Former Paris Saint-Germain and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi was left stunned by Vitinha's Champions League hat-trick against Tottenham, labelling the Portuguese star as "exceptional". Matuidi believes Vitinha has "no limits" and is currently the "best midfielder in the world," urging him to emulate Luka Modric and challenge for the Ballon d'Or.

• Matuidi hails Vitinha's 'exceptional' performance

  Following Vitinha's stunning hat-trick in the 5-3 Champions League victory over Tottenham on Wednesday night, former PSG midfielder Matuidi heaped praise on the 25-year-old Portuguese international. Speaking to , Matuidi, once a key figure at PSG and a 2018 World Cup winner with France, expressed his amazement at Vitinha's current level.

  ‘It's exceptional, almost unique," Matuidi said. "We don't realise how rare it is for a midfielder to score a hat-trick. I think this performance says everything about his game and what he has become. He can do everything." Vitinha's goals came in the 45th, 53rd and 76th minutes, the last of which was a penalty, helping PSG secure a vital win in a thrilling contest.

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  Vitinha labelled the 'best midfielder in the world'

  Matuidi went even further in his praise, asserting that Vitinha has now reached the pinnacle of his position globally. "He's perhaps the best midfielder in the world today," Matuidi declared, lauding his game intelligence, passing accuracy, work rate, and ability to deliver complete performances consistently.

  "His intelligence on the pitch, his ability to take in information faster than others and his accuracy in the final pass. And more recently, there's the diversity in his shots. He has a very wide range," he added, before comparing him to former team-mate Thiago Motta. "Thiago had exceptional game intelligence. Vitinha has this ability to always be in the right place. The difference lies in mobility. Vitinha is a different player in the sense that, in order to set the tempo, he needs to be constantly on the move and close to the forwards."

• Ballon d'Or potential and 'no limits'

  The level of Vitinha's performances has led Matuidi to envision a golden future for the midfielder, saying: "It feels like he'll never stop progressing. At 25, he hasn't yet reached his prime. I don't see any limits for him. And so, potentially, he's capable, like Luka Modric did one season, of winning the Ballon d'Or. For a midfielder like him, he'll inevitably be more dependent on the team around him than a striker, but he's capable of it. However, I don't think he's thinking about it. Because from what I see, Vitinha thinks first and foremost about the team, about the group's success. But his qualities speak for themselves. And that's what makes him a unique player.

  "He doesn't say much, he's discreet on social media, but on the pitch, he makes a lot of noise (laughs). He's perhaps the best midfielder in the world today. In any case, if there's an envelope with a few names in it, he's in there."

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  PSG in fine form after Champions League win

  Vitinha's heroics were crucial for the defending champions, who currently sit second in the Champions League standings with 12 points from five matches, three points behind leaders Arsenal. The victory over Tottenham was significant in solidifying their position high up the table and, with three games left in the round, leaves them on the cusp of securing a place in the last-16 without having to navigate a play-off tie. Other goals for PSG on the night came from Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho, while Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani scored for Tottenham, with Lucas Hernandez receiving a red card for PSG in stoppage time.

  Vitinha, who spoke of his surprise after the first hat-trick of his professional career, will hope to inspire PSG to another win this weekend when they take on fierce rivals Monaco on Saturday. A week later, they host Rennes in the French capital before returning to Champions League action against Athletic Club.

Leeds United are keen to revive their Premier League fortunes after a poor start to the season under Daniel Farke, who has now found out where he stands ahead of their trip to face Manchester City.

Leeds United and Daniel Farke caught in awkward situation

There is no point in beating around the bush. Farke has come under significant pressure recently at Elland Road, and a run of five losses in his last six matches has done little to win fans over in West Yorkshire.

On the face of it, the German is a talented coach who deploys an exciting brand of football that has won plenty of adulation, albeit the Whites have been undone too often by the fine margins of the top-flight.

Facing Manchester City is a daunting task at the best of times, not least when they managed to give a rest to key players during their Champions League exploits in midweek.

