Tag Futebol

“Even we bowled pretty good yorkers throughout the campaign and we just couldn’t get those yorkers going,” MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-20253:14

Shreyas Iyer’s hat-trick of sixes turned the match

Head coach Mahela Jayawardene pointed to the “blunders” on the field and lack of “execution” with the ball as the primary reasons for Mumbai Indians’ (MI) exit from what had been a “good campaign” in IPL 2025. On Sunday night, which spilled into Monday, MI lost in Qualifier 2 to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by five wickets to miss a shot at their record sixth IPL title.”It was a good campaign for us, the way we started and how we regrouped as a team and played some really, really good cricket,” Jayawardene said in the press conference after the game. “We had our opportunities getting to the playoffs, and we had a really good game first half and even today, I thought we played some good cricket except for Kings playing better cricket than us. Especially with the bat, they were solid, especially chasing 200. It’s not that easy, they executed that pretty well.”We made a few blunders obviously with those two catches but I think that’s how the game goes, we had those luck going our way in the previous games. It was a good game of cricket and we came short, I think that’s as simple as that.”Related

SKY and Boult No. 2 and No. 3 on Orange and Purple Cap tables

Iyer and Hardik fined after both teams go slow in Qualifier 2

The night MI felt the full force of Shreyas' ire

Stats – A captain's innings from Iyer ends MI's proud record

Shreyas masterclass puts PBKS in IPL 2025 final

After being asked to bat first, MI posted a competitive 203 for 6, but it wasn’t enough to contain a clinical chase led by PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87. Jayawardene said that MI’s bowling approach was to take the pace off the ball and rely on yorkers – something they had done well throughout the season – but execution let them down at critical points.At the end of ten overs, PBKS needed 106 needed off 60 and MI were 61% on ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor. However, Iyer and Nehal Wadhera’s 84-run stand off just 47 balls took the game away from MI.”In phases, they batted well,” Jayawardene said. “We also came back and took the wickets and were in it, which is that middle phase, [but] we just couldn’t control that after the tenth over. Those four-five overs, we just couldn’t keep the pressure going, and that’s where especially Nehal and Shreyas, their partnership probably took the game away from us.2:30

Why didn’t Hardik and Santner complete their quota of overs?

“We also took some pace off, but like I said earlier, our execution wasn’t up to the mark, we have to take that [blame]. Even we bowled pretty good yorkers throughout the campaign and we just couldn’t get those yorkers going as well [today].”So it’s just execution and that can happen and they put us under pressure as well, so when they hit those vital blows in that middle phase, especially those sixes, that’s something that we need to stop in this kind of situation, but we just couldn’t do that.”What could MI have done differently? According to Varun Aaron, smarter use of the pitch and the ground dimensions might have helped MI regain control in the middle overs.”Definitely not bowl the length they bowled tonight,” he said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “They bowled too full. I definitely think they could have gone short and slow on this wicket, which [could have] got him [Iyer] out, especially with the boundaries being longer on one side. They just bowled too full.”

علق أيمن يونس، نجم الزمالك السابق، على الشوط الأول في مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا، ضمن منافسات كأس السوبر المصري.

وانتهى الشوط الأول بين الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا بالتعادل بهدف لكل فريق، في نصف نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقامة بالإمارات.

طالع.. فيديو | مروان عثمان يسجل هدف تعادل سيراميكا كليوباترا أمام الأهلي

وقال أيمن يونس عبر قناة أون سبورت: “سيراميكا دخل متأخرًا، شوط رائع وجيد وشخصية المدربين موجودة في الملعب”.

وتابع: “سيراميكا بدأ اللقاء متأخرًا، وسيطرة كاملة للأهلي، وتحرك الخط الأمامي للأهلي مثير ومربك، وأضاعوا هدفين على الأقل”.

وأكمل: “الثغرة الدفاعية عند الأهلي كالعادة، لكن بلحاج صاحب الشخصية الهجومية لم تظهر إلا في كرة واحدة، وهدف تريزيجيه الدي سرق المدافع بطريقة رائعة”.

