With Sunderland looking to bounce back from a disappointing season in the Championship, the Black Cats have reportedly set their sights on a player who's just left a European giant as a free agent.

Sunderland transfer news

Before anything, Sunderland may need to finally welcome their replacement for Michael Beale this summer. Those at The Stadium of Light have been without a permanent manager since February, with Mike Dodds only taking charge on an interim basis, and are still yet to name a fresh face in the dugout. That's not to say that plenty of names haven't been mentioned, however, with Will Still, Paul Heckingbottom and, more recently, Pascal Jansen linked with the job.

Sunderland could cash in on free signing who's now worth more than Clarke

Sunderland will be well aware they could make some substantial profit on this star soon.

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The longer they remain without a manager, the more that Sunderland could remain without a clear plan, which may push the likes of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham out the door. The two young stars have both been linked with summer exits. And with the former now reportedly wanting to move on from the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats will be left searching for replacements, which is where one target could come in.

According to Dutch outlet FCUpdate, Sunderland are keen to sign Ar'jany Martha this summer following the expiry of his contract at European giants Ajax, making him a free agent. Given that the 20-year-old can play primarily as a left-back and on both attacking wings too, those in Wearside would be getting a player ready to step into a more defensive role.

They're not alone in their interest, however, with Championship rivals Burnley also reportedly eyeing a move to sign the former Ajax man this summer. The Clarets are in a similar position to Sunderland in that they're currently managerless whilst still seeking further improvements in the summer transfer window.

"Impressive" Martha can realise potential at Sunderland

Although things didn't work out at Ajax, Sunderland represents a place where young talent has thrived in recent years, from Clarke all the way to Manchester United gem Amad Diallo.

Now, it could be Martha's turn to thrive. The deal itself, meanwhile, could be relatively risk-free from Sunderland's perspective, given that they'd be getting a free agent and someone who still impressed when given the chance in the Netherlands. Antonio Mango described him as "impressive" on X:

If Martha arrives, then a player of such potential may need time to find his feet, but once he's comfortable, Sunderland could have an unexpected gem on their hands. As those at the Stadium of Light look to avoid a repeat of last season, welcoming the right manager before key reinforcements is crucial in the coming months, which could see Martha arrive on Wearside.

The RCB captain had scored just 18 from the first three matches, but came to the fore with a match-winning fifty on Saturday

Saurabh Somani03-Oct-20202:12

Manjrekar: Kohli and RCB paced the chase perfectly

It has been an almost unprecedented start to IPL 2020 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have three wins from their first four matches and are among the top two on the points table. In some ways, it was an unfamiliar start to the tournament for captain Virat Kohli too, who had scored a total of 18 runs in the first three games, and taken up 29 balls doing so.While the Royal Challengers continued their good form with an eight-wicket win against the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, Kohli broke out of his rut to make the highest score in the match, hitting 72 not out off 53.A smiling Kohli later said that he had told Jos Buttler, the Royals wicketkeeper, during his innings that he both loved and hated the game, because of the contrasting fortunes it made you experience as a player.”It’s a funny game you know. It’s an amazing game,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation to Ian Bishop when asked about his form. “I was telling Jos when I was batting in there, ‘I love this game and I hate it too’.”It’s something that you need to understand as a player. When you play so much of cricket, you do feel like at times you’re not in control of what you want to do. But more than that, you feel disappointed when the team’s not doing well. But when the team’s doing well, you feel like ‘Okay I’ve got some more space to figure out how I want to go about applying my kind of batting for the benefit of the team.'”Head coach Simon Katich said that while the support staff had never been worried about Kohli’s form, his batting in the Super Over against the Mumbai Indians could have marked the turnaround. AB de Villiers and Kohli faced up to a hostile Jasprit Bumrah over then, and Kohli hit the winning runs for Royal Challengers off the last ball.”The way we’ve seen it, we don’t look at Virat being out of form at all,” Katich said after the game. “We see him batting in the nets, and we thought he looked magnificent in the first game. Unfortunately he holed out in that one [he was out for 14 off 13 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad] and then he missed out a couple of times. That can happen in T20s.”I think what helped was he got us over the line in that Super Over. Great shot to finish the game there against Mumbai and he’s carried on from there. What we see in the nets from training to training is someone that’s super professional. He’s looked like he’s timing the ball beautifully and he works so hard at his game it was only a matter of time before he got runs in the middle. It was great to see him get out there today, control that chase – which we know he does so well – and hopefully now that will kickstart the rest of his IPL.”While happy with how well his team had started, Kohli cautioned against relaxing, pointing out that it was very easy to fall behind in a tournament like the IPL.”This tournament, we understand that it can get away from you very quickly,” he said. “In the past we’ve experienced that. When you start losing initially, the games start going past very quickly and suddenly you realise that you’re seven or eight games into the tournament and you have no points. And when you start well it’s important to continue that momentum. So yes, we will look to do that. Simply follow the process that we have in place and keep backing ourselves to go out there and execute the plans that we have.”Virat Kohli pulls with power•BCCI

