عبر لاعب منتخب كرواتيا وبرشلونة السابق، إيفان راكيتيتش، عن حزنه الشديد لاقتراب نهاية رحلة لوكا مودريتش مع نادي ريال مدريد، مؤكدًا أن غيابه سيمثّل فراغًا كبيرًا يصعب تعويضه في صفوف الفريق الملكي.
وفي تصريحات عبر برنامج “El Partidazo” الإسباني، قال راكيتيتش: “شعرت بحزن كبير، لأننا جميعًا نريد الاستمتاع بما يقدمه مودريتش، ولكن في ريال مدريد تحديدًا، من الصعب جدًا تخيل الفريق من دونه”.
وأضاف نجم برشلونة السابق: “ريال مدريد كان يضم دائمًا لاعبين كبار مثل كريستيانو رونالدو وسيرجيو راموس، لكن مودريتش كان مختلفًا، لقد نال محبة الجميع”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تشابي ألونسو يتحدث عن استعدادات ريال مدريد لـ كأس العالم للأندية.. ويوجه طلبًا للجماهير
وتحدث راكيتيتش عن آخر لقاء جمعه بقائد منتخب كرواتيا، وقال: “تحدثت معه، وكان من الواضح أنه يعيش حالة وجدانية قوية، لوكا بحاجة إلى ريال مدريد، وكذلك العكس، رؤيته قبل يومين فقط من إحدى المباريات وهو يقول انتهى الأمر، انتهى الأمر، كان مشهدًا صعبًا”.
وتابع لاعب إشبيلية السابق متأثرًا: “ما حدث كان جميلًا، أول مرة نشاهد فيها رئيس ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز، في المدرجات والدموع في عينيه، الأمر أحزنني كثيرًا”.
وختم راكيتيتش حديثه برسالة شخصية وجهها إلى مودريتش: “قلت له عبر الهاتف، أتمنى أن يستمر في الاستمتاع بكرة القدم، وأن يقود منتخبنا الوطني نحو كأس العالم، رحيله عن مدريد فاجأني حقًا، لكن الأهم بالنسبة لي كصديق، هو أن يكون سعيدًا”.
Leeds United went through the January transfer window, which closed for business at the start of this month, without making an addition to their first-team squad.
The Whites were reportedly looking at potential signings to come in and bolster their squad, however, as they were said to be interested in a deal to sign Emiliano Buendia on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa.
Bayer Leverkusen eventually swooped in to sign the Argentina international on loan from the Villans, which ended Daniel Farke’s chances of a reunion with the former Norwich playmaker.
Farke and his team have been flying without any extra help, from Buendia or anyone else, as they smashed Watford 4-0 away from home in their last match in the Championship.
The West Yorkshire outfit are now five points clear of Burnley in third place, and two ahead of Sheffield United in second, as they aim to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Despite there still being plenty of football left to be played, Leeds are reportedly looking ahead to the summer transfer window and who they could bring in to bolster their squad for a season in the top-flight.
Leeds eyeing German forward
The recruitment team at Thorp Arch are already hard at work to identify targets who could come in to improve Farke’s options across the pitch to deal with the step up to Premier League football.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are now one of a number of clubs eyeing up Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn ahead of a potential swoop for his services at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report claims that Premier League sides Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion have both sent scouts to watch the left-footed forward in action this season, whilst other unnamed teams in England and abroad are interested in the attacker.
TEAMtalk adds that the Whites have a long-standing interest in the former Bayern Munich academy star and that they will have a chance to secure his signature if they win promotion out of the Championship this season.
The outlet reveals, though, that Celtic are not going to let the German dynamo leave without a fight and that they want a club-record fee of £26m from any team looking to sign Kuhn in the summer transfer window.
Transfer Focus
It also states that Leeds have an interest in Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer, Manchester City playmaker James McAtee, and Krasnodar star Eduard Spertsyan, which shows that they have plenty of targets that they are ready to pursue upon promotion later this year.
Leeds are fully aware of how difficult the jump from the Championship to the Premier League is, which is why they will need to get their recruitment spot on, and current star Dan James is a great example of the difference between the two divisions.
