Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed Marco Asensio following his hat-trick performance in the 6-1 LaLiga rout of Real Mallorca.
Asensio scored three goals in his first start of the season against former club Mallorca as Madrid returned to the league summit at the Santiago Bernabeau on Wednesday.
After Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the third minute, Asensio took centre stage – the Spaniard scored on either side of Lee Kang-in's goal to give Madrid a 3-1 half-time lead.
Asensio completed his treble 10 minutes into the second half as he became the sixth Spanish player to score a hat-trick for Madrid in LaLiga this century and the first since Alvaro Morata in April 2017.
Benzema and Isco added gloss to the scoreline, though Ancelotti heaped praise on Asensio post-match.
"I invest my experience in the team and look to give them my all, both in terms of experience and confidence," Ancelotti told reporters, with Madrid now boasting 16 points from their opening six league matches – their best start to a season at this stage since 2013-14, when the Italian boss was last in charge.
"I'm lucky to coach this brave team with a lot of quality and players who learn quickly. Asensio played very well. We knew that he can do a lot of damage and they had a lot of quality between the lines, he's a very good shot taker and he combines very well.
"Asensio has performed very well and during next week he can hopefully score three goals as well. I think this is the position.
"It can be sometimes that if we push with the full-back, defending, he can play more on the outside, but with the ball it's always the same position because he likes it. When he comes inside he has the ball on the left and he is very dangerous there."
Benzema also impressed in the Spanish capital – the in-form France international has been directly involved in 15 goals in LaLiga this season (eight goals and seven assists).
It is the best start in goal involvement of any player after the first six league games of the campaign in the 21st century.
"Karim is doing well," Ancelotti said. "He's scored eight goals and can make you forget that he is playing very well with the team, he gets behind, he contributes to the other players.
"He's a striker who doesn't just score goals. He is complete in every way.
"The day when he needs a rest weell play [Luka] Jovic, who has been doing really well. Jovic is up against really tough competition, but when he's played he's done well.
"He had two chances today and he also played extremely well against Valencia. He'll play when Benzema isn't available."
Barcelona dealt potential Clasico blow as Yamal suffers hamstring strain
Barcelona have confirmed Lamine Yamal suffered a left hamstring strain while on international duty with Spain.
The 17-year-old limped off in the 93rd minute of their Nations League clash against Denmark on Saturday before returning to Barcelona to undergo further tests.
He was one of La Roja's brightest players in the 1-0 victory, having five of their 25 shots, the most by a Spain player in the competition this season.
However, he is now set for an undetermined spell on the sidelines, though he is likely to miss their LaLiga match against Sevilla on Sunday.
Yamal has started 11 of Barca's 12 games in all competitions so far, and Hansi Flick will be hoping he is not set to endure a long layoff, with matches against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Real Madrid in the league also coming up next week.
If he is not involved, it would prove a huge blow for Barcelona. This season, Yamal and Robert Lewandowski have been involved in 21 Barcelona goals in LaLiga, the best goalscoring duo of any club in the big five European Leagues.
"Tests carried out this morning on first team player Lamine Yamal have confirmed that he has a left hamstring strain. His return to training will be determined by his recovery time," Barcelona said in a statement on social media.
Barcelona return to league action this weekend when they welcome Sevilla to the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Concacaf to introduce new formats for region’s U-17 Men’s and Women’s Qualifiers
Concacaf on Thursday announced new formats for the Confederation’s U-17 Men’s and Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.
The announcement follows FIFA’s confirmation earlier this year that it will increase the frequency of the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Both will become annual competitions with expanded participation to 48 and 24 teams, respectively.
The new Men’s Qualifiers will consist of a single round. The participating Concacaf Member Associations will be divided into eight groups, with the number of teams per group varying depending on the total number of participants.
After round-robin play, in which each team will play against each team in its group once, the group winners (eight teams in total) will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The first edition of the Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers under the new format will take place between February 7 and 16, 2025.
The 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers official draw will take place on October 24 at the Concacaf Headquarters in Miami, FL. Fans will be able to follow on the Confederation’s YouTube channel starting at 11 am ET.
The new Women’s Qualifiers will consist of two rounds, with the four highest-ranked participating Concacaf Member Associations (based on the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Rankings) receiving a bye to the Final Round.
For the Round One, the Member Associations ranked fifth and below will be split into six groups, with the number of teams per group varying depending on the total number of participants. After round-robin play, the six group winners and the two best second-place finishers (eight teams in total) will advance to the Final Round, joining the four top-ranked teams (twelve in total).
The Final Round will also be played in a group format, consisting of three groups of four teams each. After round-robin play, the three group winners and the best second-place finisher (four teams in total) will qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The first edition of the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Qualifiers under the new format will take place between January 27 and February 1, 2025 (Round One) and March 31 and April 6, 2025 (Final Round).
The 2025 Concacaf U-17 Women’s Qualifiers Round One official draw will take place on October 16 at the Concacaf Headquarters in Miami, FL. Fans will be able to follow on the Confederation’s YouTube channel starting at 11 am ET.
Reggae Boyz call on fans for crucial CONCACAF Nations League clash against Honduras
Demarai Gray and Head Coach Steve McClaren have called on Jamaican fans to pack the National Stadium in Kingston on Monday night as the Reggae Boyz face Honduras in a critical CONCACAF Nations League Group B showdown. Jamaica needs at least a draw to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, but with Honduras' dangerous attacking form and the possibility of Nicaragua defeating French Guiana, a win is the safer route to qualification.
Monday’s clash set for 8:00 pm (Jamaica) will be the 30th meeting between the two nations, with both sides having won 12 games each, and five ending in draws. The Reggae Boyz are undefeated in their last seven encounters with Honduras, a streak that stretches back to 2013. However, Honduras remains a formidable opponent, leading the group in scoring with eight goals and looking to shake their recent defensive struggles.
Gray, who has been instrumental in Jamaica's recent back-to-back away wins against Honduras (2-1) and Nicaragua (2-0), emphasized the importance of fan support for Monday’s high-stakes encounter. "I think it's very important. Going to those countries and playing, I kind of like the hostile feeling about it. It kind of gives me a boost as well, but I think the stature of Jamaica...I've said it before, the Jamaican culture is popular all over the world, and I am honoured to represent the country," Gray said.
The Reggae Boyz winger urged fans to turn out in large numbers and create an atmosphere that will inspire the players and intimidate the opposition. "As a player, it's something I am always looking forward to—the stadium being full, a sellout, having that atmosphere. The 12th man behind you is massively important, and I've played football long enough to know it can intimidate teams as well. With the quality we have, a lot of teams will be intimidated already, so with the fans backing us, it’s just an extra bonus for us," Gray added.
Coach McClaren echoed Gray’s sentiments, highlighting the role of the fans in creating a powerful home advantage. "One of our goals, the vision that I have, is to fill the stadium, to have a full house, and for it to be rocking. With the music and everything going on around the game, it’s very different from Nicaragua, very different from Honduras, but just as intimidating," McClaren said.
He explained that the energy from the crowd could provide the team with the extra push needed to secure the win. "It's not about intimidation; it's about uplifting the home players. That's what a home advantage is—to lift you above the opponent, to give you an extra 10 to 20 percent to deliver the result. So, we need the fans," McClaren stressed.
With Jamaica ranked 61st in the latest FIFA rankings, 16 places above Honduras, and in good form heading into this decisive fixture, the support from the Jamaican crowd could be the key to securing a quarter-final berth in the CONCACAF Nations League.
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