Head coach Richie Murphy says Ulster must play to their strengths to overcome Exeter Chiefs in Friday's Investec Champions Cup encounter at Kingspan Stadium (20:00 GMT).

While both teams are winless in the Investec Champions Cup this season, a victory for either side would keep alive their slim chances of reaching the knockout stages.

"I think it's going to be a really tough game, obviously both teams haven't won in Europe yet so there's a prize in relation to that," Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"We felt the second half of the Leicester game got away from us and we probably went into our shell a little bit.

"This week is all about going back to what we do well and trying to get the ball on the pitch, trying to play to the space."

Ulster have been forced to deal with a mounting injury list this season, especially in the backline with Rob Lyttle named on the bench for Friday's game after being brought in on a short-term deal to help cover the club's back-three shortages.

"There's a couple of boys coming back in now, we'll have that experience of Mikey Lowry whose being around for a long time now. Moore coming back in at full-back gives us something as well," added Murphy.

"Rob coming back into the front row settles that down a little bit as well."

Despite losing five of their past six games, Murphy believes Ulster are getting back on track.

"We're not happy with the results over the last couple of weeks," he admitted.

"But we feel like we're moving in the right direction so we've just got to keep building."

Real Madrid forward Endrick praised teammate Antonio Rüdiger for guiding him through his goal drought, dedicating his brace in their 5-2 Copa del Rey win over Celta Vigo on Thursday to the defender.

Madrid survived a scare in the last 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu, as Celta fought back from 2-0 down to level in the 91st minute, before the home side scored three goals -- two from the Brazil international -- in extra time.

Endrick, 18, started the season brightly, opening his account in LaLiga and the Champions League, but hadn't found the net since Sept. 17 and has played a total of just 83 league minutes this campaign.

"I keep working every day," Endrick told Real Madrid TV. "My two goals are for Antonio Rüdiger. He knows what he does for me every day. He never praises me, and that's a good thing! He tells me what to do, to score, to run, to keep fighting. Yesterday in training he gave me a tough game. I was thinking about it at home and he's a great person. The goals are for him."

Endrick's first goal was fired in on the turn from the edge of the box -- which the teenager celebrated by ripping off his shirt -- while the second was a quick-thinking backheel inside the six-yard box.

"[The first] was a very important goal for me," Endrick said, when asked about that exuberant celebration. "This is my job. I have to do well for the team, scoring goals, doing whatever. Scoring a goal for Madrid, for these fans, the players, the staff, is really good. In the last Copa game I missed the chances I had. Today, I had two chances and scored."

The cup win saw Madrid bounce back from their 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Captain Lucas Vázquez said the performance, which came after coach Carlo Ancelotti rested key players such as Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde, showed Madrid's strength in depth.

"Endrick did well with the minutes he had," Vazquez said. "It shows the quality in this squad. We made changes, and the team did well, whoever plays delivers."

Ancelotti was asked about whistles from sections of the Bernabéu crowd for some of his players, including midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni.

"It's a wake-up call from the fans for the players and the coach," Ancelotti said. "It's acceptable, with what happened in the game against Barcelona. The team reacted well, above all Tchouameni, who had a great game."

Ruben Amorim said he was thankful that Amad's late hat trick against Southampton 'helped' a post-match conversation with Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe go smoothly.

United were facing defeat to the Premier League's bottom club before Amad scored three times in 12 minutes to earn a dramatic 3-1 win. Amorim spoke to Ratcliffe after the game and said he was grateful for the Ivorian's invention before having to face his boss.

"I had five minutes with him [Ratcliffe] to talk about different things," said Amorim. "It was not a good game, but the result helped the conversation! We continue doing our job. Today it was more important to win. I know the fans want to see so much better football, but we need to win games. We managed to win and we are going to prepare for the next game."

United struggled for much of the game against Southampton and were lucky to only be 1-0 down at half-time. Amad, who signed a new five-year contract last week, got the equaliser in the 81st minute and completed his first senior hat trick in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

"Maybe one of the best weeks in my life," he said. "I am very happy for this win. This team deserved to win this game so I am very happy.

"We know we have quality players in this team. We need sometimes to be more hungry in the final third. Today we showed at the end we were the best team. I am so happy for the win today because this team deserves it."

Amad has quickly become Amorim's most important player and the United head coach told the 22-year-old he will be needed again when Brighton visit Old Trafford on Sunday.

"He has to rest, eat good food and Sunday we need him again," said Amorim. "He did a great job, a good moment for a young kid to score a hat trick for a club like this.

"He helped us and he is doing a very good season. I already spoke about this. You have to be careful with the young kids. Congratulations to him, enjoy tonight and he needs to appreciate these moments."

