واصل نجم فريق ريال مدريد، كيليان مبابي، تألقه في الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، 2025/26، حيث سجل هدفين لصالح الملكي.

وخاض ريال مدريد مباراته في الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الإسباني ضد فالنسيا، حيث تمكن مبابي من تسجيل هدف أول في الدقيقة 19 من ضربة جزاء، قبل أن يضيف الثاني في الدقيقة 31.

وخاض أتلتيكو مدريد مباراته في الجولة الحادية عشر من الليجا ضد إشبيلية، حيث حققت كتيبة دييجو سيميوني فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف دون رد.

وارتفع رصيد جوليان ألفاريز إلى 7 أهداف في المركز الثاني في قائمة هدافي الدوري الإسباني، خلف كيليان مبابي المتصدر بـ13 هدفًا. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني

1. كيليان مبابي، ريال مدريد، 13 هدفًا.

2. جوليان ألفاريز، أتلتيكو مدريد، 7 أهداف.

3. إيتا إيونج، ليفانتي، 6 أهداف.

4. فينيسيوس جونيور، ريال مدريد، 5 أهداف.

5. موريكي، مايوركا، 5 أهداف.

6. هيرنانديز، ريال بيتيس، 4 أهداف.

7. أويارزابال، ريال سوسيداد، 4 أهداف.

8. فيران توريس، برشلونة، 4 أهداف.

9. دي فروتوس، رايو فاليكانو، 4 أهداف.

10. بوكنان، فياريال، 4 أهداف.

ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني محدث لحظة بلحظة من هنا.

Hosts collapse after being frustrated by stand of 173 between John Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-May-2025

John Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice put on a stand worth 173•Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket

John Simpson’s 18th first-class century put Hampshire on the ropes before a batting collapse put Sussex on the brink of a Rothesay County Championship victory at Utilita Bowl.Skipper Simpson was superb to record back-to-back centuries, and his third of the campaign, as he scored 106 – which included a 173-run stand with 78-maker Fynn Hudson-Prentice. Sussex claimed a 143-run first-innings lead before six evening wickets tore through Hampshire – they closed on 114 for 6, still behind by 29.Simpson and Hudson-Prentice had shrugged off a slump on the first evening, after coming together at 83 for 5. They blocked, left and survived for 16 overs to close.The new morning brought overhead conditions seemingly perfect for bowling, but on a slow pitch where once you could get in as a batter, you could stick around; that is what the sixth-wicket pair did.Having been 44 runs behind at the start of the session, they quickly reached parity within an hour with sprightly cricket. Both reached half-centuries before lunch, Simpson in 111 balls, Hudson-Prentice in 116. Everything they did made the bowlers toil.If a wicketless first session was frustrating for Hampshire, the afternoon was unpleasant due to a bout of the butterfingers – something that has marred their season with 25 chances already grassed.Hudson-Prentice was put down off a regulation catch at first slip on 51 and at midwicket on 70 before he was finally pinned lbw as Brad Wheal found success with the new ball.Jack Carson was dropped on nought at square leg, before taking 18 deliveries to get off the mark, but once he did he was a fluent partner for Simpson – who had been dropped first ball the previous day.Simpson has taken to Division One cricket identically to Division Two. Having not reached three figures in 2023 with Middlesex, he pumped out five tons in 2024 to lead Sussex’s promotion charge before filing two going into this round of games.There was little surprise he converted once again, this time in 207 deliveries – even less surprising was that he reached the milestone by being dropped while pulling.Even when Hampshire thought they had held a catch – Simpson at first slip on 104 – it was clearly a bump ball.The first day had been headlined by two flurries of wickets, and another pair of collapses either side of tea proved the rule that this pitch was ripe for them. The last four Sussex wickets fell in 11 balls as James Fuller ended a 40-run stand when Carson was leg before, before the fast bowler castled Nathan McAndrew.Liam Dawson finished things off by getting Ari Karvelas caught at first slip and Henry Crocombe lbw, which left Sussex three runs shy of a second batting point.Fletcha Middleton and Mark Stoneman put on 38 in 14 overs to suggest they could bed in, but after Middleton was leg-before, things turned south for the hosts. Stoneman, Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest all departed in 13 deliveries. Stoneman tickled behind, Gubbins was unlucky to be lbw to one which stayed very low and Prest missed a straight on.Ben Brown, unbeaten in the first innings, was bowled by a flighty delivery from Carson to leave Hampshire 90 for 5, and still 53 in arrears. Toby Albert was also bowled by Carson to add to the malaise with a three-day Sussex victory almost inevitable.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has provided an injury update on one of his key players after the EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Brentford.

