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Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to reach “the pinnacle of this ruthless industry” despite eternal rival Lionel Messi being “more talented”.

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Portuguese superstar one of the all-time greatsHas broken countless records down the yearsEfforts are the result of hard work & dedication

WHAT HAPPENED?

Two all-time greats have collected 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with countless records broken in domestic, continental and international competition. Messi, who is now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami, is considered to have cemented his reputation as a result of being blessed with God-given talent.

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Ronaldo, on the other hand, has had to work tirelessly for everything that he has achieved – with the Portuguese maximising his potential through a combination of natural ability and relentless ambition. That drive has taken him to the very top of the game, with millions being inspired by his efforts along the way.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former Premier League star Paul McVeigh – who once played against Ronaldo during their respective spells at Norwich and Manchester United – falls into that category and now references CR7 on a regular basis in his new role as a keynote speaker. McVeigh has told the : “Cristiano Ronaldo is someone I talk about a lot, probably I would say Lionel Messi is more talented, an absolute superstar from the start. Ronaldo was a good player, but he wasn’t the best ever. So how does he go from being good potential to being the best two in the world? If you ask 100 people, most think he has got to the pinnacle of this ruthless industry due to dedication, belief and work. Everything always comes back to what he is doing in his head, his mindset and psychology. Psychology is the single greatest differential in football… and life.”

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Ronaldo is still going strong at 38 years of age, with 18 goals recorded through as many appearances for Al-Nassr this season, and he is expected to play on into his 40s – allowing him to edge towards 800 total efforts at club level while enhancing record-setting hauls of 203 caps and 127 goals for his country.

The England international scored twice in the final quarter of the game in Barcelona to earn the visitors the unlikeliest of 2-1 victories

Jude Bellingham just can't stop scoring. The quality of the opposition, the enormity of the occasion, it makes no difference to the England international, who netted twice as a struggling Real Madrid came from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1 over Barcelona on Saturday afternoon.

Barcelona had dominated for two thirds of the Liga clash at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys and looked set to claim victory in the first Clasico of the season thanks to Ilkay Gundogan's first goal for the Catalan club.

However, Xavi's side were ultimately punished for their profligacy, with the hosts wasting one chance after another to kill the game before Bellingham levelled with a stunning 30-yard strike and then won the game for Madrid with a close-range finish in the dying seconds.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Madrid players on show in Barcelona…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10):

  Nothing he could have done about the Gundogan goal, having been let down by those in front of him, but he kept his side in the game with a great save from Ronald Araujo. A pivotal moment in hindsight.

  Dani Carvajal (8/10):

  One of the few Madrid players to perform anywhere close to their usual level, with the right-back serving as a decent attacking outlet, as underlined by his role in the winner, while also making a crucial last-ditch challenge on Joao Felix, who was in on goal after nutmegging Rudiger.

  Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

  Made plenty of important clearances for the visitors, though he was also embarrassed by Joao Felix.

  David Alaba (5/10):

  Got the nod ahead of Nacho to partner Rudiger and did not justify Ancelotti's faith him, with his weak tackle allowing Gundogan to break the deadlock early on.

  Ferland Mendy (4/10):

  Rested during the week but you wouldn't have known. Contributed absolutely nothing before being replaced just after the break.

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  Midfielder

  Federico Valverde (5/10):

  Brought his usual level of energy to the game but nowhere near as effective or influential as he can be.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

  Solid in possession while he also made a couple of key interceptions at a time when Madrid were in danger of being over-run.

  Toni Kroos (5/10):

  Won the ball back several times and used it well, but struggled with Barca's dynamism in the middle of the park, as typified by the way in which Gavi picked his pocket midway through the first half.

  Jude Bellingham (9/10):

  Only 20 but he's already proven himself a big-game player. Wasn't in the game at all until he thumped home a sensational equaliser from distance and then ghosted into the box to win the game for his side in injury time. World-class. It's that simple.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (3/10):

  The hope was that the goal against Braga might spark the Brazilian into life. It didn't. A dreadful display.

  Vinicius Junior (4/10):

  The picture of frustration during the first half, with Vinicius once again struggling to get anything out of Araujo. Second half wasn't much better, truth be told, but he kept running at Barca right until the end.

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  Subs & Manager

  Joselu (5/10):

  Replaced Rodrygo up front for the final half hour but didn't make much of an impact.

