Kylian Mbappe will take penalties for Real Madrid from their next match as Vinicius Junior is punished for missing a spot-kick against Valencia.
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Vinicius Jr stripped of penalty dutiesMbappe to take penalties for MadridBrazilian missed spot-kick against ValenciaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazilian winger failed to hand his team an early lead as he saw his feeble shot comfortably saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili. The penalty miss proved costly as Madrid eventually went down 2-1 against Valencia in La Liga last weekend. Now, reports that manager Ancelotti has decided to remove Vinicius Jr. from penalty duties as Mbappe is all set to take the club's spot-kicks, starting with their upcoming Champions League fixture against Arsenal.
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The blunder against Valencia was the Brazilian's second penalty miss in the 2024-25 campaign, as he had earlier failed to convert a spot-kick against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The report also adds that if Mbappe now fails to convert penalties, the next in line to take spot-kicks is Jude Bellingham. Like Vinicius Jr, Mbappe too has missed two penalties this season, while Bellingham has missed once.
DID YOU KNOW?
Valencia goalkeeper Mamardashvili has revealed that he had offered a bet to the Brazilian winger. Vinicius was lining up to take a penalty when the custodian said he would pay the star €50 if he was to score, and Vinicius agreed to pay the same fee should he miss.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Los Blancos are set to visit North London to face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final fixture at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Bangladesh’s Abdur Razzak also produced an economical spell in a rain-hit contest on Monday
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-20239:30
Watch – Highlights from Asia Lions vs World Giants
10-overs-a-sideA fine batting performance from Misbah-ul-Haq (44 not out) followed by an economical display of spin bowling from Abdur Razzak (2 for 2) helped Asian Lions beat World Giants by 35 runs in a rain-curtailed match on Monday. The Asian Lions’ second consecutive win pushed them to the top of the table.A wet outfield had delayed the start by more than two hours, forcing the game to be curtailed to 10 overs a side. World Giants captain Aaron Finch’s plan of opting to bowl first on a slow, damp pitch worked beautifully in the first seven overs. Finch utilised four spinners, including Monty Panesar, Ricardo Powell, Chris Gayle and himself, and the slow-bowling option of Paul Collingwood.It was a struggle in the early stages for the former Sri Lankan opening pair of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan. After a sedate start, Tharanga tried to pick up the pace in the second over but he was stumped after missing a flat delivery off Powell.The first boundary of the Asian Lions’ innings came off the final delivery of the third over as Dilshan came down the pitch to hit a flighted delivery off Panesar straight down the ground. Dilshan kept the scoreboard moving with singles but couldn’t find much support in new batters Thisara Perera and Shahid Afridi.Misbah, though, picked up from where he left off from the previous match. He smashed Gayle for a six over long-on before hitting Powell for three boundaries in the eighth over. He then lofted Collingwood over long-on for six to bring up his fifty-run partnership with Dilshan. He finished with a 19-ball 44 to push the Asian Lions to 99 for 3 in their 10 overs.World Giants never really got going in their chase after the dismissals of openers Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons. Gayle survived an early scare in the first over from Mohammad Hafeez. He was given out on the field after missing a sweep but his review showed the ball was going over the stumps.Gayle then struck Dilshan for three consecutive sixes off the first three deliveries of the fourth over. Shahid Afridi, though, put an end to Gayle’s cameo in the fifth over as he hit a short delivery straight to Thisara Perera at long-on. Gayle’s opening partner Simmons was the next to fall in the same over. The openers were the only batters to make it to double digits as the chase fell away rapidly after that.Former Bangladesh spinner Razzak got the wickets of Shane Watson and Ricardo Powell in the eighth over, which was also a maiden, to kill the chase as the World Giants fell woefully short.
Newcastle United will hope to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend, meeting Birmingham City in the Midlands.
Eddie Howe’s side are also battling to lift gold in England’s other top domestic competition, meeting Liverpool at Wembley in March’s final, and it’s all pointing toward a rather exciting business end to the 2024/25 campaign.
It didn’t always feel like it was going to be a barnstorming campaign for the Magpies, who had trundled out of the gates after a disappointing summer of spending.
Newcastle United managerEddieHowecelebrates after the match
But, fronted by the brilliant Alexander Isak, United are poised for a return to European competition and indeed have another shot at silverware, seeking to end a 70-year drought.
Isak is the key.
