ألونسو: حزنت من عدم تسجيل فينيسيوس.. وسعيد من أجل هذا اللاعب

تحدث تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن مباراة فريقه أمام جيرونا ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراته أمام جيرونا مساء غدٍ الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 14 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على جيرونا في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

وقال ألونسو، في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة، والتي نقلته صحيفة “آس”: “نعلم أن هذه مباراة بعد آخر مباراة في دوري أبطال أوروبا في أثينا، في الدوري نحتاج إلى الفوز خارج أرضنا في ظل جدول مباريات مزدحم للغاية، نحتاج إلى مباراة جيدة وانتصار جيد”.

وعن الجدل التحكيمي حول أهداف مباراة إلتشي التي قالها لابورتا رئيس برشلونة أوضح: “هناك رسائل شعبوية خاصة لجماهيرهم، دعونا نركز على أنفسنا، والفوز بطريقة رياضية ومستحقة، كل مباراة هي اختبار لذلك”.

وأكمل: “لقد لعبنا فترات جيدة، نحتاج إلى تلك السيطرة والمزيد من السيطرة والاستمرارية والثبات وهو ما نقوم بتحسينه خاصةً دفاعيًا، لست راضيًا عن بعض الأمور وخاصةً الأهداف التي استقبلناها في المباريات الأخيرة، ما زلنا في مرحلة التطوير”.

وعن الإصابات، قال: “لقد تعافي بالفعل روديجر وميليتاو، ونأمل أن يتم ضم أسينسيو إلى التشكيل أما هويسن فلم يتم ضمه بعد كما تم ضم فرانكو (ماستانتونو) إلى التشكيل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تدريبات ريال مدريد.. غياب جديد وموقف كورتوا من مباراة جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وأردف: “بيلينجهام؟ جود لديه الرغبة في التعلم وأن يكون أكثر كفاءة، هؤلاء اللاعبين الذين لديهم هذه المبادرة والذين يمكنهم اللعب في أكثر من مركز، عليك أن تعرف ما يحدث حوله”.

وأجاب عن سؤال آلام ماستانتونو في العانة قائلًا: “إنه في حالة أفضل ويتدرب دون أي إزعاج أو ألم ويتدرب بهذه الديناميكية”.

واستطرد: “حالة أرنولد الجيدة؟ نحن بحاجة إليه، هو في موسمه الأول والتكيف أمر طبيعي، وعلينا أن ندعمه في هذا التغيير الكبير بالنسبة له”.

وحول أداء ميندي أمام أولمبياكوس كشف: “لقد ترك انطباعًا جيدًا لديّ، إنها أول مباراة يلعبها معنا، لم نكن نعرف مستواه في البطولة، وقد قدم أداءً رائعًا، إنه مدافع رائع ويمنحنا أمانًا كبيرًا في الدفاع، أن يعود وأشعر بهذا الشعور هو خبر رائع”.

وحول استغلال مبابي وفينيسيوس المساحات في مباراة أولمبياكوس أوضح: “إنهما بارعان جدًا في ذلك، وقد فعلا ذلك في مباريات أخرى أيضًا، هذا الترابط والجودة وتناغمهما واضح في الملعب، كان من المؤسف أن فينيسيوس لم يتمكن من تسجيل هدف”.

وعن رسائل اللاعبين حول وحدة الفريق وشعوره بها أتم: “لطالما شعرتُ بوحدة الفريق وأننا جميعًا نعرف هدفنا وهو الوصول إلى النهائي مع فرصة الفوز بكل شيء، نحن معًا في السراء والضراء، تربطنا علاقة جيدة يوميًا ورغم كل الشائعات وما يريده البعض، نحن متماسكون جدًا من الداخل”.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for 'exciting' £88m striker

Tottenham are believed to be at the front of a queue for one of Europe’s most exciting strikers as we slowly head into the January transfer window, according to a new report.

