Category: Football

Reigning champions Italy eased to a 4-0 victory over Malta in Euro 2024 qualifying on Saturday, while Denmark strengthened their position and dented the hopes of outsiders Kazakhstan.

Giacomo Bonaventura curled in his first Italy goal and Domenico Berardi produced a fine strike of his own to double the lead in Bari.

Berardi struck again in the second half before Davide Frattesi rounded off a comfortable evening for Luciano Spalletti’s side who kept hold of second place in Group C of Euro 2024 qualifiers ahead of next week’s showdown with England.

“That match is where we will really see how much potential we have,” Spalletti told broadcaster RAI.

Italy, with a game in hand, closed to within three points of England going into their clash at Wembley.

“It will definitely be emotional, I have amazing memories from that stadium,” said Berardi, who played in Italy’s Euro 2020 shoot-out final win over England.

“We’ll go there trying to do what we did today, play our own game and look to win.”

Ukraine are level with Italy after a 2-0 win over North Macedonia in Prague.

Georgiy Sudakov put Ukraine ahead on 30 minutes and substitute Oleksandr Karavaiev sealed victory deep into stoppage time, ahead of their visit to Malta next week.

Denmark avenged their shock loss to Kazakhstan in March as Robert Skov netted twice in a 3-1 win in Copenhagen.

Jonas Wind set the Danes, semi-finalists at Euro 2020, on their way before Skov scored a quick-fire double either side of half-time.

Kazakhstan pulled one back via Yan Vorogovskiy but they fell four points off the pace in Group H of Euro 2024 qualifiers.

“First of all, we must be happy about a victory in a European qualifier at home. It hasn’t been plain sailing in this group,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand told broadcaster TV2.

“It was an extremely important home game, and we were forced to win. The pressure was there, and we got the victory we had to.”

Benjamin Sesko’s brace powered Slovenia to a 3-0 win over Finland in Ljubljana.

Sesko’s first came from the penalty spot and the RB Leipzig forward added another with a clinical finish, taking him to eight goals in his last 11 international appearances.

Defender Erik Janza grabbed a late third for Slovenia, who lead Denmark at the top on goal difference. The two countries meet in Copenhagen on November 17.

Slovenia are away to Northern Ireland next week and Denmark will be almost certain to beat San Marino — losers in all but one of 82 previous Euro qualifiers.

Northern Ireland beat San Marino 3-0 for only their second win in seven outings.

Hungary seized control of Group G thanks to a 2-1 victory at home to Serbia.

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal edged a 3-2 thriller against Slovakia in Porto on Friday to book their place at Euro 2024. 

Ronaldo scored a first-half penalty and a second-half tap-in as the Portuguese made it seven wins from seven matches in Group J. They have 21 points which ensures them a top-two finish.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is having a great time, playing a lot of minutes and scoring a lot of goals for his club,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.

“He has a lot of experience with the national team and he’s a reference point for young players.”

Slovakia are eight points back in second, two ahead of Luxembourg who they play on Monday.

Portugal got off to a flying start when Ramos rose highest to meet Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the eighth minute, heading the ball down and past Martin Dubravka in the Slovakia goal.

It marked a seventh goal in just nine matches for Ramos and a sixth assist of the campaign for Fernandes who almost doubled the score in the 26th minute only to be denied by a brilliant one-handed save by Dubravka.

Three minutes later Denis Vavro was adjudged to have handled the ball, a decision confirmed by VAR.

Ronaldo stepped up to slot home his 124th goal for Portugal in the venue where he scored his first international goal, against Greece in the opening game of Euro 2004.

Slovakia came back into the game in the 69th minute when David Hancko’s shot from outside the area deflected off Antonio Silva’s heel and into the bottom corner – the first goal Portugal had conceded in qualifying.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo restored the two-goal advantage tapping in another lovely cross from Fernandes for goal number 125.

Ten minutes from time, however, the game was back on as Stanislav Lobotka let fly from outside the area and buried the ball in the top corner.

Portugal should have sealed it late on but Diogo Jota was denied by the outstanding Dubravka but the hosts had done enough to stamp their ticket for the Euros.

“We won the match with a very good first half,” said Martinez.

