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Gabigol levou bronca de Tite na vitória do Flamengo sobre o Boavista, e o episódio reacendeu uma intriga antiga entre os envolvidos. Em 2022, por exemplo, o atacante não foi convocado para a Copa do Mundo e reforçou provocações de torcedores ao ex-treinador da Seleção Brasileira.

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O ídolo do Rubro-Negro atuou pelo Brasil entre 2018 e 2022 e chegou a disputar uma Copa América com o técnico. Após ser ausência na lista do Mundial, o jogador ouviu a torcida flamenguista gritar: “Ô Tite, vai se f…, o Gabigol não precisa de você”, durante a comemoração do título da Libertadores do Flamengo, há dois anos.

O atacante respondeu às provocações com a seguinte frase: “Eu já jogo em uma seleção”. No fim de 2023, Tite foi contratado como técnico do Rubro-Negro e ambos se entenderam em relação ao episódio.

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Ainda no ano passado, em dezembro, Gabigol afirmou que estava incomodado com a reserva e citou que apenas ele não recebia tantas oportunidades com Tite no Flamengo. Além disso, o atleta disse que a preferência do técnico era pelo centroavante Pedro, atual titular da posição.

– Ele levou o Pedro para a Copa. O Pedro é a preferência dele, isso ficou nítido até na convocação. O estilo de jogo é mais propício ao Pedro e o que eu tenho que fazer é trabalhar e mostrar que posso ser útil para ter mais tempo de jogo. Na temporada eu tive muito pouco tempo de jogo, sempre entrei por 10 ou 15 minutos. Professor, me coloca aí! – disse, em entrevista ao “PodPah”.

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– Acho que todos os jogadores já saíram jogando com ele, e eu não. É claro que eu fico put*, quero jogar! Não estou suave e falei isso para ele. Estou aqui falando a verdade. É óbvio que não estou feliz. Fui para a Inter de Milão e para o Benfica e saí porque não estava jogando. Não é um pensamento individualista, é ter mais oportunidade. Todo mundo foi titular com ele e eu não fui, joguei pouco tempo.

“TRETA” RECENTE

Na quarta-feira (21), Tite não gostou da postura de Gabigol, que estava próximo de entrar em campo e pediu para antecipar sua substituição para cobrar um pênalti.

Em frente ao elenco, o treinador demonstrou sua insatisfação e disse que nada girava em torno do ídolo. O técnico também pediu respeito à camisa do Flamengo, sem que houvesse uma resposta de Gabigol.

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FlamengoGabigolTite

“Young Lhu reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock says of his opening partner

Firdose Moonda07-Nov-2025When Quinton de Kock, in his role as international comeback sensation, glances towards the other end of the pitch these days, it’s almost like looking in a mirror.”Young Lhu [Lhuan-dre Pretorius] reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock said after South Africa’s second ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad in which he scored his 22nd century. “He’s batting really nicely at the moment. He looks nice and free, and he’s just playing everything on merit. He’s doing really well for a 19-year-old. It looks like he didn’t have the pressure I felt at 19.”Consider the bare bones biographical details, and it’s easy to see the similarities. Both de Kock and Pretorius are left-handers and strong strikers of the ball, and both were South Africa’s leading run-scorers at Under-19 World Cups, 13 years apart. De Kock scored a hundred and two fifties in the 2012 edition in Australia; Pretorius hit three fifties in 2024 in South Africa. Both of those performances led to international debuts laced with big expectations shortly after the age-group World Cup. Did we mention that they’re both also wicketkeepers?Related