The duality of Dan James
The Wales international’s career at Leeds is the perfect example of how big the gap between the Championship and the Premier League is, if you look at his production at the top end of the pitch.
James joined the Whites from Manchester United on a permanent deal in the summer of 2021 and ended his first season with a return of four goals and four assists in 34 appearances in the top-flight.
The 27-year-old flop was then sent out on loan to Fulham for the 2022/23 campaign and only managed a haul of two goals and one assist for the Cottagers, before returning to Elland Road to play in the Championship.
Dan James
Premier League (Leeds + Fulham)
Championship (Leeds)
Appearances
58
66
Goals
6
23
Big chances created
8
26
Assists
5
13
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, James has been incredibly more productive at the top end of the pitch at Championship level in comparison to his form in the Premier League with Leeds and Fulham.
These statistics suggest that he is more suited to second division football and that, despite his impressive form this season, he could be one of the players who Farke needs to sign an upgrade on in the summer transfer window.
Why Nicolas Kuhn could be a Dan James
Signing Kuhn from Celtic could ensure that the German head coach has the upgrade that he needs on the right flank, as his form in Scotland this season suggests that he has the potential to offer more than the Welshman.
Nicolas Kuhn
The left-footed wizard has racked up an eye-catching return of 17 goals and 12 assists in 34 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far this term.
That is particularly impressive when you consider that Leeds’ top-scorer, Joel Piroe, has only managed 14 goals and six assists in 34 matches for the Whites this season.
This illustrates how big of a threat Kuhn could be for the Whites at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals, in comparison to both Piroe and James.
There could be questions raised about the quality of the Scottish Premiership compared to the Premier League, but the German winger has also excelled in the Champions League for Brendan Rodgers this term – playing against the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa, and RB Leipzig.
24/25 Champions League
Nicolas Kuhn
Appearances
9
xG
0.88
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has produced six goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in nine appearances in Europe’s premier cup competition for the Hoops this season.
The 25-year-old star, who was once hailed as “magical” by Rodgers, is also unfortunate not to be on three goals in the Champions League, as he had a strike chalked off because of Adam Idah being ‘involved’ with play in an offside position against Bayern Munich.
Overall, Kuhn has shown that he has the quality to make a difference at the top end of the pitch against some of Europe’s best teams, whilst he has also been on fire across all competitions for Celtic, as shown by his return of 29 goals and assists.
The left-footed wizard has the potential to come in as a big upgrade on Dan James, who has consistently struggled against high-quality opposition in the Premier League, and as a bigger goal threat than Piroe, who he has outscored in all competitions this season.
Leeds now in transfer talks to sell "League One" level player for just £5m
The transfer window has only just closed, but a permanent exit out of Leeds could be on the cards.
ByBrett Worthington Feb 13, 2025
Therefore, Farke should push for the recruitment team to win the race for the former Bayern starlet’s signature if Leeds secure promotion to the top-flight ahead of the summer.
While acknowledging Guptill’s contributions, the NZ captain was clear it was time to give Allen a run of games ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup
Shashank Kishore15-Nov-2022
Finn Allen and Devon Conway look set to be New Zealand’s first-choice opening combination in white-ball cricket•ICC via Getty Images
Playing a high-profile series within days of finishing a World Cup isn’t new to New Zealand. Last year, within hours of playing the T20 World Cup final against Australia in Dubai, they were en route to India for a T20I series.This year, they’ve had an “extra day or two” following their semi-final loss to Pakistan. The only difference this time is, they will be playing at home against India, with the first of the three T20Is beginning in Wellington on Friday.Related
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NZC agrees to release Trent Boult from central contract
Beginning a home summer with the shortest format, especially with a 50-over World Cup coming up in less than a year, could be seen as a sign of commerce taking priority over conventional wisdom. However, Kane Williamson believes, with world events coming thick and fast, teams are perpetually in a state of trying to find the right balance, format notwithstanding.And that’s exactly what New Zealand have tried to address in picking their white-ball squads for the India series. The “crystal-ball gazing” – as head coach Gary Stead described – towards next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India has well and truly begun, and it has had a massive bearing on the Williamson-led squad.Devon Conway has cemented his position as a reliable option up top, and New Zealand are gung-ho about 23-year-old Finn Allen partnering him. What that means for Martin Guptill’s bid to play in a fourth ODI World Cup is anybody’s guess, but Williamson acknowledged that he was “one of New Zealand’s best white-ball players”, while also elaborating on the strengths Allen brings to the table.Trent Boult and James Neesham have declined NZC contracts for different reasons•ICC via Getty Images
