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Spending 179 and 159.2 overs on the field has led to them getting to a “breaking point”

Mohammad Isam01-May-2021The Bangladesh team reached a physical and mental “breaking point” on the third afternoon of the second Test in Pallekele, according to coach Russell Domingo. He was referring to the 179 and 159.2 overs they have been in the field over the two Tests against Sri Lanka with three rest days thrown in. Domingo however said that there were some soft dismissals as the visitors were bowled out for 251 – losing 7 for 37 – and ending the day behind by 259 runs.”The guys have spent so much time on the field in the last 4-5 days (over the two Tests),” Domingo said. “They are probably a little bit mentally fatigued after being in the field for 338 overs. It wears you down physically and mentally as a cricketer. It could be one of the reasons. Obviously, there were one or two soft dismissals.”All teams reach a breaking point. Our breaking point came this afternoon when we were batting. It has been a tough day for us. We have to try to be positive. There’s still a lot of cricket to be played. We have to make sure the guys are in a good frame of mind when we bowl tomorrow (Sunday).”Domingo also expects the less-experienced players in the line-up to make bigger contributions. And as part of that process, he wants to identify young players and back them. In return, he expects them to repay the faith to lessen the burden on the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim.”It is a batting unit that we need to support and identify roles for, and make sure get better,” he said. “There are six or seven batters who all need to contribute, and build partnerships. While Tamim has played really well, the focus shouldn’t be just on one particular player. We have some younger players who need to step up and put in big performances. We have to give them opportunities so that they can get to the levels of Tamim and Mushfiq in time to come.”The coach was also of the opinion that Iqbal should continue to bat aggressively upfront. The senior batter has scored four fifties in a row now, having shredded a slightly-conservative template.”In our particular line-up at the moment, we have four or five players who haven’t played ten Tests yet,” he observed. “There’s a lot of inexperience, so we need to encourage someone like Tamim to play positively, and take pressure off the younger players. Some of the younger players are not at east to express themselves, and play with that sort of intent.”Domingo also pointed towards Bangladesh’s previous Test series for inspiration, underlining how West Indies scaled their 395-run target in the fourth innings to win the Chattogram Test by three wickets.”We were part of an unbelievable Test match a few months ago, when West Indies chased down 387,” he said. “We know that we are way behind the game at the moment. We are under a lot of pressure. Sri Lanka are dominating at the moment. But if we can pick up early wickets, cause a little bit of jitters in the change room, you never know. Somebody comes out and plays a great innings. So we have to remain positive going into day four.”Did Bangladesh pick the best XI? Domingo certainly thinks so, despite the bowlers toiling away. “It is easy to say after three days of cricket that we picked the wrong team,” he said. “I don’t think we have (picked the wrong team). We have a balanced bowling attack, who we think can take 20 wickets. When we bowled on day one, there wasn’t much spin on offer. Obviously the wicket started to spin now, towards the end of day three. It was tricky for the batsmen.”

da marjack bet： Sunderland fans will be hurriedly counting down the days now until their beloved Black Cats do battle again in the Premier League.

da dobrowin： In an ideal reality, those of a Wearside persuasion love to have seen their high-flying team continue to play during the international break, instead of having to take an enforced pause.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris’ men find themselves in an uncharted fourth position in the Premier League table at the time of writing, which is some feat, considering the Frenchman has only just guided the Black Cats back up to the big time.

A huge part of their whirlwind success story so far has been Granit Xhaka, who is already being viewed as one of Sunderland’s most cherished figures of recent years.

How Xhaka compares to other Sunderland captains

Before delving deeper into Xhaka becoming an instant fan favourite at the Stadium of Light, he isn’t the only notable recent captain who plied his trade on Wearside.

Just last season, Luke O’Nien would bravely battle for the Black Cats all campaign long, donning the armband, with Sunderland’s former number one goalkeeper in Anthony Patterson, even going out of his way to hail him as a “leader.”

With three goals and 16 clean sheets under his belt, it’s clear why he was described in such glowing terms, with O’Nien arguably as important to his side’s promotion efforts, as Xhaka has proven to be in punching above their weight in the league above.

Other notable faces who have been given the weighty pressure of the Black Cats armband in recent years include John O’Shea, who made 256 appearances for the Wearside outfit, all of which came in the Premier League.

