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Lautaro needs just three minutes: Inter beats Lazio and takes the lead

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With a victory, Inter Milan was able to take the lead in the table against the defensively strong Romans. Thanks to Lautaro Martinez and Bonny, the Nerazzurri are the new leaders of Serie A.

Inter faced a difficult task for two reasons: on the one hand, AS Roma had taken the lead in the table earlier in the evening – only a win could help the Nerazzurri back to the top of Serie A. On the other hand, they were up against Lazio Rome: the capital city team that had not conceded a goal in four games. Would Inter be able to break through the Roman defense?

The simple answer: no problem. Less than three minutes into the game, Lautaro Martinez slid a cross from Bastoni so perfectly over the top that Lazio keeper Provedel could only watch in amazement as the ball flew into the right corner. It was a dream start for Inter.

Bonny scores

And Milan continued to dominate the game. It took until the 53rd minute – after the teams had already changed sides – for the first shot on Sommer’s goal: Guendouzi tested the Swiss keeper from distance and signaled Lazio’s offensive intentions.

A wake-up call for the Romans? Not at all, because shortly after Lautaro Martinez had curled the ball over the crossbar at the other end (56′), the Nerazzurri struck again: the hosts finished off a lightning-fast attack, with Bonny easily pushing the ball over the line (61′). Five minutes later, Zielinski even increased the lead to 3-0, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review due to a handball in the build-up.

Inter greet from the top spot

Although Sommer made a few more saves in the closing stages, Lazio were unable to get anything out of the game. In the end, Inter secured a 2-0 victory, which allowed the Milanese to jump back to the top of the table.
On Sunday after the international break (November 23), Inter will face AC Milan in the Milan derby, while Lazio will also face US Lecce on Sunday.

Udinese also unable to break down Roma: AS remains at the top

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AS Roma deservedly beat Udinese Calcio and, at least for now, remain at the top of the table.

Roma started without the ill Dybala, but still with momentum in attack: Koné had the home side’s first good chance (13′), and shortly afterwards Celik nodded the ball just wide of the goal (21′). And Udinese? The visitors made their presence felt with a push forward by Atta in the 26th minute, but otherwise remained lackluster.

After Cristante’s shot hit the post (30′), a Roma goal was in the air before the break, and that’s how it turned out, with a little help from Solet: the defender unfortunately handled the ball in the box, Pellegrini took responsibility and confidently converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-0 at half-time.

Celik increases the lead – Roma climbs

After the restart, Roma dominated play, as they had done for long stretches of the first half. Although the home side, who controlled the game, were hardly dangerous against the deep-lying visitors, Udinese’s offense was completely silent.

The game was effectively decided in the 61st minute when Celik added a second goal for the visitors: after a one-two with Mancini, the winger had a clear shot on goal, and the ball deflected into the net.

Udinese subsequently played without any ideas—only Atta hit the woodwork in the 89th minute—and Roma without any pressure: Gasperini’s team comfortably held on to their lead and temporarily took the top spot in the table, but only for a good two hours. Because Inter Milan did their homework against Lazio Rome, the Nerazzurri overtook the Romans again thanks to their superior goal difference.
On Sunday after the international break (November 23, 2025), AS Roma will play at Unione Sportiva Cremonese, and the day before, Udinese Calcio will face Bologna Football Club 1909.

Guardiola grounds match winner Doku: “He will never be a top scorer”

Jeremy Doku excelled for Manchester City in the top match against Liverpool. Coach Pep Guardiola agreed—and immediately classified Doku’s abilities.

The man must know: Pep Guardiola has watched 1,000 games from the sidelines as a coach, and this Sunday he broke the barrier. The result was an almost unbelievable 716 victories. And when someone with such a record is asked to evaluate the player of the game that just ended, he can afford to swim against the tide for a few seconds.

That’s what Guardiola did when he was asked about Jeremy Doku after the 3-0 win over Liverpool FC. “To be honest, I don’t think he’ll ever be a top-top scorer,” said the Catalan with a smile on his lips. Doku scored three Premier League goals in each of the past two seasons, and this season it was his first.

