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Barcelona came from behind to beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday, likely sealing a first league title under Xavi.

Barcelona probably only needed one point here. Instead, they got three. Sergi Roberto grabbed the first goal, and Franck Kessie slotted home a late winner to see off Real Madrid and establish a 12-point lead atop La Liga.

Real Madrid went ahead much against the run of play, with Vinicius Jr's speculative cross deflecting into the net off Ronald Araujo's head.

Barcelona grabbed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, with Sergi Roberto capitalising on a series of deflections before curling the ball home from ten yards out.

And they found a late winner, with Alejandro Balde feeding Kessie at the far post for an easy finish in second-half stoppage time.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

Entirely wrong-footed by Madrid's opener after a nasty deflection.

Ronald Araujo (6/10):

Unfortunate to concede an own goal. Was otherwise reliable against Vinicius.

Jules Kounde (7/10):

Defended Benzema well and offered valuable cover for Araujo.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

Put a free header off target. Help dig in to prevent a late winner from Los Blancos.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Loads of running and ever-improving in his defensive positioning. Nice assist late on.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Sergi Roberto (7/10):

A surprise inclusion in the XI. Rewarded his manager's faith with the equaliser.

Sergio Busquets (7/10):

Made the standard range of tackles. Was worryingly slow to recover on a couple of occasions.

Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

Created five chances, completed most of his passes, relieved pressure with some wonderful dribbles. A lovely showing.

GettyAttack

Gavi (7/10):

Scrappy, energetic, reliable on the ball. Lucky not to get a red card for barging Dani Ceballos over off the ball. Seems to lose his head a bit in the big games.

Robert Lewandowski (7/10):

Forced some good saves out of Courtois, blasted a scissor kick over the bar. Unlucky not to find the net.

Raphinha (7/10):

Dangerous in his running, regularly cutting onto his left foot. Fired in four shots on goal.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Franck Kessie (8/10):

A bit of a surprise that he didn't start. Grabbed the winner in stoppage time.

Ferran Torres (6/10):

Stretched the game with some neat runs.

Ansu Fati (N/A):

Almost started a fight after tripping Ceballos off the ball. Booked

Xavi (9/10):

Went for his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, and it all worked out for him rather well. Selecting Roberto over Kessie seemed a big call, but the surprise inclusion grabbed a goal. Title sewn up?

Continuing its arguments over the Lodha Committee report, the BCCI said that because of its status as a trust it was beyond the purview of the Supreme Court. The court responded by asking the BCCI whether it was “refusing to be reformed”

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Apr-2016Continuing arguments over the Lodha Committee report on Friday, the BCCI said that because of its status as a trust it was beyond the purview of the Supreme Court. The court responded by asking the BCCI whether it was “refusing to be reformed” and adjourned the matter to MondayA three-man panel led by Justice RM Lodha had recommended several changes to the BCCI’s functioning, but the board has been reluctant to implement some of them. The BCCI’s senior counsel, KK Venugopal, told the bench, comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla, that the board was registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act and also reportedly cited Article 19 (C) of the Constitution of India, which allows for the formation of associations or unions, as one of the reasons the court could not interfere in the BCCI’s functioning.”This is a private body and can arrange its matters in whatever way it wants,” Venugopal told the court, according to the .Regarding the suggestion of “one state, one vote” and the recent critique against how the BCCI disbursed its funds to the state associations, Venugopal said, “Memberships are part of internal management. In case of complaints, approach the Registrar, Co-operative Societies or the police station or the court. There has been no instance of malfeasance to trigger interference which will change the very character and functioning of the Board.”During his submission, Venugopal also cited the Zee Telefilms judgement of 2005. In response to a writ petition by Zee Telefilms against the BCCI over the cancellation of telecast rights, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had ruled that the Indian cricket board was not a “state” as defined by Article 12 of the Constitution, and no fundamental rights can be invoked against it. At the time, however, the court had also ruled that the BCCI was a private body carrying out a public function and, therefore, could be taken to court for violation of a statutory court. According to this judgement, Venugopal said on Friday, the Supreme court could only examine the BCCI’s public function, which does not include its character or composition.Chief Justice Thakur had a pointed question for Venugopal: “Every single penny you hold in trust is for the benefit of the game and for those who play and for the millions of cricket lovers who pay you to watch the game… Are you not accountable to them? Are you refusing to be reformed?”Chief Justice Thakur had more rhetorical questions for the BCCI counsel. “[From] what we understand is that you are suggesting that I am answerable to Registrar of Societies. I will be accountable only to Registrar of the Society. I will be amenable to criminal law but I will not reform. Don’t ask me to reform. Is it possible? What have you done? We have seen the allegations of match-fixing and betting. You have no control over these. But you give money in crores. The Lodha committee has said something. It has been said to make the functioning more transparent and visible and the effort is to reform the BCCI.”The bench asked Venugopal, “When you collect thousands of crores of rupees, are you saying that we cannot question you as to how you spend the same?” The BCCI counsel nodded. “With respect, yes.”Venugopal said that broadcasting revenue accrued from selling media rights was the main source of income for the BCCI. He then argued that the court cannot say how the BCCI must run its business, but it can definitely look into allegations of malfeasance and misconduct. The court asked the BCCI: “The money that you have is in your trust. Are you not accountable to the beneficiaries? It is for the benefit of the people who watch matches. Are you not accountable to them?””We are accountable to the statutory bodies, the regulatory bodies like the Registrar of Societies or the Criminal Law,” Venugopal said. He told the bench that the BCCI was carrying out reform in a stage-by-stage basis.

