All posts by h716a5.icu

Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain was the headline fixture this week – but the chaos was delivered elsewhere on a crazy UWCL matchday.

It was going to take something special for the second round of games in the Women's Champions League group stages to better matchday one – and that's exactly what we got.

While everyone expected the fireworks to come from Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Real Madrid, it was St. Polten and Roma's seven-goal thriller that stole the show, before things again went wrong for reigning champions Lyon, while Bayern Munich came from 2-0 down to win in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Elsewhere, Thursday was an emotional night for Zurich as the part-time Swiss team scored a wonderfully memorable goal in defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, and there were statement victories for Chelsea and Barcelona – the latter featuring a strike that will surely win the UWCL's goal of the season award.

With plenty going on across the continent, here are GOAL's winners and losers from matchday two…

GettyWINNER: Real Madrid

Real Madrid might be in a 'group of death' this year but there was one silver lining to drawing PSG for a second successive season, in that they could be a yardstick for the progress the club has made in the past 12 months.

After losing 4-0 in Paris and 2-0 in Madrid last campaign, their home fixture on Wednesday produced a goalless draw. It was a welcome draw not only in that it was an improvement, but because of how much of a bad point it was for their visitors.

PSG lost at home to Chelsea, the other giant in this group, last week and that made victory in Madrid all the more important. They attacked plenty but Real Madrid rode the storm and even had chances themselves to win the game – a big one in particular falling to France international Sandie Toletti, who fired wide.

It was much closer than they came to hurting the Parisians last season and means that, no matter the results in the third matchday in November, they'll reach the halfway point of the group stages at least level on points with the French giants.

That'll be a promising position to be in given they're underdogs to progress from a group that features two sides that have reached the Champions League final, while Las Blancas are in just their third ever season as a team.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Lyon

With two group stage games played, the eight-time European champions and current holders of the trophy, Lyon, have just one point to their name. It's not what many expected, at all.

After an historic 5-1 defeat at home to Arsenal last week, they left Italy with only a point on Thursday despite leading Juventus 1-0 in Turin. An own goal from striker Melvine Malard levelled things up at 1-1 and somewhat summed up how things are going for them at the moment.

It wasn't just the result that made this a bad night for Sonia Bompastor's team, though. Damaris Egurrola was stretchered off after getting tangled up in a collision of bodies, adding yet another injury to Lyon's growing list.

Given her ability to play at centre-back, or at least be in a deep midfield position protecting that defence, her time out will be even more significant as the reigning champions have been hit extremely hard in those areas by absences already.

GettyWINNER: Sam Kerr

"A night I will remember forever." – That's how Chelsea forward Sam Kerr described her four-goal performance against Vllaznia on Wednesday night as she bagged her first Champions League hat-trick and revelled in an atmosphere that saw the "awesome" away fans celebrated by all.

It felt like a well-needed 8-0 win for the Blues after a start to the season that hasn't been without significant results – see the triumph over PSG last week – but this was their first statement performance, even if it was against a team they were expected to comfortably beat.

They turned on the style and will have given themselves a ton of confidence in doing so, something which particularly applies to Kerr as an individual. These were her first goals of the season and they put her in a commanding position when it comes to that Golden Boot race, too.

"Three games is a long time for me [not to score]," she said afterwards. "I’m paid to score goals but think I bring a lot to the team when I’m not scoring too. It’s about being patient and getting in my groove. I did tonight and hopefully I can do it again [on Sunday] against Aston Villa."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyLOSER: Berglind Thorvaldsdottir

PSG had a ton of attacking talent on the pitch on Wednesday: from world-class wingers Kadidiatou Diani and Lieke Martens to midfielder Jackie Groenen, winner of Euro 2017 with the Netherlands.

However, once again, what they didn't have in their XI was a centre forward.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto, one of the world's best, will be sidelined for a while still with an ACL injury and the task for PSG is to figure out how to compete against the elite without her.

In Madrid, Diani and Martens put exceptional deliveries into the box, ones begging to be put away, but there was no one in the area to do so.

Among the substitutes, though, was someone who could be the answer: Berglind Thorvaldsdottir. Iceland's starting centre-forward must have been counting the chances she could've scored had she been on the pitch – and she'd have got to a decent number, too.

