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Rayo Vallecano are finally in a position to dream of La Liga survival. Photograph: Javier Etxezarreta/EPA In the middle of Rayo Vallecano's dark days, when they'd been beaten 15 times in 20 games and the goals were flying in; when they'd let in five from Atlético Madrid, five from Málaga, five from Villarreal, four from Espanyol, four from Sevilla, four from Barcelona, three from Madrid, three from Osasuna, and three from Valladolid; when they plummeted to 19th and stayed there for 11 long weeks; when the only reason they didn't fall further was that Betis were even worse; when even a glimmer of hope, a 4-1 win over Málaga, immediately gave way to a six-goal hammering; and when relegation wasn't an "if" but a "when"; there was a phrase that got repeated over and over: Paco Jémez will die with his ideas. Paco Jémez, though, had other ideas. Not because Rayo's coach was going to back down on his principles - "any club that signs me knows what it's getting," he insisted - but because he didn't have any intention of dying at all. Even when Rayo were a disaster, Jémez had his defenders. Off the pitch, that is. Last season, only two teams in Europe had the ball more than Rayo did: Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Early this season, when Rayo played Barcelona, they had more possession than them, the first team to manage it in 316 games. They threw men into attack, they were fun to watch, and parading the touchline in a dizzying array of multicoloured elbow patches and waistcoats, pink shirts and purple ties, Jémez urged them forward, always. In a country that values the aesthetic, or in which some do, he was eulogised for the way his teams played de tú a tú: as equals. Rayo didn't simply defend - sometimes they didn't defend at all - but instead they went for it. And, mostly, they lost. Rayo took the ball off Barcelona and Jémez declared himself "very proud". But they were beaten 4-0. They went to the Camp Nou where they were praised by Barcelona's

A week ago (as I write this) Manchester United looked imperious and unassailable at the top of the Premier League. Two straight defeats and the story is quite different. While they still hold a lead in the Premier League, a Liverpool win tomorrow would cut that back to one point. The real story is not arithmetical, however, but psychological. Liverpool, on the back of convincing wins against Man United and Real Madrid, will take fresh confidence from their rivals' defeat at Fulham today, and revitalise their belief that they can still win the title. Chelsea, having lost to Tottenham today, failed to capitalise on their opportunity to close the gap.

Captain MS Dhoni in the post-match press conference and post-match presentation ceremony blamed himself for the defeat.

Ranji Trophy 2022 final: Madhya Pradesh creates history, captures maiden title by defeating 41-time champs Mumbai by six wickets Madhya Pradesh made history by winning their first Ranji Trophy championship, defeating Mumbai in the finals by six wickets on Sunday at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This victory is significant for Madhya Pradesh, as it is their first Ranji trophy. The triumph is even more noteworthy because they overcame 41-time champions Mumbai, who were the favorites going into the finals.

In 2013 is one of the midas year of Indian ODI's and T20 captain MS Dhoni when every decision taken by him is going to team favor. One of them is defeat to top in list Australia bowled out only 65.

In 2013 is one of the midas year of Indian ODI's and T20 captain MS Dhoni when every decision taken by him is going to team favor. One of them is defeat to top in list Australia bowled out only 65.

To live the dream of clinching the Australian Open title, the duo partners hailing from India and Romania namely Sania Mirza and Horia Tecau hasted to semis of Australian Open championship while defeating the rivals Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Julia Georges in Melbourne on Thursday. Just 63 minutes long battle quarterfinals held in tennis court came to an end with a swirl of smile on the faces of Indian as well as Romanian fans as the six seeded Sania and Tecau couple marked an edge over unseeded Aisam And Julia pair with 6-3, 6-4.

Despite facing a shameful defeat in test series against New Zealand, India's position among the world Test playing nations is marked as 2nd as per ICC Test team rankings. Just a day was passed when this bulletin was out.

The nerves are filled with thrills since Pakistan U19 cricket squad had slammed a magnificent 145-run win over Papua New Guinea (PNG). On the other side, Asian country Afghanistan also spread stun and surprise by the registering joyous victory defeating the three time defending world champ Australia by 36-run in ICC U19 Cricket World Cup on Monday held in UAE.

India's defeat in finals of ICC World T20 came as a big disappointment for Indian Cricket team and soon after the Sri Lankan team clinched the title, stones were pelted over Yuvraj Singh's Chandigarh house in Manimajra.

The Undertaker's twilight has been an interesting one, mainly because of Brock Lesnar. It was Lesnar's victory at WrestleMania XXX that changed Undertaker's streak from a sure thing that fans took for granted to a dark cloud that follows him into the ring. In the previously unfathomable post-Streak era, every time Undertaker competes, there's a legitimate question as to whether we're seeing him for the last time.

India expanded its rule over Pakistan when it defeated the rival squad by 7 wickets in the World Twenty20 on Friday. According to the previous records, India has beaten Pakistan 3 times in last World Twenty20s and 5 times in World Cup.

Pakistan is one team which has all the ability to defeat the strongest team on any turf at ICC World Cup but over the years Pakistan has always faltered with its consistency. Pakistan is the Group B of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and the first schedule match that they play in the World Cup is against India on Sun Feb 14 2015 . Pakistan has never won a match against India in the ICC World Cup of any format.

After suffering embarrassing defeats within the four matches, Indian team are eager to avoid a whitewash after they battle a tyrannous Australia within the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) at Sydneh on Sunday.

England and Spain locked horns, on Saturday night, in a UEFA Nations League fixture where Southgate's men were defeated by Spain. More than the match Harry Kane's comment about Ramos and Salah has drawn attention. Kane defended Ramos for Salah's injury on the eventful night of Champions League final

India will enter the final as favorites when they clash against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2018. India defeated the Tigers earlier in the tourney Notably, India had also beaten Bangladesh in the 2016 edition of the Asia Cup to clinch the trophy. The final will see some key battles. Here's a look.

India are all set to take on the West Indies in the first Test, starting today. Recently, West Indian team defeated Bangladesh 2-0. With time, the Caribbean nation has fallen down the pecking order. But there have been some memorable ties in the past between these two nations.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going". Delhi after 8 games in the IPL have registered only 2 wins and are at the bottom of the table. DD find themselves in a flimsy state where one defeat can eliminate them. They now need to win at least 5 games of the remaining six, more convenient would be six wins in six. But considering their form, winning every game hereafter is an impossible task. However, they've got to hold their chin up, trust their players and do the basics right. DD vs RR will be an intense bout also because it's that part of the tournament where run-rates also will hold significance.

"Sometimes you have to put your hands up and applaud the best". Chennai Super Kings have been in brilliant form this season. After two years of exile from the IPL, this is how they respond. Out of the 8 games played, they've won 6 and lost 2. Defeats against KXIP and MI weren't bad performances either. Chennai have made it to the playoffs in every season they've played the IPL and this season looks no different. CSK lead the league table with 12 points and a positive 0.553 run-rate. How far can they go? CSk vs KKR is bound to be yet another cracker of a game.

After defeat in 2 Test Matches With New Zealand, India still maintaining the first spot with 360 Points in ICC World Test Championship. Find the all updates about ICC World Test championship, Visit us at Stumpsandbails.com

Rafael Nadal is struggling with his fitness, as he continues to participate in the ATP Finals, in London. However, he suffered a shocker, as he was defeated by Alexander Zverev. Meanwhile, as he prepares to take on Daniil Medvedev, he has given an update on his current fitness, which has been shaky.