Tag Futebol

Kishan unbeaten on 44 in first innings for new county as Hill, Moriarty take two wickets each

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 22-Jun-2025

Ben Slater pulls on his way to 96•Jack Bird

Ben Slater made 96, captain Haseeb Hameed 52 and new signing Ishan Kishan is 44 not out, but struggling Yorkshire had a case for claiming honours even against the Rothesay County Championship leaders, who finished day one at Trent Bridge on 298 for six.Yorkshire, for whom seamer George Hill and spinner Dan Moriarty took two wickets each, are next to bottom of Division One with only one win from seven matches so far. They had the disappointment, too, of being unable to field Pakistan batter Abdullah Shafique after a visa delay prevented his debut.Ishan, the India wicketkeeper-batter, had no such problem as he starts a two-match stint as cover for South African Kyle Verreynne, and Nottinghamshire will hope he can yet extend his innings significantly after a number of their batters made starts but failed to build on them.On a used pitch, Nottinghamshire opted to bat first and had been 90 without loss at lunch after a morning in which the only real chance created by the Yorkshire attack was squandered as Slater drove left-arm spinner Moriarty into the covers but was put down by Dom Bess with the score on 47.Spearheaded with the new ball by Jack White and the New Zealander Will O’Rourke, playing in his first and only Championship match, Yorkshire had bowled tidily enough but it was not the resumption after lunch, delayed by 15 minutes because of rain, that they were rewarded.The first breakthrough came after just two deliveries as Hameed, who had gone to fifty just before lunch and was looking comfortable enough, was caught behind off a bottom edge looking to play Jack White into the leg side.Five overs later, the captain was followed back in by Freddie McCann, who abruptly changed the tempo with four quick boundaries but perished somewhat unnecessarily in search of another. Having pulled O’Rourke for four two balls earlier in an over that had already added 11 runs to the Nottinghamshire total, he top-edged his attempt to repeat the shot against a quicker delivery and gave Jonny Bairstow another catch.Joe Clarke had found some form towards the end of the first block of red-ball fixtures, which he finished with 277 runs in three innings, including 64 and 94 against Yorkshire at Headingley as Nottinghamshire completed a fourth win from seven matches. He did not progress beyond 31, though, on this occasion, falling four overs before tea after Moriarty and off-spinner Bess bowling in tandem had introduced an element of frustration.Attempting to hit Moriarty over the leg side, Clarke miscued to mid-on where Revis, back-pedaling furiously, fell over backwards as he grabbed the ball with his left hand and, despite a heavy landing, it stuck there.After Jack Haynes, on eight, had escaped a sharp chance to Adam Lyth at slip off Moriarty, Slater clipped Bess to the leg-side boundary for his 12th four to move into the 90s. Yet, with a first century of the season seemingly there for the taking, he missed out, tempted by an opportunity to get there in one hit as Moriarty strayed wide but hitting straight to Hill at cover.Ishan, primarily known for his exploits in T20 cricket, announced himself with a flurry of boundaries – three in the same over off Hill – but Yorkshire’s current leading wicket-taker responded by dismissing Haynes leg before for his 33rd success of the season before the second new ball was taken with Nottinghamshire 253 for five, adding another – and another unforced error from the home side’s perspective – as Lyndon James was caught at extra cover. Ishan was still there on 44 when bad light brought play to an end, two overs early.

Celtic supporters have been lucky enough to enjoy plenty of top-quality centre-forwards in recent years.

Henrik Larsson will forever remain the gold standard, given that he scored 242 goals in 313 appearances for the club between 1997 and 2004, winning eight major honours, firing them to the UEFA Cup Final of 2003 and picking up the European Golden Shoe in 2001.

In more recent times, Odsonne Édouard, Moussa Dembélé and Kyōgo Furuhashi have all racked up plenty of goals and trophies as Celtic’s centre-forward.

Supporters may argue they do not have a striker of the requisite quality right now, although that opinion could soon be changing, while a player you’ve probably completely forgotten ever played for Celtic is tearing it up in one of the world’s strongest leagues.

Kelechi Iheanacho's start to life at Celtic

Fair to say, not a lot was expected of Kelechi Iheanacho when he arrived at Celtic, considering he joined after the transfer window had closed as an archetypal panic buy.

Well, so far, the Nigerian international is proving the doubters wrong, converting a stoppage time penalty to snatch victory at Kilmarnock on debut, before breaking the deadlock during Wednesday night’s Europa League draw with Crvena zvezda in Belgrade.

