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Leg spinner runs through host’s middle and lower order to boost Glamorgan’s title hopes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025

Mason Crane took 5 for 12 in 41 deliveries•Luke Adams via Lancashire Cricket

Glamorgan 261 and 95 for 2 (Carlson 43*, Anderson 2-20) vs Lancashire A career-best 6 for 19 by Mason Crane led a superb bowling effort from Glamorgan that has put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy after two days at Emirates Old Trafford.Having been bowled out for 261 in their first innings of this Rothesay County Championship division two promotion battle, second-placed Glamorgan hit back strongly to dismiss fourth-placed Lancashire for 137 before reaching the close on 95 for 2 in their second innings to lead by 219 runs.The day turned Glamorgan’s way during a dramatic afternoon session following the introduction of Crane into the attack. The leg spinner ran through the Lancashire middle and lower order after producing an outstanding 10.3 over spell from the James Anderson End that was chiefly responsible for the hosts losing their last seven wickets for 30 runs.Anderson, on his 43rd birthday, took two early wickets in one over when Glamorgan began their second innings but a steadying partnership of 71 between Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson has the visitors well-placed to push home their strong advantage tomorrow.Following a delay of one hour due to rain, Lancashire took just eight deliveries to wrap up the Glamorgan first innings for the addition of one run to their overnight score of 260 for 8, Tom Bailey trapping Crane lbw for 9 and Anderson having Ned Leonard caught behind for 4.In testing, seaming conditions Asitha Fernando had early reward trapping Luke Wells lbw for 2 and it took some determined and, at times, dogged batting from Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon in a partnership of 45 to prevent further damage to the Lancashire reply.It took a superb one-handed catch by Asa Tribe at bat-pad to dismiss Jennings for 28 off spinner Ben Kellaway shortly before lunch and Glamorgan made further inroads soon after the break, Fernando rewarded for a fine spell when having Bohannon lbw for 32.The introduction of Crane into the attack transformed the afternoon as the leg spinner produced a devastating burst of 5 for 12 in 41 balls on a wicket that has taken spin from the start to put the visitors firmly in charge.If the first of the five was a touch fortunate, Marcus Harris hitting a full toss to Kellaway at mid-on for 30, the rest were a result of some excellent leg spin that the Lancashire batters failed to master.Phil Salt edged behind for 8, Matty Hurst (21) top-edged a sweep that deflected off wicketkeeper Chris Cooke to Colin Ingram at slip, Chris Green drove a catch back to the bowler for 2 while Tom Hartley was lbw three balls later.That left Lancashire reeling on 132 for 8 by the tea interval and Glamorgan wrapped up the innings five overs after the break when Fernando gained a third lbw verdict against Bailey and Crane took his sixth after George Balderson chipped to Kiran Carlson at midwicket.Leading by 119 runs, Glamorgan lost Zain ul Hassan bowled for 12 shouldering arms to Anderson who then took a smart, tumbling catch off his own bowling five balls later to dismiss Tribe for 11.Northeast (26 not out) and Carlson (43 not out) steadied matters with their unbroken partnership during the final hour of the day to leave Glamorgan in a strong position going into day three.

The Baltimore Orioles had their season come to an abrupt end on Wednesday when they lost to the Kanas City Royals, 2-1, in Game 2 of their American League wild-card series. It's the second straight year they've been swept from the playoffs and it was their 10th consecutive postseason loss.

Not great.

The Orioles had a chance to take control of Game 2 when they loaded the bases in the fifth inning but then they self-destructed in brutal fashion. The worst moment came when Colton Cowser struck out on a pitch that hit him.

This was a brutal way to go down swinging:

MLB fans crushed him for that:

It is fair to say that the end of the summer transfer window did not go exactly to plan for Celtic in their attempts to bolster the attacking options in the squad.

Brendan Rodgers wanted to add more firepower to his frontline by bringing in a new number nine, whilst he also allowed Adam Idah to leave to sign for Swansea.

