Bangladesh, who swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series, will go into the ODI series high on confidence

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025

Big picture: a rare ODI face-off after deluge of T20Is

Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to fight the same adversary in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday: rustiness.Afghanistan last played an ODI eight months ago, in the 2025 Champions Trophy, and even that game was washed out, so they have played just two ODIs this year. Bangladesh have played six, but the last one was in July. Not as bad as their opponents, of course, but they have lost four of these games and won just one.This irregularity in playing ODIs affects how the XIs are chosen.Afghanistan have dropped Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad based on their Asia Cup – in the T20 format – performance. Hashmatullah Shahidi continues to lead, with Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal forming the batting core.Azmatullah Omarzai is their ODI star with bat and ball, so he will have to shoulder a significant workload. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi will lead the bowling attack, alongside newcomers like Bashir Ahmad and Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made their T20I debuts earlier this week.Related

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• Simmons happy with Bangladesh's 'exciting, aggressive' style

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have a squad that’s based on their big-picture plan for the 2027 ODI World Cup. It means Mehidy Hasan Miraz continues as captain, with Najmul Hossain Shanto back in the picture. There will be hope that some of the batters bring their T20I form into the ODI arena. Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan looked good in the recent 3-0 win against Afghanistan and will be relied upon.The battle will be between Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan for the three middle-order spots. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman will lead the bowling attack, while it will be interesting to see whether Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam are both picked in the XI or not.Bangladesh would like to ride on the momentum of the T20I series sweep, while Afghanistan must get out of their five-match losing streak across formats. It is likely to be a closely fought series, but the rustiness could mean a lot of errors – in the planning and in the field – as they go adjusting to the format.

Form guide

Afghanistan WLWWW
Bangladesh LWLLLRashid Khan will depend a lot on Azmatullah Omarzai in either innings•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Saif HassanAzmatullah Omarzai has scored 896 runs and taken 31 wickets in the last two years in ODIs. No wonder he is currently No. 2 in the allrounders rankings. Omarzai will bat in the lower-middle order to provide cushion as well the finishing touches, and also play as the second seamer. He was one of the few to show good form in the T20Is against Bangladesh, although he would be disappointed with the way he got out in the third game in Sharjah, a wild swing that ended in a top edge that was taken by the backward point fielder.Saif Hassan will be the most anticipated ODI debutant for Bangladesh in a long time. His scintillating form in T20Is in the last two months has forced the selectors to bring him into an ODI set-up that’s crying out for a fresh approach. Saif’s attacking shots are great to watch, but as he showed in the third T20I on Sunday, he can also be clever: he played out a maiden over from Rashid Khan knowing it was the legspinner’s last and went on to score an unbeaten 38-ball 64 to take Bangladesh home.Darwish Rasooli is likely to get into the playing XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: middle-order changes in the offing

Darwish Rasooli is likely to get into the XI while either Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar is expected to join the attack. Bashir could make his ODI debut.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Darwish Rasooli, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Mohammad Nabi, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Bashir AhmadSaif is likely to open the innings with Tanzid, while Nurul will fight for a place with Hridoy. Mohammad Naim has not reached UAE yet due to visa issues. Parvez Hossain has been added to the ODI squad as a back-up batter. Nurul Hasan is likely to keep wicket in the first ODI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanNurul Hasan will have to fight for his spot•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: bat first, win the game?

The side batting first has won four out of the last five day-night ODIs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The average score batting first in these matches is 274. The forecast in Abu Dhabi is of extreme heat, with some breeze expected in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Afghanistan and Bangladesh are tied 2-2 in the bilateral series stakes, although it’s the latter that leads 11-8 overall
• Nabi is the only survivor of the first ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, held in 2014 in Fatullah
• Tanvir Islam’s five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh’s previous ODI series was the first five-for by a Bangladeshi spinner in two-and-a-half years.

