Bangla bash: Rumana Ahmed (left) and Khadija Tul Kubra in Belgaum, on their tour of India•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Beat two-time runners-up (Pakistan): check Beat six-time winners (India): check Qualify for maiden Asia Cup final: check Heading into the tournament, Bangladesh were labelled underdogs likely to pull off an upset or two. On Saturday, with their 70-run rout of Malaysia in the last league game, they surpassed last edition’s runners-up Pakistan on the points table and set up their maiden appearance in an Asia Cup final, where they will take on defending champions India.On the penultimate day of what has been a momentous week for the side, in which they consigned both Pakistan and India to big-margin defeats, Bangladesh strangled hosts Malaysia to 60 for 9 in 20 in their 130-run defence. Vice-captain Rumana Ahmed starred with the ball, picking her second three-for of the tournament, after a 59-run opening stand between Player of the Match Shamima Sultana and Ayasha Rahman hoisted Bangladesh to 130 for 4.While Bangladesh have preferred to chase mostly, Salma Khatun’s decision to bat found validation in Sultana’s 54-ball 43 that complemented Rahman’s 31 off 27. After Winifred Duraisingam, the medium-pacer, separated the duo in the 10th over, Sultana stitched together a 27-run second-wicket partnership with Fargana Hoque. Duraisingam’s second strike, in the 16th over, however, ensured Hoque’s contribution was limited to seven.A huge swell of impetus to the Bangladesh innings came via the 36 runs Sanjida Islam and and Fahima Khatun added at over 10 runs per over. Sanjida smashed 15 off 12 while Khatun peppered three fours en route to her 12-ball 26.In reply, only three batsmen in the Malaysia line-up managed double-digit scores. Duraisingam top-scored with a 35-ball 17 as two run-outs, coupled with Ahmed’s 4-1-8-3 which proved too strong for the opposition to muster a fight against. Malaysia’s slow-paced surrender ended in a ninth wicket for the Bangladesh attack, in which five of the six bowlers employed returned at least one wicket each.
What to do with Rasmus Hojlund? On one hand, the Dane is a talented young striker who cost Manchester United a sum of £72m in 2023; on the other, he flattered to deceive across the 2024/25 campaign, wholly unconvincing.
Ruben Amorim took the wheel of a sinking ship when he replaced Erik ten Hag last November, but there’s no denying the Portuguese tactician failed to get the desired tune out of his Red Devils troops.
United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. The whole team lacked fluency and confidence, but Hojlund did himself few favours, scoring just three goals across 32 league games, averaging only one shot per game, as per Sofascore.
His woes have led to the expectation, or at least anticipation, that he will be offloaded this summer, and while Inter Milan have registered their interest this summer, talks are on standby; Jason Wilcox, technical director at Old Trafford, is unsure whether he will be signing off the 22-year-old’s departure, who reportedly wants to stay put.
While Hojlund’s future remains up in the air, it’s clear that INEOS and Amorim are congruent in their view that a new, high-performing centre-forward is needed.
Let’s have a look at the latest.
The latest on Man Utd's striker search
They started with Liam Delap. Man United were very much among the clubs interested in the Ipswich Town striker after his side’s relegation from the Premier League, thus unlocking his £30m release clause.
But it was Chelsea who activated the clause and added him to their ranks.
Still, United’s signing of Cunha and prospective transfer for Mbeumo could redefine Amorim’s frontline, and therre are other number nines who could be enticed by this resurgence-chasing team.
Sadly, it doesn’t look like that striker will be Viktor Gyokeres, who is on strike at Sporting Lisbon as he looks to engineer a move to Arsenal, which is now entering the final stages according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners’ shortlist came down to two, and they can’t have both. Therefore, a door has been opened for United to make a stunning swoop.
Man Utd in contact for new striker
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Man United are among the contenders for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who is valued at €90m (roughly £78m).