Tottenham poised for active January after attacking struggles

Spurs’ struggles this season have exposed a glaring deficiency that threatens to derail their campaign — the absence of a reliable, clinical striker capable of converting chances on a regular-enough basis.

As January approaches, manager Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure to address what has become the most pressing issue hampering Spurs’ progress.

Since the start of 25/26, they’ve registered the second-lowest rate of shots on goal out of every Premier League team, and currently sit 17th in the division for expected goals per game.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Their lack of attacking edge was on display for all to see during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Lilywhites barely managing to lay a glove on the home side, barring Richarlison’s out-of-this-world lob from the half-way line.

Dominic Solanke’s persistent injury troubles have crippled Tottenham’s forward line since pre-season.

The England international underwent ‘minor ankle surgery’ in October and has managed just 47 minutes of football all campaign, depriving Frank of his primary goalscoring outlet.

The absence of Tottenham’s club-record signing has left a massive void that nobody has adequately filled. His latest setback follows multiple injury problems throughout last season, with the 28-year-old’s record proving a major concern for Frank.

This, combined with Randal Kolo Muani’s own fitness problems, Richarlison’s inconsistency and Mathys Tel’s rumoured unrest, means that Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a new centre-forward.

One of their chief targets, according to multiple reports, is FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

The young Spaniard is being targeted by Spurs ahead of the January window, alongside the likes of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has reportedly held direct talks with Frank over a move to London in the winter.

Aghehowa was once close to joining Chelsea in 2024 before he pulled out of the move to Stamford Bridge, and that decision has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old has scored 36 goals in 60 total appearances in all competitions since the start of last season, with Aghehowa now having his pick of Premier League suitors ahead of 2026.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for Samu Aghehowa

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, Tottenham are currently leading the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for Aghehowa as they show the strongest interest.

This follows a report from Tuesday that Spurs are prepared to strike a deal for the forward as early as January, but Porto apparently won’t budge on his £88 million release clause.

The former Deportivo Alaves sensation, who Brus describes as ‘one of the most exciting young strikers in the game’ right now, has also been revered as a ‘madman’ number nine by other members of the press.

Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, Spurs’ new co-sporting director duo, could have more funds to play with in January thanks to the Lewis family trust’s recent £100 million capital injection.

Some of these funds could be reinvested into their recruitment drive, and the signing of Aghehowa would certainly be a mid-season statement in Frank’s hunt for silverware and a top four finish.

Rice was fuming with him: Arsenal's "future captain" has regressed big time

It would be fair to say that, on paper anyway, last week was Arsenal’s toughest so far this season.

Therefore, Mikel Arteta’s side should be pretty happy with seven points from nine in games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

However, while the North Londoners were exceptional in the first two encounters, they were uncharacteristically poor away to the Blues, and that has understandably taken the shine off somewhat.

Moreover, while there were underwhelming performances across the pitch for Arsenal, one player in particular was really disappointing and currently looks miles off what fans saw last season.

Arsenal's underwhelming starters vs Chelsea

Starting at the back, and while he has arguably been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far this year, Ricarrdo Calafiori looked way off the pace on Sunday evening.

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Aside from a well-timed last-man tackle on Estevao in the first ten minutes, the Italian looked far shakier defensively than he has all year, losing two of the three tackles he made and getting a silly yellow card when he lost Reece James.

It wasn’t much better going forward either, as the former Bologna man failed to deliver a single cross for the attackers to get onto, and was understandably hooked at the interval.

Things didn’t go much better for Eberechi Eze, as following his hat-trick last weekend and assist against Bayern, the former Crystal Palace star was utterly ineffective at Stamford Bridge.

In fact, while it sounds harsh, it would be a fair assessment to describe him as anonymous on Sunday, as was Gabriel Martinelli, whose most significant contribution was a shot from outside the penalty area in the first half.

Finally, while they were not terrible, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie were clear downgrades on the Gunners’ usual partnership.

Moreover, on top of being less defensively solid, it was clear that they were less confident starting together, which massively impacted the team’s build-up.

