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The 17-year-old bagged his first international goal to seal a win in Dorival Junior's debut contest at the helm

The weight of expectation thrust upon 17-year-old Endrick, home and abroad, has been largely unfair for a player of his age. But for Brazil against England on Saturday, he showed exactly why it might be warranted. The Real Madrid-bound forward blew open a drab contest, and bagged the winning goal to hand the Selecao a 1-0 win at Wembley.

But he wasn't alone in his impact, as Vinicius Jr, too, did the damage. He should have given the Selecao the lead after running through on goal in the first half, but his scuffed effort was easily swept away off the line by Kyle Walker. Lucas Paqueta had a chance of his own soon after, but lashed it off the post with the goal gaping.

Introduced with 20 minutes remaining, Endrick immediately caused problems for the Three Lions, and he was rewarded for his persistence by opening the scoring with a simple tap-in after Vinicius' effort fell into his path off the palms of Jordan Pickford.

Meanwhile, England created little to speak of, as Brazil's five debutants performed admirably to see off Gareth Southgate's side. Still, the message from this contest was clear: the Selecao's next great hope has arrived.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Wembley Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Bento (6/10):

Didn't have loads to do, but was tidy when called upon. An agreeable debut.

Danilo (8/10):

Threw in some important tackles, and only improved as the game wore on. An experienced performance.

Fabricio Bruno (6/10):

Rather susceptible to the long ball, and couldn't cope with Watkins at times, though did get a crucial toe on the ball just as the Aston Villa man looked set to open the scoring.

Lucas Beraldo (7/10):

A solid showing from Paris Saint-Germain's latest recruit. Handled Watkins effectively.

Wendell (6/10):

Made sure that Foden never really got involved. Didn't offer much going forward, but offered cover so that Vinicius could push up.

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Bruno Guimaraes (7/10):

Offered physicality in central midfield, and never shirked a tackle. Did his bit in keeping Bellingham reasonably quiet.

Lucas Paqueta (6/10):

A mixed bag. Played some wonderful passes, and created constant chances. Unlucky to hit the post in the first half. Insisted on fouling everyone – even when he was on a yellow card.

Joao Gomes (6/10):

More or less anonymous with the ball, but did cover ground in spades.

Getty ImagesAttack

Raphinha (7/10):

Full of energy on the right. Could, and maybe should, have found the net after dispossessing Maguire.

Rodrygo (6/10):

A few nice moments, but didn't offer a consistent threat.

Vinicius Jr (8/10):

Really should have scored with the Selecao's first attack. Even so, gave England nightmares all night long. So impactful, even if he didn't find the net himself.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Andreas Pereira (7/10):

Played a crucial pass in the run up to Brazil's goal.

Endrick (8/10):

Came on, created chaos, and scored the winner. What a moment.

Savio (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Douglas Luiz (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Dorival Junior (8/10):

Handed five debuts in his first game as manager. A shaky start gave way to a promising showing. Not a bad way to get things going.

Andhra’s Hanuma Vihari was running away with the match before Siraj sprang into action with double-strikes in his match-turning second spell