Of course, there was also the no-nonsense approach of Lee Cattermole, but not even his full-bloodedness for the cause, nor his six-goal contributions in the big time, could keep Sunderland from eventually slipping down to League One.

This is where Sunderland has undoubtedly hit the jackpot with Xhaka, with his £13m arrival through the door in the summer raising the standards of everyone around him, so much so that relegation already feels very unlikely.

The Swiss has also singlehandedly been a force to get Sunderland over the line in tense matches, too, with a goal fiercely put away against Everton at the start of November, securing a 1-1 draw, which was also collected off the back of the ex-Arsenal warrior, winning five duels to keep the Toffees at bay.

The concern will be that Xhaka, despite looking like a fine wine now, is 33 years of age, meaning he won’t be a long-term captain option.

Thankfully, Le Bris may already have a future captain on his hands.

Sunderland's future captain

While the majority of the talk so far this season has centred on the number of brand-new signings that have made the step-up to the Premier League look effortless, Le Bris should also be commended for what he’s managed to get out of stars who have been there since the club’s Championship days.

Wilson Isidor is already up to four Premier League goals after bagging 13 in the second tier last season. Moreover, Daniel Ballard has looked formidable in the heart of Le Bris’ defence when handed opportunities to shine, having been noted as a “diamond” for how much he puts his body on the line, early into his Sunderland career by his former Stadium of Light boss in Tony Mowbray.

In the here and now, much like Xhaka, he has become a dependable warrior for Le Bris to trust in, with the Northern Ireland international firing home that effort past David Raya last time out in league action to hand the hosts a shock one-goal advantage over top-of-the-table Arsenal.

His underlying numbers aren’t that far off the 33-year-old’s either, with his similar fight and passion, as Sunderland try to gain as many early-season victories as possible, standing him in good stead to succeed the midfield veteran as the Black Cats’ next dominant and assured captain.

Ballard vs Xhaka in 2025/26

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Ballard

Xhaka

Games played

9

11

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

0

3

Touches*

42.2

70.4

Accurate passes*

24.3 (83%)

44.9 (83%)

Clearances*

6.6

3.8

Total duels won*

6.6

6.1

Stats by Sofascore

Amazingly, despite starting just six Premier League games this season, owing to injury problems popping up, Ballard has trumped Xhaka notably in terms of duels won per match, with a mighty six won just against Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

He isn’t a million miles away in other areas, either, with Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley highlighting Ballard’s sharp rise to become a Premier League-calibre defender as “phenomenal”.

For the time being, the Black Cats will continue to rely on the experience and know-how of their Basel-born midfielder.

Still, the commanding number five is definitely a worthy heir to Xhaka’s intimidating throne.

Related Talks open: Sunderland willing to make record £70m offer for Barcelona star

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 10, 2025

Ashwin, Jadeja and a group of quality fast bowlers have made India near-unbeatable in home Tests, but it won’t last forever

Sidharth Monga19-Jan-2024Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed cussedly saw off 50 of the 150 overs England needed to bat out to save the Visakhapatnam Test of 2016-17. England went into the final day needing to bat out 90 overs with eight wickets in hand. An hour of intense interrogation of technique and luck later, England were two wickets poorer and still looking at having to bat out another 90 overs, or possibly more, because India had bowled 21 overs in that one hour. And there wasn’t a cloud in sight.Just imagine how dispiriting it can be to take a brief break after 21 overs of breathless concentration and application, of trying to keep out two of the greatest spinners of all time, and finding out you have actually not moved anywhere in terms of bringing down your target. That’s Test cricket in India. Or, to be more precise, just one hour of Test cricket in India.Related

