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Which of two results surprised you more: Kusal Perera overcoming the greatest odds in Durban or Australia manufacturing a win out of nothing in Adelaide?

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The SA-SL 2019 Durban Test moves into the quarter-finals.Kusal Perera’s one-man show, Durban 2019
Sri Lanka were coming off a 2-0 pummeling in Australia, their captain had just been sacked, and an inexperienced team, led by Dimuth Karunaratne, reached South Africa.Then, in what was one of the most dramatic Tests in history, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, chasing down 304 with one wicket to spare. They had lost their ninth wicket while still 78 runs off their target. Kusal Perera then scored 67 of them in an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon along with the No. 11 Vishwa Fernando, as they saw their team home. Towards the end, you knew where this was going, even if it was just a matter of one good delivery.At lunch on the day, Sri Lanka were 166 for 5, still 138 runs away, after which Keshav Maharaj ripped through the lower-middle order, leaving them at 226 for 9. That brought Vishwa to the middle, and he was entirely focused on survival. He faced 22 balls before he got off the mark.As Fernando clung on at one end, Perera defended with unreal calm and even took several blows to his body on his way to the target. Batting for 309 minutes, he farmed the strike, and picked his opportunities to attack and push the score forward. Along the way, he also made his career-best Test score of 153*.

Manufacturing a win – Adelaide, 2006

The final day of the Adelaide Test of 2006-07 started with 1123 runs already scored, and only 17 wickets having fallen. The ESPNcricinfo report after the fourth day’s play was headlined “Draw beckons after Clarke hundred” – Michael Clarke was the fourth century-getter in the Test, after Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting.But within no time on the fifth morning, Shane Warne had broken through, and 54 overs into the day, England were done for 129.
And Australia had a target: 168. In 36 overs. That meant an “asking rate” of 4.67.Australia had their own version of Bazball for the job, though.Matthew Hayden’s 18 came off 17 balls. Ponting’s 49 off 65. Mike Hussey remained unbeaten on 61 off 66. And Clarke, slow by comparison, scored 21 not out in 39 balls. And it was done. Australia victors by six wickets, with 3.1 overs in the bag, having gone at a scoring rate of 5.11.

Liverpool have not one chance but two to win a game of football this week. Albeit that makes up just half of the four-game losing run that has sent the Arne Slot project into a spin.

How fickle football is. Yesterday’s heroes are today’s villains, and Liverpool know they need to demonstrate sharply a return to form as their Premier League title defence crumbles before them.

This seems rather dramatic, but the Reds are beset with problems, alright, and their issues are illustrated clearly by the miserable statistic of 21 goals shipped in 2025/26. League leaders Arsenal, conversely, have conceded three times across all competitions.

The forwards aren’t really firing, either, not on all cylinders, and there’s a real acceptance now that Liverpool have far-reaching tactical imbalances despite the record-breaking summer of spending, and by Slot’s own admission, they do not have the answers.

What Liverpool and Slot and the supporters need to rise from this rut is a talisman, something to spearhead a charge through so many obstacles. Could that, once again, be Mohamed Salah?

Mohamed Salah's role this season

This has unquestionably been the most challenging period of Salah’s Liverpool career. The 33-year-old has looked a shadow of his usual self, facing heavy criticism for quiet and wasteful performances on the right wing.

Football’s fickleness casts last year’s incredible achievements into the background, and this is unfair. Salah carried Slot’s early project to the highest peak of English football, shattering records and scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists across the Premier League season. Other avenues lift that haul higher still.

But, equally, we cannot shirk from the Egyptian’s struggles, having watched this legendary forward struggle against a tide. Four goals and three assists from 13 matches is shocking by Salah’s standards, but it’s the squandered chances and lack of fluidity which have beggared belief.

Still, if ever there was a man to return to form, it is him, and Salah’s consolation goal against Brentford last weekend served as a timely reminder of his greatness.

The £400k-per-week superstar will play his part again this year, to be sure, but Liverpool need a new leader.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak have been signed on to take the baton as goal-getters-in-chief, but there’s another player under Slot’s wing who is proving himself the talisman to drive a pathway out of this mess.

