Real Madrid faced a crushing defeat against their bitter rivals Barcelona in a LaLiga Clasico match yesterday. Despite playing with intensity in the first half, missed opportunities and two quick goals from Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski in the second half sapped the energy from the Madrid side. Ancelotti expressed his disappointment at the result but added that there is still room for improvement and the season is yet long.
France manager Didier Deschamps speaks out after accusations of rape were made against his star player Kylian Mbappe. The soccer forward, currently playing for Real Madrid, was criticised in the press following his trip to Sweden last week, and hit back with an online statement denying it as "fake news". Deschamps asked media to be mindful of their approach to the sensitive situation, and assured that Mbappe is "big enough to know how to communicate".
Tom Latham, captain of the New Zealand cricket team, attributes their first-ever Test series win in India to their aggressive playing style and winning the toss in the second Test. The Kiwis' bowlers put in an impressive performance, with Mitchell Santner taking 13 wickets, to seal an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Latham praised Santner's contributions and expects a tough challenge from India in the final Test match in Mumbai.
As Real Madrid gear up to face Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the 2024/25 season, manager Carlo Ancelotti is facing injury concerns for key players such as Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo. However, Brahim Diaz is fit and available, and Ancelotti has praised Jude Bellingham's contribution to the team. Ancelotti is expected to line Real Madrid up in a 4-4-2 formation with a midfield diamond, with Bellingham playing in an advanced role and Andriy Lunin replacing the injured Courtois in goal. With the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior leading the attack, Real Madrid will aim to go level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
The competition between the men and women's teams in Bigg Boss Tamil has fans and even contestants like Sunitha questioning the fairness of this season's tasks. With the men dominating in physical challenges, Sunitha pointed out the unequal playing field and suggested separate competitions for each gender or tasks that require more strategy and less strength. Her stance has gained support from other housemates and viewers alike, who are now wondering if Bigg Boss will change things up for more balanced competition.
In a heart-stopping match, PSV managed to maintain their 100% record in the league after a late VAR decision denied Sparta a potential equalizer. Despite playing with 10 men for almost the entire second half, PSV was able to secure the win with goals from Luuk de Jong and a bit of luck with an own goal. Meanwhile, Feyenoord also had a successful outing, defeating Twente to narrow the gap between the two teams in the league standings.
Vijay Dahiya, former teammate and coach of Gambhir, believes that the current head coach's experience of handling a tough transition phase during his playing days will come in handy for Team India. Dahiya expects Gambhir to be honest and upfront in his approach, as the team prepares for the third Test against New Zealand and the upcoming Australia series. With senior players like Ashwin, Sharma, Kohli and Jadeja all in their mid-30s, Dahiya believes Gambhir will steer the team through this challenging time without any knee-jerk reactions.
On Wednesday evening, Manchester City dominated in their 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium. Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes stood out with two assists and a late penalty, solidifying his place on the team and proving his worth for more playing time in the Premier League.
New Zealand's historic win against India in the second Test proves to be a game changer as they claim their first-ever test series win in India after a 69-year-long wait. The team's preparation and disciplined playing, along with the outstanding performance by all-rounder Mitchell Santner, have led to their back-to-back victories. Even though India's Yashasvi Jaiswal's top-scored with 77 runs, it was not enough to save the team from facing another defeat. With this series win, New Zealand has ended India's unbeaten streak in home tests and claimed the top spot in the World Test Championship points table. The third and final test is set to take place in Mumbai on November 1 before India travels to Australia for a five-match Test series.
Zimbabwe's Sikander shines with 133 runs as the team surpasses the previous T20I record with a massive 344/4 against Gambia. This also makes them the highest scoring team among all Test playing nations, breaking India's recent record of 297/6 against Bangladesh earlier this month. Sikander's 15 sixes also set a new record in men's T20Is, making him the first Zimbabwe player to score a century in this format and the joint-second fastest to reach the milestone.