With all that said, there was another Arsenal star on Sunday who looked way off the pace, and unfortunately has done all season.

The Arsenal star who has taken a step back

Unfortunately for Arteta, the poor performances on Sunday evening were not limited to the starters, as Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cameo off the bench was one to forget.

The Hale Ender was sent on to replace Calafiori after the Italian picked up his silly yellow card, but just nine minutes into the second half, he got one himself.

That moment sort of summarised the teenager’s display, as while there were a few moments of quality, like a run through the middle of the pitch towards the end, he largely struggled.

He offered little going forward and looked less than secure defensively and in possession, so much so that there were more than a few occasions when you could see Rice getting frustrated with him, notably when under no pressure at all, the youngster played the ball straight to a Chelsea player on the left-hand side of the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, the watching press were not hugely impressed with the youngster, with Arsenal writer Charles Watts awarding him just a 5/10 match rating at full-time.

Lewis-Skelly’s game v Chelsea

Minutes

45′

Expected Assists

0.01

Interceptions

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (0)

Fouls

1

Key Passes

0

Dribbles

0

Shots

0

All Stats via Sofascore

That might sound harsh, but his statistics justify it; in his 45 minutes, the 19-year-old produced an expected assists figure of just 0.02, lost 50% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels, didn’t play a single key pass or cross and committed one foul.

The worrying thing is that Sunday was not the full-back’s first poor performance of the season, as he also looked the weakest of the club’s starters against Bayern.

With that said, it would be unfair to blame this entirely on the youngster, club insider Hand of Arsenal, dubbed a “future captain,” as he’s just not been given enough game time.

One of the things that allowed him to play as well as he did last year was that Arteta picked him time and time again, in turn building his sharpness and understanding of the team’s rhythm.

Therefore, while it’s true that Lewis-Skelly has taken a step back this season, fans shouldn’t worry too much, as more games on the horizon should give him more opportunities to play and rebuild that sharpness.

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2025

Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan

Pakistan’s nerves settled with the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis, who threatened with a 73-run stand

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2025Ultimately, reality had to bite. 276 has never been chased at the Gaddafi, and the prospect has become even more unlikely since Pakistan pivoted to rapidly deteriorating spin tracks. South Africa gamely hung around till deep into the middle session, but they had been cut too far adrift, and kept losing too many wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi polished off the tail after Pakistan’s spinners made early inroads, sealing a 93-run win that breaks South Africa’s record 10-Test win streak.Pakistan’s nerves had been settled at lunch with the dismissal of the dangerous and the dogged – Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis both falling to superb deliveries from Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. Senuran Muthuswamy was trapped in front shortly after the resumption, and for the next half hour both sides appeared to be going through the motions. Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer hung around without really making a charge towards the total, while Pakistan’s spin kept plugging away, but without the intensity before the break. Slowly, South Africa edged past Pakistan’s third innings total, the first time since Pakistan have prepared these tracks that the fourth innings has outscored the third.The reintroduction of Afridi broke the game open, though. Coming around the wicket, he found reverse with the ageing ball on the ageing surface, viciously dipping one back into Verreynne that struck him so square Afridi never turned around to confirm the umpire agreed with his assessment that ball was hitting the stumps.Numbers 10 and 11 were easy work for an amped up Afridi, who sensed an opportunity to pad his figures up in a game where his relevance to the side had hitherto been limited. Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada had no answer for the swinging yorkers that rattled their stumps, sealing a win that had perhaps been secured when Pakistan ran up a large total in the first two sessions of the first day.Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton gave South Africa hope•Getty ImagesA lively session of cricket had broken out in the morning in Lahore with Brevis taking the attack to Pakistan. The 22-year-old, playing just his third Test match, threatened to pull off the spectacular with a run-a-ball 54 but was unable to sustain such a breakneck tempo on a wearing subcontinent pitch. Noman took back the spotlight that South Africa have been trying to take away from him through the course of this entire game, bringing up his third Test-match 10-for and putting Pakistan on the road to victory. At lunch, they were four wickets off and had 139 runs with which to buy them.Nothing like this target of 277 has ever been chased before in a Test match in Lahore and that record seemed set to continue when the first four overs of Wednesday’s play yielded two wickets and just five runs. Afridi went through Tony de Zorzi’s defence with his third ball and the worry the visitors had about new batters struggling to find rhythm in these conditions came to pass. Tristan Stubbs only lasted eight balls before reverse sweeping Noman to Salman Agha at slip, who now has five catches in the match.South Africa’s overnight 51 for 2 had become 55 for 4 when Brevis walked in. He took a little time to get acclimatised and then, in the 34th over, he charged out to meet a half-volley from Noman and smacked it over mid-off. A slog sweep for six and a heave over midwicket for four followed, giving the young batter all the confidence he needed to trust in his attacking instincts. The battle between Brevis and Pakistan peaked when he hit a no-look six over long-on to bring up his half-century.Noman had been the recipient of most of Brevis’ punishment, but the canny left-arm spinner knew all he needed was one ball in the right area. That came in the seventh over before lunch when a ball fired into the pitch gripped well enough to turn right past the defending batter and clatter into the stumps. Brevis fell for 54 off 54 with six of South Africa’s 10 fours and all of their two sixes in the final innings.That was Noman’s 10th wicket of the match. Sajid, his spin-bowling partner, chipped in with one as well when he dismissed the other set batter, Ryan Rickelton, for 45 off 145 deliveries as Pakistan went to the break consolidating the upper hand they’ve had since the first day’s play.South Africa spent the best part of four days trying to claw back that advantage, and while they took Pakistan the distance, it was a task which proved just a bridge too far, even for the world champions.

