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Third consecutive title awaits after Dan Worrall, Sam Curran four-fors set up ten-wicket win

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Sep-2024

Rory Burns and Ryan Patel celebrate arm in arm•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Sun kissed and hazy, like the summer should have been. As south London bathed in 25-degree heat, there was a prevailing sense of better late than never. And not solely down to the pleasingly warm weather.The last day of cricket at the Kia Oval culminated in two tucked to midwicket by skipper Rory Burns to confirm a 10-wicket win for Surrey over Durham. With one round to play, the 2024 County Championship title is within reach. The prospect of silverware now as certain as it should have been at the start of last week.At the time of writing, the defending champions lead Somerset by 28 points, who must chase down 393 against Lancashire to cut that to 12 going into the final round. That would put the onus on Surrey beating Essex at Chelmsford next week. Three-peats are tough and whether confirmed on Friday if Somerset lose, or in the last days of September, it will be worth the wait.Surrey did not shirk the hard work on days one and two, but they did not have to over-exert themselves on day three. Just six balls into the morning session, Durham had already lost two more wickets having arrived on 1 for 1. Daniel Hogg – the second nighwatcher after Callum Parkinson was picked off first ball of the second innings – lost his off stump for Dan Worrall’s 50th Division One wicket of the season. The soon-to-be-English Australian celebrated by removing regular opener Ben McKinney for a duck two balls later.Worrall’s pocketing of four of the top five was mirrored by Sam Curran, who accounted for four of the rest. The left-armer finished with 4 for 23, three of them bowled, including the final wicket of Chemar Holder that gave Burns and Dom Sibley a real shrug of a chase, polishing off a target of 25 by 3.33pm.The junior Curran was the only member of the XI not burned by the twin defeats to Somerset in the last week. International duty meant he watched a thrilling red-ball finale at Taunton from a stream in Cardiff – the day before England’s second T20I against Australia – and the early Finals Day defeat at Birmingham from Sky’s commentary box.What bitterness there was last Thursday was multiplied by the semi-final defeat. Rather than use the rest of the day as a jolly – the prerogative of all teams that lose the 11am semi-final – Surrey decided to return to London immediately.Almost exactly a week on from Taunton, they were still in the changing room come 6pm – Sam Curran too – cheering as Lancashire’s George Balderson removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave Somerset 155 for 5, and lamenting a series of drops. At 6.02pm, there were hoots and hollers as Kasey Aldridge was dismissed off what was the last ball of the day in Manchester, with Somerset needing 189 more on Friday with just four wickets remaining.”I’d be lying if I said the guys wouldn’t be tuning into the scorecards or the streams,” Curran said. “Hopefully Lancs can get that victory and stay up as well.”The message from the three wise heads of Gareth Batty, Rory Burns and Alec Stewart was to forget and move on. The performance and result speak to that. “I think that showed the strength and character of the group,” Curran said, “to come back to The Oval and win in three days.”It also shows the quality in the squad that someone of Curran’s ilk can drop in for just his second County Championship match of the season and have such a profound effect. Likewise, that a bit-part player in Ryan Patel can peel off a face-saving century on day two of just his seventh appearance of the summer, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith away on England duty.”The group is a really close group,” Curran said. “It was a really tough week last week – lose at Taunton and lose at Finals Day after such a good T20 season. It’s frustrating but the character showed this week, guys bouncing back, forgetting about it – that shows why we’re such a good team.”As much as defeat stung Durham, their glory had already come to pass. Bonus points confirmed life in Division One for another season, not that they were ever really involved in the scrap. They will remain in London on Thursday night to toast a promising first showing back in the top flight since 2016.It was one of their reinforcements in Emilio Gay who offered the most resistance with a tidy 48, after a duck in the first innings. The Northamptonshire recruit – currently on loan to cover for Scott Borthwick’s injury ahead of joining full-time at the end of the summer – drove well and missed better, having arrived at the end of that crushing first over with Durham 2 for 3, still 152 behind in their second innings.Gay’s dismissal – trapped lbw by Worrall coming around the wicket – came after he had taken the visitors to within 34. That was eventually split between the Netherlands pair of Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede, who gave Durham the lead before Curran, with the help of Tom Lawes, lopped off the tail.That tea was taken with such a paltry target was typically cricket, especially when Burns and Sibley took just five overs to complete the formalities. An eighth win of the season was cheered by all at the ground, a sentiment reciprocated by the Surrey players who walked the perimeter to applaud those who remained, as a thank you for their support this summer.In tow was Stewart, who decided to stop in front of the pavilion bearing his father’s name to allow the players their moment in the last of the summer sun. And as he applauded those members applauding him, it did feel a shame this was over so soon.Spill over into a fourth day and, maybe, the finale Surrey fans dreamed of comes to pass. Of a legend bowing out after 11 years as director of cricket with a fourth Championship title under his watch.Ah well. Whether with Lancashire’s help or by their own hand, whether on Friday or next week – glory awaits.