During his time at Leicester City, Iheanacho was known as a “deadly finisher”, his best campaign coming in 2020/21, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, four of which came in the FA Cup, a key figure as the Foxes won that competition for the first time ever.

Since then though, he’s not managed more than eight goals in a single campaign, scoring zero times in La Liga during his brief time at Sevilla, hence why los Nervionenses jumped at the chance to cut ties with him.

Nevertheless, reunited with Brendan Rodgers, his manager in the East Midlands of course, Iheanacho looks revitalised and reinvigorated, back to his clinical best in front of goal.

Nevertheless, there is a forward, who made almost no impact at all at Celtic, who actually has more goals to his name at this early stage of the season.

Forgotten Celtic flop on fire in the Bundesliga

We all have that one player who, when they first burst onto the scene, you are certain they’re going to be a future Ballon d’Or winner one day.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Well, for many in Scotland, that player was Oliver Burke.

Back in 2016, having made just 31 appearances for Nottingham Forest, Burke was sold to recently promoted RB Leipzig for £13m, a then-record for a Scottish player, but fair to say he never lived up to this hype.

The table below documents the still only 28-year-old’s manic career so far.

​​​​​​​

Bradford City

2

Zero

Nottingham Forest

31

6

RB Leipzig

26

1

West Bromwich Albion

24

1

Celtic

19

4

Deportivo Alavés

32

1

Sheffield United

36

2

Millwall

31

4

Werder Bremen

46

8

Birmingham City

23

Zero

Union Berlin

5

3

As the table outlines, Burke has played for 12 different clubs in four different countries, yet to score double figures in terms of goals for any of them, which is honestly mind-blowing, with the four he managed during a six-month loan spell at Celtic Park from West Brom in 2019 among his higher tallies.

In hoops, he bagged a brace during his Premiership debut against St Mirren, before also netting during home wins over Hibernian and Motherwell, often deployed as a centre-forward by Neil Lennon, who succeeded Rodgers during this period.

This summer, having previously played for RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen, Burke returned to Germany, joining Union Berlin, and perhaps he could finally fulfil his potential at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

On Sunday, during die Eisernen’s crazy 4-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Waldstadion, Burke scored a 24-minute hat-trick, becoming the first Scotsman to ever bag a treble in the Bundesliga – and bettering Iheanacho’s own 2025/26 tally in the process.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Andy Brassell labelled them “ice-cold finishes”, noting that Union Berlin are playing to Burke’s strengths, which is utilising his pace in-behind, given that he has always been lightning quick.

Burke has remained such an enigma throughout his career; his raw and physical attributes are seemingly what ensures that clubs keep signing him, but as far back as his Leipzig days there were concerns over his tactical awareness, with then manager Ralph Hasenhüttl comparing him to an “empty hard drive” who had a lot to learn.

The most recent of Burke’s 13 Scotland caps came against Israel in Netanya back in November 2020 but, if he continues to score Bundesliga hat-tricks, Steve Clarke will have to pay attention.

Who knows, he could have been an even better emergency centre-forward option for Celtic than Iheanacho will prove to be.

100% dribbles: "Fearless" Celtic star was even better than Iheanacho

Celtic drew 1-1 with Crvena zvezda in the Europa League, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in Belgrade, but a “fearless” attacker was even more impressive.

Sep 25, 2025

Barcelona are dealing with a mounting injury crisis with key defender Andreas Christensen joining forwards Raphinha and Ferran Torres on the sidelines ahead of Tuesday's crucial Champions League tie against Olympiacos. The growing absentee list, which already includes Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, heaps pressure on Coach Hansi Flick as the Blaugrana prepare for the season's first El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday.

• Fresh defensive concern for Barcelona ahead of El Clasico

  Barcelona completed their final training session this morning ahead of hosting Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday, but the session brought fresh defensive issues for the Catalan giants. According to , Denmark international Christensen missed training and returned home due to general discomfort, building concerns around his fitness and uncertainty surrounding his availability in time against the Greece side. This defensive worry compounds a severe crisis in the attacking third, as forwards Torres and Raphinha did not participate in Flick's morning session and are expected to be dropped from the squad. The club are prioritising caution to maximise their chances of being available for Sunday's crucial El Clasico against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Barcelona's troubling injury list and its impact

  The list of unavailable players now poses a major challenge for Flick's tactical plans. Torres's return from the Spain camp due to a strained left hamstring was initially optimistic, but his continued discomfort ruled him out of the recent Girona match, despite his excellent form this season, where he's been directly involved in six goals across 10 La Liga games. Raphinha, who suffered an injury to the middle third of his right hamstring, faces a longer layoff, now heading for a month out after an initial three-week estimate. These setbacks follow injuries to Lewandowski and Olmo, whose calf injury is expected to sideline him for three to four weeks, almost certainly ruling him out of El Clasico. The coaching staff has voiced deep frustration with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the handling of players like Olmo, who reportedly continued to train despite initial discomfort.

