Empoli increased the pressure on under-fire Napoli boss Rudi Garcia with a 1-0 win in Serie A.
Viktor Kovalenko’s injury-time winner gave the visitors the smash-and-grab points in Naples and left Garcia in no doubt about how the home fans feel about him after he received jeers.
Last year’s champions are in fourth after this sorry defeat.
It could have been so different had the hosts taken two early chances, but they came up against inspired Empoli goalkeeper Etrit Berisha.
The Albania international tipped Matteo Politano’s effort wide and then kept out Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s header from the resulting corner.
Napoli thought they had taken the lead in the 27th minute after Giovanni Simeone poked home but he was ruled offside.
Empoli showed they meant business and fired two warning shots before the break when Matteo Cancellieri fizzed a shot just wide and then Andrea Ranocchia volleyed inches over.
Napoli took a while to get going after the break and then found Berisha was in no mood to concede.
Jesper Lindstrom, who had just come on, fired a wicked effort from 20 yards that was heading for the top corner, but the goalkeeper made a superb flying save.
He then twice denied Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as Napoli kept knocking on the door.
First he kept out an arrowed effort from the Georgian and then used his leg to save another low shot.
It looked like Napoli would be mulling over two points dropped as the game headed into injury time, but things got a lot worse as Empoli stole the win.
In the first minute of injury time Kovalenko found space on the edge of the area and found the far post with a delicious curling effort which beat goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and went in off the post.
There was no time for Napoli to respond and Garcia was left staring down the barrel.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is desperate for some positive injury news over the international break.
The Magpies have been decimated by injuries and were without 11 players for Saturday’s defeat at Bournemouth.
They also lost Miguel Almiron to a hamstring problem in the first half which Howe hopes is not too serious.
Also absent was Bruno Guimaraes through suspension, with Newcastle failing to win all seven of the matches he has missed since he joined the club.
“The break has come at a very good time,” said Howe.
“It doesn’t mean we will have a flood of players back but hopefully one or two.
“Bruno was a huge miss. We’ll get him back. But a lot are longer-term and we have to accept that.
“I think we’ve been unlucky – some bizarre injuries. Jacob Murphy’s shoulder, Dan Burn landing on his back. There’s nothing we can do about that. Its a unique situation.”
Dominic Solanke’s second-half double lifted Bournemouth out of the relegation zone.
Solanke told Sky Sports: “Obviously we haven’t had the best of starts to the season, but I think we’re in a place now to kick on.
“We’ve had two back-to-back wins at home in the league now. We’re looking to push forward and hopefully I can keep scoring.”
Coventry manager Mark Robins was pleased his side “stopped the rot” after a four-game losing streak but admitted his disappointment after his side drew 0-0 with Stoke.
The Sky Blues had been on a miserable run that culminated with a 3-2 defeat to Preston last time out, while the Potters left the West Midlands on a six-match unbeaten run after a fourth clean sheet in succession.
Ellis Simms came closest for the home side when he hit the post in the first half, whilst Jamie Allen and Matty Godden squandered good chances.
“I’m pleased with stopping the rot because it was getting boring, but frustrated because we should have taken the chances to have taken the game away from a really good side,” said Robins.
“There has been a lot of good work which has gone on this week, some of which has come out in today’s game, some of which didn’t and it will take time for it to come out fully.
“The work rate was incredible from everyone. Haji (Wright) on the left-hand side worked his socks off, Matty Godden, Ellis was trying to find his way, hits the post with one, Matty missed a chance when it has come off his shoulder from a header when you would expect him to score.
“You need something to move forward from and today is hopefully that. It’s been a tough (period from) international break to international break in terms of the points we have picked up but some of the performances have been really good – parts of performances have been really good.
“We’ll take it, the clean sheet on the back of the goals we’ve conceded, and some of the decisions that have gone against us have been laughable really.
“We’ve got to take the point and move on from that. Plenty of work to do.”
Alex Neil conceded his side did not do enough to win the game as Stoke battled to a second 0-0 draw in succession.
