Josip Stanišić maximizes his versatility at Bayern Munich

Vincent Kompany employs a fluid structure at Bayern Munich that requires players to tread uncharted territory or playing in positions that aren’t their primary positions. One of those players is Josip Stanišić, who can play across the backline (in the center or out wide on both sides). When asked about his preference, he has a fondness for one of his positions.

“I’m a defender first and foremost, so it takes a bit of time to have confidence going forward,” the Croatian said (as capture by X account @iMiaSanMia). “I’ve got world-class players around me. You give them the ball and let them do it. But I enjoy the role [at full-back]. I need to run more and often come up against opponents who are quicker than me. I need to have better positional play. I like playing at full-back and center-back. Maybe full-back a bit more because you can do more in attack.”

Ever since the 25-year-old broke into the first team, he has always been lauded for his ability to play in different positions. This season when his fullback peers went down injured one after the other, “Stani” seamlessly slotted in as the left-back (in place of Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Itō) and as the right-back (in place of Konrad Laimer).

Manchester City paid £62.8 million to sign Rodri from Atletico Madrid in 2019, and the holding midfielder has been worth every penny.

After taking a while to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, the City ace established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world.

Rodri is Pep Guardiola’s archetypal holding midfielder, combining slick short-range passing with otherworldly press resistance.

He also brought another important weapon to the table – goals. He developed a knack for crucial goals, including the strike that delivered City’s maiden UEFA Champions League title.

His remarkable run from 2022 to 2024 culminated in a Ballon d’Or win, reaching the pinnacle of the beautiful game.

Unfortunately, it has been downhill since then. A long-term injury ruled Rodri out for most of the 2024/25 campaign.

The 29-year-old is no longer the midfielder he once was. He can still control the flow of the game, but has lost a yard of pace and his defensive prowess, both crucial to his position.

Also, he is entering the final year of his contract, which expires in 2027, leaving City to make a difficult decision. Do they sell or bank on him returning to his pre-injury form?

Real Madrid’s interest in Rodri

City have struggled over the past two seasons, and while there are other reasons, Rodri’s absence and lack of form have played a key role.

His progressive passing, carrying, and ability to win the ball back were crucial to Guardiola’s set-up. They miss him at his highest level.

But that has not stopped Real Madrid from circling the Spain international star. Los Blancos need a midfielder of his profile.

Madrid are crying out for a deep-lying midfielder that can connect the defence to attack, and Rodri fits the bill.

The 15-time Champions League winners have missed a dynamic passer at the base of midfield since Toni Kroos hung up his boots, an anchor for Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde to thrive.

Rumours of Madrid’s intent to swoop for his services this summer make sense and are not going away.

There are also reports that Los Blancos are willing to cash in on Eduardo Camavinga this summer if they receive offers of more than €50 million, and that Premier League clubs are interested.

It opens the possibility of transfers for both defensive midfielders, with one going in the other direction.

Then there is the Guardiola factor. The City manager could leave the club this summer, and that may prompt his midfield general to consider an exit.

Man City will be crazy to part ways with Rodri

Letting Rodri go now would be a reactionary blunder. Players of his pedigree do not exist in abundance.

Rodri is a rare breed, a metronome, a defensive screen, and a clutch performer rolled into one. In many ways, he is one of one.

City need to reinforce the engine room with another player who brings more physical presence and defensive bite, but that addition should complement Rodri, not replace him.

He is not past his peak, especially for a deep-lying midfielder whose game relies more on intelligence and positioning than raw pace.

He is regaining full fitness and gradually building rhythm. With a proper pre-season and continuity in the side, there is every chance he returns to something close to his devastating best next campaign.

City should be focusing on securing Rodri’s long-term future. Contract talks must be a priority.

With Guardiola potentially heading for the exit and Bernardo Silva widely tipped to follow, City cannot afford another foundational piece walking out the door. 

If anything, this is the moment to keep Rodri close.

Record: 9-12. Change on 2025: -1.5. 5-inning Record: 5-14-2.

The D-Backs responded to an ugly loss against the Rockies yesterday with some surprising power during an uneven – but victorious – performance in Surprise. Merrill Kelly made his Spring Training debut and looked all right. He threw 36 pitches with a slight emphasis on his fastball (36%) compared to his usual usage from last season (23%) with a mix of his offspeed stuff as well. Unsurprisingly, the velocity was a little down as he continues to ramp up from the back soreness that has been plaguing him since reporting to camp last month. There were definitely positives to take away from the outing including three whiffs on his changeup which was an absolute weapon last year with a 34% whiff rate that were balanced out by some negatives – like giving up six hits to a less-than-stellar lineup. After a scoreless first inning that included a single and error from Tommy Troy, Kelly returned for the second and got smacked around including a grand rule double and triple from Jonathan India and John Rave. He would exit the game after allowing two runs in 1.2 innings, but the bigger question will be how his back holds up over the coming days.

At the dish, Jorge Barrosa was the unquestioned sparkplug for the D-Backs, collecting a pair of walks and a hit out of the leadoff spot, but there were plenty of offensive highlights up and down the lineup. Jansel Luis hit his first homer of Spring Training as the 21-year old looks to start adding some pop to his average-ish batting skills while AJ Vukovich continues his offensive barrage this spring with his third roundtripper in the first two weeks. It was also nice to see some continued offensive contributions from Ben McLaughlin – a ninth-rounder back in 2024 who moved across three minor league levels last year while slashing .282/.396/.446 in 101 games. Those kinds of numbers will quickly turn some heads and he’s shown little signs of slowing down so far this spring as he owns a .375/.545/.438 slash line while walking as much as he strikes out.

Hopefully the D-Backs can continue the positive momentum as they take on the Giants tomorrow with Opening Day starter Zac Gallen on the bump opposite Adrian Houser.

️ Qualifying in Shanghai starts 3pm local/6pm AEDT/7am GMT
️ Russell wins first F1 sprint race of season | Mail Joey

If you’re after a full wrap-up of the first sprint race of the campaign then don’t worry, Giles Richards has you covered.

Howdy all, it’s ya boi Joey Lynch here and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the 2026 Formula One world championship, continuing today with qualifying from the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.