  However, Flick in his pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Olympiacos, said: "We hope [Ferran Torres] be in the Clásico, and so will Raphinha. We're expecting him. When he came back from the national team, we did an MRI and saw a different situation. We have to minimize the risks, and him playing tomorrow would be a risk. We'll do another MRI on Thursday and we'll see. We have to take care of the players. The situation is difficult. When everyone is back, the situation will be different."

  Lewandowski's injury came across as a surprise disappointment for the Catalan side after they showed discontentment towards him for continuing playing for Poland in the World Cup qualifiers despite feeling uneasiness in the first half of the match against Lithuania. Barcelona officials are furious as they argue given the fixture schedule, the Pole could have acted more in line with the priorities at the club level.

• Flick's tactical shuffle and the youth injection

  Given the depleted attack, Flick is forced into a major tactical reshuffle. All signs point to loanee Marcus Rashford being positioned at the top of the attack, flanked by Lamine Yamal on the right wing and Fermin Lopez on the left. Yamal's return from a persistent groin injury is a much-needed lift; the 18-year-old winger even provided an assist for Pedri’s opening goal in his return to the starting lineup against Girona. To ensure sufficient depth, Flick again called up seven Barca youth academy players – including Diego Kochen, Eder Aller, Toni Fernandez, and Juan Hernandez – all of whom are now on standby for their Champions League debuts against Olympiacos.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  El Clasico challenges and Flick's absence

  Both sides will enter the season's first El Clasico with depleted squads, adding unpredictability to the fixture. While Barcelona manage absences like Torres, Olmo, and the potential loss of Christensen, Real Madrid are also without key defenders, including Dani Carvajal, out for a month with calf injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold, out with biceps femoris problem. However, Barcelona face an additional with Coach Flick being absent from the touchline at the Santiago Bernabeu. Flick received a red card for arguing with officials over the amount of added time during the dramatic 2-1 victory over Girona. With Madrid leading La Liga with 24 points from nine matches to Barcelona's 22 points, the absence of the coach in the dugout for the critical match will test the team's ability to maintain focus and tactical discipline.

Alvaro Negredo has blasted Manchester United's approach towards £74 million ($99.5m) striker Benjamin Sesko, warning them that expecting him to win games on his own is unfair and will only hinder his development. The Slovenian forward has been under the microscope since his big-money arrival from RB Leipzig this summer, but he has struggled to deliver the goals expected of him.

• AFP
  

  Sesko's struggles at Old Trafford

  When United splashed out a massive fee to bring Sesko to Old Trafford, expectations were sky-high. Yet, the 22-year-old has found the going tough. In a dismal 3-1 defeat to Brentford, Sesko finally scored his first goal, but the match summed up his struggles at the club. Against Manchester City in the derby one week prior, Sesko’s performance was nothing short of alarming. With only eight passes completed and a measly three duels won out of nine, he seemed a world away from the striker who was supposed to lead the line for United.

Advertisement

• Negredo wants Sesko to play with more freedom

  Negredo, who has himself experienced the pressures of a big-money move, insists Sesko needs time to adapt. Speaking about the young striker’s struggles at the former goalscorer made it clear that United’s demands for instant success may be harming his game.

  "Benjamin Sesko is a young player. When I played for Man City we were winning almost every match, so it was much easier for me to adapt," he said. "When you sometimes start and sometimes don't, it’s hard. When a striker scores, he always feels better about himself and contributes much more to the team due to the confidence he has in himself. Above all, it’s about patience. They are young players who still have a lot to contribute and cannot be asked to win games alone. 

