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Na tarde desta quarta-feira (5), Ceará e Bragantino-PA se enfrentaram pela 1ª rodada da fase de grupos da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. Em Jundiaí, o Vozão saiu na frente, mas, com a expulsão do goleiro Davi Schineider não conseguiu segurar a pressão e levou o empate, com gol de Bruninho, já no último lance.

Agora, as duas equipes voltam a campo no próximo sábado (8). Às 13h, o Bragantino-PA encara o Paulista. Enquanto isso, às 15h15, o Ceará tem pela frente o São Bernardo FC. Ambas as partidas serão disputadas no estádio Jaime Cintra, na cidade de Jundiaí.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

COMEÇO ATRASADO
​A partida no Jaime Cintra começou com pouco mais de 15 minutos de atraso. Isso porque, além da demora da arbitragem para entrar em campo, o credenciamento de parte da comissão técnica do Bragantino-PA acabou demorando a ser regularizado.

Com a bola rolando, o time paraense surpreendeu e criou as principais chances ao longo dos primeiros 15 minutos, mas não obrigou Davi Schneider a fazer defesas. Do outro lado, o Ceará teve maior posse, mas sequer arriscou uma finalização.

TEVE FINALIZAÇÃO
O restante da primeira etapa mostrou duas equipes que travaram as ações do adversário, fazendo com que o jogo ficasse concentrado basicamente no setor de meio de campo.

Depois de muito estudo, os primeiros chutes vieram. Pelo lado do Bragantino, os laterais Ramom e João Pedro tentaram de longe, mas erraram o alvo. Por outro lado, Caio Rafael deu o único chute para o Ceará, mas parou na defesa segura de Dida. Assim, o jogo foi em 0 a 0 para o intervalo.

BRILHOU A ESTRELA
​Na volta do intervalo, Juca Antonello mexeu no Ceará visando dar mais ofensividade ao time. O resultado foi quase que imediato. Com cinco minutos de bola rolando, João Victor, que entrou na volta dos times ao campo, foi lançado em velocidade, driblou o goleiro e tocou para o fundo das redes.

O gol aliviou o lado do Ceará, que passou a jogar mais tranquilo e, consequentemente, passou a se aproveitar do desespero do Bragantino. O time cearense quase aumentou a vantagem quando Caio Rafael chutou e Dida espalmou. No rebote, o goleiro se agigantou na frente de Pedro Igor e fez nova defesa.

EMPATE NOS SEGUNDOS FINAIS
Depois do começo agitado, o segundo tempo caiu de ritmo. O Ceará passou a administrar o duelo, sem levar perigo ao gol adversário. Enquanto isso, o Bragantino-PA encontrou o caminho fechado quando tentou chegar ao gol.

Já nos minutos finais, Matheus Índio recuou bola errada para o goleiro Davi Schneider. Barata chegou na frente e a bola tocou na mão do arqueiro fora da área. A arbitragem marcou falta e expulsou o atleta do Ceará. Com um a mais, o time paraenses pressionou e, praticamente no último lance, depois de um bate e rebate dentro da área, Bruninho deixou tudo igual e fechou o jogo em 1 a 1.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CEARÁ 1 X 1 BRAGANTINO-PA
​​​​​Local: Estádio Jaime Cintra, em Jundiaí (SP)
Data/Horário: 05 de janeiro de 2022 (quarta-feira), às 13h15
Árbitro: Ronald Horns Araújo (SP)
Assistentes: Givanildo Oliveira Félix (SP) e Adilson Anderson Rosa de Carvalho (SP)
Gols: João Victor (5’/2°T) (1-0), Bruninho (52’/2/T) (1-1)
Cartões amarelos: Guthierres, Jonathan, João Victor (Ceará), Johnny, Ramom (Bragantino-PA)
Cartão vermelho: Davi Schneider (Ceará)

CEARÁ: Davi Schneider; Atila, João Vila Verde (David, aos 0’/2°T), Jonathan e Matheus Jatobá; Rúbens (Romarinho, aos 40’/2°T), Wendell e Matheus Índio; Pedro Igor (Rafinha, aos 27’/2°T) (Wilder, aos 45’/2°T), Guthierres (João Victor, aos 0’/2°T) e Caio Rafael (Tallison, aos 27’/2°T). Técnico: Juca Antonello.