Brazil striker Neymar said his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé became "a little jealous" after superstar Lionel Messi joined the French club in August 2021 in a free transfer.

Speaking in a podcast hosted by World Cup winner Romário released Thursday, the 32-year-old Brazilian, who has endured an injury-laden tenure with Saudi club Al Hilal, added that big egos affected the performances of PSG in big matches.

Neymar made his comments after Romário asked whether Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid this season, "is annoying."

"No, he is not. I have my things with him, we had a little fight, but he was fundamental for us when he arrived. I used to call him golden boy," Neymar said. "I always played with him, said he was going to be one of the best. I always helped, talked to him, he came to my place, we had dinner together.

"We had some good years of partnership, but after Messi came he was a little jealous. He didn't want to split me with anyone. And then there were some fights, a change in behavior."

Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco in 2017, the same year Neymar moved from Barcelona to the French club in one of the biggest transfers in soccer history.

Both were signed as the club sought its maiden Champions League title, which it is yet to win. Neymar said the team often struggled due to big egos, but didn't name anyone.

"It is good to have egos, but you have to know that you don't play alone," Neymar said. "There needs to be another guy by your side. [Big] egos were almost everywhere, it can't work. If nobody runs and nobody helps, it is impossible to win anything."

Neymar didn't rule out returning to Brazil after his contract in Saudi Arabia expires in the middle of the year. ESPN sources have also said that three MLS team, including Chicago Fire FC, are interested in signing him to the North American league.

Later on Thursday, his manager at Al Hilal, Jorge Jesus, said Neymar was free to decide his future for himself after confirming that he would not be registered for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season, in part due to his injury issues since joining the team.

"The only thing I know is that Neymar is not registered at the moment," Jesus said after Al Hilal beat last-place team Al Fateh 9-0. "I don't know about the interest of others clubs, that's beyond my control.

"The Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world. Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to because unfortunately things have become difficult for him.

"I don't know what will happen with Neymar's future. He is still under contract with Al Hilal, and it is up to him to decide what comes next. Ultimately, that will be a decision for him and the team management to make."

Neither Mbappé nor Messi have reacted to Neymar's comments.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

MANCHESTER, England -- Ruben Amorim has inherited a mess at Manchester United. But amid the rubble at Old Trafford, the manager found Amad Diallo and at least for now, that's enough to keep him, and United, going.

For much of the game against Southampton -- enduring the worst start to a Premier League campaign -- it was the visitors who were the better team. They were a goal up at half-time and it could have been more. But just as they got within sight of a first top-flight away win since February 2023, Amad produced a 12-minute hat trick to pull his team back from the brink and win 3-1.

At the final whistle, the moans and groans that had filled Old Trafford for more than 80 minutes had turned to chants in support of the Ivory Coast winger.

It's no surprise because at the moment, he's the only one worth singing about. In the space of a month, he has scored a winner against Manchester City, an equaliser against Liverpool and dragged his team back from an unimaginable defeat to the league's bottom team. No wonder Amorim was so quick to give him a new five-year contract.

"He did a great job," Amorim said. "It's a good moment for a young kid to score a hat trick for a club like this."

Amorim's postmatch media commitments were dominated by questions about Amad, but the 22-year-old's late intervention told only half the story. Southampton arrived having not won a league game since November and without an away win all season. Yet they were by far the better team for the first hour and United were lucky to be only 1-0 down at half-time.

"We didn't do a good game, but if you look at all the opportunities I think we deserve the win," Amorim said.

"In the first half, we were too late to every ball and we tried to press too high and suffered for that."

Goalkeeper André Onana made three good saves with the score at 0-0, including a terrific double stop from Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes. He's the only player who comes close to challenging Amad for United's Player of the Year award. Even though it's still only January, Amad might already have it sewn up.

It was only when Amorim brought on Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer after 53 minutes to join half-time substitute Antony that United began to get a foothold in the game.

Antony inexplicably missed an open goal from two yards, but fortunately for him, Amad was preparing to save everyone's blushes. Almost single-handedly, he prevented United from losing four straight top-flight home games for the first time since 1930.

Amad made the first goal himself by running at Kyle Walker-Peters. He produced a wonderful finish to stretch and connect with Christian Eriksen's pass to score his second and then completed his first senior hat trick by robbing Taylor Harwood-Bellis and tapping into an empty net.

It's incredible to think that -- now United's most important player -- he was overlooked for so long by former manager Erik ten Hag. His goals made sure Amorim's postmatch chat with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe went far smoother than it might have done otherwise.

"I had five minutes with him to talk about different things," Amorim said.

"The result helped the conversation. We continue doing our job. Today, it was more important that we win. I know the fans want to see so much better football, but we need to win games. We managed to win and we are going to prepare for the next game.