• De Kock's comeback century helps South Africa level series

• De Kock rediscovers his purpose after break

The major difference is that while de Kock came on to the scene as an “enigma”, as described by coach Shukri Conrad, Pretorius came in having modelled himself on de Kock. The pair first met when de Kock’s career had just started, and Pretorius was about seven years old. Since then, all Pretorius has wanted to do is play alongside de Kock, even when he felt it might never happen.”I never thought I would play with him,” Pretorius had said after the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday. “When he retired [from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup], I was really upset because it was always a dream to play with Quinny. Then, when he came back, I didn’t think I was going to play with him. It’s truly a dream come true. I didn’t know him off the field when I started liking him as a role model. Now I got to know him, and he is really calm and composed, and that’s really what I like, and that’s how I want to play my cricket.”And it shows that Pretorius is trying to emulate his hero. On all three occasions that Pretorius and de Kock have batted together, Pretorius has taken the early lead. In the T20I in Namibia, which Pretorius says “didn’t count because Quinny got out quite early”, Pretorius outscored de Kock, who was dismissed for 1. In the first ODI against Pakistan, Pretorius scored 35 off 36 balls in the first eight overs, while de Kock was only on 8 from 12 deliveries. In the second, Pretorius was on 18 off 18 in the first four overs, and de Kock just 4 from six. While Pretorius said he “felt a bit bad” for taking so much of the strike early on, de Kock preferred it that way.”The kid is highly, highly talented” – de Kock on Lhuan-dre Pretorius•Associated Press”Lhu made it very easy because he was playing really well, and so the easy thing was just to try and get him back on strike,” de Kock said, clearly impressed by what Pretorius can do. “I’ve only seen glimpses of him through our SA20 league. And now coming out here and playing with the youngster – the kid is highly, highly talented.”What that means for South Africa’s plans for tournaments like next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the subcontinent, or the 2027 ODI World Cup at home, is yet to be seen. For now, they are awash with options. In the opening berth, Ryan Rickelton, another left-hand batter, is not on this tour as part of a rotation policy that will keep him fresh for Tests against India next week. So is Aiden Markram, the second half of the regular opening pair.The question facing South Africa is whether they continue with Rickelton and Markram, or opt for more explosiveness and perhaps more risk in de Kock and Pretorius. South Africa also have several candidates putting their hands up for the No. 3 spot, including Tony de Zorzi, who has enjoyed good returns in Pakistan, and shared in a match-winning stand of 153 with de Kock in the second ODI.De Kock has previously indicated that the drawcard of a major tournament remains attractive to him, though he understands he is not “guaranteed” a spot, and will have to earn one through runs. But to ignore de Kock’s body of work when the stakes are high would seem a miss. De Kock was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2023 ODI World Cup, and third overall with four hundreds, and their top batter at the T20 World Cup in 2024. And he is hungry to go again.”I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys” – Quinton de Kock•Getty Images”I’ve come back, and I’ve found an energy that I think I lost playing so much international cricket all the time – I played for close to 12 years,” de Kock said. “I was just lucky enough that I retired early enough so I can still make a comeback. I’m very happy to be back. I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys. But my break, I think, did me really well.”Those are words Pretorius should hear too, especially as he walks a similar path to de Kock. His international career could be long if he is managed correctly and given enough time away from the game to avoid burnout. And it will likely be a little more challenging because Pretorius’ emergence has come at the same time as the league circuit is at its peak. But like de Kock, Pretorius might find the pull of international cricket too hard to resist.”At the beginning of the year, when I was in India for the IPL, guys were asking me if I wanted to come back. At that moment, I just thought a straight no,” de Kock said. “Then I don’t know exactly, but it just started happening. That thought process started coming back. That hunger was coming back again.”De Kock is only available for white-ball cricket for South Africa, while Pretorius plays across all formats, and already has a Test hundred to his name. South Africa have yet to announce their white-ball squads to India, but both are expected to be included.

England captain wants more fight from his side after crushing defeat in Brisbane leaves Ashes hopes hanging by thread

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-20250:50

Stokes: ‘If we lose hope, we might as well not turn up’

Ben Stokes admitted that England had not been “able to stand up to the pressure” applied on them by Australia after his side went 2-0 down in the series in Brisbane. He said England had to show more fight but reiterated his belief that he could lead them back from the brink, with a 3-2 result now their only route to regaining the Ashes.England’s captain pinpointed dropped catches on the second night as one of the tourists’ key failings, undermining their rally with the pink ball under lights. Having been 290 for 3, Australia fell to 329 for 6 – still behind England’s first-innings 334 – but capitalised on a host of reprieves to eventually stretch their total beyond 500 on the third day.Stokes added that he did not believe there was a skills deficit with Australia but conceded England’s mentality in tough situations had twice been found wanting after two chastening defeats. For the second Ashes in a row, England find themselves 2-0 down after two games and, although they came back to draw in 2023, that would not be enough to reclaim the urn from Australia. Only once in Ashes history has a side won 3-2 after being 2-0 down, and that was Don Bradman’s Australia in 1936-37.Related

