Glasgow Rangers play their first Premiership game in 77 days on Saturday afternoon as they make the trip to Edinburgh.

Hearts are the opponents in the season opener and Philippe Clement will be hoping that the Ibrox side can make a perfect start to the 2024/25 campaign by taking all three points back to Glasgow.

The Belgian coach has just signed a new contract, keeping him at the Light Blues until 2028, cementing the fact he is all in on this project of rebuilding the club.

The next few weeks could be absolutely crucial. Not only does the league season begin, but the club face Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League qualification round, knowing that the riches of Europe’s premier club competition await if they manage to get through two rounds.

With nine summer signings, Clement has a few new players to choose from when it comes to picking his starting XI against the Jambos on Saturday – with Dujon Sterling seemingly the only confirmed absentee.

With that in mind, here's a look at who will get the nod to try and secure three points at Tynecastle…

1 GK – Jack Butland

The Englishman enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign at Ibrox, missing just one game throughout the entire 2023/24 season.

Overall, he kept 25 clean sheets in 58 appearances, filling the void left by the retiring Allan McGregor with ease.

The question is, can he build on this excellent debut year and get even better this season? He will certainly start against the Jambos.

2 RB – James Tavernier

Much has been made about Tavernier’s future at Ibrox during the transfer window, as there has been significant interest in the right-back.

Speaking in a recent interview, however, Tavernier claimed that he is “fully committed” to the cause this season as he attempts to lead the Gers to another league title.

During the 2023/24 campaign, the Englishman finished as the club’s top scorer, netting a remarkable 24 goals across 58 matches in all competitions.

Can he replicate these sorts of numbers this season? A solid start against Hearts could give him plenty of confidence.

3 CB – John Souttar

Following an injury-hit debut season at Ibrox, Souttar finally emerged as a key first-team player last term, making a total of 41 appearances for the club.

Clement clearly has plenty of faith in Souttar, as he and Connor Goldson were his main centre-back pairing throughout 2023/24.

With Goldson gone, however, Souttar will have to get to grips with a new partner, one who is a recent signing from FC Twente…

4 CB – Robin Propper

Following Goldson’s departure, it was clear the manager had to bring in at least one centre-back before the start of the season.

He didn’t take long to make his move, as Propper was announced on Thursday, joining the Gers from the Eredivisie.

The 30-year-old made 40 appearances for Twente last season, scoring three times in the process, and comes to Ibrox with high hopes.

His involvement this weekend is not guaranteed due to issues over paperwork, although if he does feature, a clean sheet against the Tynecastle side would be a wonderful start, that’s for sure.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

Like Souttar, Yilmaz endured a difficult debut season at Rangers. Having completed a solid pre-season last summer, he went on to make 33 appearances for the club, showing more consistency before an injury derailed his progress towards the end of the season.

Borna Barisic left the Gers at the end of last season, which means Yilmaz is the number one option at left-back heading into the new season.

Can he build on last season and continue to improve? Or will the pressure prove to be too much?

6 DM – Connor Barron

The youngster will make his first competitive appearance for the club following his arrival from Aberdeen on a free transfer.

He has plenty of potential and has acquitted himself well during pre-season and will surely be given a start against Hearts.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The Ivorian joined the club in January on an initial loan deal, before signing permanently this summer from FC Nordsjaelland.

The youngster scored twice during the second half of last season and has played well alongside Barron in pre-season.

If he can live up to his potential, Diomande could make the club a substantial profit, no doubt about that.

8 CM – Tom Lawrence

The Welshman scored twice against Union Berlin in the final friendly match of pre-season, showing Clement just how important he could be for the club this season.

Battling back from an injury-hit first 12 months in Glasgow, Lawrence played more regularly last season as Clement utilised his talents fairly often.

He registered six goal contributions in 32 games for the Light Blues throughout 2023/24. Improving on this could see him help the club to a league title this term.

9 RW – Vaclav Cerny

The Czech winger joins on a season-long loan deal from Wolfsburg as Clement finally added some quality to his wide options.

