after his flight to Germany and subsequent medical was delayed after Spurs went back to the negotiating table at the last minute. The £100million deal eventually got done, though Kane admits he was left sweating for a while. “It was obviously a busy couple of days, a busy week, this is my first transfer that have been involved in, it was an up-and-down experience for sure, but I am happy to be here now,” he said. “I wish Tottenham all the best, I wish Daniel Levy all the best, but my focus is here now and trying to help this time and I am just happy we managed to do it and am excited to get started. “Talks have been ongoing for a couple of months ago and I always said if there was a deal that suited all three parties then we could do it. “Going into the last year of my contract I didn’t want it to be a distraction for the new manager and team at Tottenham. I was excited to come. “The last 48 hours of the deal was pretty up and down, a bit of a roller coaster, but I was just really happy when we got over the line. “Two days ago I was sitting in London and we didn’t know how it was going to go.” The 30-year-old, who broke Tottenham’s all-time goalscoring record last season, departs a club he joined as an 11-year-old and one where he was desperate to win silverware. It became apparent over the last few seasons that he would not be able to fulfil his ambitions at Spurs and, with one year left on his contract, knew it was time to move on, even though he did not get the chance to say goodbye. “It is always going to be a tough decision, I was at Tottenham for 19 years of my life, everyone knows the club is connected with me and my heart,” he said. “I’m professional and always pushed myself to my limits. “I just felt like the time was right, I needed to be playing at the highest level, in the Champions League, trying to win titles every year. “When I thought about it and Bayern got in touch it was a decision I wanted to make. “I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye, I sent the group a text that I was leaving and when I get the chance to go back, I’ll go in and say goodbye properly. “Not just the players, but the staff, the chefs, the kitmen, the physios, people I have spent 15 years of my life with. I didn’t have that time because it was so up and down, but for sure over the next few weeks I’ll get some time.” Kane leaves the Premier League only 48 goals shy of Alan Shearer’s all-time record, but hinted at returning one day in a bid to surpass the former Newcastle and Blackburn striker. “People will talk about Shearer but I have got plenty of football left in my career,” he said. Two days ago I was sitting in London and we didn't know how it was going to go Harry Kane “For now I am just trying to concentrate on trying to achieve things here, trying to push myself and push the team to try and reach new levels for this club. That is what my focus is on now.” Kane’s move to Germany is complicated that his wife Kate is heavily pregnant with their fourth child. She will return to London on Monday with the rest of their young family, with Kane saying a decision will be made on where she gives birth. “My wife Kate was really supportive, she wants the best for me and my career so she said to push, she wants me to be playing and happy and that is why we made the decision,” Kane added. For Bayern to get Kane represents a big statement of intent as they try to conquer Europe against after a couple of lean seasons in the Champions League. But their biggest victory might have been in successfully completing cordial negotiations with Spurs chairman Levy, an achievement a host of clubs have failed at. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen got on so well with Levy that he intends to buy him dinner. He said: “Daniel and I got closer in the last couple of weeks, that is for sure. “It was quite a tough negotiation, Daniel is a very friendly person but he knows what he wants. So two people who knew exactly what they wanted came together and that is why it took a bit longer. “But in the end both of us do have good feelings and that is why I will pay for dinner with him.” Back at Spurs, new captain Son Heung-min believes Richarlison can help the club fill the gap left by Kane’s departure. Son told Sky Sports before their Premier League match at Brentford: “We’ve lost one of the best strikers in the world, but I think we have a good player to replace him. “Obviously H (Kane) has scored so many goals, so every attacking player should take a big responsibility to score some goals.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Gregor Townsend adamant Scotland are a match for anyone Warren Gatland hints at World Cup selection repercussions after Wales defeat England would have underperformed had they not made last four – Lucy Bronze