  "I think it is unfair to give so much responsibility to such a young boy. The situation is similar for Benjamin Sesko as it was for me because he's playing. He's been playing almost every game and has scored once."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Amorim's big spending not yielding results yet

  Amorim threw big money into the summer transfer market, bringing in three attacking players to try and bolster the squad, in the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, alongside Sesko. But the Slovenian's failure to hit the ground running has put more pressure on Amorim, especially after the £74m price tag. With the expectations mounting, the striker must be given space to improve without bearing the weight of United’s attacking hopes on his shoulders. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Time for Sesko to prove himself

  With United’s next match against Sunderland on October 4, the spotlight is now firmly on Sesko to prove his worth. He’ll be desperate to silence the critics with a strong performance and help his team secure an important win. However, the pressure doesn’t end there. After the domestic clash, Sesko will turn his attention to international duty, with Slovenia set to face Kosovo and Switzerland in World Cup qualifiers on October 10 and 13. It’s a chance for him to get back to scoring ways, away from the intense spotlight of Old Trafford.

RCB end the season on a high and deny MI a direct finals berth

Vishal Dikshit11-Mar-20255:25

Mel Jones: ‘Phenomenal’ Perry played a different sort of innings

First-season champions Mumbai Indians (MI) finished the league stage second behind Delhi Capitals for the third year in a row, after failing to chase down 200 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Brabourne Stadium. Needing a win to top the table and seal a direct final berth, MI put on a shoddy fielding display that gave RCB a competitive total. In their reply, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only batter to cross 23 as the hosts fell to their first loss at Brabourne in six games.RCB’s 11-run win was the third victory in a row for the team batting first at WPL 2025 after the early trend was heavily in favour of teams chasing. Their win that helped them off the bottom of the table was set up by a half-century from Smriti Mandhana, free-flowing strokeplay from S Meghana, Ellyse Perry’s anchoring role, and boundary-laden cameos from Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham.For MI, Sciver-Brunt did the heavy lifting after the losses of Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur, but once she fell for a stunning 69 off 35 in the 15th over, MI had too much to score (71 runs) in too little time (31 balls) with no big names to follow.Meghana starts the engine, Mandhana changes gearsWith nothing to lose in this campaign, RCB came out all guns blazing in their last game and they did it audaciously by targeting MI’s best bowlers. Meghana clubbed Sciver-Brunt for two fours in the second over before seeing Mandhana end the third over with a four followed by a glorious straight six against Shabnim Ismail. Meghana then welcomed Matthews with 4, 6 and 4 but Matthews’ riposte came in the form of a 102.8kmh bouncer which she top-edged to short fine leg for 26 off 13.Smriti Mandhana scored a breezy 37-ball 53, with six fours and three sixes•BCCIRCB finished the powerplay on 53 for 1, and Perry made MI pay for gifting her three lives. The next bowler to be carted all around was Amelia Kerr. Once her first ball – a long hop – was pulled for four by Perry, Mandhana swept her for six, flicked for four and swung her down the ground for a 22-run over. Briefly after MI pulled the run rate down from 9.62 to under 8.50 an over, Mandhana collected two consecutive aerial fours to reach her fifty off 35 balls.MI’s greasy fingers allow RCB to speed awayKerr’s second over was even more dramatic. She gave Perry a life on 16 when she failed to hold on to the ball that was smashed back to her. Two balls later, Mandhana, on 52, skied a sweep but Sanskriti Gupta put down a sitter at midwicket. That didn’t cost MI much as Mandhana found long-off on her next ball.What did cost MI was Perry’s life. She gloriously lofted Ismail for a six next over and drilled Parunika Sisodia for four after Ghosh had already collected two fours in the 14th over. Ghosh was also living dangerously. She miscued a couple of swings before tearing Ismail apart. A reverse-scoop edged for four, a mighty straight six and a scoop right over the keeper fetched 15 from the over to give Ismail figures of 0 for 41. Ghosh miscued Matthews for 36 off 22 next over but Perry and Wareham piled on more boundaries.The duo went after Amanjot Kaur – whose tight lines saw her concede just nine off her first three overs – for four fours all around, which included the reliable Sciver-Brunt putting down a dolly at deep midwicket after being distracted by the spidercam. Perry was dropped on the first ball of the last over, bowled by Kerr, that went for four. Wareham swept and reverse-swept Kerr for 4, 2, 4 and 6 to give RCB 199 with her scintillating 31 not out off 10 that helped them collect 65 off the last four.Kerr fails again, Rana lands the blowsMI’s opening woes continued as Kerr again failed to put on a decent score. While Matthews got going with spectacular hits off Perry, Kerr faced just nine balls in the first 30. Sneh Rana snared the two openers in consecutive overs when she had Matthews hole out to deep square leg and Kerr sky one towards cover for 9.Nat Sciver-Brunt struck a 29-ball fifty but received little support from others•BCCIMI needed a big lift from 45 for 2 in the powerplay. Harmanpreet survived an lbw appeal and review from WPL debutant Heather Graham and found the gaps with two confident boundaries. But Mandhana brought back the wily Kim Garth and she foxed the MI captain with a back-of-the-hand legcutter that drew an edge which was pouched nicely by Ghosh. Sciver-Brunt keeps the runs comingDespite the captain’s fall, MI did not slow down, thanks to Sciver-Brunt. She often shuffled to off stump to target the slightly shorter boundary on one side and belted out one boundary after another. Wareham was dispatched straight down, Graham for consecutive fours, Rana was brought back and was given similar treatment in a 12-run over. But soon after Sciver-Brunt smoked Perry for a four and six in the 15th over, she miscued an offcutter which Perry settled under easily.The Sajana scare for RCBNeeding 71 to get from 31 from there was a tall ask for MI but their lower order didn’t give up. The charge was led by the hard-hitting S Sajana mainly at the end after the wickets of Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot and G Kamalini. With 44 to win from 12, Sajana packed some power against Garth’s slower ones and then with 24 to get from five, she hammered Perry in the ‘V’ down the ground for two sixes. She missed the next ball and then miscued one to be dismissed for 23 off 12 and MI fell short.