India overcame Marco Jansen’s blitz to win the high-scorer by 11 runs

Firdose Moonda13-Nov-20244:26

India’s batting in 2024: Intent > consistency

Tilak Varma became India’s second centurion in the space of six days and ensured they cannot lose the four-match T20I series. They lead 2-1 with the final match to be played on Friday, and the hosts left with only the option of a draw. South Africa have not won a bilateral T20I series since beating Ireland 2-0 in August 2022 and have lost five and drawn two series in that time.At a time when the next major tournament is 15 months away, and with the knowledge they reached this year’s T20 World Cup final, that may not worry South Africa much. But there will be questions over their depth and some of their strategies after they conceded heavily and stumbled in the chase for the second time this series.South Africa’s seam strength without Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, is, as expected, inexperienced. It showed in a messy display at Supersport Park which included 10 wides and three no-balls. Those numbers pale in comparison to that of Tilak, who, at 22 years and five days old, became India’s second youngest centurion after Yashasvi Jaiswal, and took just 51 balls to get to his hundred. He shared a 107-run second-wicket stand with Abhishek Sharma, and a 58-run fifth-wicket partnership with Rinku Singh, in which Tilak contributed 45. Though India were set for a total above 240, after bringing up 100 in the ninth over, Tilak still made sure they had enough.Related

India look to add more shine to already glowing T20 credentials

Tilak asks Suryakumar for No. 3 spot and owns it with dazzling century

With an asking rate of 11 needed, South Africa fell behind early on. They needed close to 12 runs an over by the end of the powerplay and as much as 17 an over in the last five. At that stage, they had their two biggest hitters, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller at the crease and their partnership had reached 58 off 35 balls. In an eerie reminder of Suryakumar Yadav’s catch on the long-off boundary in the T20 World Cup final in June, Axar Patel timed his jump at deep mid-wicket boundary to perfection and Miller had to depart.Tilak Varma leaps in celebration after bringing up his first international century•AFP/Getty Images

Marco Jansen kept South Africa in it until the last over and ensured the result flattered them. He scored his first T20I half-century and blitzed four four and five sixes, three down the ground, to threaten a coup. But South Africa had left themselves with too much to do. Jansen was dismissed lbw to Arshdeep Singh with three balls left in the innings and 18 to get. South Africa lost by 11 runs.South Africa strike early; India strike backJansen got South Africa off to a perfect start when his second ball scythed through Sanju Samson. Samson’s all-or-bust time continued, with his last four T20I scores reading 111, 107, 0, 0 but India did not spend too much time dwelling on that. They promoted Tilak to No. 3 with astonishing results. He hit the second ball he faced through backward point for four and then smashed Jansen over third for six. Abhishek, who was dismissed for single-figure scores at both coastal venues, quickly rectified that when he took 14 runs off Gerald Coetzee’s opening over, and he showed the full range of his repertoire.Abhishek went through midwicket, over point and then through the covers. Coetzee was swiftly replaced by Lutho Sipamla, who Tilak pulled behind square, and Jansen by Andile Simelane, who bore the brunt of Abhishek’s aggression. He struck back-to-back sixes to opposite corners of the ground and India were running away with the powerplay. They were 70 for 1 after six overs, and South Africa were yet to bring on the spinners.Andile Simelane celebrates with his team-mates after removing Suryakumar Yadav•AFP/Getty Images