Harry Kane has been officially unveiled as a new Bayern Munich player in a ceremony at the Allianz Arena today. He addressed the media in a press conference and spoke about his club-record move to the Bundesliga champions. The England captain completed his transfer to the Bundesliga champions early on Saturday morning and made his debut for Bayern as a substitute in the German Super Cup yesterday. He missed out on a first career trophy as RB Leipzig won the match 3-0. “It’s been an awesome experience so far. A lot going on, a lot of new faces, new surroundings but the reception that me and my family have got since we’ve been here and the reception at the game last night was just magical.” Kane said during the press conference this afternoon. “I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to settle down and get to work. I’ve always said in my career I’ve wanted to keep improving and pushing myself to my limits and see how far that can take me. Ultimately I wanted to be playing at the highest level, I wanted to be in the Champions League and I wanted to be fighting for titles every year. “Coming to Bayern Munich, one of the biggest clubs in the world gives me that opportunity so I’m looking forward to that challenge.” Kane was also asked what it was like to go through with the transfer from Tottenham to Bayern and he added: “It was a busy couple of days, a busy week in general. This is obviously the first transfer that I’ve been involved in. It was an up and down experience but I’m happy to be here now and I said yesterday on my social media that I wish Tottenham and Daniel Levy all the best, but my focus is here now. “I’ve spent my whole career in England and the Premier League so it might take a bit of adapting to a new league and playing against different teams. As you saw yesterday with Leipzig there’s some great teams in this league and it’s going to be a real challenge. “I know everyone expects Bayern Munich to win the league every year but as you’ve seen the teams are improving and it’s getting tougher and tougher. It’s a challenge every season and for me it’s about settling in as comfortable as possible, understanding the different types of teams and the way I have to play and adapt. I’ve done that throughout my career, whether with Tottenham or the national team, and I’ll do that here.” Kane has signed a deal until June 2027 after Tottenham agreed an £86.4million deal plus add-ons to sell him to the German side. He was given a rapturous round of applause by the Bayern fans yesterday after coming onto the pitch in the second half as their new No. 9. The striker had earlier announced his departure from Spurs on social media saying: “It’s not a goodbye because you never know how things pan out in the future, but it’s a thank you and I’ll see you soon.” Despite the defeat to Leipzig, Kane will quickly prove his worth to Bayern who have finally found a centre-forward replacement for Robert Lewandowksi. The 30-year-old has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times - in 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2020/21. He has 213 goals from 320 Premier League games and is second behind Alan Shearer on the English top-flight’s goalscoring list. Wanting to add trophies to his impressive career, Kane has joined a European powerhouse. Thomas Tuchel’s side claimed their 33rd Bundesliga title last season which was their 11th title in a row. They have won the Champions League six times and German Cup on 20 occasions. Kane told his new club’s website: “I’m very happy to be a part of FC Bayern now. “Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I’ve always said that I want to compete and prove myself at the highest level during my career. This club is defined by its winning mentality – it feels very good to be here. “I feel like it was the right step in my career to really push myself and test myself on the highest level so that’s why I’m here and I look forward to that challenge.” Read More Watch live: Harry Kane officially presented as Bayern Munich player after Super Cup debut Harry Kane finally gets his move — but it’s not the one he wanted Harry Kane makes debut as Bayern Munich suffer defeat in German Super Cup Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Watch: Kane officially presented as Bayern Munich player after Super Cup debut Harry Kane finally gets his move — but it’s not the one he wanted

Defender Lucy Bronze revealed England would have failed to live up to their own expectations had they not reached the World Cup semi-finals. Alessia Russo guaranteed the Lionesses would finish no lower than fourth in the 2023 tournament when her second-half goal completed a 2-1 comeback against Colombia in Saturday’s quarter-final to set up Wednesday’s meeting with co-hosts Australia. Third place would see England equal their best-ever finish from eight years ago in Canada, but Bronze insisted reaching this stage for the third time in the European champions’ history was the bare minimum. “If we hadn’t have gotten to the semi-final, I would have said that we would have underperformed,” said Bronze. “A lot of people said that England were the team that were going to flop a little bit. Our performances haven’t been our best, granted, but the results have been there and we’ve got to the semi-final, which is what this England team is known for doing. “This very much reminds me of 2015, having to fight in every single game. “I think the difference with this team is we have won