Last term, Cerny scored five goals in the Bundesliga, which wasn’t bad considering he started just 12 games in the German top flight.

He should go straight into the starting XI against Hearts – fitness permitting – giving Clement a dangerous threat from the right as he looks to cut through their defence.

10 LW – Oscar Cortes

The winger performed well during his first few games upon joining in January, but a season-ending injury in February derailed all his progress.

A positive pre-season will see him start the campaign on the left wing, and he could terrorise the Hearts' defence if he gets into his stride during the match.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na noite desta quarta-feira (6), o Sport recebeu o Juventude e venceu por 3 a 1, em partida válida pela 24ª rodada do Brasileirão. José Welison, Mikael e Chico fizeram os gols do Leão, enquanto que Paulinho Bóia descontou para o Ju. Com a vitória, a equipe pernambucana chegou aos 23 pontos e se aproximou do Santos, primeiro time fora do Z4. Já os gaúchos seguem com 27 e flertam com a zona da degola.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os resultados dos jogos

Agora, as duas equipes voltam a campo no próximo sábado (9), em partidas válidas pela 25ª rodada do Brasileirão. Às 16h30, o Sport recebe o Corinthians. Enquanto isso, o Juventude encara o América-MG, às 21h, em casa.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Começo estudado
Os primeiros movimentos na Arena Pernambuco não levaram muito perigo aos goleiros. Mais com a bola, o Juventude tentou criar mais pelos lados do campo, se utilizando da velocidade de Sorriso e Capixaba, como também das subidas de seus laterais.

Por outro lado, o Sport não mostrou criatividade na elaboração de suas jogadas. Tentando concentrar o jogo pelo meio, o time da casa esbarrou na forte marcação adversária e pouco conseguiu construir.

Chances aparecem
Depois do nervosismo inicial, as equipe começaram a criar chances efetivas de gol. O Juventude chegou duas vezes. Na primeira, Capixaba bateu falta em direção ao gol, e Mikael desviou contra o próprio gol com perigo. Pouco depois, Guilherme Castilho fez lance individual, invadiu a área e bateu por cima.

O Sport respondeu na mesma quantia. Depois de cruzamento mal tirado pela defesa, Hernanes soltou a bomba de fora da área, assustando Douglas Friedrich. Depois foi a vez de Ewerthon fazer lance individual pela direita e cruzar para o meio. Mikael se esticou todo, mas não completou para o gol por centímetros.

O tal do elemento surpresa
​As duas chegadas animaram o Sport, que começou a dominar o confronto. Não demorou muito para que a equipe fosse premiada com o gol. Everaldo recebeu pelo lado direito, Mikael saiu da área e puxou a marcação. O ponta cruzou na cabeça de José Welison, que apareceu de surpresa para cabecear para o fundo das redes.

Depois do gol, o Juventude se abalou e não conseguiu mais criar perigo ao gol adversário como vinha fazendo. Além disso, se viu de frente com uma defesa que se mostrou bem compacta até o intervalo.

Leão letal
​Com três mudanças, o técnico Marquinhos Santos fez com que o Juventude partisse para cima nos minutos finais e até criasse algumas oportunidades através de uma sequência de escanteios. Contudo, quem balançou as redes foi o Sport. José Welison lançou Mikael dentro da área. O atacante ajeitou o corpo e soltou a bomba para ampliar o placar.

O centroavante até fez o seu segundo gol no jogo logo depois, mas o lance foi impugnado, visto que ele estava impedido no lançamento de Hernanes.

Para quem não conseguia marcar…
​O gol do Sport foi mais um balde de água fria no Juventude. Mesmo assim, no segundo tempo, Paulinho Bóia chegou próximo de empatar ao tentar bater colocado e acertar o travessão. Depois disso, o Leão voltou a criar mais chances de ampliar o placar, mas Everaldo errou o alvo por pouco, e José Welison parou em Douglas.

Quem não foi parado foi Chico. O zagueiro apareceu no meio da defesa adversária em cobrança de falta e cabeceou alto, no canto esquerdo, sem chances para Douglas.

