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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:26

Agarkar: Jadhav, Kohli almost seemed unflappable

England brought their heavy artillery to the MCA Stadium in Pune but still they were outgunned. They posted 350 and then had India 63 for 4 but could not finish the job. They removed Virat Kohli, the king of the chase, but others stepped into the breach. They saw off Kedar Jadhav, who scored a 65-ball hundred, but could not see off the rest. A match that aggregated more than 700 runs was finally settled in India’s favour with the 23rd six of the night. This could be some series.Kohli extended the imperious form that saw him reign in all formats in 2016 to score his 27th ODI hundred and he was ably supported by Jadhav, 31 years old and playing his 13th ODI, during a partnership of exactly 200 that set up India to achieve their joint second-highest successful chase. Victory was completed with 11 balls to spare as Hardik Pandya followed up his two wickets with a cool-headed and inventive 40 not out to guide India home.Kohli was visibly anguished to be dismissed with 88 still needed and Jadhav, struggling with cramp, fell shortly after to give England hope of pulling the match back. In the end, defending the short boundaries was too difficult a task, with only Jake Ball – who took 3 for 67 – and Chris Woakes going at fewer than India’s required rate of seven an over.Half-centuries of varying tempo from Jason Roy, Joe Root and Ben Stokes took England to what seemed a formidable total – the seventh time they had touched 350 since the 2015 World Cup – but, crucially, none of their early successes with the ball included Kohli. Stokes finally induced an error after Kohli and Jadhav had raised the double-century stand – India’s second-highest for any wicket in ODIs – and Jadhav was then reduced to standing and swinging as cramp prevented him from running.Stokes, with the fastest fifty by an Englishman against India, had provided the high-velocity finish England needed to set a challenging target. Their innings had threatened to subside after the dismissal of Root for 78 but Stokes hit the pedal in response, going from 14 off 19 to a 33-ball fifty in a starburst of sixes, as 105 runs flowed from the last eight overs to give England their highest ODI total in India – surpassing the 338 made in Bangalore at the 2011 World Cup (which also wasn’t good enough for victory). Only twice had India chased as many, during their 2013-14 series with Australia.Kohli, in his first match since succeeding MS Dhoni as ODI captain, may have been frustrated with his bowlers at halfway but he set about making up for it himself. He wanted to bat second and showed his relish for the chase, cracking his fourth ball into the stands and taking every opportunity to put pressure on England as the bowlers sought wickets. Five sixes rained from his bat in all, along with numerous more subtle dissections.Jadhav made an ODI century against Zimbabwe in 2015 but has had to bide his time with India, despite a List A average approaching 50. With Kohli looking as regal as ever, he just needed someone to stay with him, but Jadhav did more than that. He outscored Kohli during their partnership and was particularly severe on Adil Rashid, one of the stars of England’s white-ball revival, who was twice hit out of the attack. At 262 for 4 with 14 overs to go, India were favourites and late strikes from Stokes and Ball could not derail them.The outcome had been less certain after David Willey removed both openers, then India’s veteran middle-order pairing of Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni also fell cheaply. Yuvraj, playing his first ODI in more than three years, sent his first scoring shot over the rope at deep midwicket, a throwback to his days of youthful marauding, but was caught tamely down the leg side off Stokes; Dhoni departed in the next over, top-edging a misbegotten pull to midwicket off Ball to leave India in trouble.This England one-day side have come to India as both a curiosity and a threat. Their pumped-up approach has made them the fastest-scoring side in ODIs since a dismal showing at the last World Cup and subject of genuine interest in a country that knows more about limited-overs success than most – and one where England have tended to fail in coloured clothing. Eoin Morgan’s side have got into the habit of breaking records and you can now throw in the highest ODI total England have failed to defend.Some of that spark was provided by England’s daring run to the final of last year’s World T20 in India. Roy was one of the breakout stars of that tournament and he continued to show a liking for the conditions after Kohli chose to insert England. Roy played several crisp drive and flicks, either side of overturning an lbw decision after being given out on 18, to give the innings its early impetus.His endeavour allowed Alex Hales to settle in, as is his preferred method, but the partnership was broken on 39 when Jasprit Bumrah’s flat throw from deep-backward square leg caught Hales millimetres short. Roy’s blade continued to flash, the pick of his fours a beautifully timed straight drive off Bumrah, during a 36-ball half-century as England ended the opening Powerplay on 67 for 1 (Roy with 52 of them). Then came the challenge of spin.Root took his time to adjust and was mostly content to deal in dabs and deflections, although he did clear the ropes with a lofted sweep off Jadeja after reaching his fifty, from 72 balls. England played the spinners intelligently, with only Ravindra Jadeja taking a wicket, although Roy had a life on 66 when top-edging a reverse-swipe off R Ashwin to short third man, where Umesh Yadav couldn’t hold on. He was finally removed in the following over, walking past a non-turning delivery from Jadeja to be stumped.Morgan, back to lead England after opting out of the tour to Bangladesh, came into his first ODI since England lost to Pakistan at Cardiff in September having made scores of 3 and 0 in the warm-ups. After watchfully accruing four off 12 balls, he struck the first six of the innings, slog-sweeping over midwicket as Ashwin’s spell turned expensive, but just when he appeared set for some steady middle-overs accumulation a thin edge behind – undetected by the umpire but confirmed by DRS – ended his stay.