Concerns over the slow recovery of Lasith Malinga’s knee injury have grown stronger ahead of the World T20 – the paceman now in doubt for Sri Lanka’s first match on March 17

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Mar-20161:11

Fernando: Malinga’s full availability not guaranteed

Lasith Malinga has offered to step down as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain, after concerns over the slow recovery of a knee injury have grown. The board is yet to make a final call on whether a change of leadership is needed, but Malinga has handed the board a letter voicing reservations about keeping the job when he cannot guarantee his availability for Sri Lanka’s full campaign.An MRI scan on Monday confirmed substantial damage to Malinga’s knee, but also suggested that he could manage the injury with painkillers over the next few weeks. The team is scheduled to leave for India on Tuesday, but Malinga is considering staying in Sri Lanka to receive further treatment. He may not depart to India until the days before Sri Lanka’s first match, on March 17.This overuse injury to the left knee – on which he lands during the delivery stride – has troubled him since West Indies’ series in Sri Lanka in November last year. He missed Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December and January, and was later ruled out of the T20s in India, in February. Then, Malinga played only one match of four during the Asia Cup, taking four wickets in Sri Lanka’s solitary victory against UAE, before sitting out games against Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. It is understood he has not bowled in the nets since the UAE game, though, he is not a player who generally requires extensive net bowling before matches.The recovery date for this injury has always been vague, but has been much slower than initially expected, prompting particular worry. It was hoped Malinga could be fit for the T20s in New Zealand, and he was picked for the Asia Cup on the understanding he could play a substantial role in that tournament.This is also the third serious injury to hit Malinga’s career. He had previously been plagued by a similar overuse injury in his right knee, which he said forced him to retire from Tests in 2010. Then in 2014, a long-term ankle injury was operated on in the months leading up to last year’s World Cup. It now appears possible that this current injury could end his international career. In the approach to the Asia Cup, Malinga had hinted the World T20 might be his final foray for Sri Lanka.Angelo Mathews appears the likeliest captaincy candidate if Malinga does step down, though Dinesh Chandimal is also an option. Malinga’s potential absence as a bowler is perhaps the bigger blow to Sri Lanka’s campaign. He has been instrumental to Sri Lanka’s march to three World T20 finals over the last four tournaments, and is also the World T20’s most successful bowler. He has been a diminished threat since his ankle surgery in 2014, but remains – at least in spirit – Sri Lanka’s limited-overs spearhead.

Alex Gidman, the former Gloucestershire captain who moved to Worcestershire in 2015, has been forced to retire at the age of 34 due to a finger injury he suffered in the latter stages of his first season at New Road