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'We'll leave it out there' – Steven Smith on Jofra Archer confrontation

“Very disappointing,” Stokes said at the post-match presentation. “A lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format, when the game is on the line. In small passages, we’ve been able to bring the game back into some kind of control and then we’ve let us slip away. We’ve done that again here this week, and it’s very, very disappointing, in particular, because of the ability of the players that we have in that dressing room.”We need to think a bit harder and deeper about those moments and what we’re taking mentally into those, and overall show a bit more fight when it’s needed.”We sit there and watch what’s going on in front of us, what Australia are looking to throw at us, and what plans they’re trying to bowl to,” he added. “And then it’s up to us as players to be able to go out there with a plan and how to negate the threat.”To me, it just seems to be a constant theme at the moment, that when you know the game is in a pressure moment, Australia keep outdoing us. They say Australia isn’t a place for weak men. We’re definitely not weak, but we need to find something, because we’re two-nil down now we’ve got three more games to go, and we need to, sort it.”Speaking to TNT Sport after the game, he said that errors in the field had hurt England the most. England put down five chances on day two – Jamie Smith off Travis Head, Ben Duckett off Alex Carey and Josh Inglis, Brydon Carse off Michael Neser and Joe Root off Carey – as Australia carved out a match-defining lead of 177.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“A huge part of it was that we had to take 15 wickets,” Stokes said. “You can’t drop catches. They always come back to bite you. And I think it definitely showed there. If we were able to hold on to our chances, we shouldn’t have been batting last night [day three]. No one means to do that kind of stuff. No one means to drop catches. No one means to not bowl an area where you set plans to but, yeah, those kind of things just can’t happen at this level.”On the gap between the sides, he said: “It’s a mentality. It’s a mindset about how you take yourself out there in those situations. You know, Test cricket has its own pressures anyway, and how you handle those moments, how you handle yourself in those moments, how you get yourself into a clear head, a clear space to make good decisions. That’s so important to being successful at this level.”England had posted their highest score in Australia since 2018 after opting to bat first in the day-night Test, buoyed by Joe Root’s maiden hundred on Australian soil. But after Head’s reprieve on 3, Australia’s openers raced off to a 77-run opening stand, with Jake Weatherald’s punchy 72 from 78 setting the tone – and Stokes took some of the blame for a wayward bowling effort, as he and Brydon Carse in particular leaked runs.”Not being able to execute skill is something that you can live with, because no one means to bowl away from the plan that we’re trying to do. We knew exactly how we needed to bowl on that wicket, and we weren’t able to do it for a long enough period to put the Australian batters under pressure. And that was evident in the way that Australia were able to score so quickly and so easily against us.”I think Jofra and Gus set the tone very nicely, actually, when we first took ball, but then myself and Brydon sort of let the game get away from us quite quickly. So, yeah, just not being able to execute what’s needed, not only with batting and also with the ball. We’ll be having some conversations that I’ll be keeping in the dressing room.”Asked about lessons from previous tours – England have lost 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 in their last three Ashes series down under – Stokes said that he wanted to maintain belief within the dressing room.”Don’t panic, don’t flap, don’t waver, and just have complete and utter belief in our guys as a team. Because I know we can do this. I believe emphatically in the group, I believe empathy, myself, as a captain, as a leader, that I can get the guys into a place where they need to be to able to win these next three games.”

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, amid a new update on his future at the La Liga club.

The Blues already have a plethora of attacking options, having invested heavily during the summer transfer window, with Jamie Gittens grabbing his first Premier League assist of the season in the 2-0 victory against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Gittens set up fellow winger Pedro Neto with a perfectly weighted ball from the left, before Enzo Fernandez sealed all three points with just minutes left to play, moving the Blues up to second in the Premier League in the process.