Maharaj and Simelane apply the brakesIndia brought up 100 inside nine overs when Abhishek launched Keshav Maharaj over long-on but the spinner had the last laugh. Three balls later, he dragged a delivery wide of Abhishek, who reached out to try and send it through the leg side but missed and was stumped. In the next over, Simelane gave Suryakumar width and tempted him to cut but the India captain could only slice it to deep point. Maharaj’s second over cost 10 runs but he was kept on for a third, with success. Hardik Pandya missed a sweep, was hit on the pack pad and given out lbw. India lost 3 for 25 in 26 balls and South Africa pulled them back.But there’s no stopping TilakMaharaj is known for his ability to slow things down but by his last over, Tilak had had enough. He used his crease well to go 4-6-4 over extra cover, deep square leg and deep mid-wicket and Maharaj finished with 36 off his four overs. That was the warning shot. Coetzee took a pasting in his next over, which also included three wides, with Tilak finding the long and short boundaries. Jansen bowled a boundary-less 17th over and Rinku was bowled by a Simelane yorker in the 18th. But by then Tilak was unstoppable. He brought up his hundred when he smoked Sipamla past mid-off for his seventh four. Tilak went on to hit one more four to add to his seven sixes and ended unbeaten on 107.Flying ants stop playWe’ve had bees at the Wanderers but this is, to this amateur historian’s mind, the first time flying ants have stopped play. What, you may ask? Maybe you call them or or or but you probably know the ones. They come before the rain, are attracted to light and shed their wings upon landing, and there were so many of them at SuperSport Park, the umpires were concerned they would fly into the players’ eyes. The players were taken off after an over of South Africa’s chase and a light pylon at SuperSport Park was turned off in the hope the flying ants would go somewhere else. After 28 minutes, play could resume, with no overs lost. It’s wild out in Africa, they say, and so it was.India and South Africa players walked off the field due to flying ants•AFP/Getty Images

Varun the victorForget everything history says about spinners struggling on the Highveld and just look at Varun Chakravarthy. He came into this match as the leading wicket-taker in the series (with double the number of wickets as his nearest rival) and added another to his name with his most unplayable delivery. South Africa have had no idea about his googly and Reeza Hendricks was done for a second time. He advanced on Varun, slogged wildly, missed and was stumped. South Africa finished the powerplay on 55 for 2.South Africa may have thought they had the better of Varun when Aiden Markram hit him for two sixes over long-on in his third over but it was a case of the opposite. Markram should have put the last ball away over mid-wicket but hit it straight to debutant Ramandeep Singh and extended a miserable run for himself. He has gone 27 innings without a T20I fifty and has not gone past 30 in his last 12 innings. Klaasen was the only player who could take some bragging rights after he hit Varun for three successive sixes, including the biggest of the match at 109 meters, in an over that cost 23. Varun finished with his most expensive T20I analysis but made two crucial breakthroughs and in the end, that’s all that matters. South Africa needed 86 off the last five overs and it was a bridge too far.

With the 2025/26 Premier League campaign closing in, Everton are reportedly pushing to sign the defensive midfield reinforcement that they’ve been in search of ahead of rival clubs.

Moyes "desperate" to get Everton business done

It’s been a mixed summer for Everton so far. Whilst they’ve done well to get deals over the line for Thierno Barry, Mark Travers and, most recently, Bayern Munich youngster Adam Aznou, there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Just two weeks before the Premier League season gets underway, David Moyes once again saw his side lose out to Premier League opposition in their pre-season tour of America and took the time to reveal his frustration over the lack of incomings in the aftermath.

Money isn’t the problem, either. Earlier reports indicated that The Friedkin Group are able to spend as much as £150m this summer if they see fit and, as such, targets such as James McAtee and Douglas Luiz have threatened to steal the headlines.