‘This guy’s got serious talent’ – Kohli on Devdutt PadikkalKohli’s knock against the Royals came in partnership with opener Devdutt Padikkal, who has hit three fifties in his first four IPL games. Padikkal made 63 off 45, and allowed Kohli the time to settle in. Kohli has worked closely with Padikkal since the team came to the UAE, with the Royal Challengers having paired up a youngster with an experienced hand and Kohli taking Padikkal under his wing.”I saw him play and I told Simon [Katich]… I was like, ‘This guy’s got some serious talent’. Because he’s got reach and he’s got a great eye, great balance. His head’s very still,” Kohli said. “And a left-hander… it’s very difficult for the bowlers to continue bowling the same lines and lengths when a leftie is in. And the way he bats, it’s very, very clean shots. You don’t feel like he’s taking a risk as such. That kind of feeling you hardly get with batsmen that come at this level, when they haven’t played so much.”I just kept talking to him about building innings. If he can bat long for the team, it’s going to benefit us more often than not. He’s a smart guy, he understands the game well and he responds to feedback very well.”

Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell has suggested that Tottenham could use defender Joe Rodon and midfielder Oliver Skipp as makeweights in a transfer for an exciting £50 million player.

Tottenham targeting new midfielder this summer

Amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and even Yves Bissouma (The Times), there are suggestions that Ange Postecoglou could look to the transfer market in search of a new number six.

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Chelsea star Conor Gallagher remains on Spurs' radar as an option for the role, while there have been reports linking Tottenham with Atalanta star Ederson as an alternative to the England international.

Postecoglou could benefit from the arrival of a dynamic, young and exciting new midfied engine man, with the Australian set to oversee numerous more games next season as well – due to Tottenham's involvement in the Europa League.

The right-back position could also see some changes ahead of next season, as both Djed Spence and Emerson Royal could quit Tottenham by the start of next campaign. Genoa are attempting to sign Spence on a permanent deal, while AC Milan are actively pursuing a move for Royal.

A new full-back and midfielder may well be needed, but one player who can actually fill both roles is Leeds United starlet Archie Gray. The teenage sensation was an ever-present under Daniel Farke as the Whites narrowly missed out on promotion, and he's been linked with a move to Spurs in the last month.

Tottenham could use Skipp and Rodon in swap deal for Gray

Speaking to Tottenham News, Sky journalist Bardell has suggested that Spurs could use Skipp and Rodon as makeweights in a potential deal for Gray – who Leeds are said to value at around £50 million.

“It’s a deal that would make sense," said Bardell. "I think we’re going to see these sorts of untraditional swaps this window with clubs looking to manipulate the market.

"Archie Gray feels like a player that would suit Tottenham and suit Ange Postecoglou. That would leave Skipp surplus to requirements, he’s not first choice anyway and Gray coming in would put him further down the pecking order.

“He’s a player that needs a fresh start. Obviously, Rodon was there last season and they would take him back. If they helped get Tottenham closer to a move for Archie Gray then that would be a superb piece of business.“

The Englishman is a rising star at Elland Road, with some members of the media even tipping him to cost upwards of £70 million after his fine campaign, a fee Spurs could obviously bring down with the sales of the aforementioned duo.

"Archie's had a fantastic season for Leeds," said pundit Carlton Palmer to Football League World last campaign.