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2016Alex Gidman, the former Gloucestershire captain who moved to Worcestershire in 2015, has been forced to retire at the age of 34 due to a finger injury he suffered in the latter stages of his first season at New Road.After picking up the injury in the penultimate week of the season, ahead of a match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, he underwent joint-replacement surgery when he became unable to flex the joint.At the time a recovery period of 12 weeks was expected and Gidman was confident of being fit for the 2016 season, but after consultation with specialist Mike Hayton it has been decided he will not be able to reach the fitness levels to play professionally.”It is with great sadness that I have no choice but to retire from the sport that has given me so much,” he said. “I have been really lucky to have played for so long and I have so many great memories.”Obviously my many years at Gloucestershire included the majority of my success but I have really enjoyed the last 18 months meeting some fantastic people at Worcestershire. I can’t thank the many coaches, team-mates and of course supporters enough. I’m excited about the future, but will miss the game. I wish all the players I have played with the best of luck for the 2016 season and beyond.”Gidman had a disappointing first season at Worcestershire – scoring 397 runs in 12 Championship matches and made one appearance in both the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup – although missed a month of first-team cricket in July after suffering concussion when he was struck by a bouncer against Nottinghamshire.Overall he finishes with 11,622 first-class runs, 4473 in one-day cricket and 1448 in T20 alongside 103 first-class wickets and 71 in List A. His most prolific first-class season came in 2014 – his last with Gloucestershire – where he scored 1278 runs at 45.64 including his career-best 264, which came the day before he confirmed his move to Worcestershire.He reached as far as England A (and Lions) level with tours to the UAE and Sri Lanka in 2004-05 then Bangladesh in 2006-07 – on the back of a domestic season where he scored more than 1200 first-class runs – and played a match against West Indies in 2007 when the Lions opening attack was James Anderson and Stuart Broad. He was also appointed captain of England A for the tour of India in 2003-04, but was forced to withdraw before the tour with a hand injury.

Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid on Sunday but controversy soon followed, as they complained about the assistant referee spying on them after the match.

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Barca celebrate narrow win over AtleticoNumber of controversial decisions Assistant caught eavesdropping outside dressing roomWHAT HAPPENED?

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez was in charge of the match and the Montjuic home crowd felt that Barcelona had been given the short end of the stick on several occasions, particularly about Joao Felix's penalty appeal, Memphis Depay's two fouls, and his block of Ilkay Gundogan during the German's forward play. Linesman Raul Cabanero was allegedly discovered outside the Barcelona locker room following the game, according to [via ]. They claim he was listening in on the players throughout both half-time and full-time. Press officer Edu Polo instructed Cabanero to leave the premises of the locker room at full-time; however, the linesman summoned Sanchez over his radio, who subsequently inquired about Polo's identity. When Xavi Hernandez showed up, he verified Polo's identification.

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According to Diario AS [Football Espana], Sanchez urged composure, and a discussion was able to fix the matter. They do, however, support Sport's accusations, asserting that Cabanero entered the locker room at half-time to perform the routine player kit check, which is typically done outside the locker room.

DID YOU KNOW?

This season, the Catalans and referees have had a tense relationship that president Joan Laporta brought up last weekend when he insisted his club should have received a penalty for a foul on Raphinha in the LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Although there isn't likely to be any official process for this type of action, Barcelona will undoubtedly be tempted to vent their displeasure even more in a period when the big two have been eager to fuel the embers of refereeing controversy. All things considered, in recent seasons, officiating in Spain has far too frequently been a topic of discussion.

Batsman Ed Joyce and fast bowler Tim Murtagh have announced their retirement from Twenty20 cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015Ireland’s Ed Joyce and Tim Murtagh have announced their retirement from Twenty20 cricket. Both men’s decision took into account their country’s prospects of more 50-over cricket and a long-format debut.”With potentially more ODIs in the next few years and the possibility of Test cricket in the near future as well, I feel like I’d be able to contribute more in these formats if I stop playing T20,” the 36-year old Joyce said.He had made his T20 international debut in June 2006, in England colours. His first game for Ireland came six years later against Kenya in February 2012. He tallied 404 runs from 16 matches at an average of 36.72 for Ireland, the country’s best, and was part of two World T20s. And although its next edition is due in 2016, Joyce was confident Ireland have enough resources to pose a threat.”Added to this is the emergence of exciting young batsman Andy Balbirnie, so I know the T20 team should be in good hands going forward,” he said. Balbirnie, 24, is yet to make his 20-overs debut for Ireland but was part of their impressive World Cup campaign, with back-to-back half-centuries.Murtagh, the 33-year old fast bowler, cited the increase in the amount to cricket and hoped the decision would help him be at his best for his county Middlesex and Ireland.”I haven’t played much T20 cricket for Middlesex recently,” he said. “There’s such a busy schedule these days, and with a lot of cricket coming up for Ireland and Middlesex, I’m now maybe at an age as a bowler where some formats of the game are having to take priority.”Murtagh played seven T20 internationals and picked up as many wickets. His first appearance was in June 2012 against Australia and his last was against Netherlands in the World T20 in March 2014.Ireland’s chairman of selectors Alan Lewis expressed no surprise at this development. “Wise men make the right decisions at the right time and this is no different. I can’t speak highly enough of both,” he said, “Both players are the wrong side of 30 ,but the heartening piece for us is their total commitment to the longer formats and ultimately our desire to play Test cricket in the future.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reacted angrily to a joke about his team's forthcoming match against Crystal Palace.