A late replacement for the injured Rawal, Shafali has been given the freedom by the team management to play her natural game

Sruthi Ravindranath29-Oct-20251:47

Shafali: ‘Playing a semi-final not new for me’

Just a couple of days ago, Shafali Verma was in Surat with the Haryana team, playing in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. On Wednesday, she was addressing the media on the eve of India’s World Cup semi-final against Australia after earning a late call-up in place of the injured Pratika Rawal. Shafali was her usual confident self and said that playing a semi-final “was not new to her” and that she feels “super ready” to play in any position India wants her to.”I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch,” Shafali said. “Talking about the semi-finals, it’s not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”Of course, what happened with Pratika – as a sportsperson, seeing that doesn’t feel good. No one wants any player to go through such an injury. But I believe God has sent me here to do something good.”Shafali is no stranger to the big stage, having already featured in three T20 World Cups and an ODI World Cup, including a final and a semi-final – both against Australia. After being dropped from both formats last year, she fought her way back into the T20I side in June, though Rawal continued to partner Smriti Mandhana at the top in ODIs.Related

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Shafali tunes up for Australia, a day after destiny's call

Having just played the T20s in Surat, Shafali admitted adjusting to the 50-over format would need some work. She has had two training sessions with the squad since joining, focusing on both her defensive game and her trademark big hits.”Absolutely, I was playing T20s, and as a batter, it’s not easy to switch formats so quickly,” Shafali said. “But we had good practice sessions yesterday and today. I stayed calm and batted well. I tried to attack the bowlers who were in my range. I’ve had long batting sessions over the last two days, and I’m feeling really good because whatever I’m trying is working out. So yes, I’m happy with my touch. It’s looking very good for me.”While she has built her reputation as a power-hitting opener, Shafali said that she’s ready to adapt to any role the team requires.”That’s a management call [if they want to play me tomorrow]. But if you ask me, I’m flexible,” she said. “I can play anywhere, not just as an opener or in the middle order. The confidence I have in myself is very important as a sportsperson. So wherever the management wants me to play, I’m super ready.”Consistency – or lack thereof – was a concern when Shafali was dropped, but she’s since gone back to domestic cricket and delivered. Last season, she captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the one-day competition, topping the run charts with 527 runs at a blistering strike rate of 152.31. While announcing the ODI World Cup squad in August, chief selector Neetu David had said Shafali was “very much part of our system” despite not being named in the squad and that India were “keeping an eye on her.”Shafali Verma prepares for the semi-final clash against Australia in Navi Mumbai•ICC/Getty Images

Inside the dressing room, the message to her has been clear: play your natural game.”All the players I’ve spoken to have boosted my confidence a lot, which means a lot to me,” Shafali said. “The coach, captain, and even Smriti [Mandhana] told me that I just need to play my game, there’s no pressure. I just have to play the way I know, without panicking. So yes, I’ve been given a lot of freedom, and I’ll try to respect the good balls and hit the ones in my range.”Shafali understands the magnitude of the challenge ahead of her – facing an unbeaten Australian side in a World Cup at home. But having faced them 25 times across white-ball formats, including scoring a match-winning 64 not out off 44 balls in a T20I in Navi Mumbai last year, she knows what to expect.”I’ve played against Australia many times, so it’s not something new for me,” she said. “I know their bowlers and their styles. I’ll back my strengths, and yes, they’ll come hard at us. But we’ve prepared a lot and everyone’s in touch. Hopefully, we’ll perform well.”I know that if we don’t lose early wickets as a batting unit, they start to feel the pressure. As a bowling unit, we’ll look to maintain good lengths, and as batters, we’ll back our strengths. The simpler we keep things, the better it’ll be. The less we panic, the better we’ll perform. So yes, we’ll back ourselves and keep things simple.”

He may be the unglamorous option, but Hampshire spinner comes with a compelling first-class track record

Matt Roller22-Jul-20253:29

What can England expect from Liam Dawson?