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru15-Oct-2018Mohammed Siraj reacts after dismantling the stumps•BCCIA day after being released from India’s Test squad that swept West Indies 2-0, both Mohammed Siraj and Hanuma Vihari starred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final at the Just Cricket Academy Ground in Bengaluru. But it was the fast bowler’s double-strike, taking the key wickets of Vihari (95) and Ricky Bhui (52), that cracked the game open and helped Hyderabad defend 281 to reach the semi-finals.After nipping out wicketkeeper-batsman Srikar Bharat for 12 in an erratic first spell that read 5-1-31-1, Siraj returned for his second to break the third-wicket stand with Bhui’s wicket to trigger a collapse that limited Andhra to 267 for 9.It began when he found extra bounce and had Bhui ramping a catch to third man for 52 off 71 balls. In his next over, Siraj hit an in-between length – neither full nor short – and found sharp reverse swing to have Vihari chopping on, when the Andhra captain seemed on track for his fifth List A hundred. Siraj could have made it three wickets in three overs had Tanmay Agarwal not dropped B Sumanth’s heathy edge at slip. No problem, Andhra’s lower order panicked under pressure as they crumbled from 198 for 2 to 259 for 9 and ultimately lost by 14 runs.Siraj ended with 3 for 50, setting up a semi-final clash with Mumbai, who will be bolstered by the addition of Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane. Andhra were gliding towards their second successive semi-final in the 50-over tournament, when Vihari was in his shot-making stride. He latched on to anything that was remotely full and wide of off. He even created his own lengths by taking regular trips down the pitch. After unfurling a variety of drives in the arc between backward point and the covers, he forced Siraj to shorten his lengths. When the fast bowler banged in a chest-high short ball on middle, Vihari swiftly swivelled on the back foot and hooked a six into the sparse but vocal crowd over long leg.Vihari then surged down the track against left-arm spinners B Sandeep and Mehdi Hasan and sent them out of the ground. He meted out the same treatment to legspinner Akash Bhandari and raised a run-a-ball fifty with another mighty six. When he was on 59, he shimmied out and belted a legbreak back to Bhandari, but the force of the shot ensured the return catch burst through the hands.Bhui, at the other end, was particularly fluent square on the off side, and progressed to a fifty of his own. Enter Siraj, again with his reverse swing at rapid speed. Game over for Andhra, despite late blows from No. 9 KV Sasikanth. Siraj’s team-mates jumped onto him and celebrated wildly in the middle of the pitch amid fading light.After overnight rains had delayed the start of the game by 15 minutes, Sasikanth and B Ayyappa swung the new ball and explored the channel outside off. Andhra also packed the off-side ring for left-handed opener Agarwal and cut off his drives. It was debutant left-arm seamer, 20-year old Prithvi Raj, who produced the breakthrough when he got rid of Akshath Reddy for 18 with his fourth ball, in the 11th over. Five overs later, Girinath Reddy coaxed an outside edge from Agarwal for 31.When Prithvi Raj pinned Rohit Rayudu in front for 21 in the 22nd over, Hyderabad were 97 for 3. The left-armer got the ball to fizz off the pitch and tested Rayudu – Ambati – with bouncers. After seeing off that spell, Ambati Rayudu stretched out and slog-swept legspinner Karn Sharma for a six over square leg.Vihari, who introduced himself into the attack after 25 overs, sprayed a full toss down the leg side for four and continued to struggle with his lines and lengths, as did Karn. They had combined figures of 10-0-65-0.After Ambati Rayudu ran himself out off a free hit, Sandeep, Hyderabad’s top-scorer in this competition, extended his fine run with 96 off 97 balls. He reverse-swept Karn for four, slammed Bandaru over his head and muscled Girinath Reddy over midwicket into the media zone. He led Hyderabad’s late burst – they took 34 runs in the last four overs – before holing out in the final over.Andhra’s openers Ashwin Hebbar and Bharat began the chase brightly and then Vihari hit higher notes, but it was Siraj who had the final say.

The dreaded international break has returned once again, and Arsenal supporters will rue the halt to their team's season after returning to winning ways in the Premier League with a hard-fought victory over Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Previously on the domestic front, the Gunners had fallen to defeat against Newcastle United at St. James' Park in the league after suffering an exit from the Carabao Cup by the hand of West Ham United.

But, by and large, Mikel Arteta's side have carried over the positives from their title charge last year and carried on their pursuit of silver-laden success, having made impressive increments over numerous years under the Spaniard's leadership.

And residing just a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after 12 matches – behind second-placed Liverpool only on goal difference – there is much to be excited for when domestic football returns after the week of international action.

While fans do get to watch the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Co on duty, there is also the U17 World Cup to get invested in, especially considering the success that several of the prestigious Hale End academy are finding.

Indeed, England U17 decimated North Caledonia 10-0 to secure their biggest-ever victory at the global tournament, ruthlessly picking their opposition apart.

Two Gunners starlets were among the standout performers, with Ethan Nwaneri – the Premier League's youngest-ever player at 15-years-old – coming off the bench in the second half to impress.