It’s that substantial price tag which effectively ended Arsenal’s long-standing interest in the Slovenia international, instead pushing ahead with the deal for Gyokeres.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
It may prove to work out just fine for the Red Devils, though, for Sesko’s camp have made contact with United as they look to secure the 22-year-old the high-profile transfer he craves.
However, Wilcox will need to work swiftly if he’s to lift the mood on the red side of Manchester, with Bailey confirming Liverpool and Newcastle United are also informed on Sesko’s situation.
Why Man Utd must sign Benjamin Sesko
Sesko will be aware that signing for Man United this summer would mean a season without continental competition. But then Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe last term, and the Devils have ambitious plans that the rangy forward would help realise.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
Described as “the new Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Sesko’s clinical nature, his pace and his physicality all combine to offer similarities to the game of Manchester City’s world-class goalscorer.
Sesko might not be as complete as Gyokeres (yet), but he’s the making of a world-class striker, with analyst Ben Mattinson even saying earlier in 2025 that he has a “superior profile” to the Sweden star.
It might not look like that at face value, with Gyokeres scoring 97 goals and supplying 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, winning the Liga Portugal in each of his two terms.
Furthermore, the 27-year-old proved his quality in the Champions League last year, dispatching a stunning hat-trick against Manchester City while under Amorim’s wing.
But Gyokeres is no spring chicken and has yet to compete in one of Europe’s top five divisions. Sesko, however, is competing in a tougher league, with less dominance to exert his authority.
Thus, it could be surmised that the Slovenian would produce a lofty tally of his own, were he playing as Sporting’s number nine in Portugal.
Matches (starts)
31 (17)
33 (30)
Goals
14
13
Assists
2
5
Touches*
19.1
30.7
Shots (on target)*
1.5 (0.8)
2.1 (0.9)
Big chances missed
8
10
Pass completion
67%
68%
Big chances created
1
5
Key passes*
0.4
0.6
Dribbles*
0.5
1.2
Duels won*
2.5
4.1
Clearly, passing isn’t his strong suit, but Sesko’s strength and movement as a frontman are things to be admired, having made real headway across the physical aspects of the game.
He’s getting better and better, and it’s certainly intriguing to note that only 18 big chances have gone begging across his past two Bundesliga campaigns, having scored 27 goals.
In fact, Sesko’s 39-goal, eight-assist return for Leipzig, across two seasons, has come over just 87 matches in all competitions, 62 of which came from the outset.
With Matheus Cunha and hopefully Bryan Mbeumo too flanking Amorim’s central striker at the Theatre of Dreams next season, Sesko would have the experienced, Premier League-proven teammates to bolster him and help him realise his potential.
And that potential is vast. Who knows whether Sesko would hit the ground running – or Gyokeres, for that matter – but Amorim is looking to turn Old Trafford back into a hothouse for development and success, and Sesko could be the perfect man to lead the line for many years to come.
The new Carrick: Wilcox racing to sign "incredible" £86m CM for Man Utd
Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign a midfielder who could be their next Michael Carrick.