Then his coach switched to praise: “But he demands more of himself, he listens and has special dribbling skills.” Guardiola attested that the Belgian had played an “outstanding game.”

City fans mock Wirtz

And he was undoubtedly right. In the opening quarter of an hour, every single Manchester City attack went through Doku. He was officially playing on the left wing, but that didn’t stop him from drawing two opponents to him on the right side of the box in the first minute.

Even if he hadn’t scored the fantastic 3-0 goal, he would probably still have won the player of the match award. Incidentally, one of the two opponents in the first minute was Florian Wirtz. The former Leverkusen player tried his best, but his lack of confidence after his failures in his first few months at Liverpool was evident. When he was substituted for Federico Chiesa shortly before the end, the City fans jeered.

“What a waste of money,” they chanted.
If you have no patience but a pinch of cynicism, the same could be said about other parts of the Liverpool squad, which has been in 8th place since Sunday evening. “We shouldn’t be thinking about the title race right now,” coach Arne Slot made clear, “but rather focus on getting one result after another.” Liverpool’s defeat was the champions’ fifth in their last six league games. It was also due in part to Virgil van Dijk’s supposed equalizer in the 39th minute not counting. “It’s obvious and clear that the wrong decision was made here,” Slot complained, adding with regard to left-back Andy Robertson:
“He did not obstruct the goalkeeper in any way.” Robertson had been passively offside, not directly in the line of sight of Manchester goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Whether the Italian was actually irritated by the crouching Scot could not be clearly determined afterwards.

Clever, but not enough: Bees hand Newcastle another defeat

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Newcastle United were hoping to get back on track against Brentford FC. Instead, they suffered another defeat.

Newcastle United are on track in the Champions League after their recent 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, but Eddie Howe’s team are stumbling around in the lower half of the league table and can’t seem to get going. Against Brentford FC, who had one point more than the Magpies, Woltemade and Co. wanted to climb back up the table.

And Woltemade, who will also be playing for the German national team during the upcoming international break, even saw the visitors get off to a good start: Barnes beat two opponents with a great solo effort and slammed the ball into the net with Newcastle’s first real chance (26′).

Schade reacts fastest

But there was another German international on the pitch: Schade was also nominated by Julian Nagelsmann and proved his quality shortly after the restart. From a throw-in on the right wing, Schade reacted quickest and nodded the ball past Pope, who had rushed out of his goal, into the net (56′).

Suddenly, the Bees had the upper hand, which came to a head in the 72nd minute: Burn, who had already been booked, fouled Outtara in the box, resulting in a second yellow card and a penalty. Igor Thiago converted coolly, and suddenly Newcastle were trailing.

Igor Thiago for the second time

A late surge from Woltemade and Co.? No, instead Igor Thiago sealed the deal with his brace: DFB defender Thiaw unintentionally passed the ball to the attacker, who kept his cool and made it 3-1.

So the Magpies are suddenly only two points above the relegation zone and must first focus on avoiding the drop before they can think about international competition again. However, the schedule is not getting any easier: after the international break, Newcastle will be visiting Manchester City.

Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens dies at the age of 88

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Lenny Wilkens won titles in the NBA and at the Olympics. Now the former world-class player and coach has died at the age of 88.

Basketball legend Lenny Wilkens has died. The former player and coach passed away at the age of 88, according to the AP news agency, citing the American’s family. Wilkens coached 2,487 games in the NBA, making him the record coach in the world’s best basketball league. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, coach, and member of the 1992 US Olympic team, which he coached as an assistant. “Lenny Wilkens embodied the best of the NBA—as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the sport’s most respected ambassadors,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Wilkens was the first NBA coach to reach the 1,000-win mark. He played between 1960 and 1975 and coached from 1969 to 2005. Wilkens also served as a player-coach at times. He participated in the All-Star Game nine times as a player and four times as a coach.

Two Olympic gold medals

In 1979, Wilkens won the NBA title with the Seattle SuperSonics. At the Olympic Games, he won gold with the famous US Dream Team as an assistant (1992) and as head coach (1996).

