Tag Futebol

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

MatériaMais Notícias

da betway： O Fortaleza está rebaixado para a Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. O zagueiro Emanuel Brítez, ausência na derrota por 4 a 2 contra o Botafogo, lamentou a queda e se desculpou com a torcida tricolor.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFortalezaRebaixamento interrompe marca histórica do Fortaleza na Série AFortaleza09/12/2025FortalezaFortaleza é rebaixado e cumpre apenas uma meta em 2025Fortaleza08/12/2025FortalezaImprensa argentina reage ao rebaixamento do Fortaleza de PalermoFortaleza08/12/2025

da 888： ➡️ Tudo sobre o Leão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fortaleza

Brítez foi submetido a um procedimento cirúrgico no último domingo (7). Depois do quadro de pneumonia que teve em novembro, o defensor precisou passar por essa cirurgia para drenar líquido do pulmão.

Conforme divulgado pelo Fortaleza, o jogador está “clinicamente bem e estável” e deve ter alta nos próximos dias. A continuação do tratamento será sob supervisão do departamento médico do Fortaleza e de uma equipe médica especializada.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Fortaleza é rebaixado e cumpre apenas uma meta em 2025

O zagueiro utilizou as suas redes sociais para se desculpar com a torcida e assumir a responsabilidade pela queda. A declaração do argentino indicou uma possível permanência para 2026, já que seu contrato vai até 2027.

— Às vezes, o fim da temporada é o mais importante. Lutamos até o último jogo, até nossa última esperança, e com muita fé, demos tudo nesta etapa final. Choramos, sofremos, acreditamos até o fim. Não foi o suficiente, mas preferimos sempre nos manter de pé, nunca de joelhos. Também não podemos esquecer o resto do ano, todas as coisas que fizemos de errado — não apenas os jogadores, mas como líder do elenco, tenho que aceitar que todos cometeram erros, do Emanuel Britez, o mais velho, ao mais novo – publicou.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Rebaixamento interrompe marca histórica do Fortaleza na Série A

Queda interrompe marca histórica do Fortaleza

Com o rebaixamento, uma marca histórica do Fortaleza na Série A foi interrompida. Isso porque, como estava no Brasileirão desde 2019, o Tricolor permaneceu na elite por sete temporadas consecutivas. Esse é o recorde de uma equipe nordestina desde 2003, quando teve início o formato de pontos corridos.

O Leão ficou no G4 em duas oportunidades ao longo dessas sete edições. Além de frequentar a Copa Libertadores, as campanhas renderam idas à Copa Sul-Americana.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFortalezaFutebol Nacional