After the disappointing 2-1 defeat against Sunderland at the end of October, Enzo Maresca’s side look like they are starting to click, and there may be an outside chance they could even compete for the title, although BlueCo may need to strengthen the squad in January to make that dream a reality.

Chelsea submit opening offer for Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted an opening offer of €70m (£62m) for Athletic Club star Williams, and they are willing to triple the winger’s salary in order to tempt him into a January move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been working on a deal for weeks, and they are now confident they will be able to get it over the line soon, with the 23-year-old being identified as a key target, although there is set to be competition for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have now matched the west Londoners’ offer for the Spain international, with it being revealed his future at Athletic Club is ‘more open than ever’, amid interest from two of the Premier League’s top sides.

There are question marks over whether the Athletic Club star would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has a wide array of attacking options, as Chelsea have been obsessed with signing young forwards with high potential.

However, the Pamplona-born forward has certainly impressed in both Spain and Europe over the past three seasons, indicating he could be capable of displacing Gittens in the starting XI at left-wing.

Nico Williams’ performance by season

Appearances (all comps)

Goal contributions

2023-24

37

26

2024-25

45

18

2025-26

10

4

The Spaniard was also one of the stars of Euro 2024, scoring two goals and picking up one assist as his side went on to defeat England 2-1 in the final, while Statman Dave was left particularly impressed by his performance against Georgia in the round of 16.

As such, Williams, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, could be a solid signing for Chelsea, as they look to mount an outside push for the Premier League title.

Chelsea plotting fresh talks to sign another winger alongside Williams Chelsea plot fresh talks with forward after failed £62m bid and 'very exciting proposal'

He’d be a stellar addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos chegou a um acordo com o Krasnodar, da Rússia, para a quitação da dívida referente à contratação do atacante Cueva. Assim, o transfer ban imposto pela Fifa ao Peixe será revogado.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosFurch vira dúvida no Santos para final do PaulistãoSantos02/04/2024SantosFinal na Vila rende ao Santos menos da metade do valor arrecado na Neo Química ArenaSantos02/04/2024SantosLenda do Barcelona interage com o Santos, e torcedores vão à loucura: ‘Tá querendo vaga’Santos01/04/2024

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O Santos quitará a dívida de U$ 4,5 milões de dólares (R$ 22,7 milhões) em quatro prestações até o dia 25 de junho de 2024. A conclusão da negociação ocorreu durante uma reunião virtual na manhã desta terça feira, que contou com a participação das diretorias dos clubes.

➡️ Com R$30 no Lance! Betting você fatura mais de R$85 se J. Santos marcar contra o Junior!

Tão logo o transfer ban imposto pela Fifa seja revogado, o Santos poderá novamente contratar e registrar jogadores no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da CBF.

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POR QUE ESSA DÍVIDA?

Em junho de 2021, sob a gestão do ex-presidente Andres Rueda, o Santos efetuou acordo com o Krasnodar sobre a contratação de Cueva, comprado no início de 2019 por aproximadamente R$ 35 milhões. Contudo, o clube deixou de pagar a última parcela do combinado.

Com isso, os russos não concordaram em realizar novo parcelamento do valor que restava (cerca de R$ 15 milhões) e acionaram a Fifa.

A dívida não tem relação com o processo ganho pelo Peixe sobre o próprio Cueva. Na ocasião, em 2020, o jogador deixou o clube alegando “justa causa” e fechou com o Pachuca, do México. O Alvinegro venceu o processo, e os envolvidos foram condenados a pagar uma indenização de R$ 23,9 milhões.

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No ano passado, o Santos chegou a se interessar pelo zagueiro Junior Alonso, que atua no Krasnodar, mas a dívida foi um dos impeditivos do negócio. O clube da Rússia também se interessou pelo zagueiro Joaquim, e o repasse do jogador, na época, poderia ser uma forma de abater a dívida.

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خطف منتخب المغرب، فوزًا صعبًا من سوريا، بهدف نظيف، في اللقاء الذي جمعهما اليوم الخميس، ضمن منافسات كأس العرب.

وأقيمت مباراة المغرب ضد سوريا، في ربع نهائي كأس العرب 2025، على ملعب “خليفة الدولي” في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة.

