Nottingham Forest are at the beginning of life under Ange Postecoglou, but results haven’t gone to plan since the Australian boss arrived at the City Ground.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure paved the way for Postecoglou to enter the hotseat in the East Midlands, though it is fair to say his tenure has yielded mixed reviews as he awaits a first victory in charge.

Back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Swansea City were followed by consecutive draws against Burnley and Real Betis, before Forest endured a frustrating loss against Sunderland last weekend despite creating a host of chances.

Urging patience, Postecoglou shared frustration at his side not being able to dispose of the Black Cats, albeit he did acknowledge his side were more than a match for their opponents in terms of their performance.

He stated: “Frustrating. Disappointing. It’s another game we have allowed to get away from us, where really we should be very comfortably overcoming (Sunderland). I didn’t think there was anything in it (free-kick decision). Irrespective, even if the referee has made an absolute high howler, we can still deal with the free-kick better. What we did after that is more of a concern to me than the decision.”

While Nottingham Forest’s frustration at the officials was reflected by Neco Williams, they do have plenty to build on; it isn’t as if they’ve been blown away by their opposition in any of their last four matches, excluding their defeat at Arsenal.

Either way, people will already begin to form judgements, with many still fresh from memories of Postecoglou’s rollercoaster season with Tottenham Hotspur last term, ending the year with the Europa League trophy and a 17th-placed Premier League finish.

Tim Howard launches scathing Postecoglou verdict

Speaking to Premier League Productions, former United States and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has hit out at Postecoglou, claiming his methods lack pragmatism even if they are easy on the eye.

He stated: “I’m so sick and tired of these coaches saying, ‘This is the way I play, and I’ll lose my job, but I’ll play this way.’ No, you have to be pragmatic. You have to dig in. Yes, they use the football well and yes, they play well. But did you see that (Sunderland) performance? They were willing to dig in, every single one of them. That’s how you get results, and it shows.”

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Truthfully, there are two contexts to view Nottingham Forest’s situation in. On one hand, they have been unlucky not to claim more from their first five matches under Postecoglou, but a soft underbelly has no place in a side trying to claim Premier League points.

The Australian is known for his firebrand style of football, so fans will have to be encouraged by the flashes of what they’ve seen – particularly in Seville – and simply buckle up and enjoy the ride.

No-one quite knew what workout Jude Bellingham was doing. He was sort of maybe jumping. There was a kettlebell in his hands. But he was also wearing football boots, and had resistance bands worked into the mix. It looked like three drills at once, a strange combination of activities. Still, whatever it was, it's working.

Bellingham has been in a tricky spot of late. There is growing noise in England that Morgan Rogers – not him – should be Thomas Tuchel's go-to attacking midfielder going forward. Madrid also didn't seem to particularly miss him as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Xabi Alonso, for the most part, has Los Blancos humming early on. 

But this is Jude Bellingham, a truly excellent footballer who can, quite clearly, be a difference-maker for any side at any level. It has been an odd few months for him. His form dropped drastically at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, and Madrid went trophyless. A much-delayed shoulder surgery stopped any sort of early season revival before it could even start. And now, he finds himself in between. 

There have been some promising signs. He scored in his first Champions League start of the season, and has found a rhythm in Alonso's midfield. But El Clasico, on Sunday, seems to be something of an inflection point; is this the game where we will see the Bellingham of old? Or is this where worries begin to mount as the season wears on?

Getty Images SportA tricky end to 2025

It is no secret that madrid were struggling in the final days of Carlo Ancelotti's reign. The great Italian tactician had, basically, run out of ideas as to how to get his side to tick. It was looking increasingly like Kylian Mbappe was a high-wages mistake, and with Vinicius Jr also misfiring, Ancelotti basically resorted to a 4-4-2, asking two speedy forwards to play up front with Bellingham just tucked in behind.

