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They were given the chance to experiment with their team and they took it. Now the question is, will they give their new players time to find their way?

Danyal Rasool28-Mar-2023Almost seven years ago, Pakistan turned up in Manchester on a cool September night to cap off a miserable white-ball tour with a one-off T20I. The prospects for a relatively inexperienced Pakistani side looked bleak; they had just come off a wretched 2016 T20 World Cup campaign, while England’s incipient rise to the top of the white-ball game was picking up steam. The ODI series just prior hadn’t gone to plan for the visitors, brushed aside 4-1, including a humbling defeat that saw England post a then-world record 444 at Trent Bridge.Pakistan made a number of changes from that ill-fated T20 World Cup five months prior. Shahid Afridi was finally done away with, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was handed the captaincy. Mohammad Sami was phased out, and 22-year-old Hasan Ali made his debut. Mohammad Rizwan earned a recall after six months. Another slight, unassuming 21-year-old also made his T20I debut; Babar Azam would go on to hit the winning runs in a nine-wicket romp.Related

Saim Ayub, Ihsanullah sparkle for young Pakistan to avert Afghanistan whitewash

Win over Pakistan carries a lot of 'emotions and significance' for Afghanistan

That night sent Pakistan on a journey that allowed this game to assume great importance in hindsight. New captain Sarfaraz led the side to 11-straight T20I series wins. Rizwan went on to become one of the most consistent T20 openers in the world. Hasan took home the player-of-the-series award when Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy nine months later. And Babar, well, you get the point.England on the other hand didn’t really care about the loss. Not as much as they did about the chance to test new players transitioning into a new system. One that resulted in the ODI World Cup win in 2019 and, further down the line, the T20 World Cup win in 2022. That old nine-wicket thumping in Manchester wasn’t a harbinger of anything inauspicious; nine of those who started that game would also start at least one of those World Cup finals.Pakistan lost the three-match series against Afghanistan by a 2-1 margin•Afghanistan cricketWhich brings us to Pakistan’s historic defeat at Afghanistan’s hands over the past week and why it might not be such a bad thing.Pakistan were right in giving their newfound PSL stars a go in international cricket. They have the time now, with the next T20 World Cup almost two years away, to supplement the talent they have with the experience they will need.Saim Ayub lit up the PSL. Mohammad Haris was the catalyst for a Pakistan revival at last year’s T20 World Cup. As opening batters, they are very different to Babar and Rizwan, but given the way T20 cricket is being played right now, it almost feels like they are the conventional choice rather than their more decorated, more conservative counterparts. Only, Ayub and Haris found themselves thrown in on surfaces that were much better suited to the accumulating instincts, as well as superior techniques, of Babar and Rizwan.The value of this series to Pakistan was never about bringing home that T20 trophy, ornate as it was. Shadab Khan, Babar’s deputy for some time now, had the opportunity to juggle his all-round role with the captaincy. He was allowed to make his mistakes while the stakes aren’t suffocatingly high. Things didn’t go perfectly to plan but it was important that Pakistan found out what life beyond Babar will look like. Shadab might never end up being a permanent captain for Pakistan, but there were few better occasions to see what he can do, something that he himself touched upon at the end of the series.”Unfortunately, we didn’t win the series,” Shadab said. “But the way our youngsters showed their talent was very exciting, and I’m confident they’ll end up becoming stars. The conditions were evidently totally different to the PSL, and young players can get nervous when they put on the green shirt for the first time. But what I liked was how quickly they adapted. After two difficult matches, they showed in the third their calibre and quality.”These conditions were new for them, and they should learn from it. Those who succeeded in this series and those who failed we might need to work on game awareness a little bit, about when to play what shot. But they’re young, and when you’re nervous, you make mistakes. But with their talent and attitude, they’ll pick up these things quickly.”Shadab Khan remained positive despite Pakistan’s loss•Afghanistan Cricket BoardImad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique found themselves back on the international stage, and only time will tell if they, or indeed Tayyab Tahir, end up being a part of Pakistan’s long-term plan. But the general discomfort at the idea of Pakistan selecting players who might not necessarily be part of their best squads speaks to a culture where rest, rotation and experimentation have never been allowed to take root.Since the start of 2021, until this series began, Pakistan had fielded 32 players in the T20I format. Only Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, whose talent pools are infinitely shallower, fielded fewer. For starts per T20I played, only Ireland experiment less than Pakistan. The leaders, India, handed out nearly 50% more starts, with 45 different cricketers donning T20I caps in this period.But rotation can be as illuminating as it is rejuvenating, as Pakistan would have discovered after watching Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan this series. Knowing Pakistan’s penchant for knee-jerk volte-faces, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a full-strength T20I side gear up for the home series against New Zealand next month, even though the visitors will send in a significantly weakened squad. Should that happen, it is entirely likely that New Zealand will be the team that walks away having learned more about themselves, regardless of the series outcome.The roles from that night in Manchester have been completely reversed. It is Afghanistan who should view this series as their springboard to something special. Pakistan – just like England that night – need only move on.

