Jude Bellingham feels he is most effective playing further forward but is prepared to accommodate his big-name Real Madrid team-mates by playing a withdrawn role.
Bellingham was a key player as Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League last season, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists while playing predominantly as a false nine.
Following the exit of Karim Benzema, Madrid fielded Bellingham at the tip of a midfield diamond with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior acting as split strikers.
However, Bellingham has dropped deeper this season following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, playing just 3% of his minutes as a striker or attacking midfielder, with 50% coming in central midfield and 35% off the left flank.
In 2023-24, Bellingham played 69% of his minutes in the most advanced midfield role and 7% as a traditional striker.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Liverpool, Bellingham insisted he is happy to play any role if it contributes to positive results for Los Blancos.
"It's been like any other adaptation," Bellingham told reporters on Tuesday.
"It changes the dynamic, the style of play and the approach, but I've shown that I can play in different positions. I prefer a bit more up front, but it's not important to me.
"I'm willing to play wherever they put me and I'm not affected by the position. We always set the team up to win.
"I joined last summer and the club lost Benzema, one of its best players. There was a gap and it was a way to compensate for this lack of goals.
"This year we have signed one of the best players of this generation, who has scored an unbelievable amount of goals. My role is going to change and I'm totally willing to do that."
Bellingham's goal in Sunday's 3-0 win over Leganes in LaLiga was just his second in all competitions this season, though only Vinicius (six) has bettered his four assists for Madrid.
After travelling to Anfield for their fifth Champions League group-phase game, Madrid host Getafe in LaLiga this weekend.
Gasperini: Confidence is keeping Atalanta's run going
Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini thinks that his side's recent run of form is due to the squad's confidence and continued development, following their 6-1 victory away to Young Boys on Tuesday.
The Italian side maintained their unbeaten record in the competition to go fourth in the standings following a demolition job in Bern, with two-goal Charles De Ketelaere the pick of the bunch.
The result was Atalanta's largest-ever margin of victory in a European match, while it extended their winning run to seven matches in all competitions.
That run has seen them climb to second in the Serie A table, a point behind leaders Napoli, while they have the best xG in the division and are top scorers with 34 goals in 13 matches.
"We are in a good period of form in Italy and Europe, I’m happy with the performances and results we are getting,” Gasperini told Sky Sports.
"Winning the Europa League last season helped us to grow in confidence, self-belief and then many new players arrived too who are improving. This is what’s behind the impressive form."
Gasperini also acknowledged that the development of some of the talent at the club has been remarkable.
"There are some players who have been here so long and know us so well that they are coaches on the field, I could easily just leave them to it," he said.
"But there are others who need to get to know the movements, the chain reactions, the timing. On top of that, we have always had a very strong locker room atmosphere where the behaviour and attitude is always based on values."
Cunha and Wolves looking up the table after back-to-back wins
Matheus Cunha says Wolves can start to look up the Premier League table after back-to-back wins, as Gary O'Neil's team bid to continue their revival against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Wolves were rooted to the bottom of the table and winless after 10 matches, but victories over Southampton (2-0) and Fulham (4-1) have lifted them out of the relegation zone.
Cunha has been the key to their resurgence, providing seven goals and three assists this season with seven of those involvements coming in their last four matches.
Since his Premier League debut in January 2023, Cunha has both scored more goals (21) and provided more assists (10) than any other Wolves player. His 31 goal involvements are the second-most of any Wolves player in the competition's history, behind Raul Jimenez (58).
Speculation had begun to mount around O'Neil's position before Wolves' turnaround, but Cunha says the squad are united in their aims after regaining their confidence.
"We never had a doubt about this," Cunha said of O'Neil's position. "He did a lot of good things for us last season, and then we started to build an unbelievable relationship.
"But, of course, football is like life, everyone knows that it's the results that matter in the end.
"But the work that you show is as important for me, for the group and for everyone. We are very happy with him and we are very happy with the results. I hope now we can start to fight for the things we want."