BRAGANTINO-PA: Dida; João Pedro (Welliton, aos 18’/2°T), Johnny, Genilson e Ramom; Raul (Pedro, aos 38’/2°T), Dudu (Railan, aos 30’/2°T) e Josivan (Barata, aos 38’/2°T); Luide (Rodrigo, aos 18’/2°T), Berg e Gabriel (Bruninho, aos 30’/2°T). Técnico: Ivan Almeida.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who was in top form in the Hundred, is among the players likely to come in as a replacement

Annesha Ghosh20-Sep-20212:17

Mithali Raj: ‘I’ve not set any benchmarks for myself’

Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s vice-captain in the longer formats, has been ruled out of the first ODI against Australia scheduled for Tuesday in Mackay. She sustained a thumb injury a few days ago, said head coach Ramesh Powar, and that a call on her availability for the second ODI will be taken in due course.”She was declared fit. She was selected for this tour but, unfortunately, some days back she got a hit on the thumb and she is not available for the first ODI,” Powar said on match eve. “Next ODI we will take a call according to her pain management and fitness management.”Powar said that all other members of the consolidated Test and ODI squad are fit and available for selection for Tuesday’s fixture.Related

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Harmanpreet was left out of the warm-up game on Saturday in Brisbane, though she is understood to have batted in the nets. She had ended her Hundred stint in the UK prematurely owing to a quadriceps injury and then joined India’s other four Hundred-returnees in the Bengaluru preparatory camp to serve a mandatory seven-day quarantine.Though cleared as fit, her inclusion in India’s 22-player squad for the seven-match multi-format series was something of a gamble since she made the cut without having been subjected to a workload assessment at training given the quarantine restrictions. The selection panel, ESPNcricinfo revealed at the time, wanted to give her more time to recover considering India had to undergo a 14-day hard quarantine after landing in Australia.In Harmanpreet’s absence, Mithali Raj could reclaim the one-down spot, snapping a streak of 18 straight innings at No. 4 stretching back to early 2019.”I’ve been quite flexible with my batting order whether it’s No. 3 or No. 4, but it all depends on the composition of the team,” Raj said. “If we have a good middle order, then I push my order up, that’s No. 3 and if there’s a little more inexperience in the middle order, then I push myself to No. 4. It all depends on the composition of the team, and now, with Harman out for the first ODI, I probably have to think about my order.”Harmanpreet Kaur suffered a quad injury at the Hundred•BCCIFrontrunners for Harmanpreet’s place in the side include the uncapped Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues and Punam Raut. Considering Yastika, who can also keep, is the only one among the trio to have played the warm-up, making an impressive 42-ball 41, she is likely to pip Rodrigues, who is coming off memorable Hundred campaign, and Raut to the vacant spot.”She [Rodrigues] will be, and is, part of our thought process going forward,” Powar said. “And, it’s about combination. We’re trying to find the right composition going towards the World Cup, so Jemi might miss out, Jemi might play, so we can’t say that now. It’s a three-ODI series, so we’ll take it one game at a time.”The firepower India may lose thanks to Harmanpreet’s injury may yet be made up by their top-order which includes the dynamic Shafali Verma. Only 17 years old, she made her Test and ODI debut on the recent tour of England and has been eye-catching enough in her nascent international career to even win a place in the Hundred. There are still areas to work on in her game, like facing the short ball and tightening up around the off stump, but the India team management are content with the way she is developing so far.”As far as Shafali is concerned, the way she played in the Test game in England, we were happy. As a 17-year old, we have to give her a little breathing space. Mithali, SS (Shiv Sunder) Das, and I had conversations with her. She knows her role, what is expected out of her, so we don’t push a 17-year old, who is very expressive in her batting; we don’t want to curtail her game. But we give her freedom with no responsibility.”SS Das plays a major role. He’s here as the batting coach and he has spent a lot of time with Shafali, and he’s working on her game and mental as mental aspects also. And, she has played the Hundred, so she has got some confidence from there, so it’s important for us to let her express her cricket rather than controlling her. It’s about a 17-year old; we can’t forget that.”Shafali Verma helped give India fast start•Getty ImagesWhile India’s focus is on the current series, the captain and coach are also hoping to set up a performance template that might help them in the long run, especially with the ODI World Cup coming up in March-April.”As a batting unit, we want to score consistently over 250, and we’re planning towards that,” Powar said. “In bowling, we’re trying to get opponents all out, so we’re trying to use Jhulan Goswami as the experienced bowler who can give us good openings up front.”Australia are formidable opponents, riding high on a world-record winning streak in ODIs. India are aware of the challenge that they face but are certain they have prepared well enough for it.”We had also gathered that input that they will be using a lot many of the short-pitched deliveries for our batters,” Raj said, “So we do have two of our side-arm throwers in the team, so that’s where the girls have been using a lot of time playing more of the short-of-length and short-pitched deliveries. A lot of the cuts and pulls is what we’ve been working on in the training sessions.”Not necessarily we are going to give a thought to the winning streak but we are looking forward to our best cricket because we understand we are playing undoubtedly one of the best sides in the world on their home turf and it’s going to be a challenging series,” Raj said. “This thought process every player understands – that we’re in Australia, playing an Australian team. It’s not going to be an easy series but playing against the best side before the World Cup is the best preparation we can get. Every game we have to bring our top game against them.”