Another misstep and Farke could be in serious trouble, with former Union Berlin boss Bo Svensson and ex-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on Leeds’ shortlist should they decide to call time on his spell at Elland Road.

Survival is a difficult ask for any newly-promoted side, and nobody was expecting the Whites’ return to the Premier League to be straightforward. However, results are critical, and they appear to be in short supply at the moment.

Ultimately, only time will tell whether Farke gets an extended period to turn things around. As supporters hunt for clarity, a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

Daniel Farke given Leeds United sack ultimatum

According to sources from Football Insider, Leeds boss Farke has two matches to save his job at Elland Road, and the 49ers Enterprises are now ‘exploring new manager options amid growing fan discord over the performances and results under Farke’.

Carlos Corberan and Marcelo Bielsa are also mooted as options alongside Rodgers and Svensson, though whoever takes on the mantle, should the 49-year-old be relieved of his duties, will face some tough festive fixtures in the cold light of day.

Leeds United’s tough upcoming matches

Manchester City (A)

Premier League

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

Liverpool (H)

Premier League

Brentford (A)

Premier League

Crystal Palace (H)

Premier League

For now, Farke remains in post, but the fact that his club are already on the lookout for alternatives paints a bleak picture for his future unless Leeds can string together a run of meaningful results in the near future.

Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025

Truthfully, the Whites’ boss has been uncompromising in his methods and is willing to go down on his own terms rather than be forced to deviate from his tactical style.

While that is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen if he can evade doubters over the coming weeks with his job well and truly on the line.

Rohit and Iyer fifties trumped by Short and Connolly after Zampa and Bartlett took seven wickets between them

Tristan Lavalette23-Oct-2025 • Updated on 24-Oct-20251:43

Connolly admits being ‘starstruck’ by Rohit and Kohli

Matthew Short made India pay for sloppy fielding on his BBL home at Adelaide Oval before Cooper Connolly showcased composure at the death as Australia clinched the ODI series on a day where Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had contrasting fortunes with the bat.Chasing 265 under lights, after player of the match Adam Zampa took four wickets with the ball, Australia were in trouble at 132 for 4 before Short and Connolly steadied the ship with a half-century partnership. Short, in his 17th ODI, made a career best 74 off 78 while inexperienced allrounders Connolly and Mitchell Owen helped secure Australia’s series triumph on the back of a seven-wicket victory in the first ODI.There was a late twist with Australia losing three quick wickets, but Connolly’s calmness ensured the third ODI in Sydney will be a dead rubber.Related

Australia aim for historic ODI sweep against India

Calm and composed Connolly showcases his worth

Josh Hazlewood and the beauty of a wicketless spell

'I hide' – Renshaw blocks out Ashes speculation

Frustrated Short looks to make most of India opportunity

The performances of Short, Connolly and Owen will please Australia’s hierarchy, looking to build depth with an eye towards the 2027 World Cup. Owen blasted 36 off 23 balls in his debut ODI innings, while Connolly finished 61 not out from 53 balls as Australia reached the target in the 47th over.Connolly had only made 10 runs in three previous ODI innings, but has shown a knack of performing in big moments in his fledgling domestic career.Even though they fought to the end, it’s been a disappointing return for India in the 50-over format in a shaky start to Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincy reign.After being sent in under sunny skies at the Adelaide Oval, India – sticking with the same XI – could not quite get going despite teasing on several occasions with Rohit and Shreyas Iyer threatening with a 118-run third-wicket partnership.

For the first time in his legendary ODI career, Kohli has fallen for consecutive ducks but Rohit fared much better with 73 off 97 balls as he overtook Sourav Ganguly into third place on India’s ODI runs list.Australia’s trio of quicks conjured movement off the surface, with swing bowler Xavier Bartlett proving an inspired selection having replaced a resting Nathan Ellis. After Josh Hazlewood bowled without reward in his opening spell, Bartlett rocked India’s top order with the dismissals of Gill and Kohli in the seventh over.Adam Zampa took four wickets•Getty Images