The Ireland international scored 20 goals in all competitions for the Hoops last season, per Transfermarkt, and his exit left Johnny Kenny and Shin Yamada as the only natural strikers at the club.

Unfortunately, Celtic were unable to bring a new centre-forward to Parkhead on deadline day. Instead, they signed Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer the day after deadline day, and he has scored three goals for the club to date.

The Nigeria international has scored one goal from open play, along with two penalties, and missed four ‘big chances’ in six appearances so far, per Sofascore.

Celtic did make a signing on deadline day, though, as they brought Sebastian Tounekti in from Hammarby for a fee of around £5m, and he has hit the ground running in Glasgow.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Sebastian Tounekti

Typically, crowds love to watch exciting wingers who take their man on and make things happen with the ball at their feet, because it creates excitement and gets fans off their seats.

Tounekti is that sort of winger. The Tunisia international could be described as fearless in the way that he is willing to try and try and try again to dribble past opposition defenders.

He completed five of his eight attempted dribbles and created four chances for his teammates against Kilmarnock, per Sofascore, on his debut for the club in the Scottish Premiership last month.

The 23-year-old star, who scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup against Partick Thistle, has completed 14 dribbles in five appearances for the club in the Premiership and the Europa League to date.

He has been an electric figure on the left flank for the Scottish giants with his ability to whiz past opposition full-backs with ease to get into promising positions in the final third.

Sebastian Tounekti

5

14

James Forrest

9

11

Benjamin Nygren

9

7

Daizen Maeda

9

5

Colby Donovan

4

4

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti has the most completed dribbles of any player in the Celtic squad, despite playing four fewer matches than the three players who are closest to his tally.

One thing that you may notice about that table is that summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who is a winger, does not make it into the top five at the club for completed dribbles.

That is because he has not completed a single dribble in five appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been a bit too timid with the ball at his feet so far for the Bhoys.

Whilst that suggests that he is unlikely to follow in Tounekti’s footsteps as an exciting and dynamic wing wizard, Rodgers does have another Celtic player who can get supporters off their feet with exciting wing play.

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Jota suffered an ACL injury in May against Dundee United that ruled him out of action for up to nine months, which means that the Hoops may not have him back until the second half of this season.

Once the former Rennes and Al Ittihad star does return to the field at Parkhead to play for Rodgers, though, the manager could have another Tounekti at his disposal.

Why Jota is the original Tounekti

The Portuguese starlet signed for, left, and rejoined Celtic before Tounekti arrived in Glasgow on deadline day at the start of September, but is currently on the sidelines because of his injury.

Jota produced 25 goals and 23 assists in the Premiership and European competitions across his two seasons at the club under Ange Postecoglou’s management, which attracted interest from Al Ittihad.

The electric forward joined the Saudi Pro League side for a fee of £25m in a move that was a blow for the Scottish giants, because he was their most exciting attacking outlet.

1

Jota – 1.7

Jota – 1.5

2

Tom Rogic – 1.6

Alexandro Bernabei – 1.5

3

Mikey Johnston – 1.3

Anthony Ralston – 1.0

4

Anthony Ralston – 0.9

Reo Hatate – 0.8

5

James Forrest – 0.9

Greg Taylor – 0.8

As you can see in the table above, Jota was the most prolific dribbler in the squad in both of his first two seasons at Parkhead with Postecoglou in the dugout, which shows that he was the original Tounekti.

Of course, the Portugal international returned to Celtic in the January transfer window this year, joining from Rennes, and he hit the ground running at the start of his second spell in Glasgow.

The 26-year-old star scored four goals and provided two assists in 11 Premiership appearances in the second half of last season, whilst completing 1.6 dribbles per 90, per Sofascore.

Jota, who pundit Michael Stewart described as a “game-changer” who “raises the bar”, gets fans off their seats in anticipation because he takes defenders on and makes things happen in the final third.