With long-time leaders Arsenal looking likely to lose out to Manchester City, the Gunners of 2022-23 can be added to this rather ignominious list…

At times during the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have been as many as eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Dreams of a first league title since 'The Invincibles' in 2004 have taken over the Gunners' campaign, with Mikel Arteta's team playing the most thrilling football the Emirates Stadium crowd has seen from the home side.

However, after their 3-0 home defeat to Brighton, it now seems certain that Arsenal will miss out on the title, with Manchester City's superb winning run having moved Pep Guardiola's side clear at the top. City's win over the Gunners in April will perhaps be seen as the result that turned the tide, but Arsenal's three successive draws that preceded that 4-1 loss played as much of a part, if not bigger.

That run and subsequent surrendering of top spot has led to talk of Arsenal having 'bottled' the title, but would such talk really be fair, given Arsenal have surpassed all of their pre-season expectations? Let's not also forget they are going up against a state-backed club that has twice accepted UEFA sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and is presently facing more than 100 breaches of Premier League rules?

So, despite their late-season wobble, would they really deserve inclusion on the list of the most infamous title-race collapses in the competition's history?…

Newcastle 1995-96: 'LOVE IT!'

Even now, Kevin Keegan's infamous post-match rant against Alex Ferguson is a little tough to watch. There's so much passion on show, but also so much pain. It's a visceral display of defiance, but from a man clearly beginning to realise that he's fighting a losing battle.

For the majority of the 1995-96 season, Keegan's Newcastle looked destined to win their first league title since 1927, with a side which quickly became known as 'The Entertainers' sweeping all before them with a thrilling brand of football. At one point, they were 12 points clear.

However, United slowly began to close the gap and when Newcastle lost 4-3 to Liverpool in the greatest game in Premier League history, Keegan was disconsolate, the sight of him slumped over the advertising boardings at Anfield becoming one of the defining images of the season.

Just a few weeks later, though, he produced an even more memorable moment. After a 1-0 win at Leeds, Keegan let rip at Ferguson, who had publicly questioned whether opponents would fight as hard against Newcastle as they had against his United team.

"I've kept really quiet, but I'll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that," Keegan fumed on Sky Sports. "We have not resorted to that, but I'll tell you, you can tell him now if you're watching it, we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and… and… I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, LOVE IT!"

Unfortunately for Keegan, United did go to Middlesbrough and get something; three points, in fact. And they ended up winning the title quite comfortably in the end, with Newcastle drawing their final two fixtures.

Both Keegan and his team had been broken by Ferguson's masterclass in the art of mind games.

