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Blast’s all-time leading scorer quits captaincy after seven seasons in charge

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2022Luke Wright, the leading run-scorer in T20 Blast history, has stepped down as Sussex’s T20 captain after seven seasons in the role.Sussex have been one of the leading T20 sides in the country under Wright’s leadership but have not managed to convert a strong win/loss record into a trophy, and lost to eventual champions Kent in last season’s semi-finals.They have lost several key players – most recently Chris Jordan and Phil Salt – in recent seasons, and Wright spoke out against the talent drain on the eve of Finals Day last year, saying: “It’s absolutely not impossible to keep your best players.””It’s something from the club’s point of view that we need to look at because we can’t be losing our best players all the time,” he added. “Our recruitment process has got to be really strong and it’s something that probably hasn’t been as good as it should be at this moment in time.”Sussex said in a statement that they were “naturally disappointed” that Wright had asked to step down as captain but that they “respect his decision after 104 T20 games in charge.”Related

• Sussex sign Pujara for English summer

• Rashid Khan returns to Sussex for 2022 Blast

• Rizwan signs Sussex contract for Championship, Blast

• Brown joins Sussex exodus after requesting early contract release

• Wright: 'We can't be losing our best players all the time'

“It has been a huge honour to captain Sussex, the club I love so much,” Wright said. “However, I feel it is the right time to step down. I will continue to give my all to help Sussex as I have over so many years.”Rob Andrew, their chief executive, said: “We respect Luke’s decision to step down as captain and we will work with him to move forward and focus on the future with his successor at the helm.”Luke has been a fantastic captain, leading the team to the knockout stages of the T20 Blast in five of his seven seasons as captain, including two Finals Day appearances in 2018 and 2021. The experience and knowledge he will be able to share with his successor will be invaluable.”Wright has been preparing for his career after cricket of late, completing a Masters of Sport Directorship at Manchester Metropolitan University this winter, but is under contract at Sussex until the end of the 2023 season.He was released by his Hundred team, Trent Rockets, after spending the inaugural season of the competition on the bench but is expected to be signed in April’s draft.Sussex have recruited a handful of new signings for this season’s Blast, with Rashid Khan due to be available throughout the group stages with Mohammad Rizwan and Josh Philippe splitting the second overseas spot. Steven Finn and Fynn Hudson-Prentice were also recruited at the end of last season.

England were given no chance at redemption with the ball after wet outfield and bad light combined to end the day’s play

Alex Malcolm08-Dec-2021The Ashes’ past have been defined by the first ball of the series at the Gabba. Think Michael Slater clattering Phil DeFreitas for four in 1994-95 or Steve Harmison bowling the first ball to second slip in 2006-07.The 2021-22 Ashes series may well be defined by Rory Burns being bowled around his legs first ball from Mitchell Starc as England collapsed to be all out for 147 at tea on the opening day of the first Test, with Australia captain Pat Cummins claiming 5 for 38 after Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat.Related

• England's Ashes horror shows in Brisbane

• Anderson sits out first Test with an eye on Adelaide pink-ball contest

A thunderstorm then washed out the early part of the final session to pour salt into a gaping wound, as England were given no chance at redemption with the ball. A wet outfield and bad light combined to end the day’s play.Root won’t be lambasted for life for the decision at the toss in the manner that Len Hutton and Nasser Hussain have in Ashes Tests of the past at the Gabba. Cummins admitted he might have batted too despite a distinct green tinge to the surface and some moisture both in the pitch and in the atmosphere.But he would have been regretting it after he joined Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss as England captains to make first-innings ducks in Ashes Tests at the Gabba. Root fell victim to a superb piece of bowling from Josh Hazlewood, who now has a stranglehold on the England skipper having claimed him eight times in Test cricket.He also may regret leaving both James Anderson and Stuart Broad out of the side for the first time in five years and the first time in an Ashes Test since 2006, as England’s top order capitulated on a surface that gave the bowlers plenty of assistance. But some played their own part in the procession of wickets that fell in the first hour after slumping to 26 for 4.Burns lost all bearings of where his stumps were stepping way outside off to expose leg stump to Starc who did shape the ball back down the line after it looked to be veering down leg. But Burns will rue the day as his error could be replayed for decades to come. He also claimed two regrettable records, becoming the second man in history to fall first ball of an Ashes series while registering his sixth duck of the calendar year, the most of any Test opener.Hazlewood then went to work testing the defence of England’s top order and they were found wanting. Dawid Malan nicked a ball he could have easily left alone on length handing Alex Carey his first Test catch, while Root wasn’t allowed to breathe for eight unwavering deliveries before one straightened off the seam to catch his outside edge.Joe Root fell to leave England three down inside half an hour•Getty Images