"Gray has been outstanding, with 36 league appearances so far this season, proving both his versatility and his ability. The 18-year-old's current deal has him with the club until 2028, but the club are looking to extend that even further. This makes sense, to tie the player down, with speculation surrounding him from top Premier League clubs and European teams.

Swansea 0-4 Leeds

7.76/10

Leeds 1-0 Norwich

7.34/10

Leeds 1-0 QPR

7.28/10

Plymouth 0-2 Leeds

7.25/10

Leeds 2-1 Bristol

7.22/10

"Gray's only 18, but he's doing well under Daniel Farke by playing regularly, so shouldn't be in any rush to leave. But Leeds want to protect themselves, for sure, by tying him down to a longer-term contract, and I'm sure there would be a massive release clause in there. Leeds would probably be looking for £70-80 million for him."

Glasgow Rangers suffered massively under the management of Michael Beale, but the Englishman certainly did make a few decent signings.

Todd Cantwell, Jack Butland and Dujon Sterling were all signed by the Englishman and have enjoyed success in Glasgow.

Could Philippe Clement repeat Rangers’ Cantwell masterclass by signing another talent from the English Championship this summer?

Rangers eyeing up move for Scottish striker

According to the Daily Record, the Light Blues are looking at making a potential swoop for Bristol City striker Tommy Conway in a bid to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season.

The Scot was recently called up by Steve Clarke to the Scotland squad for Euro 2024, replacing Lyndon Dykes, and a solid showing at the tournament could get tongues wagging.

With one year left on his current deal, the Gers could land the striker on a pre-contract agreement in January or spend £300k if he runs his contract down at the Championship side.

It is clear reinforcements are needed to strengthen the attack this summer and the Bristol Post claims that the Robins could be open to offers for the player.

Tommy Conway could be Cantwell 2.0 at Rangers

Cantwell also joined Rangers from the second tier in England after leaving Norwich City and has made quite an impression in Glasgow over the previous 18 months.

Metric

Premiership

Europa League

Goals

7

1

Assists

5

0

Big chances created

7

0

Key passes per game

1.7

0.5

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

2.3

The Englishman has made 64 appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals while registering 12 assists in that time, showcasing his creative talents regularly during his role as an attacking midfielder.

Conway, meanwhile, has shone for Bristol City since making his debut during the 2020/21 campaign. Since then, the striker has scored 25 goals in 92 appearances, enjoying a breakthrough season in 2022/23, and he has gone from strength to strength since.

Among his teammates, the 21-year-old ranked first in the squad for goals and assists (11) along with ranking first for shots on target per game (0.7) and second for penalties won (1), indicating how clinical he has been in the final third.

Statman Dave has lauded the 6 foot 1 youngster as being “clinical” during a stunning FA Cup display against West Ham United in January, while his former manager Nigel Pearson compared him to Jamie Vardy previously.

Signing Conway would give Clement another option to utilise as opposed to relying on Cyriel Dessers all the time, and he surely won't be the only arrival in that department this summer.

If Rangers want to beat Celtic to the Premiership title next term, they will have to make sure they end the season having scored more goals than their rivals.

Across the previous three campaigns, the Ibrox side have scored 260 league goals compared to 301 by Celtic, which is a big difference.

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The Light Blues are reportedly interested in signing the Scottish centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Jun 13, 2024

Conway may not be the finished article yet, but his potential is clearly high, which could see him shine for the Glasgow side.

Clement is targeting players from different markets, but sometimes signing a player closer to home is the best course of action.

For Foxtel, the subscription broadcaster, the second ODI had its third-biggest viewership of all time