“Finn’s a very exciting talent, it’s been great to see him in the side and expressing himself,” Williamson said at a media interaction organised by . “You mentioned that Australian game [New Zealand’s T20 World Cup opener in Sydney] where he made an amazing contribution, and it went a long way in us getting ahead of the game. That’s a real strength of his, it’s natural for him in terms of how he plays.”Being so young as well, you see so much potential and talent and getting more cricket under his belt is only going to be more helpful to nurturing that and continuing his upward trend as a player. He’s looking forward to this series as well. He certainly goes out with the intention of playing very aggressively and playing his game, has a lot of conviction in how he wants to go about it. It’s been great to see and am sure that will continue.”Delving further into team specifics, Williamson admitted that Trent Boult’s absence from the squad despite being available for selection was a reflection of the circumstances around his decision to opt out of New Zealand Cricket’s annual retainer, but he suggested it was by no means a full stop to his international career. The selectors have prioritised players with central contracts as they begin to look ahead.”Obviously with the moving landscape we’re presented with at the moment, players have made a number of different decisions,” Williamson said. “Trent, being a big part of our team, has done that. Although available, he’s got a few other things to focus on within the next period of time. There’s an opportunity at the moment with other guys on the fringe to get some opportunity and for us building and growing as a team is really important, but it’s all a bit new as well and there’s a lot of learning to be had over the next period, but Trent’s obviously a big part of the New Zealand cricket environment and has been for a long time. I think it’s going to be an important thing to learn and understand how it looks over the next period.”Adam Milne returns to the ODI set-up for the first time since 2017, having battled through several injuries. With Kyle Jamieson still recovering from a back injury, the other pace slots have gone to Tim Southee, Matt Henry (ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner.”Adam Milne has been a really strong performer for a number of years, unfortunately had a few injuries along the way,” Williamson said. “He’s a super-talented athlete when fully fit and diving. Great to have him in the squad, he’s ready to go, great addition. Blair Tickner has been more involved in the last few years in a number of formats, so the bowling depth is reasonably strong and it’s nice to see some of these guys get a few opportunities.”Mitchell Santner is the only frontline spinner in New Zealand’s ODI squad•AFP/Getty Images
Allrounder James Neesham finds himself in the mix despite not having a contract, but his situation is different to Boult’s. When Neesham wasn’t offered a central contract, he began looking at prospective T20 deals around the world. But with Colin de Grandhomme retiring, Neesham was presented with a contract, which he had to decline since he had already secured T20 deals.Elsewhere, in picking just one frontline spinner in Mitchell Santner in their ODI squad (although they also have the allrounder Michael Bracewell), New Zealand have given a peek into their horses-for-courses approach as they build into the series. “I’ve always been a believer that addressing what’s in front of you is a pretty good place to start in terms of preparation, and as you get further down the line you start changing that focus,” Williamson explained. “Tournament sport, as we’ve seen in the T20 World Cup, you’ve to adjust and look to pivot and make those changes quickly.”There’s a lot of planning that goes into that, as a team, focusing on plans important to you in terms of continuing to grow and trend in the right direction is really important. The one-day cricket we have between now and then is valuable in terms of trying to do that.”At a personal level, Williamson seemed reasonably happy with where his fitness is, having battled a troublesome elbow injury for over two years. He reiterated his focus and drive to be involved in all three formats at the moment, even though New Zealand have just ended one T20 World Cup cycle.”The elbow is improving, it certainly took quite a long time, but I’m feeling a lot better now,” he said. “I think as a player, generally certain things in life change and when you get further down the line, you’re always looking to make decisions based on making sure you stay fresh.”I certainly love playing all formats and the challenges those bring, and at the same time with such a high volume of cricket, there’s a balance to strike. Maybe less in terms of specific formats, more in terms of how you do manage your time to the best of your ability. There’s a lot on and that’s for a lot of players around the world. Need to make sure there’s that freshness and balance.”