A look at the former captain’s plans, instincts, vision, charisma and philosophy

Mohammad Isam10-Mar-2020.Forming a core group
After Bangladesh had slipped in ODIs and T20Is in 2014, the BCB decided to split the captaincy for the first time. Mushfiqur Rahim had the Test job, while Mortaza, who had just recovered from an injury, was given white-ball duties. This was going to be a test case for the BCB, particularly because of Mortaza’s injury history which cut short his two previous captaincy stints.Very early in his third stint, Mortaza wanted to do away with Bangladesh’s culture of relying on individuals and wasn’t afraid of rebuking his team when he saw a lack of seriousness. At the same time, Mortaza slowly began to form a core group of senior cricketers from the 2015 World Cup squad, who would be the pillars around whom his team would be built.ALSO READ: ‘Nobody should forget what Mortaza has done for Bangladesh cricket’He had four senior players in the squad already – Shakib Al Hasan, Iqbal, Rahim and Mahmudullah – but two of them were low on confidence. Mahmudullah’s form had been iffy for the preceding two years, but he found some form when he was asked to bat higher up the order in a couple of matches leading up to the World Cup. Mortaza and coach Chandika Hathurusingha sensed that Mahmudullah could do with a bit of freedom for which he needed to be promoted, as he was a stroke-maker suited to playing on-the-rise shots, particularly on occasions when field restrictions were still in effect. Mahmudullah had a good tournament and his 103 from No. 4 against England in Adelaide helped Bangladesh progress to the knockouts for the first time.Mahmudullah believes that Mortaza’s fight for the cause of every cricketer in his team set him apart from all the other captains.
“You must have seen how we spend time together,” Mahmudullah told ESPNcricinfo. “We have a special bond. He fought for every individual player. I am a big example. I was in deep trouble at one point. He was right next to me. He gave me extraordinary support not only as my captain, but as my brother and friend. I will forever be thankful to him. We spent a lot of time together.”Mortaza also helped Iqbal out of a similar rut during the 2015 World Cup. It was an ordinary campaign for the batsman, who was accused by social media trolls of being in the team due to the influence his uncle Akram Khan – former Bangladesh captain, chief selector and later board director – wielded.Mortaza took Iqbal under his wing and gave him all the confidence he could. The result: Iqbal turned things around quickly, slamming two ODI hundreds and a Test double-hundred against Pakistan soon after the World Cup.Building a team
The encouraging performance from Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed in the 2015 World Cup, and the emergence of Mustafizur Rahman prompted Mortaza to ask the then BCB administration to prepare pace-friendly pitches for the ODIs against India. In the first ODI, he went in with a four-man pace attack.It was a wild idea coming from a Bangladesh captain but Mortaza sensed that the best way to counter India’s batsmen would be pace. His four-card trick reaped instant rewards, with Mustafizur leading the way as Bangladesh won the series 2-1.Iqbal said that Mortaza’s insistence that they could beat India rubbed off on the rest of the group, and the team started to believe.ALSO READ: Who will replace Mortaza as Bangladesh captain?“I think one of his greatest quality was how he kept on saying ‘we can win, we can win’, all the time,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. “When he said we can beat India in the ODI series in 2015, it seemed impossible. They were the No. 1 side in the world [ranked No. 2 in ODIs at the time]. But he kept saying it, and that positivity spread around the team. Slowly we also started to believe that we can win.”Mortaza kept this belief in pace at home for much of his captaincy, but Ahmed’s form quickly declined while Rahman lost confidence in his cutters – his main weapon – after his shoulder surgery in 2016. Mortaza himself took the new ball from time to time when the other pacers struggled for form. But for five years, he fought for his belief in the idea that pace works against certain teams even at home, and tried to instill that in his team.An instinctive captain
His winning mentality spurred many progressive ideas for the Bangladesh team management, and one of them was to establish the need for four frontline bowlers. He was keen to cash in on allrounders like Shakib and Rahim (as keeper-batsman), who provided balance to the side with their dual roles. He often said that replacing Shakib meant bringing in two players, so when Shakib was around, and when Rahim kept wickets, it freed up two places for Mortaza, and more often than not, Mortaza picked bowlers.Mortaza was also an instinctive captain who didn’t shy away from deciding to take himself off in the middle of a spell. He once said: “I don’t wait for two or three overs like many captains. If I see that it isn’t happening for a bowler, I will change him after an over. It doesn’t happen with planning, sometimes you just have to make those changes.”Liton Das walks off after his dismissal•BCBA captain with a vision
Mortaza wanted a long-term vision for his team, so he was constantly looking for missing pieces of the puzzle. One of his biggest challenges was to find a suitable opening partner for Iqbal.
For example, in 2018, he publicly gave Anamul Haque the assurance to make the opening slot his own. Haque ultimately failed to do so, but more recently, Mortaza revealed that Liton Das had told him that he only wanted to play as an opener. Mortaza kept that request in mind, and towards the end of his captaincy tried to help Das settle down as an opener too.Mortaza didn’t shy away from backing erratic players either. He famously backed Hossain when his career was derailed by a criminal charge before the 2015 World Cup. Time after time, Sabbir Rahman failed to maintain discipline but Mortaza’s belief in his hitting abilities hardly wavered. Mortaza also backed players with more limited ability like Arafat Sunny, a domestic veteran who came good for a brief period at the highest level. He was also lucky to find Mohammad Saifuddin towards the latter part of his stint.His X-factor, his charisma
Mortaza’s life story, particularly his comebacks from crippling injuries, have often been enough to inspire team-mates, but on occasion, he has had to dig deep. Shane Jurgensen, the former Bangladesh coach, and Iqbal have described two separate incidents where Mortaza’s mere presence changed the mood of the entire team.Incidentally, both those moments came after a Test series drubbing, heading into an ODI series, and both against West Indies, although six years apart. In 2012, after Bangladesh went down 2-0 to West Indies at home, Mortaza took the entire team from Khulna to his hometown Narail for a day out. Jurgensen claimed that the team got into a different mood after that.A similar thing happened in the West Indies in 2018, after Bangladesh were hammered in the Test series. Mortaza wasn’t supposed to head to the West Indies as he hadn’t fully recovered from an injury. He arrived a couple of days before the first ODI, and Iqbal says that one look at him, and the dressing-room atmosphere changed.”I have played a lot of matches with Mortaza so sometimes it takes a bit of time to realise certain aspects of a particular individual,” Iqbal said. “I understood why this guy is so special during our 2018 West Indies tour. We were really down after the Test series. You can imagine the team atmosphere, but then when Mortaza arrived for the ODI series, the whole mood of the team changed. Something just clicked within the team seeing Mortaza.”On both occasions, Bangladesh went on to win the ODI series.Mortaza Mortaza rings in the changes•BCBHis philosophy, a lasting legacy
Mortaza was once asked whether an upcoming match against South Africa, with the series tied at 1-1, was going to be his greatest challenge.”Every challenge is different but there is no bigger challenge for me than to raise my son and daughter.”It wasn’t a jaw-dropping reply but the coming years would reveal that it summed up the person he was, and the philosophy he often tried inculcate. While Mortaza wanted his team to give their 100%, he never wanted them to lose sight of the fact that there was more to life than just cricket, and their careers. He spent countless hours chatting with many of his team-mates in his room, sipping cups of tea, and sharing stories.Iqbal said that Mortaza brought a very Bangladeshi quality to the team setting. “How he treated every player isn’t something common for professional sports teams. You won’t find it anywhere else in the world. But due to our culture, you needed a captain who would really take care of a player who is in poor form,” he said.Mahmudullah said that Mortaza’s focus on the small contributions really made a big difference within the team environment.”A captain is also a player. A lot of times, you need to perform. Even during his crunch time, he kept building the team. He was always worried about the team. He stood tall,” Mahmudullah said. “He always wanted us to perform for each other, enjoy another’s performance. He never overlooked small achievements and contributions. He always addressed those small things, and praised whoever had done it. I think it was a great quality.”