Along with his dribbling skills, the Portuguese talent also has the output, with his return of goals and assists, to give supporters the belief that he will score or create a goal when he gets the ball in dangerous positions.

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Celtic may have their next Callum McGregor in the making in their academy system.

ByDan Emery Oct 9, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers will be patiently waiting for Jota to be available for selection once again, because the manager will then have two electric and exciting wingers to select on the flank in Tounekti and the former Benfica star.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians liberou o zagueiro Murillo para viajar para a Inglaterra e acertar com o Nottingham Forest. O atleta, portanto, não foi relacionado para o duelo desta terça-feira (29) contra o Estudiantes, da Argentina, em La Plata, que marcará a volta pela fase de quartas de final da Conmebol Sul-Americana.

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No último domingo (27), o Timão chegou a um acordo com o clube inglês em relação à venda do defensor por 13 milhões de euros (R$ 68,9 milhões, na cotação atual), mais 3 milhões de euros (R$ 15,9 milhões) a serem recebidos em um futuro próximo, caso o jogador cumpra metas. O valor foi pelos 80% dos direitos econômicos que o clube do Parque São Jorge detinha. O jogador e seu estafe permanecem com os 20% restantes.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

O camisa 34 chegou a ser relacionado e ficou no banco de reservas no empate do Timão com o Goiás pelo Brasileirão, que aconteceu no último sábado (26). Na ocasião, as negociações com os ingleses já aconteciam, mas ainda havia detalhes para o fechamento, que ocorreu no dia seguinte.

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Murillo esteve no CT Joaquim Grava na manhã desta segunda-feira (28), mas não participou do último treinamento do elenco profissional antes das quartas de final da Sul-Americana. O jogador da base apenas se despediu de seus companheiros de equipe e também dos responsáveis por sua formação.

O zagueiro chegou ao Corinthians em 2019 para integrar o time sub-17. Antes, ele passou pela base do São Caetano, ECUS Suzano, São Bernardo e União Barbarense. A saída do atleta para o Nottingham Forest teve muito a ver com a vontade do jogador de atuar na Premier League. Antes disso, o Timão já havia recusado investidas da Fiorentina e do Napoli, ambos da Itália, pelo atleta.

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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has been a curious player since joining from Real Sociedad in 2024, and it is now believed he could depart the Gunners just two years after his arrival.

The Spain international’s best performances under Mikel Arteta have arguably come up front, with Merino doing extremely well in an emergency striker role last season in the absence of both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

His match-winning goals against Chelsea and Leicester City, alongside a late equaliser against Liverpool in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Anfield, were crucial in helping the Gunners comfortably secure Champions League qualification.

The Premier League title race was out of sight by that point, but Merino’s fantastic contribution amid their dire lack of striking options will always be remembered fondly by supporters .

However, since dropping back into midfield, the 29-year-old hasn’t quite been as effective at times.

During Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League earlier this week, Merino struggled in what was an ‘Odegaard-style’ role — seeing the ball even less than goalkeeper David Raya in what was a 4/10 display.

Minutes played

90

Touches

40

Accurate passes

21/28 (75%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

0

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Ground duels won

2/6

Aerial duels won

3/7

Possession lost

11x

Fouls

3

Both Rice and Merino lost the ball combined 25 times against Bilbao too, and proved ineffective creatively against Liverpool prior to the international break.

This all being said, it is only the very start of 2025/2026, and Merino’s started just three games in all competitions, making this latest claim on his future come as quite a surprise.

Arsenal preparing £70m Oihan Sancet bid as Mikel Merino could leave

According to a Spanish media source, Merino could leave Arsenal next summer, and sporting director Andrea Berta is already preparing a bid to sign Athletic Bilbao sensation Oihan Sancet to come in his place.

Interestingly, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder was one of the Bilbao players to seriously impress against Arteta’s side on Tuesday, following a dazzling 2024/2025 campaign where he netted 17 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.