Decision due in ’24-48 hours’ in wake of New Zealand’s abandonment of ongoing series

George Dobell17-Sep-2021

Pakistan toured England across formats during the bio-secure summer of 2020•Getty Images

The chances of England going ahead with their proposed tour to Pakistan in October would appear to have receded sharply, in the wake of New Zealand’s decision to abandon their ongoing tour due to a security threat.England’s men and women teams are currently due to play two T20Is in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14, with the women due to stay on for a three-match ODI series as well. But, in the wake of New Zealand’s decision – minutes before the scheduled start of their first ODI in Rawalpindi – the ECB have confirmed they are reviewing their plans, with a decision expected in the next “24-48 hours”.A statement from NZC said: “Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour.”Given that NZC and the ECB use the same security consultants – ESI Risk – to advise on such matters, it would be a major surprise if England proceeded with the tour.”We’re aware of New Zealand’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour due to a security alert,” an ECB spokesperson said. “We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation. The ECB Board will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed.”Related

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Security alert: New Zealand call off Pakistan tour minutes before first ODI

The tour would have been a significant moment for Pakistan cricket. England have not visited the country since 2005 due to security concerns, but agreed this two-match series as a sign of gratitude at Pakistan’s assistance in helping them stage cricket during the English summer of 2020 when the nation was in lockdown. Pakistan’s players were obliged to spend an extended period of time in a bio-bubble to ensure the ECB were able to stage the series.It may be premature to cast doubt over the viability of England men’s Test tour to Pakistan in late 2022, but the resurfacing of security issues in the region is likely to have ramifications for the staging of that series as well.Any cancellation may also hit both teams’ preparations for the T20 World Cup which follows. It could be, however, that the ECB allow their IPL players to remain at the tournament during the knock-out stages. The ECB had previously intimated that players involved in the T20 World Cup would be obliged to leave the tournament early.It also leaves England’s plans for the winter up in the air. They have already seen their tour of Bangladesh cancelled and are currently waiting for assurances from Cricket Australia before confirming their Ashes plans.

Lucy Bronze wants to see Chelsea become 'Invincibles' in 2024-25, with an unbeaten season and four major trophies being targeted.

Article continues below

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• Just two points dropped in the league so far
• Positive progress made in cup competitions
• England international looking for clean sweep

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues are on course to hit that target following a 1-0 victory over London rivals Arsenal that has kept them at the top of the WSL table. Just two points have been dropped through 12 games, with a surprising 1-1 draw with struggling Leicester their undoing.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sonia Bompastor’s side are seven points clear of the chasing pack, while also remaining in contention for Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup honours in the women’s game. Bronze believes all of those honours are within reach.

• Getty
  

  WHAT LUCY BRONZE SAID

  The ambitious England international defender told of collective goals in west London: "We're trying to win four trophies and that's difficult. We wanted to get a good stretch of points [to be in a good position] when we're in the thick of it in March, April and May. It's difficult [then] and you might drop points but we're in a good place now and we're on the up. We want to go the season unbeaten.

  "There's records out there to break. Chelsea's a team that has always wanted to do that. We've never clinched the Champions League. We've got five league titles in a row but [going] unbeaten [would be] unbelievable. We're on a good road to doing that."