The new captain lauded his team’s brave approach and how they made the early running in both Tests

Deivarayan Muthu26-Oct-20241:51

How did Santner succeed when Jadeja struggled?

Before 2024, New Zealand visited India 12 times across 69 years from 1955 to play Test cricket, but they had never managed to win a series. On Saturday, in his first stint as full-time New Zealand captain, Tom Latham did an Edmund Hillary, leading New Zealand to their first-ever Test series win in India.Latham was part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural World Test Championship after beating India in the final in Southampton in 2021. But beating India is a different challenge altogether and arguably the toughest challenge in world cricket right now. Latham was overwhelmed with emotion when he was asked to explain what the triumph in India meant to him, his team, and the New Zealand public.Related

• Changing of the guard: Pune 2024 a window into New Zealand's future

• Santner takes 13 to hand India their first home Test series defeat since 2012

• 'I don't want to do too much of a post-mortem' – Rohit after loss in Pune

• Side soreness no barrier for 13-wicket Santner

“I’m sort of lost for words,” Latham said. “It’s obviously an immensely proud moment for this group. I think coming off the back of a Sri Lankan series where we didn’t get the results that we wanted to come here and play the style of cricket that we played. We’re obviously immensely proud to be in the position of winning two Test matches here. A lot of New Zealand teams have come here over the past… I guess to be the first team to win a series over here is immensely special and, yeah, very proud of this group.”So what did Latham’s New Zealand do better than the other New Zealand teams of the past and this current India team?”I think we’ve been on the right side of a couple of tosses,” Latham said. “That obviously played a big part I think, especially in Bangalore. Just as I said, I think we’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot. We’ve wanted to be the one that puts India under pressure, what that may look like from a batting point of view or a bowling point of view. I certainly think we’ve done that. I think the way we played in this game with the bat was really important. I think it was a wicket where time wasn’t necessarily an issue, it was runs.”Mitchell Santner was the hero with the ball•AFP/Getty Images