Related Same agent as Pickford: Everton hold concrete talks to sign £16m-a-year ace

The Toffees are still out to make a statement this summer.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jul 30, 2025

The Toffees even reportedly submitted a loan offer to sign the latter, but any potential deals still seems a long way off – forcing those in Merseyside to look towards fresh alternatives.

Everton pushing to sign Florentino Luis

According to journalist Gianluigi Longari, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton are now pushing in the race to sign Florentino Luis ahead of Leeds United and Burnley. The Benfica midfielder could now be granted an exit following the arrival of Richard Rios, leaving the Toffees to take full advantage to land a player they’ve long admired.

Praised for his “superb work rate” by scout Jacek Kulig in 2023, Everton should go all out to ensure that they don’t miss out on the fresh opportunity to sign Luis this summer.

At 25 years old, he’s at the peak of his powers and would provide Moyes with an ideal replacement for Abdoulaye Doucoure. In one move, Everton could forget all about Luiz and land a younger alternative.

تمكن فريق بيرنلي من تسجيل هدف التعادل في شباك خصمه مانشستر سيتي، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي وبيرنلي، في خضم منافسات الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ونجح بيرنلي في تسجيل هدف التعادل في شباك مانشستر سيتي، في الدقيقة 36 من عمر الشوط الأول.

جاء الهدف عن طريق اللاعب جيدون أنتوني، بعدما تلقى كرة من زميله هارتمان، وسددها في شباك جيانلويجي دوناروما، معلنًا عن التعادل لصالح الضيوف.

كان مانشستر سيتي قد تقدم بهدف في الدقيقة 12 من عمر الشوط نفسه عن طريق النيران الصديقة، بفضل لاعب بيرنلي ماكسيم إستيف.

كشف أحمد زهران، المدرب العام لنادي حرس الحدود، عن التشكيل الأساسي الذي سيخوض به الفريق مباراته أمام الأهلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويغيب المدير الفني للفريق، عبد الحميد بسيوني، عن اللقاء بسبب ظروف صحية، ويقود الثلاثي الهجومي محمد حمدي زكي وأحمد الشيخ وعمر فتحي الخط الأمامي لفريق حرس الحدود.

ويحتل الأهلي المركز العاشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 9 نقاط حصدها من 6 مباريات، بعد تحقيق انتصارين والتعادل في 3 مواجهات والخسارة مرة واحدة.

على الجانب الآخر، حرس الحدود يسعى لتحسين وضعيته، إذ يحتل المركز الثالث عشر برصيد 8 نقاط من 8 مباريات، بواقع فوز وحيد و5 تعادلات وخسارتين.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل الأهلي أمام حرس الحدود في الدوري.. شوبير أساسيًا وجراديشار في الهجوم تشكيل حرس الحدود أمام الأهلي في الدوري

في حراسة المرمى: محمود الزنفلي.

خط الدفاع: فوزي الحناوي، إسلام أبو سليمة، إبراهيم عبد الحكيم، محمد الدغيمي.

خط الوسط: محمد مجلي، محمد أشرف “روقا”، محمد النجيلي.

خط الهجوم: أحمد الشيخ، محمد حمدي زكي، عمر فتحي.

The other marquee names are Buttler, Rabada, Arshdeep, Starc, Chahal, Livingstone, Miller, Shami and Siraj

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-202412:46

Which team is likely to buy KL Rahul at the IPL auction?

Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, the three captains released by their franchises ahead of the retention deadline, will be among the 12 marquee players whose names will kick off the IPL 2025 auction, which will be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah.Indian players make up seven of the marquee names at the auction. Iyer, Pant and Arshdeep Singh are among the first set of six marquee players, while the second includes Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. The five overseas names are Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc, who broke the record for the highest-ever bid at an IPL auction ahead of the 2024 season, England white-ball captain Jos Buttler, England allrounder Liam Livingstone, South Africa power-hitter David Miller and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.Related

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IPL 2025 mega auction to be held on November 24, 25 in Jeddah

Among the notable absentees from the auction shortlist of 574 players are the expresss England quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Archer, who has recently returned to action following a long injury lay-off. Mumbai Indians (MI) splurged INR 8 crore (then USD 1.06 million approx) on Archer at the IPL 2022 auction even though he had just undergone elbow surgery and was not expected to be fit for that season. In the end, he played five games for Mumbai across two seasons before being released. Archer had put himself down in the auction longlist at the maximum base price of INR 2 crore.Wood was signed by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the 2022 auction, but missed that season with an elbow injury. He played four matches for the franchise in 2023, but was pulled out of the 2024 season by the ECB as part of his workload management ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The ECB had also pulled Archer out of the IPL 2024 auction to manage his recovery from injury. Both Archer and Wood are centrally contracted by the ECB.James Anderson, who recently retired from Test cricket as England’s leading wicket-taker, is part of the shortlist, however. The fast bowler was a red-ball specialist through the latter half of his career, and last played a T20 game in 2014, but has expressed an interest, at the age of 42, to be part of the global franchise circuit following the end of his international career. He will be the oldest player at the auction, listed at a base price of INR 1.25 crore, and will be hoping to feature in the IPL for the first time in his career.At the other end of the age spectrum, the youngest player at the auction is the left-hand batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who at 13 has already played five first-class matches for Bihar and two Youth Test matches for India Under-19s, scoring a century against Australia Under-19s last month.Another teenager who could attract interest at the auction is the Sri Lanka Under-19 fast bowler Dumindu Sewmina, who has played just the one T20 game but has caught the eye with his low, slingy action, and recently earned a spot in the Lanka T10 league. He will be hoping to follow fellow Lasith Malinga clones Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara into the IPL.Having played golf at St Andrews, James Anderson will now be gunning for his first IPL contract•Getty Images

This is the first time since the 2018 auction that the marquee list has been split in two. Back then, there were 16 marquee players across the two sets. In the last mega auction in 2022, a single set of 10 marquee players kicked off proceedings.Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), who have retained the maximum allowance of six players each, will not be able to use any right-to-match cards during the auction. Punjab Kings (PBKS) will have four RTMs at their disposal, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will have three, and Delhi Capitals (DC) two. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will have only one RTM each.The RTM option will allow teams to buy back players they released by matching the highest bid made for them. In this auction, the team making the highest bid will be allowed to increase their bid one final time, in which case the team using the RTM card will again have the option of matching the new bid to sign the player. (More auction rules explained here)Of the 574 players at the auction, 366 are Indian and 208 from overseas. Three are from Associate teams: Ali Khan and the former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand (both USA) and Brandon McMullen (Scotland). Of the 330 uncapped players, 318 are Indian and 12 from overseas.A total of 204 slots remain to be filled across the 10 teams, with 70 available to overseas players. The auction will begin at 1pm local time (3.30pm IST) on November 24.

Sunderland’s hectic transfer window started on a sombre note when Jobe Bellingham pushed through a move to leave the Black Cats behind for German behemoth Borussia Dortmund.

At that point in time, the Wearside masses must have been fearful regarding what the rest of the window was going to look like. However, they’ve never looked back, with the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki adding in plenty of fresh personnel to their options centrally.

Still, if there’s more chances to snap up exciting options in the midfield department before the Premier League season begins, Sunderland are unlikely to turn down such a tantalising opportunity.

Sunderland knock on door for £26m star

Indeed, it’s already been proven that Regis Le Bris and Co. are not done with revamping their midfield options, as Granit Xhaka is now set to undergo a medical at the Stadium of Light.

The Swiss international – who is set to join for £17m – will offer plenty of grit and fight having starred in the testing Premier League before for Arsenal, which will be needed if Sunderland are to immediately survive in such a stressful division.

He isn’t the only midfield addition that could soon catch the eye of the Stadium of Light fanbase, however, as a new development from Turkish outlet Saba Spor, via X, indicates that the Black Cats have made an approach to Galatasaray regarding ex-Norwich City ace Gabriel Sara.