And whether it be due to individual effort or poor setups, Bellingham could never quite make it work. He still scored and assisted here and there, but his general play was lacking. He missed tackles, was loose in his passing, and sometimes simply gave up on plays. One particularly poor moment in the Clasico – in which Bellingham was dispossessed, complained to the referee, and watched his man saunter to the other end of the field and smack the ball home – summed things up. Bellingham was frustrated, emotional and far from his best.

To be clear, he is not to blame for Madrid's woes. It was a combination of factors, but Bellingham felt them the hardest. The criticism was perhaps a tad unfair. But Bellingham had been a Ballon d'Or candidate in his first season in Madrid. Make no mistake, this was a significant drop-off.

AdvertisementIMAGO / NurPhotoClub World Cup and surgery

Part of the problem was that Bellingham was playing hurt – and had been for over a year. He dislocated his shoulder twice during his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, and played with heavy strapping for months. He couldn't get surgery in the summer of 2024 because he had a Euros to lose. After that, it seemed, Madrid had a perfect window. But they were, once again, reluctant to let their main man in midfield go under the knife.

So, he continued to play through it. May 2025 would have seemed an optimal window, too. But in an effort to try to win the Club World Cup, Madrid further delayed it, asking the midfielder to play through a hot American summer with a shoulder that was still giving him discomfort. 

To put it simply, Bellingham looked exhausted at the Club World Cup. He never really found any form, and as Alonso tinkered with his XI, Bellingham never quite settled. There was a lethargy to his play – and Madrid's in general. They were ultimately battered by Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final, and there was perhaps an unspoken relief to it all: one less game to play, and a chance for Bellingham to reset.

Getty Images SportGuler and coping without Jude

And that should have set things up rather nicely. It became clear that the Englishman would miss pre-season and a couple months of the new campaign. But even that might only have highlighted just how important he was to Alonso's project. Presumably, Madrid would soon learn how much they needed him.

Except they didn't.

Alonso made Arda Guler the centrepiece of his side at the Club World Cup, and hailed the young Turk as a potential cornerstone going forward. He suggested that Guler could play pretty much anywhere – right wing, No.10, even as a deep-lying playmaker. And he was rewarded with a string of fine performances from the 'Turkish Messi', who has undisputedly been one of the best players in La Liga this season.

"He gives great meaning to the game. When he's involved, we have a better team dynamic…I'm very happy with his progress, but we want more. He really enjoys playing football. He wants to find the pass, take the free-kick…[Florian] Wirtz was like that at Leverkusen. He's young, but he's a great player," Alonso said earlier this week.

Guler has backed it up with production, too, tallying 11 goal contributions to date. 

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Getty ImagesRecent returns

There were some fair questions to be asked, then, as to whether Guler and Bellingham could play together. Alonso has been tactically flexible in his early days, but neither Bellingham nor Guler is a true No.8. One of them had to suffer, in some way. However, Alonso rubbished that notion, and insisted that he would be able fit both of them into the side. 

"We have to see how we position the other pieces. We need a balance, where we need to connect in those areas as best as possible. For me, how to get to Bellingham is always very important, how to get to the No.10 position. Arda Guler has been able to play No.10 and a little deeper, maybe not so much in the league now, but he can do it. They have to find their feet; they have to flow and feel comfortable. They can do it. I've seen them do it together, and I'm sure they'll do it again," he said in early October.

And so it has proved. Bellingham and Guler aren't exactly humming, but they have worked in some ways. They started together against Juventus, and were effective in an attacking sense. Bellingham scored the only goal, and Guler created seven chances. The flip side, of course, was that Madrid were vulnerable defensively, with neither player filling the necessary holes in the middle – and leaving Los Blancos exposed on the break. Better sides would have punished them.

Despite beating Brentford away over the weekend, Manchester City got some bad news on the injury front. Key midfielder Rodri had to be taken off with just 20 minutes gone due to a suspected hamstring issue.

Of course, the 29-year-old has struggled with injury issues since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last season.