Liverpool's new version of Salah

If Liverpool’s current “crisis”, as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has defined it, is to abate in time to make this a successful season, it’s clear that leaders are needed in more than just the forward areas.

Virgil van Dijk has come under fire for his recent displays, but he remains the galvanising force in defence, barking across the field as the club’s captain.

But the man emerging as the new leading light is Dominik Szoboszlai, who has looked the Anfield side’s best player across a range of positions this term, which is equally impressive and concerning.

It’s been over two years since Szoboszlai, 25, moved from RB Leipzig to Merseyside for £60m, and from the get-go, he’s provided bundles of energy and tenacity.

Slot’s decision to pull him deeper has proved a successful one, as Szoboszlai is not naturally prolific in front of goal and this deeper berth gives rise to his many other qualities.

Said by analyst Raj Chohan to be “Liverpool’s best performer currently”, the Hungary captain has raised his game, maturing while sharpening his technical skill and developing his defensive game.

The data shows us that Szoboszlai has made headway this season, more robust and more complete than his hitherto level. His physicality and ability to direct and offer dynamism in the build-up is something that, say Alexis Mac Allister has failed to match, and in this, Szoboszlai is stretching head and shoulders above his teammates.

It seems quite likely that, when Liverpool stabilise, Szoboszlai will be able to take his game to the next level, still driving things forward but surrounded by a collective competency that is simply not there right now.

Football is unforgiving. You cannot ride the coattails of your club’s former successes, standing on the shoulders of giants, some of whom might even remain within the first-team squad.

Liverpool were always going to need a period of adaptation, it was clear this would be a transitional season, lacking the fluency and muscle-movement spark of 2024/25 as Slot grabbed and sustained the final embers of Jurgen Klopp’s legacy.

Szoboszlai has retained all that high-octane Klopp-tailored quality while moulding his game into something Slot-esque too. To put it another way, he is more complete than he has ever been, and he is far outstripping his struggling teammates.

Slot must devise a solution to this pit into which Liverpool have fallen. So many players across the field need to step up.

Szoboszlai cannot stand any higher than he already is, and if the Reds are to turn a corner, they will owe much to the Hungarian machine’s quality and verve and unbreakable spirit.

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 26, 2025

Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella all being genuinely world-class.

However, it would also be fair to say that, so far, their summer signings have not exactly hit the ground running.

In particular, Jamie Gittens has failed to live up to the expectations people had of him after his impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund last year, during which he recorded 17 goal involvements.

So, it’s not a surprise to see reports linking Chelsea with an exceptionally exciting winger who could end up being a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea target Gittens upgrade

With the transfer window less than a month away from reopening, Chelsea have once again been linked with a plethora of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while there has been plenty of talk about Emmanuel Emegha, the Blues have also been linked with his free-scoring teammate, Joaquín Panichelli.

On top of that, the West Londoners have also been one of several sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s imposing Murillo.

However, while both players would improve Maresca’s squad, because of where they play, neither could be described as an upgrade on Gittens, unlike Yan Diamonde.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a handful of top teams interested in signing the Ivorian winger.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues’ board are convinced about the 19-year-old wonderkid and see him fitting into the team perfectly.

However, on top of having to get ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Pensionsers would also have to stump up a lot of money to secure the player.

According to the report, RB Leipzig would want up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m, but even so, Diomande looks like a player Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he’d be a significant Gittens upgrade.

How Diomande compares Gittens

Now, while Diomande is someone who can play on both flanks and has actually spent a little more time on the right recently, he is seen as a left-sided player.

Therefore, were he to join Chelsea next month, one of his main rivals for game time would be Gittens, but who is the better player?

Well, when it comes to raw output, which is fundamentally the most crucial metric of all, it’s not even close.

For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”

Appearances

15

18

Minutes

951′

830′

Goals

7

1

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.73

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

86.45

138.33′

In stark contrast, the Englishman has scored a single goal and provided five assists in 18 appearances this season, totalling 830 minutes.

That comes out to a pretty underwhelming average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 138.33 minutes.