AdvertisementMan Utd 1997-98: Fergie's fury

People might not remember the name but everyone remembers the face. When Arsenal beat Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford on March 14, 1998, the coverage cut from the pitch to the crowd, where a curly-haired Gooner called Barry Ferst looked like he was almost about to explode with joy.

His excitement was understandable. Because of Marc Overmars' late goal, Arsenal were just six points behind United – and with three games in hand.

A clearly rattled Alex Ferguson tried to play down the significance of his side's defeat by questioning both Arsenal's quality and composure.

"If they win their games in hand they will go ahead of us, but they will find out they start dropping points towards the end of the season, there's no question about that," the Scot declared.

"They played well today but I don't think they are as good a football team as us."

Ferguson was wrong, though. His side ran well down the home straight but their title rivals never broke their stride until the race was won.

Indeed, that victory at Old Trafford proved the second of 10 consecutive wins that saw Arsenal win the title with two games to spare.

Arsene Wenger then capped off a remarkable first season in charge by leading his side to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup final, thus completing only the second domestic double in the club's history.

Ferguson, meanwhile, was furious. United had led by 11 points after beating Chelsea in February – one Manchester bookmaker even paid out on them winning the title after that win – and blew the chance to move 14 points clear after suffering a shock loss at Sheffield Wednesday, which was followed by a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

The reigning English champions eventually finished their campaign without a major honour, which was unthinkable before the Arsenal loss, but that Overmars goal changed everything. And Ferst and his fellow fans knew it too.

Arsenal 2002-03: 'Hard to take'

Arsene Wenger was enraged by the portrayal of Arsenal's 2002-03 Premier League campaign as a "failure".

"Of course, we want to win the title but I think the most difficult thing for the club is to be consistent and we have been remarkably consistent," he argued.

"We lost the league to a team who spends 50 percent more money every year – last year they bought a player for £30m pounds when they lost the championship.

"They will do the same next year and we [have] done miracles just to fight with them."

In terms of Manchester United's financial might, Wenger had a point about the disparity between the two sides. However, there really was no denying that a star-studded Arsenal side had imploded during the title run-in.

After beating Charlton on Match 2, 2003, they were eight points clear, albeit having played one game more than United.

However, what followed was a disastrous run of results, with Arsenal winning just two of their next seven games, and a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Leeds on May 4 effectively ended their hopes of retaining their title.

During that costly spell, the Gunners had been held at Highbury by United, with Ryan Giggs earning the visitors a 2-2 draw.

It was another 2-2 draw, though, that really seemed to strip Arsenal of their remaining self-belief, with Wenger's side conceding twice in the final 15 minutes of a game against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

As the Frenchman conceded himself that day, "For the first time, it is out of our hands, which is hard to take."

Unfortunately for Arsenal, it was a blow from which they never recovered, with the fatal Leeds loss coming just eight days later.

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Arsenal 2007-08: Gallas breaks down at Birmingham

Arsenal's collective loss of concentration on an infamous afternoon at St Andrew's in February 2008 was understandable. After just three minutes of their game against Birmingham, they had seen team-mate Eduardo suffer a horrific broken leg after a terrible tackle by Martin Taylor.

However, William Gallas' late meltdown was utterly inexplicable, and arguably unforgivable.

Granted, the Arsenal captain had seen his side blow a 2-1 lead against 10 men, with Birmingham's equaliser coming via the penalty spot in the fifth minute of injury time.

And one could perhaps see why he felt compelled to take his frustration out on the advertising boards.

However, there was simply no excuse for what followed at full-time.

At a time when the Arsenal skipper should have been trying to rouse his disappointed team-mates, he was instead sitting on the pitch, having the mother of all strops.

It wasn't until Arsene Wenger appeared that Gallas belatedly decided to leave the field.

With that kind of leader, it was hardly surprising that Arsenal subsequently collapsed.

They had arrived in Birmingham five points clear at the top of the table thanks to a 10-game unbeaten run that featured eight wins.