Diminuindo o prejuízo
​Com o 3 a 0 a seu favor, o Sport diminuiu o ímpeto e passou a administrar o confronto. Por outro lado, o Juventude buscou deixar a vantagem menos elástica no placar e conseguiu. Chico derrubou Michel Macedo na área. Com o pênalti marcado, Paulinho Bóia bateu cruzado e fez o gol de honra do Ju.

Depois de diminuir o placar, o Juventude passou por um momento difícil. O goleiro Douglas se chocou com Marcão, do Sport, e não conseguiu voltar ao jogo. Sem substituições a fazer, Marquinhos Santos colocou William Matheus no gol. Mesmo assim, o placar se encerrou em 3 a 1 a favor dos donos da casa.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SPORT 3 X 1 JUVENTUDE
​​​Local: Arena de Pernambuco, em São Lourenço da Mata-PE
Data/Horário: 06 de outubro de 2021 (quarta-feira), às 19h
Árbitro:Braulio da Silva Machado (SC)
Assistentes:Helton Nunes (SC) eThiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
Gols: José Welison (35’/1°T) (1-0), Mikael (3’/2°T) (2-0), Chico (23’/2°T) (3-0), Paulinho Bóia (34’/2°T) (3-1)
Cartões amarelos: Michel Macedo, Wagner (Juventude), Everaldo, Chico, Hernanes (Sport)

SPORT: Maílson; Ewerthon, Rafael Thyere, Sabino e Sander; Marcão Silva, José Welison e Hernanes (Pedro, aos 35’/2°T); Gustavo Oliveira (Chico, aos 17’/2°T), Mikael (Tréllez, aos 22’/2°T) e Everaldo (Paulinho Moccelin, aos 35’/2°T). Técnico: Gustavo Florentín.

JUVENTUDE: Douglas Friedrich; Michel Macedo, Quintero, Vitor Mendes e William Matheus; Dawhan, Jadson (Wescley, aos 0’/2°T) e Guilherme Castilho (Ricardinho, aos 27’/2°T); Sorriso (Wagner, aos 0’/2°T), Roberson (Castillo, aos 17’/2°T) e Capixaba (Paulinho Bóia, aos 0’/2°T). Técnico: Marquinhos Santos.

Dropped from the Test team to sort out his technique, Prithvi Shaw, leading the Mumbai senior team for the first time in place of the rested Shreyas Iyer, struck form in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.On Thursday, he converted his fifth List A century into a magnificent unbeaten 227 as Mumbai amassed 457 for 4 against Puducherry in a Group D fixture in Jaipur. The total is currently the fourth-highest List A score, just short of India A’s 458 for 4 against Leicester in 2018. Incidentally, Shaw featured in that game too, where he made 132 during the course of a 221-run opening stand with Mayank Agarwal.This makes Shaw just the eighth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (three double-hundreds), Karn Kaushal, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal to make a List A double century.This was Shaw’s second century in the tournament; the previous one, an unbeaten 105, coming four days earlier in a successful chase against Delhi.Shaw was equally well complemented by Suryakumar Yadav, who struck a 58-ball 133 during the course of a quickfire third-wicket stand of 201 that came off just 103 deliveries. Shaw batted through the innings, hitting 31 fours and five sixes. In response, Puducherry were bowled out for 224 in 38.1 overs with debutant legspinner Prashant Solanki picking five wickets.Mumbai, who went winless in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, currently top Group D with three wins in as many matches. Each of the group toppers qualify directly for the knockouts. Puducherry are already out of the reckoning, having lost each of their three games so far.

Aston Villa are enjoying a fitting summer transfer window after qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four Premier League finish last term, showing the requisite ambition.

Of course, Douglas Luiz had to be sold to Juventus in a PSR-centred sacrifice, while Moussa Diaby is also completing a £52m transfer to Al-Ittihad, but the club-record signing petered out after an electric start to life in the Midlands and would see a huge financial benefit collected.

Even further up the field, Jhon Duran's protracted exit saga with numerous clubs may well come to a head in the coming days, with West Ham United fighting to sign the powerful Colombian, 20, albeit unable to agree a deal with Monchi and Co.

