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Ilkay Gundogan has been Barcelona's biggest addition this summer, but there might not be an obvious spot for him in Xavi's line-up

This is harder than it should be. Barca won La Liga by some distance last year, tallying 88 points and grinding through the season thanks to the best defence in Europe. But they have lost some key players from the side who lifted the title. Sergio Busquets, who enjoyed a rebirth of sorts, has left for Inter Miami. Ousmane Dembele, the provider of timely goals and assists, is seemingly on his way to PSG. While Jordi Alba, one of the leaders of the squad, has teamed up with Busquets – and Lionel Messi – in Florida.

Barca seem set to field a similar XI, but certainly have some holes to fill. However, they don't appear to have brought in the right players to do so. The Blaugrana need a new No.6, but who among their new acquisitions – or current options – can be trusted to play the position reliably?

It's just one of a few issues that Xavi faces as he looks to piece together a side that can once again compete for the La Liga crown. Although Barca's financial issues are well-chronicled, there's always the chance that a new famous lever frees up some cash. Neymar is among the reported targets, but any deal would be tough to get across the line. Until then, the coach still has some interesting options. GOAL looks at how Barcelona should line up this season…

Getty ImagesGK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen

With Thibaut Courtois' ACL injury ruling him out for the season, is there a better goalkeeper in La Liga? Ter Stegen bailed out Barca so many times during the last campaign and was reliable as a distributor, too. Xavi has built an excellent side, and it all starts with his star man between the sticks.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Jules Kounde

Reluctantly. Kounde has never really been happy at right-back. But it turns out he's rather good there. He will, presumably, move over to the middle at some point. For now, though, he's stuck – not that Xavi will care too much. He's the best man for the position.

GettyCB: Ronald Araujo

Fitness, as ever, will be an issue. But Araujo was one of the best at his position in Europe last year. And while it will be difficult to replicate such scintillating form, the Uruguayan would walk into pretty much any team in the world.

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Getty ImagesCB: Adreas Christensen

One of the best free agent signings of last summer will look to replicate his top-class 2022-23 season. Christensen starts the campaign injured – something that may concern his manager – but seems certain to settle into a groove once things get going.

The Germany international scored two outstanding goals and created another as Pep Guardiola's side took another step towards a third title in a row

Ilkay Gundogan showed no mercy against Everton and scored one of the finest goals of his Manchester City career in a 3-0 stroll for the champions at Goodison Park on Sunday. Everton had managed to frustrate Pep Guardiola's side for most of the first half, but Gundogan broke the deadlock with some top class artistry, flicking the ball into the net with his back to goal.

No sooner had he scored, the Germany international focused on setting up City's second goal, a thumping header from Erling Haaland. Gundogan then completed a second successive brace in the Premier League with a sumptuous free-kick.

City are now just two wins from clinching the Premier League title, and will face Real Madrid with refreshed legs in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with their confidence levels as high as they could be.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Goodison Park…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

Distribution was shaky in first half when Everton pressed him. Had to make a couple of routine saves but was never really tested.

Kyle Walker (8/10):

Put out several fires with his renowned pace when running back. Made particularly important tackles on Doucoure and Calvert-Lewin.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Anticipated well and was a commanding presence, which was needed in the second half.

Aymeric Laporte (6/10):

Looked a little vulnerable against Calvert-Lewin in the first half and needed Walker to step in and help him out.

Manuel Akanji (7/10):

Solid and courageous when stepping in to midfield.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Ilkay Gundogan (9/10):

Has come into his own in the last few games. His opening goal, flicking the ball into the net with his back to goal, was the work of an artist. His free-kick was also stunning. Has four goals in his last two league outings..

Rodri (7/10):

Was up for the fight and his distribution was superb.

Phil Foden (7/10):

Combined well with Gundogan down the left and played his part in setting up the second goal.

Getty ImagesAttack

Riyad Mahrez (6/10):

Not his best performance and was not given the space he enjoyed against Leeds. City were much quieter down his right hand side.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Had a relatively quiet day but still managed to score his 36th league goal of the season with a monstrous header. It was only his third touch.

Julian Alvarez (6/10):

The Argentine was unable to trouble Everton's defence too much. Unlikely to have earned a starting berth against Real Madrid.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Helped City see the game out with no problems by retaining possession for long periods.

Jack Grealish (6/10):

Didn't do much in his 12 minutes on the pitch but had little reason to stretch himself.

Kalvin Phillips (N/A):

Only introduced for the final two minutes.

