Opener smashes 52 runs in boundaries as Leicestershire’s 196 for 5 toppled with ease

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2025

Derbyshire 197 for 3 (Donald 60, Scriven 3-29) beat Leicestershire 196 for 5 (Budinger 49, Brown 3-51) by seven wicketsDerbyshire Falcons completed back-to-back Vitality Blast derby wins in 24 hours with a seven-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Edgbaston.The Foxes were lifted to a hefty 196 for five by an impressive collective effort headed by Sol Budinger 49 and Shan Masood’s 43. Pat Brown took 3 for 51.But the Falcons chased it down with ten balls to spare, reaching 197 for 3 as Aneurin Donald launched the chase with an explosive 60 from 25 balls and Samit Patel crowned it with an unbeaten 52 from 32. Having belatedly opened their Blast account at the sixth attempt against Notts Outlaws on Friday night, suddenly the Falcons are flying and right back in contention for quallification.After the Foxes chose to bat, Budinger tore into the Falcons for the second time in a month. When these teams met in the group opener at Leicester, the 25-year-old blasted a 15-ball half-century. This time he thundered to 49, with seven fours and two sixes, by the eighth over. When he skied Samit Patel to backward point, his two Blast innings against the Foxes this season and yielded 100 runs from 41 balls.Masood and Rehan Ahmed (29) maintained the momentum with a stand of 71 from 43 balls. At 136 for 2 in the 15th over with two batters well set, the Foxes were racing but the Falcons hit back with three wickets in five balls. Pat Brown removed Ahmed, who edged to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest, and Masood, caught at third man, in four balls before Louis Kimber missed a cut at Patel and was bowled.Wickets usually slow the scoring but not in this case. Sixth-wicket pair Ben Cox (28 not out) and Logan van Beek (26 not out) settled quickly to smash 55 from the last 29 balls of the innings to ensure an imposing total.Undaunted, Derbyshire openers Donald and Caleb Jewell galloped to 50 from just 23 balls. Donald took 22 from five balls from Matt Salisbury and thundered to 50, 48 of which came in fours and sixes, from 18 balls.The Falcons were 93 without loss in the eighth over when Tom Scriven was brought on and took out both openers in his first over. Jewell edged to wicketkeeper Cox and two balls later an excellent delivery hit Donald’s off-stump. Scriven followed his successful first over with another excellent one (2-0-7-2 at that stage) to further peg back the Falcons.Patel and Wayne Madsen (35) deployed their considerable experience to good effect in a stand of 60 in 42 balls before Scriven returned to have the latter caught at long leg. Needing 22 from three overs, the Falcons still had a bit to do but Patel smote Scriven for successive sixes in the first of those overs to settle matters.

Still on the hunt for their next manager, Rangers have identified their new “leading candidate” to take the job, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Gerrard's Ibrox decision explained

It’s been a woeful start for the 49ers, there’s no escaping it. They instantly had a big decision to make in the summer and turned to Russell Martin as a result, but the manager failed to win over the rest of Ibrox from the very start. As soon as he stepped foot in the dugout, the former Southampton boss looked unlikely to last and just 123 days later, that proved true.

So, it was back to the drawing board for Kevin Thelwell, Paraag Marathe and the rest of the new Rangers board, who quickly identified Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool star has made his desire to return to management no secret and it looked as though that would come courtesy of the Gers. After meeting with the 49ers, however, Gerrard came to the conclusion that now is not the right time to return to Ibrox.

Many have had their say as to why that is ever since, including Ally McCoist. The Rangers legend recently claimed that the Scottish Premiership winner must have been left unconvinced by the current project.

McCoist told reporters: “He wouldn’t have come for the interview in the first place would he (if it was a financial). Either they haven’t sold him it, or I would suggest something has happened in the interview process that hasn’t taken his fancy.”

No matter the reason, Rangers are back to square one and have been left with no choice but to identify a new “leading candidate”.