It’s incredibly rare for any overseas team to out-bat and out-bowl India in a Test match. This New Zealand team has managed to do that twice in contrasting conditions in Bengaluru and Pune.New Zealand’s bowlers had thrown the first punch in Benglauru in seaming conditions, where they skittled India for 46. New Zealand’s batters then threw the first punch in Pune on a turner, where they countered R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar with a variety of sweeps, including the reverse. Latham was pleased with his players buying into the attack-first approach.”We’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to compete, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot first up,” Latham said. “I certainly think we’ve done that in both games. Obviously with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here. Being able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important. Obviously the bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which has been very pleasing to see.” Latham hailed Mitchell Santner for wheeling away for 29 overs on the trot in the final innings despite a sore side. The left-arm fingerspinner came away with six wickets during that marathon spell and almost single-handedly spun New Zealand to victory. He finished with match figures of 13 for 157 – the third-best by any visiting bowler in India.”He did a fantastic job,” Latham said of Santner. “I think obviously the wickets that he got… But I think what will go unnoticed is the amount of overs he bowled back-to-back. I think Will [O’Rourke] bowled one over with the new ball from that end and Mitch bowled the rest. Someone like that to come and bowl that amount of overs, to keep in a threat for that amount of time.”I keep trying to take him off, but he keeps taking a wicket. So, I said ‘you can keep going’. Look, I can’t praise him enough in terms of what he’s done this game. He was simply fantastic.”

da aposte e ganhe： Newcastle United’s season ended in the perfect way last weekend, despite a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton in the final game of the campaign. The Magpies secured Champions League qualification once again, after a year out of any continental competition in 2024/25.

da bet nacional： Their final finish saw them pip Aston Villa to that last Champions League spot by finishing in fifth, helped by the fact that the Premier League gained an extra spot due to high coefficient points. They have been in the top five since the second game in April, and have clung onto the position to return to the Champions League.

Thus, it will be a big summer for Eddie Howe and his squad, as they look to shape the perfect group ready to compete amongst Europe’s elite clubs.

Newcastle’s summer targets

Already, the rumour mill has been whirring, and the transfer window has not even opened yet. Newcastle were recently linked with Liam Delap by TeamTalk, who say they held ‘showdown talks’ with the Ipswich Town star.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Now, according to CaughtOffside, the North East outfit ‘have expressed interest’ in signing Atletico Madrid right-back Nahuel Molina. They are believed to be ‘keen on securing his signature’ as they look to add to full-back depth.

However, they are not thought to be the only side trying to sign him this summer. Premier League rivals Liverpool are also keen. They’re in the market for a new right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure.

Serie A sides Inter, Juventus and Roma are also interested. Should Molina leave the Spanish capital, he could cost upwards of £29m.

Why Molina would be a good signing

At 27 years of age, you might struggle to find a better option at right-back than Molina this summer. Not only is he in the prime of his career, but the defender is hugely experienced, too. He was a World Cup winner back in 2022 with Argentina.

This season, the former Boca Juniors star has featured in 44 games for the La Liga giants. In that time, he has contributed to an impressive 17 clean sheets playing mainly as a right-back, but even slotting into centre-back as well.

He has also managed to chip in with goal contributions this term. Not only has the defender registered three assists across all competitions, but he even managed to get himself on the scoresheet away to Paris Saint-Germain in a 2-1 win in the Champions League group phase. As Neal Gardner said, he is a “stupidly good” player.

Molina would not be the only right-back Newcastle have signed from Atleti in recent seasons. In fact, they brought Kieran Trippier to the club from the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano for just £12m back in January 2022.

Now, three years on from his move to St James’ Park, the former England international is still a big part of Howe’s squad, although maybe not as much of an important player. This term, he played 25 times in the Premier League, but featured for just 1309 minutes, the equivalent of 14.5 full 90-minute games.

With that being said, there is no denying Trippier’s importance to this Newcastle project over the past few years under Howe. In 123 appearances, he has four goals to his name and an impressive 25 assists, which included ten in the Premier League in 2023/24.

During their most recent season for Atleti, Molina and Trippier can be compared statistically via Squawka. For example, in 2024/25, Molina created 0.8 chances and won 4.4 duels per 90 minutes, compared to Trippier in 2021/22, where he created 0.7 chances and won 5.8 duels each game.

Molina and Trippier – key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Molina (2024/25)

Trippier (2021/22)

Chances created

0.8

0.7

Forward passes

19.5

22.6

Take-ons competed

0.9

0.7

Duels won

4.4

5.8

Ball recoveries

3.8

5

Stats from Squawka

If Molina can come into Newcastle and recreate the impact Trippier has had at the club, then he will surely be a successful signing.

The 27-year-old might well have a role that is just as important to play.