Arsenal are believed to already be preparing a £70m bid for Sancet as they look to seal his signing in 2026, despite having just spent over £250 million on new recruits, including a deal for England playmaker Eberechi Eze.

Oihan Sancet would be another statement signing for Arsenal

The fact he only has four Spain international caps is testament to the abundance of quality in Luis de la Fuente’s squad, and signing Sancet would come as yet another statement deal by Berta.

His goal return from midfield last term was up there with the very best in Europe, with teammate Yeray Alvarez calling him a “game-changer”.

MatériaMais Notícias

No jogo de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, o América-MG saiu na frente do Corinthians. A equipe mineira fez valer o mando de campo e bateu o Timão por 1 a 0, na Arena Independência, na noite desta quarta-feira (5). Juninho, ainda no primeiro tempo, foi o autor do gol da vitória. Os corintianos empilharam chances para empatar, principalmente no segundo tempo, mas pararam em uma ótima atuação do goleiro Mateus Pasinato.

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Mesmo tendo feito uma boa segunda etapa, a derrota aumenta a pressão em cima do técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo, que chegou à nona derrota em 17 jogos, tendo um aproveitamento de 31,3% à frente da equipe alvinegra.

O confronto de volta acontecerá no próximo dia 15 de julho, um sábado, na Neo Química Arena. O América tera a vantagem do empate. Vitória por um gol de diferença levará a decisão para os pênaltis. Não existe critério de gol fora de casa.

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No entanto, as duas equipes têm a missão de fugir da zona do rebaixamento no Campeonato Brasileiro. Ambos entram em campo neste sábado (8), pela competição nacional. O Coelho visita o Coritiba, no Paraná. Já o Timão, jogará novamente em Belo Horizonte, mas dessa vez contra o Atlético-MG. As duas partidas acontecerão às 18h30 (horário de Brasília).

+ Transforme qualquer TV em Smart e assista aos jogos do seu time do coração quando quiser!

CORINTHIANS COMEÇA MELHOR…

Com uma forte marcação e ganhando o meio-campo, o Corinthians começou melhor na Arena Independência, em Belo Horizonte. Foram sete desarmes, todos eles certos, no primeiro tempo, por exemplo. E a boa postura defensiva fez com que o Timão saísse para o jogo e criasse as melhores oportunidades nos primeiros 20 minutos de partida. Na primeira, Róger Guedes invadiu a área pelo lado direito, mas não finalizou com força. Ainda assim, obrigou o goleiro Mateus Pasinato a fazer grande defesa. Depois, o garoto Gabriel Moscardo, que caiu nas graças de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, aproveitou o rebote deixado pela zaga americana e, na entrada da área, encheu o pé e mandou com perigo, mas por cima do gol..

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…MAS O AMÉRICA SE ANIMA E ABRE O PLACAR

Aos poucos, o América-MG foi organizando e criando as oportunidades, sendo a maioria protagonizada com o capitão Juninho, que viria a ser muito importante para o Coelho ainda na etapa inicial. Na primeira chance criada pelo meia, ele aproveitou a bola rebatida por Moscardo, após uma tentativa de tabela, e na sequência finalizou para fora, mas com perigo. Depois, Benítez arriscou de fora da área e obrigou uma grande defesa do goleiro Cássio.

Foi na terceira que a equipe mineira abriu o placar, e com Juninho. Lucas Kal acionou o camisa 8, que saiu da marcação de Gil e bateu cruzado, vencendo Cássio. O goleiro corintiano pulou atrasado em uma bola que era defensável.

AVELAR PERDE GOL INCRÍVEL

Logo no início do segundo tempo, o América teve grande chance de ampliar o resultado em um lance que começaria e terminaria com ex-corintianos. Everaldo lançou Juninho, que saiu na cara de Cássio e rolou para a pequena área, encontrando Danilo Avelar que, mesmo com o gol vazio, mandou para fora.

!TRABALHA PASINATO!