Fabrizio Romano drops update on Rangers' "leading candidate"

According to Romano, Kevin Muscat is now the “leading candidate” to take the Rangers job following Gerrard’s rejection. The Shanghai Port manager was linked with the job back in 2023, before Philippe Clement was hired instead, and could now get the chance to step into the dugout just two years later.

The big obstacle for Rangers to overcome will be getting Muscat out of his Shanghai Port deal. The Chinese Super League side still have four games remaining of their league campaign and sit two points clear on their way to winning the title. Whether Muscat will want to leave before he rounds off an excellent season is the question that those at Ibrox must be asking.

As for his expertise, the 52-year-old would make perfect sense. He’s won everywhere that he’s been, he played for Rangers in the past and he has been a candidate for the job in the past. When his Yokohama side played Manchester City in a pre-season friendly back in 2023, Pep Guardiola was left stunned by the positivity and aggression of Muscat’s side as City ran out 5-3 winners.

Leeds United have started well in the Premier League, after bouncing back to the top flight for the first time in two years. Daniel Farke’s side have been something of a yo-yo team in recent times, with this being their fourth campaign in the top flight in the last seven seasons.

The Whites only just managed to stay in the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign, ending 17th that season, after a strong finish of ninth the year before.

The man who kept them up by the skin of their teeth four years ago was Jesse Marsch, who was eventually dismissed despite some statement signings during his tenure.

Marsch’s prominent signings at Leeds

51-year-old Marsch brought 11 new faces to Elland Road during his time at the club. One of those, goalkeeper Joel Robles, was a free transfer, and another joined on loan, with Weston McKennie switching Juventus for Leeds for six months in 2023.

The most expensive addition that the Wisconsin-born manager made during his time as Leeds boss was Georginio Rutter. The Frenchman was, and still is, the club’s record signing from German side Hoffenheim. He cost the Whites £35.5m back in January 2023.

Nowadays, the former Leeds striker plays for Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, where he moved for £40m. He has 14 goals and assists for the Seagulls so far, and is yet to get close to his Leeds tally of 26 goal involvements.

Not only did Marsch purchase Leeds’ most expensive player of all time, but he also bought the man second on that list. Brenden Aaronson cost the Yorkshire outfit £24.7m in 2022 and is still at the club today.

The attacker has chipped in with 15 goals and assists in 95 games.

Aaronson is not the only Marsch signing still plying his trade at Leeds. There is another player now worth far more than what they paid for him.

The Marsch signing whose value has skyrocketed

There are certainly some of the signings made by Marsch which have turned out to be good additions to Leeds’ squad. Rutter, for example, saw the club make a healthy £5m profit on the deal, and Aaronson is a key player under Farke today.

Well, perhaps the biggest success story of the lot has been Italian attacker Wilfried Gnonto. The 21-year-old has been a Leeds player for some time now, joining the club back in 2022 at the end of the transfer window. He cost just £3.8m from Swiss side FC Zurich.

Throughout his time at Elland Road, Gnonto has shown why Leeds invested in him despite being just 18 years of age at the time. In 123 games for the Whites so far, Gnonto has found the back of the net 22 times and assisted 14 goals.

His best season for the Yorkshire giants came in the 202425 campaign, where they got promoted back to the Premier League. Gnonto played a huge part in their Championship title win, scoring nine times and assisting six in 43 games.

To further reinforce Gnonto’s quality in a Leeds shirt, take a look at some of his underlying numbers from the Championship last term.

One of the standout stats is the 4.27 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes he created, which placed him in the top 6% of forwards in the second tier.

Goals and assists

0.59

94th

Key passes

1.82

84th

Progressive passes

4.9

92nd

Shot-creating actions

4.27

94th

Carries into final third

2.41

90th

With all that in mind, it might not be a surprise to learn that the value of the “explosive” winger, as football scout Antonio Mango called him, has absolutely skyrocketed. He has certainly improved leaps and bounds since the Whites paid the cut-price fee of £3.8m three years ago.