Ben McDermott powered Hobart Hurricanes to the highest total of the BBL season with a belligerent half-century to overwhelm a slumping Adelaide Strikers.Hurricanes had contributions through their batting order after being sent in on a typically flat Adelaide Oval surface. McDermott’s 68 off 34 balls, including five sixes, provided the finishing touches in the death overs to lift Hurricanes to a massive total.Strikers were on track in their chase of 215 after skipper Matthew Short and D’Arcy Short smashed 76 runs within seven overs, but regular wickets proved costly as Hurricanes claimed an 11-run victory.Related

• Hobson, bowlers scorch Heat to first loss despite Johnson four-for

• Cartwright feared worst after suffering neck pain

• 'Bizarre' toe injury no hurdle as Johnson returns to BBL in style

The result leaves Strikers at a shaky 1-3 record, while Hurricanes have won consecutive games after being routed for 74 by Melbourne Renegades in their season-opener.

McDermott and David fire after Owen’s early dismissal

After his rapid century against Perth Scorchers, all eyes were on Mitch Owen who promptly smashed the spin of Matt Short for a boundary through cover on the second ball of the innings.Owen went for broke on every delivery but it proved his downfall as he holed out to long-on in an anti-climactic finish.While Caleb Jewell struggled with his rhythm, Shai Hope followed Owen’s blueprint and swung hard. He gave himself plenty of room by moving around the crease and trusted the surface’s true bounce.Hope made a breezy 37 off 22 but couldn’t kick on as Hurricanes struggled to ignite in the middle overs until Tim David arrived at the crease in the 14th over.David came in at an opportune time amid the power surge as he eyed finding top form having tailed off in recent times, including a second-ball duck against Renegades.David can sometimes overhit early in his innings, but he gave himself time to settle in. It wasn’t long before David was in full flight as he rattled quick Henry Thornton with a full-blooded pull shot that sailed into the terraces.David couldn’t make it through to the end after his whirlwind 33 off 14 balls ended when quick Liam Scott cleaned him up with a full delivery.McDermott had been starved of the strike but made up for lost time with a succession of mighty blows. He was inventive against spinners Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce with reverse sweeps and he also used his feet effectively.McDermott, standing still at the crease and watching the ball closely, was in the zone as he lifted Hurricanes well past 200.