Thomas Muller is reportedly set to close his chapter with Bayern Munich this summer, and the MLS has long been touted to be his next destination.
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Muller to leave Bayern when contract expiresHas been linked with a move to MLS side LAFCTalks advancing as LAFC promise additional perksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
A move to the United States is reportedly getting closer for Muller, who is set to continue his career after his controversial departure from Bayern Munich. This is according to the podcast 'Bayern Insider'. According to reports, the veteran player appears to have taken a liking to MLS club Los Angeles FC, which has long been considered Muller's most likely destination due to their partnership with the German record champions.
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Bayern are intensifying efforts to facilitate Muller's potential move to LAFC, with Jochen Sauer — Campus director and head of Red&Gold Football, the club’s joint venture with LAFC — spearheading the initiative. Sauer, a key figure in Bayern’s international strategy and instrumental in placing players like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in MLS, is said to be leading the push behind the scenes.
As part of the campaign to convince Muller, Sauer recently presented the 35-year-old with a detailed vision of life in Los Angeles, both on and off the pitch. The proposal includes a home in Beverly Hills and access to some of the city’s top golf courses — an added appeal for Muller, an avid golfer. The club is also offering him a role as a brand ambassador, positioning his move as a strategic effort to boost Bayern’s visibility and influence in the U.S. market.
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Meanwhile, Muller is also highly sought after by league rivals Chicago Fire and Japanese club Vissel Kobe. According to reports, he is not interested in a move to Italy. There had recently been rumours of an offer from Fiorentina. However, the podcast states that the Munich veteran would definitely choose Los Angeles if he does continue playing. A decision is expected to be made shortly.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR THOMAS MULLER?
However, Muller will first finish the season with Bayern and, in all likelihood, celebrate his 13th championship title. He will also be part of the team for the expanded Club World Cup. Like the World Cup the following year, the tournament will be held in the United States.
In order to complete the transfer, Los Angeles FC would probably have to pay a transfer fee. As is customary in the MLS for signings from abroad, FC Cincinnati have secured the so-called 'discovery rights' to Muller and thus have the right of first refusal on a transfer. However, Muller is said to have already turned down the club.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have released Kane Williamson, their captain and most expensive player during the 2022 IPL campaign. The New Zealand captain spent eight years at the franchise, scoring 2101 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 126.03. He played 76 matches for Sunrisers and captained them 46 times.Letting go of Williamson will free up a significant chunk of Sunrisers’ purse ahead of the 2023 auction as they look to rebuild after a disappointing 2022 campaign where they finished eighth on the points table on the 10-team table with only six wins in 14 games. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Sunrirsers will keep their options open about buying back Williamson at the auction.Related
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Williamson was one of three players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 auction: Sunrisers spent INR 14 crore – the highest price paid to retain an overseas player in the IPL – to keep hold of him, and INR 4 crore each to retain Abdul Samad and Umran Malik.Sunrisers’ move to make Williamson their first retained player was a contentious one. It meant the franchise let go of the Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan, who it is learned wanted to be the first retention pick having been a serial match-winner for them.But Sunrisers prized Williamson’s skills as top-order anchor and captain. In the absence of David Warner – who was serving a one-year ban imposed by Cricket Australia for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering episode – Williamson had led Sunrisers to the IPL final in 2018, a season when he finished as the IPL’s most prolific batter with 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 142.44. When Sunrisers’ long relationship with Warner soured midway through the 2021 season, they made Williamson their full-time captain.As things turned out, the 2022 season was a struggle for Williamson with the bat. Nursing a troublesome elbow condition, he scored 216 runs in 13 innings at an average of 19.63 and a strike rate of 93.50. Of all batters who faced at least 100 balls in the tournament, his strike rate was the worst. His performance had a bearing on Sunrisers’ overall season as well.
Some big clubs are in very real danger of missing out on next season's competition, which would represent a serious financial blow
This hasn't been an especially vintage year for thrilling title races in Europe's top leagues – despite the fact that the Serie A scrap between Napoli and Inter could go right to the wire (a Scudetto play-off is even a distinct possibility!), while Real Madrid could close on La Liga leaders Barcelona by winning at Montjuic on Sunday week.
