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A lower-order rally turned the day around for Somerset before Nottinghamshire were blown away after tea for 114

Alex Winter at Trent Bridge19-May-2015
ScorecardSomerset ran through Notts after tea on the third day•Getty Images begins the Somerset victory song. So far this season they have been unable to locate it but here they grabbed the “gurt big stick” to knock down said bird for a first win of the season, snapping a run of four straight defeats. A lower-order rally turned the day around before Nottinghamshire were blown away after tea for 114.The ball swung from first ball to last, seamed a bit too, and the bowlers lapped it up to take 22 wickets in the day. Batting was as miserable as the clouds that mostly skirted around Trent Bridge. It was quite a turnaround for the Somerset attack who conceded 405 to lose at home to Middlesex two weeks ago. By contrast Notts, who drew their opening three matches, have now lost two in a row.’First-innings runs crucial’

Mick Newell: “We had some soft dismissals in that second innings but overall we haven’t played well enough. We lost the game in the first innings really. They got far too many on a pitch with pace and bounce that we wanted but we haven’t bowled well enough on it, over the games we’ve had we’ve bowled better on the flatter pitches than the livelier ones.
“We’re going to have to keep playing on these types of wickets and just bowl better. We don’t have a world-class spin bowler so we have to encourage our seamers try and win matches.
Marcus Trescothick: “Our first-innings runs were crucial in the context in the game. Three hundred on that pitch was far too many. We’ve been working on numerous things in the last few weeks, we’re pushing to get things right. We did some really good things in the New Zealand game with the ball and carried it on here.
“In my career I think I’ve only won here twice at best. We needed to turn things around and delighted we’ve done so.
“One of the biggest problems this season has been our lower-order runs but here Craig Overton has got 50 off about 25 balls and Lewis Gregory put some more together today.”

Somerset’s bleak run looked set to continue at 59 for 6 in their second innings, 145 ahead. But in adding 75 for the final three wickets they set Nottinghamshire 248 to win – a similar target Notts conceded in the fourth innings to lose at Durham last week. But they got nowhere near repeating the feat against Somerset’s best bowling performance of the season.Keeping a full length, both edges were threatened and all of the seamers profited. As did Marcus Trescothick, Somerset’s beleaguered captain, who took three catches at second slip, including a stunner to remove Greg Smith. When he held Riki Wessels, seventh out after a patient 30, he knew Somerset’s troubles were about to be lightened by victory. They finished the task in the extra half-hour after another fine catch, this from Johann Myburgh diving to his left at backward point.Trescothick held three more catches than he made runs in the match after recording a pair – only the second of his career and first away from Taunton. It was the start of Somerset’s second-innings slide, in a manner of teams who have lost the knack of winning. But as the sun poured through the clouds like butterscotch, Somerset’s day began to get sweeter.Lewis Gregory was a batsman before he became an opening bowler and his 26 not out here was perhaps one of his most significant innings. It helped turn the game back Somerset’s way, leading to a victory that could spark alive their season. He struck a six into the New Stand to take the lead over 200 and stayed with wicketkeeper Alex Barrow – in hideous form before this game and batting at No. 9 – and Tim Groenewald to add vital stands of 39 and 25. Twenty-one of the latter were made by the free-swinging Groenewald, perhaps buoyed by his clean hitting against New Zealand last week; his nine wickets in that match would have done no harm here either.The eighth-wicket affair was fairly comfortable until Barrow, having taken boundaries with a handsome straight drive and a short-arm pull off Gurney, attempted another pull as Gurney went around the wicket and top-edged it to midwicket. There was no Craig Overton repeat act – 55 in 31 balls in the first-innings – but at least Groenewald boosted the total.It was a fine effort in very difficult conditions. The odd ball also kept a little low and Peter Trego fell lbw to one such delivery; he was seventh man out, having briefly counterattacked with four boundaries.Vernon Philander signed for Notts for just these days and cleaned up Trescothick for the second time in the match, the opener having lasted only 11 balls in both innings. This was his fourth duck in his last seven knocks. He has been bowled in five of those seven innings and here an inswinger removed middle stump.It will be clouded by victory but Somerset’s top order remains their biggest concern and there were further failures here for Johann Myburgh, edging a drive to third slip for a third-ball duck, and Tom Abell, who was slightly aggrieved to be given out lbw to Luke Wood. Tom Cooper could have no complaints about the same dismissal.Another lbw decision followed against James Hildreth, who is chasing 1000 first-class runs before the end of May but got only 23 closer. The ball before also produced a huge appeal, for which Philander was given a stern telling off by umpire Tim Robinson.There will now be a bigger telling off for Notts from their coach Mick Newell. Samit Patel and Jake Ball at least delivered a batting bonus point in the opening overs of the day but ultimately, that was all they had to take.

