Oftentimes, after MLB managers are ejected, the absolute last thing you'll hear from them is some sort of mea culpa:
It just doesn't happen.
But something to that effect occurred following the Red Sox' 4-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, during which Boston's manager Alex Cora was ejected in the seventh inning.
Cora's protestations began in the top of the sixth inning with Astros righthander Hunter Brown on the mound. After Brown walked Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, he was called for a balk. Two batters later, Brown switched from the full windup to the stretch mid at-bat, prompting the Red Sox to object to ultimately no avail.
An inning later, Cora emerged from the dugout to further discuss the call—or lack thereof—with the umpires, who then ejected him. Cora explained what led him to emerge from the dugout and even surprisingly admitted that the umpires were correct in their ruling.
"First of all, they got it right," Cora said. "They got the call right. The only thing for me is that we've seen that situation before, that guys who have a regular windup and they ask the guys to declare. You don’t have to declare if you have a hybrid windup; that’s when you have to declare, because that way you’re not deceiving the runner.
"But throughout the last two years, we’ve seen situations that is a regular windup, and they’ve asked the pitcher to declare, that was the only thing. I went out there to educate myself to be honest with you. That’s what I told him. I want to learn. I don’t know if he took it that I was being sarcastic. I wasn’t. I was walking back, and he threw me out.”
Cora's ejection seemed to stem from a miscommunication with the umpire, as he insisted to reporters after the game that he wasn't trying to get tossed from the contest.
"…I hate getting thrown out," Cora continued. "My job is to be in the dugout and help this team to win games from the dugout. This whole thing about rallying the troops and getting thrown out—that's bull—-. My job is to be in the dugout…"
Aitana Bonmati is preparing to lead Spain into another major final but insists her historic third Ballon d’Or does not change who she is. The Barcelona Femini midfielder addressed talk of being labelled the Lionel Messi of women’s football, spoke about expectations ahead of the Nations League showdown with Germany, and reflected on how she handles success on and off the pitch.
Spain’s leader keeps perspective ahead of another final
Bonmati heads into the Nations League final as the heartbeat of both Barcelona and Spain, once again carrying her side into another major showdown. The reigning world champions face Germany over two legs, beginning in Stuttgart on Friday before returning to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, where more than 70,000 fans are expected. The 27-year-old’s consistency has been extraordinary. From Euro 2016 to the 2023 World Cup, from multiple Champions League finals to a perfect season last year, Bonmati has risen to every occasion. Her performance against Germany in the Euro semi-final remains one of the defining moments of Spain’s modern era.
Despite her meteoric rise, the Barca midfielder remains grounded. Asked how she feels returning to yet another decisive stage with Spain, she emphasised how the team cannot afford to take anything for granted. "It seems normal, but we're in another final. It can't be taken for granted. I'm so grateful for what's happening to me and what we're all experiencing. We've reached the finals in every championship we've played in. The road isn't easy, and we have to appreciate it. You win or you lose, but that's not all there is to it, because getting here is incredibly difficult."
Bonmati was also asked about Spain’s mindset heading into the first leg against Germany, and she made their intentions clear and said: "It's clear: since we're here, we have to go all out and win. We want this Nations League title. It's true that it's an unusual final, because it's played over two legs. That's why the idea is to approach each leg as if it were a single match. If you try to play it safe, it could backfire."
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Bonmatí shuts down Messi comparisons and reflects on Ballon d’Or night
Although Bonmati has now won three consecutive Ballon d’Or Feminin awards, she continues to reject comparisons to Barcelona and Argentina icon. With her dominance at club and international level, the parallels are understandable but she insists she is following her own path.
When asked by about comparisons to Messi, she responded calmly: "No, no. I don't compare myself to Messi; he's on another level. I'm following my own path. The Ballon d'Or awards don't change me. I'm still the same person, with the same personality. I still enjoy the same things that make me happy and I'm surrounded by the same people who make me feel like myself. Nothing changes me, and I think that's a very positive thing."
Bonmati also lifted the curtain on what it was like attending the Chatelet Theatre ceremony in Paris, especially in such elite company. "This year, to be honest, I went in with very low expectations. I believe that the higher your expectations, the harder it can be if you don't win. It was a surprise. You look around and see the incredibly high level of competition. I understand that everyone experiences it in their own way. It's a very special day, surrounded by the best in football. I feel that the most important thing is to enjoy it. To experience it with your loved ones."