trophies, we have won tournaments, so we do know what to do. “We knew coming into the tournament that it wasn’t going to be easy. There was a lot of outside noise about whether England was going to be able to cope well with everything thrown at us…and the semi-final is what is expected of us as the England team.” Bronze, alongside Alex Greenwood, is one of just two members of the 2023 squad to have featured in three consecutive World Cups and is second only to Jill Scott in World Cup appearances for the Lionesses, with 18 to the retired midfielder’s 21. The 31-year-old made history during her first global showpiece in 2015, when her 76th-minute effort made it 2-1 against Norway in their last-16 encounter and secured England Women’s first-ever victory in a World Cup knockout stage. Four years later, again against Norway, Bronze unleashed another stunning strike, capping off the Lionesses’ 3-0 quarter-final victory in France to book a second trip to the semi-finals. To say the Matildas have captured Australia’s imagination en route to their first-ever final-four encounter would be selling short the fervour taking hold Down Under. Saturday’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over France was watched by over 7.2 million people in Australia, over a quarter of the country’s population. Co-host broadcaster Seven said the audience was the “highest rating TV sport program of the past decade”, while “the 472,000 viewers on 7plus makes the Matildas v France game the biggest streaming event ever seen in Australia”. England had a taste of the environment they are likely to face on Wednesday when they lined up across from a Colombia side that enjoyed the overwhelming majority in the Stadium Australia stands, a sea of yellow who booed when England touched the ball and unleashed an almighty roar when Leicy Santos scored the opener. Lauren Hemp cancelled it out by half-time, while Russo provided the lethal blow after the break to eliminate the only side from the Americas left in the tournament. While being the home side does have its advantages, as Bronze knows from last summer’s Euro 2022 triumph, she was quick to point out the potential pitfalls facing the Matildas come Wednesday night’s historic encounter. She said: “(There are) positives and negatives for being the home nation and for being the team against. “It can be a lot of pressure to put on teams. I remember playing Canada in 2015 in that World Cup and there was a lot of pressure put on that team and it gave them a lot of fight. “It was the same thing for us in the Euros last year. The ’12th man’ as they say, it really helped us. “It was a key part to us winning and I think that’s been a key part for Australia when their backs have been against the wall this tournament. (For us) it wasn’t hostile but the Colombians were very loud, so that’s something we’re used to now.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Adrian Lam: Sky is the limit for Challenge Cup winning Leigh Leopards Kylian Mbappe set to return to PSG squad after ‘positive discussions’ – reports Eddie Howe relishing selection dilemmas as Newcastle prepare for packed season

Paris St Germain are ready to integrate Kylian Mbappe back into the first-team squad, according to reports. The France captain’s future in the capital city has seemed uncertain following links with a move to Real Madrid and reports earlier this week that he was frozen out of senior training. Mbappe was told to stay away after he refused to activate an option to extend his current contract to 2025, meaning the superstar would be free to negotiate a free transfer to foreign clubs in January. He was not involved as PSG began their Ligue 1 campaign in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Lorient, with Neymar also not included in the matchday squad. But before the game Mbappe and the club are reported to have held positive talks that will see the 24-year-old return to Luis Enrique’s squad. A club statement on Sunday, reported by French newspaper L’Equipe, read: “After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris St Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in the first training team this morning.” Boss Enrique had said before the game that he was confident of a positive outcome. “It is something that has already happened in the past and there was a positive solution before I was here,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “I hope and wish that, just like in the past, the same thing will happen again and that the club and the player will reach an agreement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Watch live as Harry Kane is officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on Sunday 13 August. The England captain made his debut for the Bundesliga champions on the same day his big move was announced - coming off the bench in the DFL-Supercup against RB Leipzig. Unfortunately, Kane was unable to inspire his team - already 2-0 down at the break - to victory. Leipzig won the game 3-0, meaning the striker’s wait for silverware continues. Kane, who wore the number nine shirt after training with his new team-mates for the first time on Saturday morning, has yet to win a trophy in his 14-year senior playing career. He has signed a deal until June 2027 after Tottenham agreed a £86.4million deal plus add-ons with the German champions, and was given a rapturous reception by the Bayern fans after stepping out of the dug-out at Allianz Arena on Saturday night. Read More Harry Kane finally gets his move — but it’s not the one he wanted Harry Kane makes debut as Bayern Munich suffer defeat in German Super Cup Harry Kane eyes immediate shot at first trophy after sealing Bayern Munich move