Paul Collingwood hit his 20th first-class century for Durham to help them take control on the second day of the County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton

Press Association13-Apr-2015
ScorecardPaul Collingwood’s outstanding match continued with a hundred to build a handy lead•Getty ImagesPaul Collingwood hit his 20th first-class century for Durham to help them take control on the second day of the County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The captain followed up his five wickets on the first day by hitting an unbeaten 109 in a total of 380, which saw Scott Borthwick contribute 94 and Michael Richardson 59 as their side grabbed a first innings lead of 81.Lewis Gregory was the most successful Somerset bowler with 5 for 99 from 21 overs. By the close the hosts had crumbled to 54 for 4 in their second innings and still trailed by 27.”It was a great day for us. Scott Borthwick set it up and I’m just delighted to be in such good form so early in the season,” Collingwood said. When they get things right Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions are among the best opening bowlers in the country. But we know Taunton is a ground where runs can come quickly and we still have a lot of work to do.”Durham began the day on 98 for 2 in reply to 299. Borthwick was on 52 and Richardson soon followed him to a half-century off 61 balls, with six fours. The pair had taken the score to 157 when Richardson dabbed at a wide ball from Gregory and edged to wicketkeeper Alex Barrow.Borthwick had faced 110 balls, hitting 17 fours and looking largely untroubled, by the time he fell lbw, trying to work a good length ball from Jamie Overton through the leg side with the total on 190.Lunch was taken at 224 for 4 with Calum MacLeod unbeaten on 39. He helped Collingwood add 48 before playing across the line to Tim Groenewald and falling for 44.It was 280 for 6 when Phil Mustard was caught behind for 22 defending a ball from Peter Trego. A crucial moment followed when Barrow spilled a chance offered by Collingwood, on 46, off Gregory.Collingwood quickly went on to an 88-ball half-century and by tea Durham were 347 for 6. Paul Coughlin and John Hastings fell to Gregory and Groenewald respectively soon after the interval, forcing Collingwood to attack with the tail.Approaching his 39th birthday, the former England captain showed he still has plenty to offer, bringing up his century by advancing down the pitch and pulling Gregory for his 11th four. There were also two sixes in a hugely valuable knock, ended by the fall of the last two wickets at the other end.Somerset were left with 20 overs to face in the day and lost captain Marcus Trescothick cheaply for the second time in the match as he was bowled by Chris Rushworth with the first ball of the fourth over.Rushworth quickly followed up by pinning first innings centurion Johann Myburgh lbw for 9, while Graham Onions had Tom Cooper caught behind for 5 to make it 18 for 3. James Hildreth was well caught by the diving Borthwick in the slips, driving at Rushworth, for 8 with his team still 55 behind.

Goal looks at the players who have created the most chances in the top five European leagues this season

20Lucas Perez | 77 chances created

Lucas Perez is still technically an Arsenal player, but has enjoyed an impressive season out on loan at Deportivo La Coruna as he waits to learn more about his long-term future after Arsene Wenger's departure from the Emirates Stadium.