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To travel to India and win a Test series is possibly the toughest challenge in competitive sport. In cricket it definitely is. It’s easier to win an ODI World Cup. There have been three of them since the last time a visiting team won a Test series in India. It’s easier to win a World Test Championship: the two WTC champions have not even come close to winning in India in their championship cycles.It has been more than 11 years since India lost a Test series at home, a period during which Australia have lost three at home, England two, New Zealand two and South Africa four. India’s domination has gone deeper than just winning series. There have been zero drawn series over this period, and only one has gone into its final Test still alive: against Australia in 2016-17, at the deep end of a long, exhausting season for India. In more than 11 years, India have lost just three home Tests, achieving a win-loss ratio of 12, nearly twice that of the next-best home team in this period, Australia.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis dominance is primarily down to two all-timers. It seems like an age ago when we questioned the future of India’s spin bowling in the aftermath of India’s last series defeat at home, against England in 2012-13. R Ashwin kept getting cut frequently, averaging 53 in that series. Ravindra Jadeja had just made his debut as a batting allrounder at No. 6. These were spinners who had already made themselves names in the IPL. We worried who would carry India’s proud spin legacy forward.More than a decade later, we are looking at two of Indian cricket’s greatest match-winners, who have shown the craft, the fitness, the longevity and the hunger for excellence to make India the most formidable force at home in the whole of Test history. Captains have changed – three full-time ones – and coaches – four of them – have come and gone, but these two have remained the constants.They have played 49 Tests together, taking exactly 500 wickets between them in those Tests at an average of a little over 20 and an economy rate of well under three. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh took 501 together.Forty of the 49 Ashwin-Jadeja Tests have come at home. In these matches a wicket has cost India nearly 19 runs less than it has the opposition. That’s only a little over half the story. The real cheat code is for bowlers of this ability to have averaged nearly 40 and 22 with the bat in these Tests, on consistently testing, result-oriented surfaces.ESPNcricinfo LtdOppositions have sometimes managed to compete to the extent of having India four or five down at a similar score to theirs, but that’s when the worms almost always start diverging. India’s spinners maintain the intensity for longer with the ball, and they make more runs with the bat.There have been duos more prolific (Vaas and Murali with 895 wickets together), more versatile (McGrath and Warne with 1001), more storied (Wasim and Waqar with 559), more intimidating (Ambrose and Walsh with 762), or more enduring (Broad and Anderson with 1039), but none of them have featured two allrounders helping free up an extra bowling position. Ashwin and Jadeja have been so good it should be illegal.It can be argued that these two have been so good that at least three of the countries they travel to have started preparing pitches that eliminate their whole discipline of bowling. In the recently concluded series in South Africa, the hosts didn’t bowl a single delivery of spin. New Zealand has historically been a tough place for spinners, and England is moving more and more towards pitches that hardly need spinners, especially when India are visiting.Because India have a good fast-bowling attack to go with these two great spinners, the pitches in India don’t eliminate the fast bowlers as drastically. Nearly a third of the 852 wickets India have taken at home during this dominant period belong to fast bowlers. No other venue offers so much to its team’s weaker suit.ESPNcricinfo LtdWeaker they might be compared to the spinners, but India’s fast bowlers have been far superior to the visiting pacers in these conditions. If India’s spinners have been roughly 20 runs per wicket better than those of the visitors, the fast bowlers are not far behind with a difference of 17 runs per wicket. This is what happened when, for once, Australia’s Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe matched India’s spinners in 2016-17. The fast bowlers proved to be the difference.Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav have been phenomenal at home. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma have been more than serviceable when they’ve featured. Jasprit Bumrah has hardly played at home, which might be a relief to oppositions because he averages less than 16 here. Mohammed Siraj has the attributes that should make him a dangerous bowler at home.ESPNcricinfo LtdWe must celebrate and cherish this dominance because not long from now a team will come to India with two exceptional spinners and a sturdy pace attack, and will catch the hosts in transition and put an end to the greatest series-winning streak at home.There are already signs that the dominance is waning. India last clean-swept a series of more than two Tests back in 2019. They have lost two Tests over their last four home series, after going 12 series with just one Test defeat. They registered their narrowest win since 2013 – even if it was by six wickets – last year. In the last home series, the unimaginable happened when they won a toss on a square turner and still lost the Test.The bowlers England bring to India this season don’t have the pedigree that Australia’s did in 2022-23, but their new style of batting might pose a challenge to a great duo that is showing signs of wear and tear. Bangladesh and New Zealand will visit later in the year. India cannot take this year for granted, but we will have seen some enthralling cricket if they have stretched their series-winning streak at home to 19 by the end of it.