Bartlett and legspinner Zampa claimed seven wickets between them, but Hazlewood again was the standout despite not taking a wicket after conceding just 29 runs from 10 overs.After a new-ball assault in Perth warmed the hearts of Australia’s hierarchy ahead of the Ashes, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc continued their strong start to the international summer with probing bowling.Hazlewood started with two maidens in a seven-over burst and particularly troubled Rohit, but was left frustrated after two unsuccessful reviews.There has been a lot of pressure on Rohit with his future uncertain as India start building towards the 2027 World Cup. After a scratchy 8 in Perth, Rohit was almost run out in the third over by a direct throw from Owen only to scramble back just in time.Rohit could do little against the unrelenting accuracy of Hazlewood, who targeted a fuller length with plenty of seam movement on offer. At one stage Rohit went 17 balls without scoring a run against Hazlewood.With runs at a premium and having had little of the strike, a flustered Gill tried to counterattack but hit Bartlett to counterpart Mitchell Marsh at mid-off. In a contrast to his Test reign, Gill has started his ODI captaincy quietly with scores of 10 and 9.All eyes were on Kohli after his long-awaited return to international cricket ended with an eight-ball duck in Perth. He lasted just four deliveries here after being trapped plumb lbw by an inswinger from Bartlett, who later admitted on the television broadcast that he was trying to bowl an outswinger.

Before this tour, Kohli had never made a duck in 29 previous ODI innings in Australia as he walked off to warm applause on a ground that he had enjoyed plenty of success across formats.Rohit continued to look unconvincing, crawling to 14 off 40 balls, before finally getting hold of Hazlewood and muscling him down the ground. Iyer’s fluency rubbed off on him as Rohit’s confidence blossomed until falling tamely to an innocuous short delivery from Starc, who was brought back in the 30th over.Having entered the attack in the 21st over, Zampa enjoyed his return to the team after missing the opening ODI due to paternity reasons and knocked over Iyer and KL Rahul as India slumped to 174 for 5.Axar Patel quietened those sceptical of him batting at No.5 with 44 off 41 balls to be one of India’s few bright spots so far on tour.India tried hard with the ball but were left to rue missed opportunities to dismiss Short, a fringe white-ball player trying to bed down a permanent position amid a transition of Australia’s ODI batting-order.Quicks Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj started well with the new ball, pinning down normally freewheeling openers Marsh and Travis Head, who finally smashed Australia’s first boundary in the seventh over.Cooper Connolly made his maiden ODI half-century•Getty Images

Such is Marsh’s recent form that he has somewhat emerged as a left-field option for the Ashes, but he lost patience and tamely on 11 nicked off to Arshdeep while Head succumbed shortly later to gift Harshit Rana a wicket.Short entered at No.3 despite a fielding mishap at slip resulting in a bloodied finger on his right hand. There was pressure on Short after he failed in Perth.On a ground he has long dominated for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, Short was much more proactive from the get go but did receive luck after surviving a run-out chance on 14 before being dropped by Axar at point.

Axar’s thumb throbbed from the stinging blow and he had to leave the field briefly as Short and Matt Renshaw built a half-century stand to get Australia on track. Renshaw has publicly spoken about his efforts to shut out external noise as he has made his way into the ODI team almost a decade since his international career started.Like in Perth, he looked untroubled and cruised to a run a ball 30 before being clean bowled by a looping delivery from Axar. India were right back in the game when Alex Carey, replacing Josh Philippe in the XI, was knocked over by Washington Sundar, succumbing to the sweep shot that has caused him some problems in his career.But Rana’s tactics of bowling short backfired as the pressure eased amid a flurry of big hits from Owen and Connolly.

In an ever more globalised game, and one obsessed with transfer activity, it’s easy to forget that there is perhaps even greater pleasure for supporters at seeing a homegrown talent emerge – not least at a club like Manchester United.

The modern, post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been a rocky one, but arguably the brightest lights have emerged from Carrington, be it Marcus Rashford under Louis van Gaal, Scott McTominay under Jose Mourinho and Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo under Erik ten Hag.