Moreover, a caveat about the Reading-born ace’s age cannot be made, as the Leipzig star is just 19 and already running games in attack.

On top of having the better output, the Abidjan-born superstar in the making also has some brilliant underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Finally, while the competition is less fierce, it is impressive that the Ivorian monster has already won four senior caps for his country, compared to none for the Englishman.

Ultimately, Gittens may well come good, but at the same time, Diomande is massively outperforming him and looks like someone Chelsea should break the bank on.

Fewer touches than Sanchez & 70% duels lost: Chelsea flop must be dropped

It was another night to forget for Chelsea, especially for one starter who Enzo Maresca must now drop.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 2 days ago

If Pant’s finger injury prevents him from keeping at Old Trafford, India have just the man for the job

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jul-20251:39

Watch – Jurel practicing his wicketkeeping drills

The ball was flying out of the far net at the Kent County Cricket ground in Beckenham during India’s training on Thursday morning. , , , the comforting noise of ball hitting bat echoed around the empty ground as ball after ball landed on the green plastic seats behind long-on and in the small grassy mound shaded by trees beyond cow corner. A few lofted drives landed around wide long-off too.Related

Akash Deep, Arshdeep likely out of fourth Test; Kamboj called-up as cover

Clad in a tight, short-sleeved white T-shirt under a blue India vest, Dhruv Jurel launched smartly into effervescent strokeplay.Jurel would soon be tested by India bowling coach Morne Morkel, the former South Africa quick delivering from 20 yards and testing his stumps as well as his outside edge. Jurel did not flinch or stutter in his defence and was firm in his stride. Part of why Jurel has been a success ever since his Test debut last year against England at home is that he has a solid and fluent technique that allows him defend and attack. It makes his batting looked assured.The son of a former army man, Jurel’s body language is chest-out, chin-up, smile, and a walk with a confident stride. The clarity and commitment in his batting have helped him play match-wining innings like the 90 in the first innings of the Ranchi Test against England.2:30

Manjrekar: ‘Will be shocked if Bumrah doesn’t play in Manchester’

On a low, turning pitch where a horizontal bat was often fatal, Jurel negotiated Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley admirably despite playing in the company of India’s tail. Jurel charged at anything remotely in his arc to hit over mid-on, mid-wicket and mid-off, and swept confidently when the line was outside leg stump. He brought India back into the match from a dire position, and duly earned the Player-of-the-Match award.Just as he had impressed with bold knocks of 80 and 68 in testing conditions in the warm-up match preceding the Border-Gavaskar Trophy late last year in Australia, Jurel put himself in the shop window once again upon arriving in England, with three half-centuries against England Lions in the two unofficial Tests in June. If the Canterbury pitch in the first match was dead flat, overcast conditions posed a good challenge and Jurel showed skill and patience while constructing a healthy partnership with KL Rahul.All that, unfortunately for him, did not earn him a spot in the first three Tests mainly because Rishabh Pant remains indispensable even with an injured finger and India prefer batting depth and bowling options in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar. On Thursday, though, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Jurel remained a viable option for the Old Trafford Test next week in case Pant, who hurt his left index finger while intercepting a leg-side delivery from Jasprit Bumrah during the first innings at Lord’s, was not fit to keep wickets.Dhruv Jurel’s catch of Ollie Pope showcased his balance and quick hands•Getty ImagesEven as a wicketkeeper, Jurel is rated highly by experts like former India glovesman Dinesh Karthik. Speaking on during the Lord’s Test where Jurel replaced Pant behind the stumps, Karthik observed that Jurel had strong basics including a well-balanced set-up that allowed him to brilliantly pouch Ollie Pope off Ravindra Jadeja. On Thursday, Jurel did keeping drills under the guidance of India’s fielding coach T Dilip who stressed the importance of taking the ball in the line of the body.So if Jurel does play and Pant takes on a specialist batting role, who goes out of the XI that played the third Test? The likely options are Karun Nair, Reddy and Washington. Nair has failed to convert several starts in the first three Tests, but India might persist with him given that No. 3 might be too high a slot for either the keeper or the allrounders, and that Shubman Gill and Pant are settled at Nos. 4 and 5. Washington will be optimistic about retaining his spot not only because he found ample drift and picked up vital wickets in both innings at Lord’s, but also because Old Trafford is known to offer bounce to spinners. That leaves Reddy, who picked up important top-order wickets in both innings at Lord’s, but hasn’t yet found the batting form that made him such a find during his debut series in Australia.It will be a difficult decision in each case, but if he’s needed, Jurel will be ready to take on the job, chest out and chin up.