Batsman takes over from Joe Denly as Sam Billings’ deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2021Daniel Bell-Drummond has been appointed as Kent vice-captain, taking over from Joe Denly as Sam Billings’ deputy.Bell-Drummond, 27, joined Kent 20 years ago, rising through the club’s age group and academy system before making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2011.He has stood in as captain on 22 occasions already, including eight Vitality Blast matches last season, winning five and finishing the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 423 runs at an average of 42.30 and strike rate of 154.94.”I have always worn the Kent shirt with pride, and to now make the next step up into a vice-captaincy role is something I am really looking forward to,” Bell-Drummond said.Related

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Paul Downton, Kent’s Director of Cricket, said: “In all spheres of sport, it’s always heartening to see a homegrown player develop into a leader in the dressing room, which ‘DBD’ has definitely done. Whilst Sam Billings remains our club captain, when Daniel has had the opportunity to captain the side in Sam’s absence, he has done so with a calm authority; and this has made him the obvious choice to be promoted to vice-captain of the club.”I’d also like to thank Joe Denly for his time as vice-captain. Joe remains a leader in the dressing room, both on and off the field, and continues to have a huge appetite to score a lot of runs for Kent.”Denly lost his white-ball contract with England when the ECB announced its centrally contracted players for 2020-21 last September. He has spent time over the English winter with Brisbane Heat in the BBL and PSL side Lahore Qalandars.Kent open their Championship campaign against Northamptonshire on April 8 and Bell-Drummond will have the opportunity to lead his side early in the season while Billings, currently touring India with England’s white-ball squad, is at the IPL with Delhi Capitals.

Cristiano Ronaldo has surprisingly called on Irish fans to boo him as the Portugal superstar is ready for a hostile reception during the World Cup qualifying clash in Dublin. The talismanic forward has never shied away from pressure, and this time, he was asking for it as Portugal gear up to seal World Cup qualification against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.

• Ronaldo ready for the jeers

  The five-time Ballon d’Or winner knows what to expect in Dublin. Back in 2021, when Portugal were last hosted by Ireland in a tense goalless draw, he was met with a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball. It didn’t rattle him then, and it seems it won’t now. Ronaldo’s longevity has kept him at the heart of the Selecao squad, and the Irish supporters, who are unrelenting in their passion, are expected to create another feverish atmosphere. However, Ronaldo, is expected to feed off that energy.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  'Let them boo'

  Speaking on the eve of Thursday’s match, Ronaldo addressed the anticipated reception with a mixture of humour and defiance.

  "The stadium will boo me, I'm used to it, I certainly hope they do, maybe it will take the pressure off other players," he told reporters. "What I want most is to enjoy myself. It's not decisive but almost, we know that with a victory, we qualify. We want to finish it off now."

  Ronaldo might come across a familiar face in Ireland’s assistant coach, John O’Shea, as the pair were team-mates at Manchester United for six seasons. 

  "Well, if I see him around," he said. "Of course he was a guy that I play so many years together. I have a very good relationship with him, not only him, but some Irish people. I have some relations, and it's good." 

  Then, with a wink, he added: "I repeat, I hope that no boo again against me tomorrow. For me, it's it's a pleasure to come in to play here again. I swear that I'm gonna try to be a good boy."

• Ronaldo expecting Ireland to park the bus

  Ireland’s defensive resilience frustrated Portugal in 2021, and it will take creativity and patience to break through again. Ronaldo knows exactly what kind of game to expect as he said: "I think the game will be quite the same in Lisbon. Of course, they play with their supporters on their side. They will be more exciting, the fans and everyone, but in terms of tactically, I think we'll be kind of the same. I think they're not going to push too much forward. They're going to wait for us tight, defend very tight and play counterattack. I think we'll be kind of similar the game, but we are prepared. We know it's going to be tough because physically they are very strong, but we should do our game and try to win the game."

  Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson is wary of Ronaldo's threat and said: "The statistics speak and answer that question. He is still scoring goals and breaking records. One of the reasons why they are such a unique attacking team is his desire to score goals. They will deliver crosses, they will try to find him all of the time. Most teams when they are winning, they would cool the game down, but Portugal want to score more goals and he is one of the reasons why this Portuguese team is a unique attacking team."

  Ronaldo also acknowledged the comments made by the coach about his continued value to the national team and said: "In a way, I agree. I know when I'm an asset, I know when I play well and when I don't. The quality of the game must always prevail. These are just words. What I want is for us to qualify."

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• Getty
  

  A final push toward qualification

  Ronaldo’s history in Dublin isn’t all about jeers and boos. In 2021, after the goalless draw, one young Irish fan, Addison Whelan, then 11, dashed past stewards and sprinted across the pitch to reach her idol. Instead of irritation or anger, Ronaldo embraced her and handed her his match jersey. 