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  Part of a double-substitution with Joselu, coming on in place of Kroos, and played a pivotal role in Madrid picking up a point that looked unlikely when he entered the fray, with his passing and penetration.

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Took over at left-back from Mendy six minutes into the second half and proved an immediate upgrade, particularly with his forays down the left flank.

  Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

  The Bellingham goal may have come out of nowhere but the coach's changes were undeniably key to Madrid's final-quarter improvement. Though one could suggest that was evidence that Ancelotti got his starting line-up all wrong…

New Zealand women allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia with a dislocated thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2017New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia due to a dislocated thumb. Devine, who suffered the injury during the recent Women’s Big Bash League, managed to avoid surgery, but her hand will be in a splint for four to six weeks in order for her to fully recover before the Women’s World Cup in England later this year.Northern Districts allrounder Anna Peterson has replaced Devine in the T20 squad that will travel to Australia, while Sam Curtis has taken her place for the ODIs at home.”Sam was unlucky to have missed out on the initial squad and is now coming off a match-winning unbeaten 111 off just 72 balls in the SKYCITY Hamilton NPL (Northern Premier League) on the weekend — the best innings I have seen her play,” head coach Haidee Tiffen said.”The way she combatted the threat of Holly Huddleston was a great sign of a player hitting her best form. Sam will bring her strength to our ODI middle order, while Anna Peterson’s versatility sees her get the nod for the Twenty20 squad.”In the same match that Curtis struck that century, Peterson took three wickets for 11 in four overs, apart from claiming a catch and effecting a run-out. Peterson has also been among the top six in both the batting and bowling charts in the domestic women’s Twenty20 competition, where she plays for Auckland. She last played for New Zealand in last year’s Women’s World T20.”Since her WHITE FERNS appearances last season, Anna has taken our feedback on board and worked on everything we have been looking for from her, as well as adding a further string to her bow by accepting the challenge of opening the batting for the Auckland Hearts,” Tiffen said.”That’s been tremendous to see and she has been performing well as an attacking batsman. Like Sam, she is also a strong fielder, important assets in the white ball format.”New Zealand travel to Australia to play three T20Is, starting on February 17, before the teams move back to New Zealand for a three-match ODI series that begins on February 26.

Manchester United will be confident that they can tie down Marcus Rashford on a new deal for the coming years at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Marcus Rashford?

Cited by Viaplay quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has signalled that he expects Rashford to renew his £200k-a-week contract at Old Trafford, which is set to run out in the summer of 2024. The 53-year-old said: "I expect Marcus Rashford to renew. He wants it. Manchester United wants it. He is a child of this club, so I assume this will happen."

The Red Devils are said to be making 'good progress' in their efforts to extend the 25-year-old's stay at Old Trafford and could make him Manchester United's best-paid player to ensure he stays at his boyhood club, as per The Telegraph.

Rashford has enjoyed a fantastic season at Manchester United and has been recognised for his consistent performances, being awarded Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year award.

In 2022/23, the England international has racked up 30 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Manchester United will offer Rashford a contract that will reflect his status as a key player at the club.

Jones said: "They need to build around Rashford, they need to make sure that he is somebody the crowd can attach to; you've got to have that when building a project like this.

"Rashford doesn't want to leave, he's never wanted to leave, but it's just a case of making sure that he gets the right deal for where he is in his career right now. So I think the excitement will be pretty big.”

Should Manchester United build their team around Marcus Rashford?

It's hard to argue otherwise given his contribution to Manchester United this term and Ten Hag will be keen to see more of the same from his star man in 2023/24.

The Dutchman has tipped Rashford to hit the 40-goal mark next season, as per The Independent, stating: he can improve but I am happy from where he was last season to what he did now, that he brings himself back. We supported him where we could, with the way of play but also in his mental mindset, so we are happy with that. But, yeah, we have to push for more and I am sure he’s capable to score 40 goals in a season, to make also for him the next step.”

WhoScored note that Rashford has been Manchester United's third-most consistent performer behind Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, earning an average match rating of 7.08/10 for his performances.

Rashford has also recorded 120 shot-creating actions in all competitions, as per FBRef, demonstrating his ability to be a chance provided as well as a goalscorer.

It is clear there is more to come from Rashford and Manchester United fans will be desperate to see him sign a new deal at Old Trafford.

Celtic are monitoring Manchester City’s assistant manager Enzo Maresca as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou should he leave the Scottish Premiership, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Who is Enzo Maresca?

