Veteran seamer claims five-wicket haul as Azhar Ali’s side are bowled out for 113
ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2020Pakistan’s leading batsmen fluffed their lines on the opening day of their final intra-squad warm-up game before the first Test against England at Emirates Old Trafford next month.Experienced pace bowler Sohail Khan took 5 for 37, dismissing Abid Ali, Shan Masood and skipper Azhar Ali cheaply as Team Green were bowled out for 113 at the Incora County Ground in Derby. Only three batsmen reached double-figures, most notably Babar Azam who scored 32 from 77 balls, and in reply Team White were 88 for 3 from 34 overs at the close.On a difficult day for batsmen, there was a worry for the tourists when opener Imam-ul-Haq was hit on the left hand by a ball from Naseem Shah and was forced to retire hurt on 19.Unless there are injuries to the bowlers, Pakistan’s attack at Manchester is likely to comprise Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and legspinner Yasir Shah but Sohail has certainly given the selectors food for thought.After Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss for Team White and elected to bowl first on the same pitch used for the first warm-up match, the 36-year-old blew away the top order in a disciplined opening spell from the City End. He was rewarded for maintaining a full length which allowed the ball to swing but there were question marks over some of the shot selection which saw three wickets fall in the first 11 overs.Abid would have been looking for time in the middle after a blow to the head in the previous warm-up game prevented him batting in the second innings but he made only 1 before he was lured into edging a drive in Sohail’s second over.Masood survived a dropped catch at third slip off Imran Khan but he failed to prosper, lbw to a full-length ball that swung in late and caught him on the crease. Azhar made a century in the previous game but another swinging delivery from Sohail defeated his forward push although his reaction suggested he thought he had got outside the line.A stunning catch at second slip accounted for Asad Shafiq and although Azam looked set for a substantial innings, he went in the third over after lunch when he edged Imran behind.Shadab Khan left a big gap between bat and pad and lost his middle stump and when Mohammad Rizwan missed an expansive drive at Faheem Ashraf, the chances of a respectable score were fading. Sohail claimed his fifth wicket when Shaheen Afridi played across a full length ball, leaving Team Green in need of quick wickets to repair some of the damage.Naseem obliged by trapping Fakhar Zaman lbw and had Haider Ali dropped first ball at second slip although he soon fell to a loose drive at Masood.When Imam was rapped on the fingers by a ball that leapt, he was unable to continue and headed to the dressing room for ice treatment with initial reports suggesting the injury was not serious.Yasir lured Iftikhar Ahmed down the pitch before bad light ended play with Team White only 25 runs behind in a game that has been given first-class status and is being played to Test match rules.
“This year will be a different CPL, but the standard will be higher than ever,” says tournament CEO O’Donohoe
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2020CPL 2020 will begin with three-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders taking on five-time finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 18. The entire tournament, comprising 33 matches, will take place in Trinidad & Tobago across two stadiums and behind closed doors to ensure proper protection against the Covid-19 pandemic.Damien O’Donohoe, the CPL’s chief executive officer, is excited about the upcoming season. “This year will be a different CPL, but the standard will be higher than ever. We have seen the appetite for live sport since it has returned after a prolonged absence, and the interest in CPL will be higher than ever with it being the first franchise T20 tournament to return.”The scheduleBrian Lara Cricket Academy 18 August, 10am – Trinbago Knight Riders v Guyana Amazon Warriors 18 August, 5:30pm – Barbados Tridents v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 19 August, 10am – Jamaica Tallawahs v