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What to watch in the leading soccer competitions in Europe this weekend: ITALY Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to make his Juventus debut in the northeastern Italian city of Verona following his Serie A record 112 million euro ($132 million) move from Real Madrid. An influx of fans is expected to descend on a city with a population of around 257,000. Anti-terrorism units are being deployed as part of heavy safety measures in place around Verona’s Stadio Bentegodi....

The 32-year-old netted 16 times in the Champions League in 2015, and has equalled that number already in the past 11 months, but can become the first player to net 17 goals if he can score in either of Madrid’s final two group games. CR7 7/4 to score first Zinedine Zidane’s side face APOEL on Tuesday, November 21 and finish their Group H campaign at home to Dortmund on December 6....

Leonardo Spinazzola is the only first-team member excluded from the 23-man selection as he continues to recover from a long-term knee injury. Five-time winner Ronaldo brings significant Champions League know-how to a club seeking its first European trophy since 1996. The 33-year-old is the competition’s all-time leading scorer, although he is yet to open his Juve account. He will meet former club Manchester United, LaLiga side Valencia and Swiss outfit Young Boys in a tricky Group H....

Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t need much of an invitation to show off, but he was usurped on Friday when announcing the name of his unborn baby daughter. Alana Martina is expected to be welcomed into the world in November, when Iker Casillas may have to buy a big baby present, after trolling Ronaldo during the naming ceremony - broadcast live on Instagram. 9/5 for Ronaldo to be UCL top scorer...

Front and centre of that particular procession were Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos – talismanic forward and enigmatic skipper. Cheerleaders in chief, the pair passed a microphone between one another as they whipped an adoring fan base into frenzy. “Thank you, guys. Until next year…” There were smiles and no further hints from a Portuguese superstar that he is considering a summer move elsewhere, with the greatest of showmen putting on the kind of display which keeps the punters coming back for more....

The UFC women’s bantamweight champion gave her thoughts on Mayweather’s situation and explained why she thinks IV usage actually slows fighters down in an interview with RingTV. MORE: Rousey’s career in photos | Rousey to star in “Road House” remake Rousey also covered the question she just can’t seem to escape: Could she beat Mayweather in a hypothetical fight in the Octagon? Aside from the big “Money” questions, Rousey says her career will feel “incomplete” without a fight against Cris “Cyborg” Justino....

The Kolkata golfer carded one over 73 in the final round to clinch her maiden professional title. Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor finished second and third respectively in the Rs 7,00,000 event. Siddhi had an indifferent start, carding three quick bogeys on the first, third and fourth holes. She dropped three more shots on the ninth, 11th and 16th holes, but birdies on the sixth, eighth and 13th kept her in the hunt....

Larson, a rookie looking for his first career Cup win, kept from banging doors with the Cup veteran. But as they battled, Brad Keselowski was able to get by to take the lead for the final 15 laps and capture the victory. “It was a fun race,” Harvick said. “My car wasn’t quite as good on the used tires as it was the new tires. I got kind of taken advantage of there a little bit at the end as I was just trying to battle to hang on....

With a fifth-inning home run, Astros rookie Teoscar Hernandez gave starting pitcher Doug Fister all the run support he needed against the Pirates to earn his 12th win of the season Monday. MORE: Dwight Gooden calls Darryl Strawberry ‘Lucifer’ Making an interleague start against a fellow wild-card contender, Fister retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, but Pirates rookie Jameson Taillon matched him inning for inning until Hernandez blasted a two-run shot in the fifth....

Rooney, 33, is set to make a surprise return to English football in what is expected to be a player-coach role in support of Rams boss Phillip Cocu. According to reports, the former Everton and Manchester United forward could see out the MLS season at DC United before moving to Pride Park in January. “It’s never done until it’s done but we’re obviously focused and very keen to get it over the line this morning,” Morris told talkSPORT....

Awaiting play in the second round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, McIlroy is in position to win the tournament, the PGA Tour’s title in the FedEx Cup completion and the fat bonus the champion would receive. MORE: FedEx Cup champions | Leaderboard | Henrik Stenson leads after 18 | Jason Day favored McIlroy, whose career on-course earnings are reported to be $28 million, is No. 2 in world golf rankings....

McIlroy is playing this week in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco. If he advances to Saturday’s quarterfinals, his match could last until 7:30 p.m. PT. He would then have to jump aboard a private jet and fly to Vegas, hoping to arrive for the main event. The flight will take about an hour. The fight is expected to begin about 8:30 p.m. PT....

Carter is the oldest surviving former first lady by nearly 20 years. Laura Bush, who celebrates her birthday in the fall, is the second oldest at 74, and Melania Trump is the youngest among the former first ladies at 51. Husband Jimmy Carter is also the oldest surviving former president at 96. Barack Obama, who celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this month, is the youngest surviving former president. In the decades since serving as first lady, Carter has remained active in the public service space primarily through her work with The Carter Center, a nonprofit she and Jimmy Carter co-founded in 1982....

Taylor has been signed as an overseas player, after the Australian, Steve Magoffin, applied for a UK passport. Sussex were relegated to the Division Two of the Championship after their dismal performances last season and the arrival of Taylor would only strengthen the club’s chances of being reinstated to Division One. The Kiwi batsman averages 45.99 in Tests and got his highest score of 290 in the format recently against Australia in Perth....

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Anyone can say they’re excited for the coming season before their cars actually hit the track. MORE: Winless Daytona 500 stars | 2016 the year for Logano? But to hear the drivers and principals of Roush Fenway tell it, that happy talk isn’t just lip service this year, even if it stands in stark contrast to the substandard performances turned in by all three RFR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2015....

Speaking to Irish Times, Keane said, “He’s only been at Everton two minutes,” “He’s obviously making good progress but I’m pretty sure that with Manchester United there’ll be talks of lots of players going there at the moment but James is at a good club in Everton. “He’s had a decent couple of seasons and if he keeps progressing then who knows but I’m sure he’s happy where he is....

This year, the Royal Rumble pay-per-view will emanate live from the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The mega-event will stream live on the WWE Network and pay-per-view. One of the key reasons fans enjoy Rumble matches so much is because of the shock-factor it carries with itself. A good Rumble match is never short on surprises. The surprise entrants always generate a positive and passionate response from the WWE Universe....