He said: “I thought there was some really good bits and some not-so-good bits. We played well through the back but I thought we lacked a real punch at the top end of the pitch today.
“I didn’t think we created enough real chances, we got into some good areas and got to the byline probably six or seven times in the game and I think when you get there you’ve got to create better opportunities, whether it’s a clear cut-back or you stand it up at the back post.
“I thought they were similar, they had some good moments but not anything clear that should win the game either.
“That’s four clean sheets on the bounce we’ve had and for us over a number of years that is rare so that’s a good point. What we need to do is make sure we’ve got enough aggression in our game, enough quality.
“We didn’t lack enough threat going forward in terms of volume of players, we just didn’t really select the right options. Sometimes in these tight games you need one player to produce one moment of quality and unfortunately for both teams that wasn’t quite there. We huffed and puffed without it really being enough.
“If you don’t do enough to win the game, don’t lose the game.”
Coventry halted their four-match losing run with a 0-0 Sky Bet Championship draw against Stoke.
The Sky Blues had been on a miserable run which culminated in a 3-2 loss against Preston last time out, but could have taken all three points as Ellis Simms hit the post in the first half.
Stoke left the West Midlands with their own unbeaten run intact as their second stalemate in succession left them six unbeaten.
Simms came closest to giving Coventry a much-needed three points when Jake Bidwell hung up an inviting cross to the back post which the former Everton man headed against the woodwork.
It was a much-changed Coventry side that saw Simms partnered by Matty Godden and Haji Wright up front, with all three strikers starting together for the first time in a new-look 4-3-3 formation.
Brad Collins was handed a first start in goal at the expense of Ben Wilson, whilst Bidwell was preferred to Jay Dasilva at left-back and Kyle McFadzean unavailable after the death of his mother on Tuesday.
The unchanged Stoke line-up featured two former Sky Blues at centre back as former loanee Luke McNally was partnered by Michael Rose.
After a dull opening 20 minutes, two of the front three linked up when Simms chested down for stand-in captain Godden, his deflected effort clawed away by Jack Bonham.
Collins was forced to save low to his left from Daniel Johnson at the other end with the Coventry back line stood still after the offside flag had been raised and then put down, cueing a chorus of boos from the majority of the 25,003 inside the ground.
Mark Robins’ side started well after the break when Wright headed Godden’s pinpoint cross over the crossbar before the American picked out Jamie Allen in the box, but the midfielder scuffed his effort.
Dwight Gayle forced Collins into a second save in a rare foray forward for Alex Neil’s men whilst Matt Vidigal’s acrobatic effort went wide.
Josh Eccles won possession high up the field and drove forward before feeding Simms but the 22-year-old skewed his effort wide before Wright could only find the side netting when he was played in down the left.
Godden then found a yard in the box but he could only nod Bidwell’s corner wide of Bonham’s goal.
The Sky Blues may have failed to find their all-important goal but a seventh draw of the season meant Robins’ men avoided a fifth straight defeat for the first time since February 2017.
Leandro Trossard is confident every time Bukayo Saka has the ball he will make something happen as the Arsenal pair combined once again to open the scoring in Saturday’s win over Burnley.
Belgium forward Trossard has scored six goals this season and they have all been assisted by Saka, whose header to the back-post was bravely converted by his team-mate.
Arsenal won 3-1 to move second in the Premier League as William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko goals cancelled out Josh Brownhill’s equaliser for the visitors.
Mikel Arteta praised the “connection” Trossard has with his Arsenal colleagues but none is seemingly as strong as that he has with Saka.
“I don’t know why but every time B (Saka) is on the ball, I just know I need to make a movement or come close to him,” said Trossard.
“In this moment I just gambled on him winning the header and he did and that’s why I got the goal.”
Trossard risked injury to bundle home the opener, turning in Saka’s header from close-range before clattering into Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford and the post.
“In the moment I headed the ball I tried to protect myself,” he added.
“But I hit the post with my forearm and it was really painful but it’s okay and the pain has calmed down.