However, they only managed to win one of their next seven games and eventually finished third, four points behind champions Manchester United.

Eduardo's dreadful injury obviously hadn't helped their cause but Gallas' pathetic display of petulance arguably proved even more damaging.

Sri Lanka will host the Under-19 Asia Cup between December 8 and 22, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2016Sri Lanka will host the Under-19 Asia Cup between December 8 and 22, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced.After a meeting of the SLC’s executive committee on September 24, the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota, the Galle International Cricket Stadium and Matara Uyanwatte Stadium were approved as venues for the tournament. The tournament itinerary and other details will be decided in due course.The committee further approved the appointment of Thusith Perera, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) general manager, as the event director, while Sultan Rana, the ACC’s events manager, will serve in the same role for the U-19 tournament.

Lancashire revived their Royal London Cup campaign with an impressive all-round display that sealed a 27-run North Group victory over Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2016
ScorecardLiam Livingstone made his highest List A score after returning from Lions duty•Getty Images

Lancashire revived their Royal London Cup campaign with an impressive all-round display that sealed a 27-run North Group victory over Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground.Chasing 282, Derbyshire were well placed through Billy Godleman’s 91 from 98 balls and Hamish Rutherford’s 47 but they collapsed from 177 for 2 to 254 for 9 with Kyle Jarvis taking 4 for 31.Liam Livingstone’s one-day career best 98 from 98 balls and Steven Croft’s 68 from 75 balls took Lancashire to 281 for 8, which they then defended with accurate bowling and tigerish fielding to deal a blow to Derbyshire’s quarter-final hopes.Lancashire struggled on a sluggish pitch after electing to bat, scoring only 34 in the first 10 overs with Alviro Petersen dismissed cheaply by Ben Cotton. The South African was lbw playing across the line at the fast bowler, whose disciplined opening spell also brought him the wicket of Karl Brown, leg before half-forward to one that nipped back.Livingstone gave the innings momentum by cutting consecutive balls from Shiv Thakor for four before edging the seamer to the third man boundary but Tom Smith never got going and was run out by Alex Hughes’s throw from mid-on in the 19th over.At the halfway stage of their innings, Lancashire were 101 for 3 but Livingstone and Croft began to accelerate with Livingstone driving Thakor over long-off for six to reach 50 from 54 balls.Croft pulled Matt Critchley for six and in the 29th over the Falcons had to replace wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein who went to hospital for an X-ray which showed a fracture to his left thumb with Wayne Madsen taking over. But Derbyshire’s immediate concern was restricting the flow of runs which increased as Croft and Livingstone both dispatched Critchley for sixes in the 33rd over while Cotton was clipped over the midwicket boundary by Livingstone when he returned at the City End.Croft pulled Tony Palladino for another maximum and the game was threatening to run away from Derbyshire when Livingstone tried to turn Hughes through midwicket and was lbw.Croft failed to clear deep square leg in the 44th over but Luke Proctor and Jordan Clark added 49 in five overs to post a competitive total which Godleman put a dent in by taking three fours from Saqib Mahmood’s second over.Jarvis bowled Ben Slater but Godleman and Rutherford played patiently against some tight bowling before Godleman twice straight drove Clark for six on his way to a 49 balls 50. The pair were starting to assert themselves when Rutherford sliced Stephen Parry to backward point but Godleman was the key and he drove Smith for consecutive fours as Derbyshire went into the last 20 overs needing 139.Livingstone took a superb catch at deep midwicket to remove Madsen with the score on 177 and Lancashire struck another blow five balls later when Godleman came down the pitch and was bowled by Croft.With 84 needed from 10 overs Jarvis returned to bowl Thakor and after Wes Durston missed a drive at Clark, sustained bowling and a climbing run rate proved too much for Derbyshire.

Journalist Charles Watts has slammed Arsenal for not selling Ainsley Maitland-Niles sooner as he looks set to leave this summer.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

At the start of the Premier League season, the 25-year-old was sent out on loan to Southampton and it looks as though that spelt the end of his time in north London.

