استعاد فريق برشلونة، بقيادة مديره الفني الألماني هانز فليك، لاعبًا مهمًا في صفوفه قبل مواجهة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة أمام ريال مدريد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويستعد برشلونة لمواجهة أولمبياكوس اليوناني مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في مباراة تنطلق تمام الساعة الثامنة إلا ربع مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

ثم يترقب برشلونة أول كلاسيكو في موسم 2025-2026، حين يحل ضيفًا على ريال مدريد بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” يوم الأحد المقبل، في إطار مباريات الجولة العاشرة للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وشهد برشلونة عودة مهاجم الفريق فيران توريس، بعد غياب للإصابة، وقد تواجد في قائمة الفريق اليوم لمواجهة أولمبياكوس بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

طالع قائمة برشلونة لمباراة أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. غياب جديد

وكان فيران توريس يعاني من إجهاد عضلي، أبعده عن المشاركة في مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا بالجولة الماضية لبطولة الدوري الإسباني.

فيما يستمر غياب حارسي المرمى مارك أندريه تير شتيجن وخوان جارسيا، بالإضافة لكل من جافي، داني أولمو، ليفاندوفسكي، ورافينها.

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا صعبًا أمام جيرونا بهدفين مقابل هدف، حيث خطف هدف الفوز في الدقائق الأخيرة للقاء.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بفارق نقطتين خلف ريال مدريد المتصدر بعد مرور 9 جولات.

 

Pakistan are trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, this despite a number of first-choice NZ players unavailable due to IPL commitments

Vishal Dikshit20-Mar-2025Big Picture: Can Pakistan stop New Zealand’s charge?Even against a depleted New Zealand squad, Pakistan’s revamped T20I side managed to hit a new low of getting bundled for 91 in the series opener. Even against a New Zealand side without the flying Glenn Phillips, Pakistan have been handing out catches incessantly through the two games so far – for all ten dismissals in the first game and eight out of nine in the second.If this new-look Pakistan side wants to keep the five-match T20I series alive in Auckland on Friday, they need to step up on all fronts and prove to the world – and even perhaps to themselves – that it’s not all doom and gloom with less than a year to go for the next T20 World Cup.Pakistan themselves are a depleted side, in the early days of learning to live without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in this format, and without the injured Saim Ayub. It’s still early days to judge the new opening pair of Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris, but their inability to cope with the pace and bounce in Christchurch before poor shot selections in Dunedin doesn’t bode well.Related

Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

Neesham, Allen, Seifert 'very hungry' to play for NZ as 2026 T20 World Cup prep begins

Rauf backs Pakistan's youngsters: 'Give them 10 to 15 matches, that is how they become players'