Indeed, the report suggests that the newly-promoted side have ‘knocked on the door’ of the Super Lig side regarding a potential deal, with Sara currently valued at more than €30m (£26m).

Winning Sara’s services could see Sunderland pick up their next version of young Bellingham, with Xhaka far more attuned to the defensive side of his game.

Whereas, the Brazilian is capable of being both an attacking force but also a combative and energetic option if needed, much like the brand-new Dortmund number 77.

Why Sara can be an "incredible" Bellingham replacement

Of course, there is also the aforementioned Diarra and Sadiki to chuck into the equation.

However, that duo will need time to get up to speed with their new environments, with Sara already well accustomed to the demands of the English game when starring week in week out for Norwich City in the Championship, before Turkey came calling.

In total, for the Canaries, Sara would pick up a sublime 21 goals and 17 assists from 96 appearances, which blows Bellingham’s own output for Sunderland out of the water, as he lags behind on 11 goals and four assists himself from six fewer clashes.

Yet, Sunderland only forked out £1.5m for the 19-year-old before he became an asset worthy of a hefty £27m, with Le Bris and Co. needing to splash out £26m on Sara, knowing he’s a worthy replacement for the now Bundesliga midfielder and not a project that will take time to come good.

Sara’s career numbers by position

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

CM

105

14

16

AM

34

6

6

RM

33

7

2

LM

24

3

4

DM

24

5

6

RW

5

4

1

LW

1

0

0

RB

1

0

0

LB

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Sara should also be comfortable with what is required of him in the Premier League, having now experienced the challenges of a tough, top division in Turkey by amassing a blistering two goals and ten assists from 45 outings, leading to Galatasaray’s head coach Okan Buruk praising the South American for adapting “very quickly.”

He is also adaptable when it comes to where he positions himself on the pitch, when glancing at the table above, with the 26-year-old content at being a number ten, a defensive anchor, or even a winger, much like Bellingham, who similarly rotated his duties under Le Bris’ methods.

Further noted as being “incredible” by U23 football scout Antonio Mango when challenging near the top of the Championship with Norwich, it could now finally be Sara’s time to shine in the Premier League, away from all those missed opportunities in Norfolk.

Sunderland definitely look well-stocked in the midfield department ahead of next season, with Sara adding yet more quality to the ever-growing camp if he joins shortly.

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تحدث لويس إنريكي مدرب باريس سان جيرمان بعد فوز فريقه على برشلونة بهدفين لهدف، خلال اللقاء الذي جمع بين الفريقين على ملعب “مونتجويك” في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال إنريكي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “كانت مباراة اليوم ممتازة، عندما ترى فريقين يلعبان بحماس، ومباراة متكاملة للغاية”.

وأضاف: “حتى عندما سجلوا هدفهم كنا متفوقين، في الشوط الثاني كنا أفضل من برشلونة، فيتينها وبيدري هما أفضل لاعبين خط وسط في العالم”.

وأشاد مدرب باريس سان جيرمان بنجومه الشباب: “لعبنا بلاعبين شباب، ماويولو يتمتع بمستوى عالي من الجودة والقوة وأنا محظوظ جداً”.

وواصل: “هذه النتيجة مهمة لثقتنا، لقد عانينا كثيراً العام الماضي، عندما تلعب بلاعبين شباب، أظهرنا اليوم قدرتنا على تحقيق ذلك”.

أقرأ أيضاً..جارسيا يتحدث عن إصابته ويؤكد: التعادل مع باريس سان جيرمان عزاء لنا

وأكمل عن جدول مباريات باريس سان جيرمان: “صعب للغاية وقد نخسر بعض المباريات، لأن خصومنا من الطراز الرفيع، الأهم هو العقلية والهوية المميزة للنادي”.