Overton executes superbly

Allrounder Jamie Overton has been Strikers’ standout performer so far this season with healthy bat and ball contributions. Once again he starred with the ball after finishing with a very respectable 2 for 27 from his four overs.On an unforgiving surface for bowlers, Overton bent his back and extracted bite. He claimed the wickets of Hope and Nikhil Chaudhary with short deliveries that beat them for pace.Strikers’ attack had no answer for Hurricanes in the backend except for Overton, who in the penultimate over bowled a succession of canny slower fuller deliveries to concede just eight runs.Overton’s execution under pressure was a feature in a superb performance.Matt Short hit a quick half-century•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Ellis steps up in key moments

Hurricanes were nervous with Matt Short rediscovering his best form. But skipper Nathan Ellis stepped up with a terrific catch to dismiss Short after sprinting from extra cover to hang on after an initial fumble.Ellis made another important contribution when he bowled brilliantly in the 14th over amid the power surge. He bowled accurate full deliveries in trademark style to tie up Alex Ross and Ollie Pope and ensure Strikers fell well behind on the required run rate.David also made a significant impact with a brilliant diving catch at mid-on to dismiss Ross and he celebrated with gusto.

Skipper finds form but it’s not enough

Strikers were faced with a daunting chase, but they have mowed down similar scores before at home.They needed Matt Short to fire having only scored 31 runs from three innings this season on the back of struggles in the white-ball series against Pakistan.He looked nervous early and was hit on the pads by speedster Riley Meredith, but survived. Short made his move with consecutive sixes off quick Billy Stanlake in the second over, but he was soon overtaken by his opening partner D’Arcy Short as they smashed 49 runs in the powerplay.They kept going for it and clearing boundaries until D’Arcy Short top-edged Stanlake to deep square leg after a brisk 41 off 22 balls. Following a cameo from Chris Lynn, the pressure fell on Short who notched the second fastest BBL half-century of his career off 27 balls.But Short fell shortly afterwards and Strikers’ chase ran out of puff despite late hitting from Overton. Strikers’ season hangs in the balance ahead of a pivotal clash against Scorchers in their traditional New Year’s Eve home fixture.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo não terá um dos seus principais jogadores para partida diante do Botafogo. Arrascaeta está com uma lesão no músculo adutor da coxa esquerda desde março e ainda não tem um prazo definido de retorno aos gramados. Com isso, Eduardo pode ser um trunfo importante do Botafogo no clássico.

Sem Arrascaeta, Jorge Sampaoli não terá um meia de criação. Everton Ribeiro e Gerson possuem qualidades para atuarem como armadores, mas atualmente desempenham outras funções em campo. O Glorioso, por outro lado, terá um nome para atuar como camisa 10 e ser responsável pela construção das jogadas.

+É na terça! Veja os times e regras para o sorteio das oitavas da Copa do Brasil 2023

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo busca inteligência emocional para não cair em armadilhas e vencer Flamengo no MaracanãBotafogo28/04/2023BotafogoANÁLISE: Botafogo mostra força do elenco e deixa mensagem positiva para Luís CastroBotafogo28/04/2023BotafogoVÍDEO: Lucas Perri celebra vitória do Botafogo na Copa do Brasil: ‘Dá muita confiança’Botafogo27/04/2023

+Luís Castro faz projeção do clássico entre Flamengo x Botafogo e descarta favoritismo: ‘Não importa’

Eduardo vem sendo um dos protagonistas do Botafogo nos últimos jogos e atua na mesma faixa de campo que Arrascaeta. O camisa 33 atuará um pouco atrás de Tiquinho e será encarregado de dar qualidade ao setor ofensivo alvinegro. Luís Castro poderá aproveitar esta vantagem em relação ao rival para explorar ataques por dentro controlar as ações do meio-campo.

+Flamengo x Botafogo: ingressos disponíveis para torcida alvinegra; saiba como comprar

Flamengo e Botafogo se enfrentam neste domingo (30/04), às 16h, no Maracanã, pela terceira rodada do Brasileirão. O clube alvinegro está há 11 jogos invicto e vai em busca da sétima vitória consecutiva na temporada.

Birmingham City fans will now be counting down the days until their side kicks off their hotly anticipated Championship season.

Indeed, the Blues only have one friendly left until Ipswich Town come to St. Andrew’s for a Friday night kick-off to start the second-tier entertainment, before clashes against Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United, and Leicester City then round off a busy August for Chris Davies’ men in league action.

In bittersweet fashion, however, Lukas Jutkiewicz won’t be lining up for Davies’ side as they triumphantly return to the Championship, having confirmed his retirement right after Birmingham lifted the League One title.

It will be strange for die-hard supporters of the Blues not seeing Jutkiewicz line up for their beloved team in the EFL’s elite league, having often been viewed as the main marksman when Birmingham last regularly competed at the level.

How Jutkiewicz made himself a Birmingham legend

Birmingham’s previous Championship exploits haven’t always been rosy, but the 6-foot-1 striker remained as constant, even during those testing times.