Thankfully for City fans, the former Atletico Madrid star gave an encouraging update, explaining that the injury “seems like it’s not that much,” and suggesting he could even be fit for the first game after the international break against Everton. Surely Pep Guardiola will want to make sure his first-choice number six is 100% fit before playing him again.

Frustratingly, one of City’s former academy stars, Romeo Lavia, could have softened the blow of Rodri’s absence.

Why Lavia could have replaced Rodri

As they have tended to do with academy stars over the past few years, City did an excellent job of selling Lavia. He joined Southampton back in 2022 for a fee of up to £14m, despite only playing once for the first team at the Etihad Stadium.

He impressed so much on the South Coast that the former Anderlecht academy star got a big move to Chelsea the summer after. At Stamford Bridge, opportunities have been scarce for Lavia due to injury problems of his own.

However, he’s worked hard to build back to full fitness and is now looking to cement himself as a key part of Enzo Maresca’s midfield.

In total, the Belgian has only made 25 appearances for the Blues, with just two coming this season. The majority of them have come at the base of Maresca’s midfield, where he’s been able to screen the back four and show his excellent progressive carrying skills.

Lavia showed what he is all about in Chelsea’s recent 2-1 win over Liverpool. He came off the bench at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and his cameo was enough to earn him a 7/10 rating from The Standard journalist Dom Smith. He said the 21-year-old put in a ‘good display’ against the Reds.

Yet, with the amount the injury-prone starlet has featured for Chelsea, he may not have been the right player to operate as Rodri’s understudy. They recently let the perfect backup slip through the cracks.

Man City sold the perfect Rodri understudy

Standing in for Rodri in the City squad is certainly no easy task. Lavia has the quality, but his injury issues mean his availability might not have been what City needed. At the club, the likes of Nico Gonzalez and Kalvin Phillips are at Guardiola’s disposal.

However, the man who could have seamlessly slotted into the starting lineup in Rodri’s absence, which is a regular occurrence these days, was sold in the summer for just £13m. Maximo Perrone made the permanent move to Serie A side Como after a season-long loan in Italy.

After joining City in 2023 from Argentine side Velez Sarsfield, Perrone never really managed to nail down a place in the side. He only made two appearances for the first team at the Etihad Stadium in the treble-winning season of 2022/23, before moving on loan to Las Palmas and then Como, where he now plies his trade.

So far, the 22-year-old has made 33 appearances for Cesc Fabregas’ side. The defensive midfielder has cemented his spot in the starting lineup, playing 90 minutes in each of the last three games and scoring his first goal for the club last weekend.

Perrone would have been “an ideal Rodri back-up,” according to football analyst Ben Mattinson.

Well, his underlying numbers from last season show just why. For example, the midfielder averaged 2.81 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 63rd percentile of Serie A midfielders.

Passes completed

58.84

92nd

Key passes

1.45

84th

Tackles won

1.31

75th

Interceptions

0.97

71st

Clearnaces

2.08

88th

Perrone certainly feels like one that got away from this City squad. With his profile, a progressive ball-winner in the middle of the park, he could have seamlessly fitted into the City side in Rodri’s absence.

Letting him go for such a cheap fee in the summer could be a big error by City, especially with Rodri’s persistent injury issues.

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After another disappointing start to the season, Manchester United and INEOS have reportedly joined the race against Atletico Madrid to sign a La Liga defender.

Ratcliffe reiterates patience in Amorim project

Despite failing to win back-to-back Premier League games once in almost 12 months and struggling to take the Red Devils into European football, Ruben Amorim still has the backing of INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The minority owner has reiterated the need for patience, drawing comparisons with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, who are now reaping the rewards for sticking with their man.

That suggests that even defeat against Sunderland would not have put Amorim’s job at risk and the former Sporting Club boss must now repay that faith.

The manager, himself, has remained just as stubborn in his decisions – refusing to change what many believe to be a broken system. He told reporters earlier this season: “So it’s not the system. It’s the small details, the way we play the game.