Jhon Duran: 2023/24 Aston Villa Stats

Competition

Apps

Starts

Goals

Minutes played

Premier League

23

3

5

462'

Conference League

10

4

2

443'

UECL Qualifiers

2

1

1

83'

FA Cup

1

1

0

70'

Carabao Cup

1

1

0

45'

Stats via Transfermarkt

Duran's undoubted talent is tainted by erratic antics, with his capricious nature suggesting that his sale wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Emery's squad, built from togetherness and coherence.

Duran's exit would leave star striker Ollie Watkins isolated in the attacking rank, and thus moves are being made to sign an exciting successor.

Aston Villa transfer news

Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg has released an update on Aston Villa's pursuit of Hoffenheim forward Maximilian Beier, claiming that an offer has been made to the German.

Beier, 21, enjoyed a tremendous top-flight breakout campaign last season and is consequently earning the attention of some of Europe's biggest outfits – with Chelsea and invincible Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen also interested.

Villa have submitted a concrete proposal to Beier and his representatives but have not yet entered discussions with Hoffenheim. Still, with a €30m (£25m) release clause, this could be an affordable deal for an exciting Duran replacement.

How Max Beier would fit in at Aston Villa

Beier returned to Hoffenheim full-time one year ago after enjoying two years on loan with Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga, scoring ten goals across two league terms.

German Bundesliga: Top Scorers 23/24

Rank

Player

Apps

Minutes

Goals

1.

Harry Kane

32

2,843'

36

2.

Serhou Guirassy

28

2,214'

28

3.

Luis Openda

34

2,716'

24

4.

Deniz Undav

30

2,097'

18

5.

Maximilian Beier

33

2,435'

16

Stats via Bundesliga

It's fair to say that he has come on leaps and bounds since moving to top-flight level, finishing as the Bundesliga's fifth-highest goalscorer last season with 16 strikes from 33 outings – 29 starts.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 14% of forwards in the division for goals scored and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90, with his fleet feet allowing him to dart into space, latch onto passes and wreak havoc in the final third.

His pace and deft dribbling ability have earned him praise for his multi-skilled style, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even pronouncing him as "much more than just a goalscorer”, while having also been hailed as "incredibly fast" and "dangerous" by Hoffenheim director, Alexander Rosen.

Because of this dynamic ability, Beier could prove to be an excellent signing to enhance and fortify the fluency and cohesion of Emery's frontline, perhaps even striking a fine partnership with fellow Lions transfer target Joao Felix.

Imagine Max Beier & Joao Felix

Felix enjoyed a promising loan spell with Barcelona last season but is not set to complete a permanent transfer to Camp Nou given the La Liga giants' financial troubles.

The Atletico Madrid star, whose fractured relationship with Diego Simeone has seemingly precluded his chance of remaining at the Wanda Metropolitano, is on Villa's radar, with Portuguese outlet Record claiming that the player 'has his bags packed' in the eventuality that Villa do make their move in the coming weeks.

The Portugal international scored ten goals and added six assists across all competitions, with his La Blaugrana boss Xavi even describing him as the "difference-maker" after one influential performance.

Felix has long been criticised for his lack of prolificness despite an incredible level of technical talent, but he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90 following his efforts at Barca.

The 24-year-old's silky-smooth movements on the left flank could add quite the injection of flair and panache to Emery's system, perhaps even providing the skills to cement the club's exciting stature, succeeding in Europe and retaining their place in the Premier League's top-four.

Felix, moreover, has the kind of creative game that would enhance the attacking performances of Beier, with the Germany international only missing 11 big chances in the Bundesliga last season despite scoring 16 times.

To put that in perspective, Watkins, whose incredible goalscoring season fired the Villa toward newfound heights, but his 19-goal tally in the English top flight also saw 22 big chances squandered. That is an impressive rate of scoring but further underscores just how exciting Beier's addition to the fold might be.