Maresca is an Italian former professional midfielder turned coach who joined the Sky Blues last summer to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium, but he’s already got experience under his belt prior to linking up with the Premier League champions.

At the beginning of his career, the 43-year-old started out as assistant boss at Ascoli, Sevilla and West Ham United before going on to take the roles of City’s U23s main manager followed by Parma, as per Transfermarkt, and in the past few days, he’s rejected the chance to join Southampton having been approached over their vacancy.

Postecoglou is one of the names to have been heavily linked with the role at Tottenham Hotspur, and whilst he’s publicly reaffirmed his commitment during an interview with Sky Sports, the hierarchy are still sounding out possible successors should he be tempted to embark on a new challenge.

Are Celtic appointing Maresca?

According to Football Insider, Celtic are “keeping tabs” on Maresca in case of the event that Ange is “lured away” by the opportunity in N17. The Hoops “fear” that the Australian could leave at the end of the season and are therefore “assessing the market” to see who’s available.

Man City’s coach is one of those “well-regarded” behind the scenes at Parkhead, especially because recruitment chief Mark Lawwell came from the Etihad so will already know his managerial target, and it’s stated that the club are “aware” of the qualities that he possesses.

Pep Guardiola previously claimed that Maresca, who was wanted in Glasgow prior to Postecoglou's arrival, will go on to become an “extraordinary” manager, and one day that might well be the case, but at this stage, he’s not a candidate that Celtic should be pursuing if Postecoglou was to move onto new pastures.

The Pontecagnano Faiano native, whose preferred formation is a 3-4-1-2, was sacked after just 14 games at Parma, winning four, drawing five and losing five during his reign at the Ennio Tardini Stadium, averaging 1.21 points per match and taking 17 points out of a possible 42, via Transfermarkt.

Furthermore, Maresca’s only silverware that he’s ever won is this year’s top-flight title, so he doesn’t have any trophies off the back of his own work at the helm, making him way too much of a downgrade on the 57-year-old that’s already in the dugout in Glasgow.

Journalist Craig Hope has claimed that Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron could be on the bench this weekend.

What's the latest injury news for Newcastle and Miguel Almiron?

The 29-year-old winger has been out injured for a little while now and has not actually played in any of the club's last four Premier League games.

However, with Aston Villa to face away from home, it looks as though he could be in contention to make a return to the bench.

Indeed, while speaking to the press ahead of this game, manager Eddie Howe provided an interesting update on the winger.

He said (via Shields Gazette) “He’s done really well. He’s ahead of schedule at the moment. Fingers crossed, he gets through training, and could be available very soon.”

He was then asked if Almiron could play against Villa, and remained vague with his answer but admitted it was a “possibility".

While talking about this on his own YouTube channel, Hope claimed that Howe's words were enough to confirm that the Paraguay international will definitely make the bench.

He explained: “We've learned to read Eddie when it comes to fitness and otherwise.

"But for him to say that Miguel Almiron is back and training, and see how he come through today's session, that tells us that he will be on the bench down at Aston Villa tomorrow, which is two weeks ahead of schedule, which is a huge boost for them."

How many Premier League goals has Almiron scored this season?

Before the break for the winter World Cup, Almiron was in the form of his life, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in the Premier League.

Since then, however, the £60k-per-week star has lost a little bit of momentum and form, adding just three more league goals to his tally (for a total of 11 in 25).

Perhaps this little time on the sidelines will have done him so good then, just to let him reset before the final run-in.

At the very least, he certainly seems raring to go if he is indeed ready to get back on the bench to play Aston Villa ahead of schedule.

Indeed, while Howe wasn't prepared to confirm Almiron would play any part, journalist Hope seems to be sure that the winger be involved in some capacity as part of the matchday squad for the first time since 12th March.

Worcestershire reproduced their excellent T20 form with a thumping seven-wicket over Durham in a rain-affected Royal London Cup contest at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2016
ScorecardBrett D’Oliveira took two wickets and helped finish off the chase•Getty Images