It's an exciting time for the Emirates Stadium side, not least because of the incredible rise under Arteta's wing, but with precocious prospects rising to the fore and looking likely to earn opportunities to impress, the recent success could be sustained for many years to come.

Ethan Nwaneri's stats vs North Caledonia

Now aged 16, the versatile midfielder was hailed as a "special" talent by former Arsenal ace Granit Xhaka, and while he has not yet added to his maiden professional appearance the future is undoubtedly bright for this prodigious talent.

This season, he has starred in the Premier League 2 among older players and has plundered four goals and an assist from four matches, with his exploits earning him a call-up for the Young Lions' endeavours on the global stage.

While Nwaneri did not receive a starting berth, he was brought into the action after 62 minutes and produced a goal and assist apiece, complementing his direct return with a 100% pass completion rate, taking 32 touches, making two key passes, completing both of his crosses and winning a tackle, as per Sofascore.

England will be expected to wade deep into the competition, and it is abundantly clear that any success that might be found in the latter stages will likely come with Nwaneri at the heart of it.

The rising star is ticking all of the boxes throughout his formative years so far and it is safe to say that the expectation from Arteta and co will be that he can earn a regular place in the senior set-up in the years to come, with performances such as this one a glowing representation of his pedigree.

He was not the only Arsenal prospect to have caught the eye for England U17s, however, with Myles Lewis-Skelly receiving a starting berth ahead of his club teammate and dazzling with an all-action display from the centre of the engine room.

Lewis Myles-Skelly's stats vs North Caledonia

Lewis-Skelly, aged 17, has also belied his youthful years to feature with the development squad in London this season, posting one goal and two assists from just three starting appearances in the Premier League 2.

Further, he was excellent in the EFL Trophy against League One team Swindon Town back in August as Arsenal won on penalties, having played the full 90 and won seven duels, made two tackles and key passes apiece and taken 60 touches in an energetic display.

Like Nwaneri, such efforts on the domestic scene have issued a call-up for his nation, and while he didn't find the back of the net himself, Lewis-Skelly produced a monstrous performance from the centre.

Statistic

#

Minutes played

62'

Assists

1

Touches

32

Acc. passes

14/20 (70%)

Key passes

3

Dribble attempts

2/3

Ground duels won

6/9 (66%)

Tackles

2

Penalties won

1

*Sourced via Sofascore

Speaking of his efforts on the day, one FIFA agent and talent scout said: "Although it’s against a weak opponent, New Caledonia, Myles Lewis-Skelly looks absolutely brilliant today. Wouldn’t be surprised if he makes his first-team debut with Arsenal sometime during this season."

Lewis-Skelly crucially won more duels than any other player on the pitch, with his three key passes also showcasing his creative ability, and as he develops over the coming years and nurtures his physicality, he could become a force to be reckoned with as he battles with Nwaneri for minutes.

The youth talent's versatility in his craft is something that cannot really be taught, quite simply, he possesses an innate knack for the game and boasts abilities that stretch beyond the constraints of one singular position on the pitch.

He was even described as “unplayable” by Arsenal U18 manager Jack Wilshere for his excellent performance in the FA Youth Cup against Manchester City last season; capable of playing as a left-back the former Gunners star is a firm believer that Lewis-Skelly's career will be one at the heart of the field, dictating player and charging his side's efforts through his all-action, tenacious approach.

England return to action on Tuesday to face Iran in the next match of their campaign in Group C before a mammoth contest against Brazil to close the first stage of the tournament.

Based on the evidence of Lewis-Skelly's first performance, he could be a key cog in Greg Lincoln's side as they seek to work their way toward the pinnacle.

And, of course, Arteta and his Arsenal team will be taking note, with the teenage talent's chances of wedging his way into the first team's plans growing with each passing match. Watch out Nwaneri, the Gunners have a new academy darling on their hands…

The Brazilian and Portuguese attackers combined to fire the Blaugrana to another victory in La Liga.