The debate over whether it was right to move them on or not will continue to rage, but it is telling that three of that notable list of four are no longer part of the first-team ranks at Old Trafford, with Mainoo also now on the periphery under Ruben Amorim.

In an era of PSR and pure profit, academy sales have remarkably almost become incentivised, with the INEOS regime likely to be tempted to sell the 20-year-old sensation should his bit-part role continue.

For all the question marks over his suitability to Amorim’s system, it would be a crying shame if Mainoo were to depart in 2026 or beyond, with the 2024 FA Cup final hero surely deserving of a prime place as the centre-piece of the club’s long-term project.

The only saving grace, thankfully, is that the Stockport-born starlet isn’t the only rising star currently on the books – the Red Devils do at least have another talent on the conveyor belt to turn to.

Why Man Utd’s midfield could be completely overhauled in 2026

It is not hyperbole to suggest that there are question marks surrounding every senior midfielder in Amorim’s side right now, with drastic change likely to occur in that department, be it in January or next summer.

As already alluded too, Mainoo – in the short-term at least – looks destined to move on, amid talk of a loan move, with the ten-cap England international yet to even start a Premier League game this season.

The man he is directly competing with – as suggested by Amorim in the past – is Bruno Fernandes, albeit with the Portuguese genius’ own future up for debate, having come close to joining Saudi side Al Hilal over the summer.

At 31, the former Sporting CP certainly has plenty left in the tank, although he did hint that he will consider his situation again following next year’s World Cup, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2027.

Speaking of expiring contracts, there has been little news regarding the future of Casemiro, with the resurgent Brazilian’s current deal coming to a climax in June.

Currently raking in a reported £350k-per-week, the 33-year-old would seemingly have to take a significant pay cut to stay put in Manchester, with United and Amorim in need of a long-term replacement regardless, considering his age.

Manuel Ugarte was meant to be that defensive-minded, ball-winning successor, although the Uruguayan – starter in just two league games in 2025/26 – is also running out of rope at Old Trafford, in what is his second season at the club.

Games (starts)

29 (22)

9 (2)

Goals

1

0

Assists

2

0

Big chances created

3

0

Key passes*

0.3

0.1

Pass accuracy*

89%

86%

Total duels won*

53%

59%

Balls recovered*

4.2

2.2

Dribbled past*

1.3

0.4

Possession lost*

6.2

3.4

Having been given a dressing down by Amorim in front of his teammates following the Europa League final – in which he played no part – the former Sporting man is getting no favouritism right now, far from it, having yet to convince he is of United quality.

The 24-year-old is the de facto third-choice midfielder at present, although that is not a status he has warranted, with club legend Gary Neville putting it best when describing him as “not good enough” after the Manchester derby.

In truth, an in-house replacement is needed, both this season and beyond.

Man Utd’s new Mainoo can replace Ugarte

Ten Hag has become a figure of ridicule for many, but it’s easy to forget the initial progress he had made in the United dugout, setting a sinking ship back on course again following that initial calamity at Brentford.

In February 2023, for instance, United reached their apex under the Dutchman, memorably seeing off Barcelona in the Europa League, while also securing a deserved 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

In the aftermath of that triumph, Ten Hag turned from short-term celebrations to long-term thinking, making a beeline for a 17-year-old Mainoo amid the jubilation, seemingly outlining that the teenager would have a part to play in such scenes later down the line.

While injury ensured it took until November 2023 for a first-team role to truly emerge – after making just three appearances in 2022/23 – Ten Hag’s faith in Mainoo was more than warranted, following his Man of the Match Premier League debut at Goodison.

Almost exactly two years on, and with Everton again the opponent, Amorim might well consider unleashing the next Mainoo-shaped figure into the midfield, in the form of Carrington sensation, Jack Fletcher.

The man who kept the club’s matchday academy record alive against Spurs, having been named on the bench in the absence of Mainoo, Fletcher – son of Darren and brother of fellow youth-team star, Tyler – is inching ever closer to a senior bow, with midfield evidently an area to address for Amorim.