St Lucia Zouks 19 August, 5:30pm – Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 20 August, 10am – St Lucia Zouks v Barbados Tridents 20 August, 5:30pm- Trinbago Knight Riders v Jamaica Tallawahs 22 August, 10am – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v St Lucia Zouks 22 August 5.30pm – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Jamaica Tallawahs 23 August 10am – Trinbago Knight Riders v Barbados Tridents 23 August 5.30pm – Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Zouks Queen’s Park Oval 25 August, 10am – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Barbados Tridents 25 August, 5:30pm – Jamaica Tallawahs v Guyana Amazon Warriors 26 August 10am – St Lucia Zouks v Trinbago Knight Riders 26 August, 5:30pm – Barbados Tridents v Jamaica Tallawahs 27 August, 10am – St Lucia Zouks v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 27 August, 5:30pm – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Trinbago Knight Riders 29 August, 10am – Barbados Tridents v Trinbago Knight Riders 29 August, 5:30pm – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Jamaica Tallawahs 30 August, 10am – Barbados Tridents v St Lucia Zouks 30 August, 5:30pm – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Guyana Amazon Warriors Brian Lara Cricket Academy 1 September, 10am – Jamaica Tallawahs v Trinbago Knight Riders 1 September, 5:30pm – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Barbados Tridents 2 September, 10am – Trinbago Knight Riders v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 2 September, 5:30pm – St Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors 3 September, 10am – Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 3 September, 5:30pm – Barbados Tridents v Guyana Amazon Warriors 5 September, 10am – Trinbago Knight Riders v St Lucia Zouks 5 September, 5:30pm – Jamaica Tallawahs v Barbados Tridents 6 September, 10am – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Trinbago Knight Riders 6 September, 5:30pm – St Lucia Zouks v Jamaica Tallawahs 8 September, TBC – Semi final 1 (1st v 4th) 8 September, TBC – Semi final 2 (2nd vs 3rd) 10 September, TBC – Final
AC Milan and Spain striker Alvaro Morata has explained the reasons for his 'painful' split from wife Alica Campello after seven years of marriage.
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Couple tied the knot in 2017
Has spent time in Italy, Spain & England
Decision taken to go separate ways
Getty/GOAL
WHAT HAPPENED?
Despite supporting one another during a triumphant Euro 2024 campaign – which saw Morata lift the trophy as captain of his country – and holiday together at the end of that tournament in Germany, the pair have announced that they have taken the "painful decision" to go their separate ways.
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THE GOSSIP
Campello has revealed that post-partum depression, following the birth of their fourth child, was partly responsible for the split. She also admitted that regular uprooting of family life – with Morata taking in spells at Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Atletico Madrid before joining Milan – was also difficult to handle.
AFP
WHAT MORATA SAID
Morata claims that was the main reason for the separation, as his career takes him back to Italy, with the 31-year-old also responding to the infidelity rumours that both he and Campello have been eager to quash. Morata told : “I am devastated, but I swear that I never cheated on her. She’s the most important woman of my life. I am tired of people saying that I was unfaithful to Alice and I didn't even go to the national team party so that this type of rumour wouldn't arise. Since then I haven't spoken to anyone out of respect for her and so that this type of news doesn't arise.”
He added: “Alice wanted to stay in Spain and didn’t want to move again. Despite different views, we still have an excellent rapport for the well-being of our four children. There won’t be any second thoughts.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Morata tied the knot with Italian model Campello in 2017, having started their relationship during his first spell with Juventus in 2014-15. He has now returned to Serie A, but has seen his young family remain in Spain.