What do the following players have in common: Moeen Ali, Mason Crane, Jack Leach, Dom Bess, Adil Rashid, Matt Parkinson, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir? The answer is that between Liam Dawson’s third Test cap (eight years ago) and his fourth (against India on Wednesday), England have picked all 11 as spinners ahead of him.Dawson’s recall, aged 35, is so ordinary as to be extraordinary. England have spent the last three years talking about attributes and upsides while trying to fashion Test-match spin bowlers out of T20 allrounders and the rawest of rookies. Now, they have settled for pragmatism, with the recall of a seasoned professional who has become the County Championship’s most valuable player.Dawson has long been a solid performer for Hampshire but has reached new heights in his mid-30s. He has scored seven centuries and taken ten five-fors in the last two-and-a-half Championship seasons, averaging 47.59 with the bat and 25.63 with the ball: “He’s been a huge player for us,” Adi Birrell, Hampshire’s coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s actually got better and better, too.”Related

• Eight years, five PMs and one pandemic later, Dawson returns with a wicket

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His comeback is a fillip for county cricket, as was his decision to prioritise playing for Hampshire ahead of the Pakistan Super League in the spring. “It goes to show that if you consistently perform, the door will open at some stage,” Birrell said. “It shows that there is still the option of being [picked as] a county stalwart. It is great that England have selected him.”It is even more remarkable given his apparent breakdown in relations with England’s management. Dawson was frustrated – understandably so – by England’s miscommunication in 2023: “Luke Wright basically told me I was going to go to the World Cup, and to get a little bit fitter,” he explained to the podcast. “And I received a call the next day to say that I wasn’t going.”He was then overlooked for the Test tour to India, which enabled him to play in the SA20 instead. Dawson had been a regular in international squads for years but rarely played, including during their triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign; once the novelty had worn off, it made little sense for a player who has never held a central contract to sacrifice significant franchise deals just to pick up a tour fee as England’s 12th man.Dawson admitted last year that Test cricket was “completely off the radar” for him, and said that he was at peace with the likely end of his international career. “It’s not something that I want to be doing, running drinks, at my age.” Now, he is not only back in the Test team, but likely to play a significant role at next year’s T20 World Cup. In that sense, his recall is a win for player power.1:14

Brook: ‘Dawson is always willing to fight for the team’

Dawson’s comeback for June’s T20I series against West Indies has proven to be a soft launch for his Test comeback: he took 4 for 20 on his return, and left a positive impression on Brendon McCullum and Harry Brook, his coach and captain. “He’s a wily, old fox,” Brook said this week. “He’s willing to always fight for the team, he’s very competitive, and it’s good to have him here.”It was instructive that Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, picked out that same attribute as one of his strengths. “I’ve known Daws for a long time. I know the cricketer he is, but what does go under the radar is his competitiveness,” he said on Tuesday, as well as citing the relevance of Dawson’s white-ball return under McCullum. “He showed he can come back in and get to work straightaway.”Birrell believes that Dawson has become a more complete bowler since Graeme Welch’s appointment as Hampshire’s bowling coach, challenging both edges of the bat. “They’ve worked very well together,” he said. “He used to undercut it, but now he’s getting better at overspin… He bowls an off-stump line: one slides, one turns, so he’s got all dismissals available to him.”1:38

Harmison: Dawson might help with Stokes workload

A 5ft 8in left-arm bowler, Dawson could hardly be more different in profile to the 6ft 4in offspinner he is replacing in Bashir. Brook believes Dawson should have some footholes to work with outside the left-hand batters’ off stump, but Ravindra Jadeja’s returns for the series – 3 for 331 across 99 overs – should prompt a level of caution as to how much can be expected from him.He also comes into this Test on the back of six T20 Blast games for Hampshire, and bowls very differently between formats. “In T20, I try to drag my length back by two, three or four feet and bowl short,” he told the podcast last year. “It’s probably the biggest thing I struggle with in my career, chopping and changing formats, especially going from white ball to red ball.”But his defensive skills may yet come in useful if India look to take him on – as Rishabh Pant surely will – and his batting should ensure that he adds value across disciplines. He made a half-century on Test debut in Chennai back in 2016, and has centuries for Hampshire in every position from opener to No. 7; in fact, his first-class average (35.29) compares favourably to that of Zak Crawley (31.90).As such, he is the ultimate plug-and-play pick, a selection based not on philosophy but practicality. Dawson has already jumped ahead of two England-contracted spinners in Leach and Rehan to be selected in Manchester. Now, he has the chance to show that he is not just a fill-in for Bashir, but a compelling alternative to him.