“It’s always nice to score a goal, of course, that helps your team to win a game and that’s what we did today so it was really important to go into the international break like this and we have done it.”
While the win sees the Gunners leapfrog north London rivals Tottenham, it condemned Burnley to a 10th defeat in their opening 12 games.
The Clarets have now lost five in a row in the league, shipping 14 goals and scoring just three in that time.
Brownhill drew them level for all of three minutes at the Emirates Stadium but the Burnley captain believes there is still plenty to take from recent performances heading into the international break.
“I think overall there’s a lot of positives to take but at the end of the day it’s a defeat, so everybody’s frustrated but like I say I think there’s a lot of positives in there,” he told the club’s official website.
“The confidence that we’ll take, even though the results haven’t gone our way, the performances have been really, really good. It was always going to take a little bit getting going.
“Now it’s time to rest, come back but we’ve got to start getting the results, that’s the main thing.
We can perform well as much as we want but the most important thing is the result and I believe in this team, what we can do and what we can achieve this season – so it won’t be long before we start getting the results we deserve.”
Megan Rapinoe was left devastated after her career swansong came to an early end as she limped out of the National Women’s Soccer League final.
The 38-year-old suffered a suspected ruptured Achilles in just the third minute of the season-decider in San Diego and then had to watch her side OL Reign lose 2-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Rapinoe won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal in a brilliant 203-cap career for the United States, but the defeat means she ends her domestic stint without an NWSL title.
She admitted that it was the “worst possible outcome” to her finale.
“It felt like just a huge pop,” Rapinoe told ESPN.
“The worst possible outcome. I just thank god I have like a f****** deep well of sense of humour. But just obviously devastating to go out in the final so early.
“That’s life, it’s part of the game. I was feeling really good before the game, wasn’t feeling tight or wasn’t having calf issues or anything. You don’t always get to have the perfect ending.
“I feel so lucky and so grateful to have played as long as I’ve played and to have played with the incredible players that I’ve played (with).
“Every sort of new cycle that I’ve come with, I’ve gotten close to certain players and built relationships and played with some of the very best players in the world.
“I’m looking forward to retirement. I’m retiring on the field, but you’ll definitely be seeing a lot of me off of it.”
Victor Lindelof says Manchester United must keep building after Erik ten Hag’s below-par side fought for a fourth narrow win in five Premier League matches.
This has been a difficult second campaign to date for the Dutchman, who oversaw a ninth loss in 17 games in Wednesday’s 4-3 Champions League collapse at Copenhagen.
United rallied at a packed Old Trafford on Saturday and Lindelof’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 win against unfancied Luton, easing pressure before an international break they head into in a surprisingly good spot.
Despite relentless scrutiny and some chastening defeats, no team has won more points over their last five Premier League games than a Red Devils team with plenty of improvements to make.
“We want to score more goals and that’s the next step for us,” Lindelof said.
“Right now the most important thing is the three points and the result.
“But after that we have to keep going, keep working and building and hopefully we can score goals, close the game and not make it difficult for ourselves. But it’s step by step.
“We haven’t been playing at the highest level and we know that. We’ve just got to keep working hard.
“”We’re (not far) off the top four, and it shows that even if we’re not playing at the highest level, we can still get a result.”
All seven of United’s Premier League wins this term have come by a one-goal margin.
Ten Hag believes things will improve when his goal-shy frontmen’s form turns and is happy how others have stepped up in the meantime, with defender Lindelof lashing home just his fourth for the club on Saturday.
“It’s always special and nice to score a goal – I don’t score that many anymore,” the Sweden skipper told MUTV.
“To score the match-winner in front of the Stretford End is a special feeling and I felt that today.
“I saw the ball drop and I was thinking to myself ‘just try and hit it quite hard and quite high’. It was a good goal, I think.
“After the goal we dropped a little bit but, like I said, three points was the most important thing.”
Lindelof and many of his team-mates now turn their attention to international matters with United now not back in action until the trip to Everton on November 26.
Luton return to Premier League matters a day earlier at home to Crystal Palace as Rob Edwards’ promoted side look for a second victory of a season after a pair of promising displays.