“And I understand what people think. ‘What would this team be in a different system?’ I don’t know. Maybe this team would win more games. But if we don’t change certain things, we are not going to win titles whether we change to 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.”

The task for INEOS in the face of Amorim’s stubborness is handing the United boss the reinforcements he needs to get his system going and that should make 2026 interesting. Reports are already suggesting that they could go for one La Liga star.

Man Utd join David Affengruber race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now battling Atletico Madrid to sign David Affengruber. The Elche centre-back has become an unexpected star in Spain’s top flight so far this season, helping his side rise to as high as seventh. Now, INEOS are reportedly fans of his ability and have eyed a 2026 move to secure his signature.

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The Man United owners could land a fairly cheap deal, too. Although Elche are set to demand over €25m (£22m) to sell their defender next year, their final price is unlikely to reach an absurd amount given their place in the football food chain.

League stats 25/26

David Affengruber

Matthijs de Ligt

Minutes

663

630

Progressive Passes

22

14

Ball Recoveries

49

23

Tackles Won

12

12

When compared to Matthijs de Ligt, Affengruber’s quality becomes even clearer. The 24-year-old has been excellent both in and out of possession this season and should represent a serious option for Man United if he continues his current form.

De Ligt, meanwhile, represents another big-money player who’s struggling to impress at Old Trafford and getting him back to his best form should be among Amorim’s top priorities.

Manchester City have now swooped in and submitted an opening offer for a Manchester United target, amid widespread interest from rival Premier League clubs.

Man City looking to get one over on their bitter rivals

There has undeniably been a power shift in Manchester since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, with City breaking the record by winning three Premier League titles on the spin, and the gap between the two clubs was on show earlier this month.

Pep Guardiola’s side ran out emphatic 3-0 winners against Man United at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland bagging a brace after Phil Foden opened the scoring.

Not only have City often gotten the better of their rivals on the pitch in recent times, but they have also become a more attractive destination for new signings, with Gianluigi Donnarumma opting for a move to the Etihad, despite interest from Ruben Amorim’s side.

Earlier this week, it was also revealed the Blues have moved into pole position in the race for another key Man United target, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown, and they are now looking to beat their rivals to the signature of an up-and-coming prospect.

That is according to a report from Edinburgh News, which states Man City have now made an offer for Hearts midfielder Keir McMeekin, who has been attracting plenty of interest from Premier League clubs.

United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool have also expressed interest in signing the 15-year-old, who is currently weighing up his options, having travelled for talks with City and two other unnamed Premier League sides.

Hearts are eager to keep hold of the highly-rated youngster, having tabled an attractive contract offer of their own, but it remains to be seen whether he is willing to commit his future to the Scottish Premiership side.

"Creative" McMeekin is one for the future

Evidently, the Scottish youngster is still in the infancy of his career, but he is clearly held in high regard at club and international level, having already made his debut for the Scotland U17 side.

Journalist Joel Sked also rates the teenager very highly, describing him as a “creative” player, and “one of the most promising talents in the Hearts academy”, which explains the interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs.

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At just 15, McMeekin is one for the future, but Man City should be well-placed to win the race for his signature, given that they are clearly still levels above their major rivals, as evidenced by the 3-0 victory earlier this month.

The Hearts ace may be some way off first-team level, but Guardiola is also keen on bringing in a central midfielder capable of making an instant impact, having identified Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic as a replacement for Rodri.

Despite picking up an injury a few weeks ago, new Manchester United number ten Matheus Cunha has made a positive start to life at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has only played seven games for the club so far, missing the Manchester derby defeat away at the Etihad with the hamstring issue he had earlier in the season.

He’s yet to score or assist, but his impact in the final third has been felt. He’s created seven chances so far, and averaged 1.4 per 90 minutes. He certainly shone on debut against Arsenal.

The Brazil international has performed well for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the international break this month.