Thorvaldsdottir might not be on Katoto's level but she has all the attributes that PSG are crying out for simply in her positional awareness and ability to be in the right place at the right time.

With great feet, quality hold-up play and a knack for the spectacular at times, she has even more to bring to the team, too.

All she needs is a chance to show it.

The Premier League table looks a lot healthier for Ten Hag after second-successive win

Manchester United ended a run of seven straight defeats on the road with a 1-0 win against Southampton on Saturday, as Bruno Fernandes' second-half strike secured a first away victory since beating Leeds 4-2 in February.

Erik ten Hag's side have now won back-to-back games after seeing off Liverpool on Monday to put their miserable start to the campaign behind them. Manchester United had lost their opening two games to plunge the new manager's reign into crisis – but the table looks a lot healthier after successive wins, with £60 million signing Casemiro making his debut as a late substitute.

There will be fresh questions about the futures of Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were both left out of the starting line-up again, but that will be a question for another day as the Red Devils will be pleased with their performance at St. Mary's.

GettyThe Winners

Bruno Fernandes:

For a long time it looked like a deeply frustrating day for Fernandes, given his poor use of the ball and failure to take one of two chances during a first half goalmouth scramble.

But he did what he does so well by providing the crucial goal that secured three points for United.

Ten Hag needs to find the best way to incorporate him in his midfield – but he is a match-winner and that is what makes him so important to Manchester United.

David de Gea:

His second half save proved vital when Joe Aribo got the wrong side of Raphael Varane and powerfully headed towards the target.

De Gea's used quick reflexes to push the shot away from close range to maintain Manchester United's lead.

He was at fault for at least two goals in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford – but here he was ensuring Manchester United held on for the win at St Mary's.

Tyrell Malacia:

There is a lot to like about the left-back – and it hasn't taken long for him to force his way into the starting line-up ahead of Luke Shaw.

Tenacious defensively and ambitious going forward, right now it is his position to lose.

United might have unearthed a gem in the Netherlands international, who cost just £13 million.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Harry Maguire:

Left out for the second game in succession after Ten Hag warned him the captaincy wouldn't guarantee a starting place.

These are early days in the season, but the signs aren't good for the England international – especially ahead of the World Cup.

Ten Hag wants to establish a consistent centre-back pairing and Varane and Martinez are the ones being given the chance to stake their claim.

Marcus Rashford:

Given another shot at the point of attack – but was nowhere near as effective as he was against Liverpool.

Looked lost at times in the first half and was barely a threat on goal.

Should have gambled to get in the box to meet a wicked cross from Eriksen, but was nowhere to be seen.

Cristiano Ronaldo:

That's three games out of the first four this season that Ronaldo has been left out of the starting line-up.

His lack of pre-season was the reason for his absence on the opening day of United's campaign against Brighton – but he has had three weeks since then to work on his conditioning.

He is now out of the team for tactical reasons, which will not sit well with the Portuguese legend.

Will he still be here when United are next in action – against Leicester on transfer deadline day?

Getty ImagesManchester United Ratings: Defence

David De Gea (7/10):

Stunning save denied Aribo from close range. Needed that after his nightmare at Brentford. Still a great shot-stopper.

Diogo Dalot (8/10):

Growing into his role as first choice right-back. Pushed high up to keep United on the front foot. Picked out a clever cross for Fernandes to score and late clearance also denied Southampton.

Raphael Varane (7/10):

Good anticipation in the air when Southampton were more direct – but had to rely on De Gea when allowing Aribo to get goal-side of him.

Lisandro Martinez (9/10):

Good aerially and utterly dominant on the ground. That Brentford game is well behind him now. Looks a fixture in the heart of defence.

Tyrell Malacia (7/10):

Loves to engage and threw himself into everything, either in the air or on the ground. Got forward well in support.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

@ManUtdMidfield

Scott McTominay (6/10):

Won some important headers in the air and tried to run beyond Southampton's midfield. Good energy and put in a defensive shift as United were pushed back late on.

Christian Eriksen (8/10):

Precise passes helped in congested areas – and his first half cross deserved to be finished by someone. Unfortunate to see effort blocked during goalmouth scramble.

Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

He is a game-changer and his goal did precisely that. Still questions over his use of the ball and ability to retain possession – but the quality of his finish was beyond doubt.

Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith was hilariously reminded postgame by players that he owes them a bottle of wine for keeping a clean sheet.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Charlotte FC defeat NYCFC 1-0Dean Smith earns win in MLS coaching debutManager shares hilarious moment with squad postgameWHAT HAPPENED?

After defeating New York City FC 1-0 Saturday evening, courtesy of an eight-minute winner from Adilson Malanda, the locker room was all smiles for Charlotte FC. New boss Dean Smith – who had stints across England with Aston Villa, Norwich City, Brentford and Leicester City – was joking with media postgame, while revealing a cheeky promise he made to his defenders.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementUSA Today Sports WHAT DEAN SMITH SAID

Speaking about the result postgame, while mentioning how happy he was with his defense on keeping a clean sheet, the Englishman dropped news that he promised his defense a bottle of wine if they kept the opposition scoreless…

Speaking to media, he said "they reminded me" in hilarious fashion.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Charlotte FC scraped into the playoffs last season, but underwhelmed across the board throughout the campaign. After parting ways with manager Christian Lattanzio, and eventually two Designated Players in Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak in the offseason, they're a re-invented side in 2024.

With Smith at the helm – and two open DP slots – anything now feels possible for the Eastern Conference side. However, first things first, they need to figure out what kind of Wine they'll be celebrating with Saturday evening…

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DEAN SMITH AND CHARLOTTE FC?

The CLT FC boss and his squad will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in week two of the MLS season. They'll be looking to make it six points from two matches as they travel to the Canadian side next Saturday.

Pakistan have recalled wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and former captain Shoaib Malik in their squad for the World Twenty20, which starts in Bangladesh in March

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2014Pakistan have recalled wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and former captain Shoaib Malik in their squad for the World Twenty20, which starts in Bangladesh in March.Malik last played a T20 for Pakistan in November 2013 against South Africa in the UAE but was dropped for the series against Sri Lanka. Akmal, meanwhile, has not been a part of Pakistan’s T20 playing XI since March last year.Pacer Mohammad Irfan has been left out of the squads for the Asia Cup and World T20, after injuring himself in a domestic game.The fast bowler had suffered a hairline fracture on his hip in early December and was ruled out of the series against Sri Lanka but had returned to competitive cricket recently. However, he aggravated the injury during a match in the ongoing T20 tournament. A medical assessment at the National Cricket Academy showed the bowler was unfit.”Irfan was left out as he fell and was injured again, and he needs some time for recovery,” Azhar Khan, the interim chief selector said.Asad Shafiq, who has scored just one fifty in his last 11 ODI innings was dropped from the Asia Cup squad in favour of Fawad Alam. Mohammad Talha, who is still uncapped in ODIs and T20s, was named in both squads following his performance in the Sharjah Test against Sri Lanka in January.Pakistan squad for Asia Cup: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad TalhaPakistan squad for World Twenty20: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Talha, Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad

Samit Patel claims not to have any thoughts of an England recall but after a stalemate at Taunton his Notts coach, and now England selector, Mick Newell, said it was too early to write him off

