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After gifting a slender two-run win to Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, Kolkata Knight Riders have a chance to make amends at their home ground on Thursday

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit29-Apr-2015Match factsThursday, April 30, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big PictureKolkata Knight Riders, after three wins from six matches, had a strong chance to get closer to the top two teams in the table; they reduced Chennai Super Kings to 134 at their home ground, marched to 52 runs in five overs, but then took a U-turn to hand the match back to the hosts. Two points gone, Super Kings back on top, and Knight Riders lost their second match in a row.Now the same two teams move to Kolkata from Chennai, just like the BCCI power centre did so nearly two months ago. A few changes have happened already in this one-day gap. Sunil Narine’s offbreak has been banned and R Ashwin has been ruled out for two matches with a finger injury. Brad Hogg’s stellar show of 1 for 18 from four overs will subside Knight Riders’ worries, but Super Kings will have to find an able replacement for their offspinner, who finished with 2 for 5 from his two overs.Apart from the win on Tuesday, Super Kings have an upper hand with their fielding too. Either Dwayne Bravo or Faf du Plessis takes a spectacular catch every match and even Kryptonite can’t stop Brendon McCullum from flying. The Knight Riders batsmen will have to make sure they clear the boundaries to make such efforts ineffective.Form guideKolkata Knight Riders LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings WWWLWWatch out for…All through the tournament Knight Riders had been relying on their pacers. On Tuesday, they dominated with the ball because of their spin attack. So what if Narine has been banned from bowling the delivery he bowls the most? Piyush Chawla stepped up in his absence as first-change and dismissed Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Bravo, conceding only 26 runs. The 44-year-old Hogg then bowled as if he had played all the matches till now and bowled a frugal spell of 1 for 18. He was playing after exactly three months.A livewire in the field, wily with his slower balls and a treat to watch for his footwork during his celebrations, Dwayne Bravo has not made much of an impact with the bat yet. Barring his 36-ball 62 against Rajasthan Royals 10 days ago, he has mostly made single-digit scores. With Faf du Plessis not fully in his element, Bravo has a good chance to step up and prove why he has been a sure starter so far.Stats and trivia Super Kings have not made any changes to their playing XI so far. Every other team has made at least three changes. That will, however, certainly change on Thursday due to Ashwin’s absence. Super Kings have successfully defended a total of 150 or less seven times in the IPL, the most for any team Gautam Gambhir has 11 IPL ducks, joint-most by any player along with Harbhajan SinghQuotes”If we win we win, if we lose we lose.”
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The likes of USA, Mexico and Jamaica all have players worth keeping an eye out for heading into this year's competition

The CONCACAF regional championship is set to kick off on Saturday, with Mexico and the rest of Group A getting the ball rolling at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. 

The Gold Cup will feature the rest of the usual contenders in CONCACAF as well, with the U.S. national team, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Canada, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago all taking part. 

And while several of the big-name players are out of action, with the likes of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Keylor Navas, Hirving Lozano, Carlos Vela, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin and Tyler Adams all ruled out, there are still plenty of players worth keeping an eye on this summer. 

Below, Goal runs through the top 10 players to watch during the Gold Cup. 

Getty ImagesRaul Jimenez | Mexico

Mexico comes into the Gold Cup missing the most firepower up top. In Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano, El Tri has a trio of attacking stars who will not take part this summer. 

That leaves much of the attacking onus to fall on the broad shoulders of Raul Jimenez. 

The Wolves forward is coming off a fine season in the Premier League, having scored 13 goals as his side finished seventh in the table, and is now being asked to lead the line for his country for the first time.

Even missing so many stars, Mexico will be favored to win the tournament, but Jimenez providing goals will be crucial for Tata Martino's side. 

AdvertisementGettyChristian Pulisic | USA

The expectations for the U.S. national team will be to compete for the title in the Gold Cup. USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has said as much. 

For that to happen, Pulisic will have to be at his absolute best this summer. 

The USA comes into the competition on the back of two bad losses in friendly, missing a number of key players across the backline and still lacking a real identity with Berhalter having only coached six matches. 

The Gold Cup represents the first competitive action for the USA since that fateful night in 2017 when the side lost to Trinidad & Tobago. That night, Pulisic walked off the pitch in tears. He was already being asked to carry much of the attacking load then, probably more than the then teenager was ready to take on.

Now, with two more years of high-level club football in the Bundesliga under his belt and a move to Chelsea looming, he'll be asked to do even more. 

