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Having come close to taking his side over the line in Sunrisers’ last match, Samad proves that he is “worth the investment” with a last-ball six

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-20232:13

Moody: Samad reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan

A last-ball six to overhaul a target of 215 and keep Sunrisers Hyderabad’s play-off hopes alive could be “the turning point” in Abdul Samad’s young career, according to his ex-coach Tom Moody.Samad is only 21 but is already in his fourth IPL season, and has found himself in and out of the Sunrisers team this year. By his own admission, he “got lucky” when Sandeep Sharma’s overstep on what should have been the last ball of the game granted him a second chance, but he took full advantage in drilling the free hit back over his head for six to clinch a win for his side.Related

• Royals stick to the sexy but their yorker plan goes bust, as it often does

• Samson: 'Mindset can change for few moments when you think the job is done'

• Stats – Sunrisers' first successful 200+ chase

• Glenn Phillips and Abdul Samad pull off stunning heist for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Thirty-one games into his IPL career, Samad is averaging just 18.63 but has scored his runs at a strike rate of 136.67. He is also among a rare group of players who have hit more sixes (21) than fours (20) in the league – a statistic which underlines his power.”What Abdul Samad has got as a young, emerging player is a rare ability to hit the ball out of the ground,” Moody, who worked with Samad in 2021 and 2022, said on ESPNcricinfo’s show. “He reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan. He’s got that strength, power, and it’s a very hard role to play.”I hope that it gives the management and the franchise confidence that they have got the right person, because that is the hardest part. Forget about the player having confidence, you need the organisation – wherever you are – to have confidence in you, and I think if you look at his erratic selection over the last two years, I think that hopefully this is the turning point for him.”Samad was unable to get Sunrisers over the line in their narrow defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night, falling in the final over of the game for 21 off 18 balls. Hemang Badani, Sunrisers’ batting coach, said that Samad had taken responsibility for the defeat and “stayed strong” in the aftermath.2:31

Hemang Badani: ‘The win will give confidence to players like Samad’

“Let me start off by saying I have to give full marks to Samad,” Badani said, “because he was the first one to come up to me after the previous game and said, ‘I should have finished the game.'”He took ownership of it, and said with nine off six balls, more often than not, batters in the middle would finish games for their side, and he didn’t finish it and he was a little unhappy about it. He had a similar instance with the game against Mumbai [Indians]; that again was a game that he felt he could have finished.”And he was hurting, to be honest. He was hurting. He was like, ‘I’ve been around with SRH, this is my third [fourth] year, I’m a retained player and I really want to make it count. I really want to try and show them that I am worth your time and I am worth the investment.’ I think he’s ensured that he’s stayed strong.”Samad hardly reacted after his winning shot, which Moody said fitted his character. “He’s not charging off with his bat in the air; he’s a very humble, quietly-spoken guy,” he said.”But behind all that is someone that works extremely hard at his craft and is constantly trying to improve on his game in a role that is exceptionally hard to play. More often than not, you see your mature players playing in those roles, not a 21-year-old.”Abdul Samad’s 21, and we are judging him on his history as a 21-year-old. Let’s judge him on his history when he’s 28, and then make judgement on whether he’s consistent in one of the hardest roles to play.”Badani, meanwhile, said that Samad – and Sunrisers – would take confidence from their victory, which still leaves them in ninth place but with the points table incredibly tight.”It’s a great win, because it gives us momentum,” he said. “It will obviously give us confidence. It will obviously give a lot of belief for guys like Samad, because Samad would have felt that he missed out a couple of times.”To have done it here, the next time he comes in to bat, the next time he’s in a situation like this, he’ll be a lot more different to what he was in the past.”

Delhi Capitals have roped in former Surrey, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire wicketkeeper-batter Jonathan Batty as their head coach for the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL).Former India international Hemlata Kala, and Lisa Keightley, the former Australia cricketer with vast coaching experience, have been named the team’s assistant coaches. And Biju George, who has previously worked with the India women’s team, has been named the fielding coach. He is also the fielding coach of the Capitals men’s side.Batty has extensive coaching experience when it comes to women’s cricket. He coached Oval Invincibles to the title at the women’s Hundred in 2021 and 2022, and has also been head coach at Melbourne Stars in the WBBL and the Surrey women’s side.Related

• From Mandhana to Kapp – five players who could fetch big money at the WPL auction