Indeed, in a recent interview with The Athletic, he confirmed he will be leaving Mikel Arteta's team at the end of the campaign when his contract expires.

Maitland-Niles said: “It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end. It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home. I’m looking forward to that, but at the same time my head’s not quite there yet and it’s all about what’s happening now with Southampton.”

This means, of course, the player is going to depart without Arsenal receiving any transfer fee for the £35k-per-week England international.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts expressed his disappointment at this, noting that the club should have chased in on the defender when his value was higher.

He said: "Arsenal turned out so many bids, or certainly more than one bid from Wolves a few years ago after that FA Cup win to keep him – you know, bids over £20m – and then they kept him and then just didn't play him, and he didn't want to play in the position they were hoping to play him in and then the relationship broke down a little bit, and now he's going to end up leaving on a free.

"And you just think, why didn't you just accept those bids from Wolves after the FA Cup final and get £20m or whatever it was at the time from them, bank it, let him go and move on?

"You just look back at that as a big missed opportunity for Arsenal to get some money in, and a missed opportunity for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, really, to build on because he's just stagnated since then."

Is Ainsley Maitland-Niles leaving Arsenal?

As alluded to by Watts, Premier League rivals Wolves did once bid at least £15m for the player but it seems as though the Gunners were holding out for upwards of £20m.

In the end, the negotiations broke down but it seems as though the player's value has only deteriorated from there.

Indeed, that offer came in the summer of 2020, with Maitland-Niles also making his international debut and playing five times for England in the same year.

Since then, however, he has not added to his Three Lions caps – proving how he's hardly excelled at club level.

All in all, it does feel as though if Arsenal could turn back time they would simply accept whatever bid was on the table from Wolves as he will now almost certainly leave for free just a few years later.

Tim Southee won New Zealand a thriller the last time they met Australia in a T20I six years ago, but now, the stakes are almost as high as the altitude as they face off in a crucial encounter in Dharamsala

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale17-Mar-2016

Match facts

Friday, March 18, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)

Big picture

Six years ago, Australia and New Zealand played a highly entertaining T20 match at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. Brendon McCullum blasted a 56-ball 116 and scooped audaciously off Shaun Tait, New Zealand racked up 214, Australia matched them in the chase, and Tim Southee kept things tight in the Super Over to seal a memorable win for the home team. And they haven’t met in a T20 match since.Strange as it seems, February 28, 2010 was the last time these Trans-Tasman neighbours played each other in T20 cricket. Now they finally reconnect in the shortest format and the stakes are almost as high as the altitude. Dharamsala is the venue for Australia’s opening match of this World T20, but New Zealand already have a win on the board against hosts India. Another one here and they will be in prime position to progress to a World T20 semi-final for the first time since 2007.New Zealand’s spin success against India in Nagpur augurs well for their hopes in this tournament. Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum between them picked up nine out of ten wickets against India, and given that Australia can struggle against the turning ball in the short form it may just be advantage New Zealand. A few more runs from the top order would be handy, though – New Zealand were wobbling at 13 for 2 in the second over against India before recovering adequately.Quite what to expect from Australia remains a mystery. Punished at home by India in three T20s, they moved on to South Africa and found some form, but then were outdone by West Indies in a warm-up in Kolkata. They too have three spinners available, including the allrounder Glenn Maxwell, but neither Ashton Agar nor Adam Zampa had played a T20 international three weeks ago. This is a big step up. Australia are preaching “flexibility”, which is admirable, but there is something to be said for stability as well.

Form guide

Australia: WWLLL (last five completed matches)
New Zealand: WWWLW

Watch out for

David Warner has made his name as an opener but suddenly has become a floater in Australia’s T20 middle order. The switch worked well in South Africa, where he scored 20, 77 and 33, and although it is possible he could open again in this tournament, with other options such as Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja, that seems unlikely.Mitchell Santner‘s 4 for 11 against India was the best analysis by a New Zealand spinner in T20 internationals, and there is no reason to think he won’t cause problems for Australia’s batsmen as well. Santner has a certain about him – he just seems like a man for any occasion. And the big occasion hasn’t worried him yet.