Pep Guardiola (8/10):

Made four changes from the Real Madrid game without risking the points. Gave Haaland and Gundogan mini-rests for the second leg, but only once the win was secured.

The Dane was rejected by his boyhood club and sold off at a pittance, but quickly developed into one of the most feared strikers in Europe

Manchester United have a point to prove when they face Copenhagen on Tuesday, and so does Rasmus Hojlund. After making their worst-ever start to a Champions League group stage by losing to both Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, Erik ten Hag's side's future in Europe's elite competition is on the line.

Victory is a must if they want to stand a decent chance of staying in a competition in which they have barely made a dent since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. And Hojlund could hold the key to getting those crucial three points.

The 20-year-old has made a flying start in the Champions League, scoring three goals in his first two games and doing his best Ruud van Nistelrooy impression against Galatasaray. Hojlund seems to come alive on the biggest stage, and he will be even more motivated on Tuesday as he comes face-to-face with his boyhood club, who broke his heart less than two years ago.

Getty Indirect route to Old Trafford

There are many ways to get to Manchester United, but Hojlund's is one of the strangest routes imaginable, the type you find right at the bottom of Skyscanner when searching for the cheapest flight possible. Copenhagen to Manchester, via Sturm Graz and Atalanta. Total price: €103m (£90m/$109m).

Copenhagen, however, saw just €1.75m of that when they sold their homegrown striker to Sturm Graz in January 2022 and must have been horrified to see him blossom into one of the top centre-forwards in Europe on his travels.

Hojlund, who is from the outskirts of the Danish capital, began his footballing education with local side HUI and a had a brief stint with Brondby before joining Copenhagen as a teenager. He made his first-team debut at the age of 17 in October 2020, ending the season with four appearances in the Danish Superliga.

He was given more opportunities in his second campaign, making 15 appearances, albeit only one start between July and January. He failed to score in the league but did manage to fill his boots in their Europa Conference League campaign, netting five times across 11 appearances, only one of which was a start.

AdvertisementGettyBlown away by Wind

Hojlund had his work cut out as he was competing with fellow Danish striker Jonas Wind, four years his senior, for Copenhagen's single centre-forward berth. Wind had scored 15 goals the previous campaign, and after a strong start to the season he was snapped up by Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for €12m (£10.5m/$12.7m) in January 2022.

Hojlund would have seemed a natural fit to take the baton from Wind as first-choice striker, but the club were not ready to put all their faith in the then-18-year-old and signed Senegal international Khouma Babacar instead on a free transfer from Sassuolo.

Envisaging more time on the bench, Hojlund left Copenhagen three days before the transfer window shut for Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Comparing himself to Haaland

Moving to Graz side felt like a sideways move at best, if not a step down, especially considering Hojlund's emotional ties with Copenhagen. But being snubbed by his boyhood club did not seem to affect his confidence. Indeed, when asked by his new employers what his playing style was like, he compared himself to Erling Haaland! He was thrown straight into the starting line-up for the next game at WSG Tirol and scored twice on his debut.

"Both in our club and in the media, people laughed or didn’t take it seriously, because he was only 18 and hadn’t really shown anything,’ coach Christian Ilzer told "But for me it showed how confident he was. After his first game, where he scored twice, all the journalists knew what he was talking about and saw that there are similarities, with their size, power and finishing ability.

"The pitch is a concert stage and he is a rock star that excites the crowd. He is naturally comfortable in the spotlight. That’s why he is made for the biggest stages."

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(C)GettyImages'An absolute machine'

Tirol defender Raffael Behounek was one of Hojlund's first victims and was left in awe after his debut. "He will be worth every penny," Behounek told . "He is an absolute machine. When he has space, he is very difficult to defend against."

Hojlund scored in his next two games for Sturm Graz and finished the season with six league goals. He was even more prolific at the start of his second season, notching three league goals and scoring in a Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Kyiv. Atalanta came in with a €17m ($18m) bid in August and the Austrians did not hesitate in cashing in.

"We were sure that he was a diamond that needed polishing. He had everything we were looking for in a striker," Ilzer added. "He surprised me in all aspects. His confidence and attitude for an 18-year-old was exceptional. Also his height, speed, finishing ability and presence in front of the goal was even better than expected. It was like he had been held back before. I wish I could have worked with him longer."