Services defeat Assam in 90 overs for shortest Ranji match

The game also saw Arjun Sharma and Mohit Jangra claiming hat-tricks in the same innings, the first time this has occurred in the Ranji Trophy history

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2025

Riyan Parag, who opened the bowling for Assam, picked up seven wickets in the match•PTI

In a record-breaking event, Services defeated Assam in just 90 overs, making it the shortest completed match in Ranji Trophy history.The match set a new mark in terms of balls bowled (540) to reach a result, surpassing the previous record of 547 from the 1961-62 clash between Delhi and Railways. Only 359 runs were scored and 32 wickets fell.The game also saw a historic feat: two bowlers from Services – left-arm spinner Arjun Sharma and left-arm seamer Mohit Jangra – claimed hat-tricks in the same innings, the first time this has occurred in the Ranji Trophy’s 91-year history.

The home team Assam, after choosing to bat, were bundled out for 103 in 17.2 overs, with Pradyun Saikia top-scoring with 52.In reply, Services managed just 108 in 29.2 overs as Riyan Parag picked up a career-best 5 for 25 alongside Rahul Singh’s 4 for 44.Assam collapsed to 75 all out in 29.3 overs in the second innings, thanks to impressive spells from Arjun (4 for 20) and support from Amit Shukla, who picked up 6-2-6-3Chasing a target of 71, Services crossed the line in just 13.5 overs for the loss to two wickets as the game came to an end in just four sessions. In 1934, the first-ever Ranji match between Madras and Mysore lasted just three sessions (but that one still had more balls bowled)The venue for the Assam-Services game, Tinsukia District Sports Association Ground in Tinsukia, had not hosted a Ranji Trophy game since January 2001, when Orissa beat the hosts by nine wickets.Services top the table in Elite Group C with 13 points from two wins in as many games while Assam are fifth in the group with one point from two matches.