Daniel Brettig30-Nov-2020A combined average audience of more than a million Australian viewers tuned into the weekend double of the WBBL final on Saturday night and Australia’s second ODI against India on Sunday evening, a set of numbers made still more notable by the fact neither match was aired on a primary free-to-air channel.As the Seven network argues ever more fervently that it is due a discount in its broadcast rights fee, the audience of nearly 429,000 for the WBBL decider between the Sydney Thunder and the Melbourne Stars, followed by an average of some 585,000 for the second SCG match between the teams of Aaron Finch and Virat Kohli, have made it patently clear that cricket’s broadcast pulling power is anything but waning.Sunday’s figures were a new record for ODI broadcasts on Foxtel, surpassing the 544,000 who tuned into the 2015 World Cup final at the MCG, and behind only the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-final and final as the highest rating sports broadcasts in the network’s entire history.They are also comfortably the largest figures returned by the subscription network since it won the exclusive rights to broadcast men’s ODI and T20I matches in Australia as its A$750 million part of the A$1.2 billion deal with Seven as Cricket Australia’s broadcast partners – the same contract Seven is trying every means at its disposal to reduce in value from the A$450 million it signed up to pay.There was believed to be another flashpoint between CA and Seven over the WBBL final itself, as the governing body was surprised when the broadcaster stepped back from an earlier discussion in which it was believed to be agreed that the decider would take place on Seven’s primary channel provided it was contested between major market teams from Sydney and Melbourne. As if to add further murk to the situation, Seven then scheduled the film Frozen, beloved by a young female audience, at the exact same 7pm timeslot in which the WBBL final strove to reach the same market space.Most of Seven’s criticism has been directed at the BBL, which it claims has not delivered value despite costing at least 50% of the total value of the rights, alongside the WBBL, women’s internationals and men’s Test matches.But the arguments made by Seven’s outspoken chief executive James Warburton – with the backing of the network’s multibillionaire chairman Kerry Stokes – existed well before the deal was struck: namely the fact that many of Australia’s best players do not take part in the BBL much if at all due to the constraints of the international schedule, including ODI and T20I series such as those currently being played against India.Much public anger was heard at the time when CA revealed it had allowed these matches to be hidden behind a paywall, with the passive assent of the federal government despite “anti-siphoning” legislation requiring all Australian men’s internationals at home to be broadcast free-to-air.Certainly Foxtel were happy to have secured guaranteed fixtures in which viewers would see the likes of David Warner, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins showcasing their more expansive and entertaining sides, while knowing there was little guarantee CA would be able to wrangle those same players to take part in the BBL. As of this moment, only Starc of the aforementioned quartet has a BBL deal for this season, and Warner has stated bluntly that he will not return to the tournament until his international days are over.At the same time, the CA board’s decision to chase as much cash as possible from the 2018 deal, to the point of accepting Seven as a partner over Ten – who had successfully broadcast the BBL between 2013 and 2018 – for a difference of just A$2 million a season, has left them in a situation where their current free-to-air partner is chasing discounts that will amount to significantly more than the amount they may have lost by maintaining a relationship with Ten.Either way, current deliberations between CA, Seven and the Australian Chamber for International and Commercial Arbitration are taking place at a time when the nation’s appetite for live cricket could not be much clearer. Only the headline figure of a major event on a prime free-to-air channel is lacking.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo segue sua boa campanha no Campeonato Paulista sub-20. Nessa quinta-feira (2), o Tricolor, comandado por Alex, venceu por 2 a 0,no estádio Walter Ribeiro, em Sorocaba. Os gols foram marcados por Maiolli e Thales.

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Apesar do bom volume de jogo, o São Paulo não conseguiu furar a defesa do São Bento no primeiro tempo.Vitinho chegou a marcar um gol, após bela jogada, mas a arbitragem marcou impedimento. Pedrinho também teve uma boa chance e acertou a trave.

Já na volta do intervalo, logo aos 2 minutos, João Adriano cruzou para a área e jogou na medida para Maioli desviar de cabeça e abrir o placar.Aos 10, após rápido contra-ataque, Talles recebeu, cortou a zaga e bateu firme para marcar o segundo gol.

Gabriel Neves é mais um! Relembre os uruguaios da história do São Paulo

>> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

O São Paulo lidera o Grupo 7 do Paulistão com 13 pontos. O time faz ótima campanha: quatro vitórias e um empate. Foram 19 gols marcados e apenas dois sofridos. A equipe comandada pelo técnico Alex volta a campo no próximo domingo, para enfrentar o Ceará, no estádio do Morumbi, às 16h, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

The centre-back struck in the fifth minute of added time to break the hosts' hearts just when they thought they had shut the champions out

John Stones entrenched his cult-hero status among Manchester City fans by snatching a last-gasp winner at Wolves on Sunday as the Premier League champions avoided an embarrassing draw against the division's weakest side as they ran out 2-1 victors.