• WPL auction: 409 players to go under the hammer

• Women's Premier League to begin on March 4

• Keightley joins WBBL side Sydney Thunder as head coach

“It’s an incredible time to be involved in Women’s cricket and the WPL has the potential to transform the landscape of women’s professional sport globally,” Batty said in a statement.Kala played seven Tests, 78 ODIs and one T20I and has also been chief selector for women in the past. “I am looking forward to putting together our squad ahead of the inaugural edition of the tournament, which I am confident will be a gamechanger for women’s cricket,” she said of the player auction.Keightley, the current Sydney Thunder head coach, played nine Tests, 82 ODIs and one T20I in a decade-long career. She was at the helm of the England team when they made the final of the 2022 ODI World Cup, before stepping down in August last year. She has also been head coach of Perth Scorchers in the past.”I’m very excited to be involved with the Delhi Capitals and to be working with so many different players and staff from around the world,” she said. “WPL is a game changer for women’s sports around the world, and we have the opportunity to showcase cricket to a new audience.”The player auction ahead of the inaugural WPL will be held on February 13 in Mumbai, while the tournament will be played between March 4 and 26. All the matches will be held in Mumbai.

ESPNcricinfo picks out the main names to follow during the first edition of the Women’s Super League which begins this weekend

Melinda Farrell29-Jul-2016Lancashire ThunderWest Indies won the Women’s WT20 in April and two of Lancashire’s signings were instrumental to their success. Deandra Dottin’s power hitting makes her one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. She has a 38-ball T20 century to her name – it was the first T20 century by a woman – and she is also a handy bowler, taking nine wickets at 13.55 during West Indies’ WWT20 campaign. It was rising star Hayley Matthews, however, who stole the show in the final at Eden Gardens. The 18-year-old showed poise and power in making 66 off 45 deliveries as the West Indies defeated three-time champions, Australia. Her innings included six boundaries and three sixes. Lancashire won’t be lacking in batting firepower. Loughborough LightingEllyse Perry is arguably the biggest star in the women’s game, and with good reason. The 25-year-old is already a veteran, with nine years of international cricket under her belt. She was Player-of-the-Series when Australia regained the Ashes in England last summer after making more runs and taking more wickets than any other player. While initially seen more of a bowling allrounder, her batting has been a revelation in recent years. The Lightning also have solid all-round support from the experienced New Zealander Sophie Devine and England’s Georgia Elwiss will step in as captain for the absent Sarah Taylor. Southern VipersIt will be fascinating to see how Vipers captain, Charlotte Edwards, fares in the tournament. Suddenly stripped of the England captaincy at the start of the summer, Edwards has 95 T20I’s under her belt and has the chance to prove she’s not done yet. She has a couple of formidable New Zealand weapons in her armoury, in Suzie Bates and Sara McGlashan. Bates was recently named the Wisden Women’s Cricketer of the Year after an outstanding 2015 as New Zealand captain. The veteran McGlashan was a standout in the WBBL, her explosive batting a key to the Sydney Sixers making the final. Surrey StarsSurrey have one of the most promising line ups in the competition, despite the late withdrawal of Australian captain, Meg Lanning. Tammy Beaumont comes into the tournament in the form of her life, having scored back-to-back centuries opening for England against Pakistan – including a magnificent unbeaten 168 – and following up with two half-centuries in the T20Is. She’s joined by England’s best allrounder, Nat Sciver, who belted 80 runs of 33 deliveries in the second ODI against Pakistan, the fastest half-century in ODIs. Add fiery South African allrounder, Marizanne Kapp, and one of Australia’s best bowlers, Rene Farrell, to the mix and the Stars look like a very difficult team to beat. Western StormTwo international captains with different styles join forces at the Western Storm with England skipper, Heather Knight, taking the reins and having her West Indies counterpart, Stafanie Taylor, on board. Taylor was outstanding in leading her side to their WWT20 title; she was the highest run-scorer, made a vital 59 in the final and was deservedly named Player of the Tournament. She also took eight wickets in that tournament, giving Knight some terrific options in the bowling: England opener Anya Shrubsole will also give the attack venom, with her inswingers among the best in the women’s game. Yorkshire DiamondsKatherine Brunt, Shrubsole’s opening bowling partner for England, is as Yorkshire as they come and it was no surprise to see her name on the Diamonds’ squad list. One of the most entertaining and competitive players in the world, Brunt wears her heart on her sleeve and bats with a ferocity that matches her bowling. Lauren Winfield is another who has blossomed for England under Mark Robinson’s new regime; the Diamond’s captain made two half-centuries in the T20I series and a century in the ODI series against Pakistan. If she needs any advice, she has Alex Blackwell on hand. The Australian vice-captain led the Sydney Thunder to victory in the WBBL and is one of the canniest tacticians in international cricket.