Young talent becomes youngest England batsman to score Test ton since Alastair Cook
George Dobell in Port Elizabeth17-Jan-2020Around the time he reached his half-century, a landmark achieved with successive cuts for four, Ollie Pope took his Test batting average above 40 for the first time.No young player comes with guarantees. Pope is probably no more talented than Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash and they probably didn’t, by the ridiculously harsh standards we set for these things, fulfil their potential as Test batsmen. But, as Pope celebrated his fifty, it was hard not to wonder if his average would ever dip below the mark again. It may well go significantly higher.Pope looks, by some distance, the best specialist batsman to come into this side since Joe Root in late 2012. He has a wide range of strokes, he seems to have plenty of time for the ball, and has the appetite to bat for long periods. He also has, now, a compact technique and an ability to leave well outside off stump, giving him a game which shows no obvious weaknesses. This first Test century will surely be the first of many.ALSO READ: Superlative Stokes approaches batting fulfillmentIt is worth listing those men who have scored Test centuries for England at a younger age than Pope’s 22 years and 15 days. They are: Denis Compton, Jack Hearne, Len Hutton, Alastair Cook, David Gower, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey. There are only seven names there and six (Hearne is the one to miss out) can probably safely be described as among the greats of English cricket. Already, Pope is in exclusive company.He is used to that, of course. After 30 first-class matches, he averaged more than any England player in history. He made his Test debut, aged just 20, after only 15 first-class game and is now England’s youngest maiden centurion since Cook in 2006. “That’s a nice little stat,” Pope said with a bashful smile afterwards. “He was a great player.”His first captain at Surrey, Gareth Batty, had never heard of him until he turned up to training one day. Pope was 17 or 18 at the time and had only just signed for the professional staff from the prolific Surrey academy. But he was taking apart Surrey’s first-choice T20 attack and the club captain’s attention was seized.”Jade Dernbach was reversing it sharply and Stuart Meaker was overstepping and bowling fast,” Batty recalled. “And Ollie was smashing it and scooping it everywhere. Straight away I thought, ‘Hello, what have we got here?’ He was obviously special.””He has to be in every side we have,” was the gist of Dernbach’s comments to Batty once the session finished. And he pretty much was, Surrey being Surrey. Until he was promoted into the England system, Pope was on the brink of a leadership role at the club, too, aged 20 and talked of as the captain after Rory Burns. “He’s definitely leadership material,” Batty said.Surrey deserve some credit for this success. The last four maiden Test centurions for England – Pope, Dom Sibley, Burns and Ben Foakes – all came through the Surrey pathway to one extent or another. While Foakes developed at Essex, the other three, including Sibley (who had moved on to Warwickshire by the time he represented England) all came through Surrey’s academy where Neil Stewart, brother of Alec, and Gareth Townsend, the coaches, are clearly doing a terrific job for club and country. Sam Curran progressed along the same path.But it speaks volumes for Pope’s character that it was from a setback that his game took its most pertinent improvement. At the start of the 2019 season, having been dropped by England, he suffered a dislocated shoulder which kept him out of the game for three-and-a-half months. Many young men, some of whom might well have played for England in recent times, could have taken the opportunity to get away from the game. To take a holiday. To chase girls, drink too much and enjoy the high life.Not Pope. Instead, he sat down with Vikram Solanki, assistant coach at Surrey, and worked out a way he could use the time constructively. And, reflecting on his first brush with international cricket, when a certain looseness outside off stump was exploited by better bowlers than he routinely encountered in county cricket, they worked out that he should change his guard so he was further across the stumps. That way, he could judge which balls to leave with greater certainty of where is off stump was.Ollie Pope reverse-laps•Stu Forster/Getty Images