Team news

There are so many possible combinations Australia could go with that choosing their final XI feels like something of a lottery, which their selection process has more or less been over the past six games. One question is whether to choose all three spinners, another is whether Usman Khawaja can squeeze into the top order, and another is how many fast men are required with a heavy complement of seaming allrounders.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 David Warner, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Peter Nevill (wk), 9 Ashton Agar/John Hastings/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.New Zealand may well be tempted to stick with their winning combination.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Luke Ronchi (wk), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch has been prepared, which may not turn as much as that used by the Associates recently, but spin is still expected to play more of a role than pace and bounce. There is some rain expected on Friday as well, which could lead to an abbreviated game.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and New Zealand have met five times in T20s for four wins to Australia; New Zealand’s only victory was in the Super Over in Christchurch in 2010
• Australia have played only six T20s in 2016 but have used a remarkable 25 players

Quotes

“Yeah, I think you have to have something in mind [for a shortened game]. I don’t think a lot of the game-plans or the way each individual plays changes too much but I think you do have to have a few different game-plans if the game is a bit shorter.”
.”It was definitely a lot of happy team-mates after the game [against India]. But we don’t want to get too carried away. It’s just one game in what is a short and condensed tournament. Lot of games to be played.”

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Union Berlin midfielder Rani Khedira this summer.

The Lowdown: Khedira profiled

Khedira has played in all but seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table.

The 29-year-old has a famous football-playing brother, Sami Khedira, who is retired at the age of 35, having won both the FIFA World Cup with Germany and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, among many other accolades (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Everton interest

As per German news outlet Bild (via Sport Witness), Everton are one of a number of clubs in the Premier League that are interested in signing Khedira this summer.

He is out of contract at Union Berlin at the end of the season, with no signs of renewal talks at this moment in time.

The report notes that Khedira has ‘developed into a leader’ at Union Berlin, and that he has played a ‘key role’ this season.

The Verdict: Get it done

Khedira is certainly a player that is capable of coming straight into Everton’s starting line-up for next season.

No Union Berlin player has averaged more interceptions per game than him in the Bundesliga so far this term, while he also ranks highly among his team-mates for average aerial duels won, well as tackles, blocks and passes made per game (WhoScored).

The six-foot-two colossus would add a presence in the middle of the park for Sean Dyche’s team, and would also add extra leadership qualities in the dressing room, having already captained Union Berlin on a number of occasions this campaign.

However, any deal would likely depend on whether the Toffees can stay up in the Premier League, as Khedira would probably not fancy moving to the Championship from a major European division.

Nonetheless, if the Blues are able to sign him on a free transfer, it could turn out to be a real bargain, as at the age of 29, he still has a few years left in him at a high level.

They would need to wrap up a deal quickly though, given the interest from a number of their rivals in the top flight, the summer looks set to be at very interesting battle for Khedira’s signature, should he end up leaving Union Berlin as a free agent.

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez was sent off for dissent in the first half of his team's La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid.

• Xavi rages at referee
• Sent off in first half
• Joao Felix opens scoring

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Xavi was handed his marching orders at the Wanda Metropolitano Satdium after raging at the match official. The Barcelona boss was booked for protesting after seeing Robert Lewandowski go to ground under a challenge from Axel Witsel. Xavi then continued his protests after an apparent foul on Ilkay Gundogan and was shown a red card.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Xavi has been no stranger to yellow cards in what is his final season as Barcelona boss. The former midfielder has already served two touchline bans in the current campaign and now looks set for more time in the stands. The red card will be a blow for Xavi but his team's performance will provide plenty of cheer with Joao Felix, Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez all on target.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Atletico have lost all four games against Barcelona since Xavi Hernández took charge of the Catalan giants.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA

  Xavi and the Catalans will move into second place in the table with a win over Atletico. The Catalans' next La Liga fixture is against Las Palmas on Saturday, March 30.