As those at Elland Road gear up for their return to action after the international break, former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that the 49ers Enterprises have now made an “audacious bid” to sign a Premier League winner.

Leeds transfer rumours

Set to square off against Swansea City in their first game back from the international break, Leeds could end the weekend at the top of the Championship if results go their way in what would be the perfect way to enter a busy festive period of fixtures. A win would also take Daniel Farke’s current run to just one defeat in his last five games in charge of the Yorkshire club.

The German deserves great credit for how he’s turned around a tough start to the campaign and adjusted to life without both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev in two major injury blows.

That’s not to say that he won’t be keen for the chance for further reinforcements to arrive in 2025, however, with Robinson now backing those at Elland Road to go in pursuit of a major coup.

Leeds and Farke keen on £45k-a-week "key player" in possible free transfer

The Whites are among the teams chasing a player who could arrive for nothing in 2025.

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By
Brett Worthington

Nov 21, 2024

According to Robinson, the 49ers and Leeds have now made an “audacious bid” to sign James McAtee from Manchester City in 2025. The former goalkeeper told Football Insider: “Leeds have made an audacious bid for him. He’s had two really good loans at Sheffield United, West Ham have been in the mix and he’s been linked with Fulham, but it’s not just going to be them.

“And what would they be getting for him in January? £20-25million? £30million? There are a lot of clubs that would take James McAtee, whether it be on a permanent or loan deal. But I think Pep Guardiola might be selfish between now and the end of the season and keep him.

“He wants him to be a part of his squad and I think they’re going to need him. The amount of injuries this season, you’d have thought he would already have broken into that first-team with the talent he has.“

Robinson’s statement follows earlier reports that Leeds are eyeing a January loan move to sign the Manchester City academy graduate, who has also attracted the interest of West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

"Talented" McAtee could push Leeds towards promotion

If Leeds push ahead and secure McAtee’s signature as early as the January transfer window, then he could make the difference in their race to secure promotion. The Premier League winner did exactly that for Sheffield United during the 2022/23 campaign to help them back towards the Premier League, scoring nine goals and assisting a further three. Now, it could be Leeds who benefit.

Described as “talented” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, McAtee looks on course to become the next top prospect to depart The Etihad, following in the footsteps of Cole Palmer. And if he’s anything like the Chelsea star, then Leeds could welcome a player who would take them up another level entirely.

Big picture

It’s pretty straightforward, as Wayne Parnell put it: South Africa are in the knockout stages. They must beat Netherlands to go through to the semi-finals and if you’d said that pre-tournament, many would have thought the conclusion foregone, but this has been a World Cup of surprises and perhaps there’s one more?Netherlands looked to be steadily improving from the first round, when they nearly toppled Bangladesh in their Super 12 opener, but then they ran into India and Pakistan and came apart. Had they also lost to Zimbabwe, they might have considered this campaign something of a waste, but they rallied and now have the opportunity to bow out on a high – and do Pakistan a favour.If Netherlands beat South Africa in first of three Group 2 games on Sunday, Pakistan only need to beat Bangladesh to go through to the semi-finals. If South Africa win, the result of the second match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will dictate what India have to do to ensure they qualify. That’s a lot of ifs before we even get to wondering what kind of contest this will be.South Africa and Netherlands have only played one T20I against each other but they have some recent history. Netherlands were in South Africa for a three-match World Cup Super League ODI series last November, when the omicron variant of Covid-19 hit and they left the tour early, but not before taking 10 points off South Africa in a washed-out match. South Africa will host Netherlands again in April 2023 and those matches are crucial to ensuring their automatic qualification for the ODI World Cup so there’s some wider context to the clash. And there’s also the obvious niggle: Netherlands are coached by a South African – Ryan Cook – and have as many as four South African-born players in their squad. Even if South Africa may not know much about the Dutch approach in the shortest format, they will know plenty about the players involved.For South Africa, their blueprint has mostly worked but there’s still work to do in the batting department. They will view this game as a final opportunity to get the likes of Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs into form and a chance to make a statement about whether they can justify the favourites’ tag placed on them just a few days ago.Temba Bavuma’s batting form is still a concern for South Africa•Getty Images