Meia do Santos revela conversa com Neymar após acerto

MatériaMais Notícias

Serginho foi apresentado pelo Santos nesta terça-feira (30). O meia chega por empréstimo junto ao Maringá, com opção de compra. O jogador, foi formado nas categorias de base do Peixe, atuou ao lado de André, Alan Patrick e Neymar, que é seu amigo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosSaiba por que Santos quer marcar amistoso com o Boca JuniorsSantos27/04/2024SantosCarille coloca Santos como ‘candidato fortíssimo’ ao título da Série BSantos26/04/2024Fora de CampoTorcedores do Santos exaltam joia da base na web: ‘Craque’Fora de Campo26/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Santos

– Sempre tem um carinho especial em poder voltar ao clube que me revelou. Eu cheguei como criança. Não só virei profissional, mas aprendi muito como pessoa, como ser humano. Muito feliz de voltar. De ter passado pelas mãos de pessoas com quem tenho carinho, como o professor Lima. A expectativa de estar com o grupo, de voltar depois de muito tempo é grande. Motivação lá em cima em fazer parte da reconstrução do Santos. Espero ajudar o Santos a voltar para o lugar que não deveria ter saído.

– Nos falamos. Ele deu muito apoio. Ele disse: está voltando para casa, vai ser feliz. A gente veio para cá junto, cresceu junto. Espero fazer o melhor dar alegrias a ele e ao Santos.

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Fábio Carille foi um dos principais responsáveis pelo retorno de Serginho. O técnico pediu a contratação do meia, que ainda não teve contato com o treinador.

– Ele não me ligou, não tivemos contato, mas ele estava acompanhando. Não conversamos ainda. Vamos aos poucos nos treinos. Mas vai chegar o momento certo. Ele me recebeu muito bem, está me ajudando muito. Agradeço toda recepção. Da comissão técnica e jogadores. Espero agradar ao que ele está buscando e ter um bom aproveitamento no campeonato.

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🎙️ MAIS RESPOSTAS DE SERGINHO:

CONCORRÊNCIA COM OUTROS MEIAS
– A concorrência é sadia. Terão bastantes jogos até o fim do ano. Espero que possamos desempenhar ao máximo. Quando um não estiver bem, o outro pode ajudar. Sou um cara de aproximação, que gosta de finalizar. Tenho a bola parada também. Espero ajudar da melhor forma. Não temos nenhuma vaidade de brigar por posição.

POSIÇÃO EM CAMPO
– As pessoas sabem onde venho jogando. O professor Carille comentou sobre essa situação e dependerá dele. Jogo bastante por dentro e extremo pelos dois lados. Tem um tempo que jogo nessas posições. Lá fora joguei mais pelo lado, mas quando precisava vinha por dentro. Onde o professor me colocar espero fazer meu melhor para ajudar o Santos.

EXPERIÊNCIA NO EXTERIOR
– Aprendi muito lá fora sobre a intensidade. Futebol está muito intenso, a Série B pede isso. Intensidade e jogo rápido. Nosso time vem fazendo isso. Foi fácil de me encaixar nos treinos, no estilo de jogo. Espero que possa dar certo, entrosar o mais rápido possível para poder aproveitar e continuar com as vitórias.

MARINGÁ
– É um time inferior, mas com bastante projeção, que compete bastante. Se estivesse numa série C ou B estaria competindo lá em cima. Falamos inferior porque é um time novo, começando. Tem muito para conquistar as divisões e brigar de igual para igual. Já vesti essa camisa, sei como é. Eu fui criado em grandes jogos na base, consegui estrear como profissional. Sei do tamanho da importância, dos jogos que terão. Tenho só a agradecer. Vestir esse manto é maravilhoso. Espero desfrutar ao máximo e, se Deus quiser, conquistar os objetivos.

BOLA PARADA
– É uma coisa positiva. A bola parada é uma coisa que treino bastante, procuro caprichar. Os jogos têm sido definidos assim. Um jogo trucado acaba sendo definido assim. Espero que posso continuar, ajudar nossa equipe. O foco é ir em busca da Série A, espero fazer o meu melhor.