As the fourth evening drew to a close, the setting sun caused a glare off the sightscreen that made the ball difficult to pick out of Carse’s hand

Sidharth Monga22-Jul-2025

Brydon Carse picked up two key wickets on the fourth evening at Lord’s•AFP/Getty Images

It was twilight but the visibility was fine. There was no problem from the other end. It was the fourth evening of the Lord’s Test, and India were looking solid in their chase of 193. The partnership between KL Rahul and Karun Nair was going at a control percentage of 88.Then Nair padded up to a straight delivery, seemingly misjudging both line and length. Shubman Gill, who hardly ever plays a false shot and had 601 runs to his name already in the series, came out and began missing or misconnecting full-tosses and half-volleys. His feet hardly moved, and his reactions seemed off. In his nine-ball stay, he was in control of four balls and not in control of five.Test batters don’t bat the way Nair and Gill did that day. It turns out there was a byplay going on here – a struggle to sight the ball out of Brydon Carse’s hand. This phenomenon can be best described as: when you are seeing the ball well, you see a definite point of origin out of the hand, but in this final half-hour or so, the ball was coming out of somewhere in the general area of the bowler’s hand. It was because of a glare from the sightscreen just at that time, and just at that end, with the sun setting on the off side of the right-hand batter. Carse’s height of release made things trickier.Related

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Facing fast bowling is an extreme sport at the best of times. Carse’s average pace of 139kph in that spell converts to 42 yards per second, which means you have half-a-second to play the ball. The extra millisecond spent in picking the ball can be the difference between the normal, silken Gill and the uncertain Gill with cement feet and fumbling hands.England had likely picked on something. In that four-over spell that evening, Carse landed 62.5% of his balls fuller than a good length. Fast bowlers don’t usually do that unless it is reversing, and Carse began that spell with a ten-over-old ball. It was just that end, and just that height that was causing problems.In India’s first innings, Rahul had dug out a yorker from Carse in his last over of the second evening. Whether or not it was something that Ben Stokes and England filed away and worked on, England showed great situational awareness on the fourth evening to take two huge wickets with the new ball.In a way, this was quite similar to the over that Andrew Flintoff bowled to Jacques Kallis at Edgbaston in 2008, although not remotely as egregious. Back then, the dark windows above the sightscreen were an issue. The windows were at just the right place for Flintoff to be able to take advantage of, but not for Morne Morkel, who was too tall.Shubman Gill struggled to put bat on ball in the fourth innings•Getty ImagesAt Lord’s, there was no such obvious flaw. Everything is pristine at Lord’s. But the sight boards are a little thin, almost like a mesh. They are made of polycarbonate with contravision film, which allows vision through one side and makes it look opaque from the other. This had replaced the traditional wooden sightscreen, which had blocked the views of the members.That in itself is not a problem. It has never been a problem for batters except during that half-hour when the sun is just at the right angle to create a glare just behind Carse’s release point. Bowling full at such times is clever, because full balls give batters less time to react, and inflict maximum damage.Had it been a regular feature, the batters might have brought it up with the umpires. India’s reaction has been to shrug and move on. Not that Kallis was able to do anything about a much more obvious glitch 17 years ago. He didn’t seem to try to stop play while batting, and only pointed out the windows later. That didn’t have any impact, as Kallis ducked into a Flintoff full-toss that he didn’t pick.The period of glare at Lord’s didn’t last long enough for it to be noticed at the time. These are the challenges and quirks of playing Test cricket at different venues that nothing other than experience can prepare you for. It has been that kind of series for India, where they have found ways to fall behind despite playing better cricket for longer periods. A brief window of play when the ball would be difficult to pick out of the hand of a specific bowler from a specific end at a specific time was the least expected way for this to happen.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl made it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership since his move to Ibrox to replace Russell Martin in the dugout with a 2-1 win over Livingston on Saturday.

Goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande scored the goals for the Light Blues at Ibrox to secure all three points for the German manager.

It was a game that was packed with controversial incidents, though, as Livingston’s equaliser and Diomande’s winner were both tight offside calls that were ultimately deemed to be legal.