Form guide

South Africa LWWWL(last five completed matches, most recent first)
NetherlandsWLLLL

In the spotlight

In a pace pack that seems to have it all, Kagiso Rabada has flown under the radar. He has taken only two wickets from four matches so far and has the highest economy rate of any of the South African bowlers. In dealing with swing from Parnell, pace from Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi’s slew of slower balls, line-ups have identified Rabada as a bowler they can target, which is unlikely to sit well with him. Although he has long shied away from being called the leader of the attack, Rabada is South Africa’s most experienced bowler, and he will want to turn in a big performance as the tournament approaches the business end.It had to be a South African expat and though Roelof van der Merwe is the headliner, Colin Ackermann is a player many will be interested in as he plays his first T20I against his home country. Ackermann made his name as a red-ball player in South Africa and, with a first-class average over 40, there was much consternation when it turned out that he was unavailable for national selection. He hasn’t had quite the same impact in shorter formats, with just 96 runs from his four ODIs and a T20I average under 25. He has had a fairly quiet tournament so far, apart from a 62 against Bangladesh, and should see this match as a final opportunity to go out with a bang.

Team news

David Miller sat out the match against Pakistan with lower back spasms and South Africa will be keen to get him up and running as soon as he is fit. If that’s in this game, Tristan Stubbs may miss out with Heinrich Klaasen retaining his place. South Africa may also bring back Keshav Maharaj at the expense of one of the quicks.South Africa: : (possible) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen/Tristan Stubbs 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj/ Anrich Nortje, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Kagiso RabadaAfter a convincing win over Zimbabwe, Netherlands are likely to go in unchanged.Netherlands: 1 Stephan Myburgh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Bas de Leede, 6 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 7 Roelof van der Merwe, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Fred Klaassen, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Brandon Glover

Pitch and conditions

An early start may prove challenging for the batters because the ball won’t skid on as it does at night. Expect inconsistent bounce and a slowish start, although runs may come from the short, square boundaries. The surface also won’t offer the quicks as much as some of the other venues, which could take the sting out of the contest to some degree. There’s been rain in the lead-up to this match but Sunday’s forecast is clear.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and Netherlands have met once in a T20I before, at the 2014 World Cup. South Africa won by six runs.
• In four matches at this venue so far in this World Cup, the average first innings score is 164, and the chasing team has only won once.

Quotes

“It’s a crucial game for us. In T20 cricket, teams get closer. We still have to play well to beat them. They are a quality side. They’ve shown they can play good cricket. Hopefully it’s only in patches and if we bring our A game, I reckon we should have enough.”
“We do understand the significance of the game if we do beat South Africa. But obviously for us it’s just playing a game and beating South Africa, so we don’t think too far outside of that. But we just have to do what we’ve done well, and if we do that well against South Africa, you never know, we might have a good day against them.”

علّق ريكو لويس لاعب مانشستر سيتي على بطولة كأس العالم للأندية التي يشارك فيها الفريق بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وأشاد بصفقة النادي الجديدة.

وتلعب أولى مباريات مونديال الأندية في الثالثة فجر الأحد بتوقيت مصر، حيث يلاقي الأهلي المصري خصمه إنتر ميامي الأمريكي.

وصرح لويس للاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا): “أعتقد أنه يجب علينا استغلال كأس العالم للأندية كفرصة لنكون جزءًا من التاريخ”.

وأضاف: “نعرف طبيعة الحياة في أمريكا مع الجماهير ومدى حماسهم واستمتاعهم بمشاهدتنا”.

ويعترف لويس بأن الحرارة والرطوبة ستجعلان اللعب على أرض الملعب “صعبًا للغاية”، لكنه لا يخشى من تأثير هذه الظروف على أسلوب لعب مانشستر الذي يعتمد على الضغط العالي. 

وعزز مانشستر سيتي صفوفه بضم ريان آيت نوري، من ولفرهامبتون، وريان شرقي من ليون، ولاعب الوسط الهولندي تيجاني ريندرز من ميلان.

اقرأ أيضًا | جوندوجان: نلعب للفوز بـ كأس العالم للأندية.. وفرطنا في لقبين

وأفاد لويس: “تيجاني ريندرز كنت أتابعه العام الماضي، وتحدثت مع زملائي عنه، كان أحد لاعبيّ المفضلين في يورو 2024 من حيث لاعبي خط الوسط”.