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Rabada: South Africa 'a young team that wants to do the dirty work'

South Africa’s Test squad is leaving Pakistan with shared spoils and the satisfaction that they have turned the corner when it comes to playing in the subcontinent. The Rawalpindi Test win was their third in four matches in Asia, after they beat Bangladesh 2-0 a year ago, a series that has been described by several players as the turning point for their 2023-2025 WTC campaign.Before that series, South Africa had lost 10 out of 11 Tests in the subcontinent over a decade, across tours to India (2015 and 2019), Sri Lanka (2018) and Pakistan (2021). Now that they have ticked off a win against one of those opponents, it has given them the belief they have found a way to do it more regularly.”This victory is definitely one of the highlights in my career,” Kagiso Rabada, whose career-best 71 played a crucial role in the Pindi victory push, said at the post-match press conference. “Winning a Test match outside of Bangladesh in the subcontinent. I think that’s pretty awesome. It definitely gives the guys a lot of confidence. Also, it’s a pretty young team and a young team that wants to go out and do the dirty work.”Related

  • Stats – First-class Harmer enters elite wicket-takers' club

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  • South Africa prove they can win with spin on the subcontinent

Rabada operated almost as the solitary seamer across the two Tests, with Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen delivering 25 overs between them and the spinners doing the bulk of the work, and made his mark with his first Test half-century. His knock of 71 off 61 balls, which was part of a tenth-wicket stand of 98 with Senuran Muthusamy, came against the slow-scoring run of play and deflated Pakistan. It also earned Rabada a new bat, after a pact with David Bedingham.”We have a thing where if I score 30 runs, he’ll give me a bat because we are sponsored by the same batting company,” Rabada said. “He said he thought his money was safe after the way I batted in the first Test. So that was just one way to get one up on him.”Coming off a pair in Lahore, Rabada pulled off a series of powerful shots down the ground including a six off Shaheen Shah Afridi. No other batter played with such chutzpah though Rabada said it was always part of South Africa’s plan in tough conditions.”We wanted to be aggressive in the way that we played, because if you just sit around waiting for a bad ball, you’re probably going to get a good ball that gets you out,” he said. “It was important that the batting unit could establish the shots that they wanted to play to put the opposition under pressure and that they start putting fielders back and then you can start rotating the strike.”Kagiso Rabada bowled without much reward in Rawalpindi•Getty Images

That his bowling took a backseat despite excellent spells where he drew Abdullah Shafique’s edge, in particular, several times without success didn’t bother Rabada. “If you’re a fast bowler and nothing’s happening for you, it’s about keeping the game quiet or finding a wicket here and there and applying pressure by slowing the rate down. It’s about running and giving it your all,” he said. “You can still create pressure for the spinners, so they do their job much better. It doesn’t help if we are leaking everywhere and not necessarily bowling correctly. Not many rewards came my way, but I was more than happy to do the job that I did.”Rabada said the spin trio of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy was “world-class”. “We came here with brilliant spinners and you saw the way that they performed. That was a really massive tick,” Rabada said. “And the batters as well. Rickleton stepped up. He came into this Test series under pressure. Stubbs came into this Test series under pressure, played a crucial knock. Tony (de Zorzi) came into this series under pressure.”Rickelton had scores of 16 and 6 in the WTC final and only one half-century across 11 white-ball internationals in August and September. Stubbs had only got into double figures once in nine innings before his first-innings 76, and de Zorzi had lost his Test spot to Rickelton and is trying to find his way back. He was the only batter in the series to score a century.South Africa ensured they still have not lost a series since the 2-0 defeat with a makeshift side in New Zealand last February and have won 10 of their last 12 Tests. “You have to be doing a lot of things right to get results like that,” Rabada said. And South Africa will feel that they did.

Vitinha finds the 'psychological' secret to scoring goals as PSG star revels in first ever hat-trick in Tottenham demolition

Vitinha produced the performance of his life as Paris Saint-Germain beat Tottenham 5-3 in a wild Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes. The midfielder scored his first-ever career hat-trick, inspiring a comeback after PSG trailed twice on the night. With the French champions closing in on a top-eight league-phase finish, the win underlined Vitinha’s growing influence in Luis Enrique’s project.