For just £29m, this could be a steal for the Magpies, as they look to bring in a player who could be Howe’s next Trippier.

Related Newcastle can find the next Ben Arfa by signing "astonishing" £14m magician

As Newcastle United look to strengthen their squad this summer, could they sign an “astonishing” magician reminiscent of Hatem Ben Arfa?

Posts 1 ByBen Gray May 25, 2025

Seamer lets the pitch do the work, as New York venue continues to draw mixed reviews

Danyal Rasool07-Jun-20243:24

Niall O’Brien: Ireland should have restricted Canada to 115-120

A week ago, Canada fast bowler Jeremy Gordon was thrown the ball to rein in a surging USA side. The previous over had leaked 20, but Gordon had bowled a tight couple of overs, and with USA still needing just under ten an over, Canada entrusted him to tighten the screws.Instead, in a nightmarish sequence of events, Gordon sent down an 11-ball over that saw 33 plundered off it – the second-most expensive over in T20I history. The US target was down to a run-a-ball, and they cruised to victory.Little wonder, then, that Gordon felt he had amends to make against Ireland. “I personally felt my over is what gave away the last game,” he said. “To make a comeback and help the team get over the line makes me feel I’ve done a good job and makes me quite happy. It’s very emotional.”Related

Rashid, Farooqi and Gurbaz the stars as Afghanistan crush NZ

ICC working to improve quality of pitches at New York venue

Kirton, Gordon and Heyliger sparkle in landmark Canada win

Gordon has reason to be proud. Opening the bowling in defence of 137, he homed in on the back-of-a-length area. The New York strip came in for heavy criticism following India’s match against Ireland, including from the ICC itself. While the wicket was much truer on this occasion, Gordon still understood how to exploit the conditions.”I realised when Ireland bowled first that when they hit the back of a length, it was sometimes over the batter’s shoulder and sometimes kept a bit low. So I thought ‘why should I change that?'”I was overthinking in the first game. Here, I realised the pitch was in my favour because of the variable bounce. So if I hit that 7-8m length and target a line on the body or just towards the off stump I figured I’d give myself a good chance to defend the total.”It was precisely how Ireland’s first wicket fell. Canada were keeping things tight, and Gordon banged another one in back of a length. Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain, had scored just 9 off 16, and the pressure told as he attempted a swipe across the line that was never truly on. The ball reared up and drew the top edge.Jeremy Gordon picked up impressive figures of 2 for 16•Getty ImagesBut having seen the game slip away at the death against USA, it was more satisfying for Gordon to return and finish Ireland off in the final over. Ireland needed 17 to win, and he followed up the trademark short-of-a-length ball with another. Mark Adair, Ireland’s last remaining hope of victory, tried to slap it towards midwicket but only ballooned it back up to Gordon, who took a straightforward catch. He would concede just four, and finish with figures of 4-0-16-2.”There’s definitely a lot of confidence now,” he said. “For us it’s about doing the basics right and to be disciplined. It’s about not getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll appreciate the win and then go back to the drawing board. It’s going to be Pakistan and India next, two of the better teams in the world currently. If we’re disciplined in all three areas, we might give a good account for ourselves on the day and then who knows what could happen.”Part of the intrigue of the game, though, concerned the pitch and ground conditions, particularly as the stadium gears up for it’s biggest clash on Sunday. India will take on Pakistan, so it wasn’t just the Canadians and the Irish interested to see how the surface held up after the tournament organisers were left scrambling to ensure their biggest game would not be played in subpar conditions.Though the improvement from the Ireland-India game was noticeable, Player of the Match, Nicholas Kirton, who scored 49 off 35 for Canada, felt it was far from ideal.”It wasn’t that easy to bat on this wicket, trust me,” he said at the post-match presentations. “I just tried to get in and get to grips with the pace of the wicket. There was an area in the middle of the wicket that played a bit up and down. I tried to stay as still as possible and get a good base. The outfield is a bit slow and I focused on running hard, but other than that it was a pretty good wicket to bat on.”

Manchester United have been in contact to sign a “standout” £10m midfielder this summer ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

Fernandes hints he could leave Man Utd after Europa League final

The nail in the Red Devils’ coffin for the season was hammered in by Spurs on Wednesday night, with Ange Postecoglou getting the better of Ruben Amorim in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A 1-0 win for Tottenham ensured they’d win their first trophy in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League, whereas United will now have to make do with no European football and one of their worst seasons for more than 50 years.