Described as among the “best young players in England”, in the view of analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson, the left-footed Fletcher looks primed for a left-sided central midfield role, having also been trialled at left-back in recent times in the youth ranks.

In the view of Mattinson, the 18-year-old is “one of the most technical of the lot” in the academy set-up, with his elegance and athleticism also ensuring he has “everything you’d want” from a left-sided number eight.

An England youth international, the former Manchester City starlet has enjoyed a promising 2025/26 thus far with three goals and one assist from ten recorded games, as per Transfermarkt, notably netting in the EFL Trophy defeat to Barnsley, prior to seeing red.

Oakwell was previously the scene for the standout moment of his United journey to date, as the Englishman netted twice to claim a comeback 3-2 win in the same competition last season, including an outrageous, long-range half volley at the death.

Much like there was an appetite for transfers over the summer, there is a real desire among the United faithful to see the next Mainoo, the next McTominay emerge in the coming weeks and months.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

With Mainoo, unfortunately, on the fringes, and Ugarte simply not up to scratch, Fletcher might well be primed to sneak into the mix as a genuine challenger to Casemiro before too long.

He's "much better" than Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of the best CFs in PL"

Manchester United could land a new centre-forward just months after landing Benjamin Sesko.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

The expanded squad of 18 will be trimmed closer to the start of the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2025Three uncapped players – spin-bowling allrounder Asif Afridi, left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram, and wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir – have been included in an expanded 18-man Pakistan squad for the two-Test series at home against South Africa. The squad, though, which will be trimmed closer to the start of the first Test, which begins on October 12 in Lahore.As reported earlier, Shan Masood will continue as captain, and the squad – minus the players who are returning from the Asia Cup – will take part in a training camp in Lahore starting this evening and running till October 8. Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi, the players at the Asia Cup, will join the camp on October 4.The camp will be overseen by red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood and NCA coaches.

Pakistan vs South Africa fixtures

Oct 12-16: 1st Test, Lahore
Oct 20-24: 2nd Test, Rawalpindi
Oct 28: 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
Oct 31: 2nd T20I, Lahore
Nov 1: 3rd T20I, Lahore
Nov 4: 1st ODI, Faisalabad
Nov 6: 2nd ODI, Faisalabad
Nov 8: 3rd OD, Faisalabad

Of the newcomers, 38-year-old Afridi is very experienced with 57 first-class appearances, in which he has taken 198 wickets at an average of 25.49.Twenty-two year old Akram, meanwhile, is almost at the other end of the age spectrum. He made his first-class debut only in December 2023, and has played nine games in the format for 44 wickets at an average of 30.95. Akram has also played three ODIs, in which he has five wickets.The two of them will add to Pakistan’s spin options, which also has regulars Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Abrar.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Nazir, the third of the new faces, is a 23-year-old who is thought of highly in the domestic circles in Pakistan. He has already made his T20I debut, at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, and has played 43 first-class matches since making his debut in the 2018-19 season, averaging 34.45 with the bat.The fast-bowling options, meanwhile, for Pakistan are the tried-and-tested Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Aamir Jamal, while the batting department wears an experienced and solid look, with Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel and other regulars joining captain Masood.The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from October 20, and will be followed by a three-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series.

Pakistan squad for two-Test series vs South Africa

Shan Masood (capt), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois da vitória do São Paulo por 2 a 1, contra o Fluminense, Zubeldía saiu na defesa de Patryck e Juan, duas Crias de Cotia bastante contestadas.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloLuciano se posiciona sobre briga com Diniz em São Paulo x Fluminense: ‘Acabou a amizade’São Paulo13/05/2024BrasileirãoCom Luciano e Diniz ‘esquentadinhos’, São Paulo vence o Fluminense pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão13/05/2024Fora de CampoDaronco é detonado por jornalistas em São Paulo x Fluminense: ‘Adora protagonismo’Fora de Campo13/05/2024

➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Segundo o técnico, antes de assumir o cargo de treinador, é preciso se ‘descontaminar’ das opiniões que vieram antes e escalar um time com base no que está sendo visto nos treinamentos e no seu trabalho. Ao falar de Patryck, tomou como exemplo a convocação do lateral para a Seleção Sub-17.

➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

– Um técnico novo, no caso eu, chega livre do conhecimento das críticas com alguns jogadores e tem liberdade para tomar suas decisões com base nos treinos. É preciso tomar decisões não pelo o que dizem e sim pelo que vejo. Se o Patryck jogou pela Seleção Sub-17, por que não pode jogar aqui? – disse durante a coletiva de imprensa.

continua após a publicidade

– Oscilou, normal para um jovem. Sei de futebol e jovens, terá partidas boas e ruins. Tomara que tenha mais partidas boas, senão ele saberá as consequências- completou.

Quanto a Juan, que tem um pouco mais de experiência no profissional, o colocou logo na sucessão de Calleri, destacando as qualidades do jovem centroavante.

continua após a publicidade

– O mesmo com Juan. Possivelmente ele é o centroavante mais centroavante do elenco, depois de Calleri. Questionamentos para um centroavante que não está marcando vai ter, mas se a equipe tem gols de outra posição, seu trabalho hoje foi muito bom, gerou situações de gol – concluiu.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 2 X 1 FLUMINENSE
6ª RODADA – SÉRIE A DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

🗓️Data e horário: segunda-feira, 13 de maio de 2024, às 20h (de Brasília);
📍Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP);
⚽Gols: Bobadilla e Arboleda (São Paulo); Igor Vinícius (GC – Fluminense)
🟨Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (FIFA-RS);
🚩Assistentes: Lucio Beiersdorf Flor (RS) e Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS);
🖥️VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (FIFA-RN).

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES:

SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Luis Zubeldía)
Rafael; Igor Vinícius, Arboleda, Alan Franco e Patryck; Bobadilla, Alisson e Nestor; Luciano, Juan e André Silva.

FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Fábio; Marquinhos, Antônio Carlos, Manoel e Diogo Barbosa; Martinelli, Lima e Alexsande; Keno, Jhon Arias e Kauã Elias.

Tudo sobre

Luis ZubeldíaSão Paulo

For the first time in the MLB, Shohei Ohtani pitched against former Angels teammate Mike Trout. More than two years after Ohtani struck out Trout to win the World Baseball Classic for Japan in 2023, he took the mound to face Trout again.

Ohtani hit a leadoff triple in the top of the first inning to help the Dodgers take an early 3–0 lead. He then took the mound and struck out Angels' leadoff Zach Neto before Trout came up to the plate.

The at-bat began with a nod of acknowledgement from both Ohtani and Trout. Ohtani then threw two strikes against Trout on four-seam fastballs, reaching as high as 98 miles per hour. With a 3–2 count, Ohtani delivered the final strike on a sweeper, one Trout didn't even swing on.

Trout, who said "He won Round 1" after Ohtani struck him out during the WBC, was simply left smiling after Ohtani took Round 2 this time.

Ohtani played alongside Trout on the Angels from 2018 to '23 before signing with the Dodgers in free agency in late 2023. Ohtani made his return to pitching earlier this season after suffering a torn UCL in 2023, and has now taken the mound for the first time against his former team.

After not allowing a run in the first inning, Ohtani did up two runs in the second—including a solo home run from Taylor Ward and a sacrifice fly from Luis Rengifo that drove in Yoán Moncada. The Dodgersadded two runs in the fourth, and lead the Angels 5–2 through three and a half innings as they look to claim their first game of the series.

The Yankees' slide continued on Sunday in the form of a 7-1 loss to the visiting Astros. New York has now lost 7 of its last 10 games and each loss feels progressively more painful. But for manager Aaron Boone, there's optimisim. Bleak optimism, for sure. But optimism nonetheless.

Speaking to media after Sunday's defeat (from which he was ejected in the third inning), Boone insisted that despite their struggles, the Yankees are still well-positioned to make a run. Once they start playing consistent baseball, that is.