  • Vitinha leads PSG’s comeback with landmark hat-trick

    PSG were forced to dig deep after Tottenham twice took the lead in a chaotic Champions League night in Paris. Richarlison opened the scoring before Vitinha struck an equaliser just before half-time, the moment that set the tone for a career-defining display. Spurs went ahead again early in the second half, but Les Parisiens responded instantly, with the Portuguese midfielder producing a composed finish to drag his team level.

    His joy was evident when speaking to about scoring multiple goals for the first time in his professional career, he said: “It’s the first time. Even two, it’s the first time [laughs]. I had never scored two in the same game.”

    The European champions soon flipped the match on its head, with Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho striking before Vitinha completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to seal the victory and take the match ball home on a night that showcased his growing attacking instincts. The win reinforces PSG’s strong Champions League campaign, marking their fourth victory in five matches and pushing them closer to securing a top-eight finish.

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    Vitinha reveals the mindset shift behind his hat-trick

    After the match, Vitinha opened up about the mental shift that helped unlock the best goalscoring night of his career. He explained the belief behind his sudden scoring touch: "It was incredible, I think it's partly in your head. If you don't think about scoring a lot of goals, you probably won't. You have to believe, you have to… push too. Of course, always for the good of the team and never against the team, but you have to believe, show up, feel that the ball will come to you… And the truth is that I had luck combined with the goals and I'm overjoyed. I never… never thought I'd score three goals in a game. Very happy to have scored, but mainly for the victory. It was important to be behind twice and have the personality to come back. It's extremely important and I'm very happy for myself and for the team." 

    Speaking to PSG media, he acknowledged that Joao Neves’ recent hat-trick against Armenia may have planted the seed: “Actually, I had never thought about scoring a hat trick. Maybe Joao [Neves] inspired me! But it's true that when it happens, you think: 'maybe I can too'. It's a bit psychological. I'm very happy with this hat trick, but above all with the team and its personality, because it managed to overcome difficulties once again, with the help of this environment and these incredible fans. I think we formed a great team here, all together, at the Parc. They never stopped believing in us, even when we were behind twice.”

  • Frank hails Vitinha as 'the next Ballon d'Or winner'

    Tottenham manager Thomas Frank was left impressed despite the defeat, calling the midfielder one of the standout players in world football right now. 

    Speaking to reports, Frank said: "Of course, I think it was performance that was up there where we could get something out of the game, a draw or a win. So that's a little frustrating thing that we conceded some goals. Of course, one with a little bit of margin from Vitinha, not top corner but top, top corner. And then, of course, goal three and four. Those are the ones we definitely need to avoid if we want to get something out of here, but something to build on. Strikers scoring two goals. The whole team, I think, all performed well. Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, positive. When we played against a decent team where they have one Ballon d'Or winner and I think the next one is playing in midfield. Vitinha. Wow, what a player."

    He doubled down in his post-match interview with : “Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world. He will be the next Ballon d'Or winner.”

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    PSG eye top-eight finish as momentum grows

    The victory puts the Ligue 1 giants in a commanding position in the league phase. They now have 12 points, level with Bayern Munich but ahead on goal difference, and stand as one of the most consistent performers against Premier League opposition this year. It also marked PSG’s sixth win in 10 matches against English clubs in 2025, including their Super Cup triumph over Spurs in August.

    Up next, PSG return to Ligue 1 action where they face Monaco this weekend, a match that offers another platform for Vitinha to showcase his soaring form. With confidence high and Champions League progression in sight, PSG appear well-placed to maintain their momentum heading into a decisive stretch of the season.

'A very complete player' – Martin Zubimendi blown away by Arsenal team-mate who 'surprised' him

Arsenal midfield star Martin Zubimendi is blown away by a Gunners team-mate who has 'surprised' him the most. Zubimendi joined Arsenal this summer, 12 months after he rejected a move to the reigning Premier League champions Liverpool. The Spain international has had an immediate impact on Mikel Arteta's side, who are leading the title race this year and have been in exceptional form thus far.