“I sat down with Vikram, and we decided the way I was getting out most was pushing at those fifth-stump balls that I should probably be leaving,” Pope said.”So we decided that I should move across slightly in my crease. From a technical point of view that was the main thing: allowing me to line up off stump so I could leave the ball well and actually defend close to my front pad. I’ve still got that strength of cutting and off my legs as well.”The period also reinforced to him how much he wanted to succeed in the game. He had experienced a first taste of the international game – two Tests against India in the English summer of 2018 – and he desperately wanted more. So he resolved to put away those airy drives and render himself a far tougher batsman to dismiss.”From a mental point of view, I go back to those three-and-a-half months,” he says now. “It gave me a real hunger to come back. It made me that bit hungrier, I think.”As he showed in the latter stages of his innings, though, he still has all the shots. To see him reverse-pull Kagiso Rabada, or ramp Anrich Nortje was to see a special talent just starting to blossom. He may play within himself most of the time, but he clearly has the ability to go up a gear when required. There’s no reason at all he shouldn’t thrive in England’s white-ball teams in due course, as well. They have a bit of a gem here.But limited-overs cricket can wait. As can a move up the order in Test cricket. It was a mistake to put him at No. 4 on debut and it was a mistake to hand him the gloves, albeit in an emergency, in New Zealand. He needs the sort of management Hick and Ramprakash lacked. With confidence to add to his talent, he can serve England for a decade and more.”A lot of people chat and say ‘he can do this, he can do that’ but you’re the one who has to go and do it,” he said. “So knowing I have it ticked off is nice going forward. It makes you feel more at home in the side. It makes you more confident in yourself and your ability.”There are other architects in this success. For a start, Pope owes a drink to Ben Stokes who persuaded him to call for a review in the nick of time when he was given out leg before on 74. “I thought I’d be walking back to the changing rooms,” Pope said. “Stokesey told me to review with two seconds left, but I thought we were clutching at straws. It was a great feeling to see the replays.”England’s top-order batsmen, Sibley and Zak Crawley in particular, contributed, too. As Pope put it, “the opening partnership set it all up. The amount of balls they faced meant they took the shine off the ball and we were able to capitalise.” This is a team game, after all, and it reflects well on Pope that, in his moment of triumph, he remembered the people who had helped him along the way.There are some caveats to all this. The Port Elizabeth pitch is unusually slow and Vernon Philander is clearly a man coming to the end of his international career. There were moments in the field when he looked as if he were performing a passable impression of Oliver Hardy. Australia will, no doubt, test him with the short ball – though Rabada and Nortje are hardly slow – and tours of Asia will, no doubt, test his ability to play spin. There will, of course, be some rainy days on his journey. But of all the players in this emerging Test side, perhaps only Jofra Archer has as bright a future.
Fulham are set to submit an improved bid to Manchester United for Scott McTominay after seeing an initial offer rebuffed.
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Fulham fail with initial bid for McTominay
Set to submit improved offer
Have already agreed Smith Rowe transfer
WHAT HAPPENED?
McTominay has emerged as a transfer target for Fulham this summer with the Cottagers set to make an improved bid to Manchester United for the Scotland international, according to Sky Sports. Marco Silva's side have already agreed a deal with Arsenal for Emile Smith Rowe and want to follow up that signing by landing the United midfielder.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
United are willing to offload a host of players this summer, including McTominay, as part of a summer shake-up following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner. The Red Devils have already landed Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro and also hope to bring in Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.
WHAT TEN HAG SAID
McTominay's future at the club appears to be uncertain ahead of the new season, although Erik ten Hag has said he wants the midfielder to stay. He told reporters on the club's pre-season tour: "We have very good players so there will always be an interest from other clubs. When you score 10 goals in a season and also perform very good for Scotland, then there will be an interest. But we want to keep him because he is a very important player for our squad. What he can contribute, as we saw last season once we had our sixes available, he could play in a more advanced role and he is a highly interesting player for our team."
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WHAT NEXT FOR MCTOMINAY
McTominay's contract at Old Trafford runs until 2025, meaning the Red Devils do have a big decision to make on the Scot's future. The midfielder is currently with the first-team squad for their tour of the United States and upcoming games against Real Betis and Liverpool.