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea have previously enjoyed two unbeaten WSL campaigns, in 2017-18 and 2019-20, during an era of domestic dominance under current USWNT coach Emma Hayes. Arsenal are the only English side to have avoided defeat in all competitions across a single season, with that quadruple-winning feat achieved back in 2006-07.

أعلن آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، عن تشكيل اللاعبين لخوض مباراة باريس سان جيرمان في منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلاقي ليفربول نظيره باريس سان جيرمان في ذهاب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، في نظامها الجديد على ملعب “بارك دي برانس”، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

وتُقام مباراة الإياب بين فريقي ليفربول وباريس سان جيرمان على ملعب “أنفيلد” يوم الثلاثاء 11 مارس الجاري.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بعد أرنولد.. ديلي ميل: ريال مدريد يُخطط لضربة جديدة من قلب ليفربول

ويلتقي المتأهل من ليفربول وباريس سان جيرمان مع الفائز من صدام أستون فيلا وكلوب بروج، وذلك في مرحلة ربع نهائي البطولة، حسب القرعة التي تمت في وقت سابق من شهر فبراير الماضي.

وتأهل باريس سان جيرمان إلى دور الـ16 بعد فوزه على بريست في مرحلة الملحق، في حين تأهل ليفربول بشكل مباشر من مرحلة الدوري.

ويقود المهاجم المصري، محمد صلاح، تشكيل ليفربول في مواجهة اليوم أمام باريس سان جيرمان. تشكيل ليفربول اليوم أمام باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، إبراهيما كوناتي، فان دايك، أندي روبرتسون.

خط الوسط: ريان جرافنبيرخ، أليكسيس ماك أليستر، دومينيك سوبوسلاي.

خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح، لويس دياز، ديوجو جوتا. بدلاء ليفربول أمام باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

كيليهر، جاروس، إندو، نونيز، كييزا، جونز، إليوت، تسيميكاس، ماكونيل، كوانساه، تيري نيوني.

The Reds to take on PSG 💫🔴 #UCL — Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 5, 2025

Celtic have enjoyed a sensational start to the 2024/25 campaign by winning all eight of their competitive matches in all competitions, conceding just four goals.

The Hoops have won all five of their games in the Scottish Premiership and are yet to concede a single goal, as Brendan Rodgers targets a second successive title since his return to the club last summer.

Because of the club’s success and the huge standards in the first-team squad, it is incredibly difficult for young players to make the breakthrough from the B team to the senior group.

One player who appeared to be on his way to bridging the gap was Ireland youth international Rocco Vata, before his exit from Parkhead in the summer transfer window.

Rocco Vata's potential

The 19-year-old starlet scored 23 goals in 34 appearances for Celtic B and was given opportunities in the first-team by Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers.

Vata scored his first goal for the senior side under the Northern Irish head coach last term, against Buckie Thistle, and ended his career at Parkhead with that being his only strike in six appearances.

The teenage whiz opted to turn down the chance to sign an extension at Paradise and signed for Championship side Watford, with compensation to be agreed between the two teams due to his age, and he came off the bench for the Hornets in their 2-1 League Cup defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday night.

Vata appeared to be a great prospect for Celtic, given his 23 goals for the B team and his smattering of first-team outings, but will now not have the chance to fulfil his potential at Parkhead.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Rodgers, however, may already have a bigger talent than the 19-year-old Irishman brewing in the academy in the form of centre-forward Daniel Cummings.

Daniel Cummings' goal record for Celtic

The 18-year-old star, who only turned 18 in April, has been in prolific form for the B team in the 2024/25 campaign, with a stunning 12 goals in eight appearances.

Cummings has scored ten goals in seven Lowland League games this term, and also fired in 12 goals in 19 Lowland League matches last season, which means that the forward has racked up 22 goals in his last 26 league appearances for the B team.

That works out as a goal every 1.18 Lowland League games on average, compared to Vata’s return of 23 goals in 34 matches for the same team – a goal every 1.48 matches on average.

The Scotland U17 international has scored two goals and provided one assist in six appearances in the UEFA Youth League, whereas Vata only managed one goal and zero assists in 12 outings in that competition for Celtic.

These statistics suggest that Cummings, who is a year younger than the Watford man, has the potential to be a greater goal threat as a centre-forward, as he outperformed his former teammate in the same competitions.

