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      Man Utd ‘agreed £135m Ansu Fati transfer’ in summer before Barcelona pulled plug and added £360m release fee to contract

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      MANCHESTER UNITED reportedly had an agreement in principle to secure the signing of La Liga wonderkid Ansu Fati in the summer. 
      But Spanish outlet Sport claim the Old Trafford giants saw their hopes of a sensational £133million move dashed after Barcelona put the brakes on transfer talks.

      Man United reportedly has an agreement in principle to sign Barcelona ace Ansu FatiCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And the former La Liga champs, who face Atletico Madrid on Saturday, have added a whopping £357million release clause to the youngster’s contract which runs until 2022. 
      Fati, 18,  has been making waves in Spain’s top-flight after netting his first goal as a professional footballer at 16, becoming Barcelona’s youngest ever scorer. 
      And the Golden Boy nominee, regarded as a potential heir to Lionel Messi, has already netted four goals in seven LaLiga appearances this term. 
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Man United had reportedly been eager to boost their attacking options on their right-wing after missing out on top summer target Jadon Sancho. 
      And it has been reported a £133million megabucks deal for Fati – who scored seven times in La Liga last term – had been arranged with his agent, Jorge Mendes.
      However, Sport claim Barcelona rebuffed Mendes’ proposal and the eye-watering fee, with Fati regarded as a key part of boss Ronald Koeman’s future plans. 
      And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s club, who play West Brom, went on to secure deals for teenage wingers Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo instead.

      Fati, 18, has been wowing La Liga with his performances for Barcelona Credit: Reuters

      2020 Golden Boy nominee Fati is seen a possible heir to Lionel Messi Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Fati became the youngest Champions League scorer in the competition’s history after scoring the winner during his side’s match against Inter Milan last December.
      And the Nou Camp whizkid started this season in impressive fashion, scoring five times and providing four assists for Barcelona across all competitions. 
      However, the teenager is facing four months out of action after suffering a cartilage injury during his side’s 5-2 win against Real Betis in October.

      FIFA 21 guesses that Barcelona’s Ansu Fati will win the Ballon d’Or in 2034 More

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      Villarreal 1 Real Madrid 1 LIVE REACTION: Early Los Blancos lead cancelled out by late penalty – latest updates

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      REAL MADRID blew the chance to head to second in the La Liga table after Villareal notched a late penalty to cancel out Mariano’s early goal.
      Zidane’s side controlled the game for large stages of the game but lacked that killer instinct in the final third.
      Score: Villareal 1-1 Real Madrid
      Villareal XI: Asenjo, Gasper, Albiol, Pau, Pedraza, Parejo, Trigueros, Iborra, Moreno, Bacca, Gomez.
      Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Mendy, Kroos, Modric, Odegaard, Lucas, Hazard, Mariano.

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

      THAT’S ALL FOR NOW
      Make sure you join us from 6.30pm when Atletico Madrid take on Barcelona at the Metropolitano Stadium.
      Atletico remain the only team in LaLiga not to lose a game this season!
      THE LA LIGA ACTION CONTINUES!

      DEFENSIVE DISCIPLINE
      Four penalties conceded in TWO games?! Absolutely bonkers.

      MISSING MAN
      Eden Hazard is still trying to find his feet at Real Madrid.

      LEADING FROM THE FRONT
      Mariano put Madrid ahead in under two minutes!

      TABLE CHECK
      Both teams stay where they started off, the point was vital for Villarreal putting them one adrift of league leaders Real Sociedad.
      Madrid remain fourth.

      FULL-TIME STATS
      Villarreal fought back hard in the second half and registered ten more shots to the three they registered in the first half!
      However, they only managed to get one of the 13 on target and it was Moreno’s spot-kick.
      Madrid maintained their hold on the majority of possession, they had 53 per cent of the ball compared to Villarreal’s 47.
      The hosts also managed to peg Madrid back in the amount of successful passes made – Villarreal completed 506 passes compared to Madrid’s 582.

      FT: VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      What a game of football!
      Villarreal showed why they’re up near the top of the table, they fought back hard in the second half to earn a point and stop Madrid from leapfrogging them in the table.
      It was Chukwueze’s tenacious play which drew the foul from Courtois earning the spot kick, which Moreno tucked into the bottom left corner.
      Neither side could find a winner.

      PEEEEEEP!
      THAT’S FULL-TIME!