Raphinha and Joao Felix provided the spark to fire Barcelona to three points as Xavi's team beat Las Palmas 1-0 in La Liga on Saturday. The dominant hosts will feel they should have scored more with so many chances and the calibre of firepower they had against a team who played with 10 men for over an hour, but Xavi will be happy to see his team make it 11 games without defeat.

It was a strong start from the home team, who twice thought they had gone ahead in the first 20 minutes when both Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha found the net, but the flag was up on each occasion.

The home team were on top but they looked to be in for a much easier night after 25 minutes when Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles had a moment of madness. He came rushing out of his box and wiped out Raphinha, giving the referee no option but to show the red card.

Barca had the majority of possession but proved extremely frustrating in front of goal, with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha failing to find the net, while Lamine Yamal looked drained on the right flank. In the first half, they managed eight shots but found the target with just one.

It was their first on-target shot of the second half that finally broke the deadlock as substitute Joao Felix sent the ball sailing into the box where Raphinha met it with his head. Felix looked capable of creating something every time the ball came his way and almost set up another substitute with a smart pass but Ferran Torres' effort was saved.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

Didn't have a save to make despite Las Palmas having some promising bursts forward.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Kept things simple for the most part but got up the field more after Yamal went off.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10):

Another strong performance and comfortable on the ball.

Inigo Martinez (7/10):

Dealt well with what came his way but wasn't properly tested.

Joao Cancelo (7/10):

Did well to get forward and offer support on the left, making that wing Barca's strongest.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Sergi Roberto (6/10):

Looked comfortable and dug in with some good tackles to cut out the visitors.

Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):

Some smart passes to keep the pressure on Las Palmas up the field.

Fermin Lopez (6/10):

A lively presence always looking to get forward and cause trouble but his shooting was poor.

GettyAttack

Lacine Yamal (5/10):

Had a really quiet night. Simply looked off the pace of the game.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

Early goal disallowed for offside and hit the bar. Despite his efforts, it wasn't his night.

Raphinha (8/10):

Also had an opener disallowed and missed a few good chances before finally heading in the opener.

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Joao Felix (7/10):

Got the assist less than five minutes after coming on with a great lobbed pass and helped boost the attack.

Ferran Torres (6/10):

Had a good shot saved shortly after coming on.

Vitor Roque (5/10):

Came on for the last 10 minutes but couldn't get on the ball.

Oriol Romeu (5/10):

Didn't put up enough of a fight to stop Las Palmas having a good effort.

Xavi (7/10):

His side were the better team and created enough chances but frustrated around the penalty area. His first change reaped almost immediate rewards, though, and it was comfortable from then on.

Australia’s pacemen have wasted no time plotting their first target of the Indian summer, after Nathan Coulter-Nile predicted a short-pitched barrage to be directed at Rohit Sharma