Fulham have now opened talks to sign a “spectacular” U21 European Championships star, having expressed a concrete interest in securing his signature, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Cottagers set sights on U21 Euros star

Several players put themselves in the shop window courtesy of their performances at the recent U21 Euros, with former Fulham man Harvey Elliott playing a vital role in England’s triumph, picking up five goals throughout the tournament.

The Cottagers have expressed an interest in signing Elliott in the past, and the midfielder’s recent performances are only likely to have driven up his value, with Liverpool now thought to be holding out for a fee of £40m.

However, the Liverpool ace was not the only midfielder who excelled at the tournament, with a report revealing Marco Silva’s side have now taken steps towards securing the signature of a different midfielder…

Leeds leading Fulham in race to sign £8.5m defender alongside Bornauw

Leeds United are now in a race to sign a defender who has been impressing in Germany.

ByBrett Worthington Jul 1, 2025

According to Sky Sports (via Sport Witness), Fulham have now expressed a concrete interest in signing Borussia Monchengladbach’s Rocco Reitz, submitting an enquiry over a potential summer deal.

Reitz has a £17m release clause which becomes active next summer, and he is attracting widespread interest from within the Premier League, with West Ham United thought to be leading the race for his signature.

Monchengladbach are worried by the interest in one of their key players, with the German club determined to retain his services, but the fact the midfielder is set to be available for £17m next year could lead them to auctioning him off this summer.

"Spectacular" Reitz impressing for Germany U21s

Germany ultimately came up short in the U21 Euros final, with England prevailing 3-2 after Jonathan Rowe’s extra-time winner, but Reitz impressed throughout the tournament, being singled out for high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Fellow scout Antonio Mango has lauded the maestro as “spectacular” in the past, and he has proven himself to be exceptional at winning back possession, ranking in the top 1% for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

After losing Joao Palhinha last summer, Fulham brought in Sander Berge, but there are signs the Mönchengladbach midfielder could be more of a like-for-like replacement for the Portugal international, considering his defensive qualities.

As such, Reitz could be a shrewd acquisition for Silva this summer, and the manager will be hoping that Fulham finishing higher than West Ham last season will give them the edge over their Premier League rivals in negotiations.

The return of top-flight football lived up to the billing, and there are plenty of arguments ready to be made after one weekend of action

The Premier League is back, baby. For the next nine months, your weekends are going to be dominated by goals, glory, despair and all sorts of nonsense. That's why we love it.

Gameweek one is in the books, with plenty of thrills and spills to whet the appetite. Liverpool opened the season with the defence of their title, only to suffer a bit of a wobble in a late win against Bournemouth, while Arsenal secured a victory away at Manchester United that was more gritty than glamorous.

For the most part, fans enter the first weekend of the new season full of optimism. What if their team really can win the league? What if their dreams do come true? Those who emerge from those first games victorious often cling on to that sentiment, but the losers' spirits go up in smoke. The first and last days are the only ones to bring out that emotion.

So, in honour of gameweek one, GOAL have cobbled together our hottest takes. Not necessarily things we're certain will happen, but some quick rethinks over how the season may play out.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportAmorim to be sacked by Christmas

Managers need time to implement their ideas and that's becoming decreasingly possible in the modern game. Those are both true, at odds as they unfortunately are. There's a school of thought that Ruben Amorim will make Manchester United great again if given the right tools and that he deserves patience. That said, no one can deny how worryingly little they've kicked on since his appointment last November.

Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arsenal has been labelled gutsy and promising. In some senses, yes, that's a fair assessment, given the stronger team on the day finished 15th last season and the other has realistic aspirations of winning the title. In another, it shows the levels of straw-clutching you have to go to in order to praise what United are nowadays.

What do Amorim's United do well? Score goals? Nope. Keep goals out? Nuh-uh. Control possession? Only when the opposition plan for it. Play their formation correctly? Not even that – there's a long history of other managers' 3-4-3 systems working far more cohesively than this hodgepodge of players almost randomly thrown together.

Amorim has now won only seven of his 28 Premier League games at the wheel – a shockingly low win rate of 25 per cent – and is the fastest manager to reach 15 losses of a side that hasn't just been promoted, per . It's not looking good, is it?