وأكد: “إنه بارعٌ جدًا في تطوير مهاراته، إنه لاعب خط وسط مانشستر سيتي النموذجي، حيث يحتفظون بالكرة ولا يفقدونها أبدًا، ويمكنك أن ترى أنه يمتلك القدرة على تسجيل الأهداف ولعب تمريرات حاسمة أيضًا، لذا، أعتقد أنه لاعب خط وسط متكامل سيرفع مستوى أدائنا”.

وسيفتتح مانشستر سيتي مشواره بمواجهة الوداد البيضاوي، ثم يلاقي العين الإماراتي، ثم يوفنتوس الإيطالي.

The fast bowling son of a labourer whose “spark” has been noticed by the likes of Rahul Dravid, Nathu Singh will get his chance on a bigger stage against the touring South Africans in a week’s time

Sidharth Monga in Jaipur23-Oct-2015The day the court appointed an ad hoc committee to run Rajasthan cricket, its convenor, Amrit Mathur, received a call from Rahul Dravid. The gist of the conversation was: “this boy” is good, please keep an eye out for him.After the end of the first match, against Delhi, their coach Vijay Dahiya, who joined only from the second match onwards, called Mathur. He had been told about “this boy” by Gautam Gambhir. The gist of this conversation: “we were talking, Gautam mentioned this boy and said that after a long time he has seen new India material, please make sure he is not ruined by over-bowling.”Chairman of national selectors Sandeep Patil happened to watch this boy. Rajinder Hans, another national selector appointed by the court to make sure the Rajasthan Ranji team was selected fairly, obviously saw this boy. And now, this boy, Nathu Singh, son of a labourer in a wire factory, is going to play for the Board President’s XI against the touring South Africans based on “the spark” Patil and team have seen. He has played only three first-class matches.Sometimes a name can evoke the person. Nathu is almost like you know him. Short, endearing. Not quite the immortal “” from the Hindi movie . His pronunciation is different. It’s Naa-thu. The thu is softer too. Until three years ago he used to bowl with a soft ball in the [neighbourhood]. Then a told him he should try a cricket ball because he was too fast for everybody.The first thing you notice about Nathu is the tattoo on his arm. “Mom dad,” it says. His mother and father gambled it all for him. When he took the advice to actually start playing with the cricket ball, he needed to play at an academy. He went to Surana Academy, where the fees was Rs 10,000 for the year. The father had no savings to spare, but he told Nathu: “Whatever I have I will put in. Let’s see for two months how you go.”

A sign of how sick cricket at grassroots levels is in India is that Nathu couldn’t find a place in the Jaipur district side, and had to play for Sikkar, hardly known for its cricket