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is relishing the dilemma of having to disappoint players as he attempts to negotiate a path through a season which could see his squad stretched to its limits. The 45-year-old left summer signings Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, as well as last season’s top scorer Callum Wilson, sitting on the bench for Saturday’s Premier League opener, but saw Wilson and Barnes come on and score in a 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa. Howe admitted in the run-up to the game that he had “five or six” difficult decisions to make in the light of a fresh £125million spending spree, Anthony Gordon’s pre-season form and the emergence of homegrown midfielder Elliot Anderson, but that is a problem he welcomes with a Champions League campaign looming. He said: “They’re dilemmas that are needed because we’re going to need the strongest squad possible, and the players who missed out today will play loads of games this season. “That’s just a fact because we’re in so many different competitions, we’re going to be stretched and we’ll also be needing their quality as well. “It’s going to be nice to be able to make those decisions. We need the strongest bench we can get this year with the amount of games we’re going to have, the amount of competitions we’re in. “It was certainly a difficult day yesterday to name the team. They weren’t easy decisions for me to make – decisions I had to make, of course, being in my position – and then you just hope the team performs and you get the benefit of that squad.” One of those decisions saw Howe hand a debut to £52m former AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, and it paid off handsomely as the 23-year-old not only opened the scoring within six minutes, but produced a commanding display on his first appearance in England’s top flight. Villa’s record signing Moussa Diaby cancelled out the Italian’s early strike in short order, but his response was to play a pivotal role as Newcastle overwhelmed the visitors, Alexander Isak helping himself to a double either side of the unfortunate Tyrone Mings’ departure on a stretcher before substitutes Wilson and Barnes added their names to the scoresheet late on. Howe was understandably delighted, but equally confident there is more to come. He said: “We didn’t defend perfectly, so there’s stuff for us to improve – but it was a weird situation. I thought they (Villa) played well, but we could have scored more goals.” Opposite number Unai Emery headed back to the midlands hoping the news on Mings is not as bad as that which saw midfielder Emiliano Buendia ruled out for an extended period with a knee injury last week, but taking comfort from Diaby’s impressive debut on Tyneside. Emery said: “We haven’t had all bad news and one of the good things was to watch Moussa playing feeling good and adapting to the position we’re trying to get with him. He was good, he scored and he played well. “We had some good moments in the 90 minutes, but there a lot of things we had to do to control the match that we didn’t do within our system.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Owen Farrell waits to learn fate following sending off against Wales The key questions ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final against Australia Sean Dyche hopes Everton are close to solving their goalscoring problems

England advanced to the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 comeback victory over Colombia, and will play tournament co-hosts Australia in Sydney on Wednesday night. Here, the PA news agency breaks down some of the key questions ahead of The Lionesses’ meeting with the Matildas. How did they get here? England secured victories over Haiti, Denmark and China to reach the knockouts, scoring multiple times in a group stage contest just once with a 6-1 triumph over China. The Lionesses next faced Nigeria in the last-16, who held them to 120 goalless minutes before England booked their quarter-final place with a 4-2 win on penalties. England conceded for just the second time this tournament late in the first half of the quarter-final clash with Colombia at Sydney’s sold-out Stadium Australia, but they were level by the break thanks to Lauren Hemp’s alert stoppage-time effort and Alessia Russo completed the comeback after the break. What is England’s history in World Cup semi-finals? The Lionesses’ first appearance in the final four, eight years ago in Canada, ended in heartbreak. England were up against defending champions Japan, who took the lead through