And of course, Beier's quality as 'more than just a goalscorer' makes for the perfect supplementation for a player such as Felix, who found his feet in Catalonia last year and could now truly rise to the fore in England's Midlands, with his strike rate sustained by Beier's protean threat and Watkins' playmaking prowess, winning the Premier League's Playmaker of the Season award last year (with 13 assists).

There's work to be done with both deals, but if Villa, with the pull of the Champions League now at their ground, manage to pull both off, there's a real chance that last season's success could be trumped and then some.

Related Villa still keen on signing £55m "monster" who plays like Fabian Ruiz

Unai Emery is still keen on landing a long term target this summer…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jul 30, 2024

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are closing in on the first signing of the INEOS era, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd’s summer transfer window so far

The Red Devils are yet to make a marque addition ahead of the 2024/25 season, with Ratcliffe and INEOS’ only major decision in recent weeks being keeping manager Erik ten Hag. In fact, the Dutchman has now signed a new Old Trafford deal through until 2026 and said:

"I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.

"However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles. In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together."

The club have since added Rene Hake and former Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as assistant managers, with the only player signings so far coming at academy level.

Man Utd in pole position to sign £25m "menace" who starred at Euro 2024

The Red Devils have set their sights on another defender…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 12, 2024

Teenagers Silva Mexes, the son of former Cardiff and West Brom striker Rob Earnshaw, Australian James Overy, Reading’s Camron Mpofu and Crystal Palace gem Samuel Lusale have all either arrived or are close to arriving at Carrington, and it looks as if the Red Devils are now set to make their first major first-team signing under INEOS and Ratcliffe.

Man Utd agree Joshua Zirkzee deal

The main attacking target at Old Trafford in recent weeks has been Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee. The Netherlands international has been at Euro 2024 in recent weeks amid rumours over a move to Manchester, but it looks as if a deal is now set to go through.

According to transfer expert Romano in the last 24 hours, Man Utd will not pay Zirkzee’s €40m release clause, but instead, Ratcliffe and INEOS will pay a fee slightly more than that over three years.

Zirkzee has already agreed a five-year deal at Old Trafford, and Romano provided more details on Friday morning, including a meeting with Ten Hag, a €42.5m (£35.7m) fee and a medical being underway.

“Joshua Zirkzee day has started with medical tests for new Manchester United player. Face to face meeting with Erik ten Hag will follow then he's gonna sign contract until June 2029 with option for further season. €42,5m fee to be paid in three years to Bologna.”

Zirkzee now looks set to rival or play alongside Rasmus Hojlund, filling the void left by Anthony Martial, who departed as a free agent last month.

Any changes to the funding model in the sport would create vigorous debate and raise various concerns

Daniel Brettig17-Feb-2021

The BBL could be one area of the game that looks for fresh funding models•Getty Images

Australian cricket would join other sports looking to private equity investment, and the kind of commercial arrangement it maintained in the first 15 years after the World Series Cricket revolution, under one of several models being widely discussed in industry circles as administrators begin to think about the game’s next strategic moves.ESPNcricinfo has learned that private ownership of BBL clubs is just one of numerous private investment options currently being discussed, as administrators keep an especially close eye on events across the Tasman and the prospective involvement of Silver Lake in the commercial affairs of New Zealand Rugby.That model, whereby Silver Lake – an American technology investment firm currently managing funds worth about US$60 billion – has reportedly bid around A$450 million for a 15% stake in a new and separate entity to run the commercial affairs of NZR and the showpiece All Blacks brand, would be a 21st century version of the arrangement struck in 1979.Back then, Kerry Packer bought not just broadcast rights but essentially the entire commercial wing of the Australian Cricket Board, leaving decisions around how the game was sold in the hands of his company PBL marketing until 1994. PBL Marketing’s approach wrought enormous change to the game and its commercialisation, albeit on onerously cheap terms for Packer as the Board of the day, led by Sir Donald Bradman, had little understanding of broadcast rights value derived from advertising.The ACB reclaimed control of its own broadcast rights and marketing destiny 27 years ago, around the same time that the value of both areas began to climb sharply, leading to more than two decades of continuous success in the game’s commercial fortunes. The players have been among the greatest beneficiaries of this period.The third scenario that has been discussed, at least informally at state and CA board levels, would be for the commercial functions of the BBL to be farmed out in a similar manner to an entity separate to the governing body and sold in part to private equity. These types of arrangements would bring an additional injection of capital to Australian cricket at a time when Covid-19 and the current dispute with the free-to-air broadcaster Seven West Media have brought hitherto unseen pressure to bear, but also bring new ideas to the game’s administration.Any kind of move to a model where private equity takes a stake in CA’s commercial operations, in return for an upfront payment likely to be comfortably beyond the A$500 million range, would be bound to stir a major debate across the game and its followers, but is now closer to a serious discussion than at any time in the past decade or more. One of the chief concerns likely to be raised would be whether Australian cricket, having gone in an ever more commercial direction over the past 40 years, could improve its trajectory by moving still further that way.Other red flags would concern the loss of total control of the business of cricket to owners and entities primarily concerned not with growing the game itself but growing their returns on investment in it. That difference of perspective is likely to cause many a flashpoint about the balance between crickets three formats, and spending in areas beneath the top level. Such conflicts are familiar to followers of other sports that have been heavily financed by private investors.The IPL is the biggest example of private investment in cricket•BCCI