“We are disappointed,” the Hatters boss said after a narrow loss at Old Trafford followed a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool.
“Of course, there was hard work in the performance and there was good quality in the second half from us.
“We showed a lot of bravery on the ball, and our fans know we aren’t a team that necessarily dominates on the ball.
“To grow on the ball in one of the best stadiums in the world and in the toughest league in the world is difficult, so the boys showed incredible bravery.
“It was harder to break United down later in the game as they got more players behind the ball, we just needed to find moments in the game at the right times and create some chances.
“I saw a determination, a steel, a grit about us in that first half, we rode our luck once or twice but had a chance of our own through the Carlton (Morris) header and it was important to stay in the game.
“The support we had from the fans was incredible today. It was very important at the beginning that we showed that respect which we did immaculately, and then I could hear them the whole game.
“It made me really proud to be representing this club and I hope everyone has a safe journey home.
“Take a lot from it, be proud of the football club today, but we are greedy and we want more points.”
A new champion will be crowned in this year’s ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup, as St George’s College denied defending champions Jamaica College a spot in the semi-final for the first time since 2012, after they played out a 1-1 stalemate in their decisive Group two quarterfinal encounter at Ashenheim Stadium on Saturday.
St George’s College entered the contest needing only a point and did enough to ensure they got in when Brian Burkett converted a 45+3-minute penalty. Though Jamaica College pulled on back through substitute Jayd Johnson (59th), stout defending, coupled with some excellent glove work by D’Jone Davis, in goal for St George’s College, broke the hearts of their Old Hope Road-based counterparts.
With the point, St George’s College finished second on five points, two behind group winners Hydel High, who were 3-1 winners over Tivoli High in their fixture at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
Both St George’s College and Hydel will next face Mona High and Kingston College respectively in the semi-final, with all four teams also set to represent the urban area in the all-island Champions Cup knockout tournament.
Meanwhile, Jamaica College, who ended third on three points, it is on to the consolation Walker Cup knockout tournament, along with the pointless Tivoli, who are defending champions.
Marcel Gayle, assistant coach of many-time champions St George’s College was delighted by the outcome, which he credited to the work done by goalkeeper Davis, in particular.
“I must say credit to Jamaica College, they are a very quality team, fought hard, and it is something that we were prepared for. It was a case of defence versus attack and we defended stoutly, credit must be given to D’Jone in goal, he was fantastic and I think he made the difference for us today,” Gayle said in a post-game interview.
With 53 titles between them, the clash between Jamaica College and Jamaica College was always expected to be a humdinger affair and it didn’t disappoint.
The games started at a good tempo with both teams going at each other in end-to-end action. Jamaica College gradually gained the ascendancy, as they showed more enterprise in attack which resulted in numerous squandered chances.
They should have opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Jabarie Howell was left unmarked deep inside the 18-yard box, but his shot kept out by Davis.
A minute later Jamoy Dennis produced a tidy run down the right channel and played a pass inside to Amarlie King, who couldn’t sort his feet out in time to get a shot on target.
Jamaica College again went close in the 24th when Malachi Sterling combined with King on a counterattack, but the latter again muffed his effort.
The “Dark Blues” of Old Hope Road, thought they had the go-ahead goal on the half-hour mark, but the goal was flagged offside.
As St George’s College struggled to break free, Jamaica College was again denied by Davis, who left his line well to block Tahir Lawrence’s stinging shot from point blank range, in the 35th minute.
Just when it seemed like the teams would go into the break goalless, the “Light Blues” of North Street found the lead against the run of play when Burkett converted from the penalty spot, after Zabir Taylor was felled inside the area by Javaun Mills.
Having paid for their profligacy, Jamaica College now requiring two goals to progress, again came out pressing on the resumption and pulled level 14 minutes in. This, as Johnson got in behind defenders and applied a tidy finish beyond Davis from an angle.
The Davion Ferguson-coached Jamaica College continued to create chances in their push for the winner. The best of those came in the latter stages when Johnson’s freekick was blocked by Davis and three players converged on the rebound but none could convert in time added.