Erling Haaland would have been licking his lips before kick-off given his incredible record against Wolves, but another Norwegian was the first to strike, Jorgen Strand Larsen netting in the seventh minute.

City struck back with a typically obscene long-range strike from Josko Gvardiol to add his collection of wonder goals, and from then on the champions dominated the game and hemmed Wolves in, though Gary O'Neil's strugglers put in a valiant defensive display.

Stones finally broke their resolve with a priceless header, a month after his late late goal saved City against Arsenal. The goal was initially disallowed due to Bernardo Silva's positioning in front of goalkeeper Jose Sa, but VAR intervened to spark joy among City's players.

No one could argue that Pep Guardiola's side deserved the three points overall, but only the most heartless of souls couldn't feel sorry for Wolves, who now have just one point from their eight games.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Molineux…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ederson (5/10):

  Didn't command his box well for the goal, but made himself big to thwart Semedo from making 2-0.

  Rico Lewis (5/10):

  A rare difficult afternoon for the teenager, who couldn't influence the game as he liked and lacked awareness in defence.

  Ruben Dias (5/10):

  Passive for the goal and out of position when Semedo came haring in behind.

  John Stones (7/10):

  Moved ball around well to keep Wolves on their toes and delivered the fatal blow at the death.

  Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

  How does he keep scoring these absurd goals? Strong in attack and made a big contribution defensively by jockeying Semedo and putting him off.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (6/10):

  Had a big influence throughout with his seamless passing.

  Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

  Gave City control and was tidy in possession, but Rodri he is not.

  Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

  City's creative engine but his passing was not incisive enough.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Savinho (5/10):

  Some nice flashes but kept on being let down by final pass or shooting. Tested Sa from long-range. Booked in first half.

  Erling Haaland (3/10):

  Surprisingly anonymous given his record eight goals against Wolves. Took very few touches and had no shots. Shown up by compatriot Strand Larsen.

  Jeremy Doku (5/10):

  A twisting run nearly led to a goal but he kept on taking wild shots, to the anger of Guardiola, who hooked him on 66 minutes.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Phil Foden (6/10)

  Swung in the corner from which Stones struck.

  Jack Grealish (7/10):

  Gave City more penetration down the flank.

  Matheus Nunes (N/A):

  Booed heavily by his former supporters, but won the corner which lead to the breakthrough goal.

  Pep Guardiola (6/10):

  It wasn't the best performance but his side kept on probing and his changes helped them snatch victory.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers could look to make some alterations to his playing squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, which officially opens for business this month.

The Hoops boss brought in a host of new signings during the 2023/24 campaign, including the likes of Adam Idah, Nicolas Kuhn, Paulo Bernardo, and Luis Palma, but not all of his additions were a roaring success.

Nine of his signings throughout the season failed to finish the Scottish Premiership season inside the top 11 for minutes played for the club, which suggests that a host of his additions did not make an instantly big impact at Parkhead.

One of the players who did struggle in his first year in Glasgow was central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, who was once lauded as "exciting" by Rodgers, and he has now been linked with an early exit from Scotland.

Mounting interest in Gustaf Lagerbielke

According to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, via Football Scotland, Serie A side Lecce are preparing a swoop to sign the Sweden international this summer.

The report claims that they attempted to snap him up during the January transfer window but his wages were too big for them to cover, even as part of a loan deal.

However, this latest update states that they are now ready to launch another bid to sign the 24-year-old colossus from Paradise, although there is no mention of whether they are looking for a loan or a permanent transfer.

It does reveal, though, that recently-relegated Frosinone, who finished 18th in the Serie A this season, are set to 'rival' them in the race to land Lagerbielke, despite dropping down to the second tier this summer.

Whether it is a loan or permanent move, it seems unlikely that Celtic would be able to recoup more than the £3m they paid Elfsborg to sign him last year, given he only started four league games this season.

How this could cost Brendan Rodgers millions

Sending Lagerbielke away from the club, either on loan, or for £3m or less, could cost Rodgers millions if the centre-back linked with Celtic is brought in as his replacement.

The Daily Mail recently claimed that the Hoops are keeping tabs on Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham, who is valued at a whopping £8m by the Premier League side.