Cunha’s form for Brazil

With the form he showed for Wolverhampton Wanderers throughout his time at Molineux, it was always going to be a matter of time before Cunha became a regular in the national team.

After making his debut back in 2021, he broke into the side as a key player earlier in 2025.

The 26-year-old is currently away with Brazil on international duty. In their recent game against continued his excellent form for Selecao, where he managed to score and assist in four games this calendar year.

Well, he added to that tally, which is now three goal involvements in five games, after he assisted Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior against South Korea in a 5-0 win.

Playing as a centre-forward for Ancelotti’s team, he managed 44 touches, created three chances and won four from seven ground duels.

Touches

44

Pass accuracy

83%

Passes in oppostion half

16/21

Ground duels won

4/7

Ball recoveries

3

Chances created

3

Assists

1

The 26-year-old has a good relationship with Los Blancos star Vinicius. The pair have played together 11 times for the national team, combining for two goals in that time.

Both of those came in the last two games they played alongside each other in that famous Yellow shirt.

With Cunha’s form threatening to explode for United, too, it will be encouraging for Ruben Amorim that he has a howgrown version of the Brazilian brewing.

United’s homegrown Cunha

United have some incredibly exciting academy players. They’ve produced some sensational talents over the years, and currently on the books, some rising stars can eventually fit that mould.

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It is no secret just how talented 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel is, with the Red Devils academy diamond tipped for a huge career ahead of him.

Yet, he is not the academy star who could be the homegrown Cunha. Instead, that is Samuel Lusale, an 18-year-old winger who moved to Old Trafford last summer from Crystal Palace. He’s already impressed for the academy sides.

In 22 games for the Red Devils under-18s side for far, Lusale has scored once and assisted seven times. This season in particular, the Slovakia under-19 international has been on fire, with four assists and one goal in five U18 Premier League games.

His run of form has been largely unstoppable. The 18-year-old, who was born in Guilford, has only failed to score or assist once, coming against Burnley. He gave Wolves a nightmare, grabbing two goal involvements in a 4-0 win.

Already, you can see how the 18-year-old is similar to Cunha, with the threat he offers in the final third. Described as a “dynamic” attacker by Academy Scoop over on X, he is a threatening ball-carrier, just like Cunha has shown for United this season.

The other similarity comes in the versatility Lusale offers. According to Transfermarkt, he is a winger by trade and has featured on both flanks for the Red Devils. He can also operate as a number ten, which really draws comparisons to Cunha.

The Brazilian is surely going to be an instant hit for United, and has shown glimpses of his best form before getting derailed by injury.

To be brewing a homemade version of Cunha in Lusale is exciting for United fans, especially if he can turn out to be as deadly as their number 10.

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سلطت صحيفة “ديلي إكسبريس” الإنجليزية الضوء على تصرف نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، يوم الأحد بعد أدائه في مباراة السبت ضد نظيره فريق أستون فيلا، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا، في الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدف أول لصالح ليفربول، بعدما نجح في استغلال خطأ فادح من جانب الحارس إيميليانو مارتينيز.

وقالت صحيفة “ديلي إكسبريس” الإنجليزية: “استمتع مهاجم ليفربول محمد صلاح بصباح أحد هادئ في منزله مع ابنته بعد تسجيله هدفًا في فوز فريقه 2-0 على أستون فيلا مساء السبت”.

اقرأ أيضًا | بسبب محمد صلاح.. نيفيل: آرسنال الوحيد القادر على التتويج بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي

وأضافت: “وعلى الرغم من الانتقادات التي واجهها بسبب البداية البطيئة للموسم، أظهر اللاعب البالغ من العمر 33 عامًا أنه لا يزال غير منزعج حيث أمضى وقتًا ممتعًا مع ابنته”.