Ben Stokes entered at 3 for 11 needing to produce another Ashes miracle. He was undone after the drinks break by Cummins from around the wicket, squared up by a ball that climbed from a length and Marnus Labuschagne held a very sharp chance diving to his left at third slip.Haseeb Hameed fought impressively in the face of some outstanding fast bowling. Hameed and Ollie Pope steadied the ship momentarily prior to lunch to prevent any further loss. Hameed was obdurate in defence while Pope was busy, pushing balls into the off side with positive footwork and weight transfer to rotate the strike well.But neither could lay a glove on Hazlewood who bowled seven overs in the first session and conceded just three singles while collecting the scalps of Malan and Root.The lunch break did Hameed no favours as Cummins struck again. He went wide of the crease and angled into off stump forcing Hameed to play, a hint of seam movement away caught the edge and again it was well held at slip, this time by vice-captain Steven Smith.England’s only moment of joy for the day came with the arrival of Jos Buttler. Having pledged pre-series to play fearless cricket he followed through on his promise and counter-attacked in typical fashion. While England could barely defend Hazlewood before lunch, Buttler took the long handle to him launching him through and over the offside with control. Buttler and Pope’s positivity changed the atmosphere briefly as Australia turned Nathan Lyon for containment.The pair shared a 52-run stand and Pope passed 1000 Test runs in the process becoming the sixth-youngest English player to do so.But Starc returned and dismissed Buttler with a superb delivery that threatened to shape in but left him off the seam to catch the outside edge. Cameron Green then claimed his first Test wicket to raucous celebrations after going wicketless all last summer. Pope failed to control a hook shot and Hazlewood ran in from fine leg to complete an outstanding diving catch. It was the first of two for him in the deep as he took another to help Cummins complete his five-wicket haul. Cummins returned to take the last three wickets of the innings as England lost their last five for just 32 runs.Cummins became the first Australian captain to take a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test since Richie Benaud in 1962 and the first captain of either nation to do so since Bob Willis at the Gabba in 1982. It was a day he could not have dreamt up if he tried, as England added another chapter to their horror history at the Gabba.

With the Euros out of the way and another season of Premier League football on the horizon, will it be third time's the charm for Arsenal in 2024/25?

After two seasons of challenging Manchester City at the top of the table, Mikel Arteta and his squad of talented players must take that next step before they begin to lose momentum.

The best thing that Edu Gaspar and the club at large can do to help them in that endeavour is to bring in some quality additions in the transfer window.

Luckily for fans, that may well happen, as the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates has been compared to Leandro Trossard and would be the perfect rival for Bukayo Saka on the right – oh, and he's already played for the club before.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from German publication Bild, Arsenal are interested in Borussia Dortmund's Dutch attacker, Donyell Malen.

The report claims that the 25-year-old dynamo is considering his future and eyeing a challenge away from Germany, and in an interview from earlier this year, he opened the door for a return to N5, where he spent several years as a youth player before moving to PSV in 2017.

The good news for the Gunners is that this potential signing wouldn't cost them an arm and a leg, as the report has revealed that Dortmund are prepared to sell him for around £34m.

It wouldn't be a bargain, but given his performances last season, the comparisons to Trossard and the potential that he could offer Saka a real challenge on the right, £34m doesn't seem too bad.

Malen's comparison to Trossard and Saka

Now, before assessing how Malen stacks up against Saka and how effective he could be as a challenger to the incredible Englishman, let's look at this comparison to Trossard.