Abdur Rehman will return to Somerset as their overseas player in 2015, the club have announced

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2014Abdur Rehman will return to Somerset as their overseas player in 2015. The Pakistan spinner enjoyed a successful spell with Somerset in 2012 – as well as picking up a 12-week ban for smoking cannabis – and becomes the club’s first signing since Matthew Maynard was appointed as director of cricket in September.Slow left-armer Rehman has taken 99 Test wickets but was not involved in Pakistan’s most recent series, the 2-0 win over Australia in which spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah played starring roles. Rehman’s last ODI, in March, saw him removed from the attack for bowling three illegal full tosses but if his international career is now at an end it will be to the benefit of Somerset, who have signed him for a full season, an increasingly rare luxury for counties.”I am very happy to be going back to play for Somerset,” Rehman said. “I hugely enjoyed my time at the County Ground two years ago and I look forward to playing for the county again for the whole of this coming season.”Rehman, 34, took 27 wickets at 14.18 in four Championship matches in 2012, including a career-best 9 for 65 against Worcestershire, and was due to return the following season before being called up by Pakistan. As well as bringing the experience of an 17-year playing career, he will be able to tutor Somerset’s two young left-arm spinners, Ireland international George Dockrell and Jack Leach, both of whom recently signed new contracts.Having topped the Championship table at the halfway stage of the 2014 season, Somerset subsided to finish sixth and made the decision to part company with Dave Nosworthy as director of cricket. Of their 16 matches, Somerset drew 10 – the most in either division – and Maynard hopes that Rehman will add bite to the attack and help break down opponents, particularly at batsmen-friendly Taunton.”Abdur Rehman is a really good signing for us,” Maynard said. “He is a quality spin bowler and will hopefully help us to turn some of those draws into victories. Abdur will be coming back into an environment he is familiar with and playing alongside team-mates who he knows from the time he spent here a few years ago. He is also a more than useful lower order batsman, a terrier in the field and is available in all three formats all season. He’s a quality all-round cricketer for us to sign.”

The ownership structure of Rajasthan Royals is set to change after Raj Kundra, the co-owner whose involvement in the IPL corruption scandal has been established, decided to offload his stake in the franchise

Amol Karhadkar20-Feb-2015The ownership structure of Rajasthan Royals is set to change after Raj Kundra, the co-owner whose involvement in the IPL corruption scandal has been established, decided to offload his stake in the franchise.ESPNcricinfo understands the Royals management submitted a letter to the IPL authorities on February 16 in Bangalore on the sidelines of the IPL player auction, requesting them to let them change the ownership structure of Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd, the legal entity that owns the franchise.The letter did not detail if Kundra’s stake of 11.7 per cent in Royals’ parent company would be sold off to a new investor or if the other three stakeholders would add to their holding, if Kundra is allowed to exit.Kundra, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal and Royals chief executive Raghu Iyer remained unavailable for a comment. But according to a BCCI insider, Royals are treading cautiously “knowing the sensitivity of the matter”. “They will reveal the future course of action only if they get the permission.” The insider added that the BCCI is likely to discuss Royals’ letter during its AGM in Chennai on March 2.Kundra’s move doesn’t come as a surprise since he had indicated in a Supreme Court affidavit in November 2014 that he was willing to give up his stake till the allegations against him are cleared.”Applicant, being a man of his words, hereby agrees to transfer his ownership in the shares of Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited in the custody of this Hon’ble Court or to such person, as may be appointed by the Hon’ble Court,” the affidavit had said.”He agrees that in such a scenario, he will receive back the shares, or any benefit thereof, only in case he is cleared of all of the present allegations. However, the applicant clarifies that the above mentioned act is without prejudice and should in no manner be considered as an admission of guilt or as an acceptance of the said report.”Kundra, who was found guilty of betting on IPL games, was interrogated by the Delhi Police soon after the arrest of Gurunath Meiyappan for similar offences in May 2013. Since then, Kundra has been suspended but no punishment has been meted out to either the teams or the individuals in question. On January 22, the Supreme Court appointed a three-member panel to finalise the punishment to be imposed on Kundra and Meiyappan.Royals have always been under the scanner for their connection with Lalit Modi, the IPL’s founding chairman who was banned for life from the BCCI. Suresh Chellaram, whose family owns the biggest stake in the Royals, is Modi’s brother-in-law.Royals is co-owned by Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd (Manoj Badale, 32.4%), Tresco International Ltd (Suresh Chellaram family, 44.2%), Blue Water Estate Ltd (Lachlan Murdoch, 11.7%) and Kuki Investments Ltd (Raj Kundra & family, 11.7%).