captain Aya Miyama’s 32nd-minute opener but saw it cancelled out by Fara Williams after just seven minutes. The 1-1 draw looked destined for extra time until Laura Bassett directed a clearance into her own net in the first minute of second-half stoppage time and broke down in tears while Japan celebrated their last-gasp luck. England ultimately beat Germany 1-0 through Williams’ extra-time penalty in the third-place playoff – still their best-ever finish in a global showpiece. Four years later, the Lionesses beat Norway 3-0 in the last eight in France to set up a semi-final with the United States, who beat England 2-1 en route to defending their 2015 title. The Lionesses finished fourth overall after losing 2-1 to Sweden in the play-off. How good are Australia? The Matildas are 10th in FIFA’s global rankings, six places below England, but can boast they are the only team to have beaten the Lionesses since boss Sarina Wiegman took the helm in September 2021. That victory came in April, when Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant both scored at Brentford to snap Wiegman’s 30-game unbeaten streak as England manager with a 2-0 victory. Captain Kerr was unavailable for her side’s first two World Cup matches with a calf injury, yet the talismanic Chelsea striker’s absence might have actually benefitted the Matildas in the long run as others were asked to step up, with Hayley Raso and Mary Fowler among those who emphatically answered the call for the co-hosts. Kerr returned as a late second-half substitute in her side’s 2-0 victory over Denmark in the last 16, five days before the Matildas sealed their first-ever trip to a semi-final by beating France in the longest penalty shootout in Women’s World Cup history. Long gone are the days Australians feared their side could be knocked out at the group stage. Momentum – and an increasingly enraptured nation – are firmly on their side. What is the biggest challenge facing England? England will have to cope without star forward Lauren James as she serves the final game of a two-match suspension for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. She was replaced by Ella Toone against Colombia, who after the match said: “She’s been amazing for us, but I’ve got to believe in myself and I’ve got to have that confidence going onto the pitch. I don’t let anything get me down, I don’t put that pressure on myself and I know my team-mates don’t either.” How will England cope with the crowd? Stadium Australia boasts more than 75,000 seats, most of which will be occupied by the home support. That does not faze England captain Millie Bright, who said: “For me, no matter who the fans are, you’re actually quite proud of it as well, we want that in a World Cup, we want it to be people turning on the TV and saying ‘god, look at the crowd, it’s incredible’. “As a player you feel that and you use it to your advantage as well, it’s not a disadvantage that there might be a lot of Australia fans there. “ Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche hopes Everton are close to solving their goalscoring problems On this day in 2016: Mo Farah retains Olympic 10,000m title in Rio Anthony Joshua confident fight with Deontay Wilder will happen ‘soon’

Everton manager Sean Dyche is confident the goalscoring problem which has affected the team for a year will be solved soon. Despite creating 19 chances against Fulham, the Toffees slipped to an opening game defeat at home – where the top-flight’s lowest scorers lost a record 10 league matches last season. Central to the issue is the continuing unavailability of injury-plagued Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose lack of minutes in pre-season means he is still possibly a couple of weeks short of being ready. However, the arrivals of on-loan Arnaut Danjuma – who made his debut as a late substitute – and young Sporting striker Youssef Chermiti, watching from the stands, will hopefully help to ease the burden as current deputy Neal Maupay wasted a host of chances as he extended his woeful record to one goal in 30 appearances for the club. “Dominic will get some football this week, amongst others,” said Dyche, who is still looking for reinforcements but knows he must get more out of the limited resources he has. “He is at the end of his rehab period, so, in the next week or two, we’re going to be stronger, just by our own group and let’s see if we can get something in to help us as well. “Arnie (Danjuma) is getting fit, properly fit – he knows he’s a bit behind the curve. “I am confident we have to rely (on players) within the squad because this is what we are at the moment. If we can affect it, we will do.” Everton had only 41 percent possession but made the most of it and with better finishing could have had the game won by half-time. While the outcome was disappointing, the manner of the performance was more encouraging than the majority of the relegation scraps they had when Dyche took over in January and guided them to safety on the final day. “Some of the breakaways, some of the moments, some of the quality of chances were excellent,” the Toffees boss added. “One of our