Alexander Isak's season in numbers
Mention the name Isak to Alan Shearer and you’ll get a stream of effusions about one of the best centre-forwards to have ever graced the Premier League pitch.
After all the ballyhoo, though, Isak truly is one of the finest goalscorers in the business, with Shearer labelling him as a “world-class assassin” during one recent striker-to-striker interview.
Newcastle’s stunning two-legged victory over Arsenal to set up a Carabao Cup final with Liverpool is all the buzz on Tyneside at the moment, but justly so.
Perhaps the biggest testament that could be bestowed upon the Sweden star’s skill set would be that he didn’t score or assist against Arsenal on Tuesday evening but still earned the roaring support of St. James’ Park and beyond, putting in a complete display that many other top strikers fail to produce.
He’s one of a kind, and Newcastle fans treasure the knowledge that he leads their line. However, PIF might never have authorised his sale had things worked out better with Chris Wood, who fell by the wayside in black and white but has since picked himself back up.
Why Newcastle sold Chris Wood
When Howe was anointed as Steve Bruce’s replacement, significant changes were made. It was January 2022. Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn reinforced the backline; Bruno Guimaraes marked a Galactico-esque addition to the midfield.
Newcastle United captain Kieran Trippier.
Newcastle were embroiled in a relegation battle but felt that they could leap from the pit of the Premier League with well-worked investment, and Wood was also targeted to strengthen the striking department.
Burnley’s talisman had been a consistent source of goals under Sean Dyche and was signed for a sizeable £25m fee, but he failed to replicate his solid striking record under Howe’s leadership.
Pundit Tam McManus commented that Wood looked “a bit lost” during his St. James’ Park stay, failing to slot into the frontal position with the kind of fluency that has been evidenced with other English clubs.
Despite reaching double figures in all four of his full Premier League campaigns with the Clarets, Wood only managed to notch five strikes across 39 fixtures for Newcastle, with his target-man-like style not quite working in Howe’s set-up.
The New Zealand native was only ever a stop-gap, and United chiefs will be happy to have convinced Nottingham Forest to pay £15m to take him off their hands.
They will be less chuffed, however, with his success over the past two campaigns.
Chris Wood's incredible campaign
Wood joined Forest on loan in January 2023, with his move turning permanent the following summer. The 33-year-old’s journey at the City Ground has been remarkable, posting 33 goals across just 67 appearances.
Neco Williams and Chris Wood
Last season, the Kiwi striker provided Forest with the perfect focal presence as they fought to stave off relegation from the Premier League, Nuno Espirito Santo replacing Steve Cooper before Christmas.
The Tricky Trees did their job, with Wood scoring 14 goals across 31 top-flight matches. However, few – if any – will have foreseen Wood’s incredible performances this season,
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The fact that Wood is scoring as many as Isak in the Premier League bears testament to his experience and success as the spear-point of Nuno’s high-flying Forest side.
Last time out in the Premier League, Forest decimated Brighton & Hove Albion, putting seven past the South Coast side. Naturally, the 6 foot 3 titan claimed a hat-trick.
Digging deeper into the forward’s brilliance, Wood has triumphed with a balanced approach to his shooting, scoring nine Premier League goals with his right foot, six with his head and two with his left, as per Sofascore. This level of protean threat has given Nuno the perfect focal point, capable of scoring from every which way.
Wood actually ranks among the top 10% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref, highlighting the quality that Newcastle saw in him. He differs greatly from Isak but could have been the perfect foil in a fully functioning Howe system.
With Callum Wilson barely featuring this term as he succumbs to injury problems and approaches the end of his contract and the 21-year-old William Osula, signed from Sheffield United for a £15m fee last summer – yet to start in the English top-flight as he continues to develop – this would have been quite the dimension – perhaps proving the difference-maker in a side that is already riding the crest of a wave.
Wood’s failure to hit the mark on Tyneside doesn’t really matter now that Isak is banging them in for fun, but he earned a big wage at £80k per week and Newcastle lost £10m in straight transfer funding on a player who offered very little.
That said, the new era was bound to have one or two blunders on the market, and the overall success of the strategy has negated the fumble with this one.
Howe may have unearthed his own Nobby Solano in Newcastle's "unsung hero"
Newcastle brushed Arsenal aside over two legs to advance to the final of the Carabao Cup.