“The important thing was the result. In seven games we’ve shown a perfect attitude. I’m very satisfied, but it’s only a stage.”

READ: Pakistan eye to break India’s jinx in World Cups

A stunning 85th-minute equalizer from Eduard Bello earned Venezuela a rare draw at Brazil while world champions Argentina made it three wins out of three in South American World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a hard-earned 1-0 win over a determined Paraguay on Thursday.

A third-minute goal from Nicolas Otamendi was just enough for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, with Lionel Messi coming off in the bench in the second half and hitting the woodwork twice.

Brazil have never lost to Venezuela in a competitive fixture and have only once before, in 2009, failed to beat the Vinotinto in World Cup qualifying, but they were left frustrated after Bello’s brilliant late leveller.

Brazil took the lead when Neymar had a shot pushed wide in the 49th minute and from the resulting corner, taken by the striker, Arsenal defender Gabriel rose at the near post to angle home a fine header.

The goal forced Venezuela into a more adventurous approach and Wilker Angel flashed a header just wide from a 62nd-minute corner.

Rodrygo then found himself in a great position in the box but the Real Madrid winger blasted his shot into the side netting.

With five minutes left, the home crowd in Cuiaba were left stunned when Jefferson Savarino whipped in a cross and Bello lept acrobatically to blast a spectacular overhead kick past Ederson.

The result leaves Brazil in second place in the 10-team World Cup qualifiers standings, two ahead of Colombia and two behind Argentina.

Messi’s fight for full fitness inevitably dominated the build-up to Argentina’s attempt to maintain their 100% record in the World Cup qualifiers and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner started on the bench with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez leading the attack.

But it was veteran defender Otamandi who provided the moment of attacking inspiration, meeting a Rodrigo De Paul corner with a brilliant volley at the back post.

Atletico Madrid midfielder De Paul went close to doubling the lead three minutes before the break when he struck the post and moments later Nicolas Gonzalez fired just wide.

Messi replaced Alvarez in the 53rd minute as Scaloni looked to break down a disciplined and well-organised Paraguay side but the woodwork foiled their talisman.

An inswinging corner from the right almost snuck in, but struck the post and then, after winning a free kick on the edge of the box, Messi curled his shot against the same post.

Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez struck a stoppage-time penalty as Uruguay fought back for a 2-2 draw with Colombia in Barranquilla and Ecuador got their first points with a last-gasp 2-1 win at Bolivia and Chile beat Peru 2-0.

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The Ligue 1 game between Montpellier and Clermont was abandoned after a firecracker was thrown at visiting goalkeeper Mory Diaw on Sunday at Stade de la Mosson.

In Montpellier, television pictures showed a firecracker landing next to the feet of Clermont goalkeeper Diaw and exploding with a loud bang, just as the match was entering stoppage time.

A clearly stunned Diaw went down and needed treatment before being stretchered off, and the game was halted before being abandoned following a crisis meeting.

“The doctor who examined the Clermont goalkeeper certified that he was not in a condition to return to the field. The match is therefore halted definitively,” referee Florent Batta told media at the Stade de la Mosson.

Montpellier were leading 4-2 and on course for their first home win of the season until the incident, and now risk serious punishment with the prospect of having to replay the game without their fans at the very least.

A police spokesman told AFP that the suspected perpetrator had been arrested.

Diaw was able to return to Clermont with his teammates after the game and was due to undergo further tests on Monday, the club said.

“We are disgusted, disappointed and sad,” admitted Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin, as he complained that the actions of one individual “could penalise the whole team”.

On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) bounced back from their heavy Champions League loss at Newcastle United to beat Rennes 3-1 in Ligue 1.

PSG were thrashed 4-1 in Newcastle on Wednesday, a result and a performance which raised serious doubts about their prospects in Europe this season.

But they returned to form against Rennes at a ground where they have regularly struggled in recent years, recording a win which lifts them up to third in the table, two points behind leaders Monaco.

“We are always happy when we win, but I was also happy after the defeat at Newcastle,” claimed coach Luis Enrique.

He abandoned his experiment with playing four forwards, and the returning midfielder Vitinha opened the scoring with a brilliant arcing strike into the top corner from an Ousmane Dembele pass just after the half-hour mark.