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      90+3. Kroos concedes a free-kick bringing Moreno down on the right-hand side earning himself a booking.
      Parejo is the man tasked with delivering the free-kick,
      He whips the ball in towards the near post, Mendy beat Chukwueze to the ball heading the ball out of play.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      90+1. Moreno is played down the line, all he has to do is beat Varane.
      He shifts the ball onto his right foot then back to his left as he tries to wrong foot the centre-back.
      Moreno buys enough time for Kubo to get up in support and he slips the youngster in on goal one-on-one with Courtois.
      Kubo gets caught in two minds and he tries to pick out the far corner but Courtois made himself big enough to block the shot.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      90. Three additional minutes to be played at the end of the second half.

      TIDY FINISH
      Main man Moreno picked out the bottom left corner to get his side back on level terms.

      Credit: Getty Images

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      87. Gasper’s night comes to an end, he’s picked up a slight knock forcing the change. He’s replaced by Pena.
      Gomez’s night has also ran its course, Kubo is coming on against his parent club.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      86. Mendy picks out Asensio down the left-hand side, the newly introduced winger gets to the by-line and plays a wonderfully inviting cross into the six yard box but no-one was there to steer it home.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      86. One last roll of the dice for Zidane as he brings on Asensio for Mariano.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      84. Parejo drills a pass in behind Carvajal for Gomez to chase onto.
      Gomez chops the ball back beating both Carvajal and Varane, he then spreads play wide to the right where Chukwueze was waiting.
      The Nigerian cuts inside and tries to dance his way into some space inside the Madrid penalty area but Kroos manages to break up play.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      84. Villarreal are ending the very strong.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      82. Gomez feeds the ball to Chukwueze, the attacker manages to turn and play it to Moreno who found room between the two centre-backs.
      Moreno decides to take the ball wide to the left side of the penalty area, just as he tries to pull the trigger Varane sticks a leg out to block the effort.

      PINPOINT
      Moreno picked out the bottom corner effortlessly.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      78. Madrid have Villarreal pinned back inside their own half.
      Modric sprays play wide to the left, Vinicius engages with Chukwueze in a foot-race to the by-line and the Brazilian wins.
      He hangs a cross up at the far post but no-one is there to get on the end of it.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      77. Vinicius tries to beat Gasper down the left-hand side, he manages to get to the by-line and knock the ball off the defender and behind for a corner.

      VILLARREAL 1-1 REAL MADRID
      75. Moreno steps up and side-foots the ball into the bottom left corner. Game on!
      Courtois is furious with himself, he got a slight touch on the ball.

      GOOOOOOAAAAALLL!!!
      MORENO PICKS OUT THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER!!!
      TIDY FINISH!!!

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      PENALTY!
      74. Pina threads a pass in behind the Madrid backline, Chukwueze beats Varane to the ball and knocks it past Courtois inviting the tackle!
      The referee didn’t hesitate. Moreno to take.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      73. It’s end-to-end stuff at the moment.

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      Villareal vs Real Madrid LIVE: Stream, TV channel, score and teams as Mariano puts Los Blancos ahead – latest updates

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      REAL MADRID have endured an inconsistent start to the season but it gets more tough today as they take on La Liga’s second-placed side Villareal.
      Zinedine Zidane’s team can go above their opponents and into second place today with a win – but the home side are undefeated in their last five.
      Start time: 3.15pm GMT
      TV/Live stream: Premier Sports 1
      Villareal XI: Asenjo, Gasper, Albiol, Pau, Pedraza, Parejo, Trigueros, Iborra, Moreno, Bacca, Gomez.
      Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Mendy, Kroos, Modric, Odegaard, Lucas, Hazard, Mariano.

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

      HALF-TIME STATS
      Six shots between the two sides inside the first half (Villarreal 3, Madrid 3), However, it was Madrid who made one of them count.
      Madrid had 54 per cent of the ball compared to Villarreal’s 46 per cent.
      Plenty of passes from both teams, Villarreal completed 89 per cent of their passes attempted (279) and Madrid completed 90 per cent of their passes attempted (324).
      As it stands, Madrid leapfrog Villarreal in the table pushing the hosts down to third in the table.

