Soccer: Champions League

Last month when Manchester City were again placed in arguably the toughest Champions League group, there was a case of deja vu, last year’s premier league runners up had run their course according to many and if they couldn’t do it then, what chance had they now.

Five games in and that couldn’t be less true - with captain Vincent Kompany leading from the front as the champions of 2014 have secured maximum points and have yet to concede a goal.

So yes City, again, got the worst draw of all the English clubs, but none of their opponents, starting with Juventus tonight, are playing strongly. Last season's finalists have not won a game in Serie A so far, and Sevilla are the same in La Liga, while Borussia Mönchengladbach have lost their opening four matches and are bottom of the Bundesliga. Together, City's opponents have played 10 matches without a victory, in stark contrast to the form shown by Pellegrini's men. As Kompany said: "If we are not confident after what we have done so far, we will never be confident."

Meanwhile in last night’s FAI Cup quarter final replay, Cork City secured their semi-final placing and kept hopes alive of a top-of-the-table final between themselves and Dundalk, after they put three late goals past Derry City.

Ross Gaynor’s brilliant 74ah-minute goal opened the floodgates in Turner’s Cross, as John Caulfield’s men now go into the last four for the first time since 2007.

GAA: Championship

Jim McGuinness is looking ahead to Sunday's All-Ireland football final where Dublin take on Kerry - and while he's excited about the contest, he says this year's final pairing reflects the elitism within the current championship format.

“I gave a talk in Laois during the week and met a man involved in Kilmacud Crokes. I was taken aback to learn that they have over 900 kids showing up for underage training. One age group alone had 120 kids. I am not sure we have that number in Glenties from under-eight through to minor. It becomes a numbers game. The cream will come to the top because of coaching and desire and self-determination. It is hard to compete with that. A young footballer with athletic potential in Dublin is entering a different realm of expectation and goal-setting than a young footballer with the same potential in Longford.”

Rugby

Gerry Thornley says the apparent dismissal of former Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan at Biarritz is the result of a French club rugby coup from within: "News of Eddie O'Sullivan's apparent dismissal as head coach of Biarritz Olympique will have understandably disappointed the many pundits, coaches and players alike who believe in his coaching abilities, and who lauded his appointment at the famed Basque club before the start of last season. But as forewarned in these pages, there was always the potential for his reign by the sometimes treacherous seas of the Pyrénées-Atlantique to hit choppy waters."

Racing

Connections of Simple Verse will have to wait until next week to find out their fate in an appeal against the decision to demote the filly from first place in the Ladbrokes St Leger after the British Horseracing Authority put back a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

NFL

Australian rugby league convert Jarryd Hayne’s finished with four rushes for 13 yards, and one catch for seven yards in the 49ers’ 20-3 win over Minnesota last night , while the Atlanta Falcons held off a second-half Philadelphia rally to beat the Eagles 26-24 at the Georgia Dome.

What to watch out for:

The Champions League for real is back tonight, the big game being City versus Juventus at the Etihad.

BT Sport Europe from 7.30pm

Manchester United too make their return to the tournament away to PSV, a return for new signing Memphis Depay to his old surroundings.

TV3 from 7pm