The Blues will be entering back into the division hungry to compete near the top of the division, which will be some feat to pull off, considering Jutkiewicz’s days as the main source of goals at St. Andrew’s saw his lowly side be consistently plunged into a battle against the drop.

By the time the 36-year-old had called time on his playing days, the towering attacker had bagged a memorable 68 strikes for the Blues across 358 appearances, with 54 of those coming about in the notoriously punishing league.

Now, it will be up to a new face to be as impactful – away from Davies just relying on Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield up top – with a fresh target on the Birmingham shopping list possessing the potential to become the club’s next iteration of their dominant number ten.

The "complete number 9" who could be their next Jutkiewicz

Arguably, Birmingham might not need to pursue the signature of another attacker, with both Kyogo and Stansfield sticking out as obvious choices to lead the line.

Yet, neither of those options will be able to throw themselves about with authority, which is where Blues target Bojan Miovski could come into his own if he makes the leap to join Birmingham shortly.

Coming in at a lofty 6-foot-2, Miovski is now seemingly one of the main targets Birmingham is casting their eye over to further enhance their striker personnel, with the ambitious Championship side currently in talks over a move to sign the lethal Macedonian at the expense of Celtic and Rangers, according to reports.

Whilst he has only managed to bag a middle-of-the-road four goals for Girona from 22 appearances in Spain, the 26-year-old more than proved himself when leading the line for Aberdeen that he is a worthwhile Jutkiewicz replacement in terms of his deadly finishing game when soaring into aerial duels, but also with the ball at his feet as a well-rounded presence.

Games played

98

Goals scored

44

Assists

7

Braces

8x

Fee sold for

£6.8m

The 38-time North Macedonia international registered a blistering 44 strikes for the Dons across 98 appearances, with his ability to be powerful in the air, yet classy when running through on goal, earning him the title of being a “complete number nine” by journalist Josh Bunting.

He should, therefore, be ready for the pressures of the Championship, even if his £6.8m move out to Girona hasn’t gone completely to plan, knowing he has what it takes to be the “best centre forward in the league” in the Scottish Premiership, as he was also labelled by ex-Dons teammate Nick Devlin.

Sealing a deal for Miovski to join the building might not be as instantly eye-catching as Kyogo’s statement deal was.

But, he should be able to leave a lasting impact on the English game if he finds his Aberdeen mojo again as a battling, skilful striker built very much in the same mould as Jutkiewicz.

Birmingham could sign a bigger talent than Cashin in "dynamite" £10m star

Birmingham City could soon win themselves a bigger talent than Eiran Cashin by landing this dynamite attacker.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 25, 2025

Alyssa Healy wary of the Chamari Athapaththu threat; Bangladesh dropped four catches in win over Scotland

Vishal Dikshit04-Oct-20243:19

Who will be the breakout star of this T20 World Cup?

Australia vs Sri LankaSharjah, 2pm local timeAustralia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla VlaeminckSri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika KumariRelated

Healy: 'Not here to defend the title, here to win it'