“Even more impressive than Lenny’s achievements in basketball, including two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his commitment to charitable work—especially in his beloved city of Seattle, where a statue was erected in his honor,” Silver said. “He touched the lives of countless young people, as well as entire generations of players and coaches who valued Lenny not only as a great teammate or coach, but also as an exceptional mentor who led with integrity and genuine class.”

The Demon King dominates: T1 dismantles TES in the semifinals

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‘Faker’ is on his way to a sixth title. The semifinals: no big deal. Thanks to his team’s brilliant performance, the “Demon King” continues to shine. The games at a glance:

‘Faker’, the “immortal Demon King” and five-time world champion, is back in World Championship mode. After a shaky start in the Swiss round, he and his team are back where they are in every World Championship they participate in – in the semifinals. “Without T1, there is no legend. If you want to become one yourself, you have to beat us,” he preached before the match.

Their opponents, Top Esports (TES), were no less cocky: AD carry ‘JackyLove’ correctly assessed the situation: “T1 has a lot to lose. We, on the other hand, have nothing to fear.” TES wanted to prove that Chinese teams can beat ‘Faker’. Last year, however, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing to T1.

Game 1: A team fight decides everything

Not a particularly good omen for the LPL team. The first game didn’t really get the semifinal atmosphere going either. Even before the start, a technical break caused the first setback. Not much happened in the game for a long time either. TES had actually put together a team that was supposed to cause chaos early on and take out ‘Faker’ before he could become a threat in team fights with Orianna. However, several attempts by Chinese mid laner ‘Creme’ on Akali came to nothing.

The game remained tactical until the 25-minute mark: TES managed to score a single kill, while T1 continued to take down neutral targets on the map.

Then the world champions stepped on the gas. Doran isolated the opposing jungler ‘Kanavi’ with Mordekaiser’s ultimate. Supporter ‘Keria’ then took over: TES’ entire strategy was neutralized with two skills. Without Wukong to start the fight, the Chinese had little means of getting into the action. T1 then secured Atakhan and Baron. Five minutes later, the Koreans won the game.

Game 2: Korea in team fight fireworks

T1 took a less cautious approach in game 2, fielding a brutal combination of Neeko, Galio, Camille, Jarvan, and Kai’Sa – a team built to pin down opponents in combat. TES responded questionably with Ambessa to protect the team’s main source of damage: ‘JackeyLove’ on Corki.

But Ambessa has to sneak up to be effective – the wrong choice against an opponent who throws himself into battle without hesitation.

Time and again, T1 proved to have the better feel for the game and pinned down TES with the help of ‘Keria’s Neeko. This was also the case in the decisive battle for Atakhan. The Korean support landed his ultimate perfectly, locking down several TES players at once.

‘369’ on Ambessa tried in vain to isolate someone. TES was wiped off the map in seconds, and T1 was just one win away from the final. To avoid a repeat of last year, TES urgently needed to step up.

Game 3: TES gets going – and bounces off

The Chinese stepped up their game – at least in terms of champion selection. ‘Kanavi’ on Qiyana was supposed to ensure that ‘JackeyLove’ on Draven got the gold he needed for his items to take on ‘Gumayusi’ with an early presence in the game.

But Ashe and Renata were a strong response from T1: range, slowdown, and the ultimate “Hostile Takeover” are difficult to overcome.

The Chinese played more aggressively than before: ‘Kanavi’ gained an advantage and dictated the early pace of the game. ‘Faker’ came under pressure several times under his own tower.

But the gold stuck with ‘Kanavi’ and didn’t find its way to ‘JackeyLove’ as planned. The lead evaporated in the fight for the first dragon. The Chinese ADC failed to take out ‘Gumayusi’. From then on, every subsequent encounter went narrowly to T1. After 29 minutes, the Chinese dream of reaching the final was over.

Will the old man do it a sixth time?

It seems almost surreal: for three years in a row, T1 and ‘Faker’ have been the story of the tournament. No legend without him, not even a decent story, it seems.