India captain unhappy with slew of dropped catches in first two T20Is, says fielding is something they need to be more ‘brave’ about
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2019
Washington Sundar drops a catch•BCCI
Virat Kohli said his side couldn’t expect to win matches if they continued to slip up in the field the way they have done in the first two games of the ongoing T20I series against West Indies. India lost by eight wickets in the second game on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram to leave the series 1-1 going into the decider. West Indies benefitted from three dropped catches in their chase. That followed from the first T20I, which India won despite five dropped chances.In Thiruvananthapuram, two catches were put down in the fifth over, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, reprieving openers Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis. Washington Sundar dropped a straightforward chance at mid-off when Simmons was on 6 – he would go on to make 67 not out off 45 – while Rishabh Pant put down a more difficult chance two balls later, having to dive to his left after following Lewis by moving to his right. Lewis was on 16 then and the initial pressure built by tight bowling quickly dissipated.ALSO READ: Low floodlights in Hyderabad made catching tricky – KL Rahul Later on, Nicholas Pooran was put down by Shreyas Iyer in the 17th over when he was on 18, and West Indies hunted down India’s 170 for 7 comfortably.”We had to get those 15 extra runs to defend, but look, if you field like that, then no total is big enough,” Kohli told after the match. “Last two games we have been below par in the field. We were good with the ball, in the first four overs we created enough pressure… and then you drop two chances in a T20 game in one over, that’s going to cost you. If they lose two wickets in one over, the pressure’s on them.”I think it’s a game of margins and we need to understand where we went wrong. It’s pretty evident. It’s there for everyone to see and for us to improve on. I think fielding is something we need to be more brave about, and not worry about dropping catches.”Kohli himself pulled off the most difficult catch of the match, sprinting to his right at long-on to hold onto a hard, flat Shimron Hetmyer hit. “It was one of those catches that just stuck in the hand. It came out of the lights a little bit, but I just committed to the ball and put both hands out, and luckily it came into my hand,” Kohli said. “Last game I put one hand out and I dropped it. It’s about putting in the effort when you can and sometimes they stick and sometimes they don’t.”Going with two hands instead of one was not the only thing Kohli changed from the first game to the second. He pushed himself down the order to No. 4, and sent in the raw Shivam Dube at No.3.”Well, we knew the pitch is going to offer something to the spinners. They were going to start with a spinner, so we thought why not Shivam goes up and tries and attacks the spinner,” Kohli explained. “Because the batting line-up that we have will probably go unused if two guys at the top fire. That was the plan behind it, worked pretty well.”We were really good for the first 16 overs – we were 140 for 4 [144 for 4]. From there on I think you expect to get about 40-45 runs in the last four overs and not 30. I think we lacked there a little bit, so we have to focus on that more. I think Shivam’s knock is what propelled us towards 170 because the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat so well in the first half. To be honest, West Indies assessed the pitch really nicely and they bowled enough cutters and changes of pace to not let us get any momentum.”
Celtic went through the January transfer window without losing any of their key first-team players to European clubs, which should have come as a welcome relief to Brendan Rodgers.
The Northern Irish head coach rejoined the club for a second spell in Glasgow last summer and was hit with two blows as Jota and Carl Starfelt moved on to Al Ittihad and Celta Vigo in Saudi Arabia and Spain respectively.
Selling important stars is nothing new for the Hoops, of course, as the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele, Virgil van Dijk, Fraser Forster, and Victor Wanyama have all been moved on to European sides over the years.
Carabao Cup winner Virgil van Dijk.
They were, however, able to retain the services of the likes of Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Cameron Carter-Vickers, among others, last month.
One star sale the club did once have a nightmare with was Ryan Christie's move to Bournemouth, as his value has soared – higher than O'Riley's – over the subsequent years.
How much Bournemouth paid for Ryan Christie
The Cherries swooped in to sign the Scotland international from Celtic in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £2.5m, as they aimed to win promotion from the Championship.
Sky Sports claimed that Scott Parker's side fought off competition from Premier League outfit Burnley to secure his services for the 2021/22 campaign and beyond.
Former Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie.
Bournemouth snapped the talented midfielder up after he had enjoyed an excellent spell with the Hoops as a versatile attacking option for the club.
Christie chipped in with 41 goals and 44 assists in 151 appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys, which shows that he provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
The former Inverness star spent the majority of his Celtic career in an attacking midfield position but was also deployed on the right and left flanks at times.
He was a regular starter for Neil Lennon during the 2020/21 campaign and caught the eye with five goals and nine assists in 26 Scottish Premiership starts.