Getty ImagesLeon Bailey | Jamaica

The Bayer Leverkusen winger is an impressive talent who has made quite the mark in the Bundesliga, though he has yet to make any kind of mark on the international scene. 

A 21-year-old with world-class talent, Bailey has yet to play a single match for Jamaica but is expected to debut and play a major role over the next month. The Reggae Boyz​ are not lacking talent. With Bailey, they could be a real contender for the crown.

Questions remain about where he will fit in with Jamaica and how quickly he can adjust to the style of play, but there is no doubt that he is worth keeping an eye on this summer. 

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GettyAlphonso Davies | Canada

If you're looking for exciting talent, Alphonso Davies is your guy. 

Finding playing time at Bayern Munich after making the jump from MLS was always going to be difficult for a player joining the club in the winter and that proved to be the case for Davies.

He'll be back in his comfort zone with Canada, playing for a side that looks to be very much on the rise and playing against familiar opponents. What's more, Davies isn't coming off a long grind of a season and should have fresh legs, which should mean plenty of trouble for opposition defenders. 

Champions Manchester City dominate after securing their fifth league title in six years, but they weren't the only team with some star performers

Who has been the Premier League's star man this term? It's probably an easy question to answer, in all honesty. Just look at the numbers. But, Erling Haaland aside, there have been plenty of stellar performers this term, as this list will show.

Manchester City dominate, as you would expect, but the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton are well represented too, having all enjoyed excellent seasons.

So as the curtain comes down on the Premier League campaign, GOAL counts down the season's top 21 performers…

Getty Images21Joelinton (Newcastle)

Who ever would have thought that Joelinton would feature on a list such as this? For years, the Brazilian was seen almost as a figure of fun, a perfect example of money wasted, another player unable to live up to a big price-tag and big expectations.

Not any more. The 26-year-old has been instrumental in Newcastle's rise under Eddie Howe, his aggression, energy and work ethic from midfield helping the Magpies secure Champions League qualification for the first time in more than 20 years.

Remarkably, given he was signed as a striker, this has been his best goalscoring campaign at St James' Park, with eight goals in all competitions from his deeper role ensuring he is a firm fan favourite.

AdvertisementGetty20Nathan Ake (Man City)

It is fair to say that one or two eyebrows were raised when Manchester City spent more than £40 million ($50m) to sign Ake from Bournemouth in 2020, but what a buy he has proven to be.

The Dutchman has been a key player for Pep Guardiola this season, his ability to play at both full-back and centre-back making him ideal for City's system. His performances have been good enough to see off both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo, and to make him a regular for the Dutch national team too.

Getty Images19Sven Botman (Newcastle)

Another Dutch defender, and one who has had a transformative effect on his team's fortunes. Botman cost Newcastle more than £30m ($37m) when signing from Lille last summer, and what a smart piece of business that has turned out to be.

The towering centre-back has formed an outstanding partnership with Fabian Schar, with Newcastle boasting the second-best defensive record in the Premier League as a result. Still only 23, the former Ajax man looks set to establish himself as one of the world's best in the coming years.

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Getty18Solly March (Brighton)

For all the praise rightly levelled at Brighton for their global recruitment, it is a player signed from non-league Lewes in 2011 who has been one of their most consistent performers this season.

March's delivery, dribbling and eye for goal has stood out, and the unassuming 28-year-old will surely have caught the eye of Gareth Southgate, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists from his right-wing station.

GOAL takes a look at what to watch for in these two friendlies against South Africa as the U.S. begins the preparing for the Olympics and beyond

The 2023 World Cup is now over for the United States women's national team. The tournament will be remembered as a failure, but perhaps a failure that served as a reboot point for a program that probably needed it.

But as we enter this first post-World Cup camp, it is fair to say that that reboot is on hold, at least for a little while. The USWNT is a team in transition, yes, but that transition hasn't quite happened yet. Instead, the U.S. has a squad full of World Cup veterans for these two friendlies against South Africa, including two legitimate legends that will be saying goodbye.

These games will serve as the swansongs for Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, two historic figures for this program. They'll be surrounded by many of the players they competed with this summer as they prepare to say goodbye and move onto the next stage.

While those two will get the headlines, though, this camp is about more than just that. The farewells are nice, yes, but there are several new faces in this camp that could be very, very important as the U.S. puts this World Cup behind them and begins looking ahead to the 2024 Olympics, as well as the 2027 World Cup.