وسجل وليد أزارو، هدف المغرب الوحيد في الدقيقة 79 من عمر المباراة ليقود أسود أطلس إلى نصف النهائي.

طالع.. بالمواعيد | مواجهات دور الـ 8 من كأس العرب 2025

وكان المغرب قد تأهل إلى ربع النهائي عدما تصدر مجموعته برصيد 7 نقاط، حيث استهل “أسود الأطلس” مشوارهم بالفوز على جزر القمر بنتيجة 3-1، قبل التعادل السلبي مع منتخب عمان في الجولة الثانية، وانتصار على السعودية بهدف دون رد.

على الجانب الآخر، منتخب سوريا حصد 5 نقاط وضعته في المركز الثاني بفارق الأهداف عن فلسطين المتصدر.

منتخب سوريا بدأ مشواره بفوز ثمين على تونس بهدف نظيف، ثم خطف نقطة مهمة من قطر بالتعادل 1-1، قبل أن يفرض التعادل السلبي على فلسطين في الجولة الثالثة. هدف فوز المغرب على سوريا في كأس العرب

Christian Pulisic says that he was “truly dead” a couple of days prior to delivering two-goal heroics for AC Milan in their dramatic win over Torino. The USMNT star stepped off his sick bed and the substitutes’ bench to make a decisive contribution to a contest that has taken the Rossoneri back to the top of the Serie A table – level on points with defending champions Napoli.

Bagged a brace: Pulisic settles dramatic clash with Torino

Milan were unsure whether talismanic forward Pulisic would be available to them when planning for a trip to Turin. The United States international has been nursing a nasty bout of flu, with illness limiting his involvement in training sessions.

The 27-year-old was, however, prepared to push himself for the good of the collective cause. He was required in the second-half of a clash with Torino, as Milan found themselves trailing 2-1 just past the hour mark.

Pulisic was introduced in place of Davide Bartesaghi in the 66th minute. Inside 60 seconds, he found the target and dragged the Rossoneri back into a contest that was threatening to get away from them. He then went on to grab a match-winning effort 10 minutes later.

AdvertisementCaptain America: Pulisic steps off sick bed to inspire Milan

‘Captain America’ admits that his involvement in the game was touch and go at one stage, but is delighted that he recovered enough to inspire Milan to three priceless points in their ongoing title challenge.

Pulisic told afterwards: “Two days ago I was truly dead, today I felt much better. I'm happy to have come here to help the team. Yesterday we didn't know if I could play, but this morning I felt much better.

“I'm happy with the goals, but the important thing was to win the match. I’m always happy when I can help. I want to score more goals and assists. This is my job and I’m happy with the three points.”

Pulisic now has nine goals to his name this season through 12 appearances in all competitions, with untimely injuries having prevented him from raising that bar even further.

Golden Boot race: Pulisic level with Inter striker Martinez

Milan are hoping that he will remain available for the foreseeable future, with Massimiliano Allegri’s assistant, Marco Landucci, saying of the American’s value: “We also have to praise the medical staff because Pulisic was really ill, yet he came and gave us a huge hand. [Pulisic] is a strong player, he's very calm in the locker room, but on the pitch he's nasty and in front of goal, he's a sharpshooter.”

Milan have moved onto 31 points from 14 games, the same return as Napoli and one better than arch-rivals Inter. Pulisic, who is tied with Inter star Lautaro Martinez on seven goals in the Serie A Golden Boot race, added on the need to maintain high standards from here: “It's a season in which we aren't seeing Milan dominate games a lot. I still need to find more rhythm. The team is doing very well this year. We're taking it game by game.”

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GettyFuture call: Why has Pulisic not signed new Milan contract?

While Pulisic continues to impress when fit, questions are being asked of his future at San Siro. That is because a contract offer that has been on the table for some time remains unsigned.

Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel told GOAL recently of why no extension has been agreed: “I think it suggests that he is leaving his options open. When I was at clubs, I always wanted to sign my contracts when I was happy at places. I can only go on personal experience, I liked having multiple years on the contract – you never know with injuries around the corner. If I was truly happy at a place, I really enjoyed having two or three years on a contract.