علق فرجاني ساسي، لاعب منتخب تونس، على قرعة بطولة كأس العالم 2026 والتي أسفرت عن وقوع بلده في المجموعة السادسة.

وأسفرت القرعة عن وقوع منتخب تونس في المجموعة السادسة والتي تضم هولندا واليابان والمتأهل من أوكرانيا ضد السويد وبولندا ضد ألبانيا.

طالع.. وكيل فرجاني ساسي: الزمالك لم يتواصل معنا لحل الأزمة.. ومستحقاتنا بلغت رقمًا ضخمًا

وتحدث ساسي، عبر قناة “الكأس”، وقال: “مجموعتنا في كأس العالم قوية، وتضم منتخبات كبيرة هولندا واليابان، دائمًا في المونديال يكونون حاضرين بقوة”.

وتابع: “يجب أن نجهز أنفسنا بنسبة 100% لأن كل المباريات صعبة، وإن شاء الله في كأس العالم نحقق إنجازًا تاريخيًا لتونس”.

واختتم: “سأبذل كل ما في مجهودي وخلفنا شعب كامل، مطلبنا ومطلب التوانسة التأهل للدور الثاني في المونديال وإن شاء الله نحقق هذا الإنجاز”.

After all the joy they experienced in Perth, day one in Adelaide served as a wake-up call for the visitors

Alagappan Muthu06-Dec-20240:45

Pujara: India should have got 250 on this pitch

“Get ready for a broken …” This Australia team don’t say things like that. But Nitish Kumar Reddy managed to get a rise out of their captain when he bailed out of facing the first ball of the 35th over on day one of the Adelaide Test.Pat Cummins has spent this news cycle dealing with questions about the unity of his men and the way they play. He’s been met with whispers of his own decline and insinuations that he takes defeat too easily. None of them seemed to wind him up as much as seeing a perfectly good ball go to such waste. He immediately went bouncer, at 143 kph, and Reddy, despite being ready this time, was barely able to duck for cover. The Adelaide Oval loved that.Related

• Stats – Starc gets to Adelaide fifty, Bumrah to 2024 fifty

• Starc uses his favourite combination to give Australia just the day they needed