It stems from FBref, which compares every player in Europe's top five leagues based on their position and then creates a list of the ten most comparable for each player and, in this case, they have identified the Belgian as the most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Dortmund ace across those five competitions.

The easiest way to see this similarity is by looking at the underlying numbers where the pair rank quite closely, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, progressive carries and passes received, key passes, aerial duels won and shot-creating actions, all per 90.

That said, while the comparisons to the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace are now far clearer, how would the "sizzling" Dutchman, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, get on as a rival to the Gunners' Hale End superstar on the right?

Well, the first thing to say is that while he would likely be talked about as a rival for the Englishman, in reality, he'd probably end up becoming a backup, which, given the Ealing-born superstar's tally of 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 games last season is not a slight at all.

However, even as a de facto backup for the 22-year-old ace, the former PSV winger would still get plenty of game time across all the competitions Arsenal are set to play in next season.

Moreover, considering he scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 38 games last season, he'd be an incredible weapon off the bench for Arteta.

Ultimately, Malen proved that he was more than good enough to play for a top team last season, and while he would almost certainly remain behind Saka in the pecking order at the Emirates, he'd still end up getting a fair amount of game time as the Gunners look to attack on all fronts next season.

Moreover, if he's the player who can finally allow the North Londoners' number seven to get some genuine rest during the season, then his importance to the team would stem from more than what he can do on the pitch. Therefore, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring him to the club this summer.

Arsenal chasing £60m England star who's more exciting than Martinelli

The impressive international could make the Gunners even more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 16, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo has told his doubters that he “still feels the passion”, with the Portuguese continuing to silence those who said he was “finished”.

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• Moved to Middle East as a free agent
• Signed most lucrative contract in world football
• Remains determined to land more trophies

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese superstar has made a career out of proving detractors wrong, with history-making exploits suggesting that he should never be written off. Plenty have done that down the years – particularly when CR7 severed ties with Manchester United in 2022 and opted to head for the Middle East.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo faced accusations of moving to the Saudi Pro League purely for financial gain, as he works on the most lucrative contract in world football, but he sets the highest standards of himself and has registered 74 goals for Al-Nassr through 85 appearances.

• WHAT RONALDO SAID

  There is no sign of the evergreen frontman slowing down at 39 years of age, and he has said in a promotional video for the new documentary all about life in Saudi Arabian football: “I came here to win, to make the league better. I want to leave a legacy. That's what I want. They say I'm finished, that I'm only here for the money… I still feel the passion. They don't believe it, but I'm here to win.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo has won the Arab Champions Cup with Al-Nassr – scoring two goals in the final of their 2023 triumph over Al-Hilal – but is still waiting on the grandest of honours in the Middle East and will see his current contract expire next summer.

Europe's national teams learned their pathways towards qualifying for UEFA's 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup

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• Twelve groups drawn
• Playoffs will determine several Pot 1 spots
• Fifty-four teams were drawn

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  UEFA's 54 teams were drawn into 12 groups Friday with the aim of reaching the North America-hosted FIFA World Cup 2026.

  Several teams are still awaiting to be placed as a Pot 1 team in the respective group, with seeding to be determined by March’s UEFA Nations League (UNL) quarterfinals – including Italy, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, France, Croatia, Netherlands and Spain.

  A record 16 teams from UEFA (up from 13) are able to qualify due to FIFA's expanded format for the 2026 tournament.

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• FIFA
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The groups consist of four or five teams each, with winners qualifying directly for the World Cup. The remaining four spots will be decided in March 2026 via a 16-team UEFA playoff. The playoff field will include the 12 group-stage runners-up and four top-ranked UNL group winners not qualified via group stage or playoff runner-up slots.