There is a clear desire on all levels at United to run with one plan for better and worse – Marcus Rashford urged them to do this as the door hit his bum on the way out – but you can't help but feel they're running with Amorim for worse and worser. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGyokeres and Sesko will both be flops

Let's stay at Old Trafford for one more point before we take this rodeo elsewhere. Sunday was the first time that United's Benjamin Sesko and Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres had played in the Premier League, with both finding out how difficult it is to adapt to life in England's top tier.

Gyokeres started and completed 60 minutes before being replaced by Kai Havertz having appeared off the pace while boasting only a couple of moments of any quality whatsoever – winning a free-kick for being thrown to the ground, and then outmuscling Matthijs de Ligt for a loose ball. There was no sense that he was going to score or create any danger in the box whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Sesko had to settle for a place on the bench and was introduced shortly after Gyokeres' withdrawal. However, he too struggled to get into the game, though at least he could point to having to face one of Europe's most formidable centre-back duos in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Big-money strikers don't always pan out as planned, even despite the hype and the supposed guarantee of goals they're meant to bring. Remember when Arsenal, Chelsea and United fans bickered over Alexandre Lacazette, Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku? Those deals all went swimmingly.

Gyokeres and Sesko clearly need more time to settle, but at first glance, they're going to need to do a lot more suffering if they're to actually prove successful signings, particularly given the weight of expectation they're having to manage.

Getty Images SportReijnders for Player of the Year

Football's best signings at the elite level rarely prove to be those north of around £70m, but rather the ones between £40m and £60m. They often turn out to be the best value for money. You can look at most of Manchester City's major purchases in the Sheikh Mansour era to realise that.

Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva are some of their more understated purchases who boomed into club legends. Jack Grealish at £100m, for example, didn't really live up to the hype, and Erling Haaland at £50m isn't the same because of the agent fees and supremely high wages he's on.

At £46.5m, Tijjani Reijnders has half a chance of making that first list. His debut on Saturday, scoring and assisting in a 4-0 thrashing of Wolves, was one of the very best in Premier League history. There is a De Bruyne-shaped hole that City must fill and he's made a pretty decent first impression. If this is more than a one-off and he reminisces the Belgian playmaker even more so, then he will have a huge say in where this year's title goes.

"He is a typical player we need in the Premier League," Pep Guardiola said of City's new No.4. "He is an incredible, big signing for us. His work ethic, a holding midfielder occupies a lot of spaces and then after the control with the ball and his movements. And then he is trying to get in behind and score – really pleased."

BOYLE Sports

Getty Images SportEstevao will be Chelsea's best player by 2027

There's a reason why Brazilian football experts were higher on Estevao Willian than even his Palmeiras team-mate and Real Madrid striker Endrick, and that's because this boy is quality. Chelsea were largely laboured in their 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, though that wasn't for the want of their new winger trying.

Estevao played with the fearlessness you'd expect of a wonderkid of the Selecao. He burst down the right wing whenever an opportunity was afforded, took up every invitation to get on the ball and try to make something happen. In a Blues team that can turn monotonous if the game isn't going as planned, that's going to prove an invaluable trait.

"The personality has been top," concurred Enzo Maresca. "You can see that he is from Brazil, they are different and he is going to be a fantastic player for the club. We know about Cole [Palmer], Estevao needs time to adapt but he is going to be important for the team… He is already showing that in our training sessions and for no doubt – slowly, slowly – he will become a very important player for this club."

How slowly Estevao gets there may be the more pertinent question. As Maresca alluded to, Palmer became a global superstar quite soon after a fine run of games for Chelsea, and there's nothing to suggest the Brazilian teenager can't follow a similar path. These sorts of stories about a young player suddenly exploding are hardly isolated cases.

Leicester defender Caleb Okoli has emerged as a potential AC Milan signing, with Massimiliano Allegri keen to bolster his defence.

Milan looking to reinforce defence after Thiaw’s saleAllegri switches to a three-man defenceOkoli joined Leicester from Atalanta last summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Milan are considering a move for Leicester centre-back Okoli as part of their defensive rebuild. The Serie A giants recently sold Thiaw to Newcastle for €35 million (£30m/$38m) and replaced him with Belgian defender Koni De Winter from Genoa. However, Allegri has decided to switch to a three-man defence, but with just four central defenders – Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlovic and De Winter – the club are exploring another signing.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Milan’s main transfer focus remains on landing Rasmus Hojlund, the need for defensive depth has grown urgent. Allegri’s tactical shift has increased the demand for rotation options, particularly with a long season ahead. The 23-year-old Italian has impressed in his first year at Leicester following his €14m (£12m/$15m) move from Atalanta, offering experience and physical presence without the hefty price tag of other targets such as Parma’s Giovanni Leoni or Fiorentina’s Pietro Comuzzo, both valued at around €40m (£34m/$43m).