On a day when some supporters decided to take action against the board with a protest at the start of the match, Celtic looked on course to drop points in the Scottish Premiership against Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The Hoops, who had drawn 0-0 with their city rivals before the international break, found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time because of an equaliser from David Watson after Daizen Maeda had opened the scoring.

Given how the day started, the onlooking board members may have been fearing the reaction from the supporters if the full-time whistle had blown whilst the score was 1-1.

Fortunately, for them, the supporters, and the team, a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to the Premiership champions for a handball from James Forrest’s shot.

Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up to score from the spot with an emphatic penalty that thumped into the back of the net to win the match for the Hoops in the 96th minute.

It was a debut goal for the Nigeria international, signed on a free transfer the day after deadline day, and one that will hopefully tee him up for a successful season.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho's debut was a big positive for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the centre-forward at Leicester City in the Premier League, turned to the former Sevilla marksman in the 70th minute to replace Maeda whilst Celtic were winning 1-0.

There was nothing he could do, as a striker, to prevent Watson from equalising for the hosts from a corner, but his individual display showed plenty of signs of promise.

It was clear that the Nigerian number nine wanted to score. He was desperate to find the back of the net on his debut. Three of his nine touches on the pitch were shots: one was off target, one was blocked, and the third was the penalty that he scored to win the match.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho did lose both of his duels in the win over Kilmarnock, as he still looked a little bit short of full match sharpness, understandably.

The left-footed marksman had not played a competitive club match since Middlesbrough’s 2-0 defeat to Coventry City at the start of May in the English Championship, which means that it may take some time for the striker to get back to his best from a physical perspective.

With this in mind, Rodgers may slowly bed him into the team rather than chucking him in as a regular starter in the number nine position after his winning penalty on Sunday.

Iheanacho needs to build up his sharpness and that could come by alternating between being a starter and coming off the bench for a few matches before he is ready to fully kick on.

Chalkboard

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

Meanwhile, there is a summer signing made by Celtic who should already be deemed to be undroppable from the best starting XI after he made a positive impression against Kilmarnock.

Rodgers opted to hand Sebastian Tounekti, who signed on a permanent deal from Hammarby on deadline day, a debut on the left wing and was rewarded with an eye-catching display from the forward.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is undroppable for Celtic

Unlike Iheanacho, the Tunisia international was ready to be dropped straight into the starting XI because he had played six times for Hammarby in all competitions in August, per Sofascore.

This meant that the winger was fully fit and match sharp by the time he arrived at Celtic just before the international break, which helped him to hit the ground running with an impressive debut.

Rodgers opted to start Tounekti on the left flank, moving Michel-Ange Balikwisha over to the right, and the Tunisian star caught the eye with his fearless and confident performance, despite playing on an artificial surface that may have come as a shock to some players who are not used to that kind of pitch.

The 23-year-old star, who lined up with fellow new signing Marcelo Saracchi behind him, did not register a goal or an assist in the 2-1 win for Celtic, but his general play was enough to suggest that he will be an exciting player to watch this season.

Minutes

88

58

Touches

67

34

Shots

5

0

Chances created

4

1

Dribbles completed

5/9

0/1

Duels won

6

1

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti was way better than Balikwisha, who had started on the left against Rangers before the break, with five more shots, five more completed dribbles, and four times as many chances created.

These statistics show that the Tunisia international carried a far greater threat in the final third by constantly looking to make things happen with shots, dribbles, and key passes, whilst the Belgian attacker was too timid in his play.

This is why Tounekti should be considered undroppable by Rodgers already, because he has done more in one match on the left wing than Balikwisha has managed in his first two starts for the club, with one chance created and zero shots against Rangers and Kilmarnock, per Sofascore.

Celtic writer John McGinley noted that the former Hammarby forward “likes being a problem” for opposition defences with his fearless approach to the game, which is partly why his performance against Kilmarnock was so refreshing to see.

Tounekti was willing to take the game to the hosts by taking players on and taking risks with the ball at his feet, which is exactly what supporters want to see players doing to win matches.