Ahead of this weekend's Clasico, Goal looks at the greatest XI to ever play for Barcelona. Find out who made the cut…

Getty ImagesVictor Valdes | 2002-2014The most successful goalkeeper in the history of the club. His first few years were rocky, but he evolved into a shot-stopper who had brilliant reflexes and was comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was the foundation for the tiki-taka football Barca have mastered over the past decade.AdvertisementGettyDani Alves | 2008-2016Signed for €30 million from Sevilla, Dani Alves established himself as the best right-back in the world at Camp Nou. He was a key part of Pep Guardiola's team and his superb athleticism made him an unstoppable force attacking down the right flank.Getty ImagesRonald Koeman | 1989-1995The top-scoring defender in the club's history, he hit a remarkable 102 goals during his six years in Catalunya. He was part of Johan Cryuff's 'Dream Team' that won Barca's first European Cup and he scored the match-winning goal in that 1992 final against Sampdoria.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesCarles Puyol | 1999-2014The centre-back retired in the summer after a career of devoted service to the club. His record with Barca is unlikely to be matched and his trophy haul included six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues. A rock at the back and a real leader.

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is “totally” Champions League level, even at 38 years of age, says Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.

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All-time great showing no sign of slowing downHit over 50 goals for club & country in 2023Evergreen forward intends to play on into his 40sWHAT HAPPENED?

The all-time great, who has five Ballon d’Or wins to his name, has been showing no sign of slowing down since leaving elite European football for a new adventure in Saudi Arabia. He plundered over 50 goals for club and country in 2023, with the evergreen frontman still the poster boy for longevity at the very highest level.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARTINEZ SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Martinez, who now works with Ronaldo in international football, has told when asked if CR7 – who remains the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer – could still cut it in the Champions League: “Totally. He’s incredible with his capacity to really reinvent himself. This is not the player we saw in the first spell at Manchester United, he’s not a wide player. Now he’s a finisher, someone that understands quality of movement in the box, and is an incredible threat. And experienced.”

Martinez added on what makes Ronaldo different from just about every other player on the planet: “Cristiano, first and foremost, is happy. What shocked me was how fresh he is with his approach in football: someone of 38 comes to training and wants to win every exercise, win every race and is the last one leaving.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo is also a role model to the next generation, with Martinez saying of how a player with over 200 international caps to his name is helping to ensure that stars of tomorrow follow in his illustrious footsteps: “He always tries to give young players a lot of help. Nobody can help a young player better than a team-mate that’s got more than 200 games for the national team. I think the young players are in awe of Cristiano but when they start working with him it’s respect and then it’s just very competitive. The generation of Cristiano and Pepe, 40, set the standards of how the work should be should be done for a young player. It’s gold.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo remains tied to a contract at Al-Nassr through to 2025 – and will soon be lining up against eternal rival Lionel Messi in a glamour friendly clash with Inter Miami – while he has stated a desire to play on through to the 2026 World Cup finals and into his 40s.

Mohamed Salah revealed that Micah Richards was his "driver" as they shared a "crazy" bromance during their time together at Fiorentina.

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Salah and Richards were on loan at FiorentinaBoth spent six months togetherForged an incredible bond of friendship WHAT HAPPENED?

Salah and Richards ended up in the Fiorentina dressing room after Chelsea and Manchester City deemed them surplus to their requirements and loaned them to the Serie A side. While Richards arrived on Italian shores in January 2015, the Egyptian forward joined him in the following winter. While Richards could manage just 19 appearances for La Viola, Salah ensured that he never had to walk alone and made the defender drive him to training and back home.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT SALAH SAID ABOUT RICHARDS

During an interview with Salah said: "Oh my god, [Richards is] one of the craziest guys I've ever met. He's really such a nice guy.

"My family were in London and he was alone and we would always go for coffee. I didn't have a car, he picked me up always before training and after training to drop me home. He was my driver at the time!

"And we had such a nice time. He pretended his Italian was better but everybody knows it was not! But he's such a great guy and we were very close and we just stayed in touch."

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Getty ImagesWHAT RICHARDS SAID ABOUT THE INCIDENT

Salah was sent off to Fiorentina by a disgruntled Jose Mourinho after the forward could score just two goals in 19 games for Chelsea. But the duo enjoyed their time in Florence and Richards admitted that he was shocked when Chelsea sold him off.

"We were in Florence, a beautiful city. He was like 'Can you pick me up in the morning?' and I said 'Yeah no problem at all' thinking his car was going to arrive two weeks later. I picked him up every day for six months!" the Sky Sports pundit said.