Salman Agha’s blitzy 46 off 28 and cameos from the experienced Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi down the order in the second game helped them to 135 for 9 in a rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side game. However, the ineffectiveness of their bowling attack – which holds a lot more promise than their batting – to contain the New Zealand batting places a big question mark over who can really help them keep the series alive.New Zealand’s openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were devastating in both games, exemplified by Seifert carting Afridi around for 26 runs in an over in the second game. Given the sunny forecast in Auckland, Pakistan will first hope they win the toss, which they haven’t so far this series, and then try to remove the openers early to test their middle order.New Zealand have not had much to worry about so far; their bowlers have worked like a well-oiled machine in favourable conditions and even though they put down three catches in the first match, they have held on to 18.Pakistan will also be desperate to lift their hopes after a forgettable home Champions Trophy campaign and put an end to their five-match losing streak in T20Is, which started in Zimbabwe in December last year.Form guideNew Zealand WWLWW
Pakistan LLLLLJames Neesham picked two wickets in the second T20I•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: James Neesham and Hasan NawazAfter last playing T20Is in the 2024 T20 World Cup, James Neesham returned to the side in the absence of the stars that are in India for the IPL. He got to play only in the second game, picking two wickets towards the end and scoring just 5 in the chase before holing out. Once a game-changer in New Zealand’s white-ball squads, Neesham has fallen out of favour in ODIs but he has committed himself for next year’s T20 World Cup. The onus remains on him to prove that form is something he can turn around quickly, especially in home conditions, as he has not scored over 40 in the format since December 2023.Hasan Nawaz has had as poor a start to his international career as anyone could: two ducks in two games. It’s the nature of dismissals in both games that might disappoint him and the team management as he dished out wild swings to miscue the ball on both occasions. The 22-year-old came into this series with runs for Lions in Pakistan’s Champions T20 Cup, finishing second on the run-scorers’ list and with the second-most sixes, too. The challenge now will be to keep his place in the Pakistan XI for the remaining games and try to earn his runs in more hostile conditions.Mohammad Ali has been carted for 59 runs in five overs across the two T20Is•Getty ImagesTeam newsSince it’s a five-match series and there was a quick turnaround between the first two games, New Zealand rested Kyle Jamieson and Tim Robinson to bring in Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham for the second match. They could bring Jamieson back and rest Jacob Duffy for the third game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 James Neesham, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Zakary Foulkes, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jacob Duffy/Ben SearsPakistan changed the mix of their bowling attack to pick fast bowler Haris Rauf for legspinner Abrar Ahmed for the second match. Mohammad Ali has been expensive in both games, leaking nearly 12 runs in both games put together. Abbas Afridi is the one option in their squad if they wish to replace Ali.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Jahandad Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad AliPitch and conditionsEven though New Zealand bowled in the first two games and won both, the last four matches (barring a tie between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2023) in Auckland were won by teams batting first. Eden Park in general is known as a high-scoring ground and with no rain predicted for Friday, and temperatures expected to dip below 20 degrees at night, the crowd should be entertained for a full 40 overs.Stats and triviaFinn Allen has scored 433 runs in 11 innings against Pakistan in T20Is, the most by him against any opponent, including two fifties and a hundred. He is already in the top five list of batters to score most runs against PakistanIf he plays on Friday, Ish Sodhi will become joint second-most capped player for New Zealand in T20IsHaris Rauf needs two more to reach 200 international wickets

Sporting Kansas City has appointed David Lee as President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, bringing one of Major League Soccer’s most accomplished sporting directors to the Midwest. Lee spent nine years with New York City FC, helping build the club from its inaugural season in 2015. Under his leadership, NYCFC won the MLS Cup in 2021.

Championship pedigree

Lee arrives at Children's Mercy Park with an impressive track record of success, having overseen NYCFC's rise from expansion team to perennial contender during his nine seasons in New York. The English executive progressed through several technical roles within the City Football Group organization, starting as Director of Player Recruitment before being promoted to Technical Director and ultimately Sporting Director in late 2019.

AdvertisementNew vision and global perspective

Co-Principal Owner Michael Illig described the hiring as transformational for the organization after conducting an extensive search for their new President of Soccer Operations and General Manager.

“As we enter a new era for Sporting Kansas City, this is the most important decision we could make,” Illig told Sporting KC's website. “After a six-month global search, David was the clear and undeniable choice. He will lead our soccer operation with our full trust and confidence. David brings fresh vision, global experience, and relentless ambition.

“With his leadership, we are committed to building a team that reflects the pride of our community while striving for the highest levels of Major League Soccer. This is the beginning of a new chapter for Sporting Kansas City and one that we believe will carry our club into a future of renewed success and shared pride with our supporters.”

Getty Images SportEnthusiasm for club's history and passionate supporters

Lee, who brings extensive experience in sports and business leadership, emphasized the club’s tradition of success, its loyal supporters, and the strong foundation built by ownership. In his first remarks, he expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with players, coaches, and staff to pursue shared ambitions while deepening connections with the team’s passionate fanbase.

“Sporting Kansas City has a proud history, a passionate fanbase and a winning culture,” Lee explained in a statement. “I want to thank the ownership group for this special opportunity and look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established in this great soccer city. I am excited to work with the players, coaches and staff to achieve our shared ambitions and I look forward to meeting our incredible fans.”

NYCFC also thanked Lee for his time at the club. 

"David has been central to our consistent success on the field, and while working alongside our global sporting operation, he has developed into one of the most well-respected Sporting Directors in MLS," NYCFC Co-Vice Chairman Marty Edelman said in a statement. “As an organization, our philosophy is to consistently develop talent in our Academy and First Team, and David played an important role in making that a reality. We wish him the best of luck in this new chapter of his career."  