That basically summed up Jamaica College’s Day, and Ferguson was left bitterly disappointed.
“We came out here today with a plan, we created enough chances to win the game and we just didn’t put them away. We’ve had some issues up to and it showed here today. St George’s came here with a resilient spirit, and they deserve to go through, so congratulations to them,” he said.
Saturday’s results
St George’s College 1, Jamaica College 1
Hydel High 3, Tivoli High 1
Semi-Final Matchups
Mona High vs St George's College
Hydel High vs Kingston College
Harry Kane continued his record-breaking start to life at Bayern Munich with a brace in a 4-2 victory over Heidenheim that saw the defending champions move top of the Bundesliga.
The England captain’s first-half double at Allianz Arena took his tally to 17 goals in 11 league games for Bayern – 21 goals in all competitions – and saw him write more history.
Kane has now scored more goals than anybody else at this stage of the Bundesliga season, and his current tally is already more than the 2022/23 joint-leading scorers, Christopher Nkunku for RB Leipzig and Niclas Fullkrug for Werder Bremen, managed in the whole of last season.
Following Kane’s first-half brace, promoted Heidenheim had briefly threated an upset when they drew level at 2-2 but goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Eric Choupo-Moting sealed the points for Bayern, who are now one point clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen ahead of their match with Union Berlin on Sunday.
Kane is not the only player to have hit a hot streak at the start of the Bundesliga season.
Serhou Guirassy’s spectacular campaign with Stuttgart reached another high when he netted the winner in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
The striker claimed his 15th goal from the penalty spot late on to give the home side all three points after Deniz Undav had cancelled out Fullkrug’s opener for Dortmund, who are now three points behind the third-placed Stuttgart.
Augsburg held Hoffenheim to a 1-1 draw after Ermedin Demirovic’s equaliser, Bochum’s game against rock-bottom Cologne also finished 1-1 while Darmstadt’s clash with Mainz ended 0-0.
In Spain, Real Madrid put Valencia to the sword in a dominant 5-1 win to keep the pressure up on surprise leaders Girona, who won again.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men cruised to victory without the absent Jude Bellingham, who was ruled out with a shoulder injury, after they opened the scoring in the third minute through Dani Carvajal.
Vinicius Jr netted a brace before his Brazil countryman Rodrygo managed a double.
Girona were also playing in the capital and fought from a goal down to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 to maintain their two-point lead at the top of LaLiga.
Alvaro Garcia Rivera struck early for the hosts before Artem Dovbyk and Savio completed the fightback for Girona, who won 11 of 13 league games this season and lost just once.
Real Sociedad won 3-1 at winless Almeria following stopped-time goals from Carlos Fernandez and Martin Zubimendi.
Grenada and Getafe drew 1-1, as did Osasuna and Las Palmas.
In France, Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as Paris St Germain powered past Reims with a 3-0 win to move a point clear of Nice at the top of the table.
The clinical Mbappe, who took his Ligue 1 tally to 13 for the season, was too much of a handful for the Reims defence who could do little to prevent the France star from confirming all three points for the reigning champions.
Le Havre held Monaco to a 0-0 draw in the late kick-off.
In-form Juventus scored twice in the second half to beat Cagliari 2-1 and climb to the top of Serie A.
Goals from Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani earned a fifth successive win for Juve, who move a point clear of Inter Milan ahead of their game with Frosinone on Sunday.
AC Milan’s winless run was extended to four matches as they surrendered a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 at Lecce, Olivier Giroud being sent off late on for the Rossoneri having earlier given them the lead.
Also in Serie A on Saturday, Monza drew 1-1 with Torino.
Defending champions Clarendon College and Glenmuir High are the first two teams to book their spots in the semi-finals of the 2023 ISSA/Wata DaCosta Cup after quarterfinal round Group A wins over Manchester High and Christiana High, respectively, on Saturday.
Clarendon College moved to six points from as many games with a dominant 4-0 win over Manchester at Manchester High while Glenmuir are also perfect after two games after a 1-0 win over Christiana at Glenmuir.
