The reigning champions bounced back from a poor first-half display to make it two wins from two in La Liga

Second-half goals from Pedri and Ferran Torres helped Barcelona fight back from two goals down to win 3-2 against Levante in La Liga on Saturday.

The reigning champions found themselves deservedly behind thanks to a strike from Ivan Romero and a penalty from Jose Luis Morales, with the hosts unlucky not to score more.

However Barca were quick out of the blocks in the second half, with a wonderful long-range strike from Pedri and a close-range finish from Ferran Torres levelling the score.

And in the dying embers of the game, Levante defender Unai Elgezabal headed into his own net following a teasing Lamine Yamal cross as Barca completed a dramatic comeback.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Estadio Ciutat de Valencia…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Joan Garcia (6/10):

  The goalkeeper could do nothing to stop either goal going in. He did make a couple of good saves, though, to prevent Levante from scoring more.

  Eric Garcia (4/10):

  He and his fellow defenders started well, catching Levante offside a few times, but their solidity quickly crumbled thereafter.

  Ronald Araujo (4/10):

  Like Garcia, Araujo and the Barca offside trap was in fine form early on, but Levante soon got the better of it and were very unlucky not to score more than two.

  Pau Cubarsi (4/10):

  The centre-back, with his arms behind his back, was not aggressive enough as Romero dribbled past him to fire the hosts in front after 15 minutes.

  Alejandro Balde (4/10):

  A difficult evening for the left-back. Not long after receiving a yellow card, the 21-year-old conceded the penalty for Levante's second after the ball struck his wrist inside the box.

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  Midfield

  Pedri (8/10):

  Barca's best player by far. He was unlucky not to record an assist, when Ferran Torres hit the crossbar from his delightful through ball, before his long-range stunner kick-started the comeback.

  Marc Casado (4/10):

  Returning to Barca's midfield, he was easily dribbled past in the build up to Levante's opener before being replaced at half time.

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  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (7/10):

  He looked a threat every time he was able to cut inside onto his left foot, with his late cross leading to Barca's last-gasp winner.

  Raphinha (7/10):

  The Brazil international headed wide from a great first-half chance. He grew into the game, though, curling in a great corner which led to Barca's equaliser.

  Marcus Rashford (4/10):

  The forward looked sharp early on, as he and Balde combined well down the left-hand side, but his influence soon waned. He was substituted during the half-time break.

  Ferran Torres (7/10):

  The former Manchester City man should have scored in the first half but hit the crossbar. However he made amends after the break, latching onto Raphinha's corner for the equaliser.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  He had the chance to win it for Barca before Elgezabal's own goal, but he fired his shot just wide of the far post.

  Andreas Christensen (6/10):

  The defender was introduced late in the second half as Barca went in search of a winner. He looked assured, thus giving manager Hansi Flick plenty to think about moving forward.

  Gavi (6/10):

  He came off the bench for the second half and provided Barca with more impetus going forward. A solid display from the 21-year-old.

  Dani Olmo (6/10):

  Like Gavi he injected some much-needed energy into Barca's play in the second half. A good substitution by Flick and a good outing from Olmo.

  Robert Lewandowski (5/10):

  The striker received little service following his introduction off the bench. He was convinced he should have earned his side a second-half penalty, but his appeals were waved away.

  Hansi Flick (5/10):

  Perhaps the decision to start Casado was the wrong one in the end. However the German got his half-time team talk spot on as Barca scored two quick-fire goals after the break.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a vitória do São Paulo sobre o São Bento na última quarta-feira (21), o Corinthians garantiu vaga antecipada ao mata-mata do Paulistão. A conquista foi celebrada por Adson, que quer ver o Timão lutando pelas primeiras posições na classificação geral nas duas últimas rodadas restantes.

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+ Defesa deixa a desejar, mas ataque se destaca em vitória do Corinthians

-Feliz pela classificação antecipada, mais feliz ainda com o desempenho da equipe no campeonato. Agora é focar nesses dois últimos jogos da fase de grupos para buscar a melhor classificação geral – disse o meia-atacante à Corinthians TV.

+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!

Para assegurar o primeiro lugar no Grupo C e garantir mando de campo para às quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista, o clube alvinegro precisa de um ponto nos próximos dois jogos. Neste domingo (26), os comandados de Fernando Lázaro visitam o Santos, na Vila Belmiro, e na semana seguinte recebem o Santo André.