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Ambitious reset for Sporting KC

Lee's appointment represents the most significant front office change for Sporting Kansas City in more than a decade. The timing of the appointment positions Lee to potentially influence the remainder of Sporting's 2025 campaign while preparing for critical offseason roster decisions as the club seeks to return to championship contention. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Veterano e líder, Rafinha se consolidou como uma das principais peças no São Paulo de Dorival Júnior. Aos 37 anos, é titular absoluto na lateral-direita, mas não cumpre somente as funções da posição. O jogador é visto como um dos grandes ‘guias’ do elenco.

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Nesta quarta-feira (5), Rafinha viveu um dos momentos mais especiais da sua trajetória no São Paulo. Contra o Palmeiras, um dos maiores rivais do clube, foi o responsável pelo gol da vitória no jogo de ida pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. E se vale a título de curiosidade, a última vez que Rafinha marcou um gol em território nacional tinha sido em 2005.

Dentro de campo, a postura é de líder. Pela experiência, o próprio jogador sempre conta que ajuda os atletas mais jovens e dá orientações. Em alguns bastidores divulgados pelo clube, antes de várias partidas, Rafinha dá discursos motivadores e serve como um apoio para a equipe.

+ ATUAÇÕES: São Paulo se organiza, e Rafinha garante vantagem contra o Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil

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Neste ano, esteve presente em 22 partidas, com um gol e uma assistência. Mas desde quando Dorival Júnior assumiu, tem sido o principal nome do lado direito e jogando praticamente os 90 minutos de todos os confrontos.

Este reconhecimento de liderança e a da presença que Rafinha tem na equipe é algo que foi ressaltado pelo próprio treinador no término da partida contra o Palmeiras. Dorival disparou: é o líder do time. Além disso, não poupou elogios quando o assunto foi a questão tática do veterano.

– Rafinha vem sendo importante, em um esquema que ele trabalha até como lateral construtor. Ele dá o timing do nosso time, vem sendo muito importante nos vestiários. Ele não tem só a braçadeira de capitão, mas também a atitude. Você pode ter capitães que não assumem nada que é decidido, mas aqui é o contrário. Jogadores que não precisam ter uma braçadeira pela atitude que toma. Rafinha é assim. Ele passa uma segurança muito grande – destacou Dorival.

Mas Rafinha pensa em aposentadoria?

Com contrato até o final da temporada, Rafinha evita falar de futuro a longo prazo. De acordo com o lateral-direito, o objetivo é ‘desfrutar o agora’ e pensar no que irá fazer mais para frente. O jogador afirmou que pretende ir ‘até onde seu corpo está deixando’, sem ficar fora de nada. Para ele, está em alto nível e quer focar nos desafios do São Paulo neste ano. Aos 37 anos, Rafinha renovou seu vínculo no final do último ano, até o final de 2023.

– Eu quero desfrutar, estou desfrutando. Quero ir até onde meu corpo está deixando, estou em alto nível. Não quero ficar fora de nada, quero continuar jogando, isso eu deixo para o futuro. Não penso nisso não, agora é concentrar no São Paulo, para a gente desfrutar esse ano – disse recentemente, após a vitória contra o Fluminense.

Gary Neville has suggested a Manchester City star “doesn’t get involved enough” and “could do so much more” after the Sky Sports pundit’s former club suffered a 3-0 defeat in the Manchester derby.

Man City back on track after derby triumph

Man City endured a difficult start to the Premier League season, losing two of their opening three games, but Pep Guardiola will be hoping the 3-0 victory over bitter rivals Manchester United can be an early turning point.

Phil Foden opened the scoring for the hosts just before the 20-minute mark, with a second-half Erling Haaland brace wrapping up all three points for Guardiola’s side, who always looked in control of the game.

Guardiola waxed lyrical about the Norwegian striker after the match, saying: “Erling has been incredible since the start but this season he is better than ever. I would say better than the Treble year. He’s dynamic and I don’t judge him for the clearance, we want him to score goals and to help us.”