The pair will meet on Tuesday at Manchester to determine the group winners. Manchester and Christiana will clash at Brooks Park in the other game.
In Group B, Dinthill Technical got their second win in as many games with a 3-0 win over Garvey Maceo at Ewarton Sports Complex.
In the day’s other game, B.B. Coke got on the board in the quarterfinal round with a 2-1 win over Cornwall College at Jarrett Park.
Dinthill Technical currently leads the group with six points from their two games with a goal difference of five while Garvey Maceo, despite their loss on Saturday, remains in second with three points and a goal difference of one.
B.B. Coke are third, also with three points and a goal difference of negative three, while Cornwall College are yet to get off the mark in fourth and have the same goal difference as B.B. Coke.
Tuesday’s final day of the quarterfinal round will see Dinthill face B.B. Coke at STETHS and Cornwall College battle Garvey Maceo at Glenmuir High.
Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged it will be difficult for any club to win the Premier League title whilst Pep Guardiola remains in charge of Manchester City.
Chelsea face the champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday seeking a fourth win in six games in the league, but go into the game 11 points behind Guardiola’s treble winners having finished a colossal 45 points back last season.
Despite spending over £1billion on signings during the 18 months that owner Todd Boehly has been at the helm, the club have slid away from the league’s summit in that time, dropping from third place at the end of the 2021-22 campaign to 12th last season.
Pochettino has consistently defended results and performances since he took over in July, emphasising that despite the huge outlay, the club has mostly invested in young, inexperienced players who will required time to mature.
Ahead of Sunday’s showdown in west London, he agreed that toppling City will be a significant challenge whilst Guardiola is still in his job.
“I think we are all trying to be close to their level,” said Pochettino. “That’s the idea, that’s the challenge. It’ll be tough of course. If he continues there, he has the experience and the capacity, and the knowledge. He’s a great coach. It’s going to be tough to beat Manchester City.
“But we need to believe. Football is about belief and to try to develop and to create some different strategies to try to be above them.”
Pochettino previously enjoyed success against Guardiola and City in eliminating them from the Champions League with Tottenham en route to the final in 2019.
They ultimately lost in the final to Liverpool in Madrid, with Pochettino leaving less than six months later having failed to win silverware, despite running Leicester close for the title in 2016.
“We were contenders in the Champions League, we beat (City) with Tottenham,” said Pochettino. “But our possibility to win the league was when we fought in 2016 with Leicester. We never went in a fight with City for the league.
“But we were contenders in the Champions League. It’s not easy.
“That’s why massive credit to Pep and the organisation. Of course, you can see. But different clubs, different people, different structures, for sure, they’re building something really special.
“It was tough for them to win their first Champions League (last season), but they were consistent; improving and improving and improving with the confidence in Pep’s project, backing Pep for seven years. Massive credit to them.”
Pep Guardiola has no issues selling players to rivals because Manchester City are not a “small club”.
The champions come up against two of their recent former players in Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling as they travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
Palmer left City for Stamford Bridge in August having grown frustrated at a lack of game time under Guardiola, a year after Sterling also moved there for a fresh challenge.
Both went with the club’s blessing, as did Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko when they joined Arsenal – and fuelled a strong charge at City’s crown – last year.
Some managers might be uncomfortable with at sales that effectively strengthen clubs in direct competition, but Guardiola insists it has “never ever” bothered him.
The City boss said: “From my point of view, I give my opinion to the club but after that the club has to decide if the transfer is good for both sides and for the player.
“But never ever (has it been an issue). I think that means you are a small club. Big clubs make decisions for the benefit for all three parties: players, both clubs – and agents sometimes. Really, it’s not a problem.
“So if they want to go to Chelsea or (Manchester) United or, I don’t know, Liverpool or whatever, what is the problem? They are happy to be there, the club is happy for the transfer.
“Another player would come and we’d keep going: good spirit, good mood, and try to do it.”
City had high hopes for 21-year-old midfielder Palmer, who came through their youth system.