Com 18 pontos, o Corinthians possui a quarta melhor campanha no estadual, três pontos atrás do Palmeiras, que pode aumentar a vantagem para seis pontos caso vença o Red Bull Bragantino.

+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Campeonato Paulista

Com nove jogos disputados na temporada, Adson começou em alta com o treinador Fernando Lázaro. O técnico corintiano tirou o atleta da ponta e o colocou mais centralizado, e o camisa 28 soma três gols no ano.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthianscomeçou a juntar os cacos depois da eliminação para o Ituano nas quartas de final do Paulistão. Após um dia de folga, os titulares e reservas do Corinthians se reapresentaram no CT Joaquim Grava, nesta quarta-feira (15), para a sequência da temporada.

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+ Corinthians fora da Copa do Brasil 2024? Veja times que podem não disputar a competição

O primeiro trabalho de Fernando Lázaro com todo o grupo após a queda no estadual teve um treino de posse de bola em espaço reduzido e com minigols como objetivo. Em um gramado separado, os goleiros realizaram um treinamento específico comandado pelos preparadores Marcelo Carpes e Luiz Fernando dos Santos.

+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!

Pelas fotos divulgadas, Chrystian Barletta ainda não treinou com o restante do elenco. O atleta de 21 anos foi desligado do São Bernardo na terça-feira (14) e aguarda aprovação nos exames médicos para ser oficializado como reforço. A tendência é que ele seja integrado aos treinamentos já nesta semana.

Segundo a programação divulgada pela assessoria corintiana, pelos próximos dois dias o Timão irá treinar no CT Joaquim Grava pela manhã.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela e simule o mata-mata do Campeonato Paulista

Fora da fase final do Paulistão, o Corinthians ficará cerca de três semanas sem um compromisso oficial, em uma espécie de pré-temporada até os novos compromissos. A próxima partida da equipe de Fernando Lázaro será na primeira semana de abril, com a rodada inaugural da fase de grupos da Libertadores. O sorteio dos grupos será no dia 27 de março.

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Manchester United's new big-money buy Benjamin Sesko has admitted "the level is much higher" in the Premier League than in the Bundesliga.

• Man Utd splash out on Sesko
• Striker yet to score for Red Devils
• Admits Premier League is a step up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sesko arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig in the summer after the Red Devils agreed to splash out £74 million ($100m) to secure his services. Yet the new signing has made a slow start to life at Manchester United and has not managed to find the back of the net in any of his first four appearances for the club.

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  Ruben Amorim will certainly be hoping that Sesko, along with fellow new recruits Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, can help add some much-needed firepower to his side following their struggles last season. Sesko scored 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig but says the standard of football in England is far higher than in Germany.

• WHAT SESKO SAID

  He told Ekipa: “The level of the matches is certainly much higher, the players and teammates are also at a higher level. After all, English football is at the highest level in the world of football.  But I am very much looking forward to the coming period, also because I am getting better and faster in every training session, and I am also progressing in my football mentality every day. I wanted to move to England and fortunately my wish came true.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sesko will be hoping to open his account next time out for United when the Red Devils take on arch-rivals Manchester City in the Premier League. The striker admits it's a game he's relishing, adding: “It’s true, it’s an incredibly big match coming up. There will simply be some pressure on both sides to just win this match. There’s still quite a bit to go until this match, but we’re definitely looking forward to a top-notch match.”

Fermin Lopez addressed the speculation linking him to Chelsea and revealed which Barcelona team-mates influenced him to turn down the English giants.

Chelsea were keen to sign FerminSpaniard rejected the Blues' proposalReveals who influenced him to stayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona midfielder Fermin has revealed that a group of team-mates influenced his decision to rule out an exit, adding that injured captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen took the initiative of persuading him to reject Chelsea's proposal and continue in Catalunya. Despite speculation suggesting that Fermin could depart, he ultimately chose to stay at Barca and fight for his place.