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Presenter jokes lunchtime is Klopp's "favourite kick-off"Liverpool boss not impressedHits back in angry rant WHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp spoke to Amazon Prime presenter Marcus Buckland after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Wednesday in the Premier League. Buckland noted how Liverpool's next match was a lunchtime game against Crystal Palace on Saturday in Klopp's "favourite kick-off time." However, the joke did not go down at all well with the Liverpool manager who has regularly made it clear he is not a fan of playing early on Saturday after a Wednesday fixture.

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Klopp said: "That’s really brave to make a joke about that. We go home, I don’t know exactly what time we will get home, we will arrive, maybe 1am-2am tonight, and then play again. We have two sessions. It is fine to recover and then we go again. Crystal Palace play tonight as well so it is really fine. I realise you don’t understand it as well and you work in football so why should I explain it again. If you make a joke out of that you are ignorant.”

Buckland then insisted he was not trying to be disrespectful but Klopp brushed his comment off.

“You were already," he added. "All good, you can say what you want, I cannot say what I want because that would be really different.”

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Liverpool's win over Sheffield United means the Reds are once again two points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table. Victory over Palace next time out would see Liverpool move to the top and pile pressure on the Gunners ahead of their trip to an in-form Aston Villa. Unai Emery's side are currently third after beating Manchester City 1-0 on Wednesday.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

The fixtures are certainly coming thick and fast for Liverpool, with some crucial games to be played before Christmas. Klopp's side face Palace, Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League, West Ham in the EFL quarter-finals and Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League.

Goal looks at the kits of the teams participating in Euro 2020 this summer, from Germany's classic, updated strip to Spain's unconventional home kit

Euro 2020  (now taking place in 2021) will feature the top international sides from across Europe and they will all be wearing unique attire at the tournament.

Football kits are generally updated every season and, when it comes to international football, almost inevitably before each major competition.

Goal takes a look at what the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane and more will be wearing at this summer's European Championship.

GettyAustria – Home kit

Puma is the manufacturer of Austria's kit for Euro 2020 and it has received a number of outings already. Red on the torso with white sleeves and a round collar, the jersey is imbued with a classic Alpine design graphic, which is inspired by the Vienna Secession art nouveau style.

AdvertisementAustriaAustria – Away kit

The Austria away kit was unveiled by Puma in November 2019, featuring a sleek black and teal design with a feather pattern. The OFB crest appears on the left side, with the graphic and colours inspired, like the home kit, by Austria's art nouveau style from the 19th and 20th century.

Adidas/Goal compositeBelgium – Home kit

Belgium's home kit, made by Adidas, features a bold brushstroke graphic that forms the letter "B" on the front. The Belgian flag makes up the red, yellow and black colourway, with yellow hints also across the cuffs and collar.

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AdidasBelgium – Away kit

Belgium's away kit is a grey-white number but with red and black embellishments. Adidas' trademark three stripes (in red) adorn the shoulders.

The future editions of the Asia Cup will be conducted by the Asian Cricket Council, despite the downsizing of the regional body and the takeover of most of its development activities by the ICC