Worcestershire reproduced their excellent T20 form with a thumping seven-wicket over Durham in a rain-affected Royal London Cup contest at Chester-le-Street.The visitors top the North Group table in the Natwest T20 Blast and blew Durham away comprehensively in this 22-over contest. Only two home batsmen reached double figures in a total of 90 all out, the seventh-lowest List A total in Durham’s history.Worcestershire bowled exceptionally after electing to field first on a surface conducive to bowling, with four bowlers each picking up two wickets. Victory was rarely in doubt and despite three early Chris Rushworth wickets, they reached their target with 17 balls remaining.The match length was twice revised after a number of frustrating showers added to overnight rain, before a break in the clouds allowed the umpires to call a prompt start at 3.30pm. Visiting captain Joe Leach, standing in for the injured Daryl Mitchell, had very little hesitation in electing to field first.A catastrophic run out by Phil Mustard in the fourth over, charging to the non-striker’s end while Mark Stoneman stood his ground, set off an all-too familiar Durham batting collapse.From 24 for 0, they slumped to 46 for 5 as they struggled to get to grips with conditions and the seam movement of Worcestershire’s quick bowlers.Graham Clark was excellently caught by wicketkeeper Ben Cox, Scott Borthwick chopped on after being surprised by extra bounce while Stoneman and Keaton Jennings fell to Ed Barnard, the former beaten by a terrific delivery which just clipped the bails.Paul Collingwood staged a lone recovery through the middle overs but soon came under pressure from the scoreboard, with Durham managing only five boundaries in their entire innings.Fellow allrounder Ryan Pringle, fresh from a maiden century at Derbyshire during the week, threatened to offer resistance before he knocked an easy catch back to Brett D’Oliveira And Collingwood eventually holed out in an attempt to up the scoring rate, as Durham limped to 90 inside the final over.Rushworth’s new ball spell of 3 for 19 did offer Durham hope, trapping Tom Kohler-Cadmore lbw in the first over before removing the off stump of both Leach and Joe Clarke. But small target allowed the batsmen to settle in as D’Oliveira and Alexei Kervezee’s partnership of 60 saw them home with consummate ease.

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is now the ‘lead contender’ to succeed Antonio Conte at Tottenham, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte leaving?

It is widely expected that Conte, whose contract expires at the end of this Premier League season, will depart north London.

Spurs have the option to extend his stay by an additional 12 months but reports suggest that is very unlikely, especially after their Champions League last 16 defeat to AC Milan.

Conte’s potentially imminent departure has resulted in links to many different big name replacements, including Mauricio Pochettino, but The Athletic have shared a new favourite for the role.

The Latest: Enrique enters pole position…

According to the reliable news outlet and journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke, ex-Spain head coach Enrique is now the ‘lead contender’ to succeed Conte.

Indeed, even despite Pochettino’s availability, it is believed that the 52-year-old is likely to be top of Fabio Paratici’s managerial shortlist which has been drawn up.

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The Verdict: Major name…

Having clinched two La Liga titles with Barca and a Champions League-winner’s medal, Enrique is perhaps one of the most prestigious names on Tottenham’s list.

Indeed, the Spaniard has worked with countless footballing stars at both club and international level – including the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xavi.

Of course, Spurs arguably do not possess that level of quality, but they’ve certainly got enough talent in their roster for a manager like Enrique to come in and make a difference.

Called a ‘genius’ by members of the media, he also encourages a 4-3-3 attacking formation and would bring a welcome alternative approach to Conte’s pragmatic style.

Arsenal will take a 2-2 draw back to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash with Sporting CP next week for a place in the quarter-finals.

Both teams played out an entertaining four-goal thriller in Lisbon on Thursday evening, with both the Gunners and the Lions trading first-half headers from a corner before Granit Xhaka’s deflected effort salvaged a point after Paulinho fired the hosts in front ten minutes after the break.

Mikel Arteta’s side failed to assert their dominance in the final 28 minutes, despite registering more possession (68%) and registering more shots total shots (14).

It could have been a different story had Gabriel Martinelli bagged a goal with his sensational mazy solo run.

After picking up the ball near his own penalty box, the Brazilian winger danced past three players, then rounded the goalkeeper but the sheer speed of Jeremiah St. Juste thwarted him before he could fire the shot into the empty net.

His display certainly deserved a lot more as he was largely starved of service, whilst similarly for Bukayo Saka, his outing should have been rewarded with the victory in Portugal…

How did Bukayo Saka do vs Sporting CP?

In the words of analyst Statman Dave, the England international was “electric” at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, having earned the joint-highest Sofascore rating for the visitors (7.8).

Saka was successful with eight of his nine dribbling attempts, proving to be a complete nightmare for his opposite number, who registered the fourth-worst rating for the home outfit (6.4).