Zubimendi-Rice midfield pairing key to Arsenal's success

Arsenal have endured a tremendous run of form since the start of the season as they have lost just one game in the Premier League and are sitting comfortably at the top of the table with a four-point gap over second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand. After heartbreaks in the past couple of seasons, where the Gunners missed out on the league title towards the end of the season, the 2025-26 campaign finally looks like they will finally cross the line, going by the current run of form. 

A lot of credit goes to Arteta for rebuilding the squad in the summer and making some valuable additions to the squad. One such key signing would of Zubimendi, who joined the Gunners from Real Sociedad. Zubimendi has impressed in his maiden campaign in England and has formed a formidable midfield partnership with England international Declan Rice. Rice's performance has also been elevated since the Spaniard's arrival at the club. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportZubimendi labels Rice 'a complete player'

Speaking about Rice, the Spain international told : "Once I came here one of the things that motivated me the most was playing with a player like Declan. I think he’s been a good player until this year, but I think this year, from what I see and how happy I see him, I think he’s taking a leap forward so I’m very happy to be able to help him in that regard. And he helps me too. We all know how Declan is. A very complete player, physically, technically, set pieces. And his personality is something that has surprised me. He wants to be a protagonist in the dressing room. And on the pitch for a teammate like me in midfield, I think it’s vital having someone who wants to be the protagonist who wants the ball, who helps you. It’s the perfect complement."

'The impact he has on the team, it’s huge'

Arteta also spoke about Rice's influence on the team, as he added: "Probably a year or two ago, yes, but now being with him every single day, understanding and connecting with him in the way I have done, we are going to get more. Because he wants more, the team knows him better, his role is growing around the team. The impact he has on the team it’s huge. I knew him for a long time (before signing) and I knew how he could evolve and change the team. He has certainly done it and probably improved on those expectations.

"I would have to think about it but most of the time, if you have the option to see a player live and sense him, get that energy, presence and charisma, on top of his qualities, it’s something else. Probably when he was around I said, 'Hmm, that’s a special player.' To be fair I had this one, I had another position that was a little bit further back to do something else and he can adapt to anything you throw at him. At the moment, that is what we were thinking, in front is probably much more positive for the team."

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Getty/GoalZubimendi compared to Ballon d'Or winner Rodri

Former Spain star Gaizka Mendieta drew comparisons between Manchester City star Rodri and Zubimendi as he told : "When I think of Martin Zubimendi at Arsenal, I think of Rodri at Manchester City. City can have other players that can play in that role like Nico Gonzalez but it's not the same. That's why Rodri has been one of the best players in the Premier League since he arrived. He's the kind of player that you might not see much because they're not always on the ball or not allowed on the ball. But his position, how they give freedom to teammates, how he allows other players around him to do things is not always visible, but it's very important. You can't put your finger on why it's not happening when Rodri isn’t there, but it makes a difference whether they are on the pitch or not. They allow other players to do things that they can't do when they're not there, it’s a very similar situation for both."

Epic Dad Moment: Father Makes Unbelievable, Eyes-Covered Catch at Yankees Game

Catching a baseball in the stands is hard enough. Now, imagine trying to snag a foul ball with your eyes closed. Impossible, right?

Well, that incredible feat happened today at Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees took on the Tampa Bay Rays. As a Yankees fan saw a foul ball coming his way, he had his glove ready. But he had an adorable, young fan atop his shoulders who decided to make the catch way more difficult than it had to be.

She used her hands as a human blindfold, covering the fan's eyes as he tried to bring the ball in. Somehow, he still made the grab even through the massive distraction. What a diabolical move by the young girl, smiling as her intrusive thoughts took over.

"That's dad power right there," Yankees broadcaster Jeff Nelson said as the highlight played on YES Network.

The dad still handed the ball off after the incredible catch, too—he's probably used to the shenanigans.

The Rays beat the Yankees 3-2 Saturday, even as Yankees superstar Aaron Judge smacked his 11th home run of the season. Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to a two-run inning where they took the lead in the top of the eighth inning.

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