20/21 Premiership
Ryan Christie
Appearances
34
Sofascore rating
7.27
Goals
Five
Big chances created
Eight
Assists
Nine
Dribble success rate
55%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Christie maintained an impressive performance level in midfield for Celtic with his ability to score and create goals, whilst also being an efficient dribbler who could take opposition players on to push his team up the pitch.
His superb displays in the Scottish top-flight for the Hoops were enough to convince Burnley and Bournemouth to battle it out for his signature at the end of the campaign.
However, the Bhoys only received a fee of £2.5m for his services, as his contract was due to expire the following summer, and his value has soared since that move away from Parkhead.
Ryan Christie's current market value
At the time of writing (27/02/2024), FootballTransfers have placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at a whopping €12.7m (£10.9m), which is significantly more than the £2.5m Celtic raked in for him.
Christie, who was hailed as "top-class" by Parker, has been a fantastic signing for the Cherries over the years. His first season with the club was a huge success as he played a pivotal role in their promotion to the Premier League.
Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie.
The Scottish whiz started 36 of their 46 Championship matches and produced three goals, eight assists, and ten 'big chances' created for his teammates.
He showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to split open opposition defences to create opportunities for his fellow attackers.
Christie then featured in 32 Premier League matches for Gary O'Neil during the 2022/23 campaign as Bournemouth avoided relegation back down to the second tier.
This season, the 29-year-old gem has been in terrific form in the top-flight of English football and showcased his quality both in and out of possession.
23/24 Premier League
Ryan Christie
Starts
24
Assists
Two
Big chances created
Seven
Tackles per game
2.2
Interceptions per game
1.3
Dribbles completed per game
1.4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed midfielder could be frustrated with his teammates as they have only rewarded him with two assists from the seven 'big chances' that he has created.
Christie also ranks first and second within the Bournemouth squad for tackles and interceptions per game respectively, which speaks to how impressive and important his defensive work has been in the Premier League this season.
Matt O'Riley's current market value
Meanwhile, current Celtic star O'Riley has an xTV of €12.2m (£10.4m) on FootballTransfers, which is €500k less than Christie's current value in England and further shows that the club had a mare with the sale of the Scotland international.
The Denmark international's fantastic form for the Scottish giants in the Premiership so far this season under Rodgers, and his impressive displays for Ange Postecoglou last term, illustrates why the Bournemouth star's higher value is particularly impressive.
The former Fulham prospect produced three goals and 12 assists in 38 league outings for the Australian coach during the 2022/23 campaign, as he showcased his creative quality on a regular basis by splitting open opposition defences to set his fellow attackers up week-in-week-out.
This time around, O'Riley has been a well-rounded attacking threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield position, as you can see in the table below.
23/24 Premiership
Matt O'Riley
Appearances
26
Goals
Ten
Assists
Seven
Big chances created
Six
Key passes per game
2.2
Stats via Sofascore
No Hoops player has scored as many league goals as the Danish magician this season, with Kyogo Furuhashi behind him on nine, and only Luis Palma (nine) has provided more assists.
These statistics show that the left-footed wizard has been a fantastic operator for Rodgers in the final third, as he has the ability to be a match-winner for the club with his attacking skills.
Celtic reportedly rejected a £10m offer from Leeds United in England last summer, and he is a player they may do well to keep hold of ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Hopefully, if they do decide to part ways with him, the Hoops will rake in more than £2.5m for the talented maestro and will not, as may be the case with Christie, watch on with regret as his value soars elsewhere.
يستعد فريق آينتراخت فرانكفورت لخوض مباراة جديدة في بطولة الدوري الألماني، عصر اليوم السبت، بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي الخاص بشهر أكتوبر.
ويلتقي آينتراخت فرانكفورت مع نظيره باير ليفركوزن، في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الألماني، على ملعب “باي آرينا”.
ويحتل آينتراخت فرانكفورت حاليًا المركز الثالث، برصيد 13 نقطة، في حين أن باير ليفركوزن لديه 11 نقطة في المركز السادس.