Getty ImagesNew coach bounce?

The Vlatko Andonovski era is over, and the (temporary) Twila Kilgore era is now beginning. Kilgore is serving as the USWNT's interim coach for now as the federation searches for Andonovski's replacement. Technical director Matt Crocker says that U.S. Soccer is hard at work with that task and that a new hire should be in relatively soon, but for now, this is Kilgore's team.

Kilgore has been with the U.S. Soccer program for some time, having started with the Under-20s before serving as both Andonovski's assistant and U.S. U23s coach. Her tenure in charge may not last long, but it certainly will be interesting.

Will Kilgore institute any changes? Will she abandon any of the concepts that, ultimately, led to failure at the World Cup? Or will she know her place as a more transitional coach and simply try to keep things together rather than reinvent things overnight?

Either way, it'll be intriguing to see someone different at the helm and to find out what that means for a USWNT that is in transition.

AdvertisementGettyA shot of Coffey

One of the biggest 'what ifs' from the 2023 World Cup centers around Sam Coffey. What would have happened if she wasn't overlooked? How would that midfield have performed with Coffey involved? Well, we'll get a pretty decent look during this window.

With the bulk of the World Cup squad hanging around, the introduction of Coffey will give us something of a look into what this team could have looked like with the midfielder involved. A No.6 that is capable of disrupting play and moving the ball, the fact that Coffey never got integrated to the team was one of Andonovski's biggest failures.

She'll now get a chance to prove herself, though, as she looks to make an impression early on the road to 2027.

GettyHow does Shaw fit?

One of two uncapped players in the squad, Jaedyn Shaw is a player that should be an intriguing one for the USWNT. She can either play out wide or centrally, making her a dangerous weapon that gives the U.S. tactical flexibility whenever she's in the XI. And she's just 18 years old, so this is all just beginning.

Shaw was U.S. Soccer's Young Player of the Year last year and already has plenty of NWSL experience under her belt for the San Diego Wave, despite her youth. Talent-wise, she's as promising as it gets, and her positional flexibility make her an even more interesting talent for a USWNT that remains loaded with young attackers.

With players like Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Alyssa Thompson all just getting started, how does Shaw fit in, especially in a fully-fit squad? Hopefully this camp offers an early idea.

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Fishel steps up

To begin her career, Mia Fishel took the road less travelled, and that road has led her right to the USWNT anyway. From UCLA to Tigres and, now, a historic move to Chelsea, Fishel has forged a reputation as a goalscorer. She scored boatloads at Tigres, and it's her ability to put the ball in the back of the net that has her in the USWNT picture.

However, the U.S. has several other goalscorers around the team. Smith, Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson (when healthy), all score plenty. So how does Fishel fit? Can she unseat one of the team's regular stars?

We'll learn the answer to that in the coming years, not the coming days, but Fishel will no doubt be looking to make a good first impression.

Inter Miami's sporting director Chris Henderson revealed the latest update on Luis Suarez's rumored transfer to the Herons this Winter.

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Suarez to Miami rumors keep popping upHeron's sporting director speaks on potential transfer for UruguayanWould be third ex-Barca teammate of Messi's in MiamiWHAT HAPPENED?

During Inter Miami's end of the year press conference, Henderson spoke on the possibility of bringing the Uruguayan stateside this winter. He admitted that the links to the club keep coming, but also addressed that he is still a Gremio player in Brazil. Him speaking on the matter gives Herons supporters a reason to be excited though, as Messi may be helping them recruit their newest striker.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Suarez and Messi played together at FC Barcelona for six years, where the Uruguayan net 198 goals for the Catalan side. The South American duo, alongside Brazilian star Neymar, formed the famed duo that haunted Europe for three years. Now, Messi is slowly recruiting his old friends in MLS, with Barca teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets already in South Beach. If Suarez were to join, he'd be the third ex-teammate to linkup with Messi in Miami.

WHAT HENDERSON SAID

“He's currently with Grêmio, so we don't want to comment on a player who's not on our roster,” Henderson said of Suárez. “He is another player that's always been linked with our team and it's great to have great players around the world connected with Inter Miami and wanting to come here.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LUIS SUAREZ?

The legendary Uruguayan striker is currently on international duty with his country, and they are coming off of a 2-0 win over Argentina last week. They take on Bolivia in their next FIFA World Cup qualifier Tuesday evening, before Suarez returns to his club Gremio. The Brazil side is back in action on Sunday against Atletico MG.