Após abrir o placar, o América-MG ficou mais confortável até o fim do primeiro tempo. O Coelho se fechou e esperou o Corinthians, que naturalmente tem dificuldades com a bola no pé. Até o fim da etapa inicial, o Timão chegou apenas duas vezes ao ataque, ambas na individualidade do atacante Róger Guedes e que pararam em boas defesas do goleiro Mateus Pasinato.

Mas foi no segundo tempo que o goleiro brilhou. Foram, pelo menos, cinco defesas muito difíceis, três delas na sequência. Entre os 28 e 30 minutos da etapa final, Pasinato brilhou em finalizações de Matheus Araújo, Biro e Róger Guedes. Antes, no início do segundo tempo, ele já havia parado Fausto Vera e Yuri Alberto. A trave também foi vilã do Corinthians, já que parou um grande chance de Róger Guedes, já próximo ao fim da partida.

AMÉRICA TEVE CHANCES DE AMPLIAR, MAS NÃO CONSEGUIU

Mas, embora o Corinthians tivesse jogado melhor no segundo tempo, o América também teve as suas chances de ampliar o marcador, ambas com Pedrinho. Nas duas, o goleiro Cássio defendeu.

LUXA PRESSIONADO

O Corinthians chegou ao seu 17º jogo comandado pelo técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo. E a derrota para o América foi a nona do treinador, que tem somente 31,3% de aproveitamento. A Copa do Brasil é uma das prioridades colocadas para o segundo semestre, junto com a fuga da zona do rebaixamento. Na boca do Z4 e com a possibilidade de ser eliminado na competição mata-mata deixa a situação do técnico próxima da insustentável.

FICHA TÉCNICA
AMÉRICA-MG 1 X 0 CORINTHIANS
COPA DO BRASIL – QUARTAS DE FINAL – JOGO DE IDA

Local:Arena Independência, Belo Horizonte (MG)
Data e hora:5 de julho de 2023, às 21h30 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS)
Assistentes:Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correia (FIFA/RJ) e Kleber Lucio Gil (SC)
Árbitro de vídeo:Wagner Reway (VAR-FIFA/PB)
Público e renda:
Cartões amarelos:Marlon (América-MG); Gabriel Moscardo e Adson (Corinthians)
Cartões vermelhos:-

GOLS: 1-0 Juninho (31’/2T)

AMÉRICA-MG
Mateus Pasinato; Marlon, Iago Maidana, Éder e Danilo Avelar (Nicolas, 20’/2T); Lucas Kal, Juninho, Martínez (Wanderson, 32’/2T) e Benítez (Pedrinho, 12’/2T); Everaldo (Felipe Azevedo, 32’/2T) e Mastriani (Aloísio, 12’/2T). Técnico: Vagner Mancini.

CORINTHIANS
Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Murillo e Fábio Santos; Fausto Vera (Maycon, 32’/2T), Gabriel Moscardo e Ruan Oliveira (Matheus Araújo, 19’/2T); Adson (Biro, 19’/2T), Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes. Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Liverpool had more salt rubbed into their wounds after a cheeky Crystal Palace supporter decided to troll them following his side's 2-1 Premier League victory on Saturday afternoon. The Reds' misery was compounded as their team bus was initially unable to drive away from Selhurst Park following their first defeat of the 2025-26 campaign.

Liverpool second-best in loss to Palace

In a match which saw goalkeeper Alisson make a number of brilliant saves, Liverpool were second best as they came unstuck against high-flying Palace. The Eagles took the lead from a corner when Ismaila Sarr – so often the scourge of Liverpool – converted from Ryan Gravenberch’s fluffed clearance. Arne Slot’s side have scored a number of late goals so far this season and they got another through substitute Federico Chiesa, but Palace snatched all three points late on when Eddie Nketiah, also a substitute, converted from a long throw in stoppage time.