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In the final week of the transfer window, Chelsea pushed hard to sign Fermin and officially tabled a bid worth €40 million (£34m/$46m) plus add-ons. Barcelona were reportedly unhappy with the proposal and demanded €90m (£78m/$105m) instead. The Catalans would have considered a sale if the 22-year-old forced the issue, but he says leaving his boyhood club was never in question.

WHAT FERMIN LOPEZ SAID

In an interview with , Fermin was asked if his team-mates asked him not to leave. He said: "I've had a few conversations with some of them. But the whole team has been very supportive this week, and everyone wanted me to stay, too. The support from the locker room is appreciated."

When asked if he had one-on-one conversations with senior players, he added: "Quite a few, but I can tell you… Ter Stegen, for example. With him, with Ronald [Araujo], with Pedri… With quite a few players, actually. Raphinha too."

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WHAT NEXT FOR FERMIN LOPEZ?

It remains to be seen whether Fermin can earn prominence at Barca this season. The youngster will have to fight for minutes with Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Gavi, as well as summer arrival Marcus Rashford. Increased competition seemed to have enticed Fermin to consider a move to the Premier League, but head coach Hansi Flick has always maintained that the midfielder was crucial for him. Although he has a contract until 2029, Fermin didn't rule out a departure before his deal expires. "You never know what the future holds," he said. "There are things you can't control, but yes, yes, I see myself fulfilling my promise and hopefully many years here at Barca."

Fermin has been called up by Luis de la Fuente for Spain's upcoming World Cup qualifiers. As for the Blaugrana, they will play their next game on September 14 against Valencia.

AC Milan's new signing Ardon Jashari is set to spend months on the sideline after suffering a brutal injury in training.

Ardon Jashari injured after clash in trainingMidfielder to be out for two monthsMilan blocks Yunus Musah's transferFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In an official statement released by Milan, the club confirmed that Jashari has sustained a compound fracture of the right fibula and the expected recovery and rehabilitation period is about eight weeks. The club further stated that the Swiss international will undergo conservative treatment and there is no requirement for surgery.

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The 23-year-old joined Milan this summer in a deal worth €39 million (£34m/$46m) after drawn out negotiations to the point where the player went on strike in an effort to force a move to San Siro. The midfielder made his debut for Milan in the league against Cremonese but has been sidelined now after a clash with Santiago Gimenez in training. The player has since shared a message on Instagram thanking Milan fans for their "incredible support" as he focuses on his recovery.

TELL ME MORE

Jashari was signed with the expectation of taking on a pivotal role for Milan amid their midfield reinvention, with Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci also joining under new boss Massimiliano Allegri. The injury blow has unsettled the Rossoneri's transfer plans, with Yunus Musah's move to Atalanta possibly being put on hold.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

Amid the disappointing Jashari news, the San Siro side are expected to seal the transfer of Christopher Nkunku. Talks between Chelsea and Milan are progressing well and the Blues have already accepted their €42m package. The Italian club will hope to add him by this week before the transfer window shuts.

Tottenham Hotspur have submitted an initial €60 million (£51.8m/$70m) bid with RB Leipzig to sign Xavi Simons before the September 1 transfer deadline. The transfer fee could potentially increase to €70m (£60.5m/$81.7m) if all the bonuses are achieved. Spurs are moving aggressively in the transfer market as they look to beat Premier League rivals Chelsea in the race.

• Spurs submit bid for Simons
• Determined to beat Chelsea to sign the Dutchman
• Simons travelled to London to secure a transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Spurs have tabled an initial €60m bid to sign Simons from RB Leipzig before the summer transfer window closes next Monday. The initial transfer fee could rise to €70m with all the bonuses that have been included in the deal. No agreement has been reached yet, although claim the English and German sides are close to sealing the transfer. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spurs are determined to secure a transfer for Simons after missing out on key targets like Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, while star attacking midfielder James Maddison suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during pre-season. The north London club are also acting quickly to beat Premier League rivals Chelsea to the Dutchman's signing.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  further claim Leipzig granted Simons permission to travel to London and finalise his move, although they won't give a green signal to any transfer unless their asking price is met.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea are on the verge of sealing a transfer for Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho, while they are also close to selling Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan. It now remains to be seen if the Blues make a late push for Simons in an attempt to hijack Spurs' move.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo pode ter uma certa vantagem contra o Tigre na próxima quinta-feira (6). Os dois times se enfrentam pela estreia na Copa Sul-Americana, em Bueno Aires, na Argentina. Entretanto, o rival do Tricolor pode ir a campo sem técnico.