Wrexham could hardly have made a worse start to their EFL Trophy clash against Burton Albion as they went down 3-2 on home soil on Tuesday.

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Wrexham conceded two goals in first three minutesDalby fired in to pull a goal back for Welsh sideBurton Albion too good for League Two outfitTELL ME MORE

Less than 30 seconds were needed for Burton Albion to break the deadlock as the ball was sent high over the home team's defence and Adedeji Oshilaja was able to fire into the net. Wrexham's nightmare start continued two minutes later when Mark Helm added a second after the referee got in the way of James Jones controlling the ball and allowing the visitors to get the shot away.

Sam Dalby managed to pull a goal back for his team in the fifth minute though, as he collected a loose ball and sent it curling into the net, but Burton managed to squeeze the ball in once again in the second half to essentially kill off the game, rendering Jordan Davies' stoppage time goal irrelevant.

AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP

Burton Albion star Oshilaja was a bright spark for his side throughout. He did well to get through on goal and finish the move to open the scoring early on but was heavily involved, teeing up another chance midway through the second half that was saved by Wrexham's goalkeeper.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

While Oshilaja did well to beat him, goalkeeper Luke McNichols should have done better to prevent the visitors from taking the lead. His attempt to come out and stop the scorer was a tame one and it left him with a fairly simple finish, sending the away team on their way to victory.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

Wrexham will hope to get back to winning ways when they take on Forest Green Rovers in League Two this week. The Welsh team are second in the table and looking to keep pressure on leaders Stockport County, who are five points clear.

This series will be less about what happens between bat and ball and more about what happens beyond the boundary, or more precisely, what does not happen

The Preview by Firdose Moonda21-May-2015Match factsFriday, May 22, 2015
Start time 1900 local (1400 GMT)Big pictureIt’s cricket, but it’s much, much more.This series will be less about what happens between bat and ball and more about what happens beyond the boundary, or more precisely, what does not happen. Security threats have meant that no Test-playing team has visited Pakistan since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus and no Test-playing team would have if not for Zimbabwe, although they won’t be playing any Tests.Against the advice of the international player association, FICA, and their own country’s foreign affairs ministry, Zimbabwe have done much more than hold out an olive branch to Pakistan; they’re planting a forest. Their 10-day, two T20 and three ODI tour could cultivate the comeback of international cricket to a country most teams are too scared to travel to. At least, that is what both the Pakistan Cricket Board and Zimbabwe Cricket hope.In many ways, the PCB and ZC are perfect for each other because each has what the other wants. The PCB wants to host cricket for its team, ZC wants its team to play more cricket, and that is what brought the two together. The actual cricket could be a periphery to those desires but it will be important for both nonetheless.Pakistan will be before their home fans once again and that alone will be motivation enough to turn things around from their recent tour of Bangladesh, where they were blanked in the limited-overs matches. They will be smarting after that, desperate to show they have not sunk to a new low, and there will be no better place to do that than in front of their own fans.Passionate supporters have already caught the Zimbabwean players’ eyes with many of them sharing on social media their excitement to be received so warmly but they will know those eyes do not want to see Pakistan defeated. And those eyes won’t be expecting anything like that.Zimbabwe are historically poor travelers and lost every match on their most recent away trip to Bangladesh. They have not played any cricket since the World Cup but are hopeful of a(nother) new beginning under Dav Whatmore. They have a packed winter schedule and will hope to get off to a good start in Pakistan.There has been no international cricket for 2271 days in Pakistan•Associated PressForm guidePakistan LLWLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe WWLLLIn the spotlightAll the joy over cricket coming back to Pakistan the country is not quite the same as the feeling around Pakistan the team. As it gets over ODI retirements of senior players, the side is trying to forge a new identity and needs to find both stability and success to get on its feet. Against the emotive backdrop of the return home, a series against Zimbabwe may be the perfect place for the new-look Pakistan to start to take shape.Zimbabwe’s returnees make up more than a third of their squad as the selectors have decided to give players who missed out on the World Cup another chance to stake a claim for a long-term spot. Among them are Vusi Sibanda, whose talent as an opening batsman has not yielded the results expected, Graeme Cremer, the legspinner whose wicket-taking ability could make him a key component of the attack and Chris Mpofu, the lanky seamer who will look to lead the pack. All three add experience to Elton Chigumbura’s growing senior core.Team newsWithout Saeed Ajmal or Umar Gul, the focus will be on Pakistan’s attack with Wahab Riaz at the helm. Bilawal Bhatti and Mohammad Sami are expected to assist with the pace duties while Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik will do the slow bowling. Mukhtar Ahmed should get the chance to establish himself as Ahmed Shehzad’s opening partner while Hafeez and Umar Akmal give Pakistan a strong top five.Pakistan (probable) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mukhtar Ahmed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Bilawal BhattiZimbabwe could welcome back all six of their comeback players with Charles Coventry likely to make an appearance in the middle-order, Richmond Mutumbami to take the gloves, Cremer to share slow-bowling duties with Sean Williams, and Mpofu and Brian Vitori competing with Tawanda Mupariwa and Tinashe Panyangara for the seamers’ spots. That may mean the only new cap in the squad, Roy Kaia, has to wait his turn for now.Zimbabwe (probable) 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Charles Coventry, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 7 Sean Williams, 8 Richmond Mutumbami (wk) 9 Graeme Cremer 10 and 11 Chris Mpofu/Tawanda Mupariwa/Tinashe Panyangara/Brian VitoriPitch and conditionsAlthough there has been no international cricket at this venue in over six years, it has been a regular host for domestic competition and is said to be a batting paradise. The surface will attract far less attention than the mercury, though. Day-time temperatures in Lahore are expected to be at 43 degrees with things cooling down into the late 20s by the evening.Stats and trivia Pakistan have gone 2271 days since they last played a match at home, on March 2, 2009 Zimbabwe last played a T20 match more than a year ago at the World T20 and they have only played five T20s in the last two years. Two of those were against Pakistan in Harare and Zimbabwe lost both Quotes”There is a lot of anticipation for this series as we are hopeful it will open doors for more tours in the future. More importantly, it will also allow us and the government and security agencies to practically assess what more can be done to make touring sides more secure.”