Daniel Brettig19-Nov-20182:41

‘Australia is the one place where we want to leave our mark’ – Rohit Sharma

Australia’s pacemen have wasted no time plotting their first target of the Indian summer, after Nathan Coulter-Nile predicted a short-pitched barrage to be directed at the opener Rohit Sharma as a way of testing what the fast bowler called a “compulsive” tendency to play the hook and pull shots.Speaking in Brisbane ahead of the first T20I meeting between the two sides at the Gabba on Wednesday night, Coulter-Nile stated that he and his fellow Western Australian Jason Behrendorff would look to replicate the sort of new ball success they had against Rohit in India a year ago, where he was twice dismissed cheaply.This time around, Coulter-Nile added, the bounce on offer at the Gabba would add to the tricks in the Australians’ fast bowling locker, with the ground’s expansive square boundaries – relative to a far shorter straight hit – providing further impetus for the fast men to drop short against batsmen still adjusting to unfamiliar climes.”[Rohit] is an unbelievable player, he’s got a good record all round the world, so he’s definitely a player to watch but we’ve also had success with the new ball as well,” Coulter-Nile said in Brisbane. “I think Dorff got him out the last time we played him, hit him on the pad, so we’ll look to do that again early. Big square boundaries here, so we might test him a little bit, he’s a good puller of the ball but he is compulsive as well so we’ll try to get him out there.”I think everyone knows [Behrendorff] is a fantastic option up front. He’ll swing it here, beautiful conditions today, so hopefully the same sort of conditions and we can hold our chances, because he’ll certainly create a few.”Rohit Sharma mistimes a pull•Getty ImagesFor his part, Rohit said that adaptation to Australian conditions was key to the challenge of performing, as India recognise the significance of their opportunity to win a Test series down under for the very first time. Their closest efforts previously were drawn encounters in 1980-81 and 2003-04.”It’s either Perth or Brisbane. India has always played at Perth or Brisbane and this time around we’re at Perth,” Rohit said. “Those two conditions are obviously very challenging. Australia has bowlers who are very tall and extract those conditions, use them to their advantage. Indian batsman generally are not that tall. Obviously it’s not that easy for us but all the guys are quite determined to change things around this time.”Of course, their bowling attack will challenge us no matter the format. But as a batting unit we’re prepared to face that challenge. The reason we came down few days early here is to get used to the bounce. Brisbane has always challenged us, so as a batting unit we are ready to accept it. This time we want to change our fortunes and come out with some exceptional performances. It’s not going to be that easy, we understand that. But we have quality in our unit.”It’s the one place that we want to leave our mark and do well. The last time we played a Test series here, although we lost two games and drew one, I thought there were a few close games being played. We want to make it count this time around. There’s a real good feeling inside the group in all three formats – the motivation of the team is to just try and seize all the moments and win tournaments. When you do well in places like Australia you feel good as a team.”Reflecting on the possibility of verbal provocation from India, given Australia’s relatively recent commitment to play the game with far less of an abrasive edge, Coulter-Nile pointed out that the shortest format did not necessarily grant as much time for players to get steamed up, either by circumstances or in an effort to motivate themselves.”I’ve never been sledged by them. T20 its a little bit hard to sledge, you don’t have that time in the field to really get angry, so I don’t think you’ll see too much of it during the T20s,” he said. “I don’t talk to any of the batters personally, in T20s I don’t think people have too much to say. If they get an opportunity I don’t think that’ll happen, it’ll just be talk with the ball, talk with the bat.”There has been plenty of criticism around Australian cricket of this summer’s schedule to date, particularly how much white-ball players have been required to jump from one format to another. But Coulter-Nile was happy to at least be playing a series of three matches against India, ahead of a Test series of four and then a further three ODIs in the new year.”I think we like a bit of continuity and so even if we don’t win the first game you can learn from your mistakes and try to build on that. If you do win you can try to hold it over them,” Coulter-Nile said. “But a one-off T20, especially a T20 game it can go either way. Three is a good number I think.”Confidence comes from wins so we’ve just got to find a way to win, scrap a win out, find a bit of luck. Once one happens, you get confidence and build it up. We’ve played these guys a lot so hopefully the confidence is there. We’ve all performed well against India and against their players, so hopefully guys can take that confidence into playing for Australia.”

Celtic finally return to action after the last international break of 2024 as they host Motherwell at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

The Hoops have had two weeks to enjoy their 6-0 thumping of Aberdeen in Glasgow prior to the break and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping for a similar performance and result this weekend.

A win would send the Scottish giants 11 points clear of second place, albeit having played two more matches, and could be a confidence-booster ahead of the Champions League tie with Lazio in midweek.

Despite the comprehensive victory last time out, Rodgers could look to make some alterations to the starting XI and here is our predicted Celtic team to face Motherwell…

1 Joe Hart

Between the sticks, Joe Hart could start as he goes in search of his seventh clean sheet of the Premiership campaign, after recording his sixth against Aberdeen.

The former England international has saved 74% of the shots against his goal across 12 top-flight appearances for the Hoops so far this season.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, the Canadian talent could line up in defence after his solid display for the Scottish giants before the break. He played the full 90 minutes and won 100% (2/2) of his duels.

Alistair Johnston will be looking for his first goal contribution of the league campaign on Saturday as the forward-thinking gem is yet to register a goal or an assist, despite creating two 'big chances' in ten appearances.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

At the heart of the defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers after a dominant performance last time out against the Dons. The USA international completed 96% of his attempted passes and won 100% (2/2) of his ground duels during the match.

