Connect with us

Sports

Kylian Mbappe On Target As Real Madrid Cruise To Leganes Win

Published

on






Kylian Mbappe scored his first goal in five games for Real Madrid as the champions beat Leganes 3-0 on Sunday in La Liga. Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham also struck as Madrid moved second, four points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand. Los Blancos capitalised after Barcelona slipped to a draw at Celta Vigo on Saturday with a straightforward win against 14th-placed Leganes. Madrid face Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday in the Champions League in a crucial game for the Spanish side after two defeats in their first four European matches and warmed up with a solid performance.

“The team managed the good feelings that we had in the (previous 4-0 win) against Osasuna well, and we confirmed them today,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian lined up with young centre-back Raul Asencio as well as Dani Ceballos, who was afforded a rare start and Turkish playmaker Arda Guler.

Ancelotti was missing long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao among others, but was able to bring goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois back in for the visit to Butarque, in the Madrid suburbs.

Mbappe started in his favoured left wing position, a change of strategy from Ancelotti after using Vinicius Junior there until now.

It paid dividends as the forward netted his second goal in his last eight games, although he had a strike ruled out for offside beforehand.

“We changed the position of the forwards, with Mbappe outside and he did well, like Vinicius inside,” said Ancelotti.

Mbappe was left out of France’s squad for the second time in as many months during the recent international break and has been struggling with off-field problems, possibly affecting his start to life at Madrid following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Guler had Madrid’s first real chance but Marko Dmitrovic parried his effort after the midfielder cut in from the right.

Mbappe broke the deadlock shortly before half-time, teed up at the back post by Vinicius, who nipped in to capitalise on some Leganes defensive confusion.

Sealing the win

Valverde, captaining Madrid for the first time and playing out of position at right-back, drilled home his team’s second in the 66th minute from a free-kick.

Dmitrovic thwarted a powerful Mbappe strike as the French forward looked to grab a second and seal Madrid’s win.

In the end it was England star Bellingham, netting his second goal of the season, heading home a rebound from close range after Brahim Diaz‘s deflected shot hit the crossbar.

“We were very comfortable in the first half, playing the game we wanted to, but (to concede) after a mistake… hurts more, it got away from us because of our errors,” admitted Leganes defender Sergio Gonzalez.

“The team gave everything, and with the smallest opportunities, they punished us.”

Ancelotti was happy with 21-year-old centre-back Asencio’s performance on his first start for the club.

“It surprised me in that he’s a player with maturity, always well positioned, very well positioned, and it means the youth academy has done a good job with him,” said the coach.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Mikel Arteta Grapples With Arsenal’s Defensive Injury Crisis Ahead Of Monaco Game

Published

on

By


Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta© AFP




Mikel Arteta praised his Arsenal team for how they have coped with a punishing defensive injury crisis as he prepares his men to face Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Gunners are seventh in the new-look Champions League format after three wins in five matches — one place above the Ligue 1 team. But Arteta, whose men are also third in the Premier League, is juggling a lengthy injury list. Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori, who both missed Sunday’s draw at Fulham, were absent from Tuesday’s training session, along with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey. Right-backs Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still absent with knee injuries.

“We have to manage a lot of the players, so they’re probably not going to be fit for tomorrow and are a doubt,” Arteta said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“I still have 24 hours to make those decisions and hopefully the right ones…. In the ideal scenario, we have to be in charge to make those decisions because it’s forcing us to make it for the wrong reasons, but as well, we need to accept the reality and move forwards.”

Arsenal stumbled at the start of last month but won four straight games in all competitions before Sunday’s 1-1 draw.

But the Spaniard said he was happy with how his men were coping in the absence of a settled back line.

“The good news is that the team still reacts and plays in the way that we want and becomes so dominant, and we want to do that regardless of who plays and I think that belief is within the team and it’s really positive,” he said.

Arteta said there was an opportunity for defender Kieran Tierney to return — the 27-year-old Scotland international has yet to feature this season.

“He is ready and he’s training really well and he’s going to have an opportunity for sure with the way the team is looking at the moment,” he said.

“It’s for that reason and because he’s earned it as well with the way he’s behaved and the way he’s been with us.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Two Plead Guilty In Formula One Legend Michael Schumacher Blackmail Plot

Published

on

By


File photo of Michael Schumacher© AFP




A father and son pleaded guilty in a German court Tuesday over a plot to blackmail the family of Michael Schumacher by threatening to release images of the Formula One legend. The men from Wuppertal in western Germany made the admission at the opening of their trial in the city, a court spokeswoman said.  The men, identified only as Yilmaz T. and Daniel L., allegedly threatened to release private photos and videos of Schumacher and demanded 15 million euros ($15.7 million) from his family. These purportedly included images of the seven-time Formula One champion before and after a 2013 skiing accident, which left him with a serious brain injury.

Schumacher, 55, has not been seen in public since.

A third man, who is accused of supplying the photos to the other two defendants, also went on trial for his alleged part in the plot but made no admission of guilt.

The man, identified as Markus F. from the western German town of Wuelfrath, worked as a security guard at the Schumacher family residence in Switzerland until 2021.

Prosecutors accuse the suspect of selling images of Schumacher, acquired during his work, to the father and son for a “five-figure” sum.

According to prosecutors, Yilmaz T. rang an employee of the Schumacher family several times in June this year to demand money.

The employee demanded proof of the images, which was delivered from a new email address, said to have been set up by the suspected blackmailer’s son.

The court has scheduled a total of five hearings until mid-February.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Ex-RCB Fast Bowler Handed Major Punishment By ICC For ‘Abusing Fourth Umpire’

Published

on

By


File photo of Alzarri Joseph© AFP




West Indies bowler Alzarri Joseph has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct by using offensive language in an exchange with a match official, during the first ODI match against Bangladesh, which the hosts won by five wickets. Joseph was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “the use of an audible obscenity.” In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Joseph’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period, the ICC informed in a statement on Tuesday, minutes ahead of the start of the second ODI.

The incident occurred on Sunday before the start of play when Joseph used offensive and abusive language in an exchange with the fourth umpire after the umpire had asked Joseph to refrain from stepping onto the pitch with his spikes on.

Joseph admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite levelled the charge.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Joseph went on to claim 2-67 and with Romario Shepherd, who claimed 3-51, helped West Indies restrict Bangladesh 294/6, propped up by skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74), Tanzid Hasan (60), Mahmudullah (50 not out) and Jaker Ali (48).

West Indies rode on an 80-ball 113 by Sherfane Rutherford and an 86 by skipper Shai Hope to reach 295/5 with 14 balls to spare.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 Dailycrunch. & Managed by Shade Marketing & PR Agency