Whilst it is now down to the player to prove that he can deliver consistent performances on the pitch, the new signing’s showing on Sunday should mean that he is now undroppable from the starting line-up.

Rodgers may have unearthed Celtic's next Tierney & it's not Saracchi

Celtic may have found their next Kieran Tierney and it is not Marcelo Saracchi.

ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2025

Meanwhile, Iheanacho still needs to prove his fitness and quality on the pitch before he can be considered an undroppable member of the best XI.

The performance of new-ball bowlers could have a big say in which direction this game goes

Ekanth11-Apr-20252:04

Battle of the two best top orders?

Big picture: a top-order collisionTwenty five games into IPL 2025, the top four run-scorers are from Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) top order. If that wasn’t unexpected enough, Shubman Gill isn’t on that list. It has allowed both teams to work around vulnerabilities in their batting.In a season where teams are looking to maximise their scoring throughout the innings despite the situation, GT follow an old-school T20 template. B Sai Sudharsan, who was the player of the match for his 82 in GT’s win over Rajasthan Royals (RR), said, “we try and keep a lot of wickets in hand and go full-on in the last five overs.”Their middle order has remained unburdened as at least one of Gill, Sai Sudharsan or Jos Buttler have scored a fifty in each of their five games so far. Not that that’s made them formulaic. In fact, after the last game GT’s assistant coach Parthiv Patel said, “there are no specific roles as such. As a team, we have a top three, but we keep shuffling the batting order. We react based on conditions and the situation.”Related

Rashid's lost his deception, but don't bet against him finding it again

Rathi dismisses idol Narine with his first ball

The Nicky & Mitch show that's unlocked LSG's limitless power

That flexibility was on demonstrated by Washington Sundar being promoted to No. 4 in their win against Sunrisers Hyderabad – he made 49 off 29 balls – but then he was replaced with Shahrukh Khan, whose 20-ball 36 built on a well-set platform against RR.For LSG, the chance pairing of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh clicking has bolstered the impact of Nicholas Pooran’s onslaughts and nullified Rishabh Pant’s lack of runs.Form guideLucknow Super Giants WWL ()
Gujarat Titans WWW3:13

Will LSG’s explosive top order face their toughest test yet?

Team news and likely XIIsParthiv had said GT played four seamers against Royals because of the conditions in Ahmedabad. Lucknow is unlikely to be as seamer-friendly and Washington is likely to replace one of the quicks.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Arshad Khan/Kulwant KhejroliyaLucknow Super Giants are unlikely to change their XII from the last game. They have the option of bringing in left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth to challenge the two right-handers in GT’s top order.Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Ravi BishnoiThe big questionRashid has bowled only one over in the powerplay so far this season. Marsh, Markram and Pooran have sub-120 strike rates against him, Pooran has even been dismissed twice in 66 balls. Rashid has only started to rediscover his form after a poor start to this season, but should he be brought on to bowl earlier given the strength of LSG’s top order?In the spotlight – Digvesh Rathi and Prasidh KrishnaFive of Digvesh Rathi’s seven T20s have come in IPL 2025. His celebrations might have landed him in hot waters but his impact cannot be written off. His economy rate of 7.75 is easily the best of all of LSG’s bowlers so far this season. In LSG’s last game, against Kolkata Knight Riders where 472 runs runs were scored, his economy was 8.25. While Ravi Bishnoi remains the primary legspinner in the side, Rathi’s position is only rising.Digvesh Rathi celebrated in a new way – by writing on the ground•Associated PressPrasidh Krishna’s pace and height have offered Titans a unique advantage in the middle overs. He has been able to hit the middle of the pitch and get extra bounce to challenge batters on the back foot. He is coming off five wickets in the last games and is a threat to LSG’s middle order.Pitch and conditionsThere are slight chances of rain in the evening but a large stoppage is unlikely. In terms of the pitch, 15 wickets have been taken by pacers so far in Lucknow and spinners only six. Lucknow did roll out a black-soil surface after Pant and LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had expressed disappointment over the lack of assistance for the spinners during their loss to Punjab Kings. But the spinners took only two of the ten wickets to fall in the 472-run game. They might have a better outing this time considering this is a day game.Stats and Trivia LSG and GT are also the only teams to have scored more than 500 runs in the middle-overs this season GT, in this phase have lost only 8 wickets, the joint-least with Delhi Capitals Rashid has dismissed Pant three times and conceded 114 runs in 103 balls across 15 innings. He has a great record against David Miller too, whom he has dismissed 4 times in 59 balls while conceding only 67 runsQuotes”The games that we have won, we’ve kind of found ways to win, been under pressure with our bowling and batting at certain stages and getting through that and still winning, so for me that’s the encouraging part for the team.”
“Ashish Nehra is a very compassionate about the players, and that’s why it seems like [he is animated] from the outside. He cares a lot for people around him. It is good to see the combination of Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill – they work very well and it’s like hand in glove.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be desperate to pick up their first Premier League victory of the new season when travelling to AFC Bournemouth this coming weekend.

Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold were torn to shreds 4-0 by Manchester City on the opening day, as Rayan Ait Nouri returned to his old side to deliver a killer blow, while Matheus Cunha’s absence was there for all to see, too, as the weak hosts struggled in the forward areas.

With Jorgen Strand Larsen also now reportedly on Newcastle United’s shortlist of striker targets, the hectic transfer window could soon go from bad to worse for the depleted West Midlands outfit.

Yet, there are a few players also catching the Old Gold’s eye, away from the constant chatter about those departing the building.

Latest on Wolves' midfield search

Wolves have been active in the window with incoming signings.

Fer Lopez joined the Molineux ranks for £19.5m, having previously played alongside Strand Larsen at Celta Vigo, while Jackson Tchatchoua has also just completed a switch to the Premier League side from Hellas Verona to strengthen Pereira’s personnel in the right-back spot.

Up next, Wolves could soon welcome Barcelona number 17, Marc Casado, to their ever-growing camp in the middle of the park, if reports are to be believed.

Indeed, as per reports from Spanish outlet Marca, Casado is attracting interest from both the Old Gold and West Ham United, having been left out of Hansi Flick’s first team plans last time out versus RCD Mallorca as La Liga kicked off. The Premier League pair are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ his current situation.

The report does state that the 21-year-old ace only has eyes for Barca, but a £26m bid could soon come Flick and Co.’s way for the La Masia academy product.

Pereira will hope he can get an ambitious deal over the line for the Spanish youngster, with Casado perhaps capable of offering the same level of class and excellence on the ball that Ruben Neves once gave Wolves in spades during his celebrated stay at Molineux.

Why Casado can be Pereira's own Neves

Neves would arrive at Wolves in the summer of 2017 as an undoubted coup, having arrived at the then-Championship club for just £15m from FC Porto, despite having suitors from the Premier League in both Chelsea and Liverpool.

Wolves certainly got themselves a stunning bargain by landing the Portuguese star when they did, with Neves going on to be an integral part of the Old Gold jigsaw over many a season, culminating in 30 goals and 13 assists coming his way from 253 total appearances.

Casado’s potential arrival onto the scene does have a similar Neves feel, considering the 21-year-old has reportedly had eyes watching him from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur this summer, on top of the Spaniard being more used to Champions League contests at the Camp Nou assisting Raphinha than any Premier League basement battles.

Still, much like the Al-Hilal midfielder routinely steered Wolves to comfortable mid-table finishes – with Neves’ lowest final position in an Old Gold shirt coming in at 13th – Pereira will hope Casado’s addition to the group means defeats such as the one suffered at the hands of the Citizens don’t crop up all campaign long, as more successful days lay ahead.

La Liga games played

23

League goals scored

1

Assists

3

Champions League games played

10

Champions League goals scored

0

Assists

2

After all, despite limited first-team opportunities, Casado has shown he can cut it at the very top with Barca, with one goal and five assists falling into his lap last season in La Liga and Champions League action.

Therefore, the 5-foot-8 star shouldn’t find the step-up to the Premier League to be too overwhelming, with a hope he can instantly settle in, like Neves managed all those years ago.

