A second coming for Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital?
After a trophy-laden spell with Real Madrid, Ronaldo made the switch to Juventus.
But Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer is reportedly keen on a second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.
TOP STORY – RONALDO EYEING MADRID REUNION
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to return to Real Madrid, according to the frontpage of Saturday's Diario AS.
Ronaldo's future with Juventus has been placed in doubt following the club's Champions League last-16 exit.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who left Madrid for Juve in 2018, has reportedly been in contact with Los Blancos for months.
ROUND-UP
- New Barcelona president Joan Laporta will offer superstar captain Lionel Messi a fresh contract in the coming weeks, reports Mundo Deportivo. The deal would include Messi – heavily tipped to join either Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City as a free agent at the end of the season – becoming a club ambassador after retirement. Laporta is also set to push ahead with moves for Bayern Munich's David Alaba, Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland and City forward Sergio Aguero.
- City lead the race to sign Haaland, according to the Daily Mail. Haaland is a player in demand, linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Juve, PSG, Barca and Madrid.
- Joao Felix is also an option at the Etihad Stadium. Cuatro claims the Atletico Madrid star is a target if Aguero leaves City.
- Le10Sport claims PSG remain in talks with Neymar over a four-year contract extension. A deal is believed to be some way off.
- Harry Maguire wants United to sign an English-speaking defender, reports The Transfer Window Podcast. The Red Devils have been linked with Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and team-mate Raphael Varane, Sevilla's Jules Kounde, RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate and Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly. But Brighton and Hove Albion's Ben White has emerged as a target.
- TMW Radio says Atletico could be set to make a move for Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz. The Spain international has been previously linked with Barca and Madrid.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 RB Leipzig: Late Gimenez header hands hosts victory
A late header by defender Jose Maria Gimenez gave Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig in their Champions League opener on Thursday.
The German side took a shock lead in the fourth minute thanks to a header by striker Benjamin Sesko, capping a quick counter-attack.
However, Antoine Griezmann struck a fine volley into the top corner in the 28th minute to level the scores.
Atletico dominated the match with 20 attempts on goal in total, but it wasn't until the 90th minute that they finally managed to find the winner, with Gimenez heading in a cross from Griezmann.
Data debrief: Griezmann inspires Atleti again
Griezmann proved once again to be the talisman for Atletico Madrid, with a goal and an assist, three chances created, winning 100% of his aerial duels and recovering the ball eight times.
After netting Atletico's first-half equaliser in this match, 26 of Griezmann’s 37 goals in the Champions League have now come on home soil, moving him level for home goals in the competition with Sergio Aguero and Alessandro Del Piero.
Leipzig have now failed to win in their last three games in Champions League, which is their longest winless streak in the competition since a run of six games from February to November 2021.
Elanga hoping Forest can keep clinical edge against Brighton
Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga praised their clinical nature for their shock win at Liverpool and is hoping to carry into their trip to Brighton.
Forest have made an impressive start to the Premier League season, with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool – their first win at Anfield in 55 years – the pick of their results.
They are unbeaten so far, with two wins and two draws under their belts, leaving them seventh in the table.
Despite the positivity currently surrounding the club, Elanga is not getting ahead of himself.
"Since the start of pre-season, the atmosphere has been good," Elanga told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We went to Liverpool and not many teams can beat them and play the way we did – we got rewarded with it at the end.
"We have started the season well, but we have still got 35 games left – we have to go game by game.
"Last season we played the big sides and played well, it was marginal difference, and they were clinical. [On Saturday], we were clinical."
They face a Brighton side also yet to lose this season, and the Seagulls sit just one place above them in the table having scored more goals.
Brighton followed up their last-gasp win over Manchester United with two draws but bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Wolves in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Evan Ferguson returned to the starting line-up for that match, and though he failed to get on the scoresheet, Fabian Hurzeler backed him to get back to his best soon.
"I think we saw in some situations how good he can be," Hurzeler said.
"He had some shots in the first half, he worked hard against the ball. He can't be on the level already that he wants to and like he was before in the Premier League in the prime of his individual performance.
"We will try to get him there; he needs to train at 100%, and he needs to use every training session to get as fit as possible, and then I'm sure that he will help us."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brighton – Jan Paul van Hecke
Jan Paul van Hecke has made the most ball carries (116) in the Premier League this season, and subsequently carried the ball the furthest distance (1149 metres) of any player so far.
Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White has created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season (11).
MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN
Brighton are unbeaten so far in the Premier League this season (W2 D2) – they have never remained without defeat in their first five games of a top-flight season, last doing so in any division in the 2015-16 Championship.
Hurzeler's men have drawn their last two Premier League games. Indeed, of all teams to have played in more than one campaign in the competition, the Seagulls have seen the highest share of their games finish level (32.2% - 87/270).
Brighton have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four home league games against Nottingham Forest (W3 D1), having lost the previous two while conceding three goals each time.
Indeed, having been unbeaten in eight top-flight meetings with Brighton between 1980 and 2023 (W6 D2), Forest lost home and away against the Seagulls last season.
Forest have won their last four Premier League away games, including their 1-0 win at Anfield last weekend, more than they had in their first 36 on the road following their return to the division in 2022 (W3 D9 L24). They last won five consecutive away games (in any division) in January 1994, and last did so in the top-flight in March 1989.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brighton – 52.3%
Draw – 24%
Nottingham Forest – 23.7%
Monaco 2-1 Barcelona: Ilenikhena seals memorable Champions League win for hosts
Monaco made a memorable return to the Champions League, beating 10-man Barcelona 2-1 on Thursday.
Barcelona made a dreadful start at the Stade Louis II Stadium, with Eric Garcia shown a straight red card just 10 minutes in for a foul on Takumi Minamino, who was in on goal after a misplaced pass from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The hosts took advantage six minutes later when Maghnes Akliouche struck a low shot into the net, giving Ter Stegen no chance.
However, Barcelona went into half-time on level terms after Lamine Yamal cut inside to drill a low shot into the bottom-left corner in the 28th minute.
Monaco kept pushing in the second half though, and got their reward in the 71st minute. Substitute George Ilenikhena fired past Ter Stegen to secure victory in their first Champions League appearance in five years.
Data Debrief: The kids are all right
Monaco were on the longest winless streak by a French side in European Cup/Champions League history (14 games) coming into this match, but have snapped that streak in superb style here.
Ilenikhena came off the bench and, in the process, snatched a little slice of history, becoming the youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer for Monaco (18 years and 34 days), breaking the previous record set by Kylian Mbappe in 2017 (18y and 63d).
Meanwhile, Yamal has become the second-youngest goalscorer in Champions League history at 17y and 68d, second only to Barcelona team-mate Ansu Fati (17y 40d). It is also the first time that Yamal has scored in two consecutive games for Barcelona.
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