India were finally in the Australia they would have expected before coming here. Loud. Demanding. Hostile. Frustrating. Stingy about rewarding good work and gleeful in punishing mistakes. Towards the end of the day’s play, when Mohammed Siraj expressed his annoyance at having to expend more energy than he needed to for the same reason – a batter pulling away from his stance at the last moment, because of a fan running into his line of sight with a beer snake no less – he was told off by 50,186 people and then laughed at when he conceded a four off the next ball.A lot of the talk leading into this game was about India’s batters having to adjust to the pink ball, given how little they play this flavour of Test cricket. But it seems the bowlers had just as much to get used to. In a strange way, just like in Perth where they got a chance to bowl when the conditions were still helpful, a blessing in disguise if there is such a thing when you’re all out for 150, Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj got to use the pink ball just as twilight was about to hit.Nathan McSweeney and his top-order colleagues employed the leave to telling effect•Associated PressA lot of Australia’s success in these games has been built on batting first, batting big, and sticking the opposition in during the final session (usually of day two) when the floodlilghts take effect and wield a strange power over the game. In 2022, they had West Indies 102 for 4 at stumps on day two after declaring their own innings close to the final session’s play. Their fourth wicket had fallen at 428. In 2021, they took the fairly straightforward call to give up the runs their last two batters might have been able to add to their 479 in order to unleash Mitchell Starc at the England top order, and he delivered with a wicket in his second over, with Michael Neser backing him up before stumps. Australia had had 176 on the board before going two down. England had 12.India would have been hoping for something similar; to leverage the twilight session to make their way back into the Adelaide Test. But it felt like they were getting too much movement and struggled to calibrate their lines and lengths to make it count. An under-fire Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney were able to leave 18 of the first 30 deliveries they faced, and that trend continued. Australia didn’t play at half the balls they faced in the first 20 overs. They had a better understanding of the bounce available off the pitch, which made India look like they were missing their marks.”The lengths could have been slightly fuller to encourage more play,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. “I thought Australia left very well as well. It seemed to be a trademark of the way they play, those two [McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, who have put on an unbroken 62 for the second wicket]. They left on length very well. We kind of feel the swing and the seam was a little bit inconsistent which makes it difficult for both parties.”India batted to a plan too. They discerned that the good-length ball contained the potential to cause the most problems, and looked to be proactive against anything either side of that. It was in the course of this that KL Rahul and Virat Kohli fell to balls they realised they could leave but not until it was too late. This may have been a mix of what happens in Australia and what happens with the pink ball.”From Tests gone past, and probably no different today, there’s times in a pink game where the ball can get soft and it’s hard to score, hard to take wickets, a dead patch in the game,” Starc said, “Then for whatever reason the ball starts to do a little bit more again.”India have their task cut out after 77.1 gruelling overs in Adelaide•Associated PressIndia left for their hotel at the end of day one with a sense of what could have been. Another feeling well-known among away teams that come here. Shubman Gill missed a straight ball that he could have driven for four. Yashasvi Jaiswal wandered too far across his crease to be able to connect with a ball on leg stump. Rahul and Kohli were indecisive.”Obviously to lose a wicket of the first ball, sort of sends jitters through the change room,” ten Doeschate said, “But we recovered really well and [from] 69 for 1 we probably feel like we missed a chance there. I also feel that’s the nature of the pink ball. Things can happen quickly. Things happen in clumps, we lost wickets in clumps which we wanted to avoid. There’s lessons to be learned in that first innings and we’ll go away and look how to play in the second innings.”Even their most eye-catching spell of play – when Harshit Rana seemed to get inside McSweeney’s head by asking him to use the bat and when Bumrah found his usual control to beat Labuschagne’s bat – didn’t really amount to anything. They felt something might happen. It didn’t.”I don’t think 86 for 1 is a true reflection of how we bowled,” ten Doeschate said. “I thought there were a lot of played-and-misses. Obviously the edge [that we dropped in the seventh over]. I know the score looks like there’s a big gap between the two teams but we still feel we’re in the game and with a few tweaks tomorrow, if we bowl slightly better, we feel like we can get back in the game tomorrow.”India have loved being in Australia. They’ve had things to do at every turn, literally. The e-scooters available for rent on the streets were a huge hit with the team in Perth. There, at the end of every single day, they found themselves in a pinch-me-I’m-dreaming situation. After 77.1 overs in Adelaide, they’ve received a bit of a wake-up call.

Bayern Munich have ruled themselves out of the Mohamed Salah transfer race, with his future at Liverpool hanging in the balance. After being left out on the bench by Arne Slot for the three successive Premier League games, the Egyptian winger went on an explosive rant to the press about his treatment as he even hinted he could exit Anfield in the January transfer window.

• Is Salah staying at Liverpool?

  Following his snub from the Liverpool starting line for the third consecutive Premier League match last weekend, Salah had an outburst in front of the media where he slammed the club and the manager and also cast doubt on his future at Anfield. The Egypt international said: "I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep their promises. 

  "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday – you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew. Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup [of Nations]. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Will Bayern Munich sign Salah?

  Following his public outburst, Salah has been tipped to move away from Anfield next month and several top clubs in Europe, including Bayern Munich, and the Saudi Pro League, have been linked with the winger.

  Bayern chief Max Eberl, however, ruled out the possibility of the Liverpool star joining them as he told : "We have an outstanding talent in Lennart Karl. Putting someone ahead of him now makes absolutely no sense."