It was 2-0 four minutes later when Warren Zaire-Emery crossed for Achraf Hakimi, arriving unmarked in the box, to head in.

Amine Gouiri headed home from close range to get Rennes back into the match in the 56th minute, but PSG scored again two minutes later as Hakimi’s low delivery was converted at the near post by Randal Kolo Muani, who had been dropped from the starting line-up.

Kolo Muani had another goal disallowed for offside, while Kylian Mbappe somehow shot over late on after a brilliant burst forward that had taken him around the goalkeeper.

“He might not have scored today, but he has been performing at a really high level since the start of the season,” Luis Enrique said of Mbappe.

“It is a bit bizarre when Kylian doesn’t score but it is just a side note.”

READ: La Liga: Roberto’s late equalizer helps Barcelona draw against Granada

GRANADA: Sergi Roberto scored an 85th-minute equalizer to save Barcelona from their first loss in the ongoing La Liga season at the hands of Granda at Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes on Sunday.

Granada got off to a dream start at their home ground with Bryan Zaragoza scoring the fastest La Liga goal this century in only 17 seconds.

He did not stop there and added another goal to his tally just a minute before the half-hour mark to increase Barcelona’s deficit to 2-0.

However, Lamine Yamal got in the record books to reduce the deficit for Barcelona in stoppage time as he hammered the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Lamine Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in the history of La Liga, overtaking Fabrice Olinga, who was 11 days older when he scored for Malaga against Celta Vigo in 2012.

Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP

Barcelona dominated the second half looking for an equalizer but the home team was tough at defense to deny The Catalans’s attempts until Sergi Roberto found Alejandro Balde’s cross in the 85th minute to rescue his side.

Both sides settled for a 2-2 stalemate after Barcelona almost won in the extra time thanks to Felix’s header but the referee raised an offside flag.

Meanwhile, two other La Liga fixtures ended with the same score as Celta Vigo drew with Getafe, and Sevilla drew with Rayo Vallecano.

In another match, Las Palmas defeated Villarreal 2-1 at Estadi de la Ceràmica, after the home side managed to score their only goal in the extra time to reduce the losing margin.

Atletico Madrid registered their sixth victory of the ongoing La Liga season after a late penalty by Antoine Griezmann helped his side edge Real Sociedad 2-1 at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium.

READ: AC Milan make Olivier Giroud goalkeeper after Genoa heroics

Olivier Giroud was officially made a goalkeeper by AC Milan on Sunday after the France striker’s heroics between the sticks at Genoa helped his team take the top spot in Serie A.

Veteran forward Giroud took Mike Maignan’s place in the Milan goal after his Les Bleus teammate was sent off in the seventh minute of injury time and did enough to ensure the away side won 1-0 and moved two points ahead of local rivals Inter Milan.

“Last night Olivier Giroud became part of Milan history by courageously defending the Milan goal in the final minutes of our match with Genoa,” Milan said in a statement.

“The club has decided to honour his performance in our last line of defence by putting him in the list of goalkeepers.”

AC Milan also said that fans could buy a replica goalkeepers’ jersey with “Giroud 9” on the back as an homage to an incredible ending to Saturday’s tight victory.

Giroud can be seen on AC Milan’s website smiling in the goalkeeping kit — which on Saturday night he said he would frame — above a perfect record of zero goals conceded in his seven league appearances this season.

He was brought on as a substitute midway through the second half at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to help Milan break down a stubborn Genoa.

But instead, Giroud was key to holding off a stoppage-time siege from Genoa after Christian Pulisic put Milan ahead in the 87th minute.

Olivier Giroud could only watch on helplessly as Albert Gudmundsson clipped a free-kick off the crossbar right after Maignan was dismissed and the 37-year-old pulled on the goalkeeper’s jersey and gloves.

And he capped an incredible ending to a match, in which Genoa’s goalkeeper Josep Martinez was also sent off, by rushing out of his goal to twice deny Genoa and ensure Milan took the three points back to the San Siro.

