good evening everybody. shower clouds gathered across the city of london this afternoon. we have seen some really sharp downpours and some thundery downpours as well moving their way through central and southern england. they are starting to ease away but we still have some nuisance showers across northern ireland and western scotland at the moment. the general gist is those showers will ease through the night but only to be replaced by yet more wet weather pushing into northern ireland, western fringes of england and wales by dawn tomorrow morning. clearer skies ahead mean those temperatures will fall into low single figures for places. early morning drive brightness if you are lucky but not for long as this pulse of wet weather set to patient and the winds will strengthen with the heaviest of the rain. by the middle pa rt heaviest of the rain. by the middle part of the afternoon, that rain will be sitting through scotland. a snapshot at three o'clock with gusts of wind in excess of 40, close to 50 mph in places. heavy rain across south—west scotland, north—west

england and north wales as well. should be an improving picture into the afternoon across some parts of england and wales, still very windy with it, particularly on exposed coasts but a dry afternoon here, top temperatures peaking at 15 may be 16 degrees if we're lucky. that wet weather will start to ease away for most of us on friday. the exception is perhaps parts of wales could still see some pretty relentless rainfall but make the most of it, if you have got the drier, brighter weather on friday because the weekend looks decidedly unsettled. deep areas of low pressure moving m, deep areas of low pressure moving in, bringing some very wet and very windy weather at times, gales, perhaps severe gales, into the far north—west. so however a picture i paid for this weekend it is not looking a good one if you don't like the cloud, the wind and the rain. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me, and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are.

hello and welcome to sportsday. manchester united are in champions league action at old trafford hoping to make it to group wins from two against last season's semifinal. messi in time for barcelona after a turbulent 24 hours for the club as they get fed or set to face juventus. mounting cancel ancient and threadbare squad is due to the clone virus pandemic. also coming up in the programme... international game returned after nine months out. and they won the world series but

the los angeles dodgers faced criticism after celebrating with covid positive justin criticism after celebrating with covid positivejustin turner. hello and welcome to sportsday, i'm sarah. you're very welcome along to sportsday this evening.... so we had wins for liverpool and manchester city in the champions league last night — tonight, it's the turn of chelsea and manchester united. the london side are in russia looking for their first win, after a draw against sevilla last week — while manchester united are at home to rb leipzig after their win against psg last week. well our reporter ben croucher is here and can bring us right up to date in chelsea's game against krasnodar which is under way... a decent enough start for chelsea at stamford bridge last week with that a goalless draw. they're in russia right now for fc krasnodar‘s first ever champions league home game. first time they've qualified

for the group stages. just coming up to half time in russia and chelsea have the lead. 0livier giroud with the opening goal. in the last few minutes, just as we are going on air, chelsea have taken the lead and palin has put them ahead and there was a bit of a howler from the krasnodar keeper as well so we have got four minutes to go until half—time and chelsea will go until half—time and chelsea will go to the good in russia. 8 o'clock then for manchester united against rb leipzig — and i think many will struggling to predict which united performance we'll see... they blow boiling hot when they're hot or freezing cold when they're cold. doom and gloom when they lost 6—1 to spurs a couple of weeks back but they'll be looking to build on that fine win in paris last week. it's a tough group too

with two of last season's semi finallists in it. leipzig make their first visit to old trafford tonight, and they're a real danger for 0le gunnar solskjaer‘s side. top of the bundesliga right now having won their last four. growing in strength in europe as last season's run to the last four proved and despite not existing 12 years ago — are really asserting themselves in europe. led by one of the most charismatic coaches — julian nagelsmann — just 33 years old with a reputation of surprising his opposite numbers. 0ur our focus is 0urfocus is on our focus is on ourselves. but we have to give them problems and make sure that we solve whatever problem is they can give us. you, if one of those coaches and teams that you don't really know what's going to happen until you watch them all until it's live, so it's very, again, i'm looking forward to very much. if you're a united fan

looking for some positives. they're 10 unbeaten at home against german sides in europe. already under way in that group istanbul beshakshahir — psg. currently goalless. and a reminder of krasnodar chelsea there too — still leading 1—0. you can catch all the action on the bbc sport website throughout the evening. those the english clubs in action then — but there's no doubt that the glamour tie is in turin tonight — withjuventus hosting barcelona. but the eagerly anticipated match—up between christiano ronaldo and lionel messi has been put on hold, withjuventus‘ ronaldo returning another postive coronavirus test result. and well it's also been a pretty turbulent 24 hours for barcelona after their president resigned... patrick gearey has this report. at barcelona, the tactics and manoeuvring isn't restricted to the pitch. power lies behind frosted glass but for some time it has been

draining away for the president. the resignation of the man who has won the club for six years would be big news a nyway the club for six years would be big news anyway but his final years in office will echo around europe. translation: today i can announce an extraordinary news that will change the colour‘s revenue prospects for the colour‘s revenue prospects for the coming years. yesterday, the board of directors approved the a cce pta nce board of directors approved the acceptance of the requirements to facilities are paid in a future european super league football clu bs, european super league football clubs, project promoted in a big clu bs clubs, project promoted in a big clubs in europe. —— requirements to participate in a... bass that hardly in financial health at the moment. big transfer fees and big wages combined with a empty stadium make for some that for some doesn't add up. the new board allows the manager to negotiate with the players, lower salaries, lower wages also with the workers of the club, otherwise the