The Hale End sensation was at the forefront of every Arsenal attack, managing an 87% passing accuracy, 69 touches and two successful long balls and he did so without forgetting his defensive tasks, with a total of three tackles – only bettered by one other player on the pitch – and he won 12 of his 15 duels (80%), via Sofascore.

Valued at £106m by CIES Football Observatory, Saka was said to have ’caused Sporting all sorts of problems with his pace and trickery’ by journalist Chris Wheatley after the match.

Such a performance certainly warranted more than a draw, especially considering it could have easily been a game in which Arteta rested his star man, thus a win would’ve been just dessert for taking such a big risk, with the north London giants fighting for their first Premier League title in nearly a decade.

Arsenal’s “monster” – as once hailed by writer Mark White – was evidently one of the top performers in this encounter, it’s just a shame that his efforts were not rewarded with more.

AND in other news, Arteta could unearth Arsenal’s next Ashley Cole in “versatile” Hale End sensation…

England’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere began with the Test match at the Gabba. Mark Stoneman and James Vince gave them an excellent platform with encouraging half-centuries, adding 125 together, before failing to go on. England never had a foothold in the Ashes after that.Fast forward five months and the match situation is somewhat better – they lead by 231 runs and are well placed to push for a series-levelling victory and have something to show for their efforts with the pink and red ball. But for Stoneman and Vince, there is a feeling of deja vu. Half-centuries apiece, a stand of 123, the promise of more, but frustrating dismissals.

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling is hopeful a Christchurch pitch losing some of its life will keep them in with a chance of saving – or even winning – the second Test and with it taking the series.
The second new ball is 14 overs away and represents New Zealand’s last chance of having a realistic target to chase, but the bounce and carry evident for the quicks over the first half of the day has lessened.
“It’s definitely a lot flatter than over the first few days,” Watling said. “It doesn’t look like it’s breaking up at all, it actually looks like it’s getting a bit deader. I don’t think it will do a hell of a lot on the final day so we just need to get ourselves into a position to hopefully win the game.”

Stoneman had significant fortune in his innings – dropped on 48 and 57 – but couldn’t make it count when he finally paid the price for flashing outside off. Vince played with increasing confidence during his third Test fifty – all of which have come at the No. 3 position – after regaining his place that he had to forego due to the batting reshuffle at Eden Park. As ever, the drives were working well and, almost as inevitably, one brought his downfall when he edged to slip with a spot-sealing maiden Test hundred on offer.”Going forward, I’m sure both would have loved to have got hundreds and gone on for themselves and their confidence,” Graham Thorpe, the England batting coach, said, “but they’ll still get good pat off us in the dressing room because it’s easy to shrink sometimes at this level so it was important they stood up and continued to play in a positive manner.”Stoneman now has five Test fifties – including two in this series – but none higher than this 60 while Vince averages 30.54 at No. 3 from his six Test against Australia and New Zealand. Since Trevor Bayliss took over in 2015, there has been one century from the opener who isn’t Alastair Cook (and his form is heading south) or the No. 3 who isn’t Joe Root – Keaton Jennings’ 112 on debut against India (Adam Lyth’s hundred against New Zealand came while Paul Farbrace was in temporary charge).There are alternative names who will be mentioned in the lead-up to the next series, against Pakistan in May, and a strong start to the domestic season could attract interest despite England Lions being beaten 3-0 by West Indies in the four-day matches. Liam Livingstone has been on this tour – he is not someone for the top three but the batting order is also far from settled – while the likes of Haseeb Hameed, Joe Clarke, Dan Lawrence and Nick Gubbins will be touted. Recently capped players such as Jennings and Tom Westley could also restate their credentials.However, both incumbents have probably done enough to mean they will start against Pakistan, but England will leave this tour without really having a clearer picture about the best way forward for their top order.”They are in the side so they are in charge of their destiny every time they walk to the crease so the more experience they gain they are in a position to go to that next level,” Thorpe said. “Ultimately it’s up to them to take that next step and go towards three figures.”There are areas of the Test side where we aren’t going to say everyone is guaranteed places. We are constantly trying to get more out of players who are in the starting XI. You have to look at your squad and think are there better players out there or do we have to keep working hard. We have to be patient with players, the more you learn you do get over those hurdles in Test cricket and start to feel very settled. We are hoping a few of them are close to that with the Tests they are starting to play.”England arrived in Australia with a batting line-up in a state of flux and will leave New Zealand in the same position. The attacks of Pakistan and India await. They will sense vulnerability.