A legacy already built with more still to come
The Barca midfielder's achievements are redefining what consistency looks like at the highest level of women’s football. Her Champions League masterclasses, especially against Chelsea and Wolfsburg laid the foundation for her latest Ballon d’Or. Her landmark displays for La Roja, including the semi-final performance against Germany, only strengthened her case.
She has now won three Ballons d’Or in a row, been Player of the Match in a World Cup final, dominated the Champions League with three titles, starred in multiple European campaigns, and collected 22 domestic trophies with Barcelona. Even if she walked away tomorrow, her place among the all-time greats would be secure.
And yet, she still hasn’t reached what many consider a midfielder’s peak years. At 27, her evolution continues – playmaking, leadership, spatial intelligence, defensive discipline. With Spain and Barca still competing for every major title, her influence is only deepening.
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What comes next for Bonmati and where Barca fit in?
Spain’s immediate focus is the two-legged Nations League final, where Bonmati will once again be central to their tactical approach. After that, the long-term question inevitably returns: will she spend her entire career at Barcelona?
The midfielder addressed that speculation with honesty, stressing both her loyalty and her openness to the future. "Right now, I have a contract with Barcelona, I've been here for 14 years, and it's a club I love, a club I feel connected to," she said. "But I'm not closing the door on anything. It all depends on how you feel personally, emotionally, and in terms of motivation. Never say never. I have a contract, and my intention isn't to leave."
She added that “reaching a couple of semi-finals in the [recent] past just gives us more confidence”
S Sudarshanan24-Oct-20252:11
The big question – Is Healy fit for South Africa clash?
South Africa were the second team to qualify for the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup 2025, and did so with two league games still to play. They have been on a remarkable run in ICC tournaments in recent years – reaching the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup in 2017 and 2022, and of the T20 World Cup in 2020 and 2023. They were also runners-up at the T20 World Cup last year.Batter Anneke Bosch felt that the recent experience of making the knockouts puts South Africa in good stead to make their maiden ODI World Cup final. They will play their last league game of the competition against Australia at the Holkar Stadium on Saturday. The winner will head to Navi Mumbai for the semi-final against India, while the losing team will face England in Guwahati in the first semi-final.”We’ve been really good at being consistent in big tournaments, and different players doing well at different stages of the tournament,” Bosch said. “It’s just something that works for us when we get to tournaments like these and motivates us to do well. Reaching a couple of semi-finals in the [recent] past just gives us more confidence.Related
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“But now obviously we want to take it one step further because in the ODI World Cup, we haven’t [reached the final] before. So, it would mean a lot to us – and that’s what you compete for and what you’re here for – to make it to the final and, hopefully, lift the trophy. The fact that we have participated in a couple of semifinals now just helps us to deal with that pressure.”What has helped South Africa continue to perform well is a settled core. Twelve players in the current World Cup squad have been part of the T20 World Cup squads in 2023 and 2024. Bowlers Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune and Nonkululeko Mlaba have been consistent fixtures in the national side since the 2022 ODI World Cup.And it’s not just the senior women who have enjoyed success at World Cups. The men’s team reached the final of the T20 World Cup last year and the semi-final of the Champions Trophy earlier this year. The Under-19 women’s side were runners-up at their T20 World Cup earlier this year, while the men’s Under-19 team made the semi-finals in 2024.”It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Bosch said of the winning culture. “We are a massive sporting nation and we love to play for the country, and make the country and the people back at home proud. [A key factor is] our resilience and the way we come together as a country in big tournaments like these. We play for each other and we play for people back at home.”South Africa’s road to a first Women’s ODI World Cup title starts with a tough assignment against Australia in their final group-stage match. They have beaten Australia just once in 18 ODI meetings. With a solid core and the belief to go where they never have before, they’ll be aiming for a second ODI win against the defending champions.
Celtic were saved by their captain yet again on Saturday night when they were heading for a drab 0-0 draw away at St Mirren before Callum McGregor stepped up with seconds remaining.