He has started seven league matches for Celtic and could line up next to a different central defensive partner on Saturday afternoon…

4 Gustaf Lagerbielke

The first change that could be made to the XI could be to bring Gustaf Lagerbielke in to start alongside the former Tottenham Hotspur prospect.

His last appearance, interestingly, came against Motherwell at the end of September but he recently played for the B Team and Rodgers could finally unleash him after that fitness exercise.

Sofascore rating

6.9

Duels won

Six

Pass success rate

85%

Tackles made

Two

Clearances

One

Lagerbielke, whose passing was once described as "impressive" by journalist Ryan McGinlay, has won an eye-catching 87% of his ground duels across five Premiership appearances and could come in to start ahead of Liam Scales, who could be rested ahead of the Champions League clash with Lazio.

5 Greg Taylor

At left-back, Rodgers may stick with Greg Taylor as the Scotland international has started every single league match for the club so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

The 26-year-old defender has created three 'big chances' for his teammates and been rewarded with one assist for his marauding efforts from the back.

6 Callum McGregor

The skipper – Callum McGregor – could keep his slot in the middle of the park barring any late fitness issues. He has started all 13 of the club's league matches so far this season.

Celtic's experienced leader completed 94% of his attempted passes and won 100% of his duels across the 90 minutes last time out for the Hoops.

7 David Turnbull

Another change to the XI could be for David Turnbull to return to the team ahead of Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, who failed to create any chances and lost 75% of his duels in 55 minutes against Aberdeen.

The Scotland international came off the bench to replace him and got his name on the scoresheet. He is now on six goals and four 'big chances' created in ten Premiership outings, which illustrates the impact the talented whiz can have at the top end of the pitch.

Turnbull has the quality to be a difference-maker with his ability to score and assist goals from a number eight position and should be brought in ahead of Holm after an underwhelming display from the summer signing.

8 Matt O'Riley

The third and final central midfield spot could go to Matt O'Riley after yet another sublime display from the Denmark U21 international against Aberdeen.

He produced two assists and created five chances for his teammates to take his tally to six goals and five assists in the Premiership so far this season.

9 Hyun-jun Yang

On the right of the front three, Hyun-jun Yang could keep his place after an impressive showing last time out. He scored his first goal for Celtic with a well-positioned header from Luis Palma's cross to make it 1-0 within nine minutes.

The South Korean starlet went on to complete six of his seven attempted dribbles and could use his dancing feet to excite supporters once again on Saturday.

10 Hyeon-gyu Oh

Through the middle, Rodgers could ditch Kyogo Furuhashi and reward Hyeon-gyu Oh for his exceptional goalscoring cameo against Aberdeen.

The South Korea international came off the bench to net twice in stoppage time, which took his tally to three goals and two 'big chances' missed in ten appearances and one start in the top-flight this season.

Kyogo, meanwhile, has scored six goals and missed six 'big chances' in 12 league starts for the Hoops so far this term. He scored one goal and missed one 'big chance' in 52 minutes of action before a worrying clash of heads forced him to be withdrawn during the second half of play.

Starting Oh in his place could provide the second choice centre-forward with a huge chance to impress whilst also providing the Japan international with the opportunity to rest on the bench ahead of the clash with Lazio next week.

PSG and Barcelona denied interviews with Movistar due to a racist remark from Diego Simeone's former assistant on live TV.

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German "Mono" Burgos made an insensitive comment about YamalHas since been fired by Movistar, issued an apologyServed as Simeone's assistant in Madrid from 2011-2020WHAT HAPPENED?

The two clubs denied interview requests from Spanish televison station Movistar+ after their Champions League quarter-final matchup at Parc des Princes on Wednesday. Burgos, a long-time Spanish football personality and analyst, made a remark about Yamal after the winger turned in a star showing in Paris.

AdvertisementWHAT BURGOS SAID

Burgos made a comment deemed racist and classist on live TV: "If football doesn't work out for [Yamal], he can end up [working] at a traffic light."

