Real Madrid : Diomandé, Mbappé, Bellingham…attendus face à Schalke 04

Le Real Madrid s’apprête à boucler sa préparation estivale avec une dernière rencontre amicale contre Schalke 04, dimanche.

José Mourinho a communiqué son groupe pour ce rendez-vous, avec plusieurs joueurs récemment revenus de vacances après leur participation à la Coupe du monde 2026. orlando-books.blog

Yan Diomandé attire particulièrement l’attention. Recruté cet été au RB Leipzig pour un montant annoncé autour de 140 millions d’euros, l’attaquant ivoirien de 19 ans a été retenu pour cette dernière sortie de préparation. Il pourrait ainsi effectuer ses premiers pas avec le maillot madrilène.

Kylian Mbappé figure lui aussi dans la liste. Après avoir bénéficié d’une reprise décalée à la suite du Mondial, le Français a retrouvé le groupe et pourrait obtenir ses premières minutes de présaison. Son retour constitue une étape importante avant le début de la Liga.

Plusieurs autres internationaux sont également disponibles. Jude Bellingham et Thibaut Courtois ont rejoint l’effectif, tandis qu’Ibrahima Konaté et Marc Cucurella, eux aussi concernés par la Coupe du monde, sont convoqués.
Cette rencontre face à Schalke représente donc la dernière répétition du Real Madrid avant la reprise du championnat.

Une semaine plus tard, les Madrilènes débuteront leur campagne de Liga face à l’Espanyol Barcelone. Mourinho dispose ainsi d’une ultime occasion pour tester ses différentes options et trouver les derniers automatismes avant le début de la compétition officielle.

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Former players and fans hailed Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win in Australia on Sunday as the country’s biggest achievement in the five-day game, saying it could be a turning point for their cricketing ambitions.

Bangladesh sealed a historic nine-wicket thrashing inside four days in Darwin, marking their first ever Test victory on Australian soil and only second against their formidable opponents.

“This is, I think, the biggest achievement for Bangladesh cricket in Test matches,” former captain Akram Khan said.

“It was something we dreamed of but perhaps none of us expected Bangladesh to dominate and win like this.

“We are extremely happy and proud.”

Akram said the big win was built on a complete team performance rather than individual brilliance.

READ: Bangladesh make history with commanding Australia win

Fast bowler Hasan Mahmud laid the foundation with a career-best 6-55 as Australia were bowled out for 198 on the opening day.

Bangladesh then took charge through Tanzid Hasan’s maiden Test century, backed by important contributions from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Former spinner and national selector Abdur Razzak said the victory strengthened Bangladesh’s case for more Test opportunities against Australia.

This was just the seventh Test match between the teams.

“If you look at this Test and our position in the World Test Championship, there is no reason why we should not get more opportunities,” he said.

Razzak credited years of investment in domestic first-class cricket and Bangladesh’s Test programme for the team’s progress.

Former Bangladesh women’s captain Rumana Ahmed said the team’s emphatic all-round display made the win especially significant.

“Hasan Mahmud was back in the team after a long time and he did very well, taking six wickets in the first innings. That was a major factor,” she said.

“Tanzid’s hundred was historic for him as well. The batters took responsibility and scoring more than 400 in the first innings was extraordinary.”

The result was all the more remarkable because Bangladesh had been bowled out for just 54 by a Cricket Australia XI in a warm-up match days earlier.

ALSO: Klaasen leads Manchester’s Hundred title charge

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman congratulated the team on a video call with the players.

“We’re all eagerly waiting to welcome you home,” he said on social media.

Die-hard fans also savoured the win.

“As a cricket fan of Bangladesh we don’t get occasions to celebrate very often,” Sefat Hasan Sumaiya said.

“Winning against Australia in Australia seems surreal. It feels like a national festival.”

Another fan, Sahadat Ahmed Bhuiya, called it one of the defining victories in the nation’s cricket history.

“Winning a Test in Australia within four days is a huge achievement,” he said.

–AFP

Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

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Former Springbok centre and Stormers coach Robbie Fleck believes Manie Libbok should get the nod at flyhalf for Saturday’s opening Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks.

Speaking on the Boks Unpacked X The Verdict podcast with Hanyani Shimange and Jean de Villiers, Fleck and de Villiers gave their views on the backline Rassie Erasmus is likely to select for the Ellis Park clash.

They agreed that Damian Willemse should pip Aphelele Fassi for the No 15 jersey, while Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe were backed to start on the wings.

Fleck and de Villiers were also unanimous in their midfield selection, backing Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, with Grant Williams their preferred scrumhalf.