The temporary problems the team had after ‘Zeus’ left last year seem to have been overcome. The Koreans are once again displaying the coordinated strength that has already brought them two world championship titles.

Top Esports, on the other hand, leaves this year’s World Championship with disappointment. They found no answer to T1’s flexibility and discipline.

Now all eyes are on November 9—the grand final. Because finally, Riot is taking a break from “nonstop cinema.” It’s about time, too: constant League of Legends at the highest level gets tiring after a while.

“No legend without T1,” “All roads lead to me”: In 2025, there will still be only one question: Can “Faker” repeat his masterpiece and secure his sixth world championship title? He’s up against KT Rolster – a team that is weaving its own legend this year: “Dark Horse,” “Underdog,” “Band of Misfits” are the names given to the team that has dominated its way to the finals undefeated so far. Can they defeat ‘Faker’? It’s not unlikely.

Razgatlioglu tests Yamaha V4 in advance: Bulega warns about Michelin tires

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Toprak Razgatlioglu will test the V4 Yamaha for the first time on Monday in Aragon – Bulega warns: In MotoGP, you have to brake very differently with Michelin tires

While MotoGP completed its race weekend in Portimao (Portugal), two test teams were in Spain. Yamaha and Honda rented MotorLand Aragon for two days of testing. The test teams were already in action on Sunday and continued their work on Monday.

While Honda brought its regular test rider Aleix Espargaro to MotorLand, Yamaha worked with two test riders on Sunday: Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Spaniard Augusto Fernandez.

In recent months, Dovizioso and Fernandez have focused exclusively on further developing the Yamaha M1 project with a V4 engine. The Japanese manufacturer will most likely compete with this machine in the coming season. Fernandez will contest the third wildcard with the new V4 Yamaha at the season finale in Valencia this coming weekend. On the official test day on Tuesday, regular riders Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, and Toprak Razgatlioglu will take over.

However, Superbike World Champion Razgatlioglu will already begin preparations for his MotoGP debut tomorrow, Monday, at MotorLand Aragon. The Turkish rider will complete his first laps on the new V4 Yamaha there.

One major change concerns the tires in particular. Nicolo Bulega experienced first-hand this weekend in Portimao that Michelin’s MotoGP prototype tires are very different from the production-based Pirellis used in the Superbike World Championship.
“Yes, I rode in Superbike style, and I realized that doesn’t work with the Michelin front tire,” explains the Ducati rider. “In Superbike, if you’re not aggressive in the first braking phase, you won’t get the bike to stop.”

“But here it’s exactly the opposite: if you’re too aggressive, you lose the front wheel. The problem isn’t that the others brake harder. Maybe Toprak is stronger when braking, because we all know that’s his greatest strength.“

”But the problem is that you have to brake differently here,“ explains Bulega. ”As I said, in Superbike you have to be very aggressive in the first phase and brake the bike in the first few meters.”

“Here, it’s exactly the opposite: you have to be gentle in the first phase and only then pull the brake lever harder. That’s the hardest part. And I think Toprak will also have to change this aspect a little bit. I don’t know how it works with the Yamaha, but I think it’s different here with the front tire.”

Bezzecchi dampens euphoria: “Aprilia not yet at the level of Marc and Alex”

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Marco Bezzecchi wins confidently in Portimao – Nevertheless, he warns against overly high expectations – In his opinion, Aprilia is not yet at Marquez’s level

The 2025 MotoGP season has been the most successful yet for Aprilia. Marco Bezzecchi’s victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix was another milestone. It was the Italian’s second win of the season after Silverstone. With Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez winning in Australia, it was Aprilia’s third win of the season – more than ever before in a single year.

In Portimao, Bezzecchi celebrated his eighth podium finish of the year. This makes him the most successful Aprilia rider in a single season, as Aleix Espargaro “only” managed six podium finishes in 2022.