Alex Winter at Taunton07-May-2014
ScorecardSamit Patel has a clean slate, according to Mick Newell•Getty ImagesSamit Patel claims not to have any thoughts of an England recall but in this match gave the best impression of the potential that England could call upon in their new era under Peter Moores.Patel breezed his way past fifty on a particularly mediocre final day which brought personal satisfaction for Phil Jaques as he added 95 on the day to reach an unbeaten 150, but which long before his six-and-a-quarter hour stint was over was heading inexorably towards the second tame draw in succession at Taunton.Patel also had a second century in the match laid before him, only to sweep a full delivery from Johann Myburgh and be bowled for 75. But the innings continued a smart run of form that suggests, at 29, he may be approaching his peak. It is only 15 months ago since he last played for England.”I don’t think the door should be shut on Samit,” Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket and new England selector said. “He is a potential international cricketer still. He has been in and around the edges for a number of years. He has to score heavily and he needs his bowling to be of a level where he offers both I think, because of the potential for an allrounder who is a spin bowler rather than a seamer.”He is nearly 30 now, and he’s got to have an opportunity, but he has got to churn out regular scores. He has played very nicely in two innings this year – 90 against Lancashire when it was doing a lot, and the innings here. He’s a very attractive batsman to watch when he’s batting like that.”Newell described the England team as “more of a clean slate than it has been for a number of years” and suggested a number of players should be hopeful of a recall if they perform. Nick Compton being one of them. Discarded before the Ashes last summer, despite two centuries against New Zealand, Compton could be considered again with England requiring a new opener and potentially a No. 3 for the Sri Lanka Tests and India series to follow.”People who have played recently like Craig Kieswetter and Nick Compton will feel they have a good chance of playing,” Newell said. “And they certainly do. But it’s not just about scoring three hundreds to get in, it still comes down to opinion and belief as to who will score the most when you put them on to the bigger stage.”Here, Compton suffered a poor dismissal – caught behind cutting to the gentle seamers of Steven Mullaney for only 25 – but a century at Durham in the second match of the season could be the innings to fulfil the criteria Newell describes. Craig Kieswetter’s three dropped catches – he also put down Phil Jaques on the final day – were disappointing but with Johnny Bairstow not convincing as England’s next-best wicketkeeper and a fitness cloud around Matt Prior, Kieswetter could be one of a number of gloveman to consider.James Taylor, a player Newell has been able to keep a closer eye on, was similarly handled to Compton in being dropped by England without doing too much wrong. Taylor was again part of the England Lions touring party in the winter and enjoyed a strong tour of Sri Lanka including a first-class best 242 not out.”Both of them have had a taste, and both of them will feel they want some more,” Newell said. “That’s the whole challenge. If you want some more, you have to show everyone you really are hungry. You’ve got two blokes there who really love batting, who want to churn the runs out.”For the most part it is going to come down to scoring a volume of runs. Someone like Gary Ballance has pushed himself forward with the runs that he has got this season. The challenge to Nick and James is to make the volume but also to make the important innings, the match winning innings.”Taylor had little chance of a match-winning innings at Taunton on such a tame wicket that only yielded 23 wickets in four days but he was visibly disappointed to be lbw for just 5 three overs into a final day where Phil Jaques made a first century for his new county.”James is 23 going on 47 I think. He’s very mature, and he’s very well organised about how he goes about his practice and training – a pleasure to have in your team. He’s hitting the ball nicely, and I thought he was playing very well in his first innings. He feels he can compete with these guys for that middle order spot that might be going up for grabs.”

With the Brisbane Test against India less than a month away, Australia coach Darren Lehmann has indicated that “there’s a few things going on behind the scenes”, as the team look for a replacement captain to fill in for Michael Clarke, who could miss the

