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Erling Haaland reportedly has an “escape route” out of Manchester City to Real Madrid, in a hugely concerning development for Pep Guardiola.

On current form, Haaland is arguably best player in the world, with the Norwegian in genuine unstoppable form so far this season, scoring 11 goals in just nine Premier League appearances.

He is a priceless figure for City, holding the key to Guardiola’s side’s title challenge, and at just 25, he is still such a young player, despite already achieving so much in his career.

Incredibly, Haaland is contracted at City until the summer of 2034, having committed his long-term future to the club, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a threat of losing him at some point.

Madrid have been linked with a move for the City superstar, with the Spanish giants so often eyeing up the best footballers on the planet, and now a worrying update has dropped regarding their pursuit of him.

Haaland has "escape route" out of Man City

According to journalist Jorge Picon [via Sport Witness], Haaland has an “escape route” to Madrid in a release clause at Manchester City, and is keen on making a move there.

It goes without saying that City losing Haaland would be the biggest blow imaginable, with the striker an irreplaceable figure who has been lauded as a “phenomenon” by Pat Nevin, with Guardiola saying he is in the form of his life back in September.

“Erling has been incredible. This season, he is better than ever. I would say it’s better than the treble season. Very dynamic. We want him to score goals and to help us.”

The lure of Madrid is great for so many players, and it is only natural that Haaland may like the idea of playing alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at the Santiago Bernabeu, but he appears to be loving life at City, and has committed his future to the club.

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Players in the modern game often don’t see out their contracts, so there will always be a risk of Haaland moving on, but it would be a shock if he suddenly stressed a desire to leave for Madrid so soon after signing such a long contract extension at the Etihad.

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Those of a Liverpool persuasion are no doubt braced for the imminent return to action, with Arne Slot’s struggling champions hosting Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

It’s been anything but plain sailing for the Reds this season, and with only three points gained from their past six outings in the top flight, title-defending aspirations have devolved into fears that the Reds will miss out on Champions League qualification for only the second time in a decade.

Last season was nearly flawless until Slot’s champions eased standards toward the final stretch, save for Forest’s shock win at Anfield early in the campaign.

Liverpool will need to be at their best to ensure Sean Dyche does not heap more misery on his side. Set-pieces and long balls have been among the cruxes of this issue-ridden campaign, after all.

And they will have to make do without the creativity of Florian Wirtz, who has been ruled out with a muscle injury sustained with Germany.

The latest on Florian Wirtz's fitness

Wirtz is ruled out this weekend, having checked in after international action with a muscular problem. Conor Bradley is also sidelined, and for a longer period than the 22-year-old. However, Alisson Becker could make his anticipated return from injury.

Wirtz has been at the epicentre of Liverpool’s struggles this season, routinely hounded for his tough integration period after completing a £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in July. The playmaker has yet to score across 16 matches in all competitions, and he has not registered an assist in the Premier League.

Though he struggled during the defeat at Manchester City two weeks ago, Wirtz has shown signs of progress in recent games, and his creativity will be sorely missed against a resilient Forest backline whose low block and resilience under pressure will prove a tough nut to crack at Anfield – last season bears testament to that.

While Cody Gakpo will fancy a return to the starting line-up in Wirtz’s stead, Slot may want to consider a more dynamic option for this one.

And Slot may have just the solution in Liverpool’s new version of Divock Origi.

Slot must unleash Liverpool's new Origi

Origi has achieved cult status at Liverpool. The Belgian striker only scored 41 goals across 175 appearances for the outfit, but his catalogue of big-game moments is something to behold.

His goal in the 2019 Champions League final over Tottenham Hotspur immortalised him on Merseyside.

Now, Liverpool find themselves enjoying the skill of a new version in Federico Chiesa, who has been unable to nail down a starting role in Slot’s team since completing a £12.5m transfer from Juventus in 2024.

Chiesa toiled through his first year in England, but he’s played a bigger role since the summer, having notched two goals and three assists across all competitions this season. He has played 12 times, yet only two of those appearances have come from the opening whistle.

In the words of reporter Lewis Oldham, “Chiesa has undoubtedly been a flop for Liverpool”, but he’s simultaneously emerged as a “Divock Origi regen” in that he is a rare trump card off the bench and a popular figure besides.

Because for all the hardship Chiesa has been through since joining Liverpool, he has enjoyed some big moments in red. It was the 28-year-old who bagged a consolation in the Carabao Cup final, and he ensured Slot’s side made it a winning start to the current campaign after restoring Liverpool’s lead over Bournemouth back in August.