"The game is littered with dead and buried teams," Boone said, per Chris Kirschner of . "We're in playoff position right now. We've been through two bad months where we haven't performed at a level we need to. Go back the year before, the year before, you can pick out a number of teams that are sitting in a worse position than we are right now that go on a run. We have the people to do that, no doubt in my mind. It's just sitting here as talk right now.

"We haven't been good enough the last two months. This is different than '23 where I didn't think we were necessarily capable of that run that we needed to really get hot. We were out of it at that point. This is different. We're in a position right now where we're in control of things. We're in a playoff spot, technically. I believe we have the people to get it done. We got to play consistent baseball, period."

Boone isn't wrong to an extent. Even after the defeat to Houston, the pinstripes own a half-game lead on the Cleveland Guardians for the last wild-card spot in the American League. If they manage to keep hold of that spot and make it to the postseason, anything can happen.

Right now it's hard to see Boone's vision. It's up to his players to make it reality. And time is starting to run short.

يعتقد جيمي ريدناب نجم ليفربول السابق أن مسيرة محمد صلاح قد تنتهي مع الريدز بشكل كارثي خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوية القادمة في يناير.

وأكد لاعب ليفربول السابق أن النجم المصري لن يكون راضياً بالجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء في ملعب آنفيلد إذا لم يعثر على النادي المناسب.

ولا يمر محمد صلاح بفترة جيدة هذا الموسم، ويبدو أن رحيله عن صفوف ليفربول قد يكون وارداً خاصة مع ابتعاده عن المشاركة بشكل أساسي في آخر مباراتين بالدوري الإنجليزي.

وقال ريدناب في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية: “إنه لاعب عظيم في الدوري الإنجليزي ولاعب عظيم في ليفربول، ولهذا السبب لا أعتقد أن النهاية ستكون سعيدة”.

ويستعد محمد صلاح للمشاركة مع منتخب مصر في كأس الأمم الإفريقية في ديسمبر ويناير، وحددت الصحيفة 7 أندية يملك النجم المصري فرصة للانتقال إلى أحدهم في بداية العام الجديد.

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ويعد أول هذه الأندية هو الهلال السعودي، كما استفسر أيضاً القادسية عن إمكانية ضمه، وكان صلاح قد سبق ورفض إلى جانب ليفربول عروضاً من أندية الشرق الأوسط ومع ذلك لا تزال قادرة على الإنفاق المالي لإتمام الصفقة.

ويأتي أيضاً سان دييجو الوافد الجديد نسبياً للدوري الأمريكي، والذي أثبت مرونة في جذب النجوم وعلى الرغم من احتمالية صعوبة تمويل الصفقة لكنهم نجحوا في الحصول على خدمات ليونيل ميسي.

ويعد سان دييجو هو الفريق المرشح الأوفر حظاً حيث مالكه مصري وسيمتلك فرصة أكبر من شيكاغو أو ميامي أو لوس أنجلوس إف سي.

وكان ريدناب قد أشار إلى أن صلاح قد يرغب في البقاء في أوروبا، وقد سبق للنجم المصري أن أرتدى قمصان فيورنتينا وروما ومع ذلك ستكون عودته إلى هناك عاطفية.

وارتبط اسم جالطة سراي أيضاً بالتعاقد مع صلاح في يناير، إلى جانب برشلونة الذي سبق له التعاقد مع روبرت ليفاندوفسكي رغم زيادة عمره وقد يخاطر البلوجرانا مع اقتراب عقد البولندي من الانتهاء وعدم اتخاذ قرار بعد بشأن ماركوس راشفورد بالتحرك لضم صلاح إذا كان الفريق الإسباني يملك القدرة على تحمل تكلفته.

The final chunk of international action is winding down for the year, and that means Liverpool fans can get ready to see Arne Slot’s side back in action.

There is an air of uncertainty about the Reds at the moment. After all, they were thrashed out of the Etihad Stadium nearly two weeks ago, having put Real Madrid to the sword in the Champions League days before.

But we must look at the wider trend, and we must accept that Slot’s squad have lost five of their past six matches in the Premier League, and that has eliminated any hopes of retaining that hard-won title for the time being.