وخطف آينتراخت فرانكفورت نقطة ثمينة، في الجولة الماضية من نظيره بايرن ميونخ بعد التعادل بنتيجة 3/3.
جاء ذلك بفضل المحترف المصري عمر مرموش، الذي سجل الهدف الأول وصنع الثاني، قبل إحرازه الثالث في الوقت القاتل.
ويتصدر مرموش قائمة هدافي الموسم الحالي من الدوري الألماني برصيد 8 أهداف، متفوقًا على هاري كين نجم بايرن ميونخ، بفارق 3 أهداف. موعد مباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت وباير ليفركوزن اليوم في الدوري الألماني
تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 4:30 عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت وباير ليفركوزن اليوم في الدوري الألماني
تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 5.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــــا.
Tom Latham is in the form of his life, in Tests. Having made 154 in the first innings to give New Zealand a chance of winning a rain-afflicted Test at P Sara, he now has a stunning four scores of over 150 in his last eight innings. Although his team has had a light Test schedule over the past two years, the opener has put up impressive numbers. He averaged 45.70 in 2017, 59.81 the next year and is now on 78.80 in 2019.”I probably am in [the form of his career] if you look at the numbers,” Latham said after his hundred in Colombo. “It’s nice when you get to play a few series in a row, and we had that back home, and we had that back home. We’ve got a bit more Test cricket coming up at home, so hopefully my form continues.”I think it’s just a mindset. There’s time when you’re put under pressure where you might feel you want to score, but it’s about trying to wear the bowlers down and get them coming to your scoring areas. I have been in the position where I’ve been under a little bit of pressure, but it’s nice to come out the back end of that. If those tough times come again, hopefully you can look back on these sorts of times, and try reflect on what went well.”Although often rated as one of New Zealand’s best players of spin, Latham had had a modest series in the UAE last year, making a top score of 50. However, here, on a pitch taking significant turn here, he overcame a somewhat tetchy start to eventually play out 251 deliveries, putting on a 143-run partnership with BJ Watling.”I’ve been in these kinds of conditions before in the likes of India, but to stick to a good plan over a long period of time in the heat and humidity was really good. The main thing was to build those partnerships with the guys and be in the position we are now.”Sri Lanka have got spinners who turn it in, and who turn it away, so it’s about nailing down a plan around which shots are low percentage shots against certain spinners, and to be able to do that over a long period of time was very nice.”Realistically, New Zealand are the only side capable of winning this Test, with a lead of 138 and five first-innings wickets still in hand. More rain tomorrow could wipe out the final wisps of hope for a result, but Latham said New Zealand still believe they have a chance.”The ball’s definitely still turning on this pitch. With the new ball it does tend to nip around a little bit. There’s definitely enough in there for the bowlers. If we can apply enough pressure over a long period of time on Sri Lanka, then hopefully we can get those early wickets. On these sorts of surfaces things can happen quickly. Hopefully we can get a couple in a hurry.”
Glasgow Rangers transfer business in January stretched to three loan signings – albeit one has an obligation to buy clause – and it is clear that Philippe Clement is aiming for the summer window in order to spend money on new arrivals.
His budget may well be determined by how many players the 49-year-old coach can move on, and with six players out of contract at the end of the season, a large portion of the wage budget could be cleared.
Unfortunately, this is how the club have to operate in this day in age, and it means the Light Blues have missed out on more than their fair share of transfer targets.
Over the previous few years, Rangers could have signed Ivan Toney, Joey Veerman and Luis Palma if they had been a bit less stringent on the purse strings and all three have enjoyed success elsewhere, notably Toney.
This hasn’t just been happening since the club retained their top flight status, however, as managers such as the late Walter Smith and Dick Advocaat have also missed out on the odd superstar, which could have bolstered the Ibrox side significantly.