Chiesa’s wizardry on the ball and natural striker’s instinct could see him slot right into Wirtz’s berth, playing off the left and drifting centrally to accommodate Liverpool’s tactical flow.

Given that the Italian has also won 55% of his ground duels and averaged 0.8 tackles per Premier League fixture this term in spite of not having started a game, he might even be an apt fit for the physical battle that comes with a clash against the Tricky Trees.

Liverpool cannot afford another slip-up at the moment and must secure three points against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Given that Chiesa has been among the most coherent and dangerous forwards in Liverpool’s squad, surely it is time he earns a rare starting role in the big league?

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Olympiacos pushed Real Madrid to the brink in a chaotic seven-goal Champions League thriller in Piraeus, but Kylian Mbappe’s four-goal performance proved decisive. Jose Luis Mendilibar praised his team’s fight, admitting Madrid “gave us a lifeline” late on, while offering a tactical breakdown of why Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are so devastating for Los Blancos.

• Mbappe hits four as Real Madrid edge Olympiacos

  Madrid survived a relentless Olympiacos comeback to win 4-3 in one of the Champions League’s most dramatic group-stage matches of the season. Their star striker Mbappe was the difference-maker, scoring all four goals as Los Blancos twice surrendered two-goal leads before hanging on in the final minutes in Piraeus.

  The hosts struck first through Chiquinho after a slick combination with Daniel Podence and Ayoub El Kaabi. Madrid initially struggled to gain control, but Mbappe flipped the game on its head with a devastating seven-minute hat-trick, scoring in the 22nd, 24th and 29th minutes. A brilliant ball over the top from Vinícius sparked the comeback, followed by a textbook header from Arda Guler’s cross, and then a composed finish from Eduardo Camavinga’s through ball.

  Olympiacos refused to fold. Mehdi Taremi and El Kaabi struck in the second half, dragging the Greek side back within touching distance and setting up a frenetic finale. But Madrid held firm for their first win in four games, with Mbappe becoming the first Real Madrid player ever to score four goals in a major European away match and extending his record for most away hat-tricks in Champions League history.

  After the final whistle, Olympiacos manager Mendilibar described the match as “crazy,” emphasising the emotional swings throughout the night.

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• AFP
  

  ‘Crazy’ match & ‘lifeline’ from Madrid – Mendi breaks down the thriller

  Speaking to after the game, Mendilibar gave an honest and detailed assessment of a match he believed could have gone either way. His first reaction summed up the unpredictability: "Crazy, it's true, so many things happened, too many. We started very well, they turned the game around in two minutes, they were close to making it 1-4 which would have killed us. They gave us a lifeline and we finished the match pinning Madrid back and creating chances to equalize."

  The Olympiacos boss insisted his players deserved credit for refusing to collapse despite being repeatedly punished by Madrid’s world-class attackers. He admitted the quality gap was visible in certain moments, saying: "Look, it seemed like we were dead and they scored goals on us very quickly with very little effort. That's when you realize you're up against the best players in the world and that there are differences with your own team."

  Even with Madrid threatening to run away with the result, Mendilibar maintained belief that his team could fight back. Asked about his satisfaction with the performance, he replied: "Anything could have happened. The result is what matters; we did what we could and we never gave up. That's the most important thing for us."

• Mendilibar’s tactical explanation

  Mendilibar went beyond simple praise when analysing the impact of Mbappe and Vinicius, offering a tactical breakdown of why Madrid’s two stars are so devastating in transition and so efficient in front of goal.

  When asked what makes the pair so dangerous, he explained: "There are two sides to it. The two up front have caused us a lot of problems, but also because they rest a lot when we have the ball and only eight of us try to defend and run. When they win the ball back, they're fresh to make runs behind the defense, and then, they convert almost every chance they get."

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  Madrid going strong in Champions League

  The result places Real Madrid in a strong position in the Champions League, they now sit fifth in the table and three points behind leaders Arsenal. With 22 goals already this season and nine in Europe, Mbappe continues to be the defining figure of Madrid’s campaign. Xabi Alonso’s side will look to build on this momentum as they chase qualification with matches against the group’s lower-ranked opponents still to come.

  For Olympiacos, the performance, despite the defeat, offers genuine encouragement. Mendilibar’s team fought back against one of Europe’s most powerful squads and created more than enough opportunities to take something from the match.

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