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Morocco showed why they caused so many teams trouble in Qatar as they overwhelmed a mix-and-match Brazil side.

Maybe what we all saw in Qatar wasn't a miracle. As it turns out, Morocco are pretty good as the World Cup darlings showed Brazil that their 2022 heroics were far from a fluke.

Facing off in a friendly on Saturday, Brazil were undone in a 2-1 defeat thanks to goals from Moroccan stars Sofiane Boufal and Abedelhamid Sabiri. With the Selecao missing key stars like Neymar, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva and Richarlison due to injury, interim coach Ramon Menezes took the opportunity to hand several starlets their first cap as Rony, Andrey Santos and Vitor Roque made their debut.

They'll all likely have better days than this one as Menezes' Brazil never quite got going. The Selecao looked like a team in friendly mode while Morocco looked ready to compete, leading to several scuffles throughout the match. Even with a goal by Casemiro in the second half, Morocco were the better team of the two as they took down Brazil on home soil.

.GOAL rates Brazil's players from the Grand Stade de Tanger…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Weverton (6/10):

  One save, two goals conceded. Not what you want! Both goals came off bad giveaways, so he's not totally to blame

  Emerson Royal (4/10):

  Definitely played his part in the first goal conceded and was, overall, way too sloppy. Sloppiness gets punished at this level, and Brazil were punished for the Tottenham man's lack of awareness.

  Eder Militao (5/10):

  At least partially at fault for the second goal and was definitely at fault for a few in game scuffles. Not his best day by any stretch.

  Roger Ibanez (6/10):

  Was solid but not spectacular. Should be somewhat content with his performance.

  Alex Telles (6/10):

  Kickstarted the sequence for a Vinicius goal that was ruled offside. Was okay other than that.

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  Midfield

  Andrey Santos (6/10):

  A debut for the Chelsea signing next to two World Cup veterans. Was, unsurprisingly, outshone by those next to him, but a solid 65 minutes nonetheless.

  Casemiro (8/10):

  How good is the Manchester United star? Goals from him are a bonus, as his game is defined by all of the other things he can do. He got one here, though, even if Bounou could have done better.

  Lucas Paqueta (7/10):

  The West Ham man was active as always. Gave the ball away a few times, but did also get the assist on Casemiro's goal.

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  Attack

  Vinicius Jr. (6/10):

  Had a goal called off for offside, which will feel harsh. Even so, not his best game. Just didn't look like the dynamo we've seen so often for Real Madrid.

  Rodrygo (6/10):

  Played centrally and showed some obvious chemistry with Vinicius, but Brazil weren't too dangerous with the Real Madrid man on the field. Replaced after 65 minutes.

  Rony (5/10):

  Only 17 touches in 65 minutes. Not quite the debut he would have hoped for as he struggled to get involved in the action. Did have one early chance, though, that he failed to put on target.

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  Subs & Manager

  Antony (4/10):

  Gave the ball away on the second goal. Didn't do anything on the attacking end to ever make ammends.

  Vitor Roque (5/10):

  Played 25 minutes after replacing Rodrygo, but only got six touches. Still, a debut for the 18-year-old attacker, so that's nice.

  Raphael Veiga (6/10):

  Replaced Santos in midfield and was largely solid on the ball for his 25 minutes.

  Yuri Alberto (N/A):

  Came on for just five minutes in place of Paqueta

  Arthur (N/A):

  A stoppage time addition for Emerson.

  Ramon Menezes(6/10):

  Gave a few starlets their debuts, which will be the only memorable part of this one. Team just never felt quite right with several key stars missing.

Where to watch the Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and Manchester City – team news, kick-off time and more.

Bayern Munich have their work cut out against Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

📺 Watch Bayern vs Man City live on Fubo in the USA

Pep Guardiola's team is enjoying a strong season and will be confident going into this second leg tie. Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland scored to put the first leg fixture beyond the reach of the then visitors.