Wise beyond her years, Alice Capsey is forever learning

England the heavyweights in Group B

Tournament form guide: After warming up with victories against Bangladesh and Scotland, Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka lost their tournament opener to Pakistan in Sharjah. Australia, not surprisingly, beat England and West Indies in the warm-ups, after batting first in both games.News brief: Sri Lanka are in a spot, having lost their opening match to lower-ranked Pakistan, that too by being restricted to 85 for 9 in a modest chase of 117. They will now play a day game against Australia in the heat of Sharjah – the same as their first game – so team changes may not be no the cards. Sri Lanka will have to pull up their socks on the field after putting down three catches, which cost them heavily on Thursday. Australia might go spin heavy too, like the teams did on the opening day, and they have enough allrounders to do that.Australia have never lost to Sri Lanka in T20Is, the last of which came in the 2023 T20 World Cup that saw Sri Lanka on the receiving end of a ten-wicket drubbing. Australia will, however, not want to be “Atha-ed”, what Alyssa Healy said is being smashed by Chamari Athapaththu.Player to watch: Player of the Tournament in the 2023 edition, Beth Mooney has had a few low scores in the lead up to the tournament, not managing to go past 15 in her five T20I innings. She did score 50 in the England warm-up, but she would want a big score in the main tournament too, along the lines of her unbeaten 99* off 54 balls in the Women’s Hundred not too long ago for Manchester Originals. A strong start with Healy at the top could flatten Sri Lanka early, batting first or second.Bangladesh put down four chances in their tournament opener against Scotland•ICC/Getty ImagesBangladesh vs EnglandSharjah, 6pm local time Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas England squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni WyattTournament form guide” In what is a ‘home’ World Cup for Bangladesh, they started things off on a positive note, with a 16-run win against Scotland, after they had also beaten Pakistan in the second warm-up. England started their warm-ups with a 33-run loss to Australia, before beating New Zealand by five wickets.News brief: Bangladesh now run into a much stronger side in England, who are more aggressive than their 2023 version, and are carrying spinners aplenty for this edition. England also have a fully fit team to choose from. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith has returned, and also present are Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Alice Capsey, with her handy part-time offbreaks. England are likely to go with three frontline spinners for a pitch that aided turn and didn’t see much bounce.Bangladesh were restricted to 119 for 7 by Scotland in the opener, and scoring bigger or quicker against England will be a lot tougher. Bangladesh were the worst fielding side on the opening day, having put down four chances, and they will have to tighten that aspect if they want to think about beating England for the first time in women’s T20Is. This is an evening game, yet not as much dew is expected in Sharjah compared to Dubai, which might have been the reason why Pakistan opted to bat in the evening game here on Thursday.Player to watch: Ecclestone is, without doubt, England’s best spinner, but don’t take your eyes off legspinner Sarah Glenn. She has been England’s second-highest wicket-taker since the end of the 2023 T20 World Cup, with a tally of 26 just behind Ecclestone’s 29. But Glenn has gone for much fewer runs per over with an economy rate of 5.27, compared to Ecclestone’s 6.25. A handy bat down the order, this will be the third T20 World Cup for Glenn at the age of just 25.

Oval Invincibles 147 for 5 (Curran 51*) beat London Spirit 117 (Lawrence 27, Curran 5-16) by 30 runsThe Oval Invincibles made it three wins from four in this The Hundred this year with Sam Curran’s all-round heroics proving the difference between two sides fighting it out for bragging rights in the capital.Curran smashed 51 from 22 balls, single-handedly dragging the Invincibles to a strong total on a tricky surface before decimating the Spirit’s hopes of chasing 147 in an astonishing five-wicket spell that included a hat-trick.On a Lord’s pitch offering a degree of lateral movement, Invincibles’ captain Sam Billings chose to bat first, and with the Spirit’s attack making good use of the bowler-friendly surface, the visitors struggled to 46 for 2 at the halfway stage. Olly Stone bowled Will Jacks through the gate and Liam Dawson dismissed Jordan Cox, who was fresh off his call-up to the England Men’s Test squad.Dawid Malan and Billings then struck a few hefty blows before Malan was caught on the square-leg boundary off Matt Critchley for 38 from 29.Billings struggled to get going and retired himself out in favour of the in-form Donovan Ferreira, but it was Curran who turned the tide, reaching a half century off 21 deliveries, including three successive sixes off Nathan Ellis. His innings propelled the Invincibles to a decent-looking 147 for 5.In response, the Spirit made it through the powerplay unscathed, Keaton Jennings and Michael Pepper guiding them to 35 for 0.But thereafter, the Invincibles’ top-notch spin attack turned the screw, with both openers and Ollie Pope falling in quick succession, Jacks removing Jennings lbw, Adam Zampa having Pepper caught with the first ball of his spell, and Nathan Sowter crashing a leg break through Pope’s defences.Dan Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer dragged the Spirit back into it and with 56 needed from the final 30 balls, the game was on. But before they could up the ante, Zampa, who ended with figures of 3 for 22, dismissed both Hetmyer (20 from 21) and Lawrence (27 from 18).Despite Andre Russell attempting to bludgeon the hosts home, Curran made the Invincibles win a certainty by taking only the third hat-trick in the history of The Hundred men’s competition to clinch one of the tournament’s greatest individual performances.Meerkat Match Hero Sam Curran said: “I’ve had a few battles with Russ (Russell) over the years. The hat-trick ball wasn’t on my mind, it was either going to be me or him, he was going to hit me for six or I was going to get a wicket. Thankfully he edged it but most importantly we got the win.”It’s never over when players like Dan (Lawrence), Hetmyer and Russell are there, so when we got him (Russell) out it was a big relief.”