While Neville was also left impressed by Haaland’s performance, the Manchester United legend queried why the striker is unable to put in similar displays on a more regular basis, saying on his podcast: “Obviously he sometimes doesn’t get involved in the game enough.

“He scores so many goals, but then I always think, you could do so much more, you could hold it up, you could rag-doll defenders, you could chase things down, you could defend it in your own box, you could win headers, you could do everything, because you’re that good – you’re that good a player, and today was that performance.”

Related Man City planning to beat Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona to free signing

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Sep 15, 2025 Haaland has made flying start to the campaign

The 25-year-old has been called out on his general play in the past, with former Man United man Roy Keane comparing the centre-forward to a League Two player after the Blues’ 0-0 draw against Arsenal in the 2023-24 season.

However, one thing that cannot be questioned is the Man City star’s goal-scoring ability, having won the Premier League Golden Boot award in his first two campaigns at the Etihad Stadium, while also maintaining a fantastic record in front of goal last season.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goals

2022-23

35

36

2023-24

31

27

2024-25

31

22

As pointed out by Neville, the Norway international also showed signs that his all-round game has improved against United too, making six clearances, creating one big chance and completing two dribbles throughout the match.

Although Man City have endured a difficult start to the season, having Haaland at their disposal should mean they always have a chance of competing for major honours, and Guardiola will be hoping the centre-forward can continue his fantastic form.

Starc’s maiden five-for in T20s overshadowed Aniket Verma’s 41-ball 74

Shashank Kishore30-Mar-20255:41

Do SRH’s batters lack a plan B?

Mitchell Starc’s T20 best powered Delhi Capitals (DC) to a second straight win in Vizag as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) all-out approach backfired for the second time in two games.Faf du Plessis then set the tempo for the chase with a half-century and despite Zeeshan Ansari’s three quick wickets on his T20 return after six years, DC’s strong 81-run opening stand set up an easy win in 16 overs with seven wickets in hand.This meant Aniket Verma’s blazing 41-ball 74, highlighted by his takedown of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, was overshadowed as SRH slumped to their second straight loss.Related

Rookie Aniket Verma and his incredible six sense

Starc's 'out of the box' ways prove too good for Head

Starc 2-0 HeadLike he did in last year’s IPL final, Starc proved menacing, but he was aided along the way. Abhishek Sharma ran himself out in the first over, Ishan Kishan slashed to deep third, and local boy Nitish Reddy heaved a slow offcutter to mid-on.Head vs Starc was brewing to be a contest within a contest. Head began by hitting him for two back-to-back fours, but after the flurry of wickets, Axar Patel’s decision to persist with Starc for a third over paid off when Head’s attempted ramp against him found KL Rahul’s gloves. SRH were 37 for 4 in the fifth over.Mitchell Starc picked up his maiden five-for in T20s•BCCI

Aniket, Klaasen lead recoveryAniket, 23, was all of three T20s old coming into this game. But he showed why SRH have so much faith in him. His incredible 41-ball 74 formed the bedrock of the SRH innings. He hit five fours and six sixes in his innings, twinning with Heinrich Klaasen during a 77-run stand off just 40 balls to lift the team after the Starc menace.Aniket shouldn’t have lasted that long, though. In the fourth over, he survived a run-out chance when Tristan Stubbs missed a direct hit at the striker’s end. In the sixth, his leading edge off Axar was put down by Abishek Porel circling from extra cover.Aniket made them pay – well, almost – by hitting Axar for back-to-back sixes in his next over. Klaasen, whose first six was a whip off Starc, wasn’t too far behind, but when he was out to Mohit Sharma after being brilliantly caught by Vipraj Nigam running back from point, SRH needed a semblance of stability at 114 for 5 in the 11th over.Kuldeep shines, Starc finishes it offSRH’s lower order was put to the test, and they were undone by DC’s spinners. Kuldeep had Abhinav Manohar slicing one to long-off and Cummins holing out to the lone man at deep midwicket. Aniket then decided to take control, hitting Axar for 4, 6, 6 to start the 16th over. Fraser-McGurk and Axar’s athleticism – at deep midwicket and mid-off, respectively – then helped close out the innings as SRH left eight deliveries unused.Faf du Plessis was quick off the blocks•BCCI