Villa's poor start continues against the Bees

Villa finally found the back of the net on Tuesday night, after failing to score in their opening four Premier League games, but Harvey Elliott’s first goal for the club didn’t count for much, with Brentford ultimately progressing in the EFL Cup.

After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the Bees progressed on penalties, with John McGinn and Matty Cash both missing from the spot, meaning Emery’s side are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.

Emery has been forced to make do without a number of his key players already this season, with the likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans spending time on the sidelines, but there has now been a promising new update on the latter player.

Reporter Jacob Tanswell subsequently confirmed that Emery is also optimistic that Tielemans could return before the next international break, with the Villa boss stating the central midfielder is likely to be out for one or two more weeks.

Monchi identifies "incredible" Aston Villa target who'd fix Emery's attack

The Villans are ready to make their move.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 16, 2025 Tielemans' return will be boost for Aston Villa

With the Belgian ruled out against Brentford, Lamare Bogarde was given the nod in central midfield, but the 21-year-old was unable to impact the game in the way he would’ve liked, being shown a yellow card before being replaced by Kamara in the 74th minute.

Tielemans, on the other hand, has been a vitally important player for the Villans over the course of the past two seasons, playing a major role in Emery’s side qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League by regularly providing goals and assists in the Premier League.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

32

9

2024-25

36

10

The 28-year-old was also arguably Villa’s most consistent player in the Premier League last season, averaging a 7.38 SofaScore match rating across the campaign, which was by far the highest of any player in the squad.

Emery is under no illusions as to just how important the Belgium international is to his side either, saying last season: “He is really doing fantastic work. He is very, very professional. The mentality he has, really I appreciate in the highest level we can achieve.”

As such, it is promising news that Tielemans is set to return within the next two weeks, but it appears as though Aston Villa will have to do without the £150k-a-week midfielder when they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this Sunday.

South Africa will approach their fourth-innings chase in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s with “belief” and are “very confident” of their ability to reach whatever target Australia set for them, David Bedingham said at the end of the second day.The run-chase already looks like it will be a challenging one – Australia are 218 ahead with two wickets left in their second innings.For the second successive day at Lord’s, 14 wickets fell with fast bowlers again dominating play on a seamer-friendly pitch. Pat Cummins followed Kagiso Rabada in etching his name on the honours board, while also entering the 300-wickets club after his 6 for 28 blew South Africa away.Related

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• Cummins eighth Australia bowler to reach 300-wicket milestone in Tests

Bedingham, who was the leading scorer for South Africa with a stoic 45 from 111 deliveries, doffed his hat to Cummins, but said that Temba Bavuma’s men were ready to grab the opportunity they have. “It’s just an amazing chance and we are all very, very excited about the opportunity to win,” Bedingham said. “Could go either way, but us as a team we are very, very excited and there’s a lot of belief in the dressing room.”South Africa’s seamers utilised the overcast conditions mid-afternoon to hurt Australia, who were reeling at 73 for 7 before Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc brought them back into the game. Bedingham said the bowlers’ performance certainly would act as a catalyst in pursuit of the victory. “It’s an amazing day. When they started batting in the third innings, we would’ve definitely taken 220 for 8. So we are very confident, there’s a massive belief in this team.”Cummins said Australia would have been happier with a few more wickets “in the shed”, but he pointed out that batting remained difficult. “The trend of the game is the runs are coming down. It’s still pretty difficult out there, so it’s set up pretty well for a day-three finish, you’d imagine, tomorrow, but we are going to have to bowl well still in the fourth innings.”1:26

Bedingham: ‘Way I picked up the ball came across dodgy’