Nowadays, according to Football Transfers, the Italian youngster is worth an impressive £22.8m, a higher amount than anyone in the Leeds squad. That is an eye-watering increase of 500% from the original deal the Yorkshire side got.

Gnonto has certainly been worth the cheap fee that the Whites paid for him three summers ago. Given the fact that he is just 21 years of age, there is still plenty of time for his value to shoot up and for the impressive performances to continue.

Leeds ace who's been a "massive signing" would walk into Bielsa's best team

This current-day Leeds United star would walk into Marcelo Bielsa’s best team.

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Johnny Cardoso returned to group training on Saturday, giving Atlético de Madrid a boost ahead of Monday’s La Liga clash with Real Betis. The American midfielder, sidelined by an ankle problem last week, joined the squad for the opening portion of the session at Cerro del Espino as he continues his gradual return to full fitness.

Getty Images SportCardoso's comeback unfolds

According to One Football, it was Cardoso’s first full-group session attempt since suffering an injury in August. The club is managing his workload carefully to avoid any setbacks, and while his presence is an encouraging sign – particularly with a potential return against his former club Real Betis – both manager Diego Simeone and the medical staff are expected to take a cautious approach before restoring him to the starting lineup.

AdvertisementAn anticipated return

Much was expected from Cardoso following his €30 million move from Betis to Atleti. Yet, injuries and inconsistent form has tempered some of the excitement around the move. Now with the midfielder closer to his return, it could bode well for both his club and the national team. 

AFPSimeone’s focus on La Liga and the chase for three points

One Football also reported Simeone has stressed the need for consistency at Atlético’s training, focusing on defensive shape, transitions, and set pieces ahead of the trip to La Cartuja. have struggled to find rhythm this season, drawing four of nine league games and winning just once in three Champions League outings. They sit fifth in La Liga, level on points with Real Betis, and will look to regain form on Monday.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next before the trip to Seville

Atlético will run through a final preparation session and assess Cardoso’s condition in the 48 hours leading up to kickoff, with the club likely to confirm a matchday squad after that session. Cardoso's return, albeit limited, provides a boost of hope for a team looking to overcome its early-season struggles and climb the league standings.

Can Rangers start their Europa League campaign with a victory at Ibrox?

For those who don’t believe the Europa League to be the highest-quality competition around, well, on this occasion, they’d be right, given that Rangers sit second bottom of the Scottish Premiership, while visitors Genk are third bottom of the Jupiler Pro League.

Russell Martin is yet to oversee a league victory in five attempts, but did at least lead his side through to the League Cup semi-finals at the weekend, as the Gers defeated Hibernian 2-0 at home.

Key to that success was Nicolas Raskin, heading home the opening goal, back in the team following a two-match exile, which was both baffling and mystifying, considering he was, by some distance, the club’s best player last season.

If the Light Blues are going to make a winning start in the Europa League, Raskin will be a central figure once again, but Martin must also start his “creative” summer signing in attack.

Djeidi Gassama's start to life at Rangers

The unquestionable star of Rangers’ Champions League qualifying campaign during the summer was Djeidi Gassama.

After arriving from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m, the Frenchman announced himself by scoring home and away against Panathinaikos, doubling their advantage at Ibrox, before lashing home the clincher in Athens eight nights later.

In the following round, Gassama scored twice during a 3-0 demolition of Viktoria Plzeň in Glasgow which remains, by a landslide, the club’s best performance of the season.

Manager Martin said that the winger “really excites us”, labelling him a difference maker, while Nick McPheat of BBC Sport highlighted his excellent dribbling and goal-scoring statistics, concluding that he adds an extra dimension to Rangers’ attack.

So, while Gassama is yet to get off the mark in a domestic setting, a return to European competition could help to bring the best out of him, but who should start alongside him across the forward line against Genk?

Rangers' creative attacking star

Rangers signed a total of 13 new players during the summer, but the £3m paid to secure the signature of Oliver Antman could prove to be the best business of the lot.