The Hoops skipper picked the ball up from range in the 95th minute and unleashed a screamer of a shot that nestled in the top corner to secure all three points for the visitors.
Up until that point, Martin O’Neill’s side had struggled to show much in the way of quality against St Mirren, despite holding 73% of the possession, per Sofascore, which is why the game was tied with seconds remaining.
The hosts even created a ‘big chance’ from one of their 13 shots on goal, but, thankfully, they were unable to convert any of the opportunities that they created on the night.
Celtic, meanwhile, did not create a single ‘big chance’ from their 16 efforts against St Mirren, per Sofascore, which is why they needed a long-range strike from their captain to win the match.
Whilst McGregor’s sensational strike from distance bailed the club out in general, the skipper also bailed out several of his underperforming teammates on the night.
Celtic's worst performers against St Mirren
It would be remiss of us to speak about the worst performers on the night without starting with the player who was withdrawn from the match after 45 minutes, Johnny Kenny.
The Ireland international, who scored four goals in four matches for Celtic before Saturday’s game, won just one duel and lost possession six times from 17 touches in the first half, per Sofascore, as he failed to provide a focal point up front.
Kenny’s withdrawal meant that Daizen Maeda moved into the centre-forward role, after starting out wide. However, he ended the 90 minutes with two out of seven duels won, no key passes, and no shots on target, per Sofascore, which illustrates his ineffectiveness in the final third.
Celtic’s starting wingers vs St Mirren
Stats
Sebastian Tounekti
Daizen Maeda
Minutes
67
90
Shots on target
0
0
Key passes
1
0
Big chances created
0
0
Dribbles completed
2/6
1/2
Duels won
3/11
2/7
Possession lost
14x
12x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti and Maeda both struggled out wide, and the latter up front in the second 45, throughout the game against St Mirren.
These statistics show that all three of the forwards who started on Saturday night failed to do enough to suggest that O’Neill should keep them in place for the club’s trip to play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Tounekti, Maeda, and Kenny were not the only underperforming Celtic players who failed to provide enough quality on the pitch against the Saints, though, as one Hoops flop is now looking like the new Luis Palma.
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Supporters will likely remember Palma, who is currently on loan at Lech Poznan, as a player who made a fast start to life in Glasgow before falling off and eventually being deemed surplus to requirements.
The Honduras international produced seven goals and nine assists, with 14 ‘big chances’ created, in 28 Scottish Premiership games during the 2023/24 campaign for the club, per Sofascore.
Unfortunately, though, the winger followed that up with a return of zero goals and zero assists in eight league matches the following season before being sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.
Whilst his fall-off this term may not be quite as drastic as Palma’s was, Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate appears to be heading in the same direction.
Why Reo Hatate should be dropped by Celtic
The Japan international was a sensation in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign with a return of nine goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.
Hatate provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to make a difference as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his statistics, and that made him a vital player for Brendan Rodgers.
This season, however, the 28-year-old star has failed to deliver consistent quality in midfield for Celtic, with the clash against St Mirren being his latest underwhelming performance, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped by O’Neill.
The Japanese midfielder, who was described as “sloppy” by ex-Hoops boss Neil Lennon during the game against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, ended the night with no shots on target, no ‘big chances’ created, and a duel success rate of 20% (1/5), per Sofascore.
This shows that his performance was lacking in both quality and physicality, as he lost 80% of his physical tussles without providing any moments of genuine quality on the ball, and that has not been a rare occurrence for him this season.
Reo Hatate – Premiership
24/25
25/26
Appearances
37
10
Goals
9
1
Minutes per goal
241
708
Conversion rate
14%
10%
Big chances created
14
2
Assists
4
1
Dribble success rate
70%
57%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Hatate’s performances have dropped off since the end of last season, as he is scoring and creating goals far less frequently for the Premiership champions.
The Japan international’s last league goal for the club came against Aberdeen on the 10th August, and he has only produced two goals – including one penalty – and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.
His concerning drop-off in form this season suggests that he may be on the road to becoming the next Palma, as a once supreme talent who now looks too inconsistent to be reliable to the Celtic manager.
Therefore, O’Neill should ruthlessly drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up to face Feyenoord away from home, as the Hoops may need quality and physicality to beat their Dutch opponents, and Hatate did not show either against St Mirren.
