Thirteen years previously, the Northern Ireland Womenâs team achieved what is widely considered the biggest one-off result in their history. Taking the scalp of a team that was a European Championship Semi-Finalist just a couple of years earlier sent shock waves around the continent. The team on the end of that surprise result was Norway when Kirsty McGuinness, Ashley Hutton and Rachel Furness scored the goals in a wonderful 3-1 win under former manager Alfie Wylie. Norway went on to finish second at the Womenâs Euro 2013 Finals, and now the same opponents stand in the way of Northern Ireland and a second successive Euros, with captain Simone Magill â the only surviving member of the squad â recalling the past as she targets a repeat in the final Play-Off for Womenâs Euro 2025 ahead of Fridayâs first-leg clash at Inver Park. âI remember it really well,â says Magill, who played the final 20 minutes as a substitute that night at Mourneview Park. âI was only 17 at the time and I remember, similar to this game, we were ruled the underdogs, no one expected us to get anything from that game, and I think for us, in the landscape of Northern Ireland womenâs football, it was a real historic night. âWe defied all the odds and we came away with a win. If you want to look at underdog stories, thatâs one right there that we have done, and thatâs the message that we will implement into the group this week, that anything is possible. âAt the time, Norway were ranked one of the top teams in Europe, and where we were at on our journey, it was unheard of. Weâd no professional players back then, either, so the fact that we were able to do it then, it should give us our own belief that anything can happen. âWe just approached the game that if we believe we can go and do something, then we will go and do it. âWe got an early goal, and that really instils the belief that we had something to hold on to â and then we went and got another one. âThose kind of messages are what we have to take into Friday that, yes, the pressure is completely on Norway, no one expects us to come away with anything in this game.â Magill isnât the only player who was in the early stages of her international career back in 2013 and who will again lace up their boots at Inver Park. Norwayâs Ballon dâOr Feminin winner Ada Hergerberg made her debut off the bench as a 16-year-old when Norway tried to rescue something from the game, and three-time Champions League winner Caroline Graham Hansen was winning only her second cap. With almost 100 goals between them at international level, Norway will again lean on their star duo to deliver the goals to send them to another Euro Finals. Magill is cast in the same role for Northern Ireland. âAs a team, we are fully aware that we might not get a lot of chances and that, as a team, we need to be clinical in those moments, we need to be ruthless if we get a sniff, and if we get a set-piece, we have to make absolutely everything count,â she says. âWe know the kind of task that is up ahead and what Norway bring and their strengths, so it is going to be a game that if we get a chance, we know that we have to take it.â When it comes to goals, Magill, who has 25 for her country, is in form. She scored twice for her club Birmingham City Women on Sunday â ironically past international team-mate Jackie Burns â and taking that form into Northern Irelandâs biggest games since the Euro 2022 Finals is perfectly timed for manager Tanya Oxtoby. âAs a striker, itâs all about confidence,â adds Magill. âTo get off the mark in open play â I had already scored a penalty â and be coming off the back of scoring two goals means confidence is high and, going into the game this week, we might only get one opportunity so, hopefully, that confidence will work in my favour.â
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The Winnipeg Jets (18-4-0) take on the LA Kings (11-8-3) Wednesday. Puck drop from Crypto.com Arena is set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the Jets vs. Kings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions . Season series: First meeting; Jets swept 2-0 last season The Jets are 2-1 on a current 6-game road trip, and all of them ended in 4-1 scores. The latest was a 4-1 winner Monday against the Minnesota Wild. G Connor Hellebuyck continued his Vezina pursuit with 43 saves on 44 shots. LW Kyle Connor had an assist in the affair, his fifth point in the last 4 games. The Kings dropped a joke of a game as -233 favorites 7-2 at San Jose Monday. G David Rittich got his stretches in as he watched 7 goals sail by on 21 shots. C Anze Kopitar ended his 8-game goalless drought with his 6 lamp lighter of the season. Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+ , with your team's out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now! Jets at Kings odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 5:45 p.m. ET. Jets at Kings projected goalies Connor Hellebuyck (15-2-2, 2.06 GAA, .929 SV%, 3 SO) vs. David Rittich (7-6-0, 2.65 GAA, .883 SV%) As mentioned, Hellebuyck was an absolute stud Monday, stopping 43 of 44 shots in his 4-1 taming of the Wild. He has allowed 1 goal apiece in 2 straight starts. Looking at goalies who have played at least 8 games, his 2.06 GAA and .929 SV% both rank first. He was 1-1 with a 3.50 GAA and .889 SV% in 2 starts against the Kings last season. The Kings were treading water just fine with Darcy Kuemper on the shelf until Monday. Rittich allowed 7 goals in that one, but he allowed 7 goals in his last 6 appearances combined. He has allowed 1 goal or fewer in half of his 12 starts this season. Jets at Kings picks and predictions Prediction Jets 4, Kings 2 Moneyline The Kings (-110) are 17th in hockey with 2.95 goals per game, and they're facing a mountain of a challenge with Hellebuyck between the pipes. I love the JETS (- 110 ) at this price. They're tied for first with 4.05 goals per game, and the Kings' confidence has been shaken after Monday's 7-2 loss to the Sharks. Puck line/Against the spread I'm going with KYLE CONNOR OVER 0.5 ASSISTS (+ 115 ) here. He has helpers in 3 of 4 games, and he had 3 assists in 2 games against the Kings last season with fewer than 3 shots in each. Over/Under The Jets are 2-8 O/U in their last 10, thanks to their awesome goaltending. The Kings, known to be a defensive-minded club, are 3-5-2 O/U in the same span. One or both teams have scored 4 goals in the last 6 meetings. I feel an OVER 5.5 (- 105 ) cashing. Play our free daily Pickâem Challenge and win! Play now ! For more sports betting picks and tips , check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW . Follow Ryan Dodson on Twitter/X . Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook . More NHL Picks and Predictions! Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche odds, picks and predictions Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers odds, picks and predictions Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and predictions
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SEMICONDUCTOR Manufacturing International Corporationâs (SMIC) stock has more than doubled over the past two months on an expected boost from Chinaâs self-reliance push, even amid risks tied to competition and geopolitical tensions. Shanghai-listed shares of Chinaâs largest outsourced chipmaker are up 120 per cent from a September low, trouncing global sector names including Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The mainland stock has outperformed SMICâs Hong Kong shares by almost 50 percentage points, underscoring stronger demand from onshore Chinese investors. Expectations for Donald Trumpâs presidency have pumped up shares of SMIC and local peers as beneficiaries of Chinaâs drive to localise manufacturing. Some analysts and fund managers caution that the stocks now look expensive, while Chinaâs chip industry faces ongoing issues of economic malaise and restricted access to crucial technologies. âThere is a lot of speculative buying and the trading is based on news events instead of fundamentals,â so volatility should be expected, said Xiang Xiaotian, a director at Shanghai Chengzhou Investment Management. âThe main trading thesis is domestic substitution as Chinese companies will need to turn to local chipmakers.â China has been outspending other nations on chips as it struggles to narrow the wide technology gap with Western nations. Expected benefits from Beijingâs latest pledges of stimulus have served as an additional catalyst for SMIC and domestic peers including Hua Hong Semiconductor whose onshore shares are up 78 per cent from their September low. SMIC forecast higher-than-expected sales growth for this quarter as its competitive prices lured local chip designers, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. More broadly, China foundries âbottomed out earlierâ than other global manufacturers of less-advanced chips, Counterpoint Research wrote in a note in August. Even if demand for these so-called legacy semiconductors used in auto and industrial applications improves, however, China remains far behind in artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced areas due to US-led restrictions that prevent it from acquiring the most advanced manufacturing equipment. For example, Huawei Technologiesâs ambitions to create more powerful chips have hit major snags because of US sanctions, sources familiar with the matter said. âArtificial intelligence is a small blessing for SMIC and Hua Hong,â Morningstar analyst Phelix Lee wrote in a report. The pair may not be moving quickly enough to capture demand for high-end power chips used in data centres, he said, adding that if Chinese AI startups lose access to advanced processors that would also hurt demand for peripheral chips supplied by SMIC and Hua Hong. Meanwhile, SMICâs outsized share-price gain is likely to drive increased scrutiny of its earnings and other metrics. Some observers also note the potential for rivals such as TSMC to lower prices for making legacy chips, putting pressure on SMICâs pricing power. âWe acknowledge the stronger localisation demand and gross margin sustainability of SMIC,â Morgan Stanley analysts including Charlie Chan wrote in a note. âHowever, we believe the competition from foundries may get more intense in 2025. In addition, SMICâs trading valuation does not look attractive to us.â The Hong Kong-listed stock is trading at a forward price-to-book ratio of 1.2 times, above its three-year average level of 0.9 times. Valuation based on book value is seen as more useful than earnings-based multiples for evaluating asset-heavy, cyclical businesses such as chip foundries. SMIC and Hua Hong both look overvalued, âas the market may have overestimated the extent of average selling price recoveryâ, Morningstarâs Lee said. âAlso, the market can be overbullish on the impact of fiscal stimulus.â BLOOMBERGNonePlayers Era Festival organizers betting big NIL is future of college tourneys