With the dreaded international break currently underway, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is likely to use this current halt to proceedings to take stock of his squad, following what has been a summer of upheaval at Elland Road.

Off the back of a miserable 2022/23 campaign that saw the Yorkshire giants slip back into the Championship – just three years on from sealing promotion – there was no doubt an expectancy that the club would struggle to keep hold of their star assets, particularly those with relegations clauses built into their contracts.

The Whites may not have been anticipating quite such a sizeable mass exodus following that return to the second tier, however, with 15 players having been moved on elsewhere amid the desire to continue competing in Europe's top leagues.

Despite managing to keep hold of Italy international, Wilfried Gnonto – even after the teenager put in a transfer request amid interest from Everton – there were few others who did not see their wishes granted, with Farke now in charge of an almost wholly refreshed and refurbished outfit.

That is not to suggest that every unwanted asset was moved on during the recent window, however, with underwhelming left-back, Junior Firpo among those who were unable to find a new home, despite struggling to perform in recent seasons.

In truth, on the evidence of his on-field woes and hefty financial burden, the former Barcelona man has simply rinsed Leeds since his arrival back in the summer of 2021.

How much did Leeds pay for Junior Firpo?

At the time, it may have looked like something of a coup for Marcelo Bielsa and co to have snapped up the defender from Camp Nou, with the former Spain U21 international having previously shone during his prior stint at Real Betis – for whom he scored five goals and registered seven assists in just 43 appearances.

Signed for a relatively minimal fee of £12.8m, the attacking full-back was acquired amid the need to find a long-term solution on the left side of the defence, following the departure of Ezgjan Alioski on a free transfer.

With Stuart Dallas having also been something of a makeshift option in that role during the 2020/21 season, there was evidently a desperate need for reinforcement at left-back, with Bielsa's side looking to build upon a solid ninth-place finish following their return from the Championship.

As it has proved, however, Leeds may be wishing they had invested their funds elsewhere rather than on the one-time Dominican Republic international – who was dubbed a "defensive liability" by journalist Juan Arango in Catalonia – such have been his woes in recent seasons.

How much does Firpo earn for Leeds?

While a victim of numerous, unfortunate injury setbacks in recent times, the 6 foot dud has hardly helped himself when he has taken to the field, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting earlier this year that he has had "had some difficulties in the Premier League".

Pundit John Newsome has also been particularly critical of the defender's performances during his stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Leeds man stating back in December:

“They signed Firpo, they put a lot of money into him. I don’t think he’s anywhere near good enough,”

With just two goals and four assists to his name in 52 outings to date, Firpo has hardly proven value for money in an attacking sense, while defensively he has also proven rather costly, in truth, notably giving away a penalty at the tail-end of last season in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United following an "idiotic" handball – as per 90min's Graeme Bailey.

Such lapses of concentration having seemingly been commonplace for the former Barca man of late, with it hard to justify handing him a rather hefty £60k-per-week wage, particularly when he can't even stay fit long enough to be able to make an impact on the pitch.

How much has Firpo cost Leeds?

When taking into account that £60k-per-week salary – totalling roughly £6.2m to date – and his initial £12.8m transfer fee, the forgotten man has cost the club in the region of £19m over the last two years, with that likely to be viewed as money wasted by both the club and supporters.

The desire will likely be to get the 27-year-old off the books as soon as possible, with Capology revealing that he currently accounts for 11% of the total wage bill, due to his place as the third-highest earner among his teammates:

Georginio Rutter

£70k-per-week

Patrick Bamford

£70k-per-week

Junior Firpo

£65k-per-week

Daniel James

£50k-per-week

Pascal Struijk

£50k-per-week

Stuart Dallas

£45k-per-week

Helder Costa

£32.5k-per-week

Illan Meslier

£30k-per-week

Luke Ayling

£25k-per-week

Liam Cooper

£25k-per-week

While that has been somewhat distorted due to the string of players who were shipped off to new homes this summer, it serves as yet another reminder of just how poorly run the Elland Road outfit has been in recent times – with the sooner Firpo moves on the better.