وواصلت: “وعبر منشور على إنستجرام، شارك صلاح صورة له وابنته يستمتعان بلحظة هادئة معًا، وقد قوبل بقدر كبير من الدعم من المعجبين، سواء في التعليقات أو عدد الإعجابات، والذي بلغ أكثر من 250,000 إعجابًا في غضون ثماني ساعات فقط”.

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‏‎تمت مشاركة منشور بواسطة ‏‎Mohamed Salah‎‏ (@‏‎mosalah‎‏)‎‏

واستكملت: “محمد صلاح وزوجته ماجي والدان لابنتين: مكة، المولودة عام 2014، وكيان المولودة عام 2020، وكثيرًا ما تُرى الفتاتان على ملعب أنفيلد بعد آخر مباراة لـ ليفربول على أرضه هذا الموسم”.

واسترسلت: “قبل مباراة السبت ضد أستون فيلا، لم يسجل محمد صلاح سوى هدف واحد في مبارياته الثماني السابقة مع ليفربول، ولكنه كسر صيامه التهديفي القصير بهدف مميز في مرمى برينتفورد نهاية الأسبوع الماضي، أعقبه هدفٌ آخر أمام فيلا، مما أعاد ليفربول إلى سكة الانتصارات في الدوري”.

Arsene Wenger described Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Barcelona as "men against boys," as the former Arsenal manager heaped praise on Xabi Alonso. Madrid were the dominant force in the Clasico clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the win taking Alonso's men five points clear of their fierce rivals at the top of La Liga.

• Wenger praises Alonso's 'stronger' Madrid

  Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham struck for the capital club to cancel out Fermin Lopez's strike as Alonso's side sealed a vital three points in the first Clasico of the season. It could have been worse for the visitors, given Madrid had a penalty overturned in the early stages of the game and had a spot kick saved by Wojciech Szczesny in the second half.

  Wenger provided a blunt assessment of the gap between the two rivals, praising Real Madrid's tactical and physical superiority under Alonso. He contrasted Los Blancos' clinical attack with an impotent Barcelona, who held 52 per cent possession but managed only six shots on target from 13 attempts, compared to Madrid's nine on target from 21 shots.

  "El Clasico was a bit like a duel between men and boys. Real Madrid's defence was much stronger than Barcelona's," Wenger stated. "In attack, Madrid always looked capable of scoring, while Barcelona seemed ineffective. They had a lot of possession, but never really seemed capable of scoring. I give credit to Xabi Alonso. He balanced the team well to end up being superior. They defended well, pressed their opponents and created dangerous chances, scoring two goals and missing a penalty. They clearly played a good game and, for me, they deserved to win this match against a Barça that showed very little up front."

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• Getty
  

  Alonso: 'The win was deserved and even a short one'

  Alonso backed Wenger's assessment, stating his team was "very motivated" and that the result was crucial beyond the league table.

  “It was a deserved win — and even a short one," Alonso said. "We created chances, had the penalty… and this helps us recover that sense of being a competitive team in big games."

  The manager emphasised the importance of the victory for the squad's confidence. “It’s important. You yourselves are saying it. It’s not just the three points," Alonso explained. "We know that it’s still October and it’s early… But we wanted good feelings and that’s how it was. I’m very happy for the boys. They needed this feeling of winning a big game. The motivation was complete."

  He also highlighted the atmosphere in the stadium: "I saw both the team and the stadium enjoying the moment. It was important for the fans to see that their team can compete and win big games."

• Vinicius substitution exposes potential rift

  Despite the dominant performance, the match featured a moment of high tension when Vinícius Jr was substituted in the 72nd minute. The Brazilian winger was seen ranting as he walked past Alonso, initially storming down the tunnel before returning to the dugout.

  The outburst comes amid a delicate contractual situation. Vinícius will have only one year left on his contract at the end of the season, and negotiations for a new deal have reportedly stalled. Reports in Spain suggest the relationship between the player and club is fractured, with speculation that Madrid could be willing to sell the star if a substantial offer is made.