وأتم إنريكي: “بغض النظر عن هوية الفريق، نرغب دائماً في الحفاظ على هذه الهوية، لكننا تغلبنا على ضغطهم وقدمنا أداءً رائعًا في الشوط الثاني، وخلقنا الفرص للفوز بالمباراة”.

وحول اللعب في ملعب مونتجويك: “اللعب هنا صعب، لكن عليك أن تعرف كيف تدير المباراة، في العام الماضي أظهرنا قدرتنا على تجاوز الصعوبات، أتذكر مباراة توتنهام، عندما كنا نعرف أيضاً كيف نفوز”.

وأثنى لويس إنريكي على برشلونة: “مرشح للفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا، لقد بدأت برشلونة للتو في ذلك، وهويتنا كذلك واضحة جداً”.

وسئل إنريكي حول إذا كان من الممكن التأهل إلى المراكز الثمانية الأولى: “يعتمد الأمر على جدول المباريات،مبارياتنا صعبة للغاية، يمكننا الفوز ولكن قد نخسر أيضاً، جميع الفرق التي نواجهها تتمتع بمستوى عالي،قد يكون الجدول صعب لكن هذا لا يقلقنى الآن، أعجبتني العقلية التي أظهرناها كفريق”.

ورد إنريكي على سؤال حول طريقة الفوز إذا كانت مهمة أيضاً: “لدينا هوية مميزة، تغلبنا على ضغط برشلونة ولعبنا شوط ثاني عالي المستوى، هذا ليس بالأمر السهل”.

وعاد للحديث عن رؤيته لمباراة برشلونة: “قدمنا مباراة رائعة، هم استحوذوا على الكرة، أمام فريق بمستوى برشلونة كانت الأمور صعبة في أول 20 دقيقة، بفضل هدفنا اكتسبنا الثقة وفزنا، في الشوط الثاني تحسن أداؤنا وأصبحنا أفضل، أنا سعيد جداً، لا يهم من يلعب والمشاكل التي نواجهها، إنه فوز مهم ومن الصعب دائماً اللعب ضد برشلونة”.

وأثنى إنريكي على مايولو: “إنه جيد جداً، ستعرفونهن لديه مهارات كبيرة ويسدد بكلتا قدميه، يجيد اللعب بوضعيات مختلفة وأنا محظوظ جداً به”.

وختم في رسالة شكر لبرشلونة: “أود أن أشكرهم على تبرعهم بقميصهم لجمع التبرعات لمؤسسة زانا، أقدر هذه التفاصيل”.

Manchester United are issuing the perfect response to a 2024/25 campaign that left everything to be desired.

Though INEOS’ efforts to bring in new signings proved protracted at the start, there has been an impetus on strengthening with genuine quality, the frontline revamped through deals for Premier League stars Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, followed by the £74m acquisition of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, one of the most talented young strikers in Europe.

Ruben Amorim was dealt a tough hand when leaving his high-flying Sporting Lisbon project and taking over an Old Trafford side in disrepair, but he’s weathered the storm and has hunkered down, reshaping the team, stamping his mark on the squad.

Man Utd confident they will sign PL star

Technical director Jason Wilcox remains hard at work. Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been slated to replace the beleaguered Andre Onana between the sticks, while talks continue over the sales of several first-team drifters, chief of which being Alejandro Garnacho, who is expected to join Chelsea before the end of the window.

However, it’s clear that Amorim is also hoping to sign a dynamic number 6 before the end of the month, viewing a robust profile in the role as being perfect to take his side to the next level and leave a significant impression on the Premier League, pushing United back into the ascendancy of European football.

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, via TEAMtalk, Manchester United are growing in confidence as they chase a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.

The all-action midfielder, 21, has previously been reported by Fabrizio Romano to be the focus of new talks between the Premier League rivals, though the Seagulls don’t want to sell and will make any bid extremely difficult, pricing their star at £104m.

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Baleba, however, is attracted by the thought of joining the Old Trafford side and Amorim is intent on bringing players who want to fight for the badge.

What Carlos Baleba would bring to Man Utd

One of Man United’s most fatal flaws throughout the post-Fergie era has been signing established ‘superstars’, who perhaps have the headline name but have been there and done that, and thus don’t have the fire in their belly that the club need.