      HT: VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      It was a brilliant start by Madrid, they found themselves 1-0 up inside two minutes through Mariano.
      Carvajal brought the ball down on the right side of the penalty area and picked out an unmarked Mariano inside the box and the striker made no mistake with the finish.
      Madrid continued to dictate play for the rest of the half and the midfield three of Kroos, Modric and Odegaard were left to roam free inside the opposition half.
      The home side have plenty of work to do in the second half.

      PEEEEEEP!
      THAT’S HALF-TIME!

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      45. Gasper drives down the line, he drills the ball into the feet of Bacca on the edge of the Madrid penalty area.
      Bacca plays the ball into Moreno but the ball deflects back to Gasper.
      The right-back floats a ball towards the edge of the six yard box box Varane heads the danger clear.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      44. Hazard showcases his close ball control out wide on the left, he draws Gasper in and knocks the ball past him before passing it back to Modric.
      Not long left in the first half.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      42. Mendy touches the ball down on the halfway line, he plays a floated pass over the top of the Villarreal backline for Hazard to chase.
      Hazard brings the ball down well but the linesman raises his flag for offside.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      41. Carvajal receives the ball at a tight angle deep inside his own half, he tries to turn out wide and play the ball down the line to Lucas but Gomez gets a foot on the ball deflecting it off the pitch for a throw.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      40. Villarreal are passing the ball across the backline maintaining possession but the problem is that they’re failing to find pockets of space inside the final third.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      38. Not long left in the first half, Madrid are still in the driving seat.
      Modric and Kroos continue to dominate the game from the midfield unopposed.

      DRESS TO IMPRESS
      Zidane is dressed up smart on the sideline, as always!

      Credit: Getty Images

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      35. Moreno receives the ball deep inside his own half, he senses Mendy coming in strong from behind so he holds the ball up drawing the foul. Good striker play!

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      OFF THE POST!
      34. Mariano skips past Gasper on the left-hand side and plays the ball into the feet of Hazard on the edge of the penalty area.
      Hazard cuts back onto his left foot and gets a shot off which deflects into the path of Mariano inside the penalty area.
      The goal-scorer sets himself and sends his shot crashing off the near post!

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      33. Moreno tries to bring the ball down 35 yards from goal, Kroos comes in from the side with his studs up and the referee hands Villarreal a free-kick.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      30. Kroos and Modric are dictating the game from the midfield, Villarreal are sitting off Madrid’s two key men allowing them to pass the ball from left to right.
      Odegaard picks out Kroos on the edge of the D on the halfway line, he gets his head up and floats a ball over the top of the Villarreal backline.
      The onrushing Carvajal brings the ball down well and drives towards goal, he takes one touch too many and just as he gets the shot off Pedraza was back in time to give him a slight knock to put him off.
      The shot crashes into the side netting and it’s a goal kick.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      28. Lucas receives the ball out wide on the right, he knocks the ball past Pedraza and draws a foul.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      27. Pedraza receives a pass out wide, he drives down the line and sticks a cross in towards the six yard box but Courtois gathers comfortably.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      27. Villarreal’s match tempo is too slow, if they want to catch Madrid out they need to move the ball quicker and tire their opponents out.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      25. Pau plays a sharp pass into the feet of Moreno, Modric comes up behind the Villarreal man to put him under pressure.
      Modric attempts to stick a foot in around Moreno’s leg but ends up conceding a free-kick inside the opposition half.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      24. Pau is stepping into the midfield from defence to try and help out the men in the middle.
      Moreno plays a ball over the top of the Madrid backline for Pedraza to chase, the left-back brings the ball down well, twists past Carvajal and looks to float a cross into the box.
      His cross hangs up on the penalty spot for Bacca, the striker meets the ball but it deflects off Nacho and behind for a corner.

      QUICK START
      Mariano met Carvajal’s cross to head Madrid in front and it only took two minutes!
      There was protest from the Villarreal players as the linesman had his flag up AND Lucas appeared to be offside in the build-up.
      VAR checked it and the goal stood.

      Credit: Getty Images

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      JUST OVER!
      20. Moreno cuts inside off the right flank and floats a cross into the penalty area, Parejo rises highest and guides his header JUST over the crossbar!
      Lovely build-up play.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      18.Nacho breaks up play inside the Villarreal half, he lays it off to Kroos who tries to pick out Mendy but he’s unsuccessful.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      16. Trigueros dances past two players and plays a lovely back heel flick to Moreno who slips Bacca through down the line.
      The Colombian is stood up by Varane, he tries to twist and turn into space and when he finally finds room to stick a cross in Varane sticks his leg out conceding a corner.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      15. Villarreal are starting to get a foot in the game, they’re starting to win the first and second balls – slowly building up attacks.