However, Arne Slot's relentless Liverpool side turned the Premier League into a procession this season, perennial French champions Paris Saint-Germain once again ran away with Ligue 1, while Bayern Munich will almost certainly reclaim their Bundesliga crown from Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.
Still, it's not as if the final few weeks of the 2024-25 campaign will be devoid of drama – not with Champions League qualification arguably more important than ever before for financial reasons. Below, GOAL breaks down the fierce battles we're seeing across the continent for the right to sit at Europe's top table next season…
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Premier League
With Liverpool having opened up an unassailable 15-point lead at the top of the table last Sunday, and the relegation of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton already confirmed, Premier League followers are extremely grateful for the fact that there are still Champions League spots still up for grabs.
Of course, Arsenal (67 points) should finish second, even if their ongoing involvement in continental competition has affected their domestic form of late. However, that still leaves three berths up for grabs, given England's top five all qualify for next season's Champions League.
Third-placed Newcastle (62) have been in fine form since stunning Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup, which led to an incredible release of tension on Tyneside, but Eddie Howe's men have a rough run-in, including trips to the Amex and the Emirates. Manchester City (61), by contrast, don't have any difficult games left – at least on paper – and Pep Guardiola undoubtedly has the strongest squad to choose from, particularly after the state-sponsored club's January spending spree.
Fifth-placed Chelsea (60) are hanging in there in spite of Cole Palmer's dreadful dip in productivity, while surprise package Nottingham Forest (60) can climb from sixth to third if they win their game in hand against Brentford on Thursday.
Aston Villa (57) down in seventh shouldn't be written off just yet, but Unai Emery's men have had the wind knocked out of them by devastating setbacks against PSG in the Champions League, Manchester City in the Premier League and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.
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Bundesliga
Things are getting very interesting in Germany, with both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in real danger of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Freiburg are the main reason why, with Julian Schuster's surprise challengers clinging on to fourth spot with 51 points after recovering from a poor run of results by winning three games on the spin. However, they're still only two points ahead of Leipzig (49), and just three clear of Dortmund (48), going into Sunday's clash with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
On the plus side, Xabi Alonso's men might not have anything to play for at the Europa-Park Stadion if Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich win at the Red Bull Arena the day before – which would obviously also represent a big boost to Freiburg's hopes of holding off Leipzig.
Dortmund, though, are the real dangermen. They host Wolfsburg at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday evening, meaning Niko Kovac's resurgent side could be level on points with Freiburg by the time they take to the field to face Leverkusen. BVB still have to travel to the BayArena themselves, but they're finishing the season strongly (13 points from their last five games) and will be confident of capitalising on any slip-up from Freiburg, whom they've hammered both home and away this season.
Looking slightly further down the table, Mainz (47) are still in contention, in theory, but their form has fallen off a cliff over the past month, and while Werder Bremen (46) are going really well now, they may have left it just a tad too late to crash the top-four party. Still, things could get very interesting if they were to beat Leipzig at home on matchday 33, the penultimate weekend of the season…
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Serie A
The situation in Serie A is simply insane. With just four rounds remaining, there are just three points separating Juventus (62) in the final Champions League spot in fourth, and eight-placed Fiorentina (59).
As one of the biggest clubs in Italy, the Bianconeri would normally be favourites to get over the line. However, it's been a trying season for the Old Lady, who sacked Thiago Motta in March and replaced him with Igor Tudor, and their next couple of games are away from home against two of their top-four rivals, in Bologna (fifth, with 61 points) and Lazio (seventh with 60).
Roma, meanwhile,sit sixth (also 60 points) and are arguably the form team in Serie A right now, with Claudio Ranieri's side unbeaten in the league since before Christmas. The Giallorossi don't have any particularly straightforward fixtures, but they upset Inter at San Siro last weekend and beating Fiorentina at home on Sunday would only add to their momentum.
It's also worth noting that Roma go to Bergamo on May 12 to face third-placed Atalanta, who are only three points above Juve, meaning Gian Piero Gasperini's men could yet get swallowed up by the chasing pack, thus turning this into a titanic six-team tussle for two Champions League berths.