Brian Rodríguez, Diego Valdés, Alejandro Zendejas and Álvaro Fidalgo scored the goals for Las Águilas
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América beat Chivas 4-1 in the aggregate
Alan Mozo was sent off in the first minute of the second half
Los Azulcremas will face Cruz Azul in the next round of the tournamentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Club América showcased its superiority and defeated Chivas 4-0, eliminating them from the Champions Cup Round of 16. With goals from Brian Rodríguez, Diego Valdés, Alejandro Zendejas, and Álvaro Fidalgo, secured their spot in the next phase of the tournament, where they will face Cruz Azul.
The match went into halftime with a 2-0 lead for André Jardine’s team. Chivas needed just one goal to qualify for the quarterfinals due to the away goal rule, but just one minute into the second half, Alan Mozo was sent off, and América took advantage to secure a dominant victory.
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arrived at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes with a 1-0 advantage after winning the first leg at Estadio Akron. Meanwhile, América came into the match with something to prove to their fans, as they had failed to score against Chivas in their previous two encounters last week.could not afford elimination, as the Champions Cup remains the only title that André Jardine's team has yet to win.
GettyWHAT BRIAN RODRÍGUEZ SAID
"We had it very difficult, the Clásico is a different game, we had the frustration of going to Guadalajara and not being able to score, but we showed why we are the three-time champions," Brian Rodríguez said. "We came out with a lot of attitude and desire. I want to thank the people who never stopped supporting us."
DID YOU KNOW?
In the past year, América and Chivas have faced off seven times in El Clásico – and not a single Chivas player has found the back of the net. The only goal Chivas have managed in those seven matches came from an América own goal in last week’s first-leg clash in the Champions Cup Round of 16.
Manchester United is preparing an offer worth £33 million to sign an “exciting” ace and reunite him with manager Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report. The Red Devils get their latest new era underway at the end of this week, as they travel to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.
Amorim has been brought to Old Trafford to return the glory days to the club, and it seems INEOS already have plans in place to have a busy January transfer window to help him do just that.
Man Utd want to sign "world-class" star to be Amorim's answer to Rodri
Manchester United fans could soon be welcoming their very own Rodri to Old Trafford.
ByKelan Sarson Nov 17, 2024 Man Utd transfer news
At the end of last week, it was claimed that United were working on a deal to sign Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg in the January transfer window. The midfielder has been watched by the Red Devils for a while now and played against them during pre-season in the summer. The 17-year-old is regarded as one of the hottest properties in football, and United are hoping to get a deal done in the New Year as he will only cost £10 million.
Ademola Lookman for Atalanta.
Nypan would be a signing that is more for the future, but United also have their eyes on an exciting attacker who would no doubt improve them straight away. United have reportedly submitted an offer worth €100 million (£83.5 million) to sign Ademola Lookman from Atalanta. The 27-year-old, who played a key role in their Europa League success last season, is on the radar of the Red Devils as well as Paris Saint-Germain. Both sides have submitted offers, and Atalanta are open to a sale if they receive a huge fee.
Man Utd readying £33m offer to sign Geovany Quenda
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Manchester United are also looking to secure an agreement to sign Geovany Quenda from Sporting. The 17-year-old has broken into the Sporting CP first team this season under Amorim’s guidance and has already caught the eye with his performances.
Quenda, who has been labelled “exciting” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been a regular starter for the Portuguese side this season, and his performances as a right-wing back or winger have put him on the radar of the Premier League side. Obviously, United being managed by Amorim also gives them an advantage as the boss knows the attacker very well.
This report states that United are now prepared to reunite Amorin with Quenda but at the end of the season, as the 39-year-old promised he wouldn’t be raiding his old club in January. Sporting CP have extended Quenda’s contract recently, and that has involved adding a €100 million (£84 million) release clause.
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The Red Devils have no plans whatsoever to pay that amount of money however – they are willing to make an offer worth around £33 million. It goes on to add that the Premier League side want to sign Quenda “as soon as possible” to avoid competition for his signature.