“There are only two reasons for not signing. One, you are not happy with the contract. Two, you are keeping your options open. Maybe he has given a verbal commitment. I would assume that he is keeping his options open. If you are happy somewhere and you are happy with the numbers, you sign the contract.”

Milan, with no European football on their agenda this season, will be back in Serie A action on Sunday when taking in a home date with Sassuolo.

Manchester United dropped more valuable points at home as they squandered a second-half lead to draw 1-1 with West Ham, blowing the chance to move into the Premier League's top five. Diogo Dalot gave the underwhelming Red Devils the lead in the second half but they could not hold on to it, with Soungoutou Magassa levelling late in the game as United failed to properly defend a corner.

United made a sluggish start to the game and there were shades of the previous home game against 10-man Everton as West Ham made the better start. Casemiro did well to slide in and turn a Mateus Fernandes shot over the bar which was going in. It took 24 minutes for the Red Devils to win their first corner but they slowly grew more hungry and confident. Joshua Zirkzee saw a shot with his thigh cleared off the line by former United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then Bruno Fernandes shaved the post on the rebound.

Amorim mercilessly took off Ayden Heaven at half-time after a shaky display from the 19-year-old, reinstating Leny Yoro after dropping him from the starting line-up. United continued to search for the first goal and found it through a stroke of luck and class. Casemiro's shot was going wide but it ended up at the feet of Dalot, who kept a cool head to finish from close range.

United were heading for fifth in the table but couldn't see out the win as weak defending from a corner allowed Magassa to pounce on the rebound in the 83rd minute. The hosts had enough time to conjure a winner but rarely looked like finding it, Fernandes blasting a desperate attempt wide deep in added time. So instead of sleeping in the Champions League spots, United were left in eighth, on course to miss out on European football once again.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Senne Lammens (6/10):

  Shanked one kick into the stands but he was cleaning up Heaven's mess. Didn't have to deal with very much but could be questioned for not showing more authority from the corner leading to the equaliser.

  Noussair Mazraoui (7/10):

  A very competent performance which makes the case for him to be the starting right-centre-back. Reacted quickly to snuff out danger and put out fires. Hacked a shot off the line before Magassa struck.

  Ayden Heaven (4/10):

  Had a real tough time in his first Premier League start of the season. Made a clumsy and late tackle on Bowen which earned him an early booking then a sloppy backpass forced Lammens to come out of his area. Brutally, but not undeservedly, hooked at half-time for Yoro.

  Luke Shaw (7/10):

  Showed his experience and put in a strong defensive display. Made a series of good blocks, including a brave one on Callum Wilson.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Amad Diallo (7/10):

  Caused West Ham plenty of headaches with his twisting runs and had a good understanding with Mazraoui and Mbeumo.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Licked the post with one effort which he should have scored from and overall struggled to provide the spark United needed against a mediocre opponent. As if to prove this point, he shanked a shot wide in added time.

  Casemiro (6/10):

  Made an important slide tackle on Mateus Fernandes but let West Ham have too much space and dominance in midfield. Played his part in the goal, albeit courtesy of a wayward shot which happened to land at Dalot's feet.

  Diogo Dalot (6/10):

  Didn't ask many questions of West Ham, again struggling to cause any damage on his weaker left side. But he popped up in the right place at the right time and when he left the pitch United were heading for victory.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Bryan Mbeumo (6/10):

  Provided some excitement with the help of Amad but didn't have any clear openings.

  Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):

  Close to scoring with his thigh but overall he failed to provide a box threat or create any promising moves.

  Matheus Cunha (5/10):

  An underwhelming return to action after two games out. Having a bicycle kick blocked summed up the gap between his potential and what he is delivering.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Leny Yoro (6/10):

  Gave the defence more stability after replacing Heaven.

  Patrick Dorgu (5/10):

  Brought on to bring more potency to the attack but lacked precision when he got down the flank.

  Mason Mount (5/10):

  Not much of an improvement on Zirkzee.

  Manuel Ugarte (5/10):

  Couldn't put any fear into West Ham after replacing Cunha.

  Lisandro Martinez (N/A):

  Got two minutes plus added time to continue his slow return to action after so long out.