The 25-year-old was outstanding at Go Ahead Eagles last season, scoring six goals and registering 16 assists across all competitions, helping them win the KNVB Beker, defeating AZ Alkmaar in the final on penalties at De Kuip, securing the club’s first major silverware since 1933.

The table below documents Antman’s impressive output in the Eredivisie.

As the table notes, Antman ranked first for assists, expected assists and big chances created in the Eredivisie last season, impressively doing so for the team that finished seventh in one of the most unbalanced leagues in Europe.

Well, just 24 hours after he arrived, Rangers supporters got a taste of what was to come, with Antman providing this assist, part of a free-flowing team goal, for Gassama during the aforementioned 3-0 annihilation of Viktoria Plzeň.

The Finnish international actually registered two assists on debut in that game, but is yet to notch either a goal nor an assist subsequently, left on the bench for all three matches in September so far, with Martin favouring Tottenham loanee Mikey Moore.

Nevertheless, his quality is unquestionable, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelling Antman a “creative winger”, while his numbers at Go Ahead Eagles, as well as at international level, scoring seven goals for Finland to date, speak for themselves.

Thus, we have already seen Gassama and Antman link up well on the European stage this season so, alongside new striker Bojan Miovski, that is surely Rangers’ best front three, one that is capable of defeating a struggling Genk on Thursday.

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Cristiano Ronaldo achieved his milestone 950th career goal as Al-Nassr comfortably beat Al-Hazm 2-0 to maintain their 100 per cent record in the Saudi Arabian top-flight. Joao Felix opened the scoring in the first half with a brilliant header, while his compatriot and Portugal captain finished the job with a precise strike from close range to secure another crucial three points for his club.

• Al-Nassr edge out Al-Hazm to extend winning streak

  Al-Hazm showed resilience in the first half as they patiently defended against a more dominant Al-Nassr side. Goalkeeper Bruno Varela made a couple of excellent saves in the first half from Angelo Gabriel and Sadio Mane efforts as the hosts managed to keep a clean sheet until the 25th minute when the league leaders finally broke the deadlock. 

  Ayman Yahya received a long ball from defence and made a run down the left side before sending an inch-perfect cross inside the box. Felix was left unmarked as the Portuguese striker found the back of the net with a clinical header to finally break the deadlock for the visitors. Thereafter, Al-Nassr dominated proceedings in the remainder of the first half as Hazm's priority seemed to be keeping the scoreline at 0-1 until the half-time whistle.

  The hosts, however, bounced back in the second half as they went in search of an equaliser. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, had a quiet start to the second 45 minutes, as they found it difficult to break into the Al-Hazm box, thanks to some compact defending.

  Ronaldo did have some moments in the second half as he tried to feed Kingsley Coman and Mane with a few quality passes but the star-studded Al-Nassr attack failed to add to their tally. The Portugal legend, however, managed to get his name on the scoresheet towards the end of the match as he picked up his 950th career goal from Coman's assist. The move was initiated by Mane, who took a sudden turn near the centre circle and beat his marker before sending a through ball on the right flank for Coman. The Frenchman ran into the box and found Ronaldo with a low cross and the 40-year-old sealed the game with a quality finish from close range. 

  Al-Nassr, who turned 70 a day ago, celebrated their milestone birthday with a comfortable win over Al-Hazm as the Saudi Pro League giants maintained their 100 per cent record in the league.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  The MVP

  Felix's purple patch continued in the 2025-26 campaign as he maintained his unbelievable goalscoring form by netting his ninth goal in the Saudi Pro League in only his sixth league appearance for the club on Saturday. With Ronaldo transforming himself into more of a provider, Felix has taken up the role of an out-and-out No.9 and has been delivering consistently for the Saudi giants. 

• The big loser

  Al-Nazm defenders tried their hearts out to keep the star-studded Al-Nassr silent throughout the game and, to some extent, had succeeded as the visitors did not have many positive and looked less lethal than in other matches in the 2025-26 campaign. However, they were caught napping in two crucial moments, which led to Al-Nassr's goals. In a crunch clash like this, there was never any margin of error for the defenders. 