AdvertisementGetty Images19Alexis Sanchez | 77 chances created

Sanchez has had his critics this season due to his reduced goal contribution at both Arsenal and Manchester United, but he has created 77 chances this season,

The Chilean also missed nine games in the Premier League, leaving him with one of the best chances created per minute ratios in the entirety of Europe.

Getty Images18Xherdan Shaqiri | 77 chances created

To make this list at a relegated club is some achievement. Shaqiri created 77 chances for Stoke but they couldn’t avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Shaqiri is unlikely to be short of suitors this summer amid expectations he will be sold following Stoke's drop into the Championship.

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Getty17 Aleksandar Kolarov | 78 chances created

The Serbian has been back to his best this season at Roma, assisting eight goals from left-back and creating 78 chances.

A new report claims that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly attempted to hire Arne Slot as manager before striking a deal with Mauricio Pochettino.

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Boehly made contact with Feyenoord boss SlotEventually appointed PochettinoChelsea struggling currently under the ArgentineWHAT HAPPENED?

Per AD, Slot held talks with Chelsea in the summer before deciding to remain at Feyenoord. He had also spoken to Tottenham before they appointed Ange Postecoglou, but the report states that Todd Boehly actually picked the Dutchman up in a private jet for talks but could not convince him to leave the Eredivisie.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea's appointment of Pochettino has yet to pan out on the pitch. The Blues are currently 10th in the Premier League table, having won five, lost five, and drawn four of their 14 games. They are 10 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and 14 behind leaders Arsenal. As a result, AD claim that Boehly could return to Slot as a contender if they do sack Pochettino this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Slot's Feyenoord are currently second in the Eredivisie, having won the title last season. He also guided the club to the final of the Europa Conference League in 2021/22, although they lost to Jose Mourinho's Roma.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARNE SLOT?

He will continue his work in Rotterdam, attempting to take the club back to the top of the Dutch league table. However, the club are currently 10 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.

Kylian Mbappe says he has far to go after reaching a "hilarious" 300-goal career milestone, thanks to a hat-trick in France’s 14-0 win over Gibraltar.

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Mbappe starred in France's win over GibraltarScored a hat-trick to reach 300 career goalsVowed to keep improving for club and countryWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old striker led from the front with a fine hat-trick as France scored over a dozen past Gibraltar on Saturday night. He started the scoring on the night from the spot on the half-hour mark and went on to add two more in the second half which helped him reach the 300-goal mark. Mbappe naturally found reasons to celebrate as he is gunning to be the best of all time – therefore meaning he harbours lofty ambitions.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MBAPPE SAID

Speaking after the match to , Mbappe said: "It’s just part of the process, there are some players who scored 800 or 850 goals in their career. 300 is just hilarious! I have to keep going and improve for both club and national team."

Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier in September, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 850 career goals when he struck against Al-Hazm in a Saudi Pro League fixture. Whereas, Lionel Messi is not far behind as the Argentine boasts 821 goals in 1044 career appearances.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

Mbappe still has a long way to go to match the goalscoring numbers of the two legends of the game. However, with time on his side, nothing is impossible for the prolific PSG striker.

England under Charlotte Edwards are looking forward to winning back the World Twenty20 title