Two months later the coaches at the academy and Nathu’s [mother’s brother] suggested he be given time because they saw that “spark”. The academy subsidised the fee looking at his family background, and by the end of that year he was in the Rajasthan Under-19 side. The MRF Pace Academy happened too, where he impressed Glenn McGrath. Boots and spikes? “I used to arrange from the seniors,” Nathu says. “Deepak [Chahar] and Aniket [Choudhury] helped me a lot.” Two years ago, when Nathu drew his first match fee, he gave it all to his parents. He still does.A sign of how sick cricket at grassroots levels is in India is that he couldn’t find a place in the Jaipur district side, and had to go and play for Sikkar, hardly known for its cricket. The rest of the machinery, though, has been remarkable in fast-tracking him into playing against a quality opposition.The word around is that he has pace, but more than pace his speciality is that he bowls quick when he bowls at a length. Every coach has told him that. The explanation is this: when you strive to bowl fast, when the pace is not natural but through extra effort, you tend to drag the ball down. Nathu doesn’t need to. “The coaches have also told me I am god-gifted,” Nathu says. “There is no need to work on me.”Time to watch him then. There is a Munaf Patel-like lumber to his walk and his batting. He is lbw first ball against Maharashtra. He looks a mug. His turn to bowl against Maharashtra comes after the new-ball bowlers, Chahar and Choudhury, have had a go. They are 21 for 1 when Nathu begins to meticulously mark his run-up to begin the ninth over of the innings. Four steps from the crease, toe next to the heel, and he marks a line there. Then a long leap to scratch another mark, audibly enough for those outside the fence. Then he goes to the top of his mark.Nathu walks four steps, then skips – not as extravagantly as Junaid Khan or Mohit Sharma – and then takes 10 brisk but comfortable steps into his delivery stride. The leap is high, the action is easy and smooth, and then he puts a big effort into the ball. There is pace. It repeatedly thuds into the gloves of wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik. He looks front-on – he calls himself an inswing bowler – and it will need closer analysis to see if he looks over his front arm just before letting the ball go. This puts stress on the back, but also puts action on the ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar does that.In a week’s time, Nathu Singh will have the chance to meet his hero, Dale Steyn, who always has time for young fast bowlers•Associated PressAs of now, though, despite being green, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has not provided any lateral movement to the quicks on either side. Nathu gets late-cut for three consecutive boundaries by Maharashtra captain Rohit Motwani. He is not bowling his speciality: quick length balls. Probably because this is not quite a seaming surface and you have to hit the deck hard. He creates an opportunity with the other batsman Harshad Khadiwale, but sees a catch dropped. That has for long been the fate of the other India player from Rajasthan, Pankaj Singh. Ordinary slip catching has been the bane of Rajasthan quicks.Nathu bowls four wicketless overs before lunch and goes for four fours. He comes back after lunch and bowls a six-over spell that lasts until the afternoon drinks. Easy there, captain. Remember what Dahiya said. But then again, Chahar is off the field with an injury, and Nathu has had his man, Motwani. Motwani tries to back-cut again, but this time Nathu has bowled the quick length ball, which bounces to take the edge.It will be harsh to draw verdicts on his general accuracy or ability to work batsmen out based on just one day’s play, but the spark that everybody has seen is there. There is pace, natural pace, pace even at the end of the day when bowling his 18th over with a 70-over-old ball. Yet another cricketer from India has come up despite, and not because of, the system. The way people have rallied around him is heart-warming. In a week’s time in Mumbai he will meet another good Samaritan, his hero, Dale Steyn, who is never stingy with time or advice for young fast bowlers.The spark has somehow been given the fuel. It is up to him now to burn bright.

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي تعرض فيديريكو فالفيردي لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم للإصابة، وذلك عقب مواجهة ريال سوسيداد.

وفاز ريال مدريد على نظيره ريال سوسيداد بنتيجة 2/0، ضمن منافسات الجولة 38 والأخيرة من الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ريال مدريد إلى النقطة 84 في المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بينما تجمد رصيد ريال سوسيداد عند النقطة 46 في المركز الحادي عشر.

وتمكن برشلونة من حسم لقب الدوري الإسباني هذا الموسم 2024/25، بعد أن فاز على إسبانيول بهدفين دون رد، في منافسات الجولة 36 من البطولة الإسبانية.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رسميًا | تشابي ألونسو مديرًا فنيًا لـ ريال مدريد.. وموعد تقديمه

وأكد نادي ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي على تعرض لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، فيديريكو فالفيردي، للإصابة عقب مباراة ريال سوسيداد.

وأشار إلى أنه تم تشخيص إصابة فالفيردي من قبل الجهاز الطبي للنادي الملكي، وتبين أنه أصيب بآلام أسفل الظهر

وبحسب ما ورد في الصحف الإسبانية، فإن إصابة فالفيردي ليست خطيرة، وسيغيب لمدة أسبوع واحد فقط، وسيكون جاهزاً للمشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

ويتواجد ريال مدريد في المجموعة الثامنة بمنافسات كأس العالم للأندية، بجانب الهلال السعودي، باتشوكا المكسيكي وسالزبورج النمساوي.

وشارك فالفيردي هذا العام في 59 مباراة مع ريال مدريد بجميع المسابقات، حيث أحرز 9 أهداف وقام بصناعة 8 أهداف هذا الموسم.

Parte médico de Valverde. — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 25, 2025

Liverpool made it two wins from their first two Champions League games this season, thanks to a 2-0 win over Italian outfit, Bologna. Arne Slot’s side were dominant throughout the game, and never really looked troubled, sealing the points thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and the inevitable Mohamed Salah.

Mac Allister, a World Cup winner with Argentina, scored a simple tap-in, but it was superb play in the buildup. The midfielder linked up play nicely, before making a late dart into the penalty box and getting on the end of a teasing cross from Salah, to give the Reds the lead.

Salah’s goal doubled the lead for the home side with 15 minutes to go, cutting inside onto his left foot and lashing it into the top corner. It was a goal that capped off a dominant showing from Slot’s men, who sit fifth in the table of the new group phase.