Since Thomas Tuchel took over at Bayern, the German champions have only won two out of their last five matches. Since going down 0-3 to City in the first leg, the Bavarians were held to a 1-1 draw by Hoffenheim and will be desperate to give it their all in the crucial second leg fixture.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Bayern Munich vs Manchester City below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more…

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  Kick-off time

  Date:	April 19, 2023
  Kick-off time:	3pm EDT
  Venue:	Allianz Arena, Munich

  The game is scheduled for April 19 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

  It will kick off at 3pm EDT in the USA.

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  How to watch Man City vs Bayern online – TV channels & live streams

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	Univision, TUDN	Fubo, Paramount+, ViX+

  In the United States (USA), the match will be available to watch on fubo, Univision, Paramount+ and ViX+.

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  Team news & squads

  Bayern Munich team news

  Tuchel is set to welcome Sadio Mane back into the matchday squad after the forward sat out their draw against Hoffenheim due to disciplinary reasons.

  Eric Choupo-Moting is back in training but long-term absentees Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez remain sidelined due to injuries.

  Bayern predicted XI: Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Choupo-Moting

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Sommer, Ulreich, Schenk
  Defenders:	De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies, Blind, Cancelo, Pavard, Stanisic, Sarr, Janitzek, Marusic
  Midfielders:	Goretzka, Musiala, Wanner, Sane, Kimmich, Gravenberch
  Forwards:	Gnabry, Coman, Muller, Mane, Choupo-Moting

  Manchester City team news

  Phil Foden is still a few weeks from a return to the squad after he underwent an appendix surgery recently. Aside from the forward, Guardiola has a fully-fit squad to choose his starting line-up from.

  Guardiola chose to give less than 60 minutes to Haaland, Stones and Rodri during their last game with an eye on the Champions League fixture. They all should return to the lineup and make life difficult for the desperate German side.

  Man City predicted XI: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Ederson, Carson, Ortega
  Defenders:	Dias, Ake, Akanji, Gomez, Walker, Lewis, Stones, Laporte
  Midfielders:	Rodri, Phillips, Perrone, Gundogan, Silva, Palmer., De Bruyne
  Forwards:	Grealish, Álvarez, Mahrez, Haaland

  Head-to-head record

  The last three meetings between Manchester City and Bayern Munich have been friendlies and the team from Manchester have won the last two contests.

  The last competitive fixture between the two teams was in the Champions League nine years ago. City were the winners in front of their home crowd.

  Date	Result	Competition
  July 2022	Bayern 0-1 City	Friendly
  July 2018	Bayern 2-3 City	Friendly
  July 2016	Bayern 1-0 City	Friendly
  November 2014	City 3-2 Bayern	Champions League
  September 2014	Bayern 1-0 City	Champions League

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  Useful links

  • Man City team page

  • Bayern Munich team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

The Norwegian has been fascinated with the Champions League since he was a child and is on the brink of realising his dream by winning it

With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both having left European football, there is a gaping hole on the Champions League stage. Luckily for everyone at UEFA, Erling Haaland has already filled it.

The Portuguese and the Argentine have defined Europe's competition for more than 15 years. As well as lifting the trophy a total of nine times between them and scoring a combined 269 goals, they have been the competition's biggest pull, two insatiable winners who revelled in playing on Europe's biggest stage.

But Haaland has the same hunger to perform when the world is watching. He has spoken at length about his love for the competition and has displayed it in other ways, such as having the anthem as the ringtone on his phone.

Haaland loves the Champions League and it sure loves him back. Some of his best performances have come on European nights, for RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.

On Saturday at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, he will play in his first final at the age of 22. It is unlikely to be his last and if he continues at his current rate of scoring, he could even eventually unseat Ronaldo and Messi as the competition's highest scorer and biggest star.

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  From childhood fascination to playing the anthem in his car

  Footballers talk of winning the Champions League as a dream come true, but for Erling Haaland it was not so much a dream as an objective he set out to achieve. You could even call it an obsession.

  "I have been dreaming and thinking of it my whole life. It has been my dream as long as I can remember, so a long time," he told reporters the week before the final.

  Haaland's fascination with the competition began seven years old when he watched his first Champions League final in 2008, between Manchester United and Chelsea. As United danced in the Moscow rain after beating Chelsea in a penalty shootout, the young Norwegian, watching on TV in his hometown of Bryne, wanted a piece of the action.