20-Sep-2012England’s women conceded their World Twenty20 title in 2010 but remain favourites to win it back this year, given their extraordinary run of success in the format over the last two years.Their captain, Charlotte Edwards, will be leading the side in the tournament for the third time, having lifted the trophy in the inaugural event in 2009.Speaking to Alison Mitchell on ESPNcricinfo, Edwards said that the 2010 defeat had made her stronger. “It’s made me more hungry for success and I think that has probably come out in the team as well. They are really hungry to win back this Twenty20 trophy.”She described the 2010 tournament as a turning point for England’s T20 cricket. “We came home, had a good look at what we were doing and realised we needed to change a few things, and from there we set up a brand of cricket that has worked really really well for us.”Since failing to qualify for the World Twenty20 semi-finals in West Indies, England have lost only four of their 32 T20s – a run that included a streak of 19 consecutive wins. They arrived in Sri Lanka on the back of a 4-1 victory against West Indies at home.Edwards said she looked at Australia, India, New Zealand and West Indies as England’s main threats for the title in 2012.”This is an exciting time to be part of the women’s game,” she said, about the crop of promising players around – among them Australia’s Ellyse Perry, Danielle Wyatt and Sarah Taylor of England, and Harmanpreet Kaul of India. “This World Cup is an opportunity for those youngsters to really shine.”Edwards said she demanded a lot of her players, but only as much as she did of herself. “I’m hard but I’m fair. I set very, very high standards but I’m part of the team. I’m not a person who sits up there dictating to the rest of the girls. I’m part of it. I’m one of the girls and I really enjoy their company. I really enjoy other people’s success, and hopefully that comes through in our cricket.”Having Mark Lane as England’s coach helped, Edwards said, because the two constantly challenged each other. “I think we complement each other really well. We’re quite similar in a lot of ways. He’s a really funny man who makes everyone really relaxed and we both challenge one another, I think that’s really important. It’s not about ‘what I say goes’ or vice-versa. Most importantly we’ve got brilliant players. We’ve got some world class players who are really doing the business at the moment.”

England Lions, led by Craig Kieswetter’s century, registered their second successive win in the one-day series in Dambulla

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2012
ScorecardEngland Lions, led by Craig Kieswetter’s century, registered their second successive win in the one-day series in Dambulla. Kieswetter made an unbeaten 112 off 99 balls to help the Lions to 293, and Sri Lanka A fell short by 67 runs.The Lions didn’t have the best of starts, losing three wickets for 57 after choosing to bat. The lower middle-order pair of Jos Buttler and Samit Patel hit 40s to rally around Kieswetter. Buttler added 48 during his stand with Kieswetter before he was dismissed by Seekkuge Prasanna. Patel and Kieswetter then scored a quick 100 off 12.4 overs to put the Lions on course for a substantial score. Kieswetter smashed six fours and as many sixes in his innings.Sri Lanka A’s chase began quickly, with the openers Mahela Udawatte and Dimuth Karunaratne adding 64 in just over ten overs. However, quick strikes by Danny Briggs and Nathan Buck dismissed the pair and the middle order failed to compile significant partnerships to keep Sri Lanka A in the game. The sixth-wicket pair of Kushal Perera and Kosala Kulasekara added 65, but with five wickets down and the required rate increasing, the Lions held the edge. Patel and Briggs took three wickets apiece to bowl out Sri Lanka A for 226.

Peter Fulton’s twin centuries put him in rare company as he became the fourth New Zealand batsman to complete this feat