  "I was literally delighted. I couldn't believe it because I didn't think I'd make it," she said. "It was just a second but I gave him a hug and told him I was a huge fan and he said he appreciated that and he gave me his jersey."

  However, this time, Ronaldo’s focus is on business. Portugal know a win in Dublin secures their place at the World Cup. Failure to do so would shift the pressure to their next fixture against Armenia at home.

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da realbet： O Flamengo terá novo desfalque em meio à disputa da Copa Intercontinental. Matheus Cunha foi liberado pelo clube para acompanhar o nascimento do filho e voltará ao Brasil. Ele deixa Doha, capital do Catar, na madrugada desta quinta-feira (11), à 1h30 (horário local, 19h30 de quarta-feira no horário de Brasília).

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da bet esporte： ➡️ Com brilho de Arrascaeta, Flamengo sofre, mas vence Cruz Azul e avança no Mundial

Desta forma, o goleiro não estará à disposição para o duelo com o Pyramids, do Egito, pela Copa Challenger — a semifinal do Mundial. Ainda não foi definido se, em caso de classificação rubro-negra, o jogador retornará ao Catar para enfrentar o Paris Saint-Germain.

Sem Matheus Cunha, as únicas opções do Flamengo para a meta são o titular Agustín Rossi e o jovem da base Dyogo Alves. O regulamento não permite a inscrição de novos atletas ao longo da competição e, portanto, o grupo ficará com 25 jogadores.

continua após a publicidadeProvável despedida de Matheus Cunha no Flamengo

Matheus Cunha está de saída do Flamengo e defenderá o Cruzeiro na próxima temporada. O goleiro, cujo vínculo com o Rubro‑Negro termina no próximo dia 31, assinou pré-contato para defender o clube mineiro a partir de janeiro.

Assim, a provável ausência do jogador de 24 ano pelo restante da Copa Intercontinental marca o fim do ciclo dele na Gávea. Promessa das categorias de base do São Paulo, o Matheus Cunha foi trazido para o Flamengo ainda no sub‑20 e chegou a atuar como titular sob o comando de Jorge Sampaoli. Ao total, foram 55 partidas com o Manto Sagrado.

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Former South Africa captain wants the team to play their best attack, comprising five match-winning bowlers

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Dec-2022With South Africa still figuring out their best XI for the Test tour of Australia, former captain Graeme Smith believes they should stick to an “aggressive mindset” and play six batters and five bowlers.”I’d like to see South Africa back their six batters,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “I think there’s always that fear because the batting has been weak. They’ve always looked to play the extra batter. Maybe that can be a defensive mindset and not an aggressive mindset. I’d like to see them take an aggressive mindset.Related

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“You’ve got Lungi Ngidi, you’ve got Marco Jansen. You’ve got [Kagiso] Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and you’ve got Keshav Maharaj, who are all outstanding Test bowlers and can really win you games single-handedly. Work on the batters, get the six batters to bat in partnerships and get totals. If you get the totals you want, bowlers can win you games. And South Africa should pick the bowlers who can win you games.”South Africa’s Test captain Dean Elgar had suggested they were still “in a bit of debate” about playing an extra batter to lengthen their line-up. South Africa are presently second in the World Test Championship table, but their batters haven’t been racking up big numbers in the last few years. Since the start of 2020, they have had just six centuries in 19 games, the fewest among the teams part of the WTC. In their previous Test series, which they lost to hosts England 2-1 in August-September, they had just one batter among the top five run-getters. They also got bowled out under 200 four times in that series.Smith also said South Africa needed to focus on building partnerships. They have had just nine century stands in the last two years, which is again the fewest among the nine teams that are part of the World Test Championships.”If you can get those partnerships together over 100-150, you start to make an impact on the team’s innings. I think when you’re under pressure, you tend to focus on yourself and the pressure just grows, how you can work together as a batting unit to post totals there in Australia is going to be key. You obviously need some of your big players to perform well and take the pressure off the youngsters.”South Africa’s bowling continues to remain their biggest strength. Their bowling average of 24.94 is the second lowest while their strike-rate of 46.7 is the best among the Test-playing teams in the last two years.Among the standouts in this department has been Rabada, who’s been their kingpin across formats. Among the bowlers to take 50-plus wickets since 2020, only his team-mate Nortje has had a better bowling strike rate than him. Rabada is the only fast bowler who was part of South Africa’s successful Test tour of Australia in 2016, when he took 15 wickets in six innings.”The thing about KG is that he’s the center piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said•Getty Images