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

CEO Richard Gould hopes tournament can follow trend in other UK women’s sports

Matt Roller16-Jun-2025Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has set a target to sell out a women’s match in the Hundred as the governing body contemplates “de-coupling” some of the tournament’s double-headers.The Hundred’s existing double-header model sees midweek women’s fixtures played during working hours, with tickets valid for both games on a single day. There are no plans to increase the Hundred’s 27-day window, but some double-headers could be split across two separate days in future seasons to maximise revenue from ticket sales.The Hundred launched with a standalone women’s match between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals in 2021, with the men’s match played the following night. It has operated with a double-header model ever since, and every matchday this season will see a women’s fixture followed by the same men’s fixture at the same venue.”The double-headers have been working well,” Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “At some point, we would like to try and find a way that we can have standalone fixtures, perhaps, for men and women. Getting to a capacity crowd for a women’s Hundred fixture at some point in the next couple of years has to be a target for us.”The window is fixed, a 27-day, exclusive window… Within that window, if you get to the point where you can de-couple games, it’s really demonstrating the commercial growth of the women’s game, into which we’re investing a huge amount at the ECB. That’s definitely a potential target.”The double-header model was initially the result of logistical problems posed by the Covid pandemic, with the majority of women’s fixtures originally slated for smaller county grounds. However, it has proved successful across the Hundred’s first four years, with a record total attendance of 320,000 at women’s matches last season.Richard Gould remains confident that negotiations with the Hundred’s equity partners are ‘at a good state of play’•John Walton/PA Images via Getty ImagesSplitting double-headers into separate matchdays without expanding the duration would create some scheduling complications. “We need to work through that, but that may be a thing depending on what the broadcaster wants and what days we’re playing on,” Gould said. “If you can have eight sell-outs, rather than four…”Ticket sales for women’s cricket in England and Wales have surged in recent years. England’s women have attracted total attendances in excess of 100,000 for the past two home summers, and next year’s T20 World Cup will be played at major international venues including Lord’s, The Oval, Edgbaston and Emirates Old Trafford.That growth reflects a similar trend in other sports. Arsenal’s women attracted an average attendance of nearly 30,000 in the Women’s Super League this year and will play all their home fixtures at the Emirates Stadium next season, while the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup in England will break attendance records.Gould also confirmed that the ECB intend to create “the cleanest windows we possibly can” for the Hundred in the next Future Tours Programme by minimising overlap with England’s fixture list. Avoiding direct clashes would enable better availability for England’s Test players, though a scheduling crunch looms in 2028 due to the T20 cricket events at the Los Angeles Olympics.Stakes in the eight Hundred teams are being sold to private investors, with the drawn-out process in its final stages. Gould conceded that it has taken “longer than we thought” to complete the relevant paperwork, but said that the delay has been “time really well spent” and has helped the ECB “understand the ambition” of the new investors.Related

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Investors need to sign shareholder agreements with their respective host clubs but the ‘participation agreement’ with the ECB has been the main source of the delay. “It is about the ‘what ifs’,” Gould said. “I hate to think how many sets of lawyers are in on this, but that’s what they’re paid to do: ‘What if this happens?’ and ‘What if that happens?'”It is a good state of play. The investors are investing heavily, and therefore they want clarity on all sorts of details… We’re doing it up front now so that when everything is signed, we will be off and running in a much better state, knowing where responsibility sits between stakeholders, investors, and the governing body.”Discussions have also taken place around future broadcast contracts for the Hundred, with UK rights currently ‘bundled’ with the rights to show England’s home international fixtures. “The expectation for the next cycle is that we will do that again,” Gould said. “There’s an opportunity to unbundle thereafter, but there will be really good grown-up conversations as to what’s best for the sport.”Gould insisted there is no immediate prospect of any investor walking away: “No, not at the moment,” he said. “But we don’t take anything for granted, because that’s not a clever place to be.”Sanjay Govil, the incoming co-owner of Welsh Fire, has already expressed his preference for the Hundred to become a T20 competition. “That’s a discussion that we’ve parked until their arrival,” Gould said. “It’s a decision that actually sits with the ECB board. There may be recommendations that come forward at some point but it’s not [being discussed] right now.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional superou o São Paulo por 2 a 1, de virada, no Beira-Rio, em jogo válido pela 23ª rodada do Brasileirão. Calleri abriu o placar para o Tricolor ainda no primeiro tempo, de pênalti. No segundo tempo, Fabricio Bustos e Renê viraram o jogo para o Colorado, e deram números finais ao placar.