Back at the turn of the century, it was the Dutchman who was keen on signing a promising compatriot, yet he lost out to Manchester United…
Rangers came close to signing Rudd van Nistelrooy
Following their second successive title win during the 1999/00 campaign, Advocaat looked at strengthening his side so they could progress in Europe, something they had not done under the Dutchman’s reign thus far.
The Gers were keen on bringing Ruud van Nistelrooy to Glasgow that summer, yet Advocaat admitted later that the club had failed with a £15m bid to lure him from PSV Eindhoven, where he had emerged as one of the finest young strikers on the continent.
"We could have brought van Nistelrooy into Ibrox so I called his agent because he comes from the same town in Holland where I was brought up,” said Advocaat. "But he told me that there`s no way Ruud will come to Scotland.”
The striker instead chose to sign for Manchester United in a deal worth around £19m in the summer of 2001, although injury had prevented him from joining the year before.
It shows that Rangers were eyeing up a move for a player who would turn into a world-class centre-forward, but instead, they spent £12m on bringing Tore Andre Flo to Glasgow from Chelsea in November 2000.
Former Rangers striker Tore Andre Flo.
What might have been for the Light Blues if they had managed to convince Van Nistelrooy that Ibrox was the place to be 24 years ago? Instead, he shone in the Premier League for the Red Devils before joining Real Madrid.
Ruud van Nistelrooy would thrive for Man United
Sir Alex Ferguson had led the Old Trafford side to three league titles in a row and the signing of Van Nistelrooy in 2001 looked like it was the final piece of the jigsaw as he sought to become the first manager to win four straight titles in England.
Arsenal won the double that season, however, but the Dutchman’s goals ensured they would win the Premier League during the 2002/03 campaign and the former PSV striker ended up scoring 80 goals during his first two seasons in Manchester, a staggering total.
Patrick Vieira scuffles with Ruud van Nistelrooy during the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal in September 2003.
He led United to the FA Cup in 2004 having plundered another 30 goals for the side, but this would be the final campaign that the supporters would see him at his very best, as injuries began to take their toll on the forward.
His final two campaigns at United saw Van Nistelrooy score 16 and 24 goals respectively, but only the League Cup was won before he departed to join Real Madrid at the end of the season.
At his peak, the Dutchman was one of the most lethal centre-forwards in the world and former teammate Rio Ferdinand lauded him, saying: “Van Nistelrooy was the most devastating finisher I have ever played with. We could win a game by three or four goals but, if he hadn’t scored, he would sulk.”
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High praise indeed and the player won two La Liga titles at Madrid, before ending his career at Malaga in 2012.
Imagine the success Rangers could have had if the former Man United striker signed for them instead?
Rangers struggled without Ruud van Nistelrooy
Having missed out on his compatriot, Advocaat oversaw a woeful campaign in which the Gers finished a distant second behind Celtic, who looked rejuvenated under new manager Martin O’Neil, securing the domestic treble in his first season in charge.
While a cup double was secured under Alex McLeish – Advocaat’s successor – the Light Blues once again struggled in the league.
There is no doubt they would have certainly challenged Celtic a lot more closely had they been able to call upon the goals of Van Nistelrooy on a regular basis, as Flo simply was not worth the £12m Rangers shelled out on him.
During his time at the club, the former Chelsea forward scored 36 goals in 79 matches for the Glasgow side, and while his awkward nature in the opposition box was certainly successful, he failed to really hit it off with the supporters.
Van Nistelrooy, on the other hand, went on to showcase his talents in arguably the best league in Europe, while also shining in the Champions League and missing out on him must go down as a massive what if moment for the Gers.
This is all conjecture, of course. He may have arrived in Scotland and failed to settle. At a time when money was seemingly no object, the Ibrox side made their fair share of wrong moves and failing to sign the Dutchman was certainly one of them.
While Clement won't be able to sign players in a similar class to him, he will be hoping that the board back him significantly and that he signs the players who not only can improve the team, but will also generate the team plenty of profit in the long run.