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2015The future editions of the Asia Cup, beginning in 2016, will be conducted by the Asian Cricket Council, despite the downsizing of the regional body and the takeover of its development activities by the ICC. In a press release on Friday, the ICC formally announced its plan for the takeover of the ACC and said that its decision to manage the ACC’s development initiatives was in line with a desire to integrate cricket’s global development.The Asian body will, however, host the Asia Cup with editions scheduled for 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. Qualification processes that could allow Associate and Affiliate Members to play in the tournament are also being reviewed. Several members of the ACC staff will take up roles with the ICC.Outgoing ACC CEO, Syed Ashraful Huq, had announced a few days ago that the format of the Asia Cup would alternate between T20s and ODIs, giving countries like Nepal, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and UAE a chance to participate. The ICC, however, has not confirmed Huq’s statements and has not released any information pertaining to the format of the Asia Cup.”The ACC’s development work has been fundamental to the growth and improvement of many Associate and Affiliate Members in Asia, particularly countries like Afghanistan, UAE and Nepal,” ICC’s chief executive David Richardson, said. “We therefore look forward to building on this success in order for cricket to become even stronger across the region.”The ICC’s plans to limit the involvement of regional bodies in cricket development was revealed by Huq, in August 2014. The decision to downsize the operations of regional bodies came soon after changes to the ICC’s financial and governance structures last year which were driven by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board.The ACC’s work in Asia had played a part in the improvement of Asian teams, including the celebrated rise of Afghanistan – who played the 2010 World T20 and their maiden World Cup earlier this year – and Nepal, who qualified for the 2014 World T20. While Afghanistan made it to the 2015 World Cup after finishing second in the World Cricket League Championships, UAE’s second-place finish in the World Cup Qualifiers helped them enter their second World Cup after 1996.The ACC’s development work also extends to umpiring, coaching and other areas of cricket along with tournaments for the Under-16 and Under-19 age groups. It was set up in 1983 with the goal of promoting cricket in Asia and has 25 members at present, including the Test-playing countries of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Sybrand Engelbrecht led Cape Cobras past a Jonathan Carter century to keep his side’s hopes of a semi-final spot alive in the Champions League, after a narrow Super Over win

The Report by Alagappan Muthu26-Sep-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details. Cape Cobras won the one-over eliminatorJonathan Carter’s power deserted him when he needed it most•BCCIIt was the second time Jonathan Carter was sprawled on his knees in Mohali. He hammered his bat into the turf and flung his head down in agony. The Cape Cobras were lined up beside him, having broken free from their celebratory hugs, to pat his back.Carter had bludgeoned his way to a maiden T20 century, but his team-mates toppled around him. Still Barbados Tridents had managed a total of 174. Their bowlers rallied to enforce a Super Over and it was down to Carter again with four needed of the last ball. A last ball that was a full toss. A full toss bowled by little-known offspinner Sybrand Engelbrecht. But when Carter needed his power the most, it was nowhere to be found as an inside edge dribbled away behind the keeper and Barbados Tridents had lost.While he was swallowed in grief, Cobras’ dressing room erupted. Had they lost this game, they would have been out of the CLT20.There were seven single-figure scores strewn amid Carter’s effort. The Tridents suffered two early jolts and their run-rate was below six by the end of the Powerplay. That lack of foundation meant every bottom-handed bludgeon from Carter was highly necessary. Many times, he looked set to swing himself off his feet, the bat swirling back towards the base of his spine during the follow through. The straight boundary received significant attention, as he razed 58 of his runs in the V, including all five of his sixes. He gave the run-rate a much needed boost. He offset the loss of a few late wickets, and his unbeaten 111 was nearly 64% of the Tridents’ eventual 174 for 8.However, the desperation he showed with the bat took a long while to match. Cape Cobras had the luxury of a Richard Levi blitz as a precursor to a Hashim Amla fifty that was dragging the match away. Tridents needed a stranglehold with the required rate a manageable 8.33 in the final six overs.Jeevan Mendis’ canny leg spin provided just that. Three wickets across eight of his deliveries, followed by a stellar 19th over that cost only five from Ravi Rampaul complicated the chase. Cobras diluted an equation of 13 from six to three from one. Engelbrecht slogged a slower ball to deep square leg and was haring back for an ambitious second. Tridents could have taken the match then, but a less-than accurate throw from Raymon Reifer and a fumble from the wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich pushed it into a Super Over.Rampaul fronted up again and rarely erred in finding the leg-stump yorker. There of them hit their marks, but Levi and Dane Vilas managed to string together 11 runs from the Super Over.The responsibility of defending that fell on Engelbrecht. Cobras had decided pace off the ball was their best chance. But offspinner Dane Piedt was injured and Robin Peterson’s left-arm spin can often be a lottery. So Engelbrecht, who’s acclaim as a fielder outstrips his skills with the ball, was tossed the ball. Carter managed a flat-batted thump to the long-off boundary that had Dilshan Munaweera, who’s 42 was the next best effort in their innings, skipping. Tridents needed seven from four.However, Engelbrecht kept bowling slow. He kept forcing the batsmen to reach outside off and finally stymied Carter on leg stump to steal the game. Something he enjoyed quite a bit considering the way he took off running. It was the first Super Over game he was involved in. It was the first Super Over he has ever bowled. It was a gamble from acting captain Vilas. It worked.