"But honestly, I know people talk about him as a player, wonderful player, exceptional, world class. But as a guy he is amazing. He's so humble, he's so driven, he's so passionate. He even said to me when we were at Fiorentina 'One day I'm going to be one of the best forwards in the world'. And he's stayed true to his word. That's the belief that he has in his own ability. I couldn't believe we at Fiorentina had him, I couldn't believe Chelsea let him go."

A tetchy Darren Sammy said West Indies’ batsmen did not take the responsibility to chase down a rather small target – 124 – against Afghanistan

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur27-Mar-2016It was Afghanistan’s first win in the Super 10s, it was their first win in any format against a Full Member side other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and they had done rather well to beat West Indies, but the West Indies captain was in no mood to praise his opponents. An uncharacteristically tetchy Darren Sammy instead said his team should have had the match in the bag, that they should have easily chased 124, and failed to do so only because none of their batsmen took the responsibility of anchoring the chase.”[I] don’t think it was difficult,” he said, when asked about the challenge of batting against Afghanistan’s spinners on a slow, grippy pitch. “At the end of the day, we just didn’t play smart enough. We backed ourselves. The games we have won, every match somebody took responsibility to bat through. Chris [Gayle] did it in the first game, [Andre] Fletcher did it in the second game, Marlon [Samuels] did it in the third.”This time nobody did it. Nobody took responsibility, just left it for the next man to come. Like I said to the guys tonight, we just leave this game here in Nagpur. It’s a new focus now, which is the semi-final which is the first step and we just have to be ready to face whoever it is in Mumbai.”In a closely fought match decided by a six-run margin, Afghanistan ran 11 twos, while West Indies only managed five. Sammy didn’t think this had been a key difference between the two sides in the game, and repeated his belief that West Indies should have won the game comfortably.”This ground is probably one of the biggest grounds in India,” he said. “Plenty [of] twos were on display, especially when you are trying to save the boundary. Batsmen, depending on how quickly the ball is coming to you, always [have] two on offer particularly if you run the first one hard. Yeah, look, at the end of the day, we were really happy chasing 124. We should have gotten it. We lost the game, they didn’t win it.”While disappointed that West Indies had lost, Sammy was happy they had won their first three games and to be among the final four teams left standing in the World T20.”They [Afghanistan] are a side we were supposed to beat, and we just didn’t do that today. But the main objective of the Super 10 was to qualify for the semis and that we did.”Fletcher retired hurt after the sixth over of West Indies’ innings, while batting on 10. He returned to the crease in the final over, with West Indies needing 10 off the last three balls, but looked in clear discomfort, hobbling the last run of his innings. Philip Spooner, the West Indies media manager, said he had injured his right hamstring.”We will assess him tomorrow early and a decision would be made,” he said. “At this stage, as you could see, he is struggling, but a full assessment will be made tomorrow.”

Neymar and Dybala lead our Champions League Team of the Round for matchday two after scoring hat-tricks for Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus

Roman Burki | GK | Borussia Dortmund

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund carried their domestic form into Europe on Wednesday, crushing Ligue 1 outfit Monaco 3-0 at Westfalenstadion.

Burki made five saves during the tie, including a remarkable stop from a long-range Youri Tielemans strike, and was crucial to his side's shut-out.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesJoe Gomez | CB | Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk was singled out as the man to transform Liverpool's defensive problems and Anfield chiefs were forced to fork out £75 million at the start of the year. Over the last handful of fixtures, however, Joe Gomez has been the standout centre-back in Jurgen Klopp's backline.

The 21-year-old put in another impressive performance away at Napoli in a particularly spiky atmosphere, dampened slightly only by a 90th-minute winner from Lorenzo Insigne.

GettyLeonardo Bonucci | CB | Juventus

Since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, Juventus have kept 23 clean sheets in the Champions League – only Atletico Madrid have kept more in the competition during this period (24).

A major part of their success at the back on Tuesday during their 3-0 victory over Young Boys was the performance of Leonardo Bonucci. 

The Italian had 97 touches of the ball during the game and completed more passes than any other player on the pitch (83), while claiming the assist for Paulo Dybala's early strike.

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GettyMats Hummels | CB | Bayern Munich

Mats Hummels scored his second Champions League goal for Bayern Munich on Tuesday, another header from an Arjen Robben cross, as the Bundesliga title holders were held by Ajax.

The Germany international was the standout figure in the Bayern backline, completing 92 per cent of his passes – the most of any outfield player to play more than 45 minutes of the game.