analysts said about xG, which I’m not that big a believer in but it’s still a reference point, was around three, which is high in the Premier League. “Inevitably, it’s only a measure but we’ve got to look at where we were and where we are now – and that, I thought, was a big shift. “Now we’ve got to find those moments to go and score goals. “But there’s a real strong sign there today, a strong sign of a good outfit there that is creating lots of chances and a lot of good things, so we’ve got to maintain the belief in that.” Fulham were fortunate to leave Goodison Park with a third successive win and boss Marco Silva admits there is plenty of improvements to be made. “We need more time to work, our pre-season was not at the level that it should be so we missed a bit of energy,” he said. “But we were able to win a football match and that shows we have the quality to work.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2016: Mo Farah retains Olympic 10,000m title in Rio Anthony Joshua confident fight with Deontay Wilder will happen ‘soon’ Lucas Glover holds onto lead in Memphis with Tommy Fleetwood two strokes behind

It took Sarina Wiegman a moment to fully realise the enormity of what England now face in Australia. If a World Cup semi-final wasn’t big enough, the Lionesses will now play the hosts in Sydney for a place in the final. Amid the excitement of a fresh new chapter in this historic sporting rivalry, Wiegman admitted that coming up against Australia at this stage of the tournament is “going to be bigger than I imagined”. But the Dutch coach was also focused on what had just come before, rather than what awaits England next. A semi-final against Australia is the dream fixture that will take this enthralling World Cup to another level, but England could not afford to take anything for granted given the way their quarter-final against Colombia unfolded. The manner of England’s victory, though, will only add to their growing confidence when they play the hosts on Wednesday. Wiegman knew the significance of what her players had to overcome; for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses trailed. When England came from behind, they had to survive a late spell of Colombia pressure, withstanding the hostile atmosphere that faced them in Sydney. If it was a trial run for what England will be met with against Australia, then the Lionesses showed that the way in which they deal with adversity has become their defining characteristic at this World Cup. "I think the team again showed some resilience and a lot of togetherness,” Wiegman said after the 2-1 win. As England passed another test, their comeback win was built on the collective belief that they could come through it. That spirit has grown throughout the tournament, as England and Wiegman have had to change and adapt their plans to react to each new problem. That England are now only two games away from winning the World Cup will only strengthen that resolve. Wiegman spoke about resilience, but her players have bought into it as well. After the fraught penalty shootout win over Nigeria, there was the pressure of conceding first against Colombia, and the sort of freak opening goal that could have otherwise been the latest sign of a tournament that has never quite gone to plan. “You accept that sometimes things happen that you can’t control, but in your mind you stay controlled,” Wiegman said. The manager was speaking about how her side reacted to going behind, but she also could have easily been talking about England’s whole tournament. “One of the strengths of the team is that we do stay calm,” Wiegman continued. “How do you stick together, how do you execute your plan? We conceded, but you didn’t see any panic.” England reacted by sticking to their approach. As Colombia dropped deeper, Wiegman’s team sped the game up, playing sharp passing football when they could. The goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo were the rewards for their perseverance in continuing to play their way, showing patience in the build-up and finding the passes through the Colombia shape by using Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone. Once ahead, England had to hang on, but it’s a side of their play that now suits them. England owed much of their victory to their late defensive stand, with Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood continuing their excellent performances at the World Cup. It was another illustration of how England have found ways to get through difficult moments. Wiegman’s back three became a back five, and with Bright in the centre dealing with crosses, and Greenwood and Jess Carter so alert to the danger, winning their individual duels, England managed to see the game out. Bright is a defender who almost appears most comfortable when her back is against the wall. The England captain did not play any competitive football before the World Cup but has returned from four months out to be the player that the Lionesses can rely upon when defending the edge of their box. With England’s ideal setup so compromised by injuries, and now the suspension of Lauren James taking away