Seattle's win against Toronto FC solidified the Sounders spot on LAFC's trail in Goal's MLS Power Rankings

The Seattle Sounders faced their first truly tough test of the 2019 MLS season and passed it with flying colors.

The Sounders knocked Toronto FC from the ranks of the unbeatens after Saturday's 3-2 victory at CenturyLink Field. Making the victory even more impressive was the fact it came without Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz, with Will Bruin stepping up to pick up the scoring slack with a pair of goals.

Seattle's victory kept the Sounders undefeated, and on the trail of Los Angeles FC, which maintained its dominating ways with a comfortable 2-0 victory against FC Cincinnati. The LA Galaxy made it four straight wins by topping the Philadelphia Union.

The Houston Dynamo continued their winning ways by beating the San Jose Earthquakes, keeping Wilmer Cabrera's side among the league's unbeatens.

Here are Goal's MLS power rankings after week seven action:

1Portland Timbers (0-5-1)Five straight losses have the Timbers in dead last in MLS, but the loss to FC Dallas felt a bit more encouraging. Of course, now the Timbers head to Colombus, where they'll face former coach Caleb Porter and the Crew in a rematch of the 2015 MLS Cup final, only with Porter now coaching the Crew.Advertisement2Vancouver Whitecaps (0-4-2)Marc Dos Santos is still searching for his first win in charge of the Whitecaps, but you can argue his team is showing signs of turning things around. Vancouver has been in every game this season, but consistency has eluded the Whitecaps. A visit to Los Angeles FC on Wednesday isn't exactly the ideal slump-buster, but Vancouver's schedule gets easier after that.3Colorado Rapids (0-5-2)The Rapids continue to generate goals, but also bleed them, making Tim Howard's farewell tour a bit of a painful one. A road swing through Chicago and Atlanta could serve as Anthony Hudson's last stand, because if the Rapids find themselves winless heading into May, there'll be no real reason to keep him around.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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4New England Revolution (1-5-1)The Revs are a mess, and they offered little in the way of real resistance against Atlanta United despite playing at home. They mustered just one shot on goal against the MLS Cup champions, and things aren't going to get any easier with the New York Red Bulls coming to town, even with New York's recent struggles.

Los Blancos came from 2-0 down to hand out a 5-2 thrashing to the Reds, with their Brazilian forward leading from the front once more

Vinicius Junior delivered a performance for the ages as Real Madrid swatted Liverpool aside in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The winger scored twice to claw Madrid back from an early deficit, and ran riot as his side opened up a convincing lead, eventually starring in a resounding 5-2 win at Anfield.