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Okoli made 24 appearances for Leicester in the 2024-25 season, finding the net with a header in a 2-2 Premier League draw against Brighton in April. His current contract runs until June 2029, and his interests are represented by the same agency that manages Milan midfielder Samuele Ricci, who joined from Torino this summer. Seen as a realistic and affordable signing, Okoli is being monitored closely as the Rossoneri prepare for their opening fixture.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

The Rossoneri will kick off their 2025-26 campaign this weekend against Bari in the Coppa Italia first round, and the club are expected to intensify their defensive search before the transfer window closes. If talks progress, Okoli could arrive in time to provide crucial depth for Allegri’s new-look backline.

Aaron Hardie claimed two wickets in two balls while Josh Hazlewood also impressed on return

Andrew McGlashan21-Sep-2024Mitchell Starc made a dramatic entrance to the ODI series with a searing inswinging yorker to England captain Harry Brook, after Alex Carey had produced a match-changing innings as Australia, strengthened by the return of key names, went 2-0 up in the series with a convincing 68-run victory at Headingley.Starc’s brilliant set-up of Brook, which he capped off with a wicked delivery that thundered into his pad as he was beaten for pace, added to England’s early problems in a chase of 271 after Carey’s 74 provided crucial late runs to a curious Australia innings. A short while later the home side were 65 for 5 when Aaron Hardie claimed two wickets in two balls, including a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove the in-form Ben Duckett, to leave them with a mountain to climb.Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell stopped the bleeding with a stand of 55 before Bethell somehow managed to skew a short, wide long hop from Glenn Maxwell to backward point. The game was just about done when Smith clipped Josh Hazlewood to midwicket for a very neat 49 although England’s lower order showed there were few demons in the surface.Australia had been bowled out with more than five overs remaining, having been nine-down in the 37th over before a last-wicket stand of 49 between Carey, only playing due to Josh Inglis’ quad injury, and Hazlewood. But with the visitors having welcomed back Hazlewood and Starc from illness, it still felt as though it would be a considerable test of an England side still trying to reestablish their one-day credentials. The Test duo would finish with five between them.Hazlewood landed the ball on a handkerchief to give Phil Salt a working over – a tough chance was put down at second slip by Matt Short – and it was little surprise when Salt slashed an edge to Carey. In the next over Will Jacks drove expansively outside off stump against Starc and this time Short held on safely in the cordon.Starc, playing his first game since the T20 World Cup in June, then produced a classy over against Brook, barring a delivery on the pads that was clipped for four, probing away across the right-hander before going fuller, straighter and with sharp inswing to have Brook trapped in front of leg stump.Alex Carey pulls during his fighting half-century•AFP/Getty ImagesDuckett had again played well, scooping Hazlewood over the keeper and sending a bottom-handed whip over the leg side for six, but toe-ended a slower ball to the left of Hardie who took a spectacular catch low to his left. Next ball Liam Livingstone glanced a leg-side delivery to Carey who took an excellent grab to his left and England’s frontline batting was nearly done.In the first half of the game, Australia were not as dominant with the bat as they had been at Trent Bridge. Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne took them to 145 for 3 when Bethell and Adil Rashid, who claimed his 200th ODI wicket, took three quick wickets with another mini-collapse following a stand of 55 between Carey and Hardie.But Carey, who had been welcomed to the crease by a crowd needlessly reminding him of events last year, played smartly as he took singles late in an over to protect Hazlewood – who contributed just four to the stand – while exploiting boundary opportunities including handsome off-side sixes against Potts and Olly Stone.There had been movement for England’s new-ball attack, particularly Stone who was impressive after being recalled for the rested Jofra Archer, but Travis Head was just starting to move through his gears when he picked out deep backward square with a whip-pull off his hip. In his second spell, Potts nipped the ball both ways: movement away found Short’s edge then a peach of a delivery zipped back to take Smith’s off stump.Marsh and Labuschagne went about their task carefully and the run-rate slowed. They had to combat some sharp spin from Rashid, but Marsh flicked a switch with two sixes in three balls off the struggling Carse, the first a huge pull deep into the Western Terrace to take him to a 47-ball fifty and the second coming from a free hit after Carse overstepped.Adil Rashid claimed his 200th ODI wicket when he removed Glenn Maxwell•Getty ImagesThen, much as it did for Australia two days ago, spin made an impact. Labuschagne spliced a pull against Bethell to mid-on and Marsh missed a sweep to give the left-armer his second. Maxwell pummeled his first ball from Bethell for six but picked out deep midwicket while attempting a repeat to hand Rashid his 200th ODI wicket.Carey and Hardie played positively as they took advantage of Brook’s decision to squeeze out some extra overs of spin, with Livingstone and Jacks going for 34 in three between them. A curious innings involved another twist when Carse’s day took a turn for the better. Recalled to the attack, he removed Hardie first ball with a pull spliced to midwicket and next delivery had Starc flicking into the leg side.When Adam Zampa carved Rashid to point it appeared the innings was on the brink of a very early finish but the final-wicket stand, coupled with Australia’s start with the ball, put a very different complexion on the game.

