Off spinner says England’s Urdu-speaking spinners were fooled into bringing the field up during his 48 not out

Danyal Rasool25-Oct-2024Pakistan offspinner Sajid Khan has found a number of ways of getting under England’s skin, from the moustache twirling to the thigh thumping that accompany borderline invasion of personal space. Much of it has involved bamboozling them with the angle of his spin or the flight of his deliveries, but on Friday, he found another avenue for English befuddlement: their spin bowlers’ bilingualism.After the fourth ball of the 86th over, once Saud Shakeel had flicked Shoaib Bashir away to turn the strike over to Sajid, the pair met to discuss how to manage the strike, and didn’t appear to bother if the stump mic picked them up. Sajid, presumably, was to see off the final two balls, but he danced down the wicket and launched Bashir over midwicket into the Javed Miandad stand.It could hardly have been the plan, but according to Sajid, the intended audience for the conversation wasn’t each other but Pakistani-origin spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir.”We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can.”And Sajid did. The next over Bashir bowled, Sajid plundered two sixes and a boundary in much the same way, swinging towards the midwicket boundary, finding the middle of the bat with regularity. 19 came off that over, and though Rehan kept him quieter, he was stung once when he spread the field out. Sajid took the men at long-off and long-on, comfortably clearing the rope. The wheels, by now, had begun to come off England’s bowling effort, and Pakistan’s lead had ballooned.Rehan acknowledged the quality of the innings, but was having none of Sajid’s claims. “He didn’t fool me at all, he just said it for the media,” he laughed “I didn’t even hear him. He said something like he’s going to run down this ball and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn’t really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn’t really fool me or Bash.”

تحدث ضياء السيد، لاعب الأهلي السابق، عن انتخابات النادي المقبلة، وكيفية تأثير العملية الانتخابية على اللاعبين قبل مواجهة الزمالك في قمة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال ضياء السيد في تصريحات عبر قناة “النهار”: “في اليوم الأول لفتح باب الترشح لا يتقدم أحد عادةً، فالانتخابات كلها مناورات، وكل فرد يترقب خطوات الآخرين؛ هل سيتقدمون بشكل فردي أم في مجموعات، وبالتالي لا أتوقع أن يتقدم أحد غداً”.

وتابع: “أعتقد أن فريق كرة القدم كان دائماً بعيداً عن الانتخابات، حتى في فترتنا والفترات التي تلتنا، حيث لم يكن للاعبين حق التصويت ولا حتى حق الحديث في هذا الشأن، كرة القدم تبقى منفصلة تماماً عن هذه الأجواء، لذلك لا أرى أن الانتخابات قد تكون جزء من أي أمر قد يؤثر على مستوى أو تركيز اللاعبين أو حتى على الأجهزة الفنية”.

وعن احتمالية عدم ترشح الكابتن محمود الخطيب، أجاب ضياء السيد: “الكابتن الخطيب بما يملكه من تاريخ كلاعب كرة، وبما حققه من إنجازات خلال فترة تدرجه في المناصب داخل النادي الأهلي، خصوصاً ما تحقق في السنوات الثماني الأخيرة، أرى أن الوضع بات يؤكد أن وجوده أصبح ضرورياً للغاية”.

طالع أيضًا | مجدي عبد الغني: الخطيب قاد اللاعبين ضد صالح سليم في انتخابات الأهلي وتحجج بمرضه ولم يحضر

وأضاف: “لكن الأهلي دائماً ما تكون لديه آلية منظمة في العملية الانتخابية، ويجيد ترتيب البيت من الداخل سواء بالنسبة للذين يرحلون أو الذين ينضمون، ولو قرر الكابتن الخطيب عدم الترشح، فلن يرحل إلا بعد أن يكون قد أعد ترتيب كل الأمور حتى الثلاثين من أكتوبر، فكل شيء داخل النادي يكون منظماً بشكل جيد”.

وأردف قائلاً: “أتمنى استمرار الكابتن الخطيب، لأن وجوده ضروري في وقت صعب يمر به النادي ككل، وفي ظل تحقيق إنجازات كبيرة، ومع ذلك، حتى إذا قرر عدم الترشح، فلن يغادر إلا بعد أن يتأكد من أن كل الأمور قد تم ترتيبها بالشكل المطلوب”.

واختتم ضياء السيد حديثه رداً على سؤال حول ما إذا كانت الانتخابات قد تؤثر على تركيز اللاعبين في مباراة الزمالك، قائلاً: “لا، من المفترض ألا يحدث ذلك، فأنا لا أرى أي مبررات قد تمنع اللاعبين من تقديم مباراة قوية”.

