分类： sports

A pressure-laden victory for Real Madrid on Sunday has potentially secured manager Xabi Alonso’s position for the immediate future. In a hard-fought La Liga encounter at Mendizorroza stadium, Madrid edged past a resilient Deportivo Alaves with a 2-1 scoreline, courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo Goes.

The win, only the club’s third across all competitions in their last nine outings, carries significant weight. It narrows the gap to arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona back to a four-point margin, ensuring the title race remains intensely competitive heading into the winter break. This result arrived on the heels of a damaging midweek Champions League home defeat to Manchester City, which had sparked widespread media speculation that Alonso’s tenure was contingent on a positive result against Alaves.

Mbappé, returning to the starting lineup after being sidelined with a knee injury against City, initially appeared hampered but grew into the game. He broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with a spectacular strike into the top corner, set up by a precise pass from Jude Bellingham. Alaves, however, refused to capitulate. They seized control of the game’s tempo and found a deserved equalizer in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente, who expertly finished after beating Antonio Rüdiger.

With the specter of another disappointing result looming, Brazilian forward Rodrygo emerged as the late hero, tapping in a cross from Vinícius Júnior to secure the crucial three points. The goal, his second in consecutive matches, ended a prolonged personal scoring drought and triggered wild celebrations from a visibly relieved Alonso on the touchline.

Post-match, Alonso acknowledged the challenge, stating, ‘It was a hard-fought game… Alaves play with a lot of intensity.’ He reiterated that he retains the full support of his squad amidst the external pressure, emphasizing the collective need to build on this result. The coach also expressed bewilderment that a potential penalty claim for Vinícius Júnior was not reviewed by the VAR officiating team.

In other La Liga developments, Villarreal’s fixture was postponed due to adverse weather, and Real Oviedo dismissed their manager following a heavy defeat. Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Osasuna ensures they will remain at the summit of the league entering the new year.

Australian cricket veteran Nathan Lyon has expressed his eagerness to return to the national squad for the pivotal third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, following his unexpected exclusion from the Brisbane match that ended his 14-year consecutive home Test appearance streak. The 38-year-old off-spinner, who once served as ground staff at the iconic Adelaide venue before evolving into Australia’s most prolific Test off-spinner, is poised to rejoin captain Pat Cummins in the lineup for Wednesday’s encounter.

Despite openly acknowledging his disappointment at being dropped for the Gabba Test, Lyon maintains a forward-looking perspective regarding his role in the current series. ‘Every opportunity that there’s a Test match on, I want to be a part of it. I love playing cricket,’ Lyon stated during a media interaction after being inducted into the stadium’s ‘Avenue of Honour’ on Monday. He emphasized moving past the setback, focusing instead on his potential contributions in the upcoming match.

With Australia holding a commanding 2-0 series lead, Lyon has had minimal bowling opportunities thus far, delivering merely two overs across the opening Tests. The seasoned spinner anticipates greater involvement at Adelaide Oval, where he boasts an impressive record of 63 Test wickets. ‘I haven’t really had the opportunity to get my teeth into this Test series yet, but that opportunity will hopefully come soon,’ Lyon added.

Adelaide Oval head groundsman Damian Hough, Lyon’s former supervisor during his groundstaff days, indicated the pitch preparation would likely favor spin bowling. ‘Spin needs to play a part here. It always has,’ Hough commented, highlighting the historical significance of spin at the venue and expressing desire for spin to play a meaningful role in Australian pitches nationwide.

The Brisbane omission has temporarily halted Lyon’s pursuit of bowling milestones, leaving him at 562 Test wickets—just one dismissal shy of equaling legendary pace bowler Glenn McGrath’s tally as Australia’s second-most prolific Test wicket-taker. Despite his age, Lyon remains unequivocal about his continued international aspirations, stating: ‘I’ve played 140 Test matches. I feel like I don’t have a point to prove to anyone.’ The veteran cricketer reaffirmed his commitment to representing Australia, emphasizing his clarity of role within the team and his enduring passion for the sport.

Football icon Lionel Messi arrived in New Delhi on Monday, marking the final destination of his extensively anticipated ‘GOAT India Tour’ 2025. The Argentine World Cup champion’s arrival was managed under stringent security protocols following a series of successful appearances across the country.

The Delhi leg concludes a multi-city tour that previously visited Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. While the Kolkata event encountered organizational challenges, the Hyderabad and Mumbai segments proceeded flawlessly, drawing massive crowds and generating tremendous excitement among Indian football enthusiasts.

Outside Arun Jaitley Stadium, fervent supporters created an electric atmosphere with continuous chants of ‘Messi, Messi’ while displaying commemorative posters of their sporting hero. Saurab Aggarwal, one dedicated fan, revealed to ANI that he had been anticipating this moment for nearly a decade since Messi’s previous visit in 2011: ‘We were planning this day for the last 3-4 months. We’ve been waiting for this day for a decade and are incredibly excited to be here.’ Another admirer expressed even stronger emotions, stating: ‘It feels like we are about to see God.’

The tour’s previous stop in Mumbai featured spectacular events at Wankhede Stadium where Messi appeared alongside fellow football stars Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. The evening commenced with dynamic performances by renowned Indian DJ Chetas, who energized the crowd with popular music selections complemented by vibrant cultural dance presentations.