Chasing teams have not yet had a distinct advantage this season, and there have been a lot of no-balls bowled

Shashank Kishore08-Apr-2023With the introduction of Impact Players, teams naming XIs after the toss, and DRS for wides and no-balls, as well as the return to the home-and-away format after three years, here are the standout trends from the first week of matches in IPL 2023.The Indian flavour to Impact Player ruleBarring Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who picked three overseas players in their starting XI and brought in a fourth later in the game, the other sides have largely used Indian players as their Impact Player. This rule has therefore opened the door for several players, who would have otherwise struggled to break into the XI.Dhruv Jurel was signed by Rajasthan Royals last year but warmed the bench for an entire season because Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler were their designated wicketkeepers. But the Impact Player rule has allowed specialists like him to come into the game at any point. On IPL debut Jurel, 22, displayed some audacious hitting to make an unbeaten 15-ball 32 that nearly helped Royals pull off a heist.Related

How amateur Suyash Sharma signed up for KKR's magical mystery spin tour

The rise and rise of B Sai Sudharsan

Dhruv Jurel: the Impact Player who waited a while to make an impact

Dhoni: No-balls and wides are hurting CSK 'really bad'

B Sai Sudharsan, just 21 years old, didn’t get an opportunity to start in Gujarat Titans’ opening game, but an injury to Kane Williamson forced them to bring him in during the chase. His cameo impressed the team management so much that he was slotted into the first XI for their next match. Sai Sudharsan responded with a match-winning 48-ball 62 as Titans, the defending champions, notched up two straight wins to open their campaign.In an age where his contemporaries are either commentating or playing in one of several leagues that have mushroomed for retired players, Amit Mishra might have found a niche for himself in the IPL at the age of 40. Among the last buys at the end of this year’s auction for INR 50 lakh, Mishra was named in Lucknow Super Giants’ starting XI when they were bowling first against Sunrisers Hyderabad on a tailor made black-soil pitch at home. He used his bowling smarts superbly in a Player-of-the-Match performance and subbed out as soon as his spell was done.No chasing advantage so farLast year, only three of the first ten games were won by the team batting first. Playing across just four venues in Mumbai and Pune, where conditions were largely similar, had teams following a largely similar ‘win toss and chase’ mantra.This year, six of the first ten games have been won by the team batting first. This is the first season since 2019 to be played in the regular home-and-away format, and teams are playing to their strengths at home.The Super Giants, for example, have prepared different surfaces in Lucknow, to be used depending on the opposition. Against Capitals minus Anrich Nortje, they unleashed Mark Wood on a fast, bouncy red-soil deck and he responded with a five-wicket haul to rout the chase. Against Sunrisers, whose line-up was full of right-handers, they used their spin trio of Krunal Pandya, Mishra and Ravi Bishnoi to point-precision on a black-soil deck that turned and stopped. They picked up 6 for 57 between them in 12 overs.Krunal Pandya, Amit Mishra and Ravi Bishnoi were unleashed on a slow and low pitch in Lucknow•BCCILegspinners back in businessYuzvendra Chahal took a four-wicket haul in his first game to subdue the Sunrisers. Karn Sharma has made the most of his chances in Wanindu Hasaranga’s absence for RCB. Varun Chakravarthy, out to rediscover the form that made him an IPL sensation two years ago, brought out his trademark ripping googlies and carrom balls to stun RCB.Rashid Khan has continued to do Rashid Khan things, with teams now needing to take chances against him too because he’s got a formidable Titans pace attack to back him up.Suyash Sharma, lost in the mire that is Delhi cricket, was so unknown that even Nitish Rana, who comes from the same region, hadn’t heard of him until he joined the Knight Riders camp. On debut, Suyash, nerveless and confident for a 19-year-old, made a splash after coming in as an Impact Player.Overall, this is the most impact legspinners have had in the first ten games of a season over the past three years. They have picked up 33 wickets at an average of 14.4 and an economy of 7.00.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe no-ball problemMore no-balls have been bowled after ten games this season than at the same stage in any other IPL season. In fact, far fewer no-balls were bowled across three seasons combined (2012-2014) than this one so far. It has certainly frustrated an otherwise calm MS Dhoni. “We are bowling too many extra deliveries,” he said after the 12-run win at Chepauk against Super Giants, and even mock-threatened his bowlers that “they will have to be ready to play under a new captain”.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe spin surprise at the deathSpinners have not only taken more wickets in the death overs (overs 17-20) of the first innings this season, but have also had the best economy as compared to their performance after ten games in the previous two seasons.This year, spinners have taken six wickets in the eight overs they’ve bowled at an economy of 7.40. The corresponding numbers for 2022 are: one wicket in three overs at an economy of 7.70. In 2021, spinners picked up four wickets in four overs at an economy of 9.00. With inputs from Shiva Jayaraman