Several among Australia’s top order are bound to be disappointed for failing for the second time in successive days, though Cummins did not want to focus on that. Instead, he said the Australia had would be difficult to chase down.”When I walked out, anything over 200, so good to get over that,” he said. “But you just want to get as many runs as you can. So, happy we’ve got 200, hopefully we get another 20 or 30 in the morning. That’d be good. That’d give us a few more options to bowl a few more aggressive fields.”The procession of wickets, and collapses across all three innings, might be seen to tarnish a marquee final. Cummins, though, felt the Lord’s pitch had offered a good balance between bat and ball. “I think it’s pretty close to 50-50. It’s a pretty good Test match. That’s the beauty you get [where] all Test matches look a little bit different, but whenever there’s a pretty good balance between bat and ball, it’s always a pretty good match. This game, some guys have got themselves in and looked pretty comfortable out there and obviously a lot of other guys haven’t, so it’s been a pretty good balance.”2:38

Cummins: Reaching 300 wickets a sign of durability and resilience

As to why batting has been difficult, Cummins said it was due to the discipline of both fast-bowling attacks. “It’s a mixture of the wicket still doing a little bit. It feels like just when it’s not doing anything one ball will suddenly seam quite drastically. But both teams bowled really well, really disciplined, haven’t bowled too many half-volleys. Both teams are kind of just hanging in that good length area, pretty tight line.”Bedingham agreed with Cummins but was optimistic about batting getter easier on the third day. “When you have six quality seamers on a tricky pitch it obviously makes batting tough. The way the game’s going, the wicket’s slowed down a bit, so the nicks won’t carry,” he said. “So in the fourth innings they’ll maybe come a bit straighter and that will probably be the danger on that type of wicket, but hopefully we can get those runs.”Knowing the target, Bedingham agreed, would help South Africa to continue batting with intent, something they showed a bit more on the second day compared to the timidity on display late on Wednesday afternoon. “The main thing is just to 100% commit if you are defending or attacking. As soon as you get caught in two minds against these [bowling] attacks, you get found wanting.”June 13 could become a historic day for South African cricket if Bavuma’s team can defeat Australia to win the title and claim a first ICC title since the 1998 Knockout Trophy. In the past, they have succumbed to nerves on the big occasions, the latest instance coming in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.

West Indies never recovered from their score of 40 for 6 in their revised chase of 288

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2025

South Africa won the ODI series 2-1•CWI

South Africa 278 for 6 (Brits 101, Wolvaardt 75, Fletcher 3-53) beat West Indies 121 (Claxton 43, Alleyne 32, Klaas 4-25) by 166 runs (DLS method)A commanding opening stand of 184 led by Tazmin Brits’ century, later followed by Masabata Klaas’ four-wicket haul gave South Africa a series win with a comprehensive 166-run victory in the decider as they beat West Indies by DLS method in Cave Hill. Klaas took three wickets in her first two overs, which left West Indies reeling on 40 for 6 in pursuit of their revised target of 288, and the hosts were eventually bundled for 121 in the rain-affected match.West Indies had little to feel good about their toss decision to bowl first. They could not get a wicket for 26.1 overs and the opening stand between Brits and the captain Laura Wolvaardt was South Africa’s tied-fifth-highest in WODI history and came at a run-rate of more than seven.WI duo guilty of Level 1 offence

West Indies’ Aaliyah Alleyne and Qiana Joseph have been found guilty of breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, for “showing dissent at an umpires decision during an international match.”

Brits started the barrage with two fours against Zaida James in the third over before carting Jannillea Glasgow for a six and four the next over to get South Africa going. Wolvaardt caught up with a couple of fours just before the powerplay ended and they brought up their century stand in the 13th over. Brits reached her fifty off 45 balls and Wolvaardt off 41. A flurry of sixes from Brits helped her bring up her century in 89 balls just after the halfway mark of the innings. Brits fell for a 91-ball 101 when she handed a catch to Hayley Matthews off Afy Fletcher. Fletcher finished with 3 for 35 with twin strikes of Wolvaardt for 75 and Nondumiso Shangase in her last over.The experienced Marizanne Kapp didn’t let South Africa’s advantage slip away, despite them sliding from 200 for 1 to 264 for 6 with a couple of rain interruptions in between. She made an unbeaten 34, and South Africa were on 278 for 6 in 45.5 overs when the next rain break called the end of their innings.West Indies were in deep trouble right from the start as the visitors snapped in-form Matthews for 8 to reduce the hosts to 10 for 4 as their top four managed just ten runs together. They were soon 29 for 5 and 40 for 6 with twin strikes from Nonkululeko Mlaba before Aaliyah Alleyne and Jahzara Claxton added 65 to stretch the hosts past 100. Klaas then returned to break the stand to help South Africa achieve the looming result by bowling out the hosts in 27.5 overs. Stafanie Taylor didn’t bat; she was declared absent hurt.