      VILLARREAL 0-1 REAL MADRID
      14. Pedraza intercepts the loose ball deep inside the Madrid half and he drives towards goal looking to get Villarreal up the pitch.
      He tries to cut inside of Varane but the Frenchman stands tall.

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      Barcelona boss Koeman angrily shuts down reporters after being asked if Lionel Messi will quit amid miserable year

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      BARCELONA boss Ronald Koeman has frustratedly shut down all questioning over Lionel Messi’s future.
      The Argentine could leave the Nou Camp next summer when his contract comes to an end.

      Koeman, 57, has sought to shut down Messi exit talkCredit: Reuters

      Messi, 33, wanted to quit last summer, after growing tired of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s tenure as club president.
      A move failed to materialise, after it became apparent that Barca’s iconic No10 would have to take his boyhood club to court.
      But speculation around his future remains rife.
      SunSport revealed this week that Manchester City are willing to try and sign Messi in January.

      But when asked about whether his star man will leave, Koeman, 57, looked to shut things down.
      He said: “No, and I won’t say any more about this.”
      And when later pushed more, he reiterated: “I won’t take any more questions on this.”
      City boss Pep Guardiola, who signed a new deal this week, has elaborate more on his thoughts over Messi’s future.

      Pep Guardiola has spoken out on Lionel Messi’s futureCredit: Reuters

      He said: “He’s a player for Barca, and if you ask my opinion, I have a huge gratitude for what Barca has done for me, as a player, manager.
      “They gave me everything so what I want is for him to finish his career there.
      “I’ve said maybe a thousand times as a Barca fan. That’s what I would like.
      “But he’s a year to finish and I don’t know what happens in his mind.
      “He’s a Barca player and the transfer market is in July. We have targets to achieve and this is all we have in our minds.
      “The rest I cannot say anything else as always.”

      Pep Guardiola admits Lionel Messi’s future is up in the air as Man City plan transfer bid for unsettled Barcelona star More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo looking to ‘rebuild bridges with Real Madrid’ ahead of shock transfer return despite Man Utd links

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is reportedly keen to rebuild bridges with Real Madrid ahead of a shock return to the Bernabeu.
      The 35-year-old scored 450 goals in 438 matches for the Spanish giants between 2009 and 2018.

      Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from Juventus Credit: Rex Features

      Ronaldo left Zinedine Zidane’s side to join Juventus for £99million in July 2018.
      Marca claim the Portuguese star is already contemplating a move back to Madrid.
      He has allegedly reached out to his former club in a bid to make his interest known.
      The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will have to rebuild his relationships at the club.

      He cut off contact with the LaLiga side completely following his move to Italy.
      Ronaldo only remained in regular contact with close pal Marcelo.
      Juventus are reportedly considering selling their highest-paid player.
      Ronaldo has helped them to win two consecutive Serie A goals and scored 71 goals for the club.

      But the Italians could be forced to get his £540,000-per-week salary off the books.
      Manchester United are also said to be interested in bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have reportedly made a ‘formal offer’ to re-sign the superstar.

      Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid’s record scorer with 450 goalsCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo shred on the guitar in Christmas-themed advert for Portugese telecom company MEO More

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      Watch ripped Sergio Ramos crush weights and hit spin bike in just his pants in mad training session days after injury

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      SERGIO RAMOS eased injury concerns as he stripped down to his pants for an intense workout.
      The veteran defender limped off the pitch during Spain’s 6-0 win over Germany on Tuesday.

      Sergio Ramos showed off his ripped physique as he worked out in the gymCredit: Instagram / @sergioramos

      The defender shared clips of his workout with his Instagram followersCredit: Instagram / @sergioramos

      Spanish star Ramos injured his hamstring after he played a long ball up the pitch.
      Real Madrid were left sweating over the fitness of their captain ahead of their upcoming games against Villarreal and Inter Milan.
      But the 34-year-old was back in Real Madrid’s Valdebebas gym by Friday afternoon.
      Ramos shared some clips of his workout with his 41.8 million followers on Instagram.