It is now down to the 18-year-old marksman to prove to Rodgers, if given the opportunity, that he has a future as a regular starter for Celtic, as he could be a star for the Hoops if his B team form can be translated to the first-team.

Sold for £20m: Celtic struck gold selling ace who's now worth millions less

The Hoops hit the jackpot when they decided to cash in on the centre-forward.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 25, 2024

Cardiff City have now been without a manager for almost three weeks, having sacked Erol Bulut towards the middle of last month.

The Turkish manager was let go after a dismal start to the season that saw the Bluebirds earn just one point from their opening six games and rooted to the bottom of the Championship.

Former Leyton Orient and Watford coach Omer Riza is now in charge on an interim basis, but the board is still on the hunt for a permanent successor, with Wales Online reporting that the powers that be at The Principality have spent the past two weeks “poring over a longlist of candidates.”

Who is on Cardiff's managerial radar?

Among the names being touted to succeed Bulut as Cardiff manager are Sam Allardyce, Mark Hughes, Tony Pulis, and Neil Warnock, as well as former Plymouth Argyle duo Steven Schumacher and Ryan Lowe. Former West Bromwich Albion and West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is also a target.

It is understood that talks were held with Bilic this week, but Cardiff are not optimistic they can land the Croatian, who has been without a job since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh back in August. One other name linked with the job is Ruben Selles, who is the current boss of League One side Reading.

Selles recently hinted that he could leave Reading amid a number of issues behind the scenes at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, including the club failing to pay its players and being issued a winding-up petition by HMRC over unpaid taxes.

“I have had enough of this situation now,” Selles told BBC Radio Berkshire a fortnight ago after a proposed club takeover by American lawyer and businessman Rob Couhig fell through.

“All the bad situations that can happen in football have happened to me in the last 16 months,” he said. “I have a fantastic group of players that have been fighting against those situations but it gets to a point where you cannot anymore, you are repeating the things in the cycle.”

Carlton Palmer thinks Selles would say yes to Cardiff

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former England international turned pundit Carlton Palmer said he believes that Selles would say yes to an offer to become Cardiff manager if approached.

“Should Cardiff come knocking, I think he will go,” said Palmer. “Selles has done fantastic there but he will go unless new owners come in. There has been talks and talks at Reading about new owners coming in and nothing has materialized.

Cardiff City eyeing move for "highly regarded" 39 y/o to replace Erol Bulut

They sit bottom of the Championship…

1 ByTom Cunningham Sep 22, 2024

“It must be disheartening for Ruben. It must be difficult for him trying to lift the players, the staff, and then being hit with a points deduction or further embargoes,” Palmer said. “It becomes very difficult to work under those circumstances, week in, week out. Cardiff are a good football club. It’s a great opportunity to make a name for himself in the Championship.

“I can see him leaving if they make an approach for him. I could see him leaving.”

Celtic have largely been in phenomenal form in the 2024/25 campaign and currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership table with seven wins in seven matches.

The Hoops have conceded one goal, and none from open play, in their seven games in the top-flight, whilst they have also won both of their League Cup outings so far.

Brendan Rodgers’ side also won their first Champions League clash with a 5-1 win over Slovan at Parkhead, before they were hammered 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in Germany in their second match.

Their dismal night in Europe was a one-off in comparison to the rest of their performances this season, which have allowed them to win every other game in all competitions.

The Northern Irish head coach will surely be delighted with the way that his team have started the campaign and will be hoping that they can carry on their strong form with a win over Aberdeen, who have also won all seven of their league games, at Parkhead on Saturday.

Despite Celtic’s almost-perfect start to the season, Rodgers could still look to bolster his squad when the January transfer window opens for business, as one player is reportedly keen on a move to Paradise.

Premier League star wants Celtic move

According to The Boot Room, Celtic are interested in signing Kieran Tierney from Premier League side Arsenal ahead of the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Scotland international wants to move on from The Emirates and has made a return for a second spell in Glasgow a priority ahead of the January window, as he is keen to complete a transfer back to the club.

It states that the Gunners are prepared to allow him to leave on a loan deal that would be viable for the Scottish giants, who may not be able to afford a permanent deal at this moment in time.

The outlet adds that Arsenal would also be open to working out a permanent deal with the Bhoys further down the line, with his contract not due to expire until the summer of 2026.