Having already enjoyed great success by signing players from Old Trafford, Napoli are now reportedly working on a 2026 deal for yet another Manchester United ace.

Hojlund thriving at Napoli

It’s a rotten case of de ja vu for Man United, but the reality is that one of their struggling players is once again thriving at Napoli.

Last season, it was Scott McTominay, who even earned himself a Ballon d’Or nomination, and this time around it’s Rasmus Hojlund, who’s found his golden touch away from Manchester.

The Dane has been in electric form since joining Napoli, whilst United’s big-money signing Benjamin Sesko is only gradually beginning to find his feet after scoring two goals in his last two games.

Speaking about the £66m man, Ruben Amorim told reporters after he scored in a comfortable victory over Sunderland last time out:

“The most important thing is to win games.

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ByTom Cunningham Oct 11, 2025

“That will give confidence for everybody in the team. Of course, he was anxious for his first goal. The thing I like most in Ben is, even when things are hard for him with the ball, he is working hard in every minute of the game. That is the most important thing in the moment.”

Although Hojlund’s sudden burst of form may look frustrating from afar, United should be more than happy with Sesko’s start. Napoli, meanwhile, don’t look likely to go away anytime soon. Reports are now suggesting that the Italian giants are already working on a 2026 deal to sign another Man United star.

Napoli already working on Mainoo deal

According to Italian journalist Emanuele Cammaroto, Napoli are already working on signing Mainoo in the January transfer window and are waiting to see if the midfielder is available to complete a loan move.

“The strong temptation is to sign Mainoo,” the reporter told Napolimagazine live on Radio Punto Zero, via Area Napoli.

“But there we need to understand whether United are open to a loan with an option to buy. The parties are working on it.”

The Carrington graduate was very open about his desire to leave on loan in the summer, only for Amorim to deny him that chance and instead tell him to fight for his place. Since then, though, Mainoo has not started a single Premier League game.

Previously dubbed “special” by Paul Scholes, the 20-year-old will be desperate for the game time that Napoli could offer him. He, like everyone else, would have noticed their impact on Hojlund and McTominay and may want to follow suit in the new year.

That said, former Man United scout Mick Brown still has faith that Mainoo is being readied to replace Bruno Fernandes if he leaves for Saudi Arabia in the near future.

He told Football Insider: “It seems to me like Mainoo is being lined up as the perfect choice to step into his place, because the manager has been clear that he sees them as competition for the same role.”

It would be an understatement to say that West Ham United have not had the start to the season they’d have been hoping for.

For example, the East Londoners aren’t taking part in the League Cup this week after losing to the equally terrible Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

It’s somehow been even worse in the Premier League, with the Irons losing to Sunderland, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in their first five games.

In short, things need to change, and it now looks like the club are going after a manager who’d be a massive upgrade on Graham Potter.

West Ham target Potter upgrade

The last few weeks have seen West Ham be linked with a host of potential Potter replacements, with one of the more prominent ones being Slaven Bilic.

Manager Focus

The former Hammers boss left the club in 2017, and has since managed Al-Ittihad, West Bromwich Albion, Beijing Guoan, Watford and Al-Fateh.

In other words, he’s not done much to suggest he’d bring in a new era at the club.

Al-Fateh

07/23

08/24

Watford

09/22

03/23

Beijing Guoan

01/21

01/22

West Brom

07/19

12/20

Al-Ittihad

10/18

02/19

Likewise, while he’s doing a reasonable enough job with Coventry City, the links to Frank Lampard aren’t going to excite fans.

Fortunately, there is another coach on the club’s radar, someone who’d be a massive upgrade on Potter.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Claret and Hugh, which claims West Ham are very interested in Nuno Espírito Santo.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Portuguese manager is now one of three names on a shortlist for the role.

It remains unclear whether West Ham will be able to secure their man, but they should certainly keep trying, as he’d be a colossal upgrade on Potter.