  FIFA World Cup 26™: UEFA Preliminary Draw results
  

  Group A

  Winner Italy – Germany (UNL QF4)

  Slovakia

  Northern Ireland

  Luxembourg

  Group B

  Switzerland

  Sweden

  Slovenia

  Kosovo

  Group C

  Defeated team Denmark – Portugal (UNL QF3)

  Greece

  Scotland

  Belarus

  Group D

  Winner Croatia – France (UNL QF2)

  Ukraine

  Iceland

  Azerbaijan

  Group E

  Winner Netherlands – Spain (UNL QF1)

  Türkiye

  Georgia

  Bulgaria

  Group F

  Winner Denmark – Portugal (UNL QF3)

  Hungary

  Republic of Ireland

  Armenia

  Group G

  Defeated team Netherlands – Spain (UNL QF1)

  Poland

  Finland

  Lithuania

  Malta

  Group H

  Austria

  Romania

  Bosnia and Herzegovina

  Cyprus

  San Marino

  Group I

  Defeated team Italy – Germany (UNL QF4)

  Norway

  Israel

  Estonia

  Moldova

  Group J

  Belgium

  Wales

  North Macedonia

  Kazakhstan

  Liechtenstein

  Group K

  England

  Serbia

  Albania

  Latvia

  Andorra

  Group L

  Defeated team Croatia – France (UNL QF2)

  Czechia

  Montenegro

  Faroe Islands

  Gibraltar

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The March playoff match between Croatia and France, which will determine the fates of Group D and L, is a rematch of the 2018 World Cup Final — which France won 4-2.

• WHAT NEXT FOR UEFA?

  UEFA will kick off its Nations League quarterfinals in March 2025. Here are the match ups:

  Italy vs. Germany (Winner goes to Group A; Loser goes to Group I)

  Denmark vs. Portugal (Winner goes to Group F; Loser goes to Group C)

  Croatia vs. France (Winner goes to Group D; Loser goes to Group L)

  Netherlands vs. Spain (Winner goes to Group E; Loser goes to Group G)

Plays of the day from the IPL game between Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils in Pune

Siddhartha Talya19-May-2013The catch
Virender Sehwag isn’t the swiftest on the field, but has pulled off some really good catches in his career. The one that immediately comes to mind is catching Simon Katich at fine leg in Adelaide in 2004. Today, he was made to dive again and he did it well, stretching full length as he ran to snap one from Aaron Finch and plucked it inches from the ground at square leg.The innovation
It seems Raiphi Gomez has been taking lessons from AB de Villiers. Facing his first ball today, which incidentally was the last of the Pune Warriors innings, he reverse-paddled Siddarth Kaul to the third-man boundary, switching at the last moment to place the ball past the keeper. Everyone was caught unawares, chiefly the bowler who had a look of disbelief.The drop
David Warner has had a poor IPL by his standards, and he was tentative at the start of his innings today as well. In the second over of the chase, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a tempting delivery outside off that Warner edged as he tried to drive, only to be given a reprieve by Finch at slip. It was an excellent effort, though, as he dived full length to his right and almost caught hold of it with his right hand but it slipped through his fingers.The downfall
Mahela Jayawardene was well set and appeared to be anchoring Daredevils’ chase until he faced Ali Murtaza. First, he yorked himself to a full delivery from Murtuza and was fortunate not to be stumped as Robin Uthappa failed to collect. However, next ball, he chased a really wide delivery and sliced the easiest of catches to point, when he could have earned a wide had he let it be.The blow
Remember that game between India and Namibia in the 2003 World Cup, when Sachin Tendulkar smashed one back past the bowler, just to miss umpire Aleem Dar who was in the firing line? Umesh Yadav, however, thrashed one straight back at Simon Taufel today, in the final over of the game. It caught Taufel smack on the shoulder, but the umpire didn’t show any pain. He smiled at Umesh, who smiled back and held up his hand; tempers didn’t flare, though it has happened this tournament when batsmen have been at the receiving end of a wrong decision.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now keen on signing a “unique” player who has scored at Molineux for expected new manager Vitor Pereira, according to a new report.

Wolves set to announce Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have moved quickly in finding a new manager to replace Gary O’Neil, as they sacked the Englishman over the weekend after their 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town. Out-of-work managers such as David Moyes and Graham Potter were linked with the role before O’Neil was sacked, but the Premier League side have made Vitor Pereira their number one target.