READ: Jude Bellingham strikes twice as Real Madrid hammer Osasuna

Morocco, Portugal and Spain will be joint hosts for the FIFA World Cup 2030 but games will also be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as the footballing showpiece celebrates its centenary, FIFA announced on Wednesday.

FIFA said in a statement that the matches in South America — one each in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Asuncion — were part of the celebration to mark 100 years since the first World Cup in Uruguay.

The announcement puts an end to competition between two major bids, one led by Spain and Portugal and the other from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay.

“In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“The FIFA Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way.”

World football’s governing body said the hosts must still be officially rubber-stamped by the FIFA Congress next year.

However, Wednesday’s announcement means the way seems clear for this unprecedented intercontinental format, which promises complex political and logistical challenges and raises further questions about the environmental impact of major sporting events.

The move drew immediate criticism from the influential lobby group Football Supporters Europe, who described it as “the end of the World Cup as we know it”.

“FIFA continues its cycle of destruction against the greatest tournament on earth,” it said on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the decision was “horrendous for supporters” and “disregards the environment”.

At one stage, Spain and Portugal had included Ukraine in their bid, saying they wanted to send “a message of solidarity and hope” and pay tribute to the “tenacity and resilience” of a country invaded by Russia in February 2022.

Morocco, a five-time unsuccessful candidate to host the tournament, joined them in mid-March.

The agreement between European body UEFA and its African (CAF) and South American (CONMEBOL) counterparts confirms the withdrawal of Ukraine and also that of the South American countries, in exchange for a symbolic concession.

FIFA said Spain, Portugal and Morocco would all qualify automatically for the World Cup 2030 by virtue of being host nations.

“I am convinced that with Morocco and Portugal, we will organise the best World Cup in history,” said Pedro Rocha, the interim president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), in a joint statement issued with those of Morocco and Portugal.

Morocco, which was last week named as the host for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, will become the second African country to host the World Cup after South Africa in 2010.

According to FIFA, a “centenary ceremony” will be held “at the stadium where it all began”, in Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario in 1930, when the event brought together 13 teams in a single host city — compared with 32 for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar and 48 from the World Cup 2026 in North America onwards.

“We could not let this historic opportunity pass us by,” said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of CONMEBOL, as he indicated that the centenary tournament would start in Montevideo.

“We are honouring the memory of those who came before us,” he added.

However, a source within FIFA said the traditional opening ceremony would still take place in one of the official host nations.

FIFA also said it was inviting bids from the Asian and Oceanian continental confederations for the World Cup 2034.

That appears to open the door for Saudi Arabia, which confirmed it was a candidate.

Referring to that, Football Supporters Europe said FIFA was rolling out “the red carpet to a host for 2034 with an appalling human rights record”.

In addition to its announcements related to the World Cup, FIFA said it was lifting its ban on Russian under-17 teams competing internationally. That follows UEFA’s decision last week to lift a ban on Russia’s youth sides.

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Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday it plans to bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2023, the latest step in a campaign to turn the kingdom into a global sports powerhouse.

The bid “intends to deliver a world-class tournament and will draw inspiration from Saudi Arabia’s ongoing social and economic transformation and the country’s deep-rooted passion for football”, said a statement from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

News of the bid comes one year after neighbouring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East, where the Saudi national team scored a stunning group stage victory over eventual winners Argentina.

The Saudi announcement came an hour after world football’s governing body FIFA released a statement giving its plans for the 2030 World Cup and inviting countries in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to bid for 2034.

On the heels of the Qatar tournament, Saudi Arabia signed Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the Saudi Pro League, the first in a slew of major stars drawn by eye-watering salaries to the world’s biggest crude oil exporter.

Sport is a major component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a tourism and business hub while transitioning the economy away from fossil fuels.

In the coming weeks, the kingdom is set to host the final LIV Golf League tournament of the regular season, a boxing match featuring Anthony Joshua and the Next Gen ATP Finals tennis tournament.

It will also host the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

Earlier this year Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of football’s 2027 Asian Cup.

That event will enable Saudi officials to improve on existing football infrastructure, with new “world-class stadiums” constructed “in the most sustainable ways”, Saudi Football Federation president Yasser Al Misehal said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia previously explored a tri-continental World Cup bid with Egypt and Greece, though that plan has been shelved.