Moreover, he even possesses elements of Neves’ game when it comes to stepping up as a leader, with the 28-year-old going on to don the Old Gold armband regularly across his lengthy spell at the club.

Former Barca great Rafael Marquez would herald Casado as a “total leader” when first making waves in the Camp Nou senior set-up, while further being branded as a “machine” by ex-Spain teammate Yeremi Pino.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

All this positive talk points in the direction of this being a worthwhile purchase to pursue, particularly if he goes on to be as effective as Neves.

Offer will be accepted: Wolves now very keen to sign "superb" La Liga star

He’s a wanted man.

1 ByTom Cunningham Aug 19, 2025

Manchester United’s season begins this weekend, with Ruben Amorim’s side welcoming Arsenal to Old Trafford for a fiery curtain-raising clash in the Premier League.

So much hinges on this campaign for United, who have emerged from a disastrous year of struggle: slumping, losing Erik ten Hag, appointing Amorim, plummeting further, finishing 15th, losing the Europa League final.

But INEOS and Jason Wilcox have refashioned the frontline and remain intent on bolstering further. Gianluigi Donnarumma has been targeted, though is also in Manchester City’s sights, but it’s an all-action midfield player who Amorim feels would have the most significant impact on his side.

Man United's chase for new midfielder

Man United’s interest in Carlos Baleba has been well-documented across the past few weeks, with the Brighton & Hove Albion star viewed as the perfect long-term option to complete Amorim’s midfield.

However, Baleba remains in first-team training with the Seagulls, who are going to resist with full force the Man United advances.

With much uncertainty around the 21-year-old’s signature, a different Premier League star has been earmarked too.

Indeed, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Amorim is a big admirer of Southampton talent Mateus Fernandes, who was one of the relegated side’s standout players last season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

West Ham United are felt to have the lead in the battle, having opened talks with the south coast club, but United could surely sway the odds in their favour, should they raise their interest.

Southampton will demand in excess of £30m.

What Mateus Fernandes would bring to Man United

The 21-year-old Fernandes shone despite Saints’ woes last year, and he’s been described as having the tools to become the “ultimate Premier League midfielder” by former pro Jo Tessem.

Having joined Southampton from Sporting Lisbon for a smart £15m fee last summer, he has featured 44 times in total, starring across his outfit’s opening two matches of the current campaign, this time in England’s second tier.

Given that he is available for a portion of the price required for Baleba’s signature, Fernandes might be the perfect fallback, perhaps even a more prudent and economical signing – one which might still bloom ripe results for Amorim’s resurgence-seeking side.

Goals

0.06

0.10

Assists

0.12

0.03

Touches

54.45

57.40

Pass completion

79.9%

87.4%

Progressive passes

4.49

3.99

Shot-creating actions

2.41

2.23

Progressive carries

2.35

1.45

Successful take-ons

1.52

1.12

Ball recoveries

5.54

6.66

Tackles + interceptions

3.62

4.23

Blocks

1.33

1.59

Duels won

5.8

5.9

We are not, of course, advocating Fernandes as being a midfielder of superiority; Baleba has been valued in excess of £100m after all. However, there’s an exciting player in this Portuguese prospect, one who shares some of the Cameroonian’s tactical strengths and has plenty of room for development.

There’s a case to be made that Fernandes has a bit more completeness about his game. Given the trammels that were imposed on his skill set by a lifeless Southampton side, constantly weighted down by their opponents, he did a rather good job, protecting his backline as best he could while pushing play forward too.

With impressive strength and precision in front of goal, the rising talent truly might have the skill set to become the “perfect midfielder”, as has been noted by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Though Baleba is the talk of the town and is perhaps further down the line in his development than Fernandes, the latter man weathered a harsh storm at St. Mary’s Stadium last year and still managed to make a good impression.

His steely presence and underrated technical game suggest he could prove a shrewd signing indeed.

A dream for Cunha & Mbeumo: INEOS submit bid to sign £69m star for Man Utd

Manchester United have once again splashed the cash during the current summer window.