Silver Lake, for instance, have made long-term investments in UFC, the NBA’s New York Knicks, the NHL’s New York Rangers, and Manchester City, all sports and leagues far more steeped in private capital than anything in Australian sport, let alone cricket. Private ownership is best known in cricket through the prism of T20, and the extremely wealthy owners of IPL clubs in particular.In Britain a report by Oakwell Sports, who advised private equity firm CVC on its investment into Premiership Rugby, suggested that the ECB’s start-up costs for The Hundred would be significantly reduced if stakes in the teams were sold to investors by using a franchise model.While there has been widespread hesitance about private investment in professional sport in Australia, it is a concept that has long been championed by the likes of the Australian Cricketers Association director Neil Maxwell, its chairman Greg Dyer and president Shane Watson, who told ESPNcricinfo this week that the broad concept needed to be re-examined more than a decade after CA first looked into the idea of selling minority stakes in the Melbourne Renegades and the Sydney Thunder prior to the launch of the BBL.At the same time, more than a decade of increasingly corporatised thinking on the CA Board and its state association equivalents have left administrators looking ever more widely for fresh sources of cash to reinvest in the game. This is particularly so at a time when the previously exponential growth of broadcast rights value now appears finally to be plateauing after about 30 years of seldom going anywhere but up.New Zealand Rugby’s blueprint, currently being pitched to the game’s many stakeholders, calls for the setup of a new subsidiary, CommercialCo, to be wholly responsible for maximising the value of rugby’s commercial rights. In June last year, Rugby Australia confirmed similar discussions with another American private equity firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, about their possible involvement in the annual Super Rugby competition.”We’ve had good inbound interest from UK and American private equity firms and I’m very open to continuing those discussions at a Super Rugby level,” the RA chief executive Hamish McLennan told the . “The time is right to have these discussions as we look to alternate funding mechanisms for the game. Anything I can do to free cash up to reinvest in grassroots rugby will be good for the game.”CA is on much firmer ground than its rugby equivalent, but strategic discussions about the next major growth opportunities for the game are only set to ramp up over the next year given that the governing body’s own Australian Cricket Strategy runs from 2017 to 2022.

Barcelona and Brazil footballing legend Romario has praised Raphinha and hailed him as one of the best players in the world.

Article continues below

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• Romario calls Raphinha one of the best in the world
• Brazil ace has been phenomenal under Hansi Flick
• Has 22 goal contributions in 17 games for Barca this term

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona legend and Brazil's all-time great Romario has lavished Raphinha with praise, calling the forward one of the best players in the world. Raphinha has been in incredible form for the Catalans this season, in what has been a sensational turnaround for the club under new manager Hansi Flick.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raphinha was on the verge of being sold by the Catalans last summer. The 27-year-old arrived from Leeds United in 2022 and endured two underwhelming seasons under the tutelage of Xavi. After Xavi's sacking at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, Raphinha was among the club's list of potential sales to raise funds.