"The important thing is to win. Amad helped us and he is doing a very good season. I already spoke about this. You have to be careful with the young kids. Congratulations to him, enjoy tonight and he needs to appreciate these moments."

Amorim can only wish that he had more than one Amad. He needs him at No.10 and as a wing-back. He needs more players with his energy and his ability to press. Now United's top goal scorer, he needs more players with his eye for goal.

The problem is, with little scope to make changes in the January window, Amorim will have to make do with what he has.

Once the euphoria of the dramatic victory subsides, he will reflect that if beating Southampton is such a struggle, then every other game for the rest of the reason will be a huge challenge. He's facing the prospect of limping through the rest of the campaign as best he can and hope he's given the tools to perform major surgery on the squad in the summer. Until then, he needs Amad.

"He has to rest, eat good food, and on Sunday [against Brighton & Hove Albion] we need him again," Amorim said.

A University of Florida athletics department employee filed a sexual assault complaint against an assistant men's basketball coach Tuesday as the school continues to investigate head coach Todd Golden for alleged Title IX violations that became public in November.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, reported to the school's Title IX office that in March 2024, assistant men's basketball coach Taurean Green arranged a meeting with her in the athletic facilities, where he kissed her and tried to put his hand down her pants, according to a copy of the complaint reviewed by ESPN.

She pulled his hand away and said no, and he tried again, at which point she got away, according to the complaint. Until that day, she had never been alone with Green and had only exchanged casual greetings with him on campus, she told ESPN in an interview.

Green did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, Florida spokesperson Steve Orlando told ESPN, "The law prohibits us from commenting on the existence or status of investigations. The University of Florida takes these matters seriously and conducts a thorough and deliberate process that ensures due process for everyone."

The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time in part because of Green's status. Green, who as a Florida player won NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 after playing in the NBA and overseas.

The woman told ESPN she decided to come forward after Title IX investigators working on the Golden case asked to interview her last fall about Golden's interactions with female athletes. She said that inquiry made her realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior and other women could be affected.

She told ESPN she first reported her allegations in mid-December to Florida deputy athletics director Amy Meyers Hass. When asked what action was taken after she became aware of these allegations, Hass did not comment, citing confidentiality.

The allegation against Green is the second known Title IX complaint filed against a member of the Florida men's basketball coaching staff in the past four months. The university is still investigating the Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden that included allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of correspondence provided to ESPN and sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

ESPN and the Florida Center for Government Accountability have made requests for records pertaining to the Title IX complaint and correspondence among certain Florida athletic and university officials. Those requests have been denied or have not received a response.

The Title IX complaint against Golden includes allegations that he sent photos and videos of his genitalia, made unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requested sexual favors.

On multiple occasions, Golden allegedly took photos of women walking or driving -- or their cars in various locations -- and then sent those photos to the subjects of the photos. He also allegedly showed up to locations where he knew the women would be, according to the Title IX complaint.

In a Nov. 9 post on X, Golden wrote that he had been participating in the inquiry and was consulting with an attorney on bringing defamation claims. No such lawsuit has been filed.

Golden's attorney, Ken Turkel, declined to comment Thursday.

Golden, who joined the Gators from the University of San Francisco in 2022, has continued to coach since the complaint was filed. Florida is 15-2 and ranked fifth in the AP Top 25.

One complainant in the Golden inquiry is a student at a college with a partnership program with Florida, according to her attorney, Karen Truszkowski. In response to an ESPN records request, university officials noted that the school could provide no record of her being a student at Florida. Another woman, who also spoke with Title IX investigators about unwanted behavior from Golden, is not a student and said she knows the basketball coach socially.

Both women have provided statements to Title IX investigators and have continued to correspond with them, according to Truszkowski.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. It is unclear how the two women's status affects the investigation. Florida's Title IX coordinator, Jackie Moran, did not respond to a question about how the law applies to complaints filed by nonstudents. Moran is an employee of Grand River Solutions, a private California firm Florida contracted last year to conduct its Title IX investigations, according to an agreement reviewed by ESPN.

"It doesn't matter if a complainant is a student, employee or otherwise. The important question is, 'Could this have an impact on the student body at large?'" Truszkowski said. "The Title IX department is looking into allegations involving current students as well."

Golden initially signed a six-year, $18 million contract and agreed to a two-year extension in March 2024 that will keep him at Florida through the 2029-30 season. His contract, a copy of which ESPN has reviewed, prohibits "romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control and/or authority of such coach or other employee."

The contract also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a manner "that has an 'adverse effect' or causes an 'adverse reflection,' on the reputation, mission and/or interests" of the athletic department or the university.

Paula Lavigne is an investigative reporter at ESPN. Reach her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..