The most contentious moment of the game came when Fernandez appeared to block a goal-bound shot with his arm, but his arm was in a natural position and VAR opted not to intervene.

That caused the official Livingston account to post on X that the officials did not get “a penalty for a blatant handball to the Lions” in their full-time post after the match.

Rohl, however, will be more concerned with the performances of some of his players, rather than the officials, and Thelo Aasgaard was one of the players who failed to deliver on Saturday.

Why Thelo Aasgaard must be dropped

The Norway international was given the nod to start the match in the number ten position, with Nico Raskin and Diomande behind him in midfield, but he was unable to justify his inclusion in the side with a strong performance.

Instead, the summer signing from Luton Town produced a dismal first-half display that caused Rohl to withdraw him from the match at half-time to bring Bojan Miovski into the game.

Per Sofascore, Aasgaard did not register a single shot on goal and created one chance, which was not a ‘big chance’, in 45 minutes on the pitch before being placed on the bench.

Livingston

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Dundee

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

0 + 0

Dundee United

Stevie Smith

1 + 4

Falkirk

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Livingston

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0 + 1

Celtic

Russell Martin

0 + 0

St Mirren

Russell Martin

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, the English-born midfield flop is yet to score a goal or create more than one chance in a game for any permanent Rangers head coach in the Premiership this season.

He has provided one assist in the league under Rohl, against Dundee, but that was a fairly simple pass from the halfway line that Djeidi Gassama turned into a wonderful goal, as shown in the clip below.

These statistics, including his poor display against Livingston, show why Rohl should ruthlessly drop the attacking midfielder from the starting line-up for the Europa League clash with Braga at Ibrox on Thursday night.

Unfortunately, the 23-year-old summer signing has not done enough with his opportunities on the pitch to prove to the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach that he deserves to keep his place in the starting XI moving forward.

Aasgaard was far from the only Rangers player who failed to deliver a good enough performance against Livingston, though, and is not the only flop who should drop out of the side for the upcoming clash with Braga.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rohl must also ruthlessly ditch right-sided attacker Oliver Antman from the starting line-up for that meeting with the Portuguese outfit after his struggles in a Gers shirt of late.

Why Rangers should drop Oliver Antman against Braga

The German head coach may have hoped that the winger’s international performances for Finland during the international would provide him with confidence and positive momentum for the game against Livingston.

Antman scored, as shown in the clip above, and provided an assist for former Celtic striker Teemu Pukki in a 4-0 win for his country against Andorra on Monday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Go Ahead Eagles was unable to transfer his form for Finland over to his time on the pitch with Rangers on Saturday, as he failed to deliver an impressive display.

Minutes

45

64

Shots

0

0

Key passes

1

1

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

0/0

0/5

Duels won

2/4

5/13

Possession lost

4x

14x

As you can see in the table above, Antman was just as bad as Aasgaard against Livingston. They both failed to register a shot on goal and only created one chance for the team, without creating any ‘big chances’.

Rangers signed the Finland international to provide creativity on the right flank after he produced an eye-catching return of 17 assists in all competitions at club level during the 2024/25 campaign, to go along with seven goals.

Antman, though, has no goals and one assist in nine Premiership outings for the Scottish giants so far this season, and that assist came in the away clash with Livingston back in September.

Since he provided two assists against Viktoria Plzen in a 3-0 win on his debut for the club, the forward has no goals and one assist in 17 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, per Transfermarkt, and writer Kai Watson noted that Rangers “need more from” him.

Antman has not been able to carry his form for Go Ahead Eagles from last season over to Scottish football, yet, and his performance against Livingston on Saturday was another ineffective outing for the Light Blues.

On top of that, the 24-year-old flop has no goals and no assists in three matches in the league phase of the Europa League this term, which does not suggest that he is likely to have much of a positive impact against Braga on Thursday.

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Rangers missed out…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 22, 2025

Therefore, Rohl must ruthlessly ditch both Antman and Aasgaard from the starting line-up for the clash with the Liga Portugal outfit after their underwhelming performances against Livingston.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has piled praise on a Gunners star who perhaps went unnoticed during their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Arsenal end Bayern Munich unbeaten streak with 3-1 victory

Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga champions went into Wednesday night’s Champions League clash off the back of a season-long unbeaten streak, winning all but one of their total games in all competitions.