Ahead of this tour, however, Rabada admitted that the amount of cricket being played was a concern and that it needs to be “managed”.”The thing about KG is that he’s the centre piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said. “But it’s about producing enough talent that you can afford to rest a player here and there. At the moment you know in a World Cup, and a big tour to Australia, he has to play his roles there. And also as he gets more experience, he will learn to manage himself and stay focused on what’s important.”With Elgar saying his side was prepared for a “feisty” series against the current No. 1 Test team, Smith, who has been part of three bilateral tours to Australia, said South Africa should solely focus on competing on the field.”I think whenever you tour Australia you got to be prepared for being in someone else’s country for a period of time. Crowds.. and the players playing the game hard so definitely you’ve got to be mentally prepared. I think the key is always playing good cricket. It’s the only way that I’ve found over the years, having lost really badly once and won twice, if you can play really good cricket and you turn everything around and the home team gets under pressure. So I hope that South Africa focus on their performances, in particular their batsmen. There is some talent in the bowling ranks, [but] if the batters can get some runs in Australia it gives you a chance to beat them.”The first of three Tests between Australia and South Africa starts on December 17 at the Gabba in Brisbane,

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da bet sport： O Palmeiras conquistou um classificação heroica na Libertadores ao bater o Atlético-MG, nos pênaltis, após ter dois jogadores expulsos no tempo normal. E o responsável para marcar o gol da vaga na semifinal foi o zagueiro Murilo, que destacou a força mental do grupo para sustentar a desvantagem numérica e levar a melhor na decisão.

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Em entrevista na zona mista do Allianz Parque, o zagueiro explicou como o time se reajustou em campo após perder Danilo, no primeiro tempo, e depois Gustavo Scarpa, no segundo. Segundo o defensor, tudo depende da concentração e de seguir as orientações de Abel.

-É se manter focado, com a cabeça boa, sempre a cabeça fria, para quando essas coisas acontecerem a gente estar sempre concentrado, ligado, isso é o fundamental, é o que a nossa equipe sempre vem mantendo, sempre mantendo o foco e no alto nível – disse Murilo.

-É um conjunto de coisas, a inteligência dos jogadores, todos aqui no Palmeiras são de alto nível, então isso é fundamental para quando ele (Abel) chama já para organizar rápido, quando volta do intervalo, o que ele fala para a gente cumprir muito bem e hoje a gente fez isso, todos cumpriram muito bem taticamente, dando a vida, o máximo dentro de campo, para ir para os pênaltis e poder classificar.

Ficou a cargo de Murilo a responsabilidade de bater o último pênalti da decisão, logo após Weverton defender a cobrança de Rubens. De acordo com o zagueiro, já havia a confiança de que o goleiro pegaria.

-Eu estava muito confiante que o Weverton ia pegar ali, graças a Deus foi um antes de eu bater, então eu fui confiante, fui tranquilo para quando chegasse o momento, eu finalizasse e deu tudo certo.

Contratado no início desta temporada para reforçar o setor da zaga alviverde, Murilo se tornou titular absoluto ao lado de Gustavo Gómez e, mesmo chegando em um grupo que está há muito tempo junto, ele se sente em casa vestindo a camisa do Palmeiras.

-Me sinto em casa, me sinto muito bem de poder estar aqui, vestindo a camisa do Palmeiras, com todo esse grupo, esse elenco, que me recebeu muito bem. Cada vez eu faço mais amizade, me sinto mais próximo deles e isso é fundamental dentro e fora de campo.

O Palmeiras volta a campo neste sábado, às 19h, para enfrentar o Corinthians, na Neo Química Arena, pela 22ª rodada do Brasileirão. Na Libertadores o Verdão aguarda o vencedor do confronto entre Estudiantes x Athletico-PR, que duelam nesta quinta, na Argentina.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been carrying a niggling groin injury for some time, but a new problem means the Englishman is now facing some time out.

Cole Palmer forced off in 2-1 Chelsea defeat to Man United

Enzo Maresca’s frustration was evident during an afternoon to forget at Old Trafford last Saturday, with their 2-1 loss away to Man United made worse only by Palmer’s haunting groin issue.

It is a problem that has plagued the Blues’ superstar player for some time.