Bruno Fernandes captained Man Utd in Bilbao but failed to take his side to glory, and with a summer of uncertainty at Old Trafford incoming, spoke about his future in Manchester.

“I will be here until the club tells me it is time to leave. I am available to make the club have great days again.

“The day the club thinks I am too much, or it is time to leave, football is like that and you never know. If the club thinks it is time to leave, because they want to make some money, that is what it is and football is like that sometimes.”

The Portuguese star is wanted in Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal, and with the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen also ageing and on big money, a new midfield gem could be on the to-do list for the Red Devils and Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of his first summer transfer window as co-owner.

Man Utd in contact to sign £10m midfielder ahead of Spurs

According to TBR Football, Man Utd are one of numerous clubs who have been in contact with Motherwell over a deal to sign midfielder Lennon Miller.

The 18-year-old is emerging as one of Scotland’s most exciting talents and has had approaches from the Red Devils, Spurs, Arsenal, Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham.

Games

39

Goals

4

Assists

8

Minutes played

3,398

Atalanta, Bologna and Como in Italy are all keen on Miller, as are French side Strasbourg and Scottish champions Celtic, with reports earlier this year claiming Motherwell would want £10m for the teenage gem.

Set to turn 19 in August, Miller has already made more than 75 senior appearances for Motherwell, even captaining them between November and December last year.

Talking during that time, Barry Ferguson called Miller a “standout” performer for Motherwell and said “he has the potential to play at the highest level”.

The Red Devils have already shown they are looking at the future with recent deals for Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi-Martin, and by the looks of things, Miller could be the next if they manage to win the huge race for his services.

Football works in mysterious ways, and with the majority of players having numerous clubs during their careers, there’s a good chance some will come back to haunt their former sides.

From scoring important goals or regularly being a thorn in their ex-club’s side over the years, we’ve seen it on multiple occasions on the biggest stages.

Anthony Elanga recently came back to bite Manchester United, who will surely be regretting selling the winger in the summer of 2023, particularly with Nottingham Forest now miles ahead of their midweek opponents, who were beaten by the Swede’s special winner at the City Ground.

Here, we’ve taken a look at 11 stars who have haunted their former clubs.

The 10 fastest title wins in Premier League history

Liverpool have looked like champions for a while, but whose footsteps are they following in?

By
Stephan Georgiou

Mar 31, 2025

1

Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest v Man Utd

Anthony Elanga has been something of a revelation since his move to Nottingham Forest, with the Reds benefiting from the Swede being unable to find a home during his stay at Manchester United.

The winger has often been in electrifying form, but showcased his talents to his former employers with a superb solo run before scoring an eventual winner in their recent Premier League clash.

With Forest set to finish in the European places, the move has certainly worked out for the 22-year-old.

2

Robin van Persie

Man Utd v Arsenal

Robin van Persie made what was a controversial move at the time from Arsenal to Man Utd in 2012.

The Dutch striker was the Gunners captain and star striker at the time, so to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford was a high-profile deal and all eyes were on the first meeting between the two sides months later.

Just three minutes into his first appearance against Arsenal, Van Persie scored for the Red Devils in a 2-1 win and netted again at the Emirates that season, helping Man Utd to another – and his first – Premier League title.

His and United’s fortunes dwindled after that, but he scored in their next meeting in late 2013, this time celebrating fully.

3

Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest goalscorers of the modern era, netting 103 times for Borussia Dortmund before leaving the club for rivals Bayern Munich in 2014.

Lewandowski would go on to spend eight years as a Bayern player, netting a remarkable 344 times in 375 games and winning 19 major honours.

He would regularly come up against Dortmund in the Bundesliga and in various cup competitions, and scored 27 times in 26 games against BVB for Bayern – more than any other club in his career.

Lewandowski’s record v Dortmund for Bayern
Wins	19
Goals	27
Assists	3
Hat-tricks	2

The 12 best free transfers of all time – ranked

No need to fret just yet if your team didn’t get who they wanted in the transfer window…

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 3, 2025

4

Emmanuel Adebayor

Man City v Arsenal

One of the most memorable instances of a player haunting their former club came back in 2009, when Emmanuel Adebayor decided to run the length of the Etihad pitch to celebrate a goal for Manchester City in front of the Arsenal fans.