The new Saudi-only bid means fans would face “maximum three-hour flying times between cities and stadiums”, Misehal said.

Riyadh’s willingness to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting events has drawn accusations of “sportswashing”, using sport to distract from oft-criticised human rights abuses.

In an interview with Fox News last month, Prince Mohammed dismissed those attacks, saying “I will continue doing sportswashing” if it will benefit the Saudi economy.

Hosting the World Cup would ratchet up scrutiny of the 38-year-old de facto ruler, who critics accuse of consolidating power through a fierce crackdown on dissent, including one recent case in which a retired teacher was sentenced to death for critical social media posts.

Prince Mohammed told Fox he was “ashamed” of that verdict.

Like Qatar, Saudi Arabia would take heat for outlawing homosexuality and for its treatment of migrant workers, said Kristin Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

“Still, there is a growing sense of inevitability to the emerging centrality of the Gulf region to the sport,” she said.

World Cup-related construction could also draw a backlash from environmental activists who sounded the alarm last year after Saudi Arabia was awarded hosting rights for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, a 47-event competition to be held in Trojena, an area of the planned $500 billion futuristic megacity known as NEOM.

At the time, Greenpeace questioned how plans for Trojena — including a man-made freshwater lake, chalets, mansions and ultra-luxury hotels — could possibly be sustainable.

But Riyadh would be keen to use the World Cup as a showcase for various natural attractions, dispelling the notion that Saudi Arabia is one giant desert.

Misehal, the football federation president, said on Wednesday that fans would be drawn to “our mountains, our islands and of course our culture”, adding: “Everything will be connected with state-of-the-art facilities to guarantee an amazing fan experience.”

The Asian Football Confederation came out in support of the Saudi 2034 World Cup bid shortly after it was announced on Wednesday.

“The entire Asian football family will stand united in support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s momentous initiative, and we are committed to working closely with the global football family to ensure its success,” said AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

The Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also called on its 57 member states to back the bid.

READ: Neeraj Chopra goes big to bag gold at Asian Games 2023

Manchester United’s season is spiralling out of control and manager Erik ten Hag appears powerless to stop the rot.

United slipped to a chaotic 3-2 defeat at home to Galatasaray on Tuesday and have lost their opening two Champions League matches for the first time.

It was United’s sixth defeat in 10 matches in all competitions this season, with positive pre-season vibes now a distant memory.

Ten Hag appeared to be steering United in the right direction when he ended a six-year trophy drought last season and led them to a third-place finish in the Premier League.

Now the Dutchman, in his second season at Old Trafford, is under growing scrutiny for the first time as he scrambles for solutions.

Ten Hag’s men badly needed a victory on Tuesday after losing their Champions League opener against Bayern Munich and faced a Turkish side who had never won in England before.

United led twice, courtesy of impressive goals from new forward Rasmus Hojlund, but Galatasaray took advantage of some calamitous defending, sealing the win when Mauro Icardi dinked the ball over the error-prone Andre Onana.

Ten Hag says there are “no excuses” for his side’s dismal performances but is not worried about losing his job.

“Last season: brilliant, terrific, more than we could expect,” he said.

“We also knew in this project there would be common gaps. At this moment we are in a very difficult period as everyone can see but we come out together, we are fighting together.”

The question is, what does the Dutchman, besieged by problems on and off the pitch, do to halt the steep decline?

New goalkeeper Onana has become the symbol of the team’s defensive woes but he is merely one malfunctioning unit in an underperforming machine.

The Cameroon international, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, made a costly gaffe at Bayern last month and made another horrendous mistake on Tuesday as Manchester United imploded.

Onana was bought to replace the long-serving David de Gea, with his passing range considered one of his greatest strengths.

But his error count is mounting. On Tuesday, he passed to Dries Mertens of Galatasaray. Casemiro’s attempt to rescue the situation but brought a red card and a penalty, which Icardi missed.

Ten Hag appears to be sticking with his number one, signed in a deal worth up to £47 million ($57 million), giving him a vote of confidence.

“We already have seen in games his great capabilities, also his personality after he made mistakes,” he said. “He will bounce back.”