POLL: Pick your Bok 10 to face All Blacks

Fleck, who scored 10 tries in 31 Tests for the Springboks, then gave his verdict on the flyhalf battle.

“I agree with that backline, and I would go with Manie,” Fleck said.

Libbok wore the No 10 jersey in the Boks’ opening Nations Championship match against England, and made a substitute appearance against Wales.

Handré Pollard started at flyhalf against Scotland at Loftus, winning the Man of the Match award, and came off the bench against Argentina in Buenos Aires for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who made his return from injury.

Fleck also went a step further by predicting how he expects the four-Test series to unfold, backing the Springboks to head into the final clash in Baltimore with a 2-1 lead.

“I think it’s going to be 2-1… to the Springboks,” Fleck said.

ALSO: Sacha ‘all chips in if Boks want to win by 15’

Fleck expects the Boks to narrowly beat the All Blacks at Ellis Park but expects the New Zealanders to have a genuine opportunity to strike back in Cape Town.

“I do think that the All Blacks have got a chance here in Cape Town. They’ve got the support. They don’t fear Cape Town and they enjoy being here,” he said.

Fleck believes the Boks should then have the edge when the rivalry moves back to the Highveld.

“I think it’ll be tough for them to beat us up in the Highveld. So, that’s where I see it.”

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images

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The Springboks could learn a few things from the All Blacks’ match against the Bulls ahead of their first Test against New Zealand on Saturday, said Bulls coach Johan Ackermann.

The All Blacks beat the Bulls 50-19 (eight tries to three) in Pretoria on Saturday night.

It was New Zealand’s third warm-up in eight days, also beating the Stormers 38-21 in Cape Town and the Sharks 54-0 in Durban.

They face the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday, the Lions at the same venue next Tuesday, and then the Springboks three more times to round out the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

The All Blacks rotated extensively during the first three games against South Africa’s United Rugby Championship-playing teams, and even named a different captain in each game.

‘We made some strides’

While coach Dave Rennie said the Springboks would be three-, four-, or even fivefold stronger than these clubs, they could take confidence from the results.

Especially given that the Bulls match was played at altitude, as Ellis Park will be.

All Black captain on the night, Codie Taylor added the Springboks would ask “a lot more questions” in the set-piece and collisions. But “from where we started with the Stormers… I feel we made some strides as a forward pack.”

Bulls give feedback to Springboks regarding All Blacks

Ackermann said his side were under-prepared playing the game in the middle of the pre-season, and their defence was lacking.

However, he said the Springboks had the “best heads in the [rugby] world” and backed them to take note of a few things.

“The All Blacks had scoreboard luxury to try a few things from deep in their own half that I don’t think they will get away with against the Springboks,” the Bulls coach said.

“That’s the way they play sometimes. But they may find themselves in trouble with that.”

He added that the Springboks, who were far more match-fit than the Bulls, would see opportunities in keeping the ball in hand against the All Blacks.

“If we were a bit more patient with ball in hand tonight we could have finished a few more opportunities. I think the Boks will take that.”

Former Springbok, Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee said that despite the scoreline, the Bulls were grateful to have the “awesome opportunity” to play against the world’s second-best team.

They had also learned of a few areas to improve on: especially composure with ball in hand and a balance between running and kicking, as they have one week off and then return to train for the URC starting late September.

Former Springbok breakdown specialist Heinrich Brüssow believes Rassie Erasmus should throw Paul de Villiers into the deep end against the All Blacks.

The Stormers jackal has grabbed his opportunities at international level this season following injuries to Siya Kolisi and Kwagga Smith, with Brüssow convinced the 23-year-old has the skill set to become a major weapon for South Africa.

The former Bok openside believes the current laws have once again placed a premium on players who can disrupt opposition possession at the breakdown.

ALSO: Ackers backs patient Boks to punish All Blacks

“It’s very nice to see that there is someone again who specifically focuses so completely on the loose balls,” Brüssow told Rapport.

Brüssow says De Villiers offers more than just his breakdown work.

“He is also a good ball carrier. He is fast. His support play is good,” he said.

“It will be very nice to see him against the All Blacks. It is the right time to unleash him. He has already shown us what he can do. His mindset is right.”

MORE: All Blacks legend laments death of breakdown bandit

Brüssow believes the Greatest Rivalry series could provide the ideal testing ground for De Villiers, and he sees a much bigger prize on the horizon.

“If you give the youngster enough Tests and as many Tests as possible against the All Blacks with next year in mind, we could go to the World Cup with perhaps one of the best ball thieves in the world,” he said. “He really has a high ceiling.”

FULL STORY

Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images

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