Daniel Brettig18-Nov-2014In Australia’s political capital, questions of leadership are never far from anyone’s mind. Whether it be the dismissal of Gough Whitlam’s government by the governor-general Sir John Kerr in 1975, Paul Keating’s lengthy battle to prise the Prime Ministership from Bob Hawke, or Kevin Rudd’s pact of mutually assured destruction with Julia Gillard, challenges, spills and outrages abound through Canberra’s history.So it is somewhat eerie to ponder Australia’s captaincy predicament this week. Darren Lehmann noted the irony of stewarding a team with a hamstrung captain in Michael Clarke, an ageing deputy in Brad Haddin, and an ODI stand-in leader in George Bailey who has faced speculation about his place in the team when not subbing in for the first choice. Asked about Canberra’s form for leadership tensions, Lehmann laughed.”That’s a good one. I like that. That’s the best question so far,” he said. “It’s fine. There’s no spill. Obviously there’s a few things going on behind the scenes, we just have to wait and see what happens with Michael in the next few days. In terms of the one-day setup, George is captain for this series and we’ve got to play well.”Clarke’s injury and his likely layoff to find a more lasting remedy for related back and hamstring issues has opened up the captaincy ambitions of more than a few men. Bailey, Haddin, Steven Smith and even Shane Watson have had reason to ponder their captaincy credentials in recent days, as the picture grew as murky as the results from scans on Clarke’s hamstring.Watson, Australia’s most recent Test captain other than Clarke, spoke with typical enthusiasm about the thought of leading the team once more, following his somewhat incongruous week as helmsman for the Delhi Test against India in 2013 – mere days after he was suspended from the Mohali Test for failing to hand in a homework assignment on time.”I wouldn’t say no, that’s for sure,” Watson said. “The time I’ve had the privilege of captaining Australia was certainly incredible to have that opportunity. It was an honour to be able to do it. But there’s a few people that are well in front of me to get the captaincy, so my most important thing is to try and be part of that first Test team in Brisbane.”While the team performance manager Pat Howard has made it clear that he will be recommending Haddin to replace Clarke in the likely event of his absence from the first Test in Brisbane, the likes of Bailey and Smith also have some stake in the matter. The former has become a far more regular ODI leader in direction proportion to Clarke’s increasing physical frailty, earning plaudits for his temperament and an ability to segue between lively batsman and locum leader.In Smith’s case, the future favours his eventual succession, and it was no less an authority than the former captain and now Cricket Australia board member Mark Taylor who questioned the 25-year-old on his leadership ambitions in Perth. After a respectful nod to the pending fitness of both Clarke and Haddin, Smith allowed himself to ponder.”If those two aren’t there they’ve got to make a decision and if they decide I’m the person to be in charge to lead that first Test I’d be comfortable doing it and hopefully I’d be able to do a good job as well,” Smith told Taylor. “I’ve had a few experiences in captaining with NSW and the Sixers and think I’ve done quite a good job with those as well. So it is something that I do enjoy doing, and if I do get the opportunity to do that one day it’ll be a dream come true.”Dreams and ambitions are invariably given more life in a vacuum, and Clarke’s uncertain status will allow plenty of thoughts to turn even briefly to leadership. Watson noted that the ODI team had been forced into getting accustomed to operating without Clarke for several years, from the 2012 West Indies tour and the 2013 Champions Trophy to the India trip later the same year that preluded the Ashes.”Unfortunately for Michael it has happened a couple of times within the one-day squad over the last year or so,” Watson said. “Even the Champions Trophy in England, we also had India last October-November when Michael wasn’t over there as well. George is getting some good experience about filling in and he’s doing a great job. George is an incredible guy. He knows the game very well and he’s leading very well. The group’s sort of had to get used to it a little bit.”But Watson also delivered perhaps the most reassuring words Clarke has heard all week, illustrating how in recent times the pair’s often fractious relationship has healed. In this there was evidence that Clarke had learned a thing or two over the course of his captaincy, and that it would be wasteful to have physical infirmity prevent him from making use of those lessons.”If he’s fit it’ll be a great thing,” Watson said. “He’s got an incredible record as a captain and a player as well. Everyone’s preference is for Michael to be captain and fully fir for that first Test. Certainly as a leader it’d leave a hole, but as a player as well. Whoever would get an opportunity would have the skill set to try and make up for that void that Michael would leave. But everyone’s got their fingers crossed everything will be right for Michael.”Clarke, then, is still polling strongly.

A round-up of the first day’s play of Group A second-round matches of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2013
ScorecardWasim Jaffer finished the day eight runs short of his 33rd Ranji Trophy hundred•FotocorpWasim Jaffer’s unbeaten 92 lifted Mumbai from a precarious 85 for 4 to the relative safety of 207 for 5 in their second-round match against Punjab in Chandigarh.Mumbai won the toss and opted to bat, but were jolted early on by fast bowler Siddarth Kaul, who dismissed opener Aditya Tare for 11. Kaustubh Pawar and Jaffer then led Mumbai’s slow recovery but the side stumbled against the Punjab bowling, losing three wickets for 26 runs within nine overs.Allrounder Suryakumar Yadav then struck a partnership with Jaffer and the pair put on 102 runs for the fifth wicket to resurrect Mumbai’s innings. Yadav, however, couldn’t build on his start and was dismissed by Yuvraj Singh for 44 off 82 balls. Jaffer, the batsman with the most number of Ranji centuries, was unbeaten on 92, as the umpires called off play early due to bad light. The Mumbai batsman will have a chance to score a record 33rd hundred on the second day.
ScorecardIn the six matches Venugopal Rao had played for Gujarat – his fourth Ranji team – he had meagre returns of 126 runs at 12.60. But in front of a crowd of about 6000 cheering the home team at a nearly packed Surat’s Lalbhai Contractor stadium against star-studded Delhi, Rao scored his first first-class century in almost six years to help Gujarat close the day on a relatively positive note despite Sumit Narwal’s sixth five-wicket haul.
ScorecardLeft-arm pacer S Aravind picked up 3 for 45 on his first-class comeback for Karnataka as they restricted Jharkhand to 214 for 5 on the first day of their match in Mysore.Aravind, who last played a first-class match for Karnataka in December 2011 before being sidelined by injury, struck early after Karnataka put Jharkhand in to bat. He dismissed opener Akash Verma for 13, but Jharkhand consolidated through a 92-run partnership for the second wicket between Jharkhand’s recent recruit Bhavik Thaker and opener Rameez Nemat.Thaker and Nemat were both dismissed by left-arm spinner KP Appanna, and Aravind had Ishank Jaggi caught behind in the 70th over. Aravind also broke a promising stand between Saurabh Tiwary and Shiv Gautam, dismissing the latter to leave Jharkhand at 214 for 5.Tiwary, who had undergone a shoulder surgery prior to the season, finished unbeaten on 43 off 94 balls, with five fours and a six and will be key for Jharkhand on the second day.
ScorecardSunny Singh and Avi Barot ground the Vidarbha bowlers, taking Haryana to a secure 235 for 4 on the first day of their Group A tie in Nagpur. Haryana won the toss and chose to bat, but had to contend with the loss of Nitin Saini and Abhimanyu Khod with having just passed 50.That was the only success Vidarbha enjoyed until the later overs of the day as Sunny and Avi Barot added 122 for the third wicket. Barot, who shifted to Haryana this season, scored 64 off 141 balls, including nine fours. Vidarbha dismissed Barot and Rahul Dalal quickly towards the end of the day, but still face a threat in Sunny, who remained unbeaten on 101 off 201 balls, his 13th first-class hundred.

With Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane consistently firing in Liverpool’s attack, Premier League clubs have plenty of reason to fear the league leaders but a recent report suggests the final piece of the attacking jigsaw is in their sights. 

Indeed, according to a recent report from Italian media outlet Il Messaggero, Liverpool are interested in signing Lazio’s Ciro Immobile and they had scouts in attendance on Sunday afternoon when he scored what proved to be a consolation goal to half the deficit against Napoli.

The same report claims that Lazio are understandably reluctant to sell their star player in January, and would only consider an ‘indecent’ 100 million euro (£88 million) proposal.

That Immobile has managed to score an incredible 81 goals in 113 appearances for Lazio can go a long way to explaining the extortionate asking price which has been quoted.

Klopp was in charge of Dortmund when Immobile moved to the club from Torino in a £15.5 million deal, but he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and ended his debut campaign with just three Bundesliga goals in 24 appearances.

A return of four goals from six Champions League appearances in the same season did not spare him from being selected on a list of the three biggest Dortmund flops in the past twenty years (as per Il Messaggero), and he returned to Italy with a point to prove when he joined Lazio in July 2016.

The progress Immobile has made in Italy suggests he would be a fantastic addition to Liverpool’s squad, offering an extra layer of competition at centre-forward to complete the attack.

A January deal is incredibly unlikely, particularly at £88 million, but the fact Liverpool sent scouts to San Paolo on Sunday to see Immobile in action suggests their interest is serious and a summer deal is something they are taking into deep consideration.

His presence would give Liverpool a more traditional centre-forward option as an alternative to the deeper-lying Firmino and the natural wide man Salah, lending Klopp the opportunity to shift his tactical approach in tight encounters while naturally bolstering Liverpool’s strength in depth.

The likes of Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi are clearly not up to the standard required to help Liverpool re-establish themselves as one of Europe’s most feared clubs, but replacing the aforementioned pairing by bringing Immobile to Anfield would give Klopp a complete set of options to chose from at centre-forward.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Sahara’s decision to pull Pune Warriors out of the IPL has thrown into question its pending payments to the franchise’s players