United have conceded 18 goals in 10 matches this season, their highest tally after 10 games of a campaign since 1966/67.

In mitigation, they are grappling with a crippling injury crisis in defence — Diogo Dalot is the only fit senior full-back and central defender Lisandro Martinez has been ruled out for another extended spell.

Hojlund was the one bright spark on Tuesday, scoring a powerful header and putting Manchester United 2-1 ahead after an electric burst of pace.

But fellow striker Marcus Rashford looks a pale shadow of the rampaging forward who scored 30 goals last season. He has managed one so far this term.

Ten Hag has also had to deal with off-field distractions including a spat with Jadon Sancho, who has been banished from the first-team squad.

Brazilian winger Antony returned as a substitute against Galatasaray following a leave of absence to deal with allegations of domestic abuse against him.

Everything is taking place against a backdrop of continuing uncertainty over the ownership of the club, nearly a year after the unpopular Glazers said they were considering a sale.

Despite the appalling results, there is no evidence that Ten Hag’s job is under immediate threat.

But ultimately he will know the buck stops with him as attention turns to Saturday’s home match with Brentford.

READ: Bellingham earns comparisons with Zidane, Di Stefano

Jude Bellingham’s sensational start at Real Madrid, which continued in Naples on Tuesday night with a superb goal to earn Los Blancos another Champions League victory, has sparked comparisons with club greats Alfredo di Stefano and Zinedine Zidane.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been Madrid’s key player since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund and set up a goal for Vinicius Junior before scoring himself in the 3-2 win over Napoli at their Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Bellingham’s goal, a surge forward from just inside the Italians’ half, before weaving through the defence and finishing with aplomb, was compared in some quarters to a strike typical of the former Argentine great.

“There was no better way for Jude to pay homage to the Argentine star,” wrote Spanish newspaper Marca.

“It wasn’t Diego’s goal against England, but in any case, the legendary number 10 would have been proud to score it.”

However the publication, and the other major Madrid sports daily, AS, both ran headlines comparing Bellingham to former Los Blancos legends Di Stefano and Zidane.

“(Bellingham) seriously reminds me of Di Stefano, in the elegant dribbling and ball management, but fierce and tireless in combat, half-artist, half-warrior,” wrote AS columnist Alfredo Relano.

Bellingham won the ball back high up the pitch to create Vinicius’ goal, demonstrating his all-round excellence.

“I’m surprised he’s only 20 years old because he looks like he’s 30 because of his character and attitude,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“He has a lot of quality, physical strength and skill — he surprises me like he does everyone else.”

Despite his many qualities, at Madrid so far he has been used to fill the void left by Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema’s departure.

The French forward left to play in Saudi Arabia in the summer and although Madrid were heavily linked to Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham was their main purchase.

Madrid paid 103 million euros ($108 million) to Dortmund for the former Birmingham City midfielder and it seems they have got value for money.

“Madrid could not get Mbappe but they were absolutely spot on with Bellingham,” added Relano in AS.

“The attack revolves around him, but although he is always there at the start of the move, it doesn’t mean he’s not there to finish it.”

Ancelotti has generally deployed Bellingham in attacking midfield, behind two strikers.

It sometimes limits the impact he can have deeper on the pitch, which he has shown with Dortmund and England, but has helped him supply the Spanish league leaders with vital goals.

Bellingham also snatched a last-minute winner in Madrid’s Champions League opener against German minnows Union Berlin.

In La Liga, the midfielder has netted six goals in seven matches, as well as laying on two assists.

Madrid’s 3-0 triumph at Girona on Saturday was inspired by Bellingham, who set up the first goal with a delicious pass using the outside of his boot, a la team-mate Luka Modric.

“I’ve been watching Modric every day for three months, I just want to be creative,” said Bellingham.

Madrid fans have taken to him quickly, singing the chorus of the Beatles song “Hey Jude” to him in tribute.

Against Napoli and Girona, with Vinicius’ return to the starting line-up after injury, Bellingham’s role has started to expand with some more defensive duties added — but it has not diminished his attacking edge.

“Where is Bellingham’s ceiling?” wondered Marca, with Real Madrid fans excited to find out.

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