Du Plessis sets the tempoFraser-McGurk’s powerplay salvo set the tempo for DC last year, but he struggled for rhythm for large parts tonight. This was offset by du Plessis’ fluency as he raced to a 26-ball half-century during the course of an 81-run opening stand. Du Plessis took a liking to Abhishek early on, and was equally brutal when Pat Cummins erred in length.Ansari strikes but Porel sees DC throughAnsari, 25, last played a T20 in 2019. But he got a second wind when he ended up as the highest wicket-taker in the latest UP T20 League. On Sunday, he began with a series of half-trackers but settled in to have du Plessis miscue to long-on and Fraser-McGurk chip one back on either side of a sequence of 4, 6, 6.In his first innings for DC, Rahul thrilled briefly when he got stuck into Mohammed Shami, muscling him over deep midwicket for a six and then launching him up and over the infield for a four. Rahul became Ansari’s third wicket when he was bowled around his legs. Porel and Stubbs put together 51 off just 28 balls to see DC home without further alarms.

Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Bojan Miovski scored what will hopefully be the first of many goals at Ibrox in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Saturday.

The Macedonia international arrived at Ibrox during the summer transfer window with a view to adding a big goal threat to Russell Martin’s side, but it had been a slow start to his career in Glasgow.

Miovski failed to find the back of the net in his first two starts in the Scottish Premiership, against Celtic and Hearts, and only managed two shots in those matches, per Sofascore.

However, the left-footed marksman was able to get his name on the scoresheet against Hibernian at the weekend, converting from close range after Mikey Moore’s ball across the box fell into his path.

Supporters will now be hoping that the 26-year-old centre-forward can kick on and prove himself to be a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues, having scored 32 league goals in two seasons with Aberdeen in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

Miovski will be hoping to emulate Alfredo Morelos in a positive sense, as the former Gers number nine ended his career at Ibrox with a fantastic goalscoring record.

The duality of Alfredo Morelos' Rangers career

The current Rangers striker will want to go down the same path as Morelos at Ibrox in the sense that the Colombia international was a prolific scorer for the club for many years.

In 269 appearances for the first-team, the powerful centre-forward racked up 124 goals and 57 assists, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout his time at Ibrox.

Topically, with a clash with Genk at Ibrox coming up this week, Miovski will also hope to emulate Morelos’ excellent return in front of goal in Europa League matches for Rangers.

Europa League qualifiers

23

13

7

Europa League

33

15

10

Champions League qualifiers

2

1

0

Champions League

5

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the Colombian marksman scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists in 56 Europa League games for the club, including qualifiers, which shows that he was lethal on the European stage.

These statistics prove that Morelos was a reliable figure at the top end of the pitch in Europe for Rangers, which Miovski will be hoping to be, starting with the game against Genk on Thursday.

Where Miovski will not be hoping to be like Morelos is with how the striker’s career at Ibrox ended, because he left on a free transfer in 2023 after previously being linked with big-money moves.

Rangers rejected an offer of more than £16m from Lille in 2020 and a bid of £10m from Porto in 2021, which shows that there was plenty of interest from top teams in Europe during his pomp at Ibrox.

The Light Blues opted not to cash in when his value was high. The striker went on to leave for nothing before going to sign for Santos in Brazil, exiting European football, in 2023.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It is far too early to judge which direction Miovski will go in at Ibrox, but there is another player in the squad who is in danger of following Morelos in the wrong direction.

Mohamed Diomande is in danger of losing his way in Glasgow unless he can turn his performances around and get back to his best under Martin this season.

Why Diomande is in danger of becoming the next Morelos

The Ivorian central midfielder caught the eye with some fantastic displays for the Light Blues, despite a disappointing season as a club, in the 2024/25 campaign.

Diomande, who was described as “complete” by analyst John Walker, proved his worth in the middle of the park in the Premiership with a return of four goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in the division, per Sofascore, whilst also winning 57% of his duels on the ground.