  Flick, who was announced as Xavi's successor, had other plans, though. The German manager immediately counted upon Raphinha and has transformed him into an immensely effective player, as proved by his return of 12 goals and 10 assists in 17 games for Barca.

  His displays have seen him become one of the first names on the team sheet under Flick, with Romario further claiming that Raphinha is among the very best players in the world.

• WHAT ROMARIO SAID

  “Barca now have a great team. They’ve won some good games and played well. I think we’ll be champions again this year,” Romario told Mundo Deportivo (h/t Barca Blaugranes).

  “Raphinha is one of the best players today. He is one of the best in the world. He does very well with the Barca shirt and he is also doing very well with the Brazilian shirt. Raphinha is a pride for all Brazilians, he will give us very special things in football.”

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RAPHINHA?

  Raphinha scored Brazil's lone goal in their frustrating 1-1 draw against Venezuela last week. The attention will now turn towards their next game in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers as they face a stern challenge from the in-form Uruguayans on Wednesday, November 20.

Los Blancos concede too many goals in big games, a glaring issue that their legendary Italian head coach needs to urgently address

So much of the attention around Real Madrid this year has focused on one end of the pitch – and with good reason. Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe playing up front together – and largely not making it work – has been headline news. There's drama, intrigue, and plenty of highlight-reel-worthy moments. Putting the two best left wingers in the world, in arguably the best team in the world, and asking one of them to completely transform the way they play is equal parts captivating and stupid. At its best, it looks like two brilliant virtuosos, working together in tandem. At its worst, it's youth football, children running around in the same spaces and screaming for the ball.

But Madrid are lucky, in a way. The elite players up at that end – toss in Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo for good measure – will inevitably figure out how to score goals. It might be a bit underwhelming to watch, or too dramatic for their own good, but Los Blancos will never have problems putting the ball in the net. The issue is, in fact, at the other end.

Madrid have only conceded 11 goals in La Liga, and a further seven in the Champions League, but they are frighteningly easy to cut through. And if they are to win anything – including the Spanish top flight they were supposed to run away with – then this all has to change. Madrid's leaky defence is culpable of collapsing at any given moment, and it needs to be fixed.

• The importance of balance

  It's worth noting, first, that this isn't just about having bad centre-backs, or some sort of glaring deficiency – although there are plenty of those. Football teams, these days, don't operate as a series of individuals. The best ones attack and defend as a team – with all 11 players involved at any given time. It is why, for example, Atletico Madrid tend to be so good defensively, while PSG's Mbappe-Neymar-Messi iteration was so bad.

  This all relies not only on effort, but also balance. It's a complex thing, that varies from club to club. Some press high, others drop deep. Most clubs will change over the course of a game, or vary their structure based on the opponent. The main problem for Madrid, right now, is there's no default setting. They loosely shift into a 4-4-2 when they don't have the ball but there are gaps to be found. The players don't move in tandem. Some press right away, others hesitate. Some, such as Mbappe, don't seem to know what they're supposed to do. The result is chaos, with gaps to be found everywhere – especially in transition. It's why Barca so comfortably cut them up in a 4-0 Clasico win last month.

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  Where's Kylian?

  Everything about Madrid this season will somehow link back to Mbappe. That is, of course, the risk they ran in signing him to a massive contract as a free agent. Madrid may be the biggest brand of a football club in the world, but Mbappe, the individual, will generate more clicks, and spur more analysis. When he does good things, Madrid will be praised. When he does bad things, they will be condemned.

  Unfortunately for Los Blancos, the good and bad have come in equal measure this season. It has long been a criticism of Mbappe that his off-the-ball work is insufficient. And for a long time, he has been so good of a finisher, creator and playmaker that it didn't really matter. At PSG, for example, he could effectively stroll through a season, get punished for his lack of work rate in the Champions League, and then point to his 40-plus goal campaign as evidence of his greatness.