      He simply added the caption: “Work for it.”
      He did some resistance band work and a set of hip thrusts in front of the mirror.
      The tattooed defender then whipped his kit off and hopped on the bike.
      Despite looking fighting fit, Ramos is reportedly set to miss three games for Madrid.

      Sergio Ramos did some hip thrusts in front of the mirror at the gymCredit: Instagram / @sergioramos

      The defender injured his hamstring during the midweek win over Germany Credit: Instagram / @sergioramos

      A club statement read: “After the tests carried out today on our player Sergio Ramos by the Real Madrid Medical services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his right leg.”
      Spain coach Luis Enrique gave an update on Ramos’ injury after the Nations League match.
      He said: “The injuries are minor and I hope they are out for a short time.
      “It is what I feel most, because I have been a club coach and I put myself in their place.”

      Sergio Ramos shows off his incredible core strength despite his injuryCredit: Instagram / @sergioramos

      Sergio Ramos laughs with team mates as he scores an amazing unrepeatable goal More

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      Villarreal vs Real Madrid: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time, team news for La Liga clash

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      REAL MADRID are back in La Liga action this weekend following the international break.
      And up next for fourth-placed Real – who lost 4-1 to Valencia in their last match – is a trip to Villarreal.

      Sergio Ramos is a doubt for Real Madrid against VillarrealCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      When is Villarreal vs Real Madrid?
      Villarreal vs Real Madrid takes place on Saturday, November 21.
      The match kicks off at 3.15pm GMT.
      Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica plays host.
      What TV channel and live stream is Villarreal vs Real Madrid on?
      Villarreal vs Real Madrid will be broadcast live on La Liga TV.
      LaLiga TV is available via Premier Sports and can be watched online or on TV set top boxes for subscribers.
      Prices start at £5.99 just for La Liga TV or £9.99 including all Premier Sports channels.

      What is the team news?

      Real Madrid were given a scare this week after defender Sergio Ramos limped off during Spain’s Nations League clash with Germany.
      Spain boss Luis Enrique played down the injury, saying: “We don’t believe the injuries are too serious or important.
      “But it’s still an unpleasant moment for everyone. I feel bad for their clubs but this is how it is.”
      What have they said?
      Boss Zinedine Zidane, after Real’s 4-1 home defeat by Valencia just before the international break, said: “There’s no excuse for how we defended.

      “After the first goal our heads dropped and our problems kept building. Right now we are not defending as well as we used to.
      “I don’t think Valencia were better than us tactically today but I’m the one who needs to find solutions.” More

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      Juventus ‘to extend Alvaro Morata loan transfer by another year rather than splash out £40m fee on Atletico Madrid star’

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      JUVENTUS are tipped to renew scoring sensation Alvaro Morato’s loan next season rather than pay Atletico Madrid’s £40million asking price.
      The Spain striker already has six goals from eight games this season but Juve’s finances have been rocked by the coronavirus pandemic.

      Serie A champions Juventus are expected to be cautious over Alvaro Morata and renew his loan for next season rather than buy him in the summerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Juve boss Andrea Pirlo is thought to have been highly impressed by Alvaro Morata, who has hit six goals in eight games this termCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Now Goal.com suggest the Italian champions will try to eke out more value by exercising their right to borrow the 28-year-old another year – before attempting to buy him for a reduced fee.
      Morata arrived for his second spell at Juve in September, following stints at Real Madrid, twice, and Chelsea.
      And the 28-cap targetman is arguably enjoying his best early-season form ever.

      He notched 27 goals and 18 assists in 93 games during his first spell with the Old Lady from 2014-16.

      But this time he is equal-top scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo, while Argentina frontman Paulo Dybala plays a fringe role on just one goal this term.
      It is thought Juve will bid to keep Morata until the end of 2021-22 and then haggle over Atletico’s £40m valuation.
      The Madrid-born ace has more than hinted he would be keen to stay.
      Earlier this month Morata said he felt “wanted and loved” at Juve after struggling to rediscover the peak levels of his original spell at the Allianz Stadium.

      And he is also reaping the rewards at international level.

      He headed the opener in Tuesday’s 6-0 Nations League win over Germany.
      Manchester City winger Ferran Torres then bagged his first-ever hat-trick. 
      But Morata now has the enviable record of 18 goals in 38 games for Spain.

      Paulo Dybala shows his ball control in a game of ping pong football More