It was Arsenal’s biggest test on paper, but Arteta’s side passed it with flying colours.

Arsenal delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bayern at the Emirates Stadium, extending their perfect Champions League record to five wins from five matches and establishing themselves as genuine European contenders.

Arteta’s side opened the scoring through Jurrien Timber, who powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s corner after 22 minutes. The Dutchman’s near-post run proved decisive as he guided his effort beyond Manuel Neuer, continuing Arsenal’s remarkable threat from set-pieces this season.

Arteta reveals what he told Calafiori right before Arsenal assist in Bayern win

The Spaniard gave a key instruction.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2025

Bayern responded ten minutes later when 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl announced himself on the big stage with a composed finish. Joshua Kimmich’s accurate pass found ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned the ball into Karl’s path and allowed the teenager to volley emphatically into the roof of the net — with the home side conceding their first goal in Europe this season.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the Gunners, who began to dominate.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Noni Madueke, introduced as a first-half substitute for Leandro Trossard, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal after two months out with a knee injury. The winger’s clinical finish, feeding off fellow sub Riccardo Calafiori, restored the lead and shifted momentum decisively in the home side’s favour.

Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory seven minutes later after capitalizing on a catastrophic error from Neuer, with the result sending Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and sealing their first victory over Bayern in a decade.

Captain Martin Odegaard made his comeback from injury as a late substitute too, providing further encouragement ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea.Declan Rice was simply sensational against Bayern, with the midfielder dominating in midfield and causing Kompany’s men all sorts of problems.Arteta’s substitutions were inspired as well, but one man who delivered yet again was summer signing Cristhian Mosquera.

Mikel Arteta praises Cristhian Mosquera after Arsenal display in Bayern win

The young Spaniard came in to partner William Saliba in place of Piero Hincapie and the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, and despite being scarcely mentioned by critics, Mosquera impressed against Bayern.

Arteta, speaking in his post-match press conference, reserved special praise for the ex-Valencia star.

Those within Arsenal believe the 21-year-old could become one of world football’s best centre-backs in the next few years, and nothing we have seen has given us any reason to doubt that theory.Mosquera made his Premier League debut in Saliba’s stead against Liverpool at Anfield in August, barely setting a foot wrong despite being given a baptism of fire.The youngster does a quite simply brilliant job whenever called upon, and the initial £13 million that Arsenal paid Valencia for his services back in June is beginning to look like one of the bargains of 2025.

تحدث كمال دوريش، رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك السابق، عن أزمة الأبيض المالية الحالية وسحب أرض الفرع الجديد في السادس من أكتوبر.

وقال درويش عبر إذاعة “ميجا إف إم” أن سحب أرض أكتوبر كان بداية الأزمات المتفاقمة داخل النادي، فأرض أكتوبر هي أساس النادي، والزمالك اتخذ الخطوات الشرعية للعمل عليها، ولا بد من استكمال هذا المشروع”.

طالع.. الزمالك: بنتايج حصل على 75% من مستحقاته.. وهناك إجراء قانوني غير سليم

وأضاف: “سحب الأرض بدون أي مبررات منطقية رغم بدء العمل عليها، وحتى لو ظهرت أرض بديلة فلا توجد أزمة، ولكن لا بد من توفير أرض بديلة، ولا بد من إنشاء شركة استثمارية لنادي الزمالك لدعمه”.

واستكمل: “الموضوع لم يعد موضوع مجلس الإدارة، بل أصبح حق كل زملكاوي، والمجلس لن يستطيع حل هذا الأمر وحده”.

وفي نفس التوقيت شن درويش هجومًا حادًا على محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا قائد الزمالك السابق، قائلًا: “شيكابالا ليس لديه القدرة على التفكير في إدارة المؤسسات هو أسطورة ولاعب كبير، لكنه لا يملك أي خبرات إدارية أو اقتصادية في الأندية الكبرى مثل الزمالك، نحن نتحدث عن حلول وليس سلبيات، ولابد من تكاتف الملايين الزملكاوية لدعم النادي”.