  And fair enough. He is a generational talent. But when teams set up to beat you, there's no real hiding place. And Mbappe looks fairly clueless out there. There are basics entirely missing. He doesn't know when to close down his man, or when to drop. He can't seem to decide which passing lanes to cut out. And when Los Blancos are struggling, running back towards their own goal, Mbappe looks thoroughly unbothered. Luis Enrique, his former head coach at PSG, called all of this almost a year ago, crying out for Mbappe to help out in defensive areas.

  "I read that you liked Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan would grab his team-mates by the balls and defend like a madman. You have to set that example first as a person and as a player. You're a phenomenon, a world-class player. Not a doubt. But that's not enough for me. A true leader is someone who, when you can't help us with goals, because the other day you had two high-level players against you, you help us in everything that matters," he was filmed telling Mbappe before a Champions League tie with Barcelona.

  Safe to say, Mbappe didn't listen.

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  Too few bodies in midfield

  But Mbappe isn't the only party at fault here. Vinicius, too, can be a reluctant runner. Although he does possess a bit more tactical nous – and knows exactly howto defend under Ancelotti. More broadly, though, this is an issue of numbers. Madrid tend to play in some variation of a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-3-3. Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni tend to be locked in for the centre midfield spots, with Jude Bellingham as either an attacking midfielder or false nine.

  The solution to combating that – as teams have found – is to pack the midfield. It's what Barcelona did, altering their system slightly to effectively outnumber Los Blancos on the break. It's how Milan scored two of their three at the Bernabeu, and Lille bagged one of theirs in a shock Champions League win. It is worth noting, at this point, that none of these goals were scored by midfielders; it was either a winger or a striker putting the ball in the net. But it's a question of destabilisation. Get the ball into the middle, where you outnumber an opponent, shuffle the ball forward on the break, and then your real attacking threats can go to work. It's why Lucas Vazquez was at the mercy of Rafael Leao, or Ferland Mendy undone by Lamine Yamal. Find the gaps, exploit the space, and get it to the players that can change a game. Against Madrid, it can all be laughably easy.

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  The inevitable injury crisis

  In these situations, continuity is vital. When things are going wrong, it is invaluable for Ancelotti to be able to turn to the same group of players, and work with known quantities every week. In fact, if he had a consistent back four and midfield, some of these problems might be remarkably fixable. The issue is, injuries have hit Los Blancos hard.

  At the start of the season, the back four seemed sorted, with Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy making up one of the more formidable units in Europe. Throw in David Alaba – on the mend from an ACL tear – as a backup, and this was a very good group. Of course, things haven't worked out that way. Carvajal suffered a severe knee injury a couple of months into the season, which will rule him out for the year. Militao, too, tore his ACL in early November.

  Injuries elsewhere haven't been kind, either. Eduardo Camavinga tweaked his knee. Tchouameni sprained an ankle. Lucas Vazquez pulled a muscle. Even Thibaut Courtois has dealt with knocks. Piece it all together, and Ancelotti has to figure out how to rebuild with half of his back four out, and no consistency in central midfield.

“I learnt a lot during this time and due to that mistake Pakistan cricket’s reputation suffered badly”

PTI07-Jul-2021

Umar Akmal – “I ask for forgiveness from the PCB and from cricket fans around the world”•Associated Press

Pakistan batter Umar Akmal has apologised for not reporting corrupt approaches last year, which led to him being banned for 12 months.Akmal, 30, was last year suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not reporting spot-fixing approaches made to him before the start of the 2020 PSL.Related

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“Seventeen months ago, I made a mistake which caused damage to my cricket and career,” Akmal said in a video released by PCB on Wednesday as part of his reintegration and rehabilitation process. “I learnt a lot during this time and due to that mistake Pakistan cricket’s reputation suffered badly. I ask for forgiveness from the PCB and from cricket fans around the world.”Akmal admitted that the ban has been a “very difficult period for him”.”Some people approached me but I was unable to report the same to the anti-corruption unit, due to which I had to face a 12-month ban. I couldn’t play cricket despite being a cricketer.”I learned a lot during this time and today I confess before all of you that that mistake brought disrepute to Pakistan cricket.”