Tim Southee to take up captaincy duties; Mark Chapman called up as replacement
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2022New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the third T20I against India in Napier because of a pre-arranged medical appointment. He is expected to rejoin the team ahead of the three-ODI series that begins on Friday.Head coach Gary Stead said Tim Southee would lead New Zealand in the third T20I in Williamson’s absence, while Mark Chapman had been called into the squad as cover.Related
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“Kane’s been trying to get this booked in for a while now, but unfortunately it hasn’t been able to fit into our schedule.” Stead said. “The health and well-being of our players and staff is paramount, and we look forward to seeing him in Auckland.”Stead said Williamson’s medical appointment had nothing to do with his elbow, a pre-existing injury the New Zealand captain has been coping with over the last year. He had missed games for New Zealand and in the IPL because of it.Williamson’s form in the T20 format has come under some scrutiny in recent times. While New Zealand made the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Williamson scored only 178 runs at a strike rate of 116.33. Last week, he was released by his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad after he scored only 216 runs at a strike rate of 93.51 in their eighth-place finish in the 2022 season.After the first T20I in Wellington was washed out, India won the second match in Mount Maunganui by 65 runs, on the back of Suryakumar Yadav century. Though Williamson top-scored for New Zealand in the chase with 61 off 52 balls, he was unable to challenge the target of 192The third and final T20I will take place on Tuesday in Napier, before the teams head to Auckland for the first ODI on November 25. The second and third ODIs are in Hamilton and Christchurch on November 27 and 30.
Manchester United have a 51-year-old manager under consideration as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag, according to a new report. The Red Devils are beginning their search for a new manager after the dismissal of the Dutchman on Monday morning, after being beaten 2-1 by West Ham on Sunday afternoon.
Ten Hag sacked: Man Utd now considering 37 y/o "great coach" as replacement
INEOS have pulled the trigger and are already lining up a new coach.
ByBrett Worthington Oct 28, 2024 Man Utd manager latest
United find themselves looking for a new manager after the decision to end Ten Hag’s reign after two and a half years at the club. The decision was made on Monday morning, with a statement confirming the decision and United placing their thanks and good luck to Ten Hag on record.
The Red Devils have been linked with several managers for a few weeks now. Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is one manager who has growing interest in his services. Meanwhile, Xavi has also emerged on the club’s radar in the last week, but it appears his chances of becoming the new manager are slim, as Xavi plans to wait until the summer before taking on his next job.
A new name that has come into the United hotseat is German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann. The German has been in charge of the national team since 2023, and now that the Red Devils are looking for a new manager, they could look to make a move for him.
But the options do not stop there for United, as they also have their eye on a former player of theirs as they weigh up the best move for them.
Former player under consideration for Man Utd return
According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, Manchester United have former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær under consideration for a return to the club. The 51-year-old joined the Red Devils as a player in 1996 and enjoyed great success with the club right up until he left in 2007.
Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford in 2018 as caretaker manager, and his return saw a positive swing in results, and that earned him the permanent role. He was appointed manager in March 2019 and kept the role until November 2021, managing 168 games in total.
Since leaving United, Solskjaer has been out of management and has been working as a UEFA analyst since January of last year. Last month, Solskjaer admitted that he would be “open” to an Old Trafford return, and if he was offered a way back, he would say “yes”.
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Now, according to this report, the Norwegian is under consideration for returning to the club, but it is unclear if he is viewed as a long-term replacement for Ten Hag or as a backroom staff member. Before taking over at Old Trafford, Solskjaer’s only other experience in management came at Molde, where he managed from 2011 to 2018 on and off, while he also had a spell as Cardiff City manager.