واختتم: “المجالس السابقة مسؤولة عن عدم وجود خطة يسير عليها من يأتي بعدها، الإدارة عبارة عن تحديات والزمالك لو استمر في الوضع السلبي سيموت ولا بد من المساعدة بدل الكلام”.

The Padres dropped a winner-take-all Game 3 in the National League wild-card series to the Cubs on Thursday night. And while the Padres' ninth-inning rally fell just short, the club may be left stewing all winter long about a different moment.

After a leadoff home run from Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill cut the Cubs' lead to 3-1, shortstop Xander Bogaerts stepped up to the plate. Working the count full, Bogaerts took a 3-2 fastball on the lower outer half of the plate, a pitch he surely felt was ball four. But home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called it strike three, leaving Bogaerts incensed.

Cubs relief pitcher Brad Keller proceeded to hit Ryan O'Hearn and Bryce Johnson on consecutive pitches, giving San Diego hope that they could potentially tie the game. But it was not to be, as Jake Cronenworth grounded out and Freddy Fermin flied out, ending the Padres' season.

And the club's players were still fuming about the called strike after the game, as the likes of Bogaerts and Jose Iglesias angrily confronted the umpires as they left the field and filed past the visitor's dugout.

Two things. Number one, it doesn't seem like the best idea logistics-wise to have the umpires' only path off the field and back to the locker room take them past the visitor's dugout. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Secondly, the Padres certainly have a right to be angry. The pitch seemed to be one that, had the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system been in play this season (it will be next year), could have been overturned to a ball. Plus, Umpire Scorecards, which uses MLB's advanced pitch tracking data to rate the accuracy of home-plate umpires and the impact of their calls on games, determined that Reyburn's called strike three was the most impactful missed ball-and-strike call in the contest.

But while the Padres and their fans have every right to be angry about the missed call, there's something else that should make them even angrier. The likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado, three of the club's most productive hitters, combined to go 0-for-11 with three strikeouts and a walk in a winner-take-all elimination game.

Four MLB players on four different teams accepted their qualifying offers on Tuesday to remain with the clubs they competed for this past season.

All qualifying offers are one-year, $22.025 million contracts to return to their teams for the 2026 season. It gives the teams more time to decide if they want to keep the players around for a longer contract afterwards, or if the player will end up a free agent next offseason.

The big headline was pitcher Shota Imanaga accepting the Cubs’ qualifying offer to remain in Chicago. It was originally believed that he would land elsewhere, but now he’s here to stay in Chicago.

The Yankees will get center field Trent Grisham back in one of the team’s first big decisions of the offseason. New York could now turn its focus to retaining Cody Bellinger for next season.

Pitcher Brandon Woodruff will return to the Brewers after he accepted his qualifying offer. He dealt with various injuries during the 2025 season.

Lastly, the Tigers will retain second baseman Gleyber Torres, who is coming off his first year in Detroit in which he accomplished an All-Star season.

Then, there were nine players who declined their player option, causing them to remain free agents this offseason. Those players include Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Edwin Díaz, Ranger Suárez, Zac Gallen, Michael King and Framber Valdez.

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Recheado de bons jogadores, o Botafogo avançou na Libertadores, garantiu a vaga nas oitavas da Copa do Brasil e faz boa campanha no Brasileirão. Entre os grandes nomes estão Luiz Henrique, Tiquinho Soares, Savarino e Junior Santos. Mesmo com os grandes números e o apreço de Artur Jorge pelo modelo ofensivo, os atletas só estiveram em campo juntos durante 25 minutos.

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Esta minutagem está dividida em dois jogos: nove contra o Universitario, a única vez que o quarteto iniciou um jogo como titular até agora, e os outros no duelo contra o Cruzeiro, pelo Brasileirão, quando os atletas permaneceram em campo ao mesmo tempo por 16 minutos.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance!

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Incontestável em 2024, Júnior Santos já atuou em 30 jogos na temporada, marcando incríveis 16 gols e dando cinco assistências.

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