It is also revealed that Tierney was in talks over a return to Parkhead in the recent summer transfer window before a serious hamstring injury put an end to any potential move. However, the Scottish defender is due to return to fitness ahead of January, which could open the door for Celtic to make another swoop for him.

If Rodgers and the Hoops can pull off a deal for the Arsenal outcast at the start of next year then it could be an even bigger signing than Arne Engels was in the summer.

How much Celtic paid for Arne Engels

Celtic showcased their ambition in the last transfer window by smashing their record transfer fee to sign the Belgium international from Augsburg.

The Scottish giants reportedly splashed out a fee of £11m to sign the central midfielder from the Bundesliga club, which was a huge show of faith from the club in him and Rodgers.

It was an ambitious move by the Hoops when you consider the transfer fee. However, he also came in as a young player who did not start regularly for a team that finished 11th in the Bundesliga last season.

Engels started 13 of his 32 appearances in the German top-flight in the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that they did not trust him to start week-in-week-out in one of Europe’s major leagues.

That allowed Celtic to swoop in and bring him to Scotland to continue his development by playing regularly for Rodgers in Glasgow, and he has already made a fast start to life at Parkhead.

The Belgian youngster has racked up two goals and three assists in his last six appearances – including one goal and two assists in the Champions League – for the Hoops in all competitions, after making his debut off the bench in a 3-0 win over Rangers at the start of September.

Appearances

4

Sofascore rating

7.38

Goals

1

Key passes

5

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, he has already showcased his attacking quality with one goal and five chances created in four outings in the Premiership for the Hoops.

Celtic could now, though, make an even bigger signing than Engels by swooping for a player who has proven himself in the major European leagues.

Why Kieran Tierney would be a bigger signing than Arne Engels

Firstly, Tierney is reportedly on £110k-per-week and it would represent a big show of ambition from the Scottish giants to take on those wages, whether it is on loan or a permanent deal.

The 27-year-old would also come in as a bigger signing than Engels as he has already established himself in Europe and at international level as a top performer.

Tierney has played 124 matches for Arsenal in all competitions and played 26 times for Real Sociedad in the 2023/24 campaign, whilst he has also been capped 46 times by Scotland.

The Scottish ace also racked up 37 assists in 170 matches for Celtic during his first spell at the club, winning 11 domestic trophies in that time.

This means that the Hoops would be bringing in a player who has proven himself in Scotland and in two major leagues, in the Premier League and LaLiga, in what should be the prime of his career at 27.

As you can see in the table below, Tierney spent last season on loan in LaLiga with Real Sociedad and showcased his defensive strength with a duel success rate of 60% and multiple tackles and interceptions per game on average.

Appearances

20

Sofascore rating

6.94

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

Assists

2

Duel success rate

60%

The £110k-per-week star will have to overcome his injury woes, with at least 17 games missed through injury in each of the last five seasons, to return to his former glory, though.

Overall, Tierney is a top-class operator when fit who can be a dominant defensive presence, whilst also offering a creative threat, down the left flank and bringing in a player of his quality would be an even bigger coup than the £11m signing of Engels in the summer.

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ByDan Emery Oct 15, 2024

Chelsea made the perfect start to their Europa Conference League campaign last night, beating Gent 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga secured the win for the Blues in what was a much-changed starting lineup.

The victory made it five successive wins for Enzo Maresca’s side, as the Italian looks to have settled perfectly into life as the Blues boss.

Whilst many expected it to be an easy night’s work for Maresca’s outfit, his side demonstrated a professional display, controlling possession and taking their chances in the final third – restricting the Belgian opposition to very few opportunities.

The display allowed two Chelsea players to shine once again, showing why they deserve a regular starting spot under the Italian in the Premier League.

Neto & Nkunku’s stats against Gent

Neto and Nkunku once again found themselves on the scoresheet for Chelsea, highlighting the excellent recruitment conducted by those behind the scenes in recent months.

The Portuguese winger registered his second goal in as many starts, whilst also creating five chances – the most of any player on the pitch during the victory.

The 24-year-old also managed to complete 97% of the passes he attempted, with two successful dribbles, as he provided a constant threat to the opposition backline throughout the encounter.

As for Nkunku, he continues his excellent start to the 2024/25 campaign, with his strike last night taking him to seven goals already this season despite featuring as an impact player in the league.