Palmer has been carrying it since the start of 2025/2026, forcing him to miss their wins over West Ham and Fulham, with the ex-Man City sensation only getting around half an hour of match action in their 2-2 draw at Brentford.

The 23-year-old got on the scoresheet against Keith Andrews’ side, and scored a stunning goal on the counter-attack in Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League – all whilst playing with a groin injury.

Speaking in his latest pre-match press conference before Chelsea take on Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup, Maresca said it is a problem being monitored day by day, but was quick to quash fears that Palmer might need surgery.

Now, as per journalist Simon Phillips, there has been a new update on Palmer’s condition, and it doesn’t make for pretty reading.

Cole Palmer suffers "new" injury to groin as Chelsea dealt blow

Writing via his Substack, the reporter claims that Palmer has suffered a “new” injury to the same groin that has been plaguing him non-stop this season, and he now faces several weeks on the sidelines.

The prospect of surgery also isn’t completely ruled out.

Phillips also stated that Chelsea have been managing his groin with painkiller injections before each game, and the forward started having further problems in that area late on in the Bayern game.

Despite this, Maresca started Palmer last Saturday, and it is a decision which the Blues will be ruing.

Sources have apparently made clear that he shouldn’t have participated in Manchester, and at the worst, Palmer could miss some crucial clashes.

Lincoln City (A) – EFL Cup

Brighton (H) – Premier League

Benfica (H) – Champions League

Liverpool (H) – Premier League

Nottingham Forest (A) – Premier League

Ajax (H) – Champions League

Sunderland (H) – Premier League

Tottenham (A) – Premier League

Chelsea will also regret not signing Xavi Simons in the summer window after being hijacked by Tottenham, with Maresca arguably in need of a quality playmaker alternative amid Palmer’s reoccurring struggles.

Arsenal have fortified some major areas of weakness this summer in the hopes of finally becoming Premier League champions following back-to-back-to-back second-place finishes.

Mikel Arteta’s side fought off a number of suitors in the race to sign lethal Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres. Gyokeres bagged the opener in Sunday’s pre-season clash with Athletic Bilbao, but the club are already looking at bringing in more players who can supply him with even more chances.

One of those players is Crystal Palace’s FA Cup-winning attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, who has been linked with a move north of the Thames, but he’s not the only attacker still on Andrea Berta’s shortlist, with the Italian sporting director renowned for pursuing several targets at once.

Arsenal and Inter Milan face off for Lookman

Over the last month, Sports Witness have covered reports from Italy about Arsenal’s interest in former Premier League forward Ademola Lookman. Lookman is seen as a backup if they fail to sign preferential targets or if Leandro Trossard completes a move away from the club.

However, Arsenal are not the only team interested in the Nigeria star, and they face competition from Inter Milan. The report adds that both clubs are somewhat wary of the other’s interest and may act to secure Lookman’s signature before he can be tempted by the other.

Inter have already submitted a bid of around £39 million, but Atalanta have turned this down in the hopes of receiving a better offer, with the reports suggesting Berta could hijack the deal with a bid closer to £44m.

Lookman's post-Premier League development

Fans only familiar with Lookman’s time at Everton may question why Arsenal are looking at him as a player who could turn them into title contenders, as his tenure in the league was far from illustrious. However, since his move abroad, he has developed year-on-year into a formidable forward.

Goal Involvements (All Competitions)
	Goal Involvements
2019/20 – RB Leipzig	0
2020/21 – Fulham (Loan)	8
2021/22 – Leicester City (Loan)	14
2022/23 – Atalanta	21
2023/24 – Atalanta	26
2024/25 – Atalanta	26
Stats Via FotMob

Lookman’s only full season at Leipzig was one of the lowest points for his career, registering 0 goal involvements across all competitions. However, since then, he has improved his numbers year on year to the point where he finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings and won African Footballer of the Year in 2024, cementing himself as a “world-class” player.

Last season, he matched his 2023/24 record of 26 goal involvements but did so in five fewer appearances after suffering a knee injury. Based on his goal involvement to game ratio last season, if Lookman hadn’t been injured, he would have likely been involved in another three goals, which would have resumed his six-season run of continuous improvement.

At 26 years old, Lookman has developed into the finished product that will be able to come into either the Arsenal or the Inter side and immediately lift those around him, and that is likely why Berta is considering him.