  Ruben Amorim (5/10):

  Another huge opportunity missed at home. Deserves some credit for overseeing an improved performance as game progressed but equally has questions to answer about their lousy start and failure to see out their advantage.

Kylian Mbappe made more history on Wednesday night as he took just seven minutes to bag a Champions League hat-trick against Olympiacos. The Greek side had taken a shock lead against Xabi Alonso's side with a brilliant team goal, but were left stunned as Mbappe netted three times in just seven minutes to put Los Blancos firmly in control of the tie.

Mbappe the hat-trick hero for Real Madrid

Mbappe has been in stunning form this season for Real Madrid but had headed into the match without a goal in his last three games for Alonso's side. However, the France international was quick to end that particular drought, equalising for the visitors after 22 minutes of the match. Mbappe headed home his second two minutes later to put Real Madrid in front and then had his third before the half-hour mark. Arda Guler's ball over the top found the Frenchman in acres of space, and he confidently despatched a low shot past goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis to ensure he'll be taking home another match ball for his collection.

AdvertisementHat-trick is second fastest in the Champions League

Mbappe's hat-trick is the second fastest the Champions League has ever seen. The Frenchman's three goals were clocked at six minutes and 42 seconds, just behind Mohamed Salah's treble against Rangers for Liverpool in 2022. Salah was marginally quicker with his hat-trick timed at six minutes and 13 seconds.

However, the Real Madrid superstar does now have more hat-tricks away from home than any other player in the history of the Champions League. Wednesday's treble was the fourth time he had scored three goals in a game in an away fixture.

Mbappe to win another Golden Shoe?

Mbappe won the Golden Shoe last season, beating off competition from Viktor Gyokeres and Salah after netting 31 times in his debut campaign for Real Madrid following his blockbuster move from Paris Saint-Germain. The France star will be hoping to win the prestigious prize again and is certainly in good shape currently. Mbappe has 13 goals in 13 La Liga outings for Real Madrid this season and his hat-trick against Olympiacos takes his tally to eight in five Champions League appearances.

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Getty Images SportReal Madrid up against Girona next

Real Madrid will return to Spain after their trip to Greece and will aim to get their title challenge back on track after dropping points against Elche last time out. Alonso's side are back in action on Sunday against Girona at Montilivi, with Mbappe likely to take some stopping as he heads into the game in red-hot form.

The leader of South Africa’s bowling attack talks about the team’s philosophy, and how he approaches his own bowling

Firdose Moonda04-Nov-2024Kagiso Rabada doesn’t get too excited about being the most lethal bowler in the 300-wickets club, or about his other records, because all he wants to do is play for South Africa.”Every kid dreams of playing for South Africa and that was my dream,” Rabada says from Chattogram, where South Africa won their first series in the subcontinent since the start of his career. “My dream was to represent South Africa and to be the best and to be a part of winning South African cricket teams. Along the way, you don’t really think about stats.”Except one number: 0.That’s how many times South Africa have won a World Cup, and like so many who have gone before him, Rabada says it’s what he most wants to achieve. “I just want to win the World Cup. That’s literally my dream. So, hopefully, I don’t have any other metrics really.”Rabada was part of South Africa’s disastrous 2019 ODI World Cup campaign and the much better 2023 one, in which they reached the semi-finals. He has also played in four T20 World Cups, and experienced exiting after the group stage three times before South Africa pulled off an eight-match unbeaten run to reach this year’s final. He described the current group of players as having found a “sweet spot” between experience and youth without being haunted by the ghosts of greats gone by.Related

• Rabada – the most lethal bowler in the 300-wicket club

• Rabada back at No.1 in Test bowling rankings; Ravindra, Shakeel break into top 10

• Spinners, Rabada's complete performances hand South Africa their biggest innings win

• 'Worth the hours, worth the sacrifice' – SA savour subcontinent high after a decade's wait