KL Rahul feels scoring runs won’t be easy on the final day
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2025KL Rahul has compared the Headingley surface to a subcontinent pitch, saying run-scoring will not be easy on the final day of the first Test.India, led by Rahul’s memorable 137 and Rishabh Pant’s second century of the Test, set England a target of 371. England reached 21 for 0 at stumps, still needing 350 for a win, and Rahul expected a “very interesting” final day.”I think the first two days, being as hot as it was, the pitch has taken a bit of beating,” Rahul said in an interview with at the close of day four. “The crack seems like it’s opening up. There’s a bit of rough there, and the wicket is really dry. Mostly, it’s like a subcontinent wicket on day five.Related
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“[The] day five wicket won’t be as easy, but knowing how England play and their style of cricket, they’re going to come hard and try and score boundaries and try and score runs as quickly as possible. We need to keep that in the back of our heads and try and bowl as straight as we can. Try and be patient and really not give them those boundaries, make them earn their runs. It should be a very interesting day.”The match was evenly poised when play began on day four, with India two down and leading by 96 runs. They lost their captain Shubman Gill early in conditions ripe for swing bowling, but Rahul and Pant dug in. India managed only 28 runs in the first hour of play but lost just that one wicket, despite the ball moving around.”It was very different this morning,” Rahul said. “It almost felt like it was the first time we were actually in English conditions. The ball was seeming around, it was overcast. There was a bit happening from the wicket.”The first couple of days when we batted, there wasn’t much. There was a bit of swing in the air, but nothing off the pitch. But this morning it was a really good spell. I just felt like I needed to play tighter and make sure that we don’t lose too many wickets and make sure that I kill the first session. I was trying to play as straight as possible. At least defend as straight as possible.”KL Rahul recorded his third century in England•Getty ImagesRahul also said that playing the second unofficial Test for India A against England Lions helped him acclimatise to the conditions in England better and got him into that “tempo of playing Test cricket again”.”[I felt if] I get some time to spend in the middle, it would be really good just to bat against the Dukes ball, just get used to the cold conditions and windy conditions and just spend some time leaving a few balls and just getting that tempo again of playing Test cricket,” Rahul said. “That really helped me come here early and adjust to the conditions. Just get that tempo right and feel comfortable wearing the whites again and getting used to seeing the red ball coming at me.”That really helped me in terms of prep, and obviously, I’ve been here before, I’ve played a few Test series here. So I knew what to expect, but again, every series is different. This time the bowlers are different, the conditions are different, so it was just about switching on and trying to do the simple things right and yeah, coming here early really helped me.”Rahul praised Pant, with whom he forged a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket.”When Rishabh walks in, you just let him be,” Rahul said. “He knows what’s best for the team and for him and how he can do that. Obviously, everyone’s different. Rishabh’s a very different player. He does the job for the team, so you just let him be and make sure that he’s doing the simple things right. We’ve had a few partnerships before as well, so we enjoy batting together.”
Bruno Fernandes came to Ruben Amorim's defence after the manager brutally slammed Manchester United players for draw against Everton.
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Bruno defends Amorim's criticism of United playersUrged team-mates to step up Man Utd held to a 2-2 draw by EvertonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
United were trailing by two goals as they headed to the dressing room after the break. It took Fernandes' spectacular free-kick to bring the club into the game before Manuel Ugarte's maiden strike for the Red Devils earned a hard-fought point in their final fixture at Goodison Park against Everton. Manager Amorim did not mince his words after the game, as he brutally slammed his players for a nightmare first-half performance.
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At full-time, captain Fernandes was quizzed on the club scoring two set-piece goals to which he told : "We need to score more from these situations. We need to be more aggressive and understand our positions when we attack. We scored from two set pieces today and obviously, it is really good but we need to improve a lot if we are going to get out of this situation. We need to be aware that the situation we are in is very, very bad."
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The Portuguese midfielder also defended Amorim's attack on the players as he added: "We are in a really bad position in the league, we are doing very bad. It's normal that he can say something that makes a headline because at Manchester United it is like that. I have been here a long time now and we have to realise how bad the situation is. We shouldn't need the manager to say something in order for us to improve to the standard that the manager demands."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?
Amorim's side will be back in action on February 26 as they host Ipswich Town at Old Trafford in a crucial Premier League clash.
New Zealand will have another week of training in Somerset before moving to Birmingham in time for their Commonwealth Games opener
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2022Amelia Kerr, the New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder, has tested positive for Covid-19 while on tour to England. The squad is travelling to take part in the cricket event at the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games, starting July 28.The positive result came out after a round of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on the team members on Saturday. Following the positive test, 21-year-old Kerr is in isolation at the team hotel.Related
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A NZC media statement said that Kerr was the only player from the touring party to test positive, while “the rest of the group will continue to be monitored and tested, as required”.The entire New Zealand contingent had travelled for England from Lincoln on July 12. New Zealand are scheduled to play their first match of the competition against South Africa on July 30.But first, they will have another week of training at Millfield School in Somerset – including two practice matches against England A – before moving to Birmingham towards the end of July.Kerr has been an integral part of the New Zealand set-up, having picked up 41 wickets in 41 bowling innings in T20Is at an economy of 5.94. With the bat, she has scored a total of 234 runs in 24 innings.Women’s cricket will feature at the Commonwealth Games for the first time at the upcoming edition, and cricket as a whole for only the second time after a men’s ODI competition was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, won by South Africa.