When does Junior Firpo's contract expire?

Frustratingly, not only is the transfer window now at a close, but Firpo still has two years left to run on his existing deal at the club, ensuring it won't be straightforward if Farke and co are to attempt to move him on in the near future.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano had indicated back in June that the Santo Domingo-born talent was in line to join the likes of Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson by sealing a move away this summer, albeit with no such exit having occurred.

That failure to secure a move was likely impacted by the player's current injury woes, with recent reports indicating that he is still facing two more months on the sidelines, having yet to feature so far this season.

Amid that spell on the treatment table, Firpo has revealed his desire to contribute to the team once he is back fit and firing, although, with the likes of Sam Byram and Leo Hjelde already at Farke's disposal, a January sale should be the first consideration for the Leeds hierarchy.

It is fair to say that the 2021 arrival has rinsed the club for long enough…

Kane Williamson is confident that New Zealand’s recent problems in T20 won’t damage their confidence in the one-day game as they prepare for the marquee white-ball section of the season.Until the second T20I against Pakistan at Eden Park, New Zealand’s summer had gone without a blemish but since then they have won once in seven outings. However, their ODI record stands at eight wins on the bounce ahead of the Seddon Park opener against England.”I think we park the T20 for now and focus on a lot of the good one-day cricket we’ve been playing,” Williamson said. “The plans are fairly different so it’s important we go back to that. We know it’s a tough challenge against England.”We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. There’s been some good one-day cricket played by our group but we do know we’ll have to adapt to the opposition and the surfaces which have been different throughout each venue.”Those surfaces will include a used pitch for the opening match, the same that was played on for the T20 last weekend, which is expected to again offer purchase for the spinners. Williamson is ready for England’s “very aggressive” approach with the bat, but still sees a place for the more nuanced side of one-day accumulation.In the T20s it felt as though there was too much on the shoulders of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro, but the longer format brings the traditional skills of Williamson and Ross Taylor back to the fore and makes a very strong-looking top four. Williamson was able to practice leaving the ball in the nets on Saturday and you sensed he was itching to be able to build an innings again.”I think T20 cricket keeps pushing the boundaries of cricket, whether into the one-day game or even the Test game – you see people being a lot more positive,” he said. “But at the same time, that doesn’t completely change it – because you do get on surfaces that require a lot more batsmanship, perhaps more defence for a period of time, to get through some of those tougher moments.”T20 is definitely having an influence, but it’s important that all of us don’t get too carried away with it at times when the conditions might dictate something else.”Williamson was not getting wrapped up in Ben Stokes’ comeback – for all that Stokes has looked impressive in the nets, a player returning after such a long break could actually work in New Zealand’s favour at the start of the series – although he acknowledged the enviable all-round depth England have.”That comes back to the cricket we want to play, our plans, our styles,” he said. “There are a number of quality matchwinning players in the English side who have been playing good cricket. It’s tough to focus on one name.”The main question marks around the New Zealand side heading into this series are the middle order and whether the five-six combination of Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls packs quite enough of a punch, notwithstanding Williamson’s belief that batting doesn’t always have to be gung-ho.Latham as wicketkeeper in the top five adds the balance that New Zealand want, but his one-day runs have dried up again this summer as they did last season. Nicholls is making a decent fist of the finisher’s role at No. 6 with three half-centuries in eight matches this season, but when serious lower-order hitting is needed it falls to Colin de Grandhomme who has a strike-rate of 112 from his 11 ODI innings.Williamson, though, remained confident in his side to find another level after the limited competition provided by West Indies and Pakistan in the 50-over game.”The way they’ve been adapting to conditions, which have changed a lot, has been a real strength,” he said. “So it’s important we look to do that again, but at the same time we want to be fluid in how we operate in terms of guys perhaps being able to adjust to slightly different roles when that’s required.”