• South Africa's batting close to finding the 'sweet spot' again

When Dean Elgar played his final Test earlier this year, he was the last player of a South Africa side that had been ranked No. 1 in Tests. His exit may also have been the last in a steady stream of big-name retirements that began with Mark Boucher in 2012. Back then Rabada was a schoolkid with stars in his eyes. Three years later, he was an international, in the side in place of an injured Morne Morkel, and playing a Test alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. Three years after that, in March 2018, as the other three struggled with fitness concerns, he found himself the leader of the attack in a home series against Australia, which South Africa won 3-1.Throughout, Rabada has had the opportunity to play alongside a range of bowlers, from the ones he idolised to ones he grew up with. It is with this current generation that he feels the most settled.”Those guys [Steyn, Philander, Morkel] were my heroes growing up and I played with them. And now I’m playing with guys I played with at school, so there’s more familiarity because we grew up together – played against each other at school, played together at the provincial level, at Under-19…”Rabada went to school with Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, who is three years his junior. He won the 2014 U-19 World Cup under the leadership of Aiden Markram. Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Verreynne were among the top performers in the national schools weeks in 2013 and 2014. All of them now represent the country. “We play for each other,” Rabada says.After he won the Player-of-the-Series award in Bangladesh for his 14 wickets at an average of nine, Rabada first showered praise on the batters for giving the bowlers over 500 runs to work with in Chattogram. And even though their coach, Shukri Conrad, wasn’t convinced about enforcing the follow-on, Markram, the captain, was certain that Rabada, who had taken a five-for in the first innings, was fresh enough to have another go at Bangladesh. As it turned out, South Africa’s spinners did the job the second time round, but the point holds that Markram would likely have batted again if he did not believe the leader of his attack could do the job, which speaks to Rabada’s continued importance to the side and the significance of managing his workload.”Pace is important but you need the skill with the pace. When you combine the two, you can become very lethal. The older you get, the harder you have to work”•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThis year Rabada was rested from white-ball series in the UAE to focus on Test preparation, and he will similarly sit out the four-match T20I series against India to get ready for the home Test summer.By his own admission, more of that needs to happen to prolong his time at the top level. “I’m not getting any younger, and with the amount of cricket that’s being played, you have to think about it in terms of finding periods when you’re going to rest in order to be the most effective you can be.”But he does not put his success down to that alone. “It speaks to hard work,” he says.Over the last few years Rabada’s work has been less about speed and more about skill. He regularly swings and reverse-swings the ball, and always seems to know when to bowl with the most intensity. He identifies the new ball and periods just before or after a break as being times when he has to be particularly switched on.”Pace is important but you need the skill with the pace. When you combine the two, you can become very lethal. In Test cricket, you have to maintain the pace, but when it’s not there, you obviously have to be a bit crafty because, especially in the subcontinent, it’s hot. Obviously you want to really make an impact with the new ball. It’s about being consistent with it and bowling at a good pace. The older you get, the harder you have to work. You won’t get away with what you got away with when you were younger.”If Rabada sounds older than his 29 years, that’s because in Test cricket terms, he probably is – with 66 caps across nine years, he is the most experienced player in the side. In that time, while he has experienced highs like beating Australia home and away, he has also seen South Africa go from No. 1 to No. 7 on the rankings.”Of course, there were times where I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on here?’ But then in the morning, you wake up and you just have to front up. People go through that on the daily, but as players, we have a spotlight on us. Everyone’s going to comment on whatever we do. There have been times in my career when I’ve been disappointed, but it becomes worth it when you do achieve what you want to achieve.”Some would say being back at No.1 on the ICC’s rankings for Test bowlers, having occupied that spot for most of 2018 and 2019, is one kind of achievement, but it’s not Rabada’s favourite one. “If I was No. 5 or No. 3 and we’re winning, then I’m really happy. If I’m No. 1, I’m even more happy, but as long as we’re winning – that’s the major thing for me. It’s not about being No.1 the world, it’s all about the process and being obsessed with that. I know it sounds so cliché, but cliché is a kind of reality.”He acknowledges that his numbers do have some effect on him in that “they motivate me, but I’m not fixated on them”. Then he goes back to his original mantra: that as long as the team is winning, that means more than anything else, and there are still a few big things he wants them to win. “I’m happy with it [the No. 1 Test bowling ranking], but I’m not going to think about it too much. The work continues.”