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Ligue 1
PSG's fourth-consecutive Ligue 1 title may have been in the bag before the season even began, but it's looking like the fight for a top-four finish will go right until the final weekend, as there's just a four-point gap between Marseille (58) in second and Strasbourg in seventh (54).
The presumption all along was that Roberto De Zerbi's side would finish as runners-up, but that's no longer a given whatsoever, particularly as OM must travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday to face third-placed Lille (56), who have won four of their last five games.
Monaco (55) and Lyon (54), in fourth and fifth, respectively, also remain very much in the mix, and the outcome of their showdown at the Stade Louis II on matchday 33 could well prove decisive.
The team to really keep an eye on, though, is sixth-placed Nice (54), as the only team to have beaten PSG this season have a relatively soft set of fixtures – at least compared to their rivals – and could easily force their way into the top four before the season's end…
Bangladesh slipped from 128 for 4 to 136 for 9 before a last-wicket stand took them through
Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Dec-20222:14
Jaffer: India would be disappointed with their batting display having played nine batters
An astonishing, unbroken last-wicket stand of 51 between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman snatched victory from India in a low-scoring potboiler of endless plot twists at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, giving Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.Bangladesh dominated large swathes of the game. They bundled India out for 186 on a tricky pitch courtesy Shakib Al Hasan’s guile and Ebadot Hossain’s short ball, which had combined for nine wickets after Litton Das had chosen to bowl on a pitch that he felt might be “a little sticky”. The stickiness persisted through the chase, but Bangladesh were well on course in the 35th over, with 59 needed off 91 balls with six wickets in hand, and with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at the crease.India fined for slow over rate
India have been fined 80% of their match fee for their slow over rate during the first ODI in Mirpur. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed the sanction after ruling that India were four overs short of the target after taking time allowances into consideration. According to Article 2.22 of the ICC code of conduct, players are fined 20% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. India captain Rohit Sharma pled guilty to the offence and accepted the sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Michael Gough and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel levelled the charge.
Bangladesh dominated to that point, but they had no business winning the game after Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and the debutant Kuldeep Sen combined to turn 128 for 4 to 136 for 9 in the space of 26 balls.But Mehidy, their last recognised batter, was still at the crease, and Mustafizur, their No. 11, showed he’s a vastly improved presence in the lower order.It was Mustafizur who kicked the partnership into gear, hitting Bangladesh’s first boundary in 105 balls with a punch through the covers off Siraj. Mehidy farmed the strike for most part thereafter, and went after the boundaries with nothing-to-lose abandon. He carved behind point, scooped to fine leg, punched, and pulled; and as the target neared, India’s fielding disintegrated.KL Rahul – wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant’s absence – ran all the way to deep backward square leg and put down a top-edged hook; Washington Sundar, at deep third, lost sight of a miscued uppercut and watched the ball fall harmlessly to the ground; Deepak Chahar fumbled a throw and conceded a second that allowed Mehidy to get back on strike; Washington let the ball slip past him and the square-leg boundary in a botched attempt at a sliding stop.By the time India had Mustafizur on strike for the first ball of an over, Bangladesh only needed 14, and Thakur couldn’t budge him, conceding a deftly tickled boundary to fine leg in the process.Shakib Al Hasan finished with 5 for 36•WaltonA fierce cut from Mehidy off the first ball of the next over, the 46th, brought it down to four runs required, but there was still time left for nerves to jangle. The third umpire was called upon to adjudicate a direct hit from Rohit Sharma at midwicket when the batters looked to sneak a tight single, and NOT OUT appeared on the big screen to blow the roof off the stadium and level the scores. Chahar brought all his fielders into the circle now, but Mehidy could still spot a gap, driving over cover point to seal a most improbable win.If that last-wicket stand – which came at close to eight runs an over – was an outlier event in a