يذكر أن الأهلي سيلاقي الزمالك في قمة الدوري المصري الممتاز، يوم الإثنين المُقبل، في إطار منافسات الجولة التاسعة من عمر المسابقة المحلية، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

The BCCI has informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy. ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI told the ICC it had been advised by the Indian government not to send the team to Pakistan. The eight-team Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played at three venues in Pakistan between February 19 and March 9 but this development means the ICC and the PCB will need to activate a contingency plan, likely involving a hybrid model where teams will shuttle between Pakistan and a second venue.That will not be straightforward as on Friday, the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had ruled out using a hybrid model – or even that any discussion of it had taken place. But ESPNcricinfo understands that various contingency plans had been chalked out some months ago in case the hybrid model was adopted. While there are a few countries shortlisted, it is understood the UAE, due to its proximity to Pakistan, is likely to be the frontrunner. Sri Lanka, too, is on the shortlist.The ICC was informed of the BCCI stance earlier this week, though it could not be confirmed whether the BCCI had orally communicated its decision. It is possible the ICC is looking for written communication before it can relay that to the PCB. Naqvi had insisted on Friday that the PCB would need “in writing” any objections the BCCI had and if so, then he would need to discuss it with his government before any final decision was taken.ESPNcricinfo has sought responses from the ICC, the PCB and the BCCI on the developments.Naqvi’s stance on Friday was notably more unequivocal than it has been on the issue, insisting the PCB was not “prepared to accept” the hybrid model. He referred to “great gestures” the PCB had made previously, in the team travelling to India to play in the ODI World Cup in 2023, despite India refusing to travel to Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup. That tournament eventually adopted a hybrid model, with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka. He also made clear that any future travel to India by Pakistan would not be a given and would be a government decision.The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. Monday, November 11, will mark 100 days until the start of the event, although the schedule and ticketing details are yet to be announced. ESPNcricinfo has also been told that a schedule-announcement event in Lahore next week is likely to be postponed because of these developments.As a result of fraught political ties between the two countries, India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup despite the latter playing several ICC events in India including the 2023 World Cup. The sides have played just one bilateral series since then, a white-ball tour Pakistan made in 2012-13.

Wyatt-Hodge will get the same fee – INR 30 lakh – that she had been bought for by UPW at the last auction

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2024

Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been traded from UP Warriorz (UPW) to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, ahead of the third season of the WPL, expected to be played in early 2025. A statement from WPL confirmed that Wyatt-Hodge will get the same fee – INR 30 lakh – that she had been bought by UPW for at the last auction, in December 2023.Wyatt-Hodge, 33, is the third-most capped player in T20Is around the world, with 164 appearances for England, behind only Harmanpreet Kaur (177) and Suzie Bates (171), and has 2979 runs at an average of 22.91 and strike rate of 127.85 with two centuries and 16 half-centuries. She was also in good form at the recent T20 World Cup, top-scoring for England with 151 runs at an average of 50.33 and strike rate of 124.79.She was not picked in the first WPL auction, when she had a base price of INR 50 lakh, and though she was acquired by UPW ahead of the second season, she didn’t get to play a game as UPW finished fourth on the table and failed to make the playoffs. She is currently playing for Hobart Hurricanes at the WBBL in Australia.”Danielle is a game-changer and a phenomenal athlete,” RCB captain Smriti Mandhana said. “Her skills and competitive spirit align perfectly with our team’s vision. We are excited to welcome her to the RCB and look forward to the energy she will bring to the squad.”Prior to WPL 2025, an auction is expected to take place, possibly in December, before which, sometime in early November, they are supposed to submit their list of retained players. Each team can have a maximum of 18 players, of which six can be overseas players. Last season, RCB had in their ranks Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Nadine de Klerk, Kate Cross, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham as the overseas contingent.

Wayne Rooney has explained how son Kai faced added "pressure" in Manchester United's academy when playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

Teenage hopefuls following in famous footstepsAttract more attention than others of the same ageDifficult for them to escape the added attentionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo made a stunning return to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021. His eldest son has followed the Portuguese GOAT around the world, spending time in youth systems at Real Madrid, Juventus, United and Al-Nassr.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo Jr got the chance to work with other famous offspring when linking up with the Red Devils. Kai Rooney formed part of the same age group, as did Michael Carrick’s son Jacey. They brought more eyes to games that would usually have sailed under the radar.

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer admits as much, with Wayne seeing his first born have to cope with even more attention as attendance numbers for games featuring a collection of teenage hopefuls surged.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty/InstagramWHAT ROONEY SAID

Speaking on podcast, the Red Devils icon said of the challenge facing those that come from a professional football family: "There's a bit more pressure on them as well.

"Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo's lads and Michael Carrick's lad were all on the same team.

"You go and watch and then all of a sudden there's like 10 times the amount of people that's normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there's a lot more pressure because they're coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They've got to be ready."

Sri Lanka’s first goal, however, will be to be more competitive than they were in Durban

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Dec-20244:28

Will Sri Lanka go in without a spinner in Gqeberha?