The spinners did the job for Afghanistan once again, leading them to an 81-run victory
The Report by Ankur Dhawan22-Aug-2018Getty ImagesA second consecutive fifty from Hazratullah Zazai helped the visitors mirror their total of 160 from the first match, before Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan broke the back of Ireland’s chase to script a seventh straight T20I win for Afghanistan over them.The win by 81 runs equalled Afghanistan’s second-largest victory margin in the format, and rendered the final T20I of the series a dead rubber. It also meant Ireland were shot out for their fourth-lowest T20I total: 79.For a while it looked like a change in team and strategy would bring about a change in Ireland’s fortunes, when they stifled the run-flow and snaffled early wickets in the Powerplay. That is, until Zazai awoke from a stupor and muscled his way to a 54-ball 82. There was quite a similarity in the way the two teams started off with the bat – finding themselves 8 for 2 – but what separated them was Zazai’s sustained power-hitting and Afghanistan’s bowling depth.The inclusion of the experienced Boyd Rankin, who had recovered from a back niggle, and the introduction of spin in the Powerplay propped up Ireland early on. Rankin’s penchant for generating disconcerting bounce kept the dangerous Zazai in check in the first over, after Afghanistan had chosen to bat. Offspinner Simi Singh followed this up with the wicket of Mohammad Shahzad, who attempted an awkward pull to one that hurried on to him only to be caught at short third-man. Samiullah Shenwari followed soon after, caught on the square-leg boundary off a Peter Chase short ball that held up in the pitch.Overall the Irish pacers used the short ball effectively during the Powerplay and reaped rewards, as the run rate hovered around seven. However, having stabilised the innings considerably, Zazai and captain Asghar Afghan found an opening and they battered their way in, taking 19 off the 10th over bowler by the 18-year-old left-arm pacer Joshua Little. Then Zazai tore into Paul Stirling’s part-time spin, depositing him into the stands three times in four balls. The first of those three sixes brought up Zazai’s fifty off 34 balls.George Dockrell halted his charge in an excellent 16th over rife with full, wide deliveries which, Zazai’s wicket apart, produced three consecutive dots and just two singles. Much like the previous T20I, Afghanistan did not take full toll of the final five overs, but a few lusty blows from Mohammad Nabi (12) and an unbeaten 20 from Najibullah Zadran helped them to 160 for 8.Any hopes Ireland had of chasing the target were quelled quickly. Like falling through a series of trapdoors, they lost wickets in clumps.Aftab Alam set the collapse in motion, with the wicket of Stirling for a scratchy five-ball 2 before the spinners took over, taking eight wickets between them. Mujeeb accounted for Stuart Thompson, Andy Balbirnie and later Dockrell. Rashid made the most decisive inroad, getting William Porterfield – the only batsman to show a semblance of resistance – for a 23-ball 33. However, the wicket was rendered possible primarily by Alam’s brilliance in the field, with him intercepting Porterfield’s airborne reverse sweep at short third-man.It was the kind of moment that could deflate even better-placed opposition. Ireland, trying as they were to recover from 9 for 3, found themselves 46 for 4 in the ninth with that wicket, and they subsided quickly thereafter, bowled out in 15 overs.
With the league phase of the IPL finally coming to an end, a look at a few key numbers
Cricinfo staff29-May-20081 – Number of wickets that have fallen on the first ball of an innings. No first-ball sixes, but nine fours have been hit.3 – Three-in-threes, or hat-tricks. L Balaji, Amit Mishra and Makhaya Ntini were the three to achieve the feat, two of which came in the final over of a match, and two for the Chennai Super Kings. Chennai also performed a team hat-trick in their final league game against Deccan Chargers.6 – The number of hundreds in the tournament, but none scored by an Indian batsman. Four have been by left-handers – Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Marsh – while Brendon McCullum and Andrew Symonds have saved some face for the righties. Also, four Australians.8.02 – The Rajasthan Royals have been the best bowling unit, conceding 8.02 runs per over. Kolkata Knight Riders are next with 8.05, while the Deccan Chargers have been the most profligate, conceding 8.70 runs per over, marginally more the Chennai’s 8.65.9.05 – Kings XI Punjab’s run-rate in the tournament, the best among all teams. Rajashtan are second with a run-rate of 8.72, fractions ahead of Delhi Daredevils’ 8.69. Bangalore Royal Challengers are the worst with 7.43.10 – Sohail Tanvir has toyed around with opposition batsmen during the tournament, taking a wicket every ten deliveries, and his 21 wickets has cost just ten runs each. Tanvir now has the best bowling figures in