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Celtic’s potential new manager could forget about Daizen Maeda by signing this reported transfer target.
In search of a consistent goalscorer, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing a £40m+ offer to sign Georges Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026.
The great weakness in Thomas Frank’s side this season has been their goalscoring struggles. With Dominic Solanke yet to return to full fitness, the likes of Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani have struggled to truly take hold of the starting role – handing the Lilywhites a frustrating problem.
Kolo Muani has particularly struggled since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain and is still searching for his first Tottenham goal. With the North London derby against Arsenal up next, however, the forward has been passed fit and has the perfect opportunity to find the back of the net for the first time in the Premier League.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Arsenal game, Frank revealed early team news which included an update on Kolo Muani’s unexpected return to action after suffering a jaw injury before the break.
If the PSG loanee continues his run without a goal, then many around North London will be asking big questions. Tottenham chiefs are already reportedly searching for a striker and the Frenchman’s struggles could accelerate their plan to welcome La Liga star Mikautadze in 2026.
Tottenham readying Mikautadze offer
According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now preparing a €50m (£44m) offer to sign Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026. A player who’s been compared to the great Diego Forlan by Spanish media, the 25-year-old has shown glimpses of his best form so far this season – scoring five goals in 14 games – and has entered Spurs’ radar as a result.
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After becoming a transfer flop at Ajax, the Georgian striker reinvented himself at FC Metz, before starring at Lyon to earn a summer switch to Villarreal. Now, he could be about to make the biggest move of his career courtesy of Tottenham.
Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, Mikautadze has only kicked on since then to attract the interest of the Premier League. As Tottenham’s forwards continue to struggle, the 25-year-old should be seen as a serious option to consider next year.
Tottenham eyeing 'dream' move for striker likened to Diego Costa after Frank request
Tasmania 171 and 244 for 5 (Weatherald 94, Silk 51*) lead Western Australia 172 (Hope 4-51, Meredith 3-36, Bird 3-38)Jake Weatherald missed his century but landed a fresh blow in his battle for a Test debut in the Ashes series.The Tasmania opener raced to 94 off just 99 balls on day two of the the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia in Hobart before he was caught in the deep hooking.Related
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He had made 18 in the hosts’ first-innings total of 171, as no other player passed 41 on the tricky Bellerive Oval track until Jordan Silk (51 not out) late on day two.Tasmania were 244 for 5 when rain stopped play slightly before stumps were due to be called.Left-handed Weatherald, 30, topped last year’s Shield run-scorers’ list with 906 at an average of 50.33, and remains in the frame for a call-up for the first Ashes Test.His commanding strokeplay, particularly square of the wicket, was impressive and potentially the perfect complement to the more sedate Usman Khawaja, who is all but assured of one opening spot at Optus Stadium against England next month.Weatherald, a promising emerging talent at South Australia who has reignited his career with a move south, struck 13 fours and a six in his brisk knock on Thursday.It came after the visitors had taken a lead of just one run on the first innings, at one stage losing 3 for 3 to be all out for 172 after beginning the day 107 for 4.Brad Hope ran through the tail, while Riley Meredith and Jackson Bird both finished with three wickets.Matthew Kelly (3-47) was the pick of the WA bowlers in Tasmania’s second innings.
Manchester United have now received an offer for an “insane” player ahead of the January transfer window, and he’s said yes to the move…
Man Utd could offload "insane" player in January
Just when Man United were looking like they might have turned a corner, they were brought crashing back down to earth against Everton on Monday night, with the Toffees emerging as 1-0 winners, in what was David Moyes’ first-ever win as a visiting manager at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were unable to take anything from the game, despite playing against ten men for the majority of the night, with Idrissa Gueye being shown a straight red card after striking his own teammate, Michael Keane.
Having gone the five previous Premier League games undefeated, the loss serves as a reminder that the current squad is still some way off being able to compete for major honours, as pointed out by Ruben Amorim in his post-match interview.
As such, there is work to be done in the January transfer window and beyond, and Man United now have a decision to make when it comes to Joshua Zirkzee’s future, as AS Roma have submitted a loan with an option to buy offer for the striker.