The left-footed star, who signed on a permanent deal last summer after an initial loan spell at the back end of the 2023/24 campaign, has shown that he can be a difference-maker in midfield.

Diomande’s impressive form for the Scottish giants led to interest from elsewhere this summer. Six Premier League clubs, including Everton, were said to be interested in the midfield star and Besiktas had an offer of £6.5m rejected by the Gers.

This shows that, as was the case for Morelos at his peak at Ibrox, there was significant interest in the Ivorian star because of his performances on the pitch last term.

Rangers, however, opted not to cash in. They will now be hoping that it is a decision that they do not live to regret, as the midfielder has endured a difficult start to the current campaign.

Appearances

36

5

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.38

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.6

Ground duel success rate

57%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

As you can see in the table above, Diomande’s performance level in and out of possession in the middle of the park has dipped significantly in the Premiership from last season to this one.

The Everton and Besiktas target has been too weak off the ball, losing duels on the deck and in the air too regularly, and has not offered anything at the top end of the pitch to win games for his side.

That has contributed to the club’s worst start to a league season in 47 years, with no wins, four draws, and one defeat after five matches in the Premiership.

This is also why Diomande is currently in danger of becoming the next Morelos at Ibrox because he may not find himself with enough suitors to attract a big-money exit from Glasgow if his performances do not improve.

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Therefore, the central midfielder could be the next player whom the club fail to cash in on at their peak value before losing them for less money later down the line.

Vinicius Junior’s time at Real Madrid has been full of highs and lows. Now, former teammate Lucas Vazquez has lifted the lid on what life was like for the Brazilian inside the dressing room during his struggle last season on and off the field, revealing how he "didn’t always listen" to advice from senior players.

• Vazquez recalls how Vinicius struggled with outside noise

  In an interview with , the former Real Madrid defender spoke about his time at the club and revealed that Vinicius, who has often faced heavy media and fan scrutiny, sometimes struggled to block out the outside noise, even as his teammates urged him to stay calm and focus on football. The Brazilian winger, who came close to winning his first Ballon d’Or in 2024, has faced constant criticism from Spanish media and fans for his on and off-field behaviour ever since joining Los Blancos in 2018.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'He didn’t always listen' – Vazquez on Brazilian's struggles

  Vazquez, who left the club this summer after 18 years, spoke about how Vinicius struggled to deal with the hostile treatment he often received from rival fans. "It was tough on away match days because you see your teammate and friend not having a good time,” Vazquez said. "You want him to be at his best, and he can’t be in the spotlight for things that aren’t football-related. We told him not to let it affect him, but he didn’t always listen."

• Vinicius stays under spotlight despite strong start

  After struggling to find his rhythm last season, the Brazilian international looks back to his best. The 25-year-old has kicked off the new campaign in fine form, scoring five goals and providing four assists in eight La Liga games. He is linking well with Kylian Mbappe and has helped Real Madrid win seven of their first eight matches to sit at the top of the table. Still, the noise off the pitch hasn’t gone away. Vinicius recently apologised publicly to Brazilian influencer Virginia Fonseca after it was claimed their brief relationship ended over messages he sent to other women.

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• Getty
  

  What's next for Vinicius?

  While he continues to play a key role in Xabi Alonso’s team, Vinicius continues to find himself in a contract standoff with the Spanish giants. The club are reportedly unwilling to improve their current offer, despite the winger’s demand for a pay rise. The Brazilian's current deal runs until June 2027, but unless an agreement is reached soon, his future at the Bernabeu could once again become a major talking point as the season unfolds.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is “feeling better” with every passing game but continues to work on his rehab, having just returned to full fitness from calf and side strains prior to the start of IPL 2025.Hazlewood, like the rest of the RCB squad, will have had less than 48 hours to recover between the end of their home game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the start of the reverse fixture in New Chandigarh.”I’ve just felt better as the tournament has gone on,” Hazlewood said after RCB’s loss to PBKS in Bengaluru. “I’ve done quite a bit of work in the nets. In the games, I just feel better. My run up to the crease, rhythm – it’s all been good. Hopefully that continues. I’m still doing a fair bit of work on the rehab side of things, but everything feels good.”Related