He was a member of the squad that won the treble last season and started the current campaign strongly with goals in the Community Shield and European Super Cup matches.
It looked like he could get more opportunities following the departure of Riyad Mahrez but he opted to move on regardless, joining Chelsea in a £42.5million deal.
So far he has impressed at the London club and Guardiola accepts his decision to move appears to have paid off.
He said: “They moved from here because they wanted to play and, if they play, the decision made has been good.
“So Raheem, since he left, plays always and Cole, since he left, is playing always. So they took good decisions.
“Cole accepted some process but after one or two years he said, ‘I don’t want to stay here because I’m not going to play’.
“I said, ‘But Riyad is leaving, you have a chance’. He said, ‘I’m not going to play here. I’m going to leave’.
“OK, leave. He got what he wanted. It’s good for him. He’s a huge talent. Otherwise he would not have been here.”
Real Madrid returned to winning ways in LaLiga with a 5-1 thumping of Valencia to keep pace with leaders Girona.
Madrid had dropped points at home to Rayo Vallecano last weekend, but Girona’s victory over the same opponent earlier on Saturday briefly opened up a five-point gap at the summit.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side responded in perfect fashion with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo each scoring doubles in a comfortable victory at Santiago Bernabeu.
While Madrid had booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a midweek success over Braga, Jude Bellingham had added to the club’s growing list to cast doubt over his England involvement next week.
Madrid captain Dani Carvajal quickly dispelled any lingering gloom with a superb opener in the third minute.
Toni Kroos picked out Carvajal with an inch-perfect crossfield pass, which was controlled by the right-back before he smashed the ball home on the half-volley from 22 yards with his weaker foot.
Ancelotti’s team were in the mood now and Kroos struck the crossbar soon after, before Valencia did settle, but they were hit with a sucker-punch before half-time.
Rodrygo was released down the right and his wicked delivery found Vinicius Jr, who produced an unconventional finish of a chest of the ball into the ground and beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 42nd minute.
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If Valencia hoped the break would interrupt Madrid’s momentum, it failed miserably with a third following four minutes after the interval.
After Rodrygo fizzed the ball to Vinicius Jr, the Brazil attacker cut inside and drilled an effort into the bottom corner.
It was 4-0 within 60 seconds when Mamardashvili’s night went from bad to worse when his attempted pass out from the back was intercepted by Rodrygo and he slotted into the corner before copying Cristian Ronaldo’s siu celebration.
Vinicius Jr was denied his hat-trick just past the hour mark when his chipped effort was blocked and he was substituted with 82 minutes on the clock.
The goal frenzy had not finished there though with Rodrygo able to pick up the mantle and grab his second of the evening.
Madrid substitute Fran Garcia found Rodrygo and the youngster twisted and turned inside the penalty area before he fired the ball into the far corner in the 84th minute.
Valencia were able to have the final say on proceedings when Hugo Gonzalez got to the right byline and crossed in for Hugo Duro to hook home on the turn, but it failed to spoil a five-star display by Madrid.
Ancelotti’s title hopefuls are once again two points behind Girona going into the international break with a trip to Cadiz to come in a fortnight.
Frosinone coach Eusebio Di Francesco feels his side will have to play beyond their limits when they face the “most complete” team Inter Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri secured a place in the Champions League knockout stages with a 1-0 win away at RB Salzburg on Wednesday night, which was a fifth-straight victory through all competitions.
Simone Inzaghi’s side, though, were knocked off the top of Serie A after Juventus beat Cagliari on Saturday.
Frosinone, who were promoted to the top flight this season, got themselves back on track last weekend with victory over Empoli, having lost back-to-back league games.
Canaries coach Di Francesco, though, is all too aware of just what challenge awaits his side at the San Siro.
“I believe that in order to compete with Inter we will have to outdo ourselves,” Di Francesco said.
“Inter are the most complete team, they are difficult to face and a club who have given continuity to the work of their coach.
“He has many weapons at his disposal, they are so difficult to deal with from all points of view.