The Frenchman endured a quiet evening, only completing six passes, but popped up when Maresca’s side needed him the most – helping them on the way to a successful first Conference League outing of the season.

However, not all the players who started the game enjoyed a good outing, with one player failing to take his rare start with both hands.

The Chelsea player who disappointed against Gent

Benoit Badiashile was handed a rare start for the Conference League clash and was part of a back four that conceded twice despite the opposition only managing three shots on target all night.

The 23-year-old may have managed 159 successful passes and registered 175 touches, but it was his poor defensive display that could see him lose his place ahead of the weekend.

Badiashile gave possession away 12 times, the third most of any Blues player, whilst only winning one of the three duels he entered, and failing to complete a single tackle.

He also missed a big chance in front of goal, which could’ve made the game even more comfortable for Maresca’s side, with the Frenchman unable to make a positive impact at either end of the pitch, having been awarded a measly 5/10 match rating by the Evening Standard’s Dom Smith.

Benoit Badiashile’s stats against Gent
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	90
Touches	175
Passes completed	159 (94%)
Tackles made	0
Times dribbled past	1
Possession lost	12x
Big chances missed	1
Duels won	1/3
Stats via Sofascore

Whilst it was a routine win for Chelsea, Maresca will be wanting to extend his side’s current excellent winning run when they face Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Neto and Nkunku have certainly staked their claim for a starting spot, whilst Badiashile must surely expect to lose his place after his dismal display once again last night.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 2, 2024

Big picture

Very quietly, India vs New Zealand has become a classic little rivalry. It fits the biggest stages and produces some heart-stopping moments. Martin Guptill’s throw to run MS Dhoni out. Ross Taylor’s pull to seal the title. Rohit Sharma producing the best batting ever seen in a Super Over. Having bubbled away for a while – especially this year when two of their last three T20Is have ended up as ties – this is where it’s all going to blow up.Related

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• What do Pakistan's wins mean for the rest of Group 2?

Both teams come into this game knowing they haven’t been good enough. However, those early losses will also have provided valuable lessons. Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson will now know what to guard against to ensure the best chance of victory. For India, that’s making sure they don’t lose early wickets. It’s no easy task when Trent Boult is among the opposition, but, surviving the powerplay with minimal losses usually means they are set up to do maximum damage later on.New Zealand’s focus will be on the other end of the innings. The experiments with their batting order – Daryl Mitchell as opener, James Neesham at No. 4 – didn’t take against Pakistan and while that was another sign of their willingness to drop pre-set plans and do what the conditions dictate to win a match – it robbed them of a bit of stability. They did not have a recognised finisher at the crease when the death overs came around and they paid the price for it.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)India: LLLWW
New Zealand: LWLWL

In the spotlight

Hardik Pandya has started bowling in the nets again. And while it was only a 20-minute session, it has the potential to be game-changing for India’s prospects at this World Cup. Having their star allrounder back means they have more options, which in turn allows the captain to ration overs from his best bowlers better. Jasprit Bumrah, for example, can be used exclusively at the death. Varun Chakravarthy can bowl his mystery spin in the powerplay. The entire bowling plan changes if Hardik is in the mix.India and New Zealand have plenty of recent history with each other•AFP

Devon Conway has enjoyed a stellar start to his career. He uprooted his life in South Africa and bet it all on New Zealand and the upshot of that was a world title within his first year of international cricket. He’s now on the hunt for another, and his ability to cope with most kinds of bowling mark him out as a key figure in this batting line-up.

Team news

India tend not to be a team that makes too many changes, but they may yet be tempted to include Shardul Thakur, who has been in electric form ever since the tour of England, in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been off-colour.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahMartin Guptill did not field in New Zealand’s last game after sustaining a blow to his left toe, but he has turned up well in training and is expected to make the XI. Adam Milne, who is now available for selection, may be a contender to take Tim Southee’s spot in the XINew Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Tim Seifert (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee/Adam Milne, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

Teams batting second have won 14 of the 18 T20s played in Dubai this year. So don’t be surprised if the captain winning the toss tomorrow immediately opts to bowl.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma has been dismissed thrice each by Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner in T20s.
• Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kane Williamson four times in T20s, giving away 49 runs in 37 balls.
• Until 2016, New Zealand had never lost a T20I to India. Since then, they’ve lost 8 of 11.