The striker swapped the red of north London for the sky blue of Manchester that summer and was suspended for two games and fined £25,000 by the FA for his celebration.

At the time, Adebayor’s reasoning for the celebration was: “I was being abused by people who six months ago were singing my name. The abuse was for no reason. It wasn’t my fault I left, it was Arsene [Wenger] who wanted to accept the offer for me.”

5

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid v Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Man Utd to Real Madrid in 2009 remains one of the biggest in history, so it was always going to be huge when the Portuguese superstar came up against the Red Devils for the first time.

It took four years for Madrid and United to cross paths in the Champions League, being drawn against each other in the last 16 in 2012/13.

Ronaldo scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg and then netted what proved to be the winner at Old Trafford.

The top 12 goalscorers in the Champions League group stages

Who performs the best in the early stages?

By
Robin Mumford

May 14, 2025

6

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool v Chelsea

Many didn’t think much of Chelsea’s decision to sell Mohamed Salah on a permanent deal to Roma in 2016 after the winger scored just twice for the Blues in 19 appearances.

However, following his return to England with Liverpool a year later, Salah has gone on to star in the Premier League for the Reds, scoring more than 200 goals and registering over 100 assists on Merseyside.

Salah has faced off against Chelsea on a regular basis over the last eight years, helping beat the Blues in the final of the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

The Egyptian has also scored five times and registered four assists against Chelsea for Liverpool, including a stunner back in 2019.

7

Kevin De Bruyne

Man City v Chelsea

Another player who Chelsea let go too soon was Kevin De Bruyne, who has starred for Man City years over the last 10 years.

De Bruyne made just nine appearances for the Blues before they and Jose Mourinho decided to sell the Belgian to Wolfsburg in 2014. After starring in Germany, the attacking midfielder returned to England 18 months later and has gone on to win everything at the Etihad.

He scored a crucial winner for City at Stamford Bridge in 2017, helping Pep Guardiola’s side reach 100 points that season, while he netted four times in five appearances against the Blues between 2019 and 2022.

8

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Milan v Inter

Iconic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic played for multiple European giants during his career, including both Milan and Inter.

The Swedish striker had three successful years with Inter between 2006 and 2009, and after a two-year stint in Spain with Barcelona, he returned to the San Siro, with the Rossoneri.

In his first Milan derby, Ibrahimovic earned and converted a penalty for Milan, an effort which proved to be the winner and helped his side to a Serie A title. He’d go on to score seven more times for Milan against Inter.

9

Ronaldo

Real Madrid v Barcelona

Brazilian striker Ronaldo is well known for his time scoring for fun at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid between 2002 and 2007, but he also played for rivals Barcelona prior to his time as a Galactico.

Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions for Barcelona in 1996/97, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award at the age of 20.

The forward moved to Inter in a world-record transfer but returned to Spain with Madrid, where he would come back to haunt Barcelona on numerous occasions.

In total, Ronaldo scored in four separate El Clasico matches, two of which came at Camp Nou, and every time he scored against Barcelona, Madrid never lost.

The Top 11 El Clásico Goalscorers This Century

Who has scored the most often in El Clásico since 2000?

1

By
Barney Lane

May 10, 2025

10

Frank Lampard

Man City v Chelsea

It’s easy to forget that Frank Lampard spent his final year in the Premier League as a Manchester City player.

The Chelsea legend left Stamford Bridge in 2014, and after penning a pre-contract with New York City, he joined Manchester City for the 2014/15 season, where he would come up against Chelsea.

It was written in the stars for the attacking midfielder to make an impact against the Blues. Lampard scored his first City goal late on against Chelsea in September 2014 to end his former side’s winning start to the season.

Real Madrid are considering a future move for Manchester City star Rodri as they miss out on long-term target Martin Zubimendi.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Zubimendi deal nearly done with Arsenal
• Rodri seen as possible long-term target for Madrid
• Spaniard's contract with Man City ends in 2027

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Madrid appear to have lost the race for Zubimendi, who is on the verge of joining Arsenal. Despite late efforts to convince the player, the Gunners are relaxed and confident, having agreed to pay his €60 million (£50m/$69m) release clause and offering a significantly higher salary. With the deal nearly finalised, Los Blancos have started exploring alternatives.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The club is now weighing whether to stick with their current crop, including Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde or look at big targets for the future. One standout option is Rodri, but any move would be delayed until 2026, when he enters the final year of his City contract, making a potential deal more affordable.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has become one of the best players in world football. He played a pivotal role in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season, scoring the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter. Despite not being a flashy player, his consistency and tactical intelligence have drawn comparisons to legendary midfielders like Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  La Liga giants Madrid are expected to closely monitor Rodri’s situation at City, especially after the 2025 Club World Cup. If the Spaniard doesn't renew his contract by 2026, Madrid could try to secure a cut-price deal.