Twenty20 matches [6 for 14], and the best average, economy-rate [5.97] and strike-rate in the IPL [among bowlers to have delivered at least ten overs].Add 0.12 to the 10, and you arrive at Shahid Afridi’s batting average in the IPL. While fellow Pakistani Tanvir may be the toast of this tournament, the Player of the Tournament at the World Twenty20 last year has had one to forget.11 – Tanvir has taken two hauls of four or more wickets in an innings, out of the 11 in the tournament. Nine other bowlers managed one, while Tanvir, and hat-trick heroes Balaji and Mishra are the only bowlers with five-fors.16- The numbers of maidens bowled in the tournament. Also, the number of wickets that have fallen on the final ball of an innings.19 – Partnerships of a hundred or more, of which Delhi have five, Rajasthan four, three each for Punjab and Deccan, Kolkata two, one apiece for Chennai and Mumbai Indians, and none for Bangalore.20 – The number of sixes conceded by Piyush Chawla, while four other bowlers, including fellow legspinner Shane Warne, have given away 16. However, with 17 wickets each, the two find themselves among the top five wicket-takers.31 – He’s nearly 39, but Sanath Jayasuriya’s wrists and shoulders were still strong enough to clear the boundaries 31 times, the highest for any batsman so far. Inverse 31, and you get the most sixes hit in an innings, 13 by Brendon McCullum in his epic 158.33.88 – Left is right. Left-hand batsmen average a good 11 more runs than their right-hand counterparts, who manage just 22.69. However, that stat is obviously influenced by the fact that quite a few tailenders are right-handers.36.28 – The percentage of dot-balls bowled. Rajasthan have bowled the most number of dot-balls – 647 – while Delhi have played out the least – 451.46.56 – The average score at the end of a Powerplay, given the average run-rate of 7.76. With Shaun Marsh dominating at the top, Punjab have scored 8.79 per over in that period [averaging nearly 50 runs per wicket], marginally ahead of the 8.76 Delhi’s dominant top order have managed and way higher than Bangalore’s 6.50. Mumbai have given away just 7.09 per over in the Powerplay, while Chennai’s 8.25 in the most expensive.47 – The number of free-hits, but batsmen have managed only 93 runs off them. Only four have been hit for six, while eight have been carted for four. Yo Mahesh leads the pack having bowled five free-hits, conceding 17.50 – The runs teams have scored, on an average, in the last five overs. Kolkata have done marginally better, scoring 54, while Delhi manage approximately 46. Deccan have conceded nearly 57 on an average, while the rest of the teams hover near or below 50.74.12 – The average for Shaun Marsh, who tops the batting charts with 593 runs. Among batsmen with over 400 runs, Graeme Smith comes next, averaging 52. Marsh has six fifty-plus scores from ten innings; Gautam Gambhir has five from 13.204.34 – Brendon McCullum’s strike rate in the IPL. He is the only batsman in the tournament [among those with at least 50 runs] to have scored at more than two runs per ball.258 – The number of sixes hit in the V between mid-on and mid-off, compared to 323 fours – a good indication that batsmen have been able to clear the boundaries with ease.447 – The highest match aggregate, scored by Chennai and Punjab in the second game of the tournament.
It has been an alarming start to the brand new Premier League season for Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s men remain without a win after their first three drab contests in the tough division, with zero goals tallied up, as their latest defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace sounded the alarm bells even more, considering the Eagles wiped the floor with the Villans on their own patch 3-0.
Still, Emery will know he can turn it around at the Villa Park helm, with a bumper 76 wins under his belt, managing the West Midlands outfit.
He will also be helped by some flashy new additions that entered the building on deadline day, as both Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho now try to boost a forlorn Villa side on loan.
Aston Villa's exciting deadline day additions
After all, Villa have won very recently when it comes to getting the very best out of a loanee from a Premier League rival, with Marcus Rashford linking up with Emery and Co. last season from Manchester United to pick up a hefty ten goal contributions from 17 appearances.
Sancho will be hoping he can have a similar positive impact on proceedings, donning his new claret and blue, having just come off a promising campaign at Chelsea when loaned away from Old Trafford, where he mustered up his own impressive tally of five strikes and ten assists from 42 clashes.
For a star that was once worth £73m when entering the Theatre of Dreams, it will all centre on him trying to salvage his faltering playing days even more under Emery’s wing, with his estimated valuation now sitting at a far lower £27m, as per Football Transfers.