  He added: "We've talked about the squad before – we have players coming back [from injury]. The transfers are coming from within. There are no plans to bring in any new players right now; the squad is homogeneous and balanced. A new player could also cause unrest because roles would shift."

• Salah told he has the 'brains of a beetle'

  Amid the conflict at Anfield, Slot found support from compatriot and Dutch legend Marco van Basten as the former striker slammed Salah for his behaviour. Van Basten told : "I'd say: the brains of a cockchafer. If you react like that… He did very well last year, but this season he's not good. He's just been bad these past few months. I always find Slot honest and straightforward. He doesn't shy away from a fight and ultimately doesn't say anything unwise. Salah, on the other hand, really started attacking the man and reacting incorrectly."

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• AFP
  

  Slot's response to Salah's outburst

  A day after Salah went public with his frustration over the lack of game time, Slot addressed the media to share his reaction, as he said: "I don't feel that my authority has been undermined. It's not the way I feel it. It's not about me, if my life is difficult, yes or no, that's not very important in a situation like this. It's if it is more difficult for the team and for the club. No one likes us to be in the situation we're in at the moment. First of all, it's difficult to see staff members who work so hard are affected by the situation we're in now. Mainly because of the results. I'm the manager, I have to pick a team so to a certain extent I'm important, but my focus is on the team and not on me." 

  When asked if Salah would remain at Liverpool in the long term, Slot replied: "I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment in time."

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso insists he has a “very good relationship” with midfielder Jude Bellingham amid speculation suggesting there is growing tension between the pair. The Spaniard is adamant he has no issues with the England international, who has been in fine form since returning from the shoulder injury which disrupted his 2025-26 campaign.

Bellingham has been in good goalscoring form following return

Missing a large part of the opening period of the season, Bellingham made his return to La Liga in Real’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol on 20 September, emerging from the substitutes bench as goals from Eder Militao and Kylian Mbappe earned all three points for Alonso’s men. 

Former Borussia Dortmund ace Bellingham has since been in good goalscoring form for Los Blancos, scoring the winner in October's Clasico victory over rivals Barcelona before netting a last-gasp equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Elche last weekend.    

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReport claims England international is frustrated with Alonso

However, while Bellingham has impressed in his first few matches under Alonso’s stewardship, Spanish publication reported earlier in the week that there is believed to be friction between the two. The report claims midfielder Federico Valverde and forwards Rodrygo and Endrick are also unhappy with ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso, who took over the reins from Carlo Ancelotti in the summer.      

Real head coach Alonso insists he has good rapport with Bellingham

But ahead of Real’s trip to Girona in the league on Sunday, Alonso has rubbished talk surrounding his rapport with Bellingham, saying they have "excellent" communication with one another.

When asked if he had any problems with Bellingham, Alonso said: “Absolutely not. I have excellent communication and a very good relationship with Jude. He's a world-class player; he has that drive to improve, learn, and become more efficient with the great potential he has.    

“I like players who are curious and proactive enough to come and ask what we can do better. He fits in with different profiles and heights because he's very well-rounded, and we also need to be aware of what's going on around him.” 

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Getty Images SportEx-Leverkusen boss also defends relationship with Vinicius

It is not the first time Alonso has had to come out and clarify his relationship with a player, having also faced questions over his decision to start Vinicius on the bench for Real’s trip to Elche.

Explaining he and the Brazil international had planned the move before the game, Alonso said after the final whistle: “No, we had discussed it. We talk about it often. He understands; he knew the role he could play. We've done it before, like in Getafe. Today we're not happy, but everyone is eager to get back on track.”

Insisting he and the rest of the Real squad are growing closer, he added: “We haven't fallen apart. We're still competing; the context of each match is different. The result is what matters, and we're aware of that and self-critical. The spirit is good; we have to respond to adversity. This is Real Madrid. We live with criticism; we want to improve.

“The connection is improving; we have more time and interact more, we know each other better. We're all in the same boat, we celebrate victories. We suffer if we don't win. The connection is good. We need to turn this situation around, starting with Athens [against Olympiacos].”   