  "When I saw the celebrations I wanted to do that as well. I am getting closer and closer," he added.

  Haaland's love for the Champions League continued into adulthood and when he was at RB Salzburg he was filmed driving around the Austrian city with the anthem blaring out of his stereo.

  Haaland was asked about his peculiar car song of choice in the build-up to the final. "I'll say it again, I love this competition and I like it and I enjoy it. That's why," he said. "And it's also a really nice song."

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  A hat-trick on his Champions League debut

  Haaland was prolific in his first experience of European football, scoring four goals in five Europa League qualifiers with Norwegian side Molde, his second club.

  His next move, to Salzburg, allowed him to play in the competition he craved. And his debut could hardly have gone better. He scored in just the second minute of his Champions League debut against Genk and by half-time he had completed his hat-trick in a stunning 6-2 win.

  His second game in the competition was a dream trip to Anfield and he also got on the scoresheet by completing a stunning fightback for Jesse Marsch's side, who came from 3-0 down to level things up, only for Mohamed Salah to find a late winner and make it 4-3.

  Haaland continued to net in his next two Champions League matches, home and away to Napoli, and also struck against Genk. The only game he failed to score in during the group stage was the final home game against Liverpool, where his side lost 2-0 and exited the competition.

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  Taking centre stage in empty stadiums

  Haaland had already outgrown Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund pounced, beating Manchester United to his signature in January 2020. His first game for the German side in the Champions League was against Paris Saint-Germain and he did not disappoint, scoring twice and celebrating with his meditation pose.

  That seemed to anger Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and PSG's players mimicked the celebration when they won 2-0 in an empty second leg to knock Dortmund out.

  Haaland continued where he had left off the following season, though, scoring six times in Dortmund's first four group stage games before suffering a muscle injury. He recovered for the last-16 and made up for lost time by scoring twice in each game against Sevilla. Even in empty stadiums as the coronavirus pandemic continued, Haaland was taking centre stage.

  Dortmund were paired with City in the quarter-finals and, in the first instance of what was to become a very familiar sight, Haaland scored at the Etihad Stadium. But he could not prevent Dortmund from losing the first or second leg to Guardiola's side.

  Last season Haaland suffered badly with injuries and was only able to play three matches in the Champions League. Typically, he still managed to average a goal every game, netting away to Besiktas and scoring twice in a 5-0 romp over the Turkish side in Dortmund.

  By then Dortmund had already been knocked out of the group stage, and the fact that Haaland was absent for half of their matches is surely no coincidence.

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  A goal every 50 minutes then five in one game

  Haaland continued his love affair with the Champions League in his first European outing for City, scoring twice to down Sevilla 4-0. As fate would have it, his first home European game for his new club was against his old club.

  And it was against Dortmund that he scored one of his best goals ever, an outrageous, kung-fu-like volley to win the match 2-1.

  Haaland struck twice more against Copenhagen before injury struck, but he ended the group stage on five goals despite only playing 250 minutes of football, averaging a goal every 50 minutes.

  And in the knockout stage he made Champions League history against RB Leipzig, becoming the first player to score five goals in a knockout match since Lionel Messi for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. Haaland might well have broken the record had he not been substituted in the 63rd minute.

  The Norwegian scored in each game of City's quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich, also missing a penalty in the away leg. The only disappointing note of his campaign for City was the fact that he did not manage to score in either game against Real Madrid. But with City winning the second leg 4-0 in one of the most dominant performances in a Champions League semi-final, it mattered little.

Newcastle United have raised some eyebrows with their transfers in recent times and are on their way to breaking the £1b mark

Since being purchased by the PIF, Newcastle have been unafraid to splash the cash to dramatically improve a squad that had become threadbare under the stewardship of Mike Ashley.

The big-money deal for Alexander Isak during the 2022 summer transfer window was a serious display of wealth that marked the Magpies out as a serious global player.

The Sweden star's arrival came off the back of the signing of Bruno Guimaraes in the January 2022 window and the capture of Italy international Sandro Tonali in July 2023 was yet another example of Newcastle's desire to become a major force in the Premier League once more.