It was reported earlier this week that Pereira had agreed a deal with Wolves to become their new manager. The Portuguese has agreed a one-and-a-half-year deal after agreeing to personal terms, and Wolves have agreed to an £800,000 compensation package with Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab.

As well as Andre: Pereira must instantly axe "promising" Wolves star

Vitor Pereira will want to leave his mark on the Wolverhampton Wanderers side.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 19, 2024

Al-Shabab have confirmed Pereira’s exit, and the 56-year-old took to social media on Wednesday to bid farewell to his former club. He wrote: “The time has come to say goodbye to Al Shabab; every day here has been a lesson. Every challenge, an opportunity to grow. Even though the passage was short, we achieved important goals and milestones, overcame obstacles, and created memories that will never fade.

“On behalf of myself and my coaching staff, I sincerely thank the players, the staff, the managers, and the fans, who have always supported us unconditionally. I take with me the pride of having been part of this club and the certainty that I gave everything, every day! Special thanks to the president for the friendship, respect, and gratitude he has always shown us throughout this journey.

“This is not only a farewell, but also a reflection on the importance of each step on our path. Now, it’s time to look to the future, always with gratitude for what the past has given me. Thank you, Al Shabab! I WISH the club much success for the rest of the season!”

Wolves now keen on signing "unique" player for Vitor Pereira

As Pereira’s announcement gets ever closer, according to The Sun, Wolves are eyeing up a move to sign Miguel Almiron on loan from Newcastle United in January. The Paraguay international will have been with the Magpies for six years in January, but his time at the club looks to be coming to an end.

Almiron, who was praised for his “unique” style last year by Eddie Howe, has fallen out of favour at St. James’ Park after being a key player under Howe last season. The 30-year-old has played just nine times across all competitions this season, and given Newcastle are keen to balance the books due to FFP rules, Almiron could be allowed to leave in the New Year.

This report states that the Premier League side are keen to offload Almiron in January, with a loan move looking the most likely outcome. Wolves are among the teams interested in signing the midfielder, as are Crystal Palace and Leicester City.

Almiron is looking to leave the North East, as he tries to rediscover the form he showed in the 2022/23 season, where he scored 11 goals in the Premier League. Wolves and Molineux are very familiar with Almiron, as it was there where the midfielder scored his second Premier League goal, in the 1-1 draw against the Midlands side during the 2019/20 campaign.

CEO Stuart Cain says security has been stepped up, with crowd behaviour also under scrutiny

Matt Roller15-Jun-2023Warwickshire have ramped up security levels to mitigate the threat of activists running onto the Edgbaston pitch and disrupting the first Ashes Test, and have also prepared a spare pitch that will be used in the event that the playing surface is damaged.Just Stop Oil, a coalition of environmental action groups, have disrupted a number of high-profile sporting events in the UK over the past 18 months including Premier League football matches, the final of rugby union’s Premiership and the World Snooker Championship.”Like most high-profile venues, the security’s already tight,” Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said. “We’ve had a severe terrorism threat for the last four or five years, so you do plan very rigorously to manage that. But obviously it brings another dimension on top with some of the things that have gone on.”The ground have introduced enhanced bag-checks and pat-downs on entry and are encouraging fans to arrive early in order to ensure that they are in the seats in time for the start of play on Friday morning.”If you rock up at 10.40am with a rucksack, hoping to get in at 10:45am for the anthems, you’re just not going to make it,” Cain said. “We’ve got protection like that and then we’ve got more protection around the ground and around the perimeter.”The ICC and Surrey also prepared a spare pitch for the World Test Championship final at The Oval last week, while MCC took measures to protect the Lord’s Test against Ireland, which eventually passed without incident despite England’s team bus being briefly delayed by a protest in central London on the first morning of the match.”It’s not unusual to have a spare wicket because who knows what might happen?” Cain said.”But it’s just become a bit more pronounced this year because of some of the concerns about what might happen with different kinds of protest groups. We’re ready on the perimeter, we’re ready in the ground, in the stands and around the rope. We hope that most people respect the fact that people just want to come and watch a great day of cricket and go home safely. “The vast majority of tickets for the first four days of the Test have sold out and both captains are expecting lively crowds. “The Hollies Stand there is pretty vocal, but it’s great,” Pat Cummins said. “It’s why playing and winning overseas is hard – because you’ve got hostile crowds who are pretty vocal in which team they’re supporting.”But Cain is responsible for ensuring that the crowd’s behaviour does not get out of hand – as it did during England’s victory against India last year, when some fans were racially abused. “There’s a lot we’ve done around promoting a safe and welcoming environment here,” he said.”I was really disappointed we had the issue, but I was really pleased with the response. We were able to pinpoint the two guys that were alleged to have caused the racist abuse, and then working with the police, they were both charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. I think really the best way to stamp some of that stuff out is real consequence.”You try to make sure that you have facilities that mean everyone feels safe and welcome here: things like prayer rooms, food offerings, alcohol-free areas. Making sure that if you are a group of girls coming to watch, you feel safe and there’s no sexism; if you are a couple of gay guys, you feel safe, there’s no homophobia.”It has become a lot more complicated now to stage games like this, but I do think that the atmosphere, the environment, the stadium and the day out that fans have is better as a consequence of that.”