Baleba is the perfect profile to buck that trend, and what’s more, so are the already-made deals completed over the past few months. Whisper it quietly, but something feels different about the Red Devils this time.

Brighton have a knack for identifying and developing midfielders. Their talent ID is superlative and mistake-free. And with Baleba eager to switch the sandy south coast for Manchester’s bustling streets, INEOS and Amorim have a glorious opportunity to take this Man United team into their next phase.

The 21-year-old powerhouse is a holding midfielder with bags of energy and an attacking flair, lending itself to an influential position in Fabian Hurtzler’s Seagulls team.

And considering the player’s “colossal” performances so far in the Premier League, as have been noted by Brighton reporter Aden-Jay Wood, he could revolutionise United’s midfield, maybe even turning out to be their own version of Manchester City sensation Rodri.

Rodri’s is a name that we all know. The Spain international is one of the greatest players of his generation and has won the full gamut at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 26 goals and supplying 32 assists across 265 matches in all competitions.

But he started somewhere, and that first campaign in the Premier League proved tricky, with City losing their Premier League title to Liverpool.

Rodri still made an exciting impression, though, and it’s curious to note that Baleba for Brighton last season ranked up quite nicely against that version of the Iberian midfielder.

Premier League – Rodri vs Carlos Baleba

Stats (* per game)

Rodri (19/20)

Baleba (24/25)

Matches (starts)

35 (29)

34 (31)

Goals

3

3

Assists

2

1

Touches*

83.3

54.0

Accurate passes

68.4 (93%)

33.6 (88%)

Big chances created

3

3

Key passes*

1.0

0.6

Dribbles*

0.9

1.0

Ball recoveries*

8.25

6.66

Tackles + interceptions*

2.1

3.7

Duels (won)*

4.9 (55%)

5.9 (55%)

Data via Sofascore

Rodri might be a Ballon d’Or-winning superstar, but when he first arrived on English shores and got to work under Pep Guardiola’s wing, he had much to learn, and it’s promising to note that Baleba in his youthful period is on the same level as the Spaniard’s one-time iteration.

FBref recorded that the Cameroonian midfielder ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90 too, thus illustrating his capacity to slide forward and progress play for his team.

Though it would take much time and effort to build Baleba up to a position where he could be considered the finest midfielder in the Premier League, one of the best in the world, he certainly has the potential to be just that.

There’s plenty of rocky terrain still to traverse before Man United crest this mountain, which has loomed before them for so long, but it’s not unjust to suggest that things are changing, and that the signings being made have the potential to drive an exciting new era.

Were Baleba to join, Amorim’s midfield would be revolutionised, with a centrepiece carrying all the potential to emulate Rodri and become an all-powerful presence in a Manchester midfield.

Related Man Utd's new Carrick: INEOS set to make bid for £100m + star this week

Manchester United look ready to splash the cash on a player who possesses shades of Michael Carrick’s assured game.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Aug 11, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O zagueiro Dankler, que rescindiu contrato com o Vitória há poucas semanas, parece ter o seu futuro direcionado mais uma vez para a Ásia. Com passagens por Japão e Arábia Saudita, o baiano admite que já recebeu propostas de clubes do futebol asiático desde que se desligou da equipe rubro-negra.

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– Agremiações de três países diferentes entraram em contato comigo. Tive boas passagens por Japão e Arábia e naturalmente algum outro país poderia se interessar. Espero resolver logo o meu futuro. Embora a permanência no Brasil não seja hoje descartada, creio que possa realmente retornar ao exterior – afirmou.

Dankler passou recentemente pelo futebol árabe e esteve ao lado de Iniesta no Vissel Kobe do Japão, onde foram campeões. O defensor vê uma vantagem clara numa hipotética volta à Ásia.

– É uma região que já conheço, fui muito bem recebido e me adaptei com facilidade. Vamos ver o que acontece, mas estou otimista – encerrou.