There's undoubtedly more to come from Newcastle, with the Magpies' Champions League qualification confirmation they're on the right track.

But who have been their biggest signings so far? Let's take a look!

Newcastle United most expensive transfers by season

*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.

Newcastle United's top 15 most expensive player signings

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  15Allan Saint-Maximin | £16.20 million | OGC Nice | 2019

  French winger Allan Saint-Maximin joined Newcastle United in the summer of 2019 and has been a revelation since. He cost Newcastle upwards of £16.20 million, which now looks like a bargain.

  The attacker came to Tyneside after impressive performances in France and Germany, quickly settling into his groove, as he has made quite an impression in the Premier League with his wide range of qualities.

  Quick on his feet, with great passing ability, Saint-Maximin often comes up with crucial goals for Newcastle United.

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  14Florian Thauvin | £16.52 million | Marseille | 2015

  Newcastle United signed Florian Thauvin in 2015 for £16.52 million and expectations were pretty high for the former Marseille winger.

  However, the French attacker failed to establish himself at the club, resulting into him being loaned back to Marseille just seven months after arriving in England.

  Another loan spell at the French club followed, before Marseille signed him back permanently for a cut-price of £9.90m.

  After becoming a free agent in the summer of 2021, Thauvin moved to play for Tigres UANL in Mexico.

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  13Aleksandar Mitrovic | £16.65 million | RSC Anderlecht | 2015

  Newcastle United desperately needed a striker as they headed into the summer of 2015 and they swooped for Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic from Belgian club Anderlecht.

  Signed for £16.65 million, Mitrovic made 40 appearances for them in the Premier League, scoring 10 goals and assisting another four in the 40 games that he played for the club.

  After a relatively quiet time at Newcastle, Mitrovic was sent to Fulham on loan in January, 2018 before being sold on a permanent transfer for £22.23m in the same year's summer transfer window.

  Mitrovic turned out to be an excellent piece of business for Fulham as he's now gone on to score over 100 goals for The Cottagers.

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  12Georginio Wijnaldum | £18 million | PSV Eindhoven | 2015

  Signed in the same season as Mitrovic, Georginio Wijnaldum arrived after impressing for Dutch club PSV.

  Signed for £18 million in 2015, Wijnaldum enjoyed one incredible campaign with Newcastle, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists, before Liverpool came calling in the summer of 2016.

  A move of such stature doesn't come around often, which made Wijnaldum eager to move to Liverpool.

  Newcastle agreed to their player's wishes and the rest, as they say, is history.

Virgil van Dijk was relieved to see Darwin Nunez dig him out of a red card hole during a dramatic 2-1 win for Liverpool at Newcastle.

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• Reds fell behind at St James' Park
• Dutch defender sent off
• Striker stepped off bench to bag a brace

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds appeared to have shot themselves in the foot at St James’ Park when going a goal and a man down inside 28 minutes. A costly error from Trent Alexander-Arnold led to Anthony Gordon breaking the deadlock. Van Dijk was then dismissed for a reckless challenge on Alexander Isak.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Said dismissal was the first of the Dutchman’s time at Liverpool, and he did not take kindly to being sent for an early bath as he aimed a volley of foul-mouthed abuse in the direction of the match officials. His blushes were, however, to be spared by Uruguayan frontman Nunez.

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  The South American was introduced off the bench in the 77th minute and restored parity four minutes later. Nunez then netted a 93rd-minute winner for the 10-man Reds – much to the delight of Van Dijk, who was waiting for him in the dressing room with a “come on” roar at the final whistle.

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• WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Liverpool remain unbeaten un 2023-24 as a result of their late show on Tyneside, with seven points from three games enough to see them sit fourth in the table. Klopp’s men – with Van Dijk now serving a suspension – will be back in action on Sunday when playing host to Aston Villa.

Liverpool were reportedly keen on swapping Darwin Nunez for Joao Felix during the summer transfer window, but saw their approach knocked back.