match where the runs came at just under 4.3 while 19 wickets fell in 87.2 overs, there was another earlier in the day – Rahul’s 73 off 70 balls.It was a conditions-defying innings, because this pitch was difficult in multiple ways, with the spinners enjoying natural variation and the fast bowlers getting inconsistent bounce.The help for the spinners was evident as early as the fourth over, when Mehidy ripped his first ball past Shikhar Dhawan’s outside edge before dismissing him in his next over with one that kept going with the angle to defeat the reverse sweep and ricochet onto the stumps off chest and glove.Shakib came on as soon as the first powerplay ended, and struck with his second ball. He delivered it with plenty of undercut to try and exploit the inconsistent turn, and Rohit, playing for turn, was bowled between bat and pad. Until then, the India captain had looked fluent, getting to 27 at close to a run a ball with four fours – including two gorgeous back-foot punches – and a pulled six.Two balls after dismissing Rohit, Shakib had his second, slowing his pace down to induce an uppish drive from Virat Kohli, but the ball went clean off the middle of the bat and would have run away for four had Litton, diving full-length to his right at short extra-cover, not plucked it out of the air one-handed.From 49 for 3, India recovered through two partnerships that were cut short just as they promised to grow into substantial proportions. Shreyas Iyer made 24 and seemed to be carrying on the form he showed on the New Zealand tour, only to fall to the short ball; Ebadot gaining extra bounce to produce the top-edge as the batter looked to drag a pull from outside off stump.KL Rahul scored quickly, but got almost no support from the other batters•WaltonWashington was then part of a fifth-wicket stand of 60 off 75 balls, but most of the run-scoring came from Rahul’s end. When Washington attempted to break free – he faced 43 balls and didn’t hit a boundary – he reverse-swept Shakib straight to backward point.India were playing four allrounders including Washington, which gave them plenty of notional depth, but as things turned out, Nos. 7, 8 and 9 lasted just 10 balls between them. Shakib caught Shahbaz Ahmed at cover, off Ebadot, and dismissed the other two, and those two wickets showed just how tricky it was to face him on this pitch.Both balls pitched in roughly the same area, on a good length and close to off stump with a bit of initial in-drift, and Thakur and Chahar offered roughly similar defensive responses, only for the former to be bowled past the outside edge and the latter to be lbw, beaten on the inside edge.All this while, Rahul had looked significantly more secure than any of his team-mates, and had given the Bangladesh bowlers little room for error with their lengths, sweeping productively against the spinners and pouncing on the pull and cut when the quicks had dropped marginally short.With India eight down, he played the shot of his innings, extending his follow-through ever so slightly on a drive to loft Ebadot over mid-off and onto the boundary cushions. Two balls later, Rahul stepped across to help the ball to the fine-leg boundary. India were into the 170s now and still only in the 40th over of their innings.Their hopes of going past 200, however, crashed in the same over, as Ebadot pounded the pitch with another short ball; Rahul took on the pull, but the ball got big on him, and that was that. Ebadot ended the innings in his next over, another short ball completing a maiden four-wicket haul in just his second ODI.
O Flamengo está escalado para enfrentar o Cuiabá no Maracanã, às 20h30 desta quarta-feira, em partida válida pela 12ª rodada do Brasileirão. As principais novidades são as presenças dePablo, Ayrton Lucas, João Gomes e Arrascaeta no time titular.
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>Andreas Pereira está a cinco jogos do fim do vínculo com o Fla
Dessa forma, Dorival Júnior definiu o Flamengo com: Diego Alves; Matheuzinho, David Luiz, Pablo e Ayrton Lucas; João Gomes, Andreas Pereira, Arrascaeta e Everton Ribeiro; Bruno Henrique e Gabigol.
VEJA AFICHA TÉCNICA DO JOGO Flamengo x Cuiabá
Estádio: Maracanã, em Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Data e hora: 15 de junho de 2022, às 20h30 Árbitro: Savio Pereira Sampaio (FIFA/DF) Assistentes: Alessandro Alvaro Rocha de Matos (FIFA/BA) e Daniel Henrique da Silva Andrade (DF) Quarto árbitro: Philip Georg Bennett (RJ) VAR: Rafael Traci (SC) Onde assistir: Premiere e em Tempo Real no LANCE!/Voz do Esporte
اعتمد مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم في اجتماعه اليوم السبت، برئاسة هاني أبو ريدة جهاز فني لقيادة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب القادمة التي تقام نهاية العام الجاري.
وسيشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب، التي تقام في قطر، في نسختها الثانية، وتبدأ في 1 ديسمبر وتختتم بالنهائي في 18 ديسمبر.