AdvertisementWATCH: Cheeky Palace fan trolls Liverpool bus after the game

And in the aftermath of the affair, Liverpool were prevented from leaving Palace’s ground when one fan decided to hold up their team bus. In a video which has since been widely shared across social media, the supporter decided to kneel down in the middle of the road and tie his shoelaces, to the delight of his fellow Palace fans. Liverpool’s coach was eventually able to head down the road but only after a painful delay amidst a chorus of jeers from the home supporters.

Palace last unbeaten side in Premier League after downing Liverpool

Palace fans are understandably in great spirits at the moment following their side’s excellent start to the season. Oliver Glasner’s men are now the only unbeaten side in the top flight having won three and drawn three from their opening six league fixtures. Palace also defeated rivals Millwall in the third round of the Carabao Cup earlier this month and they are due to get their Conference League campaign under way against Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday. The south London club qualified for the competition after defeating Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged qualifier.

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Liverpool have still made an excellent start despite Palace loss

Despite suffering their first defeat of the season against Palace, Liverpool have also made a terrific start to the season. The Merseysiders have won five of their six league games contested, against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, Burnley and Everton, while they also defeated Atletico Madrid and Southampton in the Champions League and Carabao Cup respectively.

Elisabeth Terland was at her clinical best on Thursday night to fire Manchester United into the Women's Champions League proper for the first time, her hat-trick haunting former side Brann and giving the Red Devils a 3-0 win which rendered last week's 1-0 loss in Bergen meaningless.

A lack of ruthlessness condemned Marc Skinner's side to defeat in Norway but there was no such concern in the home leg, with Terland scoring twice inside the first 13 minutes to ease the nerves and put United in total control early on. The first was a gift from Ingrid Stevenik, the Brann defender who scored the only goal in Bergen, but the second was all about Terland's quality header – and the equally brilliant corner delivery by Julia Zigiotti Olme.

It looked like a hat-trick was going to elude Terland, though. She hit the base of the post just before half time and then had a goal ruled out shortly after the resumption, though the call of a foul against her certainly looked harsh. No matter, as the Norwegian certainly wasn't going to give up and she got her reward just past the hour mark, when another excellent finish made it 3-0 and ensured United will be in Friday's league phase draw, ready to make their debut in the Women's Champions League proper for the first time next month.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Leigh Sports Village…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10):

  Had very little to do for the most part, but was assured on the ball and in collecting crosses.

  Jayde Riviere (7/10):

  Did plenty of good work at both ends of the pitch.

  Maya Le Tissier (7/10):

  Great on the ball and made one of the most crucial interventions any United defender needed to on the night, intercepting a good pass from Gaupset just before it put Eikeland through on goal.

  Dominique Janssen (7/10):

  Good in possession and positioned herself well to be relatively untroubled defensively.

  Anna Sandberg (7/10):

  Got forward plenty to be a real asset in attack. Covered well when needed, too.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Julia Zigiotti Olme (8/10):

  Ran the show in midfield with a classy display.

  Hinata Miyazawa (7/10):

  Did a lot of work off the ball that can go under-appreciated but is so important.

  Ella Toone (6/10):

  Sometimes hesitated with her final decision but most of United's best attacking moves went through her in the first half.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Jess Park (6/10):

  Had some lively moments in another encouraging performance.

  Elisabeth Terland (9/10):

  Deadly in front of goal and fully deserving of her hat-trick.

  Melvine Malard (6/10):

  Quieter than most would've expected her to be, given her excellent form, but did cause Brann some problems still.

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  Subs & Manager

  Gabby George (6/10):

  Slotted in at left-back solidly as she builds her minutes back up after a knock.

  Fridolina Rolfo (7/10):

  A really lively introduction, with her nearly creating one goal and scoring another just minutes after being introduced.

  Lisa Naalsund (N/A):

  Injected energy into the game and filled in admirably at right-back as United saw the game out.

  Rachel Williams (N/A):

  Made her injury return in the final minutes, replacing Terland to allow the Norwegian to have the ovation she deserved, too.