The season is still young, but whatever happens over the coming months, FSG will have accepted that a few deeper problems need to be solved.

Take, for example, Virgil van Dijk’s announcement that the 2026 World Cup will be his last for Oranje. That underlines the 34-year-old’s ageing legs, and his acceptance that soon – not yet, but soon – he will wind down.

And the same could be said of Mohamed Salah, who has not been himself this season. FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are aware that Salah, 33, might be nearing the end at Anfield.

Liverpool begin search for Salah successor

Liverpool’s search for a Salah successor is tentative and new at this stage. The Egyptian star earns £400k per week on Merseyside after renewing his soon-to-expire contract in April, keeping him at the club until the end of next season.

After such staggering success last year, Salah’s drop-off in form has been painful to see, though circumstances have played a part, and the prolific winger is sure to rediscover his shooting boots at some point.

Goals scored

0.77

0.37

Assists

0.48

0.18

Shots taken

3.23

2.29

Shot-creating actions

4.51

3.11

Touches (att pen)

9.50

5.68

Pass completion (%)

70.6

68.7

Progressive passes

3.84

3.66

Progressive carries

4.14

3.66

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.64

Ball recoveries

2.70

2.84

Tackles won

0.29

0.18

But Liverpool do need to start drawing up plans, and Spanish sources suggest this is already in the running, with Hughes preparing a

€100m (equating to £88m) offer for Barcelona superstar Raphinha.

The Brazil international is a wanted man after his sensational 2024/25 campaign, with Atletico Madrid also keen.

However, Liverpool have more financial might and La Blaugrana’s interminable money worries could see a deal completed in 2026.

Why Liverpool want Raphinha

Raphinha, 28, is not a young, up-and-coming talent who can be shaped into a superstar over the next several years.

That’s because he’s already among football’s top brass, hailed as “the best player in the world” by Statman Dave for his herculean efforts in last year’s Champions League.

Last year, the former Leeds United ace produced Salah-esque numbers for Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions. He scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists across all competitions, and that haul saw him eclipse everyone else across Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions. No small feat that, especially when considering the season Liverpool’s talisman had.

Raphinha

57

34 + 26

Mohamed Salah

72

34 + 23

Harry Kane

46

38 + 13

Ousmane Dembele

49

33 + 15

Kylian Mbappe

55

42 + 4

He hasn’t quite hit the same awe-inspiring heights so far this season, but Raphinha has still made a commendable start to the campaign, notching five direct involvements from six league games.

A ready-made talent, Raphinha could prove the perfect replacement to Luis Diaz in Slot’s Liverpool, who was, of course, sold to Bayern Munich this summer for £66.5m.

Diaz, also 28, has been riding the crest of a gigantic wave in Germany this season, with six goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga, just nine games played, as well as three strikes from four in the Champions League. His all-round play has been spectacular, his impact sending tremors across Germany.

Away from the more emphatic side of his game, Diaz’s combative side has been sorely missed this term at Liverpool. Last season in the Premier League, he averaged more than one tackle per fixture. Moreover, journalist Neil Docking hailed him as “strong and a fighter” upon the announcement of his departure.

There is also the small matter of Raphinha’s Premier League experience. The Brazilian’s years at Elland Road fashioned in him a physicality and determination that are necessary for success in England. The struggle of Florian Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt underlines the difficulties of integration from overseas.

But, most crucially of all, Raphinha is a player whose skillset aligns with Liverpool’s former wideman. FBref’s data reveals that the Barca man ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for goals and assists combined, and then the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 too.

This has seen Diaz recorded as one of his most comparable players. Diaz is incredibly prolific in front of goal, and like Raphinha, he observed his fleet-footed quality, not running about with the same intensity and frequency as someone like Jeremy Doku, but instead being economical in his advancements.

Liverpool need something different in attack, and with Salah winding down, Wirtz struggling to make his mark at this stage, and Diaz now plying his craft elsewhere, the dynamic and versatile Raphinha would be a stunning addition. If Liverpool can capitalise on Barcelona’s financial plight, they must do so.

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