Real Madrid demolished WSG Tirol in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025-26 campaign on Tuesday, as Kylian Mbappe starred with a brace.

Mbappe with a brace and an assistMilitao made scoring returnMadrid triumph 4-0 in final friendlyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

Los Blancos ended their pre-season preparations with a thumping win at Austrian side WSG Tirol. Xabi Alonso fielded a strong starting lineup as Vinicius Junior featured in the Madrid attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz. Rodrygo, however, was left on the bench, amid strong speculation that the Brazilian could exit the Santiago Bernabeu in this transfer window. 

Eder Militao, starting for the first time since recovering from his second ACL injury, opened the scoring for his team with a looping header from Diaz's cross and Mbappe soon doubled the team's lead with a great finish. The France captain received a through ball with his right foot from Arda Guler and took a swift turn before putting the ball into the net with a thunderous left-footed strike.

Madrid resumed action after the break with similar intensity with which they ended the first half. Mbappe completed his brace and extended his team's lead to three goals just before the hour mark as he followed Aurelien Tchouameni's through ball inside the Tirol box, before dribbling past the opposition goalkeeper and finding the back of the net.

Following their third goal, Alonso made a host of changes as Rodrygo finally entered the pitch, replacing his compatriot Vinicius. Antonio Rudiger was also introduced in place of goal scorer Militao, while veteran full-back Dani Carvajal came on for new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Mbappe ended a remarkable night with an assist for Rodrygo as he showed off impeccable trickery with his foot before forwarding a through ball from which the Brazilian comfortably slotted home.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE MVP

Mbappe's fiery form in the final friendly of pre-season will reassure Madrid fans before the start of the new campaign. The Frenchman was undoubtedly the star of the game as his brace helped the Spaniards rout their opponents.

Getty Images SportNEW FACES

New signing Alvaro Carreras did exceptionally well in his first-ever game for Madrid. The full-back remained on the pitch for just over an hour, where he made 72 touches, won most of his duels and completed two tackles and as many interceptions. Carreras, along with other arrivals like Dean Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold, played a crucial role in the club keeping a clean sheet. 

Getty ImagesONES TO WATCH

A lot of eyes will be on Arda Guler this season as the youngster could feature regularly in the starting lineup under Alonso. The Turkish sensation had a stellar outing on Tuesday as he capped it off with a brilliant assist for Mbappe's first goal.

Sunderland supporters will be trying to hold back their excitement ahead of the new Premier League season finally kicking off.

There’s no guarantee in place that signings galore will improve your chances of staying afloat in the tricky division, with Ipswich Town picking up 14 total purchases last season and still managing to fall through the relegation trapdoor.

But, the star-studded quality of signing Sunderland is managing to attract makes being giddy quite hard to contain, with the standout £20m purchase of Enzo Le Fee getting the ball rolling this summer, whilst a £30m deal for Habib Diarra to join from Strasbourg edges ever nearer to completion.

Reinildo is also set to join the Stadium of Light ranks after allowing his Atletico Madrid contract to expire, with plenty more notable names being tipped to call Wearside their fresh home shortly.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Most Sunderland supporters would have been initially apprehensive about all the business being conducted in this hectic transfer window, considering the window opened with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson deserting the Stadium of Light.

Now, however, the mood has flipped, with the likes of Georgian superstar Georges Mikautadze being tipped to join Le Bris’ enthused ranks alongside those already named, on top of an alleged £17m bid being lodged by the Black Cats to snap up Nantes attacker Matthis Abline.

The most intriguing purchase of them all could soon come in the form of Almeria goal-machine Luis Suarez moving to England, with reports from Spain now suggesting that Sunderland have enquired about landing the explosive attacker.