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+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

Com este resultado, o Internacional deu fim a uma seca de vitórias que já durava 10 jogos no Campeonato Brasileiro, e agora ocupa a 10ª colocação na tabela da competição. Por outro lado, o São Paulo segue sem vencer no campeonato – este foi o sétimo jogo sem vitórias – e continua despencando na tabela, ocupando a 12ª posição na classificação.

+ Veja a classificação e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA

>!A PRIMEIRA DO JOGO! A primeira chance clara do jogo surgiu aos 17 minutos de jogo, em cobrança de escanteio do São Paulo. No meio dos zagueiros, o baixinho Lucas subiu e finalizou de cabeça, tirando do goleiro Keiller. A bola passou à direita do gol, com perigo.

>!NO PAAAAAAU! Aos 40 minutos da primeira etapa, mais uma vez em cobrança de escanteio, Calleri subiu e cabeceou no canto do goleiro do Internacional. Caprichosamente, a bola bateu na trave. Não foi dessa vez que o artilheiro do São Paulo encerrou o jejum de gols.

>!QUE LAMBANÇA! E as saídas de bola com o goleiro fizeram mais uma vítima no futebol brasileiro. Keiller dominou errado após recuo e perdeu o controle da bola. Alisson foi para a disputa e acabou derrubado pelo goleiro do Internacional. Pênalti para o São Paulo, convertido por Calleri aos 49 do primeiro tempo.

>!BOMBA DO BUSTOS! A pressão do Internacional no início do segundo tempo era brutal! Em um dos vários lances de ataque, uma bola cruzada do lado esquerdo atravessou toda a área e morreu no pé de Bustos. Na risca da pequena área, o lateral-direito encheu o pé para empatar o jogo.

>!VIRA, VIROU! O gol de Renê fez valer o preço do ingresso. Após bater a marcação do meio-campo em uma boa tabela com Alan Patrick, o lateral-esquerdo não hesitou e acertou um foguete no canto esquerdo de Rafael, para colocar o Colorado à frente no placar.

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO?
O Internacional começou o jogo marcando a saída de bola do São Paulo e exercendo pressão, tentando utilizar o ‘fator casa’ a seu favor. O Tricolor não apenas se segurou como, aos poucos, foi se acertando no jogo e arranjando formas de sair da marcação do Colorado. O time de Dorival levou muito perigo nas bolas paradas e contou com a ajuda de Keiller para abrir o placar já nos acréscimos.

E A ETAPA FINAL?
Mais uma vez, o Internacional começou a segunda etapa pressionando o São Paulo. Dessa vez, no entanto, o Tricolor não soube o que fazer para escapar da marcação na saída de bola e acabou engolido pelo rival. A proposta do Internacional surtiu efeito e o time virou o jogo ainda na primeira metade do tempo, enterrando qualquer chance de reação do São Paulo.

+ Confira mais detalhes de Internacional x São Paulo

OS NÚMEROS DA PARTIDA

O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O São Paulo volta todas as suas atenções para a primeira partida da final da Copa do Brasil, diante do Flamengo no Maracanã. O jogo está marcado para o domingo (17), às 16 horas (de Brasília) e é o primeiro passo do Tricolor na busca pelo título inédito. O Internacional, por sua vez, volta a campo apenas na próxima semana, no dia 21 (quinta-feira), diante do Athletico-PR na Arena da Baixada, pelo Brasileirão.