Northern Diamonds sneak home despite dropped England batter’s 130

ECB Reporters Network08-May-2024Northern Diamonds beat the South East Stars by three runs in a final-over thriller in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham, despite a stunning century from Sophia Dunkley.Dunkley, left out of England’s squads to face Pakistan so she could find form in domestic cricket, did exactly that, making 130 from 136 balls.But she was run out by the bowler Erin Burns in an excruciatingly tense final over, after inexplicably failing to ground her bat after a single from the fourth delivery.Bethan Miles was then unable to hit a boundary off the last delivery, meaning the Stars fell agonisingly short of what would have been a List A world-record run chase.Related

• Dunkley finds form to power South East Stars to victory

• England turn to AI to aid borderline team selections

• Dunkley, Beaumont 'still in conversation' for T20 WC

Earlier, Hollie Armitage (66), Bess Heath (63) and Sterre Kalis (52) all hit half-centuries, but a spell of three wickets for three runs in six balls from Phoebe Franklin limited the Diamonds to 311 for 9.The visitors chose to bat on what looked like a typical Beckenham road and despite the early loss of Lauren Winfield-Hill, who was bowled by Tash Farrant for 19, they built an ominous platform. The first five wickets all yielded hefty partnerships, taking advantage of a Stars’ attack weakened by the loss of Alice Davidson-Richards, who went off injured after bowling two overs.Armitage and Emma Marlow put on 65 for the second wicket before the latter was brilliantly run for 32 by a direct hit from Miles. Kalea Moore then had Armitage caught by Bryony Smith, before Danni Gregory bowled Burns for 23 in the final over of her spell.A stand of 63 between Heath and Kalis was broken when the former was stumped by Chloe Hill off Miles, but the Diamonds then stuttered. Leah Dobson was the first of Franklin’s victims when she went for six, caught by the sub fielder Claudie Cooper.0:54

Lewis’ World Cup message to dropped Dunkley

Kalis went to Franklin’s next delivery, caught on the boundary by Dunkley, and Phoebe Turner followed in almost identical fashion when she holed out to the last ball of the over.When Sophia Turner was caught by Aylish Cranstone off Stonehouse for 4 the Diamonds were 290 for 9, but an aggressive, unbeaten 23 from Jess Woolston that included a huge six of Stonehouse took them past the 300 mark.The Stars suffered an early blow when Farrant went for just 7, victim of a sharp, diving catch by Dobson off Woolston and Smith had made 19 when she got a leading edge to Phoebe Turner and was caught by Burns.Dunkley and Stonehouse steadied things with a stand of 52, but the latter was caught behind off Sophia Turner for 21, victim of a smart take by Heath who was standing up to the stumps.Phoebe Franklin made 24 at a run a ball, but she fell in Armitage’s first over, slicing her to Woolston at backward point. Hill was looking useful until she was caught by Kalis off Sophia Turner for 23 but with the run rate steepening Cranstone’s 41 dragged the Stars backed into the contest with some calculated aggression that brought up the Stars’ highest ever sixth wicket partnership.When Dunkley reached three figures with a single off Sophia Turner the tie was right back in the balance, but Cranstone fell in the 46th over, chipping Burns to Armitage and Davidson-Richards was forced to bat with Farrant as a runner. Turner’s 47th over went for just four, leaving the Stars needing 33 from the last 18 balls.The equation titled back in the Diamonds favour when Heath stumped Davidson-Richards off Katie Levick for 2. Moore hit the first ball off the penultimate over, bowled by Sophia Turner for four, took a bye of the next and watched as Dunkley smashed a six over long on. The next went for four and two singles left the Stars needing 11 from the last over.Burns limited them to singles off the first three balls and then ran Dunkley out after she failed to ground her bat, after apparently giving up on a second run. Moore hit the fifth ball for three, leaving Miles needing four off the final delivery, but she was caught at cow corner by Sophia Turner, ending an exhilarating contest.