With one race weekend left before the end of the season, Aprilia’s second place in the manufacturer standings is also confirmed. Bezzecchi is also virtually certain to finish third in the world championship, as he has a 35-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). Only 37 points are still up for grabs in Valencia. “I’m overjoyed! Of course, it’s fantastic to get a win,” Bezzecchi rejoiced. On Saturday, the Italian had to settle for third place in the sprint and was unable to do anything against Alex Marquez (Gresini-Ducati) and Pedro Acosta (KTM). “I was satisfied yesterday, but not completely, because when you start from pole position, you always hope for a little more. But yesterday, Alex—especially him—and Pedro were stronger than me.”

“That’s why I spent the evening with the team in the pits to analyze where I can improve, where we can make progress. And we found something that helped me overcome my weaknesses.”

“In the warm-up, I felt that I could be in the fight, and the race was really great. That’s why I’m very, very happy.” Bezzecchi set a clear fastest time in the warm-up and was more than half a second faster than the rest.

What was the difference compared to the sprint?

What was changed in the setup of his RS-GP that allowed him to dominate the Grand Prix so confidently? “I don’t know exactly,” Bezzecchi replies to this question. “Let’s say I had the opportunity to watch Alex over many laps yesterday.”

“My lines were certainly not the best. But the guys in the pits also changed something to help me ride less aggressively and let the bike run a little more freely.”

“I found something when braking and I was also able to bring a little more flow into my riding style, which is extremely important on this track. With the elevation changes, it’s crucial to ride the bike smoothly and maintain a fluid rhythm.”

“Yesterday, with the soft rear tire, I was perhaps a little too aggressive. The bike was moving and shaking too much. We tried to find more stability, but the biggest step I had to take myself—through my riding style.”

“I had to avoid the bike making too fast movements and try to ride more calmly. I implemented that, and it worked perfectly. After making these changes, I had a good feeling for the front wheel, and then everything got a little better.“

”That’s why I’m super happy—really, really satisfied with the race. So I think it was a combination of several factors.” Bezzecchi drove home a flawless start-to-finish victory and was never in danger.

Has Aprilia caught up with Ducati?

In his first season with Aprilia, he scored two Grand Prix victories and a total of eight podium finishes, as well as four pole positions and three sprint victories. Aprilia grew stronger and stronger, especially in the second half of the season.

Has it closed the gap on its Italian rival Ducati? “Well, that’s a difficult question,” says Bezzecchi. “But let’s say we were able to improve day by day. Of course, I always believed in the project and always had confidence in my bike.”

“The engineers and the entire factory in Noale have always done an excellent job. It’s true that we struggled a bit at the beginning, but then we were able to make progress. Certainly, we’re not yet at the level of Marc or Alex.“

”But I think we can compete with Pedro, who was also very strong in the second half of the season. However, we have to keep working, we have to keep improving. Hopefully, we’ll reach their level soon.”

Antonio Felix da Costa fastest at WEC test in Bahrain for Alpine

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The Portuguese driver sets the fastest time in his first public appearance as an Alpine factory driver – Fire at Lexus causes lengthy interruption

Antonio Felix da Costa topped the timesheets at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) rookie test in Bahrain. The former Porsche driver, who will be racing for Alpine next year, set a best time of 1:49.214 minutes in the Alpine A424 36 in the afternoon.

This put him 0.159 seconds ahead of current Alpine regular driver Frederic Makowiecki, who completed a few installation laps in the morning before handing the car over to da Costa.

Newcomer Nick Cassidy, who will compete for Peugeot in 2025, completed a total of 59 laps in the two 9X8s and finished third with a time of 1:49.376 minutes. The New Zealander was thus the fastest “real” rookie of the test, while da Costa had already competed in a Hypercar season with the Jota Porsche in 2023. Marco Sörensen finished fourth in the Aston Martin Valkyrie 51, continuing her gradual acclimatization to the Hypercar class after previously completing test drives for Toyota and Ferrari.

Right behind her was the newly crowned world champion James Calado in the same car, followed by Charles Weerts, who made a strong debut in the BMW 8 Toyota completed the top 10.