  Alonso moved quickly to defuse the controversy in his press conference, insisting the matter would be handled internally and refusing to let it overshadow the victory.

  "In what was a great game, Vini also contributed a lot," he said, adding: "When the time comes, we’ll talk about it in the dressing room."

  Alonso also dismissed post-match scuffles, which involved Dani Carvajal and Lamine Yamal, as "natural tension" and "healthy banter" typical of a Clasico.

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• AFP
  

  Alonso praises Bellingham's connection and tactical discipline

  The manager was particularly pleased with his tactical setup, which saw Madrid press high and defend in organised, compact lines. He gave specific praise to Jude Bellingham, who scored the decisive second goal after assisting Kylian Mbappe for the first.

  "He’s had three very good games," Alonso said of the Englishman. "Jude is all about feeling, communicating, and connecting. That’s why he’s had some very good games. He connects with everything — the ball, the fans, and his teammates."

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ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-20250:44

Patidar on coping with RCB fans’ expectations

Toss Punjab Kings (PBKS) have chosen to bowl first in the IPL 2025 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).For the second match running, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer disregarded Ahmedabad’s record this season – the team batting first has won six of the eight matches played at the venue – but his team are fresh off defying that record, having chased down a target of 204 with an over to spare against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2.Both teams named unchanged line-ups. This meant RCB finisher Tim David was not yet fully recovered from the hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since May 23, and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal was fit enough to start for PBKS after bowling four overs in Qualifier 2 with his hand at less than 100% fitness.It also meant RCB’s XI included the England opener Phil Salt, who flew to Ahmedabad on the morning of the match after having gone home to attend the birth of his child.2:24

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PBKS’s likely Impact Player is the opener Prabhsimran Singh, and RCB’s is the legspinner Suyash Sharma.The match will be played on the most central pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with both square boundaries equidistant at 64m. The surface for the match is a mixed one with both red and black soil.For the first time since 2016, the IPL final will pit two sides who have never previously won the title. RCB have lost their three previous finals – in 2009, 2011 and 2016 – while PBKS lost their only other final – in 2014.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh HazlewoodImpact Sub options: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil SinghPunjab Kings: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Nehal Wadhera, 5 Shashank Singh, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Vijaykumar Vyshak, Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalImpact Sub options: Prabhsimran Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense embarcou nesta segunda-feira (2) para Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, para enfrentar o Internacional no jogo de volta da semifinal da Libertadores. Torcedores do Tricolor se concentraram no aerporto Galeão para empurrar os jogadores pela última vez no Rio de Janeiro antes da partida.

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O primeiro jogo no Maracanã terminou em 2 a 2 e a decisão ficou para o Beira-Rio. O Fluminense esgotou os quatro mil ingressos disponibilizados para o jogo de volta e terá um pedaço significativo da arquibancada do estádio do Colorado para sua torcida.

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No Maracanã, após ficar com um jogador a menos, o Fluminense tomou a virada e contou com os mais de 60 mil torcedores jogando junto para sair com um empate. Agora, no aeroporto, mais uma vez os tricolores demonstraram seu apoio ao time para buscar a vaga na final.

+ ‘Fala, Jogadô!’: Cano fala sobre esperança de convocação para última Copa, relação com Diniz e busca pela Libertadores no Fluminense

Apesar do vôo estar marcado para às 19h, o ônibus do Fluminense chegou apenas às 18h. Torcedores já estavam concentrados no aeroporto Galeão desde às 16h. Na chegada dos jogadores, os tricolores fizeram muita festa e cantaram músicas de apoio ao elenco. Os jogadores, que em um primeiro passaram direto para o saguão, voltaram agrupados e foram agradecer aos torcedores que compareceram.

VAMOSSS, TRICOLOOORESSSS pic.twitter.com/EBwrlwjb5g

— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) October 2, 2023

A partida contra o Internacional pela semifinal da Libertadores é nesta quarta-feira (4), às 21h30 (horário de Brasília).