There were certainly some standout performances throughout the evening at Anfield. Not least from Mac Allister, who was one of the stars of the show for Liverpool. However, it will come as no surprise to hear that one of the standout players once again was Salah.

Salah’s stats vs. Bologna

It was another vintage display from Liverpool’s Egyptian king at Anfield, and he once again put on a show for the Liverpool supporters. The winger was at his brilliant best, creating chances and looking like a constant threat on the attack.

His goal was superb, a trademark Salah finish. The Reds’ number 11 cut inside on his left foot, dummying with a clever drop of his shoulder, before driving into the Bologna penalty box and firing home into the top left-hand corner, as pinpoint as you could ask for. That goal went along with his superb assist for Mac Allister in the first half.

He received an impressive 9/10 rating from Ben Fleming, a journalist for The Metro. He hailed Salah’s performance which ultimately made the difference for Slot’s side, calling him ‘the architect’ of the Reds’ dominant win.

Indeed, his superb contribution was reflected in his Sofascore stats at full-time. Salah had a surprisingly low 37 touches of the ball but managed to provide three key passes and create one big chance, as well as creating the opener and sealing the three points with his wonder strike.

Salah’s performance was mightily impressive, but there was arguably a player who stood out more than the winger. That player is Ryan Gravenberch.

Gravenberch’s stats vs. Bologna

Since he was given the task of playing as a number six under Slot, Gravenberch has gone from strength to strength in a Liverpool shirt, and Wednesday night’s performance against Bologna was no different.

It was a superb, metronomic display at the base of the Reds’ midfield from the Dutchman, who has previously been deployed in more advanced roles. However, he seems right at home as a number six, dictating play with ease, and using his 6 foot 2 frame to his advantage, gaining an upper hand physically against opposition midfielders.

His stats from the game show just how impressive he was. The former Bayern Munich midfielder had 58 touches, two more than Liverpool’s first goalscorer Mac Allister. He was effective on the ball, creating two chances and completing three out of four dribbles. The Dutch international also won four out of six ground duels.

Gravenberch received an 8/10 from Fleming for his efforts against the Italian side on Wednesday. The journalist explained he ‘continues to thrive; as a number six, and explained that he ‘bossed’ the midfield at Anfield.

Slot will no doubt be delighted with the progress his side are making; the Reds have six points from six in the Champions League and are currently top of the Premier League. They look to extend their five-match winning run against Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

Liverpool wanted to sign £50m star for Klopp but ended up with Szoboszlai

Would he have been the better fit for Arne Slot’s side?

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 2, 2024

كشف هشام آيت منا رئيس نادي الوداد المغربي، حقيقة المفاوضات لضم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو لاعب نادي النصر، للمشاركة مع الفريق المغربي في كأس العالم للأندية.

وسيشارك نادي الوداد المغربي في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية التي تقام في منتصف الشهر المقبل، بالولايات المتحدة الإمريكية، ممثلاً عن القارة الإفريقية بجانب أندية الأهلي والترجي التونسي وصن داونز الجنوب إفريقي.

ويوجد الوداد المغربي في المجموعة السابعة بكأس العالم للأندية 2025، مع أندية مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي ويوفنتوس الإيطالي والعين الإماراتي.

طالع | تقارير: الوداد يتعاقد مع صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوفه قبل كأس العالم للأندية

وقال هشام آيت منا خلال تصريحات عبر صحيفة “الاقتصادية السعودية: “النادي على استعداد لفتح أبوابه أمام كريستيانو رونالدو لاعب نادي النصر، للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، بشرط ترجيب النجم البرتغالي بالانضمام إلينا، دون شروط مالية ضخمة”.

وأضاف: “من المستحيل تحمل نفس قيمة راتب رونالدو الحالي مع النصر (نحو 16 مليون يورو شهريا)، لكن أهلًا به إذا أراد الانضمام إلينا في كأس العالم للأندية لأننا نعرف أنه نجم ليس هدفه حصد الأموال فقط”.

وأكمل: “إذا كانت لدينا فرصة 1 بالمليار للتعاقد مع رونالدو لخوض مونديال الأندية، فسنتحرك من أجلها”.

يذكر، أن عقد رونالدو ينتهي مع النصر بنهاية الموسم الجاري، ويتقاضى اللاعب 200 مليون يورو سنويًا كأغلى راتب في تاريخ كرة القدم.