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland25-Mar-2013It has been an extraordinary few days in the life of Peter Fulton. A maiden Test hundred on Friday, then another century to make it back-to-back tons in the same match on Monday, then being included in a tweet by John Key, New Zealand’s Prime Minister.His post had gone unnoticed by Fulton, until it was mentioned after play. “I’m not on Twitter,” he said. “I hadn’t heard that. I guess that’s one to cross off the list.”In front of his parents, and an increasingly large band of supporters, Fulton wrote himself a place in New Zealand’s history books with a crunching straight six off Stuart Broad, to become just the fourth New Zealand batsman – after Glenn Turner, Geoff Howarth and Andrew Jones – to score twin hundreds in a Test. Small boundaries or not, it was a mighty blow with which to reach a landmark.His second fifty took 41 balls, as the confidence and adrenalin surged through him. Gone was the understandable nervousness of his maiden hundred, during which he sweated on 99 for 10 balls, with his last 36 runs taking 143 balls. The situation had changed, and so did the batsman, which showed that Fulton is not just someone to grind out an innings. An over against Monty Panesar changed the tempo as he took the left-arm spinner for 14 off three deliveries. From then he was unstoppable, until clubbing to long-on for 110.”I thought if he [Broad] pitches it up, I’m going to try and hit it back over his head,” he said. “It’s just one of those things, I just wanted to get there and make sure we kept being aggressive. I didn’t want to slow down too much looking for a personal milestone.””The first innings was a bit nervy, and I’d decided when we came out after lunch that I’d just play the same way as I had before, regardless of what score I was on. It made for slightly less of a nerve racking time for myself anyway.”Early on during the onslaught, Matt Prior thought it was a decent time to mention the lack of runs Fulton had scored through the off side – in the first innings he made 107 of his 136 on the leg side, second time around it was a 64-46 split. There were not many words from the England team when he launched a skimming flat six over long-off against James Anderson.”I guess everyone would like to be able to score to all parts of the ground, but you’ve got to make do with what you’ve got,” he said. “I can play through the off side, but I guess I’ve already been out three times trying to play through the off side in the series. It’s probably a bit silly to keep trying to flog a dead horse. It was nice once I’d got myself in to play a few through the off side. I’m not really too bothered where they come, or what direction they go in, as long as I get them.””The situation of the game helped, it’s a bit tougher to play like that on day one. You hit one straight up in the air, and you get castigated for it. It was nice to show a few people, who don’t watch a lot of domestic cricket, that I can bat like that, and adapt to the situation.”Fulton has helped give the team stability in an area they had floundered for a long time. Hundreds by openers had become a collector’s item, and now there are three in a series for only the second time for New Zealand. Fulton’s part could so easily have not happened, at the age of 34, especially after a knee injury in South Africa curtailed his first attempt at a comeback late last year. “Hopefully it proves if you keep sticking at it, and you don’t lose faith in yourself, then good things can happen.”

Karim Benzema has long been regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, but just how many times in total has he found the net?

Karim Benzema has long been regarded as one of the most well-rounded forwards in the game and his recent Ballon d'Or win confirmed his status as one of the greatest of his generation.

He has been a constant presence for Real Madrid for over a decade, but he was not always been the dominant force at the Santiago Bernabeu as he spent a large chunk of his career in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Known for his exceptional work-rate, potent finishing and playmaking, the Frenchman sacrificed his own attacking returns for many seasons to be an amazing provider for the Portuguese star, who garnered all the media attention.

Following Ronaldo's departure in 2018, Benzema's rise has been a meteoric one. His reputation as one of the world's best operators in European football grew multi-folds year after year, as did his goal-scoring output.

Now plying his trade in the Middle-East with reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, and as they say, he is ageing like a fine wine and if anything he only seems to be getting better with age.

But just how many goals has he scored during his outrageous career at Lyon, Real Madrid, Al-Ittihad, and France?

Let's take a look.

GettyHow many goals does Karim Benzema have for Al-Ittihad?

In a shock move, Benzema left Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 after 14 trophy-laden seasons at the Bernabeu, following in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps and becoming the second global superstar to quit European football for Saudi Pro League adventure.

Al-Ittihad come off of an emphatic title win over Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and are considered the dominant force in Saudi Arabia. Add a five-time Champions League winner and current Ballon d'Or holder to the mix, as well as a sprinkling of other high-profile signings, they are the odds-on favourites to repeat their success from last season.

Season

Games

Goals

2023-24

7

4

AdvertisementGettyHow many goals did Karim Benzema score for Real Madrid?

In 2009, Benzema joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €35 million, rising to €41 million based on add-ons.

However, he had a rough start at his new club as he scored just nine in 33 appearances in his debut season.

He eventually came good, though, and following Gareth Bale's then-record transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo forged one of Europe's most fearsome attacking trios, dubbed the BBC.

However, the French star's selfless contributions, work ethic, and ability to creating plays and spaces for others to exploit seemingly went unnoticed at times.

Now that Ronaldo has left the Santiago Bernabeu, however, Benzema is finally thriving more and getting the spotlight he deserves.

He is currently second on the all-time scoring list for Madrid and fourth on all-time UEFA Champions League charts, with former team-mate Ronaldo topping both podiums.