“But what is most scary about Inter is the awareness, the knowledge they have among themselves which makes them a tough team to beat.
“If so far we have put in 10 out of 10, now to be able to compete with this Inter we will have to put in, I won’t say double, but come close.
“We must go and play this match with the same enthusiasm we have had so far.”
Despite the challenges ahead, Di Francesco wants his side to stay true to the values which have helped push them towards the top half of the table.
“In terms of the characteristics of the players who will be involved, the right solutions must be chosen, but we must not lose our identity and our principles of play,” said Di Francesco, who took over the newly-promoted side in the summer following the departure of Fabio Grosso.
“We must rely on the fact of enthusiasm, of the great desire to go and play the match.”
The Frosinone coach told a press conference: “I don’t share the concept that it’s not possible to face Inter with a smile and try to have fun – factors that will have to accompany us until the end of the championship this season.”
Di Francesco feels his players must focus on their collective goal, rather than get swept up in the occasion.
“I tried to tell my boys that when you enter the pitch in any stadium the strength lies in putting two plugs in your ears and to just focus on your team’s goal,” he said.
“That is what I did this week too, I didn’t give much weight to the match itself.
“I made it clear that we will have a strong team to fight against, however that doesn’t mean just standing behind them, but we must also be trying to fight back.”
Inter coach Inzaghi did not hold a media conference ahead of Sunday’s Serie A fixture.
Inzaghi is expected to recall Nicolo Barella after the midfielder did not feature in the Champions League.
Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martinez started on the bench in Salzburg before coming on during the second half and scoring the late penalty which secured a 1-0 win.
Kieran Trippier confronted angry Newcastle fans following their 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.
The injury-hit Magpies were downed by Dominic Solanke’s second-half double on the south coast.
As the players went to applaud the travelling fans after the final whistle, England full-back Trippier was filmed on social media responding to a supporter by saying: “Are the lads not giving everything? How many injuries have we got?”
Afterwards, Trippier played down the incident. He told Sky Sports: “The fans are emotional, they have travelled a long way.
“I had a chat with one of them, saying we are giving everything and there’s no need to panic.
“We got beat and we apologise for that result, but the lads are giving everything.”
Manager Eddie Howe admitted he understood the fans’ frustrations. “Kieran is fine. Emotions run high,” he said.
“We all feel a bit emotional after that from our perspective. We value all our away support, we value them greatly. We thank them for their support.”
It was a nightmare return to Bournemouth for Howe, who saw his side’s seven-match unbeaten Premier League run end and their injury crisis deepen.
The Magpies were already missing 11 players through injury and suspension after Callum Wilson injured a hamstring in the midweek defeat at Borussia Dortmund. Howe revealed Wilson will withdraw from the England squad and faces a spell on the sidelines.
They then lost Miguel Almiron to another hamstring problem midway through the first half.
The long casualty list meant a first Premier League start for 17-year-old Lewis Miley in central midfield.
Such are Newcastle’s lack of options they ended the match with Ben Parkinson, an 18-year-old who had never previously made a first-team appearance, playing alone in attack.
“It was a game where we couldn’t be where we needed to be for it and it was a tough watch. We were unrecognisable today,” added Howe, who was the Cherries manager the last time they beat Newcastle in 2017.
“It was a real off day. There are reasons, but I don’t want to sit here and make excuses. I want to support the players.”
The only surprise was that it took dominant Bournemouth an hour before they made the breakthrough.
Joe Willock challenged Antoine Semenyo, the ball rolled off him into the path of Solanke who raced into the area and lashed his shot inside Nick Pope’s near post.
Bournemouth doubled the lead from a corner, Solanke flicking the rebound home with his heel after Luis Sinisterra’s header hit a post.
It secured only a second win of the season for Bournemouth and lifted them out of the bottom three.
Boss Andoni Iraola said: “I think we really deserved this win. We played well and had good chances. Luckily we finished the job in the second half.
“Dom has been very good for us. On the ball and off the ball, he helps his team-mates. He missed chances in the first half, but cleared his mind and continued playing the same way.”
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