clu b workers of the club, otherwise the club would be, could be bankrupt because at this point nobody really knows what borderline is, what the debt is at this club. the one thing you don't want to do was barcelona president is an leonel messi but he managed it. messi left in the summer and the team decayed around him. defeated all side left them 12th in the table albeit with games in hand. the dressing late in the dressing room and boardroom under the single 01’ room and boardroom under the single or streets. this man said but a male had never been a president in football and politics should not mix well another basa fund said he had to go because he was doing no good to go because he was doing no good to the club. at least barca fans can still be mesmerised by messi and but he can only distract for so long. at barcelona they boast of being more than a barcelona they boast of being more thana club, barcelona they boast of being more than a club, but that might also be the problem.

this letter from the afl is a particularly scathing letter. he said he finds it particularly galling to see the government's response to the crisis engulfing football given the generosity he feels has been given to the arts, £1.5 billion support package. he said while football grounds in rochdale, grimsby, mansfield and carlisle may seem an awful long way from the royal ballet they are nonetheless equally important part of our national heritage. he also said that clubs feel ignored at best and victimised at worst by the government and he said that clubs could be driven to extinction. the

message was clear that he felt that the owner should be on the government to help failing football clu bs government to help failing football clubs and it shouldn't be seen as job done. the department of digital culture, media and sport were quick to respond the letter and they say it has been clear all along that professional football had the means to support itself and that the governments focus will be on sports in sectors that can't support themselves and the government also urge the premier league and afl two sought out a financial deal as soon as possible. now, the government's response didn't touch on the point about return of fans, which is clearly the context of all of this from rick parry but it is important to know that work is going on behind the scenes and they have said all along that they will look again at the return of fans as soon as but this afternoon it had been announced that the bundesliga and other professional sport in germany is going to have to go behind closed doors from the 2nd of november and that will strike a blow to hopes over here as well. lover scott,

thank you so much forjoining us. let's quickly round up some of the day's other sports stories now and... england will be without their scrum—half willie heinz for their final six nations match against italy in rome. he has a soft tissue leg injury. alex mitchell has been called up as cover although ben youngs, the first choice number 9, is expected to win his 100th cap. ireland will win the six nations title if they get a bonus point win against france. 0ne change to the team — centre robbie henshaw starts in place of the injured garry ringrose and prop cian healy will earn his 100th cap. saudi arabia is set to make its debut on the formula 1 calendar next year. a draft list given to f1 teams shows that the penultimate event of a 22 race season will be injeddah on a street circuit. a purpose built track is also being built in qiddiyah in saudia arabia for 2023.

another super league match has been postponed after a covid outbreak at one of the clubs. the mounting concerns over how much longer it can can continue bidding these in cancellations games. castleford tigers say they have 12 positive cases and their match at huddersfield is off on friday. four leeds rhinos players have been stood down from their next match after they played the tigers on monday night and were contacted by track and trace. catalan dragons match against warrington had already been called off this week. and friday's game between salford and warrington is also off. salford have had to forfeit it because they haven't got enough fit players following a hectic run of matches, including the challenge cup final. so bearing in mind all this, can the super league finish on time? we knew it was going to be a really hectic schedule when we all agree to do it. you know, we had to get so many games on sky tv as well so all clu bs a re many games on sky tv as well so all clubs are having a really big dig at this but when you see the play

suffering like they are doing at the moment and anybody who has played the game is what it feels like to get out of bed in the morning after a super grey league game, it is not the pleasa ntest of a super grey league game, it is not the pleasantest of experiences, but, listen, rugby league people are tough and the governing body can work out how we can get the aims of the season with the grand final coming. early this morning, england were beaten 58—45 in the opening match of their three—test series against new zealand. the silver ferns controlled the game in hamilton but england did hold up well in what was their first competitive match since march. earlier i spoke to england head coachjess thirlby, who had to stay back in the uk after testing positive for coronavirus... i have left the game feeling quite positive. aside from the outcome in every international side, you know, our intent is to go to compete to win and we are not ignoring that element, but, ithink win and we are not ignoring that element, but, i think at this stage, and given the context by which we have entered this test series there was a lot of positives in there for

me to be happy about. i think apart from the first poster, you know, we only lost those quarters by two or three so quite small marker genes against the covent world champions in their backyard and as you know it is well documented we haven't played a competitive match since march so i think we gave good account of ourselves but we appreciate we don't have to go up another level for friday's match. how difficult has it been with both the long lead up to this with players just able to train and not have competitive matches but also when they arrived in new zealand, having to isolate and not train properly together as a full squad yeah, i mean, it's completely uncharted territory i think for any team, let alone an international side to pave the way which we packed in. we entered the court for the first time kind of late injuly but for most of that period until now we have only had limited time training asa have only had limited time training as a whole group we have only been able to play against ourselves so it's a huge undertaking and a massive achievement, i think, that