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• Flick hails 'outstanding' Yamal after Girona double

  Hansi Flick heaped praise on Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal after he scored a double to help the LaLiga leaders earn a 4-1 victory at Girona on Sunday.

  Yamal, who grabbed the spotlight as he helped Spain win their fourth European Championship title in July, scored twice in seven first-half minutes to put them in control.

  Dani Olmo and Pedri then secured the win before Cristhian Stuani's consolation and Ferran Torres' late sending-off for a reckless challenge.

  Barcelona maintained their unbeaten start to the season, getting their fifth consecutive win at the start of Flick's tenure.

  "I'm very happy about Lamine's two goals, he's very young, but he's really incredible, a difference maker at such a young age," Flick told Movistar Plus.

  "Having him is key for us not only because of his quality, but he also presses very well high. He combines talent and pressure and that's massive for us. He is outstanding.

  "It was a tough game. Girona played well, but we started very well too, and we deserved to win."

  Flick's Barcelona top the LaLiga standings with 15 points, four ahead of Real Madrid and Villarreal. Last year's surprise package, Girona, are seventh with seven points.

  Barca avenged their two losses to Girona last season, both by a 4-2 result.

  It was a dominant performance by the Catalan giants, whose relentless high press was too much for their opponents to handle as they had 20 shots (nine on target), outperforming their 1.82 expected goals.

  Now, Barcelona will hope to carry their domestic momentum into the Champions League, where they will face Monaco away on Thursday.

  "We have trained very hard for this, and we need to keep going. This last week we have prepared well, but we do it for every game we play because we always want to win, we are in a good moment, and we can't stop," Flick added.

  "It won't be easy against Monaco, but we're taking it one game at a time, and we're really excited. We're all looking forward to it."

• Lay's named official FIFA World Cup 26 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 sponsor

   Lay’s, a brand that has been bringing people together for generations, is building on its commitment to celebrating soccer fandom by becoming an Official snack of both the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The exciting new partnership brings together two titans – the world’s favorite chip brand and the world’s biggest and most popular single sporting event for men and women – to spread the joy of the game to millions of fans worldwide. As Official Sponsor, Lay’s, alongside an iconic portfolio of food brands including Doritos®, Cheetos®, Tostitos®, Ruffles®, Quaker® and Gamesa®, will bring fans closer to the game than ever before with exclusive experiences, merchandise, consumer activations and more.

  “Partnering with FIFA marks a significant milestone for our business and ambition to embed Lay’s and our extended portfolio of food brands deeper into football culture,” said Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods – Lay’s. “Football is one of the world's biggest passion points, and this historic partnership allows us to bring the excitement and reach of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup together with the joy and fun of our iconic brands across the world.” 

  On announcing the deal, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider soccer community. After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision, and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.”

  The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and to be hosted across three countries – United States, Mexico and Canada – while the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ will be held in South America for the first time in 2027. With the two tournaments set to make history, Lay’s is joining the hype by rewarding soccer fans in new and unexpected ways. The brand will break new ground in 2026 by recognizing and rewarding the “Fan of the Match” at every match, spotlighting those in the stands whose passion and energy bring the beautiful game to life, and providing them with one-of-a-kind experiences.

  Additionally, Lay’s, and the full portfolio of food brands, will engage fans on a global scale via in-store and digital promotions leading up to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The brands will also be prominently featured on the pitch during every match through LED stadium display board exposure, press conference backdrops, as well as products sold across concession stands. Going beyond the stadiums, Lay’s and the iconic food portfolio will deliver immersive consumer experiences at FIFA official fan zones across host cities.

    Lay’s has established a strong legacy with FIFA and the world of soccer fandom. The brand has led massive culture-defining initiatives, including the No Lay’s, No Game platform, which has created viral moments with soccer mega-stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The legendary duo, earlier this year, stunned an entire stadium of 75,000 cheering fans as they orchestrated an epic hunt for Lay’s.  The brand additionally launched the instantly iconic Oh Lay’scampaign which took the traditional “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” mantra and put a Lay’s twist on it with the help of the G.O.A.T., Lionel Messi.

   

   

• Gasperini wary of Arsenal ahead of Champions League opener

  Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledges Thursday's Champions League meeting with Arsenal will be a difficult challenge for his Atalanta side following a mixed start to their Serie A campaign.

  Atalanta sit eighth in the Italian top flight with two wins and two defeats from their first four games of 2024-25, having beaten Fiorentina 3-2 in a thriller on Sunday.

  La Dea twice trailed to goals from Lucas Martinez Quarta and Moise Kean, only to fight back for victory with Mateo Retegui, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman scoring.

  Gasperini led Atalanta to Europa League glory last season, and they are preparing to step up to the revamped Champions League, with Arsenal the visitors for their first league-phase match next week.

  Gasperini knows the Gunners will provide a huge test, telling DAZN: "It's not just their aerial power, it's the way they run and move the ball. They have fantastic dynamism.

  "Arsenal are a great reference point in England, they dominated the Premier League last season along with Manchester City and Liverpool.

  "We have never played against them and I think they will be a big test for us because of their intensity, quality and pace. 

  "We’re not used to teams with those characteristics, this could be a problem for us."

  Gasperini also expressed frustration with the recent international break, noting that it had complicated efforts to prepare the team for their European campaign. 

  "Having the break for international duty was not helpful, as so many of them left again straight away," he said.

  "I think first of all this team needs to find solidity, get those mechanisms running smoothly."