Season

Games

Goals

2022-23

43

31

2021-22

46

44

2020-21

46

30

2019-20

48

27

2018-19

53

30

2017-18

47

12

2016-17

48

19

2015-16

36

28

2014-15

46

22

2013-14

52

24

2012-13

50

20

2011-12

52

32

2010-11

48

26

2009-10

33

9

Total

648

354

Getty ImagesHow many goals did Benzema get for Lyon

Benzema began his youth career with Bron before joining boyhood club Lyon in 1997. He progressed through the youth ranks and then made his first senior appearance for the French outfit in 2005.

He assisted Lyon’s second goal and subsequently went on to sign his first professional contract with the club.

Despite his tender years, Benzema earned a reputation for himself as a lethal finisher from within the box with either foot and his head, despite being typically right-footed.

Benzema recorded 66 goals in 148 competitive appearances for Lyon and later became one of France's highest-paid players after renewing his contract in 2008.

During his time at Lyon, he earned himself the Ligue 1 top scorer, French Cup top scorer, several player of the month awards.

Season

Games

Goals

2008-09

47

23

2007-08

52

31

2006-07

27

8

2005-06

16

4

2004-05

6

0

Total

148

66

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Getty ImagesBenzema goals for France

It's safe to say Benzema's international career has been a turbulent one, full of controversy.

In 2006, before his international career even started, he spoke openly about his desire to play for the Algerian national team, the native country of both of his parents, but would play for France for only sporting reasons.

In 2015, Noel Le Graet, the president of the FFF, suspended the striker indefinitely from the national team after he was arrested by police for his alleged involvement in blackmailing fellow France international player Mathieu Valbuena.

He didn't appear for France between 2016-2020 and this absence has tainted his CV. He was called back by Didier Deschamps in 2021

Since his return, he has been showing what France missed out on and he also helped them win a Nations League trophy.

Season

Games

Goals

2022

3

1

2021

13

9

2020

0

0

2019

0

0

2018

0

0

2017

0

0

2016

0

0

2015

4

2

2014

13

7

2013

10

3

2012

12

2

2011

10

2

2010

5

3

2009

8

3

2008

11

2

2007

8

3

Total

97

37

Bryan Cristante hailed AS Roma's owners for showing the door to Jose Mourinho at a "difficult moment" and bringing in club legend Daniele De Rossi.

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Mourinho was sacked by RomaClub named De Rossi as his replacementCristante believes that it was the right decisionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan, Mourinho's tenure at the Italian club came to an abrupt end. The decision to remove the Portuguese manager from his position was swiftly followed by the appointment of De Rossi, who signed on as head coach until June 30, 2024.

De Rossi, a beloved figure among Roma supporters, spent 18 illustrious years as a player at the Stadio Olimpico, endearing himself to the fans with his passion and commitment to the club.

AdvertisementWHAT CRISTANTE SAID

Cristante, who had the opportunity to work with De Rossi during Euro 2020 when the latter served as one of Roberto Mancini’s assistants, expressed his admiration for the new coach's seamless transition into the role.

“The coach didn’t need to be introduced when he arrived. It could have been tough to join the team in a difficult moment and work with footballers he had played with, but he’s been managing the group well and it should not be taken for granted,” said Cristante.
“We are happy with what we are building and who we are becoming. It’s proving to be the right solution. It was a decision made by the club owners at a difficult moment. We have built self-awareness in European games."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mourinho inspired Roma to the Europa Conference League trophy in 2022 and guided them to the Europa League final in 2023, where they fell short to Sevilla. However, Cristante insisted that the club have set their sights on another European final and added: "Of course, it is our objective and we have a chance to make it. We are happy with the coach. We want to go back to the final and win it.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Roma drew against Feyenoord in the Netherlands last week and the Giallorossi will now host the Dutch outfit in the second leg of a Europa League playoff fixture to seal a round of 16 berth. The Stadio Olimpico has already been sold out and the Romans are ready to hand their favourite team a rousing welcome on Thursday evening with the hope of inspiring them to another memorable European night.