How Nuno compares to Potter

The good news is that there are several reasons why we think Nuno would be a significant upgrade on Potter.

The most important of all, and the one that encompasses many of the others, is his track record.

More specifically, his track record in English football and the Premier League.

For example, although he had a fairly dire stint in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, the Portuguese coach has more than proven himself capable of managing at the top level with both Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

He took over the former when they were still in the Championship, led them to promotion in his first campaign and then, within a few years, had them playing Europa League football.

Likewise, when he took over at Forest, it was viewed as something of an impossible job, but he led them from relegation candidates to European football in a season and a half.

On the other hand, while Potter did a pretty good job with Brighton & Hove Albion, he proceeded to fail with Chelsea, and it would be hard to find someone who’d claim he isn’t failing at the London Stadium today.

Finally, you only need to compare their records in the top-flight to see who is the better manager.

The “outstanding” Portuguese coach, as dubbed by commentator Adam Summerton, has taken charge of 184 games in the Premier League, of which his teams have won 72, lost 67, drawn 45 and averaged 1.42 points per game.

Games

184

164

Wins

72

47

Draws

45

55

Losses

67

62

Points per Game

1.42

1.20

In contrast, the Englishman has taken charge of 164 games in the competition, of which 47 have been wins, 55 draws, and 62 losses, which comes out to a points per game average of just 1.20.

Ultimately, West Ham need a new manager, and Nuno looks like the best man for the job.

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After what was far from a convincing display against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, Liverpool boss Arne Slot made a worrying comparison when speaking about an injury to one of his stars.

"Far from happy" – Slot slams Liverpool performance

Even with a much-changed side, Slot would have been expecting Liverpool to sweep past Championship side Southampton with relative ease. And it looked as though that would be the case when record signing Alexander Isak scored his first goal for the club.

The Swede, after missing an earlier chance, made no mistake and raced off to celebrate in vintage fashion for the first time in front of the Anfield crowd.

After going off at the break in a planned substitution, Isak may be thrown straight into the side against Crystal Palace this weekend in place of the suspended Hugo Ekitike.

The Frenchman was once again clinical in front of goal, but not so wise in his celebration – taking his shirt off and receiving a second yellow card as a result. Now out of the Palace game, Slot slammed the moment as “stupid” and needless”.

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That said, it’s not just Ekitike that the Dutchman was unhappy with last night. The Liverpool boss told reporters: “Great ball by Robbo (Andy Robertson), by the way, who also has won so much at this club and also understands how to play this game, not underestimate it – just always be ready to play.

“And that’s also the way to get yourself either back in the team or get yourself as much playing minutes as you want. That’s why I was happy with a few individual performances, but far from happy from a few other individual performances.”

It was also a night to forget for one of Liverpool’s other new boys, who was stretchered off on his debut amid concerns about what would be the ultimate injury blow.

Slot makes worrying Leoni comparison

Some are instantly fearing the worst for 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni. The defender was enjoying an excellent debut before injury struck in the 81st minute. In what appears to be a knee injury, Liverpool are now awaiting the results of a scan to find out the extent of the injury, but Slot has already made a worrying comparison.

A repeat of Van Bommel’s injury would be the worst-case scenario for Leoni. The PSV star suffered a season-ending knee injury last weekend and such a blow at this stage of Leoni’s Liverpool career is the last thing that the young defender needs.

Described as “dominant” by analyst Ben Mattinson after he completed his summer switch to Anfield, Liverpool fans will be desperate to see more of their new teenage star.

Ahead of a new era, one former Ibrox star has fired a direct warning to Celtic as Rangers set their sights on climbing the Scottish Premiership table.

Rangers set to appoint Gerrard

It’s de ja vu for Rangers, who are reportedly on the brink of reaching a full agreement with Steven Gerrard to return to the club. The last manager to win the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox, the 45-year-old is set to step foot in the dugout in Scotland for the first time since leaving for Aston Villa. He has a lot of making up to do, but arrives with it all to do after Russell Martin’s disastrous tenure.

Games

192

Wins

124

Draws

41

Defeats

27

If the former manager can pick up where he left off, then Rangers should begin to bridge the gap on Celtic and Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership. As things stand, his first game back in charge of the club is likely to be Dundee United at Ibrox, before travelling to face Brann in the Europa League after the international break.