  Marc Skinner (7/10):

  Didn't change much after what was actually a good performance in the first leg and his XI delivered the result he trusted them to. Subs injected new life into the game to squash any momentum for Brann.

Travis Head made a positive 89 but the home side’s hopes were forlorn from the start and it was over shortly after tea

Tristan Lavalette25-Nov-2024Completing a remarkable turnaround, India wrapped up a famous Test victory at Optus Stadium with a 295-run victory over Australia in a one-sided result set to cause aftershocks in the latest tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.The result was essentially a formality throughout the fourth day despite counterattacking knocks from Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. India’s deserved victory was official just after tea when Harshit Rana knocked over Alex Carey as they drew first blood in the five-match series.Related

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'Be nice, be disciplined, have no fear' – How Bumrah masterminded India's Perth rout

Jaiswal raises a ceiling that was already sky high

It was a memorable performance from India, who drew on a heroic effort from stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah. He claimed eight wickets for the match, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli produced outstanding centuries in India’s second innings to decimate a flagging Australia.India had largely been written off after an unprecedented 3-0 home whitewash against New Zealand. They entered the series-opener without having played an official match on tour and were shorthanded without captain Rohit Sharma and injured batter Shubman Gill.Under intense pressure, coach Gautam Gambhir made the right moves and the brave selection calls, which included veteran spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being left out, were vindicated.Bumrah, particularly, deserves a lot of credit for galvanising a new-look team and he led from the front with a mesmerising spell late on day one to haul India back into the match after they had been bundled out for 150 having won the toss.Usman Khawaja fell to a miscued hook•Getty ImagesThere is set to be recriminations for Australia, who underwhelmed in their first Test since March’s New Zealand tour. There will be questions raised over the limited preparations of a number of players.Australia’s misfiring top-order will be particularly under the spotlight, especially No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne who scored 5 runs in the match to continue a lengthy form slump.Having started so well on the opening day, Australia’s bowling wilted in India’s second innings with captain Pat Cummins enduring a rare off match. Cummins had not played a red-ball match since March, preferring his series build-up through three 50-over games in the lead-up, and he finished with the modest match figures of 3 for 153 from 40.4 overs.Australia appeared flummoxed with the changing conditions of the pitch, which was spicy on day one before flattening out for most of day two and three. Cracks did widen as the match wore on and created up-and-down bounce to make batting difficult on the fourth day.Resuming at 12 for 3, after a disastrous start amid the shadows late on day three, Australia confronted an India attack eyeing to finish things off quickly.Australia’s hopes of chasing down a record 534 runs were forlorn but they aimed to at least muster some spirit which had seemingly been broken over the last couple of days.After a golden duck in the first innings, having returned to his favoured No. 4 position, Steven Smith fronted up to his nemesis Bumrah, who on the first ball of the day’s play had a loud lbw appeal turned down although in an anti-climax it was a no-ball.Travis Head edged behind for an excellent 89•Getty ImagesSmith was relieved when he got off the mark on his fourth delivery with a trademark drive through the covers. But Australia’s woes reared in the next over after opener Usman Khawaja fell off the first short ball of the day’s play when he top-edged quick Mohammed Siraj and was caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant running back.Having had lbw issues recently, Smith made a technical adjustment and his trigger movement was not as pronounced as in the first innings when Bumrah pinned him in front of the stumps. Smith still faced a battle and copped a painful blow in the ribs from debutant quick Rana that left him on his back and in agony.He bravely continued batting and combined well with Head, who backed his aggressive instincts and counterattacked as they produced Australia’s first half-century partnership of the match.India dried up the scoring for Smith with Bumrah packing the legside with fielders as pressure built. Smith’s 60-ball resistance ended when he nicked off a superb back of a length delivery from a pumped-up Siraj that straightened off the seam and caught the edge.After a tough return to bowling, where his modestly-paced seamers were treated with disdain on day three by India’s batters, Marsh hoped to finish his home Test match strongly.He was all at sea before the lunch break and hit on the gloves several times but managed to hang in. Marsh and Head, who both entered the match with a limited build-up having been on paternity leave, made batting look relatively easy after the interval in a time of day that had been the best for batting through the match.Head motored towards a century and as per usual attacked any width and continually flayed through the offside, while Marsh struck several lusty aerial blows in a speedy half-century partnership.But Bumrah returned and he produced a superb back of a length delivery that caught Head’s edge on 89 and prompted impassioned celebrations from Kohli.Marsh also missed a milestone when on 47 he chopped on to allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who capped an impressive debut with his first Test wicket.Mitchell Starc was sharply held at short leg, giving Washington Sundar his first wicket of the match, and it wasn’t long before India claimed a victory they will savour for some time as the pressure starts to intensify on Australia.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he wants to add more players to his attacking arsenal before the end of the summer transfer window.