Big picture: Can Sri Lanka avoid another collapse?The headline is that both teams are in with a shot at making the World Test Championship final, but neither have secured a place. Unhelpfully for South Africa, the WTC points system doesn’t reward hefty winning margins, so although they crushed Sri Lanka by 233 runs in Durban, it still only goes down as a simple win.Still, they have arrived in Gqeberha full of confidence. Another win here, and their path to that final clears up significantly. A win for Sri Lanka, meanwhile, would mean they have a chance of qualifying for the final without having to depend on other results. (They would also need to win the matches against Australia 2-0.)Their first goal, however, is to be more competitive than they were in Durban. Their batters, specifically, cannot allow another collapse to occur. Various members of the batting group have spoken about the challenge of facing South Africa’s tall quicks, on tracks that offer more bounce than they are used to at home. These coastal venues are not as bouncy as they tend to be in the Highveld, for instance, but have clearly presented more of a challenge than Sri Lanka expected. They’ll also hope that given the wind and sunshine forecast for Gqeberha for the next few days, the surface will dry out and bring spinners more meaningfully into the game.Related

Kandamby backs experienced SL to make a strong comeback

SA face selection conundrum amid injuries

Chandimal takes on No. 3 challenge

Injured Coetzee out of second Test and all-format Pakistan series

South Africa’s own batters were dismissed for 191 in the first innings in Kingsmead, but they have Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs coming into this Test in serious form, while Aiden Markram also got a decent innings under his belt at Kingsmead.South Africa’s concerns ahead of the Test centre around the make-up of their attack, with Wiaan Mulder and Gerald Coetzee both ruled out. They still have their spearheads in Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, however, who shared 14 wickets in the previous Test, Jansen getting 11 on his own.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWD (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWWWLSouth Africa will be without Wiaan Mulder and Gerald Coetzee in Gqeberha•Gallo Images/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Tristan Stubbs and Lahiru KumaraTest cricket must seem pretty straightforward so far to 24-year-old Tristan Stubbs. Eleven innings in, he’s got two centuries and a fifty, with an average of 43.90. While Bavuma was tentative in the approach to triple figures in Kingsmead, Stubbs raced through the 90s. He had had some luck in that innings, having been dropped on 33, but remained positive through his stay at the crease, pressing South Africa’s advantage alongside Bavuma. He will relish the opportunity to back that 122 up with a solid performance in his first Test in his home town.Lahiru Kumara is not always the most disciplined of Sri Lanka’s quicks, but he is their fastest bowler, and at Kingsmead, the most penetrative. He is on the verge of joining a fairly exclusive club. Sri Lanka have only ever had four seam bowlers get to 100 wickets – Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, and Dilhara Fernando. Kumara needs only one more dismissal to get up to triple figures. If Sri Lanka are to level the series, they will likely need Kumara to blow well past that milestone.Team newsSouth Africa named their XI on match eve, with Ryan Rickelton and Dane Paterson coming in in place of Mulder and Coetzee. That means an extra batter, three seamers and a spinner.*South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Ryan Rickelton, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Dane PatersonSri Lanka also have major decisions to make around their attack. Will they do what they did in Lord’s this year, and strap four fast bowlers to the plough? It’s a definite possibility, given Milan Rathnayake can also bat a bit. They also desperately want to find a place for Oshada Fernando, as Oshada had recently made 122 and 80 for Sri Lanka A in South Africa, and had also hit 75 not out at this venue in 2019. But who would make way for his inclusion?Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karuanaratne, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Prabath Jayasuriuya/ Milan Rathnayake, 9 Vishwa Fernando, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraLahiru Kumara is on the verge of 100 Test wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditionsThe day before the match, the playing surface was covered with a hessian to prevent too much moisture loss as the drying wind was expected to pick up in the afternoon. There remained significant grass on the surface for the same reason. The groundsman has yet to decide how much will be cut on the morning of the match. The westerly wind is forecast for most of the match, which suggests batting first and taking advantage of deteriorating conditions later on. No rain is forecast for the five days, for now.Stats and trivia If Kumara takes three wickets in Gqeberha, his wicket-tally will go past those of Dilhara Fernando (100) and Lasith Malinga (101), and he will become the third-highest wicket-taker in Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling history. Sri Lanka lost their first match in Gqeberha in 2016, going down by 206 runs. But they won their most recent game at the venue, by eight wickets in 2019. Stubbs has been excellent at getting starts so far in his career, having got to 20 in nine of his 11 innings.Quotes”The way that we stacked up our line-up is that, we believe that with the runs on the board, that gives you enough time to get 20 wickets. It might take us a bit longer. It may not play like Durban. There is a bit more grass on the wicket. I think there will be something in there for our seamers. But if it doesn’t favour our seamers, we do have the spin of Kesh[av Maharaj] to be effective. So we believe that whether it’s the seam, whether it’s the spin, we can still be successful in these conditions.”
“If we compare this cycle with the previous one, we are doing far better. I’m happy with the boys and how they’ve performed. If we don’t get to the final in this cycle, we should be prepared to de even better in the next one.”
*

Aston Villa have been hindered this summer by the Premier League’s controversial Profit and Sustainability regulations, imposed prohibitively on Unai Emery’s plans this summer.

There’s no question that the focus is on returning to the Champions League and Emery crowning his era in the English Midlands with silverware, but that’s easier said than done.

Villa are into the Europa League, at least, having finished sixth last term, falling agonisingly short after a miserable and contentious loss at Old Trafford on the final day.

While the Premier League side have missed out on the