1 ByEthan Lamb Aug 14, 2025

أعلن أول مرشح في انتخابات النادي الأهلي، تقديم أوراق الترشح بشكل رسمي، استعدادًا لخوض سباق الدورية الانتخابية المقبلة.

وكشف أحمد مجدي الحيوان، عن تقديم أوراق ترشحه على عضوية مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، فوق السن مستقل.

وكتب الحيوان، عبر حسابه الشخصي على فيس بوك: “بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إيماناً مني بعظمة النادي الأهلي كمؤسسة وطنية بدورها الرائد في الرياضة والمجتمع، قررت الترشح لعضوية مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي – فوق السن”.

طالع.. رسميًا | الخطيب يعلن قائمته في انتخابات الأهلي 2025.. موقف عبد الحفيظ وياسين منصور

وتابع: “ساعياً ومتطلعا لاكون صوتاً صادقاً ودرعاً قوياً للنادي وأعضائه الكرام وجماهيره العظيمة”.

وأكمل: “أعاهدكم على أن أبذل قصارى جهدي للحفاظ على مكانة نادينا العظيم، وأن أعمل بكل إخلاص واتقان وشفافية لتحقيق ما فيه الصالح والخير للأهلي وأسرته الكبيرة”.

وأضاف: “فمن يرى فيَّ خيراً وقدرةً على خدمة الكيان، أرجو منكم الدعم والمساندة أخوكم أحمد مجدي الحيوان والله ولي التوفيق”.

ومن المقرر أن تعقد انتخابات مجلس الأهلي يومي 30 و31 أكتوبر المقبل.

Cristiano Ronaldo was seen consoling an emotional Portugal mascot ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Armenia. One little boy, overwhelmed by the gravity of the occasion, broke into tears as he realised he was walking beside his idol.

Ronaldo consoled emotional young mascotWent on to score against ArmeniaGoal extends his international scoring recordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo, visibly moved, leaned down to console the child, offering words of comfort and a reassuring touch. The clip went viral, hailed as another example of the Portuguese legend’s softer side.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Once the whistle blew, the emotional prelude gave way to business. Portugal tore into Armenia with ruthless efficiency, racing into a 3-0 lead inside the first half-hour. Ronaldo, of course, added his name to the scoresheet, extending his staggering international tally to 139 goals in 222 appearances. The Al-Nassr striker’s sharp finish reminded everyone that, even at 40 years old, he remains one of the deadliest forwards on the planet.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

At 41 by the time next summer’s World Cup arrives, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner knows this could be his final bow on the grandest stage of all. The idea of one last tournament, and possibly facing Lionel Messi for a historic sixth World Cup appearance, adds yet another layer of intrigue to his enduring career. Should both icons play in 2026, they would become the first footballers in history to feature at six separate World Cups, a record that may never be matched.

Stallions’ 174-run win meant that the teams batting first have won all seven games so far in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2024

Babar Azam scored 104 not out off 100 balls•PCB

Babar Azam’s unbeaten 104 off 100 balls and Jahandad Khan’s three wickets with the new ball handed Dolphins their third defeat in three games as Stallions registered a mammoth 174-run win in Faisalabad. The result also meant that the teams batting first have won all seven matches so far in the tournament.After Stallions opted to bat, Shan Masood and Yasir Khan gave them a start of 76 in 13 overs. Faheem Ashraf broke the stand with Masood’s wicket and put the brakes on the scoring rate. Yasir, too, fell soon after but Babar played the anchor’s role to perfection. Along with Tayyab Tahir, he added 57 for the third wicket and took the side to 150 in the 30th over.Dolphins used six bowlers in the match and each of them picked up a wicket, but Babar stood firm. At the end of 40 overs, he was on 50 off 65 balls. In the last ten, he smashed 54 off 35, with the help of three fours and three sixes, and lifted Stallions to 271 for 7.If Dolphins thought they would break their duck, Jahandad shattered their hopes quite early into the chase. With the second ball of the innings, he had Muhammad Hurraira caught behind for a duck. In his third over, he trapped Umar Amin lbw to make it 15 for 2.Sahibzada Farhan and Saud Shakeel struck five fours in the next 20 balls but Jahandad struck immediately after that, this time cleaning up Shakeel.Soon after, Haris Rauf dismissed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Qasim Akram in the space of three balls to leave Dolphins gasping for air. From 60 for 5, there was no comeback. The lower middle order surrendered without any resistance against the spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Mehran Mumtaz. The two shared five wickets as Dolphins folded for 97.