For £8m more, Villa could well welcome Elliott permanently after his initial loan stint is up from Liverpool, with a £35m obligation to buy having been included as part of the deal. That is in line with his current market valuation of around £34m.
This doesn’t feel like an extortionate amount to fork out either, considering the two-time Premier League winner can boast 15 goal contributions in the challenging league, despite only making just 35 starts for the Reds in the division.
Away from the plethora of new buys arriving in the West Midlands, Emery will also know he has some individuals in his side already that can deliver on the big stage, irrespective of his team’s limp opening to the campaign.
The Aston Villa star worth more than Sancho & Elliott
The former Arsenal boss has been a transformative presence for many a Villans star since he arrived at the club in 2022.
Indeed, Morgan Rogers has been turned into a Premier League superstar under the Spaniard’s expertise, with a bumper 17 goals and 17 assists next to his name for the claret and blue half of Birmingham.
Subsequently, the recent PFA Young Player of the Year recipient has been touted to step away from Villa Park for a whopping £100m, amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, despite only joining at the start of 2024 for a meagre £8m.
Amazingly, Ollie Watkins also joined the Villans back in 2020 for a reasonable £28m, with the experienced attacker now a feared Premier League goal machine for Emery’s men when performing to the peak of his powers.
Watkins has never looked back since deserting Brentford, having now amassed a mammoth 75 Premier League strikes for Villa, which has led to the 5-foot-11 marksman being dubbed as “unbelievable” by ex-Villa player Stephen Warnock, on top of being heralded as a “machine” Brentford’s programme editor, Chris Deacon.
Watkins’ rising value
Season
Goals + Assists
Transfer value
24/25
17 +14
£55m
23/24
27 + 15
£44m
22/23
16 + 6
£43m
21/22
11 + 2
£29m
20/21
16 + 5
£29m
via Transfermarkt/Football Transfers
Off the back of being consistently red-hot in front of goal, as seen glancing at his blistering numbers above, Watkins’ own estimated valuation now comes in at a mammoth £55m, as per Football Transfers, making him a more pricey asset than his compatriots, Elliott and Sancho, despite their esteemed reputations.
The 29-year-old has fired some uncharacteristic blanks so far this season, but there is hope he can turn it around.
With both Elliott and Sancho through the door, Emery has some fresh, exciting attacking personnel to experiment with, alongside his attempts to get the very best out of the Villa old guard again.
Rogers 2.0: Aston Villa close in on another exciting signing after Sancho
Aston Villa are hunting for deadline day reinforcements
The batting coach said India had enough time, options and “fluidity” in their batting order to plug any weakness
Nagraj Gollapudi at Headingley16-Jul-2018India are yet to work out a “settled” middle order in ODIs and they do not have the “depth” in their lower order. With the World Cup a year away that might seem to be a matter of concern, but batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that India had enough time, options and “fluidity” in their batting order to plug any weakness.India’s middle-order woes were exposed at Lord’s on Saturday, as the second half of their innings was subdued and they stuttered to a virtual standstill in the final hour. It was the first instance since the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup that India failed hit a single six in an ODI. India didn’t score more than 10 runs in an over during in the final 15 overs, and only 42 runs came off the last 10, which is the fewest scored by India in the last decade.The lack of intent did not sit well with the Indian fans at Lord’s. They did not spare MS Dhoni, who was booed at various times during an innings where he ran out of partners and eventually lost rhythm. Although it would be easy to blame Dhoni, you could understand why he did not want to press the accelerator with the other members of India’s middle order – KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya – found wanting.Bangar said that India were not sweating because they had enough options to work out a World Cup middle order. Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane could all still be viable options if the current occupants did not make an impact. Rayudu failed the yo-yo fitness test and Raina was called up as his replacement. Pandey and Rahane have been tried at different times in the past, but left behind more questions than positive impressions.Although India have not tried it yet, one way the middle order could be strengthened would involve pushing Rahul to No. 3 and having Virat Kohli bat at four. That way India can retain their authority in the top order while having their best batsman at the controls in the second half of the innings. This way Kohli would not only act as a cushion for the top order, as he showed during the T20s in Ireland and England, but also ease the pressure on Dhoni, who can play with more freedom at Nos. 5 or 6.But India are