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• Reds were keen on attacking additions
• Atletico star spent time with Chelsea last season
• Made it clear he only wanted Camp Nou switch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds were in the market for attacking reinforcements prior to the latest deadline passing, with deals done for the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. They already have Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota on their books.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  claims that Liverpool were willing to part with Uruguayan striker Nunez just a year after his arrival at Anfield when making a play for former Chelsea loanee Felix. The Portugal international was, however, holding out for a move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Felix eventually got his wish, with it reported that advances from Manchester United and Aston Villa were also knocked back. The 23-year-old scored four goals through 20 appearances during his short spell at Stamford Bridge.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Felix also turned down offers from Saudi Arabia, with it his dream to head for Camp Nou. He is now in Catalunya, with Barcelona having put an initial loan deal in place that will cover the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.

Lionel Messi did not figure for Inter Miami against the Chicago Fire because he “is not healthy enough to play”, says head coach Tata Martino.

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• Argentine icon misses fourth game in a row
• Struggles being endured in his absence
• Play-offs may now be out of reach

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar sat out a fourth consecutive game on Wednesday evening, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner having picked up an unfortunate injury during the last round of international fixtures in September. With Messi stuck on the sidelines, Inter Miami’s MLS play-off hopes are beginning to fade.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  They suffered a 4-1 defeat at Soldier Field in Chicago in front of a sell-out crowd, with Martino telling reporters afterwards of why the biggest show in town did not make an appearance: “I understand the expectations of the fans, but we can’t bring him if he is not healthy enough to play. These are the things only we must live with. I find it very strange that a coach has to explain to the rival fans why the best player in the world can’t play. It’s only because it’s him and we’re in the United States. Everywhere else, rival fans would be relieved that the best player in the world was not there.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Inter Miami are crying out for inspiration at a crucial stage of the season, with Messi’s enforced absence coming at the worst possible time for them. Martino added: “I am disappointed because our team has declined in the past 15 days, and now we must win three games and rely on what the rivals do.” Another former Barcelona star, Jordi Alba, also was missing for the third game in a row.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi did inspire Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival in the United States, but he missed the U.S. Open Cup final and may now fall short in a bid to make the MLS play-offs. Miami remain five points adrift of a place in the post-season with just three fixtures left to take in.

Lionel Messi fans are being promised “priceless moments never captured before” in the final three episodes of the ‘Messi Meets America’ documentary.

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• Argentine icon now in the United States
• Delivered Leagues Cup glory
• Cameras following his every move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  That series has already opened on Apple TV+, with cameras capturing the historic events in Florida before, during and immediately after the Argentine icon’s arrival in the United States. Messi inspired Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival, with a record-setting run through that competition delivering a blockbuster script for film makers.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the docuseries set to conclude in November, showrunner Scott Boggins has told the of how viewers are being taken behind the scenes in a remarkable sporting spectacle: “The first three episodes tell the story of this magical transformational moment, and you get a real sense of how it happened because there was a lot going on behind the scenes. Then you’re taken on this incredible ride through the Leagues Cup. Absolutely no one expected what had happened. You’re with that team during that incredible historic moment. That’s a great sports story.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Boggins added on what to expect from the season finale – with two more episodes set to be released on November 1: “The next three episodes are an amazing personal story. You start to see and really understand these individuals and you truly have a better understanding of Leo himself. These are priceless moments that no one has ever been able to capture before, and we’re so thrilled and so honoured that we were able to do it.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi scored 11 goals through his 14 appearances for Inter Miami in 2023. His season has now been brought to a close, with Tata Martino’s side missing out on a place in the MLS play-offs, but the all-time great is poised to land his eighth Ballon d’Or at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored and assisted in his side's latest win, but coaches at some of the league's other big-spenders are struggling

We're well into the second quarter of the Saudi Pro League season now, and the title race is beginning to take real shape, with it looking increasingly like it will be between two teams: Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.

Hilal remain four points clear and the league's only unbeaten side through 12 games thanks to their 2-0 win over Al-Fateh on Friday, which Nassr were then able to match just over 24 hours later as Cristiano Ronaldo helped fire them past Al-Khaleej.