Amol Karhadkar21-May-2013Sahara’s decision to pull Pune Warriors out of the IPL has thrown into question its pending payments to the franchise’s players. The players’ contract stipulate that 35% of their salaries will be paid after the tournament ends.Senior batsman Robin Uthappa said he had no worries about payment, although at least three domestic players confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they hadn’t yet been paid their second instalment of 50%, which was due by May 1.”Sahara have never defaulted so far in the previous seasons,” Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo. “In fact, two out of the four instalments for this year have already come. The remaining two are scheduled to come in September and then November. They have always paid very well, and I have no doubt they will not falter.”Even though Sahara may have paid a few senior players the second instalment of their salaries, hardly any of the domestic uncapped players has been paid after the first instalment of 15%.”We just hope that whatever be the fallout between the owners and the board, our interests will be safeguarded,” a player said, requesting anonymity.A Sahara spokesperson said the domestic uncapped players had nothing to worry about. “Why should we falter the payment of those players especially when we are paying millions to the senior players,” the spokesperson said. “Remember, last year we even paid a senior professional like Yuvraj Singh his full contracted fee of $1.8 million even when he had could not play a single match due to his illness.”The BCCI, meanwhile, has decided to not let the players suffer for what it termed “the owners’ goof-up”. “The players’ payments will be adjusted from the franchise’s share of the central pool,” a board official said. “The board will deduct players’ payments before settling the share of their central pool revenue.”According to the IPL player contracts, a tripartite agreement between the player, the franchise and the board, players’ fees are supposed to be disbursed in four instalments. The first of 15% is due before the start of the season, the second of 50% before May 1, the third – a share of 20% – immediately after the conclusion of the Champions League Twenty20 and the remaining 15% before December 1.The coaching staff’s contracts, however, are bilateral, and it could not be ascertained whether the support staff’s dues were cleared. In the past two seasons, the coaching staff’s contract fees were settled after several reminders from the specialist coaches and rest of the support staff members.

A round-up of the second day’s play of the eighth-round Group C games of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Dwaraka Ravi Teja struck 17 fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 153•ESPNcricinfo LtdCenturies from Hanuma Vihari and Dwaraka Ravi Teja powered Hyderabad to 341 for 4 against Jammu & Kashmir at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground.Rain had deemed play impossible on day one, but once the game started on Monday, the visitors immediately made inroads, rallying to 109 for 1 thanks to a partnership of 87 for the second wicket between Akshath Reddy and Ravi Teja. Akshath fell for 49, but Ravi Teja and Vihari punished the bowling in a 203-run stand for the third wicket. Vihari was eventually dismissed for 109, having struck 18 fours, but Ravi Teja remained unbeaten on 153 with 17 fours and two sixes.
ScorecardFourteen wickets fell in Agartala on day two, as the match between Tripura and Andhra remained finely balanced.Tripura, who began the day 165 for 9, added 14 to their score in five overs before Paidikalwa Vijaykumar trapped Tushar Saha lbw in the 68th over. Andhra, in their reply, lost three quick wickets to stumble to 42 for 3. Bodapati Sumanth led the recovery with 55, but from 116 for 3, the visitors collapsed and were bundled out for 163. Seamer Rana Dutta finished with 5 for 51 – his best figures in first-class cricket – while Manisankar Murasingh grabbed three wickets.Tripura had secured a crucial 16-run first-innings lead, but Andhra clawed their way back into the game with three early wickets, leaving the hosts 20 for 3 heading into the penultimate day.
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Harshad Khadiwale and Ankit Bawne helped Maharashtra secure a first-innings lead of 91 against Himachal Pradesh in Pune. Having bowled Himachal out for 228 on the first day, Maharashtra began the second brightly with a 91-run opening stand between Khadiwale and Rohit Motwani. Rishi Dhawan dismissed Motwani in the 27th over to extend his tally in this season’s Ranji Trophy to 49 wickets, but Maharashtra carried on with a partnership of 70 between Khadiwale and Sangram Atitkar, who made 49.Himachal fought back with two quick wickets, but Bawne put on stands of 68 and an unbroken 82 with Khadiwale and Chirag Khurana respectively to lift the team to 319 for 4. Khadiwale struck 11 fours during his 92, while Bawne’s 76 not out included eight fours.
ScorecardMedium-pacer Nizar Niyas finished with a first-class personal-best of 6 for 82 to help Kerala secure a vital 31-run lead against Goa in Porvorim.Goa were a comfortable 132 for 1, thanks to a second-wicket stand of 117 between Amogh Sunil Desai and Sagun Kamat, who made 49 and 96 respectively. However, both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, and Goa failed to make the most of their start. None of their other batsmen made more than 20, as Niyas and Rohan Prem ran through Goa’s batting order to dismiss them for 242.Kerala’s openers Nikhilesh Surendran and VA Jagadeesh batted out one over of their second innings without losing a wicket.