not ready yet to change the default settings. “We did change a bit [the batting order], certainly in the T20 format where KL played at three and Virat batted at four,” Bangar said in Leeds on the eve of the final match of the ODI series and the limited-overs leg of their tour. “But looking at this series and the performances that Virat has got at No. 3, especially in the last series when he scored three hundreds against South Africa in five games [we won’t alter the batting order].”Bangar, though, did not rule out a change of strategy, keeping in mind India have 21 matches before the World Cup, good enough time to figure out a solution. “We are looking at, in terms of the games remaining, where we could look at settling the middle-order slots. We will see as to players available, the fitness of the players. So a lot of spots are open. The good thing about that is the bench strength we have in a Rayudu, or a Manish Pandey or Ajinkya Rahane. There are enough spots for each and every eventuality that we might face leading up to the World Cup.”MS Dhoni buckles on his pads at India training•Getty Images
Bangar also defended Dhoni and said that there was nothing else India’s most senior and experienced batsman could have done. “When the team loses four wickets, the lower order – at least with the combination we are playing at the moment – we do not really have the depth at Nos. 8, 9, 10 wherein the batsman at Nos. 6 or 7 could play with that sort of a freedom. It was purely because of that that we kept on losing the wickets and the set batsmen could not really exploit [the situation].”He [Dhoni] was just hoping that somebody would stick with him. There was a chance when he and Suresh were batting together, we were just hoping they could bat through till the 40th over and they could take the bowlers on. But every time he looked to do that he first lost Raina and then he lost Hardik so there wasn’t too much batting to follow for him to play in the usual fashion that he does.”Bangar felt that some of the India batsmen, like Raina, who featured in just one format and have come back to international fold after a while, would need more time to settle down. Bangar said that it was also difficult for the middle-order batsmen, who were often padded up but did not have much to do as all the good work had been already done by the top order, which has played a dominant role in Indian victories in the last few years.”The way our top order is batting, generally our middle order hasn’t got the number of opportunities that you would expect because the top order does the bulk of the scoring. And at times the middle order have to straightaway walk into a game situation. Not all of the players are playing all formats of the game. You also have to give some weightage to do that – coming back straight to international cricket, and doing the kind of things that are expected of you, especially in this format. So the continuity factor also plays a part, but we are trying to balance each and everything that we could possibly do.”
Australia new coach cannot believe how the team culture got to a stage where Cameron Bancroft was put in a position to tamper with the ball
ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-20180:46
Langer: Ball-tampering mistakes can be forgiven
Australia’s new coach Justin Langer cannot believe how the team culture had got to a stage where its youngest and most inexperienced member – Cameron Bancroft – was put in a position to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test in South Africa.”When I first became an Australian cricketer, if Allan Border had asked me to tamper with the ball I would have, because I would be too scared not too,” Langer told Channel Nine. “The difference is that Allan Border would never have asked me, and Bobby Simpson (coach) would have killed me. He would have killed anyone who brought the game into disrepute.”What I can’t believe is that Cameron Bancroft walked into the Australian cricket team and he was in a position where he made that decision. In terms of the culture and how it got to that point I don’t know, I am not close enough to say. But I will certainly find out. I will be walking into the cauldron soon and I’ll find out.”Langer succeeded Darren Lehmann, who resigned as Australia’s coach at the end of the tour of South Africa in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Lehmann had been cleared by a Cricket Australia inquiry of prior knowledge to tamper with the ball, a plot that was found to involve the captain Steven Smith, vice captain David Warner and Bancroft.CA banned Smith and Warner for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine, and there were additional sanctions on holding leadership positions in Australian cricket as well. All three players accepted their punishments.”They are really tough sanctions, but that said, they should be and the reason they should be is because we have said forever that we don’t bend the rules, we don’t cheat,” Langer said. “[But] there’s not one person who has not made a mistake.”Langer’s first assignment as full-time Australia coach will be the ODI series in England in July.