Al-Ahli look like being the pair's closest challengers after they moved into a share of third-place with surprise package Al-Taawoun following a 3-0 win over Al-Riyadh on Sunday, but it was another weekend to forget for defending champions Al-Ittihad, whose 1-0 loss to Al-Shadab leaves them 11 points adrift of the leaders after five games without a win.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

• WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo

  Given the underwhelming displays that some of the Pro League's summer imports have put in since their arrival, it is certainly worth noting just how dominant Ronaldo has been thus far in 2023-24.

  The five-time Ballon d'Or winner proved to be difference for Al-Nassr once again on Saturday, as he opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike against Al-Khaleej for his 400th goal since turning 30, before providing the assist for Aymeric Laporte to seal the points in the second half.

  Ronaldo has now netted 12 league goals so far this season – at least three more than any other player – and has helped carry Nassr on a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions. They may remain four points adrift of the leaders, but with the Portuguese legend in this form, don't bet against them celebrating a title win in May.

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  LOSER: Nuno Espirito Santo

  Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse for Al-Ittihad manager Nuno, he saw his side slip to a 1-0 defeat against mid-table Al-Shadab that stretches their winless run in the league to five games.

  The former Tottenham boss has been coming under increasing pressure in recent weeks amid reports of him falling out with his players in the wake of their poor results, and if Friday's game is anything to go by, things are unlikely to improve any time soon.

  The defending champions already look like they need a miracle to even challenge for the title, never mind win it, and it feels like the only thing keeping Nuno from the sack is just how close the upcoming Club World Cup is, with the Ittihad decision-makers keen to avoid instability ahead of the competition.

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  WINNER: Salem Al-Dawsari

  Fresh from being named Asian Player of the Year earlier in the week, Salem Al-Dawsari was keen to celebrate his success in Al-Hilal's game against Al-Fateh on Friday, and though he had to wait until late on, the forward did just that.

  Al-Dawsari, who is regarded as the most talented Saudi player of his generation, is being required to step up and play an even bigger role than expected for Hilal following Neymar's likely season-ending injury, and it was he who secured victory in second-half stoppage-time on Matchday 12 after Aleksandar Mitrovic had opened the scoring from the penalty spot inside the opening five minutes.

  Though his goal didn't come until late, this was another virtuoso performance from Al-Dawsari, and despite the influx of talent from Europe, he still profiles as one of the biggest stars of the Pro League.

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  LOSER: Al-Ettifaq

  Everything was set up for Al-Ettifaq to enjoy a memorable night on Sunday. Steven Gerrard's club were holding the official opening of their brand-new stadium as they hosted Al-Raed, who sit bottom of the table and had lost eight of their 11 games heading into the fixture.

  However, with star striker Moussa Dembele still out with an injury, Gerrard's team failed to break down their visitors and were made to settle for a 0-0 draw which keeps them down in seventh and four points off the top four.

  Ettifaq have now won just one of their last six league games and were knocked out of the King's Cup by Al-Nassr in midweek. As one of the league's biggest summer spenders, that should be concerning for Gerrard in terms of his long-term job prospects.

Norway have confirmed that Erling Haaland will miss the Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland due to a 'painful' ankle injury.

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• Haaland out of Scotland clash
• Suffered ankle injury against Faroe Islands
• Man City set to face Liverpool on November 25

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norway Football Federation released a statement on Saturday confirming Haaland's absence for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland on Sunday due to the ankle injury that he picked against Faroe Islands on Thursday.

  While they stated that Haaland's injury is not too serious, they mentioned that the player is in 'a lot of pain' and hence won't play a part in the game against Scotland.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 23-year-old goal machine came off the bench during the friendly against Faroe Islands, which Norway won 2-0. But the cameo appearance proved to be very costly for his club Manchester City who are preparing to take on old foes Liverpool in a crucial Premier League clash on November 25.

• WHAT NORWAY SAID

  In an official statement on the striker's condition, Norway's team doctor Ola Sand said: "The injury is not serious, but he is in so much pain and somewhat restricted function that the Scotland game unfortunately comes a little too early."

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  WHAT STALE SOLBAKKEN SAID?

  Norway manager Stale Solbakken expressed his disappointment in missing his star player in the crucial qualifier, adding: "It is of course a shame that Erling will not be ready for the match on Sunday, but we will not be bringing in a replacement. This is a great opportunity for the offensive players in the squad to show off."