FICHA TÉCNICA
INTERNACIONAL 2 x 1 SÃO PAULO
Local: Estádio Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data e hora: 13/09/2023 (quarta-feira), às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva (Fifa/MG)
Assistentes: Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG) e Leone Carvalho Rocha (GO)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (VAR-Fifa/PR)
Público e renda: 20.763 pessoas e R$ 318.063,00
Cartões amarelos: Gabriel Mercado (18’/1ºT), Gabriel (30’/1ºT), Keiller (47’/1ºT), Matheus Dias (52’/2ºT) e Lucca (53’/2ºT) para o Internacional; Diego Costa (19’/1ºT), Pablo Maia (41’/1ºT) e Rafinha (30’/2ºT) para o São Paulo.
Cartões vermelhos: não houve
Gols: Calleri (49’/1ºT) (0-1), Fabricio Bustos (14’/2ºT) (1-1) e Renê (25’/2ºT) (2-1)

INTERNACIONAL: Keiller; Fabricio Bustos, Hugo Mallo, Gabriel Mercado (Nicolás Hernández, no intervalo) e Renê; Gabriel (Rômulo, no intervalo), Bruno Henrique (Matheus Dias, aos 44’/2ºT) e Alan Patrick (Campanharo, aos 47’/2ºT); Maurício (Igor Gomes, aos 32’/2ºT), Wanderson e Lucca. Técnico: Eduardo Coudet

SÃO PAULO: Rafael; Rafinha (Nathan, aos 35’/2ºT), Diego Costa, Lucas Beraldo e Caio Paulista (Patryck, no intervalo); Pablo Maia, Alisson, Wellington Rato e Lucas Moura (Michel Araújo, aos 24’/2ºT); Luciano (Rodrigo Nestor, aos 24’/2ºT) e Calleri (Alexandre Pato, aos 35’/2ºT). Técnico: Dorival Júnior

هاجم الويلزي جاريث بيل، لاعب ريال مدريد السابق الأداء الذي ظهر به الفريق خلال مباراة ليفربول في المباراة التي جمعتما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وواجه ريال مدريد نظيره ليفربول مساء أمس، الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

واستطاع ليفربول أن يحقق فوزًا غاليًا على نظيره ريال مدريد بهدف نظيف سجله أليكسيس ماك أليستر بضربة رأس رائعة سكنت شباك الحارس كورتوا الذي ظهرر بمستوى مميز ورائع للغاية في المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا | كاراجر: أرنولد خدع جمهور ليفربول.. ولم يفعل مثل محمد صلاح

وقال بيل، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لم نشاهد إبداع كيليان مبابي أو فينيسيوس في الثلث الأخير من الملعب، كان الأمر مخيبًا للآمال بعض الشيء، إذ لم نشاهد الجودة التي نتوقعها من لاعبي ريال مدريد في الهجوم”.

وأكمل: “أعتقد أنه أمر محبط، ربما يزيد الأمر تعقيدًا أحيانًا، عليك فقط دفع الكرة للأمام واختبار المدافع بالمراوغة، لقد كانا أسرع من أي لاعب آخر في الملعب، لذلك هما وحدهما من يستطيعا الإجابة على هذه الأسئلة، ربما لا يفعلان ذلك لأنه لا يوجد أحد آخر في منطقة الجزاء ينتظر العرضيات، ربما تحتاج إلى مهاجم وهذا يجعل الأمور معقدة قليلًا”.

وأتم: “أعتقد أن الجميع يعلم أن الأمر في ريال مدريد يتعلق أحيانًا بإدارة اللاعبين أكثر من مجرد التكتيكات الفنية، أنا متأكد من أن تشابي يدرك ذلك نظرًا لخبرته الواسعة كلاعب والآن كمدرب”.

Rallying after a frustrating 2023/24 campaign, Newcastle United and Eddie Howe marched toward the Carabao Cup title last season, and they qualified for the Champions League too.

The new term is well underway, but the Magpies are still finding their footing after a stormy transfer window.