Speaking after the 1-0 win over St Mirren, the Hoops boss said: “It’s just about improving. There’s areas that we want to improve in the forward line. That’s something that we hope we can do over these remaining weeks.”

The Scottish Premiership champions kicked off their defence of the title with a win, thanks to a late goal from Luke McCowan, but it was far from an assured performance.

There were some underwhelming performances from a number of Celtic players across the park on Sunday, and one of those flops was Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Celtic need to sign a new right winger

After selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como, the South Korean forward appears to be the first-choice right-wing option for the Hoops, and he does not look ready for that responsibility.

Yang is a very capable and useful squad player for Celtic to have, as evidenced by his return of six goals and six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions last term.

The 23-year-old forward has not shown that he can deliver outstanding quality on a consistent basis, though, and failed to register a single shot, completed dribble, or chance created in almost an hour against St Mirren.

Yang did not take his opportunity to show that he can be the replacement for Kuhn, which is why the club should be pushing to bring in a new right winger to allow Rodgers to ditch the South Korea international from the starting XI.

Calcio Mercato recently reported that Celtic are interested in an ambitious loan swoop for Liverpool outcast Federico Chiesa, alongside Premier League side Fulham.

Why Celtic should sign Federico Chiesa

The Italy international, who is reportedly on £150k-per-week wages at Anfield, would come in as a big upgrade on Yang and allow the manager to drop the current Hoops forward down to the bench.

Chiesa, who was described as a “top-level player” by commentator Seb Hutchinson, only made 14 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool last season, starting once in the Premier League, which means that it is difficult to judge him on his time in England.

The 27-year-old star’s form for Juventus in the 2023/24 campaign, prior to his move to Anfield, though, suggests that he could be a terrific player for Rodgers to call upon.

xG

6.43

Top 32%

Goals

9

Top 23%

Shots on target

27

Top 14%

xA

5.58

Top 3%

Chances created

54

Top 3%

Crosses completed

40

Top 3%

Assists

2

Top 38%

As you can see in the table above, Chiesa caught the eye as both a goalscorer and a creative threat across 33 outings in the Serie A for the Old Lady that term.

The Italian forward scored more goals (nine) in one of Europe’s major leagues than Yang has managed in over two years at Celtic in all competitions (seven), which speaks to the gap in quality between the two right-sided attackers when it comes to scoring goals.

Chiesa, who scored 32 goals during his time at Juventus, could thrive if given regular game time as a loan signing for the Scottish giants, after a year of riding the bench for Liverpool.

The Italy international thrived as a regular for the Old Lady in the 2023/24 campaign and could get back to his best, providing a regular threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, by coming in to replace Yang as a starter at Parkhead.

It is not an easy deal for Celtic to do, though, as he is a full international who has proven himself in one of the best leagues in Europe, in Italy, so is likely to have plenty of suitors, including the aforementioned Fulham.

If the Scottish giants can find a way to agree a deal with Liverpool and convince Chiesa to make the move, though, then Rodgers can ruthlessly ditch Yang from the starting XI.