Such a deal would result in the Black Cats having to fork out £21m, with the La Liga 2 side upping their transfer valuation off the back of Suarez’s impressive 2024/25 offering.

It could even be argued that snapping up the clinical Colombian would see the newly promoted side land an even bigger talent than Diarra, despite the Senegal international costing Sunderland a club-record £30m to snap up.

Why Suarez could be a bigger talent than Diarra

After all, whilst Diarra was able to boast four goals and five assists from the midfield areas last season for Liam Rosenior’s men, Suarez’s numbers up top for Almeria in another demanding European setting are an even more majestic sight to take in.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, the “crazy” South American – as he was once labelled by talent scout Jacek Kulig – would take La Liga 2 by storm with his devastating goalscoring prowess.

That was seen in him collecting 27 of his bumper 31 strikes in the second division, away from also netting four of those efforts in the challenging Copa Del Rey when facing off against opponents from La Liga.

Games played

41

Goals scored

27

Scoring frequency

135 mins

Assists

8

Big chances missed

27

Staggeringly, Suarez would also chip in with eight assists across his 41 La Liga 2 outings, which is three more assists than Diarra managed in the heart of Strasbourg’s midfield, with the hope that the dangerous Almeria marksman can offer up similarly deadly displays when leaping up to the Premier League.

He could instantly displace Wilson Isidor on his arrival, therefore, considering the Frenchman blew hot and cold last campaign with just 13 Championship goals next to his name, away from Suarez wreaking havoc in the Spanish second division.

On the contrary, it doesn’t feel as set in stone that Diarra would instantly dive into Le Bris’ XI – irrespective of his lofty price tag – with Dan Neil already at the Frenchman’s disposal centrally who collected five goal contributions himself last season in league action, alongside Le Bris also possessing the star-quality of Le Fee who could kick on even more up a division.

Whilst Diarra will no doubt go on to be a success story under the ex-Lorient manager’s wing if Le Fee’s trajectory is anything to go off of, it does appear as if Suarez could really burst into life even more as a terrifying goalscorer on Wearside, with his blistering introduction into the English game perhaps helping the Black Cats to maintain their fraught Premier League status.

Better signing than Diarra: Sunderland now targeting "fantastic" £18m star

Sunderland’s rapid summer business is showing no signs of slowing down as a new target now appears on their shopping list.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 1, 2025

AC Milan have confirmed interest in Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund after he was dropped by manager Ruben Amorim for Sunday's clash with Arsenal.

Milan confirm interest in HojlundStriker dropped for Arsenal clashCould now be heading back to ItalyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hojlund appears to be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford after the Red Devils splashed out to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. Amorim then dropped Hojlund for his team's Premier League opener against Arsenal, suggesting he will have to move if he wants regular minutes in the 2025-26 season.

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Serie A giants AC Milan have been linked with a move for Hojlund, with the striker's father reportedly claiming his son is now open to a move to San Siro. Hojlund shone previously in Serie A with Atalanta, and Milan sporting director Igli Tare has admitted the Rossoneri are keen on the Denmark international.

WHAT AC MILAN SAID

Tare told Mediaset: "Højlund is a good option for us. We are thinking about him, but in the transfer market, you never know what could happen."

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Amorim also spoke about Hojlund after Sunday's defeat at Arsenal. He told reporters: "He is our player — we have to make choices. We have players that have to stay helping the team from the outside. He has to fight for his place. We will see what's going to happen. Rasmus has the same characteristics as Sesko, so sometimes we need to choose."

Head coach believes that the swing-friendly conditions at the Hagley Oval will assist his seam attack in the final