There is no need to panic. Newcastle have carved out a new future over the past several years, and the shift in ownership and impetus runs deeper than merely the first team. Indeed, the club’s academy is working at a faster and more efficient pace than during the Mike Ashley era, and indeed the years preceding that interminable stretch.

It would be handy to have a homegrown forward burst onto the scene, helping Anthony Gordon and co adapt to this new Alexander Isak-less world.

But that can hardly be a given, and Gordon needs to step back up to the fore.

Anthony Gordon needs to step up

Now that Isak has left for pastures new, it is time for Gordon to set things straight and rekindle the verve that led him to being named Newcastle’s Player of the Year for 2023/24, having hit double figures for both goals and assists in the Premier League.

Last season yielded less fruitful returns for the England international, who only scored six times in the Premier League and lacked his previous confidence and authority, but he remains an immensely talented Premier League star, coveted by Liverpool last year and priced at £100m.

While that early-season defeat against the Reds in August put a dampener on Gordon’s resurgence, he bounced back with a consolation strike against Barcelona last week, and the 24-year-old will now look to build himself back to his former level.

Gordon is a high-class winger, and he’s bolstered by a range of talented Newcastle stars. However, Howe is sure to hope that one of the club’s most promising youngsters quickly breaks the surface, having already been compared with one Lamine Yamal.

Newcastle's own Lamine Yamal

Newcastle can expect academy stars to emulate the likes of Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley in wedging their way into the Toon first team, but they need the first-teamers to maintain a high level so as to ease them into the fray.

That’s why the understated addition of Vakhtang Salia could prove such an excellent piece of business for the Toon, with the Georgia U21 international having completed his move from Dinamo Tbilisi to Newcastle at the end of August, a year after a deal was agreed to sign the teenager.

Said to be “one of the best teenage prospects in the world” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Salia is powerful and agile and endowed with sharp pace when on the ball. His tactical dynamism lends itself to a range of different attacking berths.

Sadly, Howe and co will have to wait to see how the prospect settles into life in England since he has picked up a small hamstring injury before making his bow for the U21s.

It’s frustrating, but those in the know claim that it will be worth the wait, with Salia boasting a skillset that could see him rival the most talented youngsters in the Premier League.

There’s even a sense that Salia might have a bit of Yamal about him; only a few weeks ahead of his 18th birthday, the tricky forward is settling into his new life on Tyneside and brings a potent attacking threat, having scored eight goals and supplied four assists for Dinamo’s senior side.

Yamal will be dejected and perhaps even a touch aggrieved that his name was not etched onto the plaque, but Ousmane Dembele was a worthy winner after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a historic quadruple, winning their maiden Champions League title.

It is probably worth stressing that we are not advocating Salia’s talent to lie at the same level as Yamal’s, but there are undeniable similarities in the versatile forwards’ respective styles of play.

Salia, silky and dangerous when advancing, has quite naturally been likened to his world-class countryman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but one Barcelona analyst actually believes it is indeed Yamal who is more aptly comparable, remarking that the Georgian is “of a similar profile” to the prodigious Spaniard.

Ballon d’Or runner-up Yamal is one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents since Lionel Messi broke onto the scene way back when. He is that good.

A relentless, oft-unstoppable dribbler with an eye for flair and a natural clinical edge, Yamal has been described as “the best player in the world” by Chelsea’s Cole Palmer earlier in 2025.

To expect Salia to emulate him at St. James’ Park would be foolish indeed, but if Howe can manufacture a player of comparable athleticism and energy and approach play, it would be quite something.

This may feel like overblown praise, but United battled tooth and nail against some of Europe’s biggest hitters to sign this rising star, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both registering interest of their own before Newcastle secured his signature.

Hailed as an “elite talent” by Hungarian journalist Bence Bocsak, Salia has so much potential, and he’s in the right place to realise those natural qualities. However, for now, we must wait.

Everything suggests it will be worth it for those of a Newcastle persuasion, though.

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