Shota Imanaga is about to experience the MLB postseason for the first time, but before that could happen, he had to survive an encounter with champagne.

The Chicago Cubs clinched a spot in the MLB playoffs on Wednesday thanks to an 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. After the game concluded, the Cubs had the traditional celebration in their clubhouse, which included champagne showers for everyone. Imanaga had some pretty hilarious thoughts on the matter.

After being soaked by his teammates, the 32-year-old starting pitcher said, "I learned with champagne that instead of drinking it, you should absorb it with your skin. It feels better." He was immediately doused by his teammates again before looking at the camera and saying, "Yummy."

Video is below.

Imanaga and teammate Seiya Suzuki are both set to experience their first trip to the MLB playoffs and were really enjoying themselves during the celebration.

Imanaga has had an excellent season for the Cubs despite missing time with a hamstring injury. In 23 starts, he's 9-7 with a 3.29 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts against 23 walks in 134 innings. He was the team's Opening Day starter, and either he or Matthew Boyd is likely to start Game 1 of the playoffs.

Lionel Messi admits that he and wife Antonela Roccuzzo are “constantly talking” about a future return to Barcelona. They bid an emotional farewell to Camp Nou in 2021 when, amid financial struggles for La Liga giants, no new contract could be agreed. The Messi family headed to Paris, before ending up in Miami, but they remain determined to retrace steps to Catalunya at some stage.

• Back to Barcelona: Messi's grand plan

  Plenty of tears were shed when severing career-long ties with Barca. There has been talk over the last four years of a return being made in a playing capacity, but Messi has now committed to a new contract in South Florida that will keep him in MLS through the 2028 campaign.

  While turning out again for the Blaugrana has become unrealistic, Messi still intends to return to a spiritual home – having recently been given a secret tour of Barcelona’s iconic revamped stadium.

  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner told during that surprising visit to familiar surroundings: “I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

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  Emotional farewell: Messi denied a proper goodbye

  Messi added on finding himself back at Camp Nou, having made so many special memories there down the years: “It's going to be strange going back to the new stadium and seeing it because the last time I saw it was a long time ago, and it's going to be exciting to relive and remember everything that was, even though the stadium is different. I'm grateful for the constant affection and have nothing but thanks.”

  The iconic 38-year-old got emotional again when casting his mind back to the day that saw him leave Barcelona in a professional capacity, with that decision being made against everyone’s wishes. He said: “I was left with a strange feeling after leaving, because of how everything happened, because I ended up playing my last years without fans, because of the pandemic. After spending my whole life there, I didn't leave the way I imagined, the way I dreamed.

  “I imagined, as I said, playing my whole career in Europe, in Barcelona, and then, yes, coming here like I did, because that was my plan, what I wanted. And well, the farewell was a bit strange too, because of the situation, because of everything. But well, I think the fans' affection will always be there, because of what I said, because of everything we've been through.”

• Happy memories: Messi relives his time at Barcelona

  Having become a global icon during his time at Camp Nou, with the brave decision being taken to leave Argentina and head for Europe in his early teens, Messi added when asked to pick one standout moment from his record-shattering spell with Barca: “I'll take everything I experienced during that time, how much I grew as a person and as a player. That's it, I'll take all of that. When I see images and memories, I get flashes of what happened, of that season, of what we experienced, and I'll take it all.

  “Being part of this club, having arrived as a child and having grown up and spent my whole life in Barcelona. I'm grateful to God for taking me to that place when I was a boy, and also for the birth of my children in the city, and for the entire club and the city in general because I left as a child, grew up, and spent my whole life there. There are so many things, not only at the club but in the city, that I have to cherish.”

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  Messi's Barcelona record: Appearances, goals and trophies

  Messi took in 778 appearances for Barcelona, on the back of making his debut in 2004, and scored 672 goals. He won 35 trophies – including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns – and cemented his standing as an all-time great.

  He is now chasing down more success in the United States, having moved to America after two seasons in France, and is still hoping to grace the turf at Camp Nou again – in a friendly or exhibition match – before the day comes to hang up his boots for the final time.