Chelsea have made a winning start to their Club World Cup campaign.

On Monday night, Enzo Maresca’s team easily swatted aside MLS outfit Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, with Pedro Neto breaking the deadlock on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández, teed up by debutant Liam Delap, made the points secure.

The major talking point was all the empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with around 22,000 in attendance, but this is not a good look in a venue that holds up to 75,000; for context, Atlanta United average around 45,000 in Major League Soccer this season.

Nevertheless, Maresca won’t care about that one jot, as his team prepare to take on Flamengo at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, after the Brazilian outfit were also 2-0 winners on Monday, beating Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Philadelphia.

Back at home, Chelsea continue to be busy in the transfer market, so are they about to land yet another wide-forward?

Chelsea's search for a new winger

Signing new forwards is clearly the order of the day for BlueCo this summer with Delap already in the door and Hugo Ekitike also touted with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Now, the Blues have another target in mind according to the latest reports.

As per David Ornstein of the Athletic, Chelsea ‘have made a verbal enquiry’ as they seek to sign Olympique Lyonnais winger Malick Fofana.

Meantime, French outlet L’Equipe add that Lyon value the forward at around £50m.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The 20-year-old began his senior career at Gent, before joining les Gones for a reported fee of £14.5m in January 2024, making 62 appearances for Lyon to date, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him a “magnificent winger prospect”, so could he be set to swap France for West London?

Why Chelsea should sign Malick Fofana not Jamie Gittens

After deciding not to make Jadon Sancho’s loan from Manchester United permanent, paying a £5m penalty fee as a result, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reports that Chelsea are ‘prioritising’ signing a right-footed left-winger this summer.

Well, BBC Sport claimed last week that the Blues had seen a £42m rejected by Borussia Dortmund for 20-year-old Englishman Jamie Gittens, who they claim has already agreed personal terms.

But now, are the Blues turning their attention to Fofana, and who is actually the bigger prospect? Let’s find out.

Appearances

41

48

Minutes

2,280

2,790

Goals

11

12

Assists

6

5

Goals – xG

+5

+6.7

Expected assists

4.4

3.5

Shots on target %

54%

40.3%

Progressive carries

157

161

Attempted take-ons

83

232

Take-on success %

39.8%

44.8%

Shot-creating actions per 90

3.43

3.57

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.61

0.45

Average SofaScore rating

7.24

7.05

As the table outlines, Gittens is much more of a prolific dribbler; in fact, across Europe’s top five leagues, only six players attempted more take-ons, according to FBref.com.

However, Fofana is a significantly more of a direct goal-threat, underlined by the fact he registered more assists and a higher amount of expected assists, as well as goal-creating actions per 90 and a better shots on target percentage.

​​​​​​​

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes the Belgian international possesses “enormous potential” and has a “big future ahead”, while Brandon Liss of Total Football Analysis outlines how Fofana likes to hold width on the left side, tasked with taking on opposition full-backs, “working tirelessly” and demonstrating “excellent work rate”.

Meantime, Astorre Cerebróne of Breaking the Lines asserts that Fofana ‘has huge potential’, describing him as an ‘explosive winger​​​​​​​’ who ‘combines well with teammates’ and is a threat in front of goal.

Lyon are currently under pressure to sell and fast because they have been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial irregularities, a situation that remains up in the air.

Thus, if Chelsea are able to take advantage of Lyon’s predicament and get a deal done, Fofana is unquestionably a top-class talent.

Maresca must sign an upgrade on 5/10 Chelsea dud who lost the ball 10 times

Chelsea beat LAFC 2-0 in their first game of the Club World Cup.

3 ByKelan Sarson Jun 17, 2025