يلتقي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، غدًا الأحد، مع نظيره المصري البورسعيدي، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية 2024-2025.
وتقام مباراة الزمالك والمصري البورسعيدي، على ملعب الجيش ببرج العرب، ضمن الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.
يدخل الزمالك اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد الفوز على الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري، والفوز على المصري في الجولة الثالثة من الكونفدرالية.
طالع.. مصدر بـ الزمالك يكشف موقف أحمد سيد زيزو من مباراة المصري في الكونفدرالية
وحقق السويسري كريستيان جروس، المدير الفني للأبيض فوزه الأول مع الفريق في مواجهة زعيم الثغر بعد تعادلين مع سيراميكا كليوباترا وطلائع الجيش في الدوري.
في الجهة المقابلة المصري يبحث عن الفوز على الزمالك لتعويض الخسارة في الجولة الثالثة من البطولة أمام الأبيض.
ويقع الفريقان في المجموعة الرابعة والتي تضم رفتهما بلاك بولز الموزمبيقي وإنيمبا النيجيري.
ويتصدر الزمالك، المجموعة برصيد 7 نقاط، بفارق 3 نقاط عن بلاك بولز صاحب المركز الثاني والمصري صاحب المركز الثالث، بينما في المركز الأخير يتواجد إنيمبا برصيد نقطة واحدة.
With Thierno Barry already on his way, Everton and The Friedkin Group are now reportedly pushing to sign a World Cup-winning defender at a bargain price this summer.
Michael Keane "delighted" to extend Everton deal
The good news has kept coming for Everton following reports that they reached an agreement to sign Villarreal forward Barry, with Michael Keane officially putting pen to paper on a new deal. Whilst the Toffees failed to keep hold of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, they have managed to avoid the same fate in the defender’s case, who has signed a one-year extension.
After confirming his new contract, Keane told Everton’s official website: “I love Everton and have been massively proud to play for this club since the day I joined so I’m delighted to extend my stay here.
“The manager wants a competitive squad and I still feel I have a lot to give to Everton. We’ve been through a difficult few years but it’s an exciting time ahead for us as players and our brilliant fans.
“We’ve got a world-class new stadium to play in, and our form under the manager last season shows there’s a lot of reasons to be positive. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”
Bigger talent than Branthwaite: Everton enter race for £34m "diamond"
Everton are interested in signing a new central defender or two this summer.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2025
As the defender said himself, David Moyes is keen to put together a “competitive squad” at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and that has led to decisions such as Keane’s extension and Barry’s pending arrival.
The Toffees may not be done there, either. Reports are now suggesting that Everton have set their sights on the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and stepped up their chase to sign a World Cup-winning defender this summer.
Everton hold advanced talks to sign Tagliafico
According to reports in Spain, Everton have now held advanced talks to sign Nicolas Tagliafico and are pushing to secure his signature. The talented left-back is now a free agent after leaving a Lyon side in financial turmoil and could yet be on his way to the Premier League.
At a bargain price, the Toffees could land an experienced World Cup-winning defender for Moyes and kickstart a new era in style. Alongside Barry, the Argentina international would be an impressive signing.
Minutes
3,082
1,902
Assists
2
1
Tackles Won
38
37
Ball Recoveries
88
102
In fewer minutes, it was Tagliafico who stood out compared to Vitaly Mykolenko last season and his place as Everton’s starting left-back is likely to be a guarantee if he completes a summer switch.
Nicolas Tagliafico
Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig in the early days of his career, Tagliafico is now a player with plenty of experience at 32 years old. Adding his first Premier League move to an impressive list of clubs would be quite the way for the defender to round things off too, and that could see Everton seal a bargain deal.