That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Zirkzee is now edging closer to joining Roma, having ‘said yes’ to the January move, although it is currently unclear whether United are willing to sanction a departure.
The Dutchman is valued at €40m (£35m), with the Italian club willing to include an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League, but it is not specified what sort of fee they would be willing to shell out.
Man Utd should cash-in on Zirkzee this winter
The 24-year-old has flattered to deceive ever since his arrival at Old Trafford, scoring just three Premier League goals in 37 appearances, and his recent performance against Everton was less than impressive.
The Netherlands international squandered one big chance and received a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3, the joint-lowest of any player, excluding Gueye, who was dismissed after just 13 minutes.
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Having been lauded as “insane” by scout Ben Mattinson in the past, the £105k-a-week forward could succeed elsewhere, and he may have a part to play until Benjamin Sesko returns from a knee injury.
However, Amorim should definitely move Zirkzee on in the January transfer window and bring in a new striker to rival Sesko for a starting spot, with Man United recently renewing their interest in Bayern Munich star Harry Kane.
Babar Azam bagged a duck on T20I return as a second-string South African side cruised to victory
Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2025Against a second-string South Africa side, Pakistan produced a second-rate performance, with the faultless visitors crushing the hosts by 55 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa’s top three, shepherded by a half-century from Reeza Hendricks, saw them fly into an advantage they never relinquished, rallying at the death after getting stuck midway to post 194.Pakistan’s response was found wanting in all phases of the game as South Africa’s seamers kept Pakistan on a leash, with Corbin Bosch and George Linde picking up clumps of wickets along the way. Pakistan were derailed both by a mounting asking rate and the fall of wickets, and their defeat was de facto confirmed long before the final wicket fell in front of an emptied-out Rawalpindi stadium.
QdK, TdZ and Reeza
South Africa’s top three of Hendricks, Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi was stellar but is not the first choice for too many – certainly not South Africa’s. But on a batting-friendly surface with small boundaries, the openers, Hendricks and de Kock, set the tone in the second over with Hendricks leaning across to wallop Naseem Shah over square leg for six. It set off carnage in the powerplay with de Kock joining in as the pair found five boundaries in the next ten deliveries.De Kock sliced one against Saim Ayub to give Pakistan a breakthrough, but not a breather, as de Zorzi ensured. The last two overs with the fielding restrictions saw South Africa plunder a boundary every other delivery, and it continued just beyond, too, with a majestic six over cover from de Zorzi fetching the visitors another 15 runs in the seventh. By the end of the seventh over, they had put up 89; it took Pakistan six more overs, for the loss of six more wickets, to get to that mark later.Reeza Hendricks laid down South Africa’s platform with a half-century•Getty Images
Corbin Bosch torments Pakistan once more
At the tail-end of last year, Bosch made his Test debut and was the bane of Pakistan’s existence all week, picking up wickets and scoring runs as South Africa trumped Pakistan in a thriller. Much water has flown in the relationship between Pakistan and Bosch since. He was signed up in the PSL, a deal he abandoned to take one up in the IPL. The PSL responded by banning him from the league for a year.Six months on, Bosch returned to Pakistan and in Rawalpindi, made sure he laughed last. With Pakistan desperate to keep up with a spiralling asking rate, they had no choice but to attack the fast bowler as he came on in the final over of the powerplay, with the hosts barely trickling along at just over a-run-a-ball. Babar Azam, facing his second delivery in his first T20I since December 2024, hacked wildly at a hard length delivery, but the pace meant he only caught the splice of the blade. The ball looped up harmlessly to cover, sending the returning fan favourite back into the dug out for a second-ball duck.