Deivarayan Muthu09-Feb-2023Since taking charge of the Canterbury men’s team in 2020, Peter Fulton has coached them to Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy title victories, but the Super Smash trophy is the one that keeps getting away from him. Canterbury last won the 20-over competition in 2006, the inaugural edition of the tournament, when Fulton, Brendon McCullum, Chris Cairns and Craig McMillian were still active players.Fulton has since lost two 20-over finals as a player [in 2009 and 2012] and two more finals as Canterbury’s coach [in 2021 and 2022].Despite the absence of a number of senior players who were on tour with the New Zealand side in Pakistan and India, Canterbury have made it to their third successive Super Smash final. They will also be without the likes of Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Ish Sodhi, and Matt Henry for their home final on Saturday, but Fulton is hopeful that they can break the jinx this time.”I’ve played in a couple of losing finals since we won that first one back in 2005-06, I think it was,” Fulton recalls, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “So, I’ve lost a couple as a player and I’ve lost two now as a coach. So, let’s hope the third time’s the charm.”I think it probably starts with the players, as it does with most cricket teams. You have to have good cricket players [to have such sustained success] and we’re lucky in Canterbury…on the last Black Caps tour of Pakistan and India, I think we had six Canterbury players. That’s a good start, but our T20 success this season has been while all those Black Caps have been away. So, we obviously have some good depth in Canterbury and some good young players coming through.”With Henry Shipley being called up to New Zealand’s tours of Pakistan and India, Matt Henry on the sidelines, and Will Williams ending his Canterbury career to join Lancashire in 2022, Canterbury’s pace stocks appeared particularly thin at the start of the season. But Zakary Foulkes, William O’Rourke and Angus McKenzie have emerged as unlikely match-winners, picking up 12 wickets each. Among seamers, only Otago’s pair of Michael Rae (16) and Matthew Bacon (13) has got more wickets than them in this Super Smash. Even Fulton is surprised by the rapid progress of his raw, inexperienced seam attack.”I think probably at the start of this T20 campaign, if I’d have been completely honest, I’d have said that we would struggle in the bowling department by virtue of those guys being very young and inexperienced,” Fulton says. “Zak Foulkes is only 20, Will O’Rourke only 21 and Angus McKenzie 23. A lot of inexperience there, but they’ve really progressed quickly. They’re fast learners and they’ve embraced the challenge of T20 cricket, which is not quite easy as a bowler. Sometimes, the ball disappears to all parts of the ground, but they’ve shown a lot of maturity and they’ve probably progressed a little bit quicker than I thought they might.Peter Fulton hopes to produce more players for New Zealand from Canterbury’s talent pool•Getty Images”I guess, as a coach, we knew that those [senior] guys would be away [in Pakistan and India] or very likely to be away. In our planning, we sort of identified guys who might be playing at this time of the season. But, as I said, you can plan for what might happen, but the players still have to take the opportunity themselves and they have to, I guess, step up and take some responsibility. The fact that Zak and Will O’Rourke have opened the bowling as young players… and they have also bowled at the death. And they’ve been outstanding, so that’s quite uncommon for young guys to do that. Like I said, you can have all the planning in the world, but the players have to go out and do the job themselves.”Fulton also believes that the swing-friendly conditions and the bigger boundaries at the Hagley Oval will work in the favour of his seam attack in the final.”Really looking to the home final,” Fulton says. “The last two times we played the final we lost and that was away. So, I hope the home advantage will be good for us. The boundaries are bigger, and the wicket generally has good pace and bounce, which will hopefully assist our bowlers. And the ball generally swings at Hagley. On the day, we got to play some good cricket.”Fulton: ‘Having a short memory is important in T20 cricket’
Canterbury’s progress to the final didn’t look as likely, especially when they started their home leg with three successive defeats. However, they overcame the early setbacks and pressed on to win five of their next six matches to storm into the final. Their thumping eight-wicket victory against Otago in Dunedin on Monday saw them leap from third to the top spot in the league phase.”I think having a short memory is really important in T20 cricket – whether you have success or maybe struggling a little bit as individuals or as a team,” Fulton says. “The game can change pretty quickly and we had three games in a row, where we lost, and we didn’t necessarily play great cricket. But in two of those games, we came up against an opposition that performed really well on the day. So, that can happen in T20 cricket and I guess it’s [about] encouraging the guys to go out and play each game like a new game and not to carry the baggage from potentially previous failures or previous losses.”Chad Bowes was part of the New Zealand A team that toured India in 2022•Manoj Bookanakere/KSCA Chad Bowes – a future New Zealand player? Opening batter Chad Bowes, 30, has been central to Canterbury’s success this season, rattling up 342 runs in ten innings at an average of 42.75 and strike rate of 156.88. A former South Africa Under-19 captain, Bowes has done his time at Canterbury and recently in 2022, he was even part of the New Zealand A team that had toured India.Fulton reckons that Bowes has the tools to be part of the senior team later this year for the home series against Sri Lanka in March-April, when a number of New Zealand’s first-choice players will be in India for IPL 2023.”Look, he’s been outstanding this season,” Fulton says of Bowes. “When you watch domestic cricket, you try to identify players who can play at the next level. Watching them play here, you look for that extra little bit of class or the extra little bit of time [to play shots]. He’s certainly got that and to be fair, he has always had that ability.”I think he’s been a bit more consistent this season, in terms of the scores he has been putting on the board. He’s really standing out amongst the other players at this level. So, the Black Caps have been away, but he has really stood out this season and at times shown that he’s a class above the other guys on display.”