Stats highlights from the first day’s play of the third Test between Australia and West Indies at the SCG

Bharath Seervi03-Jan-20165 Spinners who have taken 100 or more Test wickets in Australia. The latest addition to this list is Nathan Lyon, who took his 100th Test wicket in Australia when he dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite.32 Overs bowled by Lyon on the first day at the SCG – the most by a spinner on the first day of a Test in Australia since 2010. The previous best was Graeme Swann’s 29 overs on the first day of the Adelaide Test in 2010. Overall, there are only five instances when a spinner has bowled more overs than Lyon in a day’s play of a Test in Australia since 2010. Lyon himself had sent down 35 overs on the fifth day of the Adelaide Test against South Africa in 2012, the most on the list.6 Fifty-plus scores in away Tests for Kraigg Brathwaite, including his 85 in this innings. The knock is also his second fifty of the series: he had made 94 in the second innings of the Hobart Test. Brathwaite has made 844 runs at 32.46 in Tests outside the West Indies, two more than he has made at home. Overall, this was Brathwaite’s 12th fifty-plus scores in Tests. He has scored 1686 runs at 34.40 so far in the format.2006The last time Australia played with two frontline spinners in a Test at SCG – Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill against South Africa. The spin pair took only six wickets between them in that Test. Australia are playing this Test with Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe. Incidentally, spinners have averaged 47.78 at this venue in Tests since 2006, the second worst average among all venues that have hosted at least five Tests.65 Runs by Marlon Samuels in his last nine Test innings, including the 4 he scored in West Indies’ first innings in Sydney. The highest he has managed in these innings is 19. In his previous nine innings before the slump, he had accumulated 380 runs with a century and two fifties. This is also the longest he has gone in Tests without a fifty-plus score. Before this, he had an eight-innings streak – between April 2003 and November 2005 – when he did not score a single fifty. He was also run-out for the first time in 114 innings on Sunday.2013 The previous instance of West Indies scoring 100 runs before losing their second wicket in an away Test. A 91-run stand for the second wicket in this innings at SCG ensured that West Indies had scored 100 runs before they lost their second wicket. This innings was the first time in ten away Tests and 18 innings that they managed to put 100 runs on the board before losing their second wicket. The previous instance when they recorded this statistic in any Test came last year in the second innings in Grenada against England, 15 innings and eight Tests ago.3 Partnerships between 90 and 99 runs for West Indies in this series, including the 91-run stand between Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo in the first innings of this Test. Bravo has been part of all three stands. He had a 99-run partnership with Kemar Roach in Hobart and added 90 runs with Carlos Brathwaite in Melbourne. Only in two previous series, irrespective of number of matches, have West Indies had more partnerships in the nineties .