A bad day for Pakistan’s high-profile stars
There was no visible evidence upon which Babar had been recalled, with his duck capping off a miserable day on which he also dropped a catch late on during South Africa’s charge at the death. He was not, however, the only failure on a day Pakistan littered the board with them.Captain Salman Agha has been under fire for his performances in the format. Coming in to bat at four at the end of the powerplay, he scratched around at the start – as he often does, the required rate climbing every delivery. After two runs off his first six, Bosch darted in a 144kph ball angling back towards the Pakistan captain, rocketing into his front thigh. Agha took a review along with him, there was no reprieve to be found. It finished off a day where he also bowled one over – the one just as the powerplay ended, and gave away 15 wicketless runs.Mohammad Nawaz did well with bat and ball•Getty Images
Left-arm fingerspinners shine all round
Much separated Pakistan and South Africa on the day, but the only thing to unite them was the success each team’s left-arm spinner enjoyed with bat and ball.Linde and Mohammad Nawaz were the most effective men on either side on the day. Linde picked up South Africa’s flagging innings in the final five overs by taking apart Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16th over, smashing four fours off him in a 22-ball 36 run counterattack.Nawaz, meanwhile, had done the most to ensure South Africa’s middle-overs flagged, breaking the Hendricks-de Zorzi stand in the eighth over, and then deceiving the dangerous Dewald Brevis in his following over. He sealed his bowling spell with the wicket of South Africa’s stand-in captain – Donovan Ferreira – off his final ball to finish with figures of 3 for 26.The two also swam in each other’s slipstream during the chase. Linde came back from Ayub taking him for runs in in his first two overs, tossing a surprise ball out wide from around the wicket. It left Ayub reaching before tamely lofting it to cover, realistically killing off a chase just as the opener came to life. It was the first of three wickets as the offspinner also accounted for Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf.While the batters crumbled around him, Nawaz timed it beautifully. The game had long gone by then, but he found a level of ball-striking none of his peers were able to reach, smashing four fours and two sixes. When he chipped his 20th ball to long-on to conclude his innings and the game, he matched Linde’s 36 exactly. It was one similarity between a Pakistani and a South African on a day when the visiting collective pulled well clear of the hosts early.
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany hailed Luis Diaz’s “chaotic creativity” after the winger helped his side return to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over St. Pauli on Saturday afternoon. The Colombia international scored deep into stoppage time as the German giants successfully put their midweek loss at Arsenal in the Champions League to bed.
Diaz's late heroics inspire Bayern to victory over St. Pauli
With the scoreline 1-1 heading into stoppage time at the Allianz Arena, Bayern looked on course to drop points against strugglers St. Pauli. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes when Burnley loanee Andreas Hountondji stunned the home supporters, before Diaz kick started his heroics with an incredible assist.
The former Liverpool forward was on the ground when he somehow managed to flick the ball back to defender Raphael Guerreiro, who fired home to restore parity for Kompany’s men. And then after three minutes of additional time in the second half, Diaz headed home what looked to be the winner for Bayern, only for substitute Nicolas Jackson to make it 3-1 on 90+7.
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The victory saw Bayern bounce back from their 3-1 loss against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. Tasting defeat for the first time in Europe’s elite club competition this season, the Bundesliga heavyweights fell to goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli after youngster Lennart Karl scored in the first half.
Diaz was absent from Bayern’s trip to north London after being handed a three-game UEFA ban following a poor challenge on Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi on 4 November. The 28-year-old will also miss the Bavarians’ next two Champions League games against Portuguese side Sporting CP and Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise on 9 December and 21 January respectively.
Bayern boss Kompany waxes lyrical over Diaz's superb assist
But after inspiring Bayern to an all-important victory which saw them move eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, manager Kompany was full of praise for Diaz after the game.
Describing Diaz’s remarkable assist for Guerreiro’s equaliser, Kompany said: “Lucho has got a kind of 'chaotic creativity'. He can always do something in chaos.
“As a [former] defender, I always found it uncomfortable to play against such players because you never know whether you have the ball under control or he has it. He kept his head up while on the ground and played a great pass. He did the exact same move in training yesterday. That's a quality of his.”
And hailing Bayern’s collective grit, Kompany added: “Such hard-fought wins are part of a season. That gives us confidence in the future that we can win in such situations. Compliments to the boys that they kept going and believed in themselves. We need that over the course of the season.”
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Getty Images SportBundesliga giants' director of sport issues Kane update
One player who did not find the back of the net against St. Pauli was Harry Kane, who has forged a brilliant relationship with Diaz in 2025-26. England captain Kane has scored 24 goals in just 20 games in all competitions for Bayern this season, while ex-Porto man Diaz has netted 12 times so far.
However, while he was unable to add to his goal tally on Saturday, Kane was a topic of discussion after the game as Bayern director of sport Max Eberl issued a cryptic update on the striker’s future.