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Hazlewood is joint-second in the Purple Cap list for most wickets in IPL 2025, his 12 wickets coming at an economy 8.14. On Friday night, Hazlewood’s season best of 3 for 14 kept RCB alive in their defence of 95 in a truncated 14-overs-a-side match, before they lost by five wickets.In his second stint with RCB after missing IPL 2024, Hazlewood has formed an effective new-ball partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The pair has helped RCB become the best bowling unit in the powerplay so far this season.”I think we’ve got highly skilled quicks in particular,” Hazlewood said. “To bowl with someone like Bhuvi, who has been around for so long, he’s so skilful at the start and end, it’s great to learn from him. Just the variety we’ve got, we [him, Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal] are all a bit different.”

‘We’re getting there, but probably not quick enough’

When asked about RCB’s losing all three matches at home so far, Hazlewood said the team had been a “bit slow on the learnings from the first two games”, where the batters went hard on a two-paced pitch and made 163 and 169 respectively against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC). On Friday night, RCB managed just 95 in their 14 overs, but were briefly in the game before Nehal Wadhera muscled PBKS home with 11 balls to spare.”It’s just we’ve probably been a bit slow on the learnings from the first two games and didn’t put that into practice as well as we could have,” Hazlewood said. “Probably in particular in those first six to eight overs with the score the way it was.Josh Hazlewood took 3 for 14 in a riveting three-over spell against PBKS•BCCI

“So, again, we’ll dive into this game probably more so when we get back to Bangalore and really go through in detail and with a fine-toothed comb and come up with a few ideas of where we can learn and improve. But I think the bowling definitely improved from the last two outings. So sort of we’re slowly getting there, but probably not quick enough.”Hazlewood wasn’t able to explain why the M Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t been a high-scoring venue this season, but said that bowling between the six- and eight-metre length was the way to go.”The bounce has always been there, but it’s in past years that it’s probably been more consistent,” Hazlewood said. “I find if you really hit the wicket hard on that six to eight metres, it’s quite tough to bat and we’ve found that. So maybe it might be a case of pulling back a touch and having a look, giving yourself a little bit of time.”I know in the first two games we lost here it was, you know, a batter on the other team going big and getting a partnership and scoring big late in the game. So if we can have our top five-six doing the batting for the 20 overs, I think that’ll go a long way to helping us win.”

يستعد فريق بيراميدز لخوض مواجهة قوية مساء اليوم أمام نظيره التأمين الإثيوبي، في إطار منافسات ذهاب الدور التمهيدي (دور الـ 32) من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وذلك على استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة.

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة بعدما نجح في تحقيق لقب السوبر الإفريقي للمرة الأولى في تاريخه، عقب الفوز على نهضة بركان المغربي بهدف دون رد، أحرزه المهاجم الكونغولي فيستون ماييلي.

ويأمل بيراميدز في استكمال سلسلة نجاحاته القارية، وقطع خطوة مهمة نحو دور المجموعات من البطولة الأغلى في القارة، وتكرار الإنجاز التاريخي بعد الفوز بلقب النسخة الماضية.

طالع أيضًا | الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا (محدث باستمرار) قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة التأمين الإثيوبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

في حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – شريف إكرامي – محمود جاد.

خط الدفاع: محمود مرعي – أحمد سامي – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – علي جبر – طارق علاء – كريم حافظ.

خط الوسط: مصطفى فتحي – مهند لاشين – وليد الكرتي – أحمد عاطف قطة – أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – محمود زلاكة – مصطفى زيكو – إيفرتون داسيلفا – بلاتي توريه.

خط الهجوم: فيستون ماييلي – مروان حمدي – دودو الجباس. موعد مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم

من المقرر أن تنطلق مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم الأحد في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي، ضمن منافسات ذهاب الدور التمهيدي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ومن المنتظر أن يخوض بيراميدز اللقاء بهدف تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تمنحه أفضلية قبل مباراة الإياب في العاصمة الإثيوبية أديس أبابا، في ظل رغبة الجهاز الفني في مواصلة الانتصارات والحفاظ على النسق التصاعدي للفريق منذ بداية الموسم.