It will be a hectic start for Gerrard and the Rangers squad, but the manager will be hoping to have learned from recent lessons in the technical area to enjoy a quick start.

He recently told Rio Ferdinand when asked about returning to management: “I’d love another go at some point. I want to change a few things and improve a few things and come back fresh, with a few different people around myself.

“I’d love another couple of challenges doing this and that’s what I’m working on in the background at the moment. A few different ideas, a few different people around me.”

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It will certainly be interesting to see the current version of Gerrard compared to 2021 and one former Ibrox star has already issued a warning to Celtic with that in mind.

Kyle Laferty fires fresh warning to Celtic

Speaking about Gerrard’s return to the club, former Ibrox ace Kyle Laferty warned Celtic about the immediate plan that the Liverpool legend has, claiming that’s what Rangers fans will “want”.

Currently nine points away from Celtic and 11 away from leaders Hearts, it would take a monumental effort for Gerrard to win the league from here, but he’ll be looking to draw on his previous experience as a champion to do exactly that.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to fitness could not have come at a more important time for Real Madrid, following the loss of Dani Carvajal to injury. It comes just a week before Los Blancos are due to face Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield, only five months after Alexander-Arnold decided to end a 20-year association with his boyhood team.

• Carvajal medical report revealed

  On Tuesday, Real Madrid gave an official statement confirming that Carvajal has had knee surgery – he had earlier been "diagnosed with a loose joint in his right knee" following tests that had taken place on Monday. He didn't start El Clasico against Barcelona and felt discomfort after coming on.

  "Our captain, Dani Carvajal, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today," it read. "The operation was performed by Dr. Manuel Leyes under the supervision of Real Madrid's Medical Services. Carvajal will begin recovery work in the coming days."

  While there is no timeframe from the club on his return, early estimates suggest the right-back could be sidelined for most of the rest of the calendar while he recovers. It suggests he could be back in action at some point in December, or perhaps even after Real Madrid are back from Spain's winter break in early January.

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• Getty Images
  

  Boost for Alexander-Arnold ahead of Anfield return

  Alexander-Arnold was struck down by a hamstring injury just five minutes into last month's Champions League win over Marseille, but was back in the matchday squad for Sunday's Barcelona clash for the first time since then. He didn't get on the pitch, with Carvajal going on to grab headlines for the way he angrily confronted Lamine Yamal at the final whistle, accusing the teenager of running his mouth in the build-up. But it points to a return to fitness, at least, for someone who hasn't naturally flourished since joining the club in June.

  The former Liverpool defender was forced to share game time with Carvajal prior to getting injured, getting the nod against Osasuna and Mallorca but having to make do with late substitute appearances when Madrid faced Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad. Marseille was the next match after Real Sociedad, so it made sense for Trent to return to Xabi Alonso's XI, only for him to get injured straightaway.

  But with Carvajal competition for the place now not a factor for the foreseeable future, Alexander-Arnold suddenly has a great chance of starting against Liverpool. There is no other senior recognised right-back in the first-team squad, although midfielder Federico Valverde has often filled in when needed – as was the case against Barcelona – and would be an option if Alexander-Arnold is viewed to be short on match fitness.

• Liverpool's poor form without homegrown right-back

  For Real Madrid, this feels like a good time to play what was, on paper at the time the league phase draw was conducted, their hardest fixture. While Alonso's side have won five straight games across all competitions since a surprisingly heavy defeat to city rivals Atletico a month ago, Liverpool have five of their last six outings – including four in a row in the Premier League to slide down the table.

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• AFP
  

  Hostile reception for Alexander-Arnold

  Whether he starts at Anfield or not, Alexander-Arnold could find himself in for a hostile reception from the fans who used to consider him one of their own. Trent's decision to run down his Liverpool contract, ensuring the Reds could only command a negligible transfer fee due to the uniqueness of the mini-transfer window before the summer's Club World Cup, did not sit well with supporters. Alexander-Arnold was audibly booed by some Liverpool fans in the final weeks of last season and openly accused of betraying the club with homemade signs displayed in the area around Anfield. When he did eventually reach his last game for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold was more warmly received inside the stadium, but that feeling may not last if he is lining up for an opponent he seemingly considered to be a bigger club.