WHAT MOVISTAR SAID

The network later explained Barca's absence from the show: "I understand many of you want to hear from Barca players and coaches, but UEFA, PSG and Barca have informed us they will not speak to us because they are angry with a comment made in the studio before the game," Movistar reporter Ricardo Sierra explained. "Therefore, there won't be any reaction, so I apologise from here, as we should go back in the studio."

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Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On Thursday, Movistar announced that Burgos had been fired with immediate effect, and released a statement articulating that they: "condemn any type of discrimination and will not allow these types of comments from any of the employees or collaborators linked to the platform."

Erik ten Hag insisted that Alejandro Garancho "has a lot to learn" after burying the hatchet with the Argentine following an apology from the player.

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Garnacho liked social media posts questioning Ten Hag’s decisionsHis actions did not go down well with the managerHad to issue an apology to rest the caseWHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho's performance in the first half of the match against the Cherries led to his substitution at half-time, with United trailing 2-1. The winger was frustrated with the decision and further found himself in a controversy after the game when he liked two social media posts criticising his substitution.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier in the week, a United spokesperson stated that the incident had been addressed internally. Now, Ten Hag has confirmed that Garnacho has apologised for his actions which has ensured that there is no disciplinary action taken against him.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of United's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry, Ten Hag told reporters: "Alejandro is a young player. He has to learn a lot. He has apologised for it and we move on."

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DID YOU KNOW?

This is not the first time Ten Hag has faced disciplinary issues with members of his squad this season. Jadon Sancho faced consequences, including being sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund, after criticising the manager on social media and refusing to apologise.

Ten Hag had also condemned Marcus Rashford's behaviour as unacceptable after the English forward was photographed attending a nightclub and subsequently missed training.

Having got to only 64 in ten overs after electing to bat, Jozi Stars made big strides to complete a 50-run win and pick up a bonus point

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Cape Town04-Dec-2018Chris Gayle had warned before this game that it was Reeza Hendricks, rather than Gayle himself, who posed the most formidable threat to Cape Town Blitz, and Hendricks proved him right with his fourth successive score of fifty or more in the Mzansi Super League.After his 55 against Tshwane Spartans last week and back-to-back hundreds against Durban Heat and Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, Hendricks blazed his way to a 48-ball 79 to set up Jozi Stars’ dominant 196 for 4. Dan Christian then backed up Kagiso Rabada’s accuracy with the new ball to collect 4 for 22 in a massive 50-run win that took Stars to second on the tournament table with a bonus point, with Duanne Olivier also chipping in with 3 for 38.Stars lost Gayle to a travel-weary chip to mid-on off Nandre Burger in the fourth over and Blitz worked up considerable pressure in the early exchanges. Steyn did as Steyn does with the new ball, and Burger too impressed in his first outing for Blitz, having come into the side to replace Anrich Nortje. But Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen combined to take 18 off Andile Phehlukwayo’s first over, taking the rate above a run a ball for the first time in the sixth over.Hendricks’ innings started as a slow burn, and as he had done against Heat and Giants, he showed just how much time there is to build an innings in T20 cricket, provided one can shift swiftly through the gears. Hendricks’ strike rate was hovering just over a run a ball at the ten-over mark, but he hit six sixes in the next five overs and was joined in the fray by van der Dussen, who swiped a six and a four in Burger’s comeback over later in the innings.It seemed Hendricks was set for a third ton, having raced to a 40-ball fifty before he went on the charge, ruining Phehlukwayo, Steyn and Mohammad Nawaz’ figures in a flurry of boundary-hitting. He fell attempting a seventh six off Malusi Siboto in the 16th over, and van der Dussen soon followed him to the dugout. But Christian, Pite van Biljon and Dane Vilas kept the momentum going with the bat.Christian and van Biljon kept their strike rates well over 200, while van Biljon combined with Vilas to pillage 25 off the last over of the innings, bowled by Malusi Siboto. Stars made 132 off the last ten overs, Hendricks masterminding what turned out to be an almost perfectly paced T20 innings.Needing close to 10 an over from the start of their chase, Blitz wanted a rapid start, but Rabada gave up just a single in his first over, very nearly removing de Kock with his fifth delivery after stringing together four dots. De Kock survived a strong appeal for a catch down the leg side in Beuran Hendricks’ first over, and he eventually holed out to Nono Pongolo in the deep for a scratchy 15-ball nine.At the other end, Janneman Malan collected five boundaries in the Powerplay with some crisp hitting but lost his timing as the pitch slowed down in the evening, while his namesake Dawid got going with two boundaries in the first over he faced from Olivier but was soon caught in the deep off Christian.Rabada’s accuracy, ably backed up by Pongolo and Christian, kept Blitz behind the asking rate throughout. The hosts were further set back by regular wickets, with Farhaan Behardien and Asif Ali falling in consecutive overs without having made much impact on the run rate. With the required rate rocketing above 20, Janneman swiped across the line to be pinned lbw by Christian for 43, and Blitz quickly folded.Christian removed Phehlukwayo and Mohammad Nawaz with successive deliveries and came within a couple of millimetres of a hat-trick when he completely deceived Steyn with a canny slower ball in the 18th over. In the very next over, it was Olivier’s turn. He bounced Kyle Verreynne out and then flattened Steyn’s middle stump with a yorker, but his attempt at a hat-trick went awry as he slipped the crucial delivery well down the leg side. It made no difference to the result, of course, and in the final over Pongolo had a reverse-lapping Siboto easily caught behind to end the match and secure a bonus point.