A highlight included an exhibition match between Indian Stars (featuring actor Tiger Shroff and Jim Sarbh alongside player Bala Devi) and Mitra Stars, captained by Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri with his Bengaluru FC teammates. Messi created unforgettable moments by kicking footballs into spectator areas and presenting Chhetri with a personally signed Argentina jersey.

The Mumbai event concluded with significant ceremonial exchanges as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis honored Messi with a commemorative gift. In a historic cross-sports moment, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar presented Messi with an official Team India jersey, symbolizing the mutual respect between two sporting legends from different disciplines.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is reportedly preparing a monumental €10 billion offer to acquire FC Barcelona, according to Spanish media reports cited by Goal.com. This potential move represents the latest ambitious play in global football by the Saudi wealth fund, which already maintains ownership of Premier League side Newcastle United and has attracted numerous elite players to the Saudi Pro League.

The reported interest emerges against the backdrop of Barcelona’s protracted financial crisis, which has plagued the club since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated its revenue streams. The Catalan giants have struggled under the weight of approximately €1.45 billion in debt, inherited from former president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s administration. These financial constraints have forced the club to implement drastic measures, including activating economic levers, renegotiating player contracts, and navigating La Liga’s stringent salary cap regulations.

Despite these off-pitch challenges, Barcelona maintains its competitive excellence on the field. The club recently secured both La Liga and Copa del Rey titles and entered the current 2025-2026 season as strong contenders across all competitions under manager Hansi Flick.

However, any acquisition attempt faces fundamental structural obstacles due to Barcelona’s unique membership model. Unlike conventional football club ownership structures, Barcelona operates as a collective entity owned by its socios (members), who retain control over governance and presidential elections. This model effectively prevents any individual or foreign entity from obtaining full ownership, rendering a complete takeover legally impossible.

Analysts suggest that while PIF could potentially explore investment opportunities in Barcelona’s commercial operations, the club’s core identity and ownership structure remain protected from external acquisition. This potential investment represents the continuing globalization of football ownership while highlighting the enduring tradition of fan-controlled governance models in European football.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered a scathing assessment of his team’s defensive performance despite securing a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. The league leaders required a 94th-minute own goal from Yerson Mosquera to claim three points after appearing destined for a disappointing draw.

The match took a concerning turn for Arsenal when Wolverhampton equalized in the 90th minute through Tolu Arokodare, canceling out Sam Johnstone’s earlier own goal that had given the hosts the lead. Arteta expressed particular frustration with what he described as ‘horrible defensive habits’ that emerged during critical moments of the match.

‘It was a relief to win, but with a very clear understanding that the margin should have been bigger,’ Arteta told reporters post-match. ‘We had a period of two or three minutes in deep, totally passive, with defensive habits that are nowhere near the level required against a team that hadn’t had a single shot.’

The victory maintains Arsenal’s position at the summit of the Premier League table with 36 points as they pursue their first league title after three consecutive second-place finishes. Arteta emphasized the importance of learning from the performance despite the positive result, noting that his players made victory ‘harder for ourselves today.’

With a challenging Christmas fixture schedule approaching, beginning with Saturday’s match against Everton, Arteta stressed the urgency of addressing defensive vulnerabilities while acknowledging the difficulty of securing Premier League victories.

In a commanding display of cricketing prowess, India clinched a decisive seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the third Twenty20 international at Dharamsala’s floodlit stadium on Sunday. The triumph grants India a 2-1 advantage in the five-match series as both teams prepare for February’s T20 World Cup.

South Africa’s batting lineup suffered a dramatic collapse early in the match after being put into bat, plummeting to 7-3 within the first 3.1 overs. Captain Aiden Markram emerged as the lone resilient force, preventing his team from recording their worst-ever T20 total—a dubious honor currently held at 74 runs from the series opener. Markram’s valiant 46-ball innings, featuring two sixes and six boundaries, was cut short when he was caught behind against pace bowler Arshdeep Singh, who finished with impressive figures of 2-13.

India’s bowling attack demonstrated remarkable depth despite the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the match for personal reasons. Harshit Rana, Bumrah’s replacement, claimed 2-34, while spin specialist Kuldeep Yadav delivered a masterful performance with 2-12 from just two overs, including the dismissal of Ottneil Baartman on the final delivery of South Africa’s innings.

India’s chase proceeded with clinical efficiency as openers Abhishek Sharma (35 from 18 balls) and Shubman Gill established a dominant 60-run partnership. Sharma’s explosive performance was eventually halted by a spectacular running catch from Markram off Corbin Bosch’s bowling. Gill contributed a steady 28 before being bowled by Marco Jansen, while captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for 12 to Lungi Ngidi’s delivery. The match concluded with Tilak Varma (26 not out) and Shivam Dube (10 not out) comfortably guiding India to victory at 120-3 in just 15.5 overs.

The series continues to demonstrate its unpredictable nature, with South Africa having previously rebounded from a 101-run defeat in the first match to secure a 51-run victory in the second T20. The teams now look ahead to Wednesday’s fourth T20 in Lucknow, with India seeking to maintain their momentum as defending T20 World Cup champions.