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Segundo o jornal argentino ‘Olé’, o vice-presidente do Boca Juniors -Juan Román Riquelme -, teria um favorito para assumir o cargo de treinador da equipe, que no momento está vago. No caso, Diego Martínez – que comanda o Tigre atualmente. Martínez tem algumas passagens nas categorias de base do Boca, onde começou sua trajetória como técnico.

Praticamente um reforço por mês! Relembre as contratações do São Paulo na gestão Casares

Veja tabela da Copa Sul-Americana e simule os próximos jogos

Desta forma, se as negociações encaminharem e o atual técnico do adversário tricolor aceitar o convite, existe a chance do São Paulo encarar um time sem treinador – o que seria de grande vantagem para a equipe de Rogério Ceni.

Inclusive, existe um ponto importante em questão: a estreia do Boca Juniors na Copa Libertadores. A equipe interessada em Martínez estreia no continental, contra o Monagas, exatamente no mesmo dia do duelo entre o Tricolor e o Tigre.

Um dos pontos que estaria pesando para a escolha do atual técnico entre permanecer ou não em sua atual equipe é o projeto consolidado que está mantendo, uma vez que em 2021 foi responsável por ajudar na campanha do Tigre em busca do retorno para a primeira divisão do Campeonato Argentino.

Entretanto, tudo dependeria de algumas cláusulas contratuais e da escolha do próprio Martínez. As duas equipes argentinas mantêm um bom relacionamento entre si.

A estreia do São Paulo no torneio está esquentando cada vez mais. Do lado do Tigre, a ‘busca por revanche’ lidera. Muito por conta da polêmica final na Sul-Americana de 2012, quando após uma confusão generalizada no estádio do Morumbi, os argentinos se recusaram a disputar o segundo tempo e o Tricolor foi campeão.

Inclusive, como promete ser um jogo ‘quente’, o LANCE! adiantou sobre as medidas de segurança que estão sendo tomadas pela maior torcida organizada do clube do Morumbi, a Independente, em que proibiram caravanas com mulheres e crianças, tendo em vista a rivalidade criada desde então.

Batsman Alick Athanaze wants to finish the youth World Cup and then get a degree in environmental science. He wants to help revive West Indies cricket even more