Liverpool broke the deadlock early, with Darwin Nunez meeting Mohamed Salah's cross with a delightful flick at the near post. Salah then made it two within 15 minutes, finishing into an open net after a Thibaut Courtois blunder.

Vinicius, though, responded shortly after, curling a ball past a helpless Alisson to pull Madrid within one with less than a quarter of the game played. He then struck again 15 minutes later, deflecting Alisson's loose pass into an empty net to cap off a breathless first half.

He was involved again following the break, drawing a lazy foul from a clumsy Joe Gomez, with the free-kick leading to Eder Militao heading Madrid into the lead.

Madrid stayed ahead, adding two goals more before the 65th minute, with Karim Benzema getting in on the action to cap off a famous victory.

It was the return of the fabled Madrid magic in the Champions League, with the European Cup holders showing exactly why they cannot be written off in their favourite competition.

Liverpool now need to win by three at Santiago Bernabeu. If Vini is on it, that seems very unlikely.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from a memorable night on Merseyside…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Vinicius Junior

He just loves playing against Liverpool, doesn't he?

After bagging a brace on Tuesday, Vinicius has now scored five goals in his last four outings against the Reds – and is now the youngest player to score twice at Anfield in Europe since Johan Cruyff in 1966.

The first was classic Vini, with the winger cutting inside onto his right foot and whipping a shot into the far corner. His second, though, was less conventional, as Alisson cannoned a poor pass off Vini's foot and watched as the ball sailed over his head into an empty net.

But it wasn't just the goals that meant Vinicius stood out. The 22-year-old tormented Liverpool, a blur of cuts and tricks throughout. He could've ended the first half with an assist to go with his goals, too, after finding Rodrygo with a cut back, but Andy Robertson's last-ditch tackle kept the scores level.

Vinicius was even better in the second half, drawing the foul that led to Madrid's third goal, before assisting Benzema for the fifth. By the end, he was simply toying with Liverpool's backline, running at an exhausted Trent Alexander-Arnold as the home side crumbled.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Joe Gomez

At what point do you start to feel sorry for a player?

Gomez, for lack of a better term, had a proper stinker at Anfield. The centre-back was pulled apart by the Benzema-Vinicius combo, and made a series of errors that contributed to Madrid's goals.

It was his loose back-pass that led to Alisson's poor clearance for the second goal; he gave away a silly foul from which Madrid scored their third; and he was positionally lost for the fourth before deflecting Benzema's shot past Alisson.

Gomez was not the only Liverpool player to have a poor defensive evening, but he was at fault for a number of Madrid's big moments.

In the end, he was substituted after 73 minutes. At that point, it was an act of mercy.

WINNER: Karim Benzema

Benzema hadn't scored in the Champions League this season before Tuesday. Consider that drought over!

The legendary striker bagged two in the second half, putting the game beyond Liverpool with Madrid's fourth and fifth goals.

His second was particularly magnificent, as the France striker cut inside two defenders, rounded Alisson and placed the ball into the top corner to put the tie out of Liverpool's reach.

Everything about Benzema's showing at Anfield was entirely effortless. He spent long periods not touching the ball, and would occasionally drop into the midfield for a quick pass or brief flick. And then, at the right time, he exploded. It's the sort of Champions League showing we've all become so used to over the last 18 months from the Ballon d'Or winner.

Benzema isn't 'back' – he just never really left.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Goalkeepers

Thibaut Courtois and Alisson are widely considered two of the best goalkeepers in the world. Neither of them looked like it here.

Courtois made the first blunder, handing Salah a goal with a poor touch off his knee.

Alisson then went one better minutes later, simply passing the ball to Vinicius, who deflected it into an open net.

Alisson made a couple of good saves shortly after, and Courtois was relatively untroubled for the rest of proceedings. But, as the scoreline suggests, this was hardly a goalkeeping clinic.

French newspaper L'Equipe has revealed the wages of some Ligue 1's biggest earners – but who takes home the most cash?

Gettyimages30Thomas Meunier (PSG)€260,000 per monthAdvertisementGetty Images29Steven Jovetic (Monaco)€280,000 per monthGetty Images28Kamil Glik (Monaco)€290,000 per monthENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Gettyimages27Bertrand Traore (Lyon)€300,000 per month