Hansi Flick's below par Blaugrana side needed an own goal to see off struggling Leganes and maintain their title charge.

Barcelona beat Leganes 1-0 away from home on Saturday, thanks to an own goal forced by Brazilian talisman Raphinha. With their lead at the top of La Liga sitting at four points before kick-off, Hansi Flick's side started brightly as Robert Lewandowski sent a warning shot towards the Leganes goal early on, though the forward fired clear of the crossbar.

The hosts threatened despite their limited possession. Wojciech Szczesny had to be alert to deny Adria Altimira, who had been set up by a wonderful run and cut-back from Dani Raba only to strike straight at the Polish veteran.

Leganes couldn't stop the visitors creating chances, however, and Barca so nearly went ahead when Jules Kounde's effort was deflected towards the near post, but Marko Dmitrovic batted it behind for a corner. Lamine Yamal had been kept relatively quiet but soon sprung into action, striking the side-netting after drifting in from the right wing. His fleet-footed approach was matched by the exciting Raba, who led Leganes well going forward, while the hosts also looked dangerous when they tested Barca with a direct approach through the middle.

Yan Diomande had a penalty appeal waved away before the break while Raphinha had to produce a last-ditch challenge to keep the game goalless. Barca were left knowing a more lethal second half would be required to beat a side in danger of relegation, and in the opening minutes of the second half, Flick's team finally found the breakthrough.

Barca nicked the ball and Raphinha was afforded too much space to pick out a cross. Lewandowski was waiting to tuck it home, but Jorge Saenz slid in and ended up poking the ball beyond his own goalkeeper. Any slip-up would have offered inspiration to second-placed Real Madrid, but the goal seemed to ease Barca's tension in possession and punctured Leganes' building confidence.

It should have been 2-0 when Fermin Lopez escaped a few challenges and was bearing down on goal, but the Spaniard contrived to pull his shot wide. There were still some hairy moments at the other end of the pitch, with Inigo Martinez surviving a penalty appeal for handball.

Raba then had the ball in the back of the net for Leganes with a bullet header, but he had wandered clearly offside and the goal was disallowed. Barca were able to keep Leganes at a distance to see out the win, taking their lead at the top of the La Liga table to seven points before Real face Alaves on Sunday.

GOAL rates Barca's players from Estadio Municipal de Butarque…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Wojciech Szczesny (7/10):

  Made himself big to prevent Leganes taking the lead early on.

  Jules Kounde (8/10):

  Had some dangerous moments going forward and was diligent at the back.

  Ronald Araujo (7/10):

  Won most of his duels before surprisingly coming off at half-time.

  Inigo Martinez (6/10):

  Not always comfortable in the first half but settled into the game as it wore on.

  Alejandro Balde (5/10):

  Offered good width on the left but had to be brought off shortly before half-time with an injury.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Eric Garcia (7/10):

  Snapped into tackles in midfield before dropping into defence, performing well in both positions.

  Pedri (7/10):

  Had some issues against a physical Leganes midfield but had more success in the second half.

  Fermin Lopez (5/10):

  Got into some dangerous positions but failed to make the most of them.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (5/10):

  Came alive in moments here and there but wasn't close to his electric best.

  Robert Lewandowski (4/10):

  Would have opened the scoring had Saenz not poked into his own net. Had a few half-chances but couldn't make the most of them and struggled to get into the game.

  Raphinha (8/10):

  Bright during the first 45 minutes and his teasing cross helped Barca finally open the scoring. Also produced a vital tackle to stop the hosts going ahead.

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  Subs & Manager

  Gerard Martin (6/10):

  Made a strong challenge which allowed Raphinha to create the opener.

  Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

  Helped Barca retain possession and keep Leganes at arm's length.

  Gavi (6/10):

  Added some industry as Barca looked to see the game out.

  Ferran Torres (5/10):

  Like Lewandowski, couldn't get too much going in the final third.

  Pau Cubarsi (N/A)

  Hansi Flick (6/10):

  His side spluttered throughout on Saturday night and they might have left with only a point had a few things gone the hosts' way. However, they saw it out and can look ahead to better days.