Shashank Kishore in Mount Maunganui17-Jan-2018Alick Athanaze’s journey as an Under-19 cricketer received a rude jolt on September 19, 2017, when he and his family faced Hurricane Maria as it battered Dominica. The next day, he was to leave for a cricket camp with Windward Islands in St Lucia. He’d just signed a developmental contract and was excited to have a first feel of being in a first-class set-up. However, as he was about to set his alarm and sleep, he heard thunder and lightning in the distance.He didn’t take it seriously initially, but knew the island was experiencing something disastrous when he saw a part of his roof fall down and one wall of his bedroom crack. Within no time, broken cutlery lay spread all over the house, bats displaced, wooden planks coming off shelves. Electricity was cut off, the cable TV network went blank and internet lines snapped. It was a category-five hurricane that brought with it wind speeds of up to 160kph. For the next one week, life came to a standstill.It’s this story he looks back on with a tinge of sadness, but also draws inspiration from as he hopes to revive West Indies’ campaign at the Under-19 World Cup. After losing their opening game to New Zealand, they face a must-win against South Africa.”It took two-three months to come back to normal,” Athanaze tells ESPNcricinfo. “My bats were gone; my kits were gone. I could locate just one shoe, the other was found later somewhere on the beach. My clothes were displaced. There was no phone, so life was difficult for us on the island. But such situations teach you the value of one’s life.”It was a difficult time, but everything happens for a reason. The hurricane changed my mentality. I started looking at life differently. If it wasn’t for the disaster, I wouldn’t be in the frame of mind I am in right now. The hurricane gave me the confidence to face any challenge in life; that was the good thing it did.”It was around the same time that he couldn’t get in touch with Cricket West Indies for over a month. The regional office in Dominica was shut and the ground in Roseau was rendered unplayable; the outfield was in a mess, the floodlights were damaged, nets torn… The Roseau airport and sea port were closed, even as they tried to open up a landing strip to allow relief teams to bring in supplies. It took a fortnight for even basic essentials to become available.As Athanaze fought through all this with his family, he lived in the hope that selection trials for the Under-19s wouldn’t be called. That cricket carried on as usual in the other parts of the Caribbean made him anxious. Fortunately for him, the trials were postponed to November.Once there, he would go on to become the highest run-getter in the inter-camp matches and also take a bagful of wickets. He followed that up with over 300 runs in five innings at the regional Under-19 tournament. In December, he was named in West Indies’ Under-19 World Cup squad.Alick Athanaze gets under a catch during training•Alick Athanaze”That made me feel better because, for the last two years, this is what I wanted to achieve,” Athanaze says. “I saw how much joy our triumph in 2016, in Bangladesh, brought to the people of the Caribbean. When we came together as a group, our aim was to do what they did.”As he entered his teens, Athanaze lived in the countryside, and would occasionally play cricket with his school team. He started as an offspinner and was first picked as a bowler. In his first match, he was spotted by Sam Kirnon, a British citizen who was on holiday in Dominica.Kirnon was a physical training instructor in the British Army for six years, and played for Glamorgan for two years and was captain of the Chingford Cricket Club in England before becoming a certified Level-3 coach. Since 2013, he has been working in Dominica – where his wife is from – scouting for talent and trying to educate young players into not giving up the game once they’ve shown the initial spark.”He saw something in my batting and asked me if I had a coach,” Athanaze says. “I tell him ‘no, man. I’m just playing because I enjoy the game’. He gave me his card and asked me to contact him later. I later joined the academy as a 14-year-old. Since then, he has been my coach. He’s a very good man.”Athanaze enjoys watching Steven Smith bat and doesn’t miss out on any opportunity to watch live cricket on TV, be it the CPL or the IPL. The game he most enjoyed recently was West Indies’ Headingley Test win last summer and hopes the team will be able to spring up such wins more consistently.”Legends of West Indies cricket tell us Test cricket is best cricket,” he says. “We need to get back our standards. My generation has that responsibility. We’re not playing well for some reason, but if we get experience and guidance, we will do well. There is a good future.”For now, Athanaze wants to finish the Under-19 World Cup and then enroll for college once back home. The application deadlines have long gone by, a process that was already delayed because of the hurricane, but he hopes a good showing for West Indies will help ease the process. He hopes to get a degree in environmental science, if cricket allows him the time, but the game remains his priority.”Cricket, man. Cricket. I set goals but I don’t like looking too far ahead. It’s not like I’m not prepared, but the hurricane has taught me to not to think about tomorrow and just enjoy the present. When it gets to a stage where it’s tough to balance both, I will take a call, but for now, I can juggle both.”

He is set to move to England to become the performance director at Warwickshire

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2023

Gavin Larsen has decided to step down as New Zealand selector after almost eight years in the job. The former New Zealand seamer will now move to England along with his wife Karen to take up the role of performance director at Warwickshire, subject to a visa approval. He is set to replace Paul Farbrace, who had left his job as sporting director at Warwickshire in October last year.Under Larsen, who took up the selector’s role in 2015, New Zealand enjoyed tremendous success across formats, including reaching the finals of the 2019 50-over World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup, and winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.”The past seven-and-a-half years have just flown by and I’ve relished and enjoyed every minute of it,” Larsen said in an NZC media release.”The discussions and deliberations have always been robust and challenging but my enduring memory will always be the quality of the people I’ve worked with – from high performance right through to the administration.”Larsen will be overseeing both the men’s and women’s high performance programmes at Warwickshire.”WCCC is a club with an amazing history and tradition and I’m looking forward to joining the team and helping to drive the club’s ongoing success,” Larsen said. “I have a number of great memories of playing at Edgbaston during my New Zealand playing days and the atmosphere was simply terrific.”NZC’s GM High Performance Bryan Stronach spoke highly of Larsen’s contribution to New Zealand cricket as a selector.”Gavin was part of a support team that made a key contribution to arguably the most successful period in the history of the New Zealand men’s team,” Stronach said.”His appointment at Edgbaston reflects the respect in which he’s held around the cricketing world.”Stronach added that the process to find a new selector will begin in due course.