O'Neil's former club Bournemouth are six points clear of Wolves in 13th, having lost successive games after enjoying a strong start to the campaign.
Their latest defeat came against 10-man Brighton and Hove Albion at the Vitality Stadium, where a fifth yellow card of the season for star winger Antoine Semenyo ruled him out of Saturday's trip to Molineux through suspension.
"Every team has injuries, has suspensions," head coach Andoni Iraola said of Semenyo's suspension after the Brighton game. "We will miss now Ant, that is also a big miss.
"I don't know if everyone has finished healthy or not. We'll see, but we will have to adapt, I think for sure every team is adapting."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wolves – Matheus Cunha
There is no doubt about Wolves' star man this campaign. As well as boasting more Premier League goal involvements than any other player outside the 'big six' clubs (10), Cunha has been involved in more attacking sequences (56) than any other Wolves player.
Cunha has been involved in half of Wolves' Premier League goals this term (10/20).
Only Mohamed Salah (66%), Dwight McNeil (60%), Bukayo Saka (57%), Erling Haaland (54%), Liam Delap, Chris Wood (both 53%) and Cole Palmer (52%) have been involved in a higher share of their team's goals.
Bournemouth – Milos Kerkez
In the absence of Semenyo, Bournemouth will have to rely on creativity from elsewhere, and left-back Kerkez is capable of providing it at a ground where he was sent off last season.
Kerkez ranks fifth among all Premier League defenders for open-play crosses (30) this season, with only nine defenders bettering his 12 open-play chances created.
MATCH PREDICTION – WOLVES WIN
Having won four consecutive Premier League away games in November and December last season, Bournemouth have won just three of their last 16 on the road (four draws, nine losses).
One of these was against Wolves in April, but O'Neil may just be confident of getting one over on his former employers on Saturday.
Wolves have won their last two Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 22 combined (five draws, 15 defeats). They last won three in a row last December.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are yet to win a Premier League match against a team that did not start the day in the relegation zone (Everton and Southampton) or the top four (Arsenal and Manchester City) in 2024-25.
Neutrals should expect entertainment whatever the result. Wolves' 12 Premier League games this term have featured 48 goals, more than any other side.
Their 20 goals scored are their most 12 games into a top-flight campaign since 1972-73 (25), while their 28 conceded are their most at this stage since 1983-84 (31).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Wolves – 39.1%
Bournemouth – 34.3%
Draw – 26.6%
Haiti's Real Hope take 1-0 advantage over Dom Rep's Moca FC in Caribbean Cup third-place tie
Haiti’s Real Hope FA edged Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 1-0 in the first leg of their Concacaf Caribbean Cup third-place tie in Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, on Tuesday.
Stanley Joseph opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a right-footed strike as he capitalized on a deflected ball in the box. Jeudy Johnson was essential in the buildup play and later provided the ball over the top, which led to the goal.
Huguens Michel went close to extending the lead for Real Hope in the 14th minute as his header went just wide of left upright.
Real Hope was reduced to ten men in the 45+1 after Steeve Mondestin was shown a straight red card.
With the numerical advantage, Moca FC should have pulled level in the 45+5, but Eduardo Montenegro well-struck free kick, but Real Hope’s goalkeeper Gooly Elien proved equal to the task.
Argentina-born Gustavo Ascona had a dangerous hit on target from outside the box in the 45+6, but Elien again came up big to deny him.
Like they did at the start, Real Hope came out more purposeful after the break, and Angelo Exilus danced his way through Moca’s defence but his final effort in the 74th was charged down by Keudy Jimenez.
Yveto Dort again went close for Real Hope with a stinging 78th-minute drive from a distance that went just wide of the target.
Real Hope’s custodian Elien was again called up on to deny a 90+5-minute effort to preserve the clean sheet and ensure his team remained on the front foot heading into next Tuesday’s second leg.
He finished the night with four saves and his third clean sheet in the tournament.
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