وكانت قرعة كأس العرب، قد أقيمت في قطر، يوم الأحد الماضي، وأسفرت عن وقوع منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة مع الأردن والإمارات والفائز من المباراة التأهيلية بين الكويت وموريتانيا.
طالع | بالأسماء.. 8 لاعبين على رادار منتخب مصر للمشاركة في كأس العرب 2025
ويأتي قرار اتحاد الكرة المصري، بتكوين جهاز فني بقيادة حلمي طولان ومعه أحمد حسن مديرًا للمنتخب وعصام الحضري مدربًا للحراس، بعد رفض حسام حسن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر خوض البطولة في وقت الاستعداد لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا بالمغرب. بيان اتحاد الكرة بشأن الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر في كأس العرب
اعتمد مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم في اجتماعه اليوم برئاسة المهندس هاني أبو ريدة توصية اللجنة الفنية بتعيين الكابتن حلمي طولان مديرا فنيا وأحمد حسن مديرا للمنتخب الوطني المشارك في بطولة كأس العرب المقرر اقامتها في الدوحة خلال ديسمبر المقبل ، بالإضافة إلى ممدوح محمدي ومحمد نور مدربين عامين وعصام الحضري مدربا لحراس المرمى.
كما قرر مجلس الإدارة تعيين الكابتن محمود فايز مشرفا على محللي الآداء بالاتحاد والكابتن عصام الحضري مشرفاً على مدربي حراس مرمى المنتخبات الوطنية عدا المنتخب الأول.
وقرر مجلس الإدارة اعتبار جلسته مفتوحة لمراجعة البرامج الفنية للمنتخبات الوطنية لوضع الموازنات المالية لذلك، واستكمال مناقشة اجراءات القيد للموسم الجديد.
There are only a few hours left to go before the January transfer window officially slams shut and Aston Villa are still looking to add to their squad.
The Villans confirmed the exciting capture of Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United, with an option to make it permanent, at the weekend.
They have also officially completed the signing of Paris Saint-Germain forward Marco Asensio on loan until the end of the season to further bolster their attacking options.
The former Real Madrid man and Rashford may not be the only players to follow Donyell Malen in making the move to Villa, however, as they are reportedly in the market for another defender.
Aston Villa pushing for defensive addition
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa are ‘pushing’ to seal a last-gasp deal for Villarreal central defender Juan Foyth before the deadline.
Transfer Focus
The reporter claims that the Villans want to bring in another defender before the end of the January transfer window and they have identified Unai Emery’s former player as their target.
Bailey reveals that a move for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi, who is not involved in their clash with West Ham United in the Premier League tonight, is off the table and that has opened the door for them to pursue Foyth.
However, the journalist states that a deal for the Argentina international is a ‘very’ hard move to get over the line, potentially given how late in the window it is.
Why Aston Villa should sign Juan Foyth
The Villans should push as hard as possible to secure the Villarreal enforcer’s services in the coming hours because he could be a dream alternative to Disasi, who has struggled for Chelsea.
Foyth missed 19 matches with a knee injury, which he returned from in December, but has been a solid performer when called upon by the LaLiga outfit this term, and was last season.
Like Disasi, the former Tottenham Hotspur man is a versatile defender who can be called upon at right-back or centre-back, which suits the way Emery rotates his defensive options – providing cover in the hybrid right-back role.
The World Cup winner started 12 matches in LaLiga in the 2023/24 campaign and made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game without making a single error that led to a shot, goal, or penalty for the opposition.
24/25 season
Foyth (LaLiga)
Disasi (Premier League)
Appearances
5
6
Error led to shot/goal
0
1
Ground duel success rate
50%
44%
Aerial duel success rate
68%
71%
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.8
1.5
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
0.8x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Foyth has largely outperformed Disasi at league level in their limited appearances so far this season for their respective teams.
The Villarreal man could be less of a liability for Villa, from a defensive perspective, as he has not made as many direct errors and has been dribbled past far less frequently.
Therefore, the £32k-per-week ace, who also has the advantage of having worked with Emery in the past, would be a dream alternative to Disasi if they can get a deal over the line tonight.