23/24 season	Chris Mepham (Premier League)	Gustaf Lagerbielke (Premiership)
Appearances	10	7
Pass accuracy	83%	85%
Tackles + interceptions per game	1.9	1.7
Ball recoveries per game	3.1	4.9
Ground duel success rate	37%	87%
Aerial duel success rate	60%	66%
Goals conceded whilst on the pitch	16	0

As you can see in the table above, both centre-backs rarely played for their respective clubs at league level last term but one appeared to perform significantly better than the other.

Celtic did not concede a single goal during Lagerbielke's time on the pitch in any of his seven appearances, compared to Bournemouth's 16 during Mepham's ten outings, and he dominated opposition players in physical duels.

These statistics do not suggest that the Hoops should be going out and splashing out an £8m fee on the Wales international after allowing the Swedish titan to leave.

Celtic plan bid for £10m colossus who'd boost their UCL hopes

The Hoops are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the Premier League shot-stopper.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 5, 2024

It could cost the club millions, at least £5m more if they break even on Lagerbielke, to sign a player who does not appear to be an immediate upgrade on the former Elfsborg star, which is why this could be a big blunder by Rodgers.

Somerset legspinner needs six more wickets to become county’s leading T20 wicket-taker

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2020

Max Waller has impressed in the Blast for several years•Getty Images

Max Waller has signed a new two-year T20 deal with Somerset that will keep him at Taunton until at least the end of the 2022 season.Waller, 32, made his debut for Somerset in 2009, having attended Millfield School, and has gone on to become a key cog in the county’s T20 team, with 132 wickets in 133 matches at 23.80, and an economy rate of 7.28.His haul is the most by any legspinner in the T20 Blast, and he needs just six more wickets to overtake Alfonso Thomas and become Somerset’s leading T20 wicket-taker. In this year’s competition, he took eight wickets at an economy rate of 6.23.”I’m delighted to have extended my contract at Somerset for another two years,” Waller said. “Having represented the club since I was 10 years old, the County obviously has a very special place in my heart.”I look forward to helping the team win silverware in T20 cricket over the next few years as we look to keep improving in the shortest format of the game.”It is always fantastic to play in front of our Members and passionate supporters, so hopefully we will be able to do that again next summer. Thanks as always for all of the support and I can’t wait to get back out there for the 2021 season and beyond.”Somerset Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry said: “It’s fantastic news that we have extended one of the shortest formats leading domestic players for the next two seasons. This extension creates a great opportunity for us to continue to work with Max and grow his contributions to the T20 side.”He has been such a valuable member of our Vitality Blast team over the years and we certainly all know what he brings to the team on the field. He is not only capable of squeezing opposition batsman through pressure created with the ball, dynamic fielding and competitive drive, but also his significant contributions off the field reflecting the Club values add so much additional benefit.”

Kylian Mbappe arguably scored his best Real Madrid goal against Celta Vigo with a stunning 25-yard strike.

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Mbappe put Real in front at BalaidosScored a long-ranger to silence the home crowdIt was his sixth goal in nine league matchesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In the 20th minute of the match at the Estadio Abanca-Balaidos, Mbappe silenced the home crowd with an audacious long-range strike that found the back of the net with precision and power. The build-up to the goal began when Eduardo Camavinga intercepted a misplaced pass from Celta Vigo’s Fran Beltran. The French midfielder quickly sent the ball to Mbappe, who was positioned just outside the penalty area. With plenty of time and space, the 2018 World Cup winner unleashed a stunning right-footed shot, leaving Celta’s goalkeeper Vicente Guaita helpless as the ball sailed into the top corner.

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What made Mbappe’s performance even more remarkable was his seamless return to form following a brief spell of injury. There had been concerns about his fitness, especially after a thigh problem kept him out of France’s international fixtures during the break. However, any doubts about his physical condition were put to rest as he scored one of the finest goals this campaign, which should be a Goal of the Season contender.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

In La Liga, it was Mbappe's sixth goal of the campaign, putting him on par with Villarreal’s Ayoze Perez for second place in the league’s scoring charts but still behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who leads the Pichichi race with ten goals. His return to form couldn’t have come at a better time for Los Blancos as Carlo Ancelotti’s men are gearing up for two significant fixtures in the next week, first, a UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, and then the Clasico against Barcelona.