When asked whether Bayern have entered into contract renewal discussions with Kane, whose current terms expire in 2027, Eberl told : “Harry knows exactly what he wants and we have plans for him. We would like to continue. We can very, very well imagine that, but we will basically discuss everything with Harry.”
And when pressed on the future of defender Dayot Upamecano, whose contract expires next summer, Eberl added: “We definitely want it [a renewal]. I think we've communicated that clearly enough. I believe he feels very, very comfortable here.”
Hosts face a tricky path to 2027 ODI World Cup while Pakistan will bank on their returning big names to fire
Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2025So, this is the series that might not have happened. The PCB didn’t try too hard to conceal their displeasure at being dragged out to Trinidad to play out a three-match ODI series after T20Is in Florida; an additional few short-form games in the US would have suited them just fine. Their opposite number felt a tour of the West Indies ought to at least include setting foot in the West Indies, and that once Pakistan made it there, they might as well play the 50-over games the two had mutually agreed upon.And West Indies really do think it’s about time people stopped trying to keep them from playing ODI cricket. They missed out on the two most recent ICC tournaments in the format, qualification defeat in 2023 locking them out of both that year’s World Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy. Three games apiece against Ireland and England comprise the sum total of ODIs West Indies have played in 2025, with just one win to show for it.West Indies need to turn that around quickly if they’re to avoid missing a third successive 50-over ICC event. They are ranked 10th, with qualification for 2027 only guaranteed to the top eight teams aside from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe; with Zimbabwe well outside the top eight, West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help significantly.Related
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Pakistan may be favourites for this series, but you wouldn’t know it from their recent ODI form. Their win-loss record this year is worse than the hosts, their solitary win sandwiched between seven defeats. It included an ignominious tournament as hosts of the Champions Trophy, where they were knocked out within the first five days, and exited without winning a game at the bottom of their group.Even so, as the rankings reflect, this is probably Pakistan’s best format. In its current state, that’s a bit like the straightest line in a Picasso painting, but it isn’t like Pakistan are producing masterpieces anywhere else. Before they timed their horror run with devastating precision at the most important juncture of the year, Pakistan had come into 2025 on a wave off ODI optimism. Three consecutive away series wins – in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa – made them look a formidable side with a set template that worked consistently. Saim Ayub was in the form of his life at the top and Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf each were among the top wicket-takers for fast bowlers in 2024.Saim Ayub is back to full fitness and back to the Caribbean, where he has had success in the CPL•Associated PressWhile all of that was to vaporise in the wake of Ayub’s injury in Cape Town, the core of Pakistan’s side remains similar to the that one. And Ayub is now back to full fitness, as well as nearing his best form. The bowling is led by Shaheen and Naseem Shah, while wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan captains the side.Babar Azam, No. 2 in the ICC ODI rankings, also returns. But in the wake of Fakhar Zaman’s injury, it remains to be seen if Pakistan replicate their cack-handed strategy of throwing him up to open the batting in the Champions Trophy, inspired by Aqib Javed and random hope rather than any evidence of its wisdom.West Indies’ squad is not dissimilar to the one that had toured England over the summer, though Shimron Hetmyer continues to be unavailable with a side strain. Brandon King and Evin Lewis have shaken off injuries to form part of the squad.While Trinidad & Tobago, where all three ODIs will be played, has a reputation for turn, information on conditions at the new venue in Tarouba is harder to come by. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy has only hosted one ODI, a game where India beat West Indies in by 200 runs. Barring weather playing spoilsport with Trinidad in the peak of its wet season, the three upcoming games will clarify if West Indies’ decision to go in with just one specialist spinner alongside Roston Chase was judicious.This series may not have a lot going for it commercially. It’s the wrong format, in the wrong time zone, between the wrong sides, in the wrong season. But for West Indies, it could prove the difference between the life support of an ICC World Cup berth or the financial oblivion of missing out once more.For the visitors it is a chance to show themselves as much as anyone else they still have the quality to be world-class at a time when Pakistan cricket is less marketable than it has ever been. If a measure of a series’ value is what’s at stake for it, then perhaps there’s not much wrong about the games that will unfold in Trinidad this week.