Newcastle United are believed to be in talks with an "incredible" player's agent over a move to St James' Park, according to a new transfer update.

Newcastle linked with striker

The Magpies came roaring back into form on Saturday afternoon, securing a fantastic 4-1 win at home to Chelsea in the Premier League, in what was an ideal return after the international break.

While clearly a brilliant result, it doesn't change the fact that Newcastle still need to be looking at making new signings in the January transfer window, with injuries hampering them so much this season.

Newcastle willing to pay £26m for “extremely agile” potential ace

Could he be an ideal Sandro Tonali replacement?

ByHenry Jackson Nov 26, 2023

Strike duo Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have both found themselves in and out of the team with fitness issues in 2023/24, and it looks as though a striker could be high up on Eddie Howe's wishlist.

VfB Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy is one player who has been linked with a move to Newcastle, with the 27-year-old enjoying a remarkable start to the season. The Magpies target has scored 15 goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances, only eight of which have been starts.

Newcastle in talks with Serhou Guirassy

According to an update from TEAMtalk, Newcastle are in talks with Guirassy's agent over a move to the club, as they look to get a deal over the line.

"TEAMtalk can confirm that Newcastle have begun the process of trying to bring Serhou Guirassy to the club and have spoken with the players’ agents and Stuttgart about the structure of a deal.

"Newcastle are set for a busy January as they look to strengthen their squad and cover a multitude of injuries and suspensions. Midfield and forward targets are on the club’s radar and they have already started to make moves on key targets such as Guirassy."

The report also goes on to add that Newcastle are "ready to pay the release clause in full", with £15m the amount needed to trigger it in January.

It really does look as though Guirassy is a genuine target for the Magpies, and his aforementioned record so far this season highlights what a spectacular signing he could be.

Granted, some players can simply go through purple patches and then struggle to replicate their previous brilliance, but Newcastle's potential new signing has 30 goals in 39 games for Stuttgart, as well as 30 in 53 Bundesliga outings in his career.

At 27, Guirassy is someone who has now been around for a long time, but is still young enough that he can still be a force for four or five years at the top level, at least.

Bundesliga

53

30

Ligue 1

109

31

The injury records of Wilson and Isak are problematic for Newcastle, as they look to seal back-to-back top-four finishes in the Premier League, but acquiring the services of the Stuttgart ace could make life easier for Howe, making their absences less of a concern if they keep happening.

A release clause of only £15m is also low for someone currently in such impressive form, so it is difficult to find many negatives when it comes to the Magpies signing him.