their player of the tournament and creative heart, a resolute defence could win England the World Cup. England now believe in that resilience, and it has become their identity. Of the four teams through to the semi-finals, in England, Australia, Spain and Sweden, the European champions were the only team that needed to come from behind to win. Wiegman naturally disagreed when it was suggested that it could give her side an edge going into the final four, but could not deny that it now plays into England’s strength ahead of the semi-finals. “We’ve had lots of challenges and we’ve got through them,” Wiegman said. “The adversity shows the resilience of the team. We do our best to change situations into our advantage.” England, though, now face a team who will be buying in their own self-fulfilling narrative. Australia have now come through their own nerve-shredding contest in defeating France on penalties, in what was the longest ever shootout at a World Cup finals. With the hosts now gripped by World Cup fever and the TV figures shattering records, in what was the most watched sporting event in Australia since Cathy Freeman’s gold-medal winning run at the 2000 Olympics, the Lionesses now need to overcome a nation who feel that this home World Cup is theirs to win. England will be the away team in Wednesday’s semi-final, but they also defeated Colombia side who may as well have been at home at Stadium Australia. The Lionesses faced a wall of noise as the Colombia fans turned up in their numbers, whistling when England had possession, jeering when they stood over a free-kick. It will be doubled against Australia, as a home crowd of 80,000 stands against the Lionesses. “We look forward to it,” Wiegman replied. After all, it’s another challenge for England to embrace. Read More Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final ahead of semi-final England set up old rivalry on new stage thanks to Alessia Russo magic Georgia Stanway brings fire and ice to show why this England are different Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as England set up Australia semi-final How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Who and when do England play next? Route to the World Cup final

Alessia Russo fired England through to their third World Cup semi-final with a second-half strike to complete a 2-1 comeback over Colombia at a sold-out Stadium Australia. Leicy Santos gave Colombia the lead when she looped an effort over Mary Earps after 44 minutes, but saw her opener cancelled out after Lauren Hemp pounced on an error by Colombian keeper Catalina Perez six minutes into first half stoppage time. Georgia Stanway set up Russo’s low finish to hand the Lionesses the lead after 63 minutes, and while Colombia pushed forward against the European champions an equaliser ultimately proved just out of reach. England will next face tournament co-hosts Australia, who beat France 7-6 on penalties in the early kick-off. Follow live reaction as England reached the semi-finals Read More Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final ahead of semi-final England respond to new World Cup adversity to reach semi-finals England set up old rivalry on new stage thanks to Alessia Russo magic

Jim Harbaugh won't have to deal with a suspension in 2023 but the developments with the NCAA Committee on Infractions may just drive him to the NFL.Michigan football got good news and bad news on Saturday.The good news: Jim Harbaugh won't be suspended for the first four games of th...

England international Jude Bellingham scored on his LaLiga debut as Real Madrid began their league season with a 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao. Bellingham, who joined Real from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer, scored his team’s second goal eight minutes before half-time. Rodrygo had opened the scoring nine minutes earlier, and it proved a dominant display by Real, with Bellingham at the heart of it. Saturday’s other two LaLiga games finished as draws, with Real Sociedad being held 1-1 at home by Girona and Real Mallorca claiming a point by the same scoreline at Las Palmas. Takefusa Kubo put Socieded in front after just five minutes at the Reale Arena, but Artem Dovbyk’s header in the 72nd minute secured a share of the spoils. Las Palmas went in front through Jonathan Viera’s 29th-minute penalty, but the home side could not hold on to that advantage and Antonio Raillo equalised in the second half. Paris St Germain saw their Ligue 1 campaign begin in frustrating fashion as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Lorient at Parc des Princes. Despite creating numerous chances, PSG could find no way through resilient opposition and will feel it was a case of two points dropped. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Marco Verratti, meanwhile, who have all been linked with moves away from Paris, were left out of the matchday squad by boss Luis Enrique. And Marseille claimed a comeback victory against Reims at Stade Velodrome, with Vitinha’s 73rd-minute goal securing a 2-1 win after Junya Ito had given Reims the lead and Azzedine Ounahi equalised.