As several regular drivers also took part in the test, several newcomers lined up further down the field.
Mattia Drudi finished 13th in the Aston Martin. Kelvin van der Linde finished 16th in his first outing in the BMW M Hybrid V8. In the LMGT3 class, Hadrien David took the lead in the 87 ASP Lexus, which he shared with David.

Nicola Lacorte finished fourth in the 77 Proton Ford with a time of 2:02.717 minutes.

The second red flag of the day was caused by Matias Zagazeta in the afternoon when he had to park his AF Corse Ferrari 21 on the track.

Piastri crisis: McLaren team boss Stella explains how the tide has turned

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Andrea Stella explains why Lando Norris is currently excelling, while Oscar Piastri is still learning to cope with the difficult grip conditions in Brazil.

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella explained the reasons behind the differing performances of his two drivers after qualifying in São Paulo. While Lando Norris is in strong form and will start from pole position in Brazil, Oscar Piastri continues to struggle with the unique grip conditions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
“Oscar has been very fast and very competitive from day one,” says Stella. “His feedback on the car is completely different from Mexico or Austin—we were in a really good position. But today there was significantly less grip than yesterday. The lap times were noticeably slower, and it was more difficult to put a lap together.”

According to Stella, the conditions require a special driving style that is more reminiscent of the races in Austin and Mexico. “Oscar is currently learning this technique and internalizing it. However, it may take some time before he can implement it completely naturally—especially when you don’t know exactly how much grip there is at every corner. The wind also plays a big role, which even caught Lando out on his first attempt in Q3.”

Stella: It just comes more naturally to Lando

Stella emphasizes that the current conditions suit Norris better. “For Lando, driving with low grip just comes more naturally. It’s normal for him to control the car even when it’s sliding, so that he ends up with a good lap time,” explains the Italian. ” In the last three races, we’ve had low-grip conditions almost throughout – you have to get the car to do what you want while it’s sliding.“

For Piastri, this is part of a normal learning process. ”We know that Oscar learns at lightning speed,“ says Stella. ”That’s why I’m sure we’ll see a strong race from him tomorrow.”

Stella is not surprised that the young Australian is still struggling with these conditions: “He has never experienced similar conditions over such a long sequence. It is unusual for the tires and grip to behave as they have in the last three events. Not on the first day here in Brazil, but on the second it was the same again: little grip, you really have to actively force the car through the corners.”

Lando Norris shows the fruits of his development

While Piastri is learning, Norris is currently experiencing the peak of a long development phase. The Brit not only impressed in Mexico and Austin, but also in Brazil with confident performances in the sprint and qualifying.

“What we see in Lando is the ability to fully exploit his potential – both as a driver and as a person,” says Stella. “He has developed in his approach, his resilience and his handling of pressure. That’s crucial when it comes to a world championship.”

Stella points to the detailed work that Norris and the team have done in recent months. “We go down to the smallest detail—even things like, ‘Do we keep the delta time on the steering wheel display or not?’ Everything is systematically checked until we find the best combination of all factors.”

The team boss recalls that Norris also struggled with the car in the past. “At the beginning of the season, we had similar conversations with him—it was about understanding what the front tires were doing, where the limits of grip were, when the car would tip into oversteer. That was a lot of work. And at that time, Lando was the one at the back of the learning curve.”

Stella: The difference lies in the last percent

For Stella, the situation at McLaren exemplifies how close the field is in the current Formula 1 season. “The differences lie in the last percent,” he says. “Oscar is only driving here in Brazil for the third time—and every year the conditions are different. On top of that, the field of drivers is more competitive than ever. I don’t remember there ever being seven or eight drivers who are all at world championship level.”

This extraordinary density means that even the smallest differences in driving feel or technology can be decisive. “The new generation is incredibly well trained,” says Stella. “They have data from an early age, they train at the highest level—as a result, the overall level is brutally high.”

Despite everything, the McLaren team boss sees no cause for concern in Piastri’s development. “He learns quickly, he understands what the car needs, and he works on it with discipline. It’s only a matter of time before he shines just as brightly as Lando in these conditions.”