MADRID: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with Kylian Mbappe’s performance during their 2-0 La Liga win over Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 25-year-old France captain scored Real’s second goal eight minutes after Jude Bellingham converted a penalty in the 30th minute.
Mbappe is now the club’s top scorer in the league this season along with Vinicius Jr who also scored eight goals.
After a lackluster performance in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at the hands of Liverpool, which included a second-half penalty miss, Mbappe came into full force against Getafe to score his 10th goal of the season in all competitions.
“He’s active, dangerous and scores great goals which is very important to control the game. That’s what we want from him.
“The fans understand more about the team and the players. They continue to support Mbappe after Anfield because it’s the right thing to do,” said Ancelotti.
The defending La Liga champions are now just one point behind leaders Barcelona with one more game to play.
LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool can go one step closer to winning the English Premier League title for the second time in 35 years against fragile Manchester City on Sunday as Ruben Amorim eyes a chance to win his first Premier League (EPL) game as Manchester United manager.
The clash between the top two sides at Anfield offers Arsenal, who face West Ham, and Chelsea, who host Aston Villa, the chance to close the gap.
Arne Slot’s Reds head into the weekend full of confidence after beating Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of the Champions League table.
Liverpool have also rarely made mistakes in the EPL, jumping eight points clear after just 12 games.
All three teams enjoying a lead of eight points or more at this stage in the EPL season ended the campaign as champions.
City is in a critical position.
Winless in their last six games, the English champions are physically and mentally “fragile”, according to manager Pep Guardiola, who is having the worst spell of his career on the sidelines.
“It has been, is and will be a difficult season for us. We had to accept it in many circumstances,” he said.
Even at their best in a glorious era under the Catalan, City have failed to conquer Anfield, with their last victory in front of home fans coming in 2003.
Amorim did not give up after watching Manchester United struggle to a 1-1 draw at bottom side Ipswich in his debut in charge last weekend.
“We will suffer for a long time,” said the Portuguese coach. “It will take time, but I know we have to win the game.”
Troubled club Everton’s visit to Old Trafford offers the Red Devils the perfect opportunity to reinject the challenge under their new boss.
The Toffees (10) are one of three teams to have scored less than United’s 13 goals in the EPL this season.
Sean Dyche’s men are just two points above the relegation zone and have not beaten United away from home since 2013.
United, who are 12th, will need to make the most of their home advantage to move up the table a bit with tough visits to Arsenal and City awaiting in two of their next three league games.
Aston Villa another team struggling with form. A 0-0 draw with Juventus in midweek extended their winless streak to seven games in all competitions.
Unai Emery’s men remain well placed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in their first campaign in Europe’s elite club competition in four decades.
But their fatigue in Europe began to affect their challenge at the domestic level. Villa have only picked up seven points from their last seven league games to drop to eighth place.
Ahead of them is a tough visit to Chelsea, who have excelled in Enzo Maresca’s debut season.
The Blues sit third, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and could end the weekend as Liverpool’s closest challengers if City fail to end their losing streak at Anfield.
Arsenal bounced back with comprehensive wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon and will move into second place for at least 24 hours if they win at West Ham tomorrow night.
PORTO: Cristiano Ronaldo once again signaled his retirement after scoring twice for Portugal.
Ronaldo, 39, one of the greatest players in football history, has scored more than 900 goals in his career.
The Portuguese forward, who has represented Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, is now with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner took his international tally to 135 goals in 215 appearances after netting twice in Portugal’s 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League yesterday.
After the match he insisted that his focus remains on football, with retirement depending on his level of motivation by the age of 40.
“I just want to enjoy it. Plans for retirement? If it’s in another year or two, I don’t know. I’ll be 40 soon.
“I still want to enjoy it as long as I feel motivated to continue. When the day comes when I no longer have the motivation, I will retire,” Ronaldo said.
According to Ronaldo, he has no intention of becoming a coach once his playing career is over.
“I don’t see myself as a team manager, it’s not in my plans. My future is outside of football, but only time will tell,” he said.
LONDON: Bruno Fernandes hopes new manager Ruben Amorim can “inject energy” at Manchester United’s troubled club after the Portuguese coach arrived at the English Premier League (EPL) club.
Amorim arrived at the Carrington training center last Monday for a meeting but cannot begin training until his work permit is confirmed.
The 39-year-old coach, the successor to the sacked Erik ten Hag, steered Sporting Lisbon to two titles in four seasons and left them with 11 wins in 11 league games this season.
“Sometimes someone can change the energy of a place, if it’s at the right time,” Fernandes, who left Sporting shortly before Amorim took over, told MUTV.
“We hope he can come and this is the right moment for him to come and inject his energy, bringing with him his quality and knowledge in football, because he has done something really special at Sporting.
“If anyone doubts it, it’s about looking at the past. Sporting didn’t win the league for about 20 years and he helped them win the league again and he won it twice in four years with a young team in a moment of change.”
Captain Fernandes said managing United, who have not won the EPL since 2013, would be a bigger challenge than the job at Sporting.
“Obviously you can’t bring or change what he did at Sporting here, because you have different players, you have a different way of playing and everything,” he said.
“I am quite confident that the idea of football that he has, independent of the way he wants to play, will be a good idea and it will lead to success for us.”
Amorim is the sixth permanent manager appointed since Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign ended in 2013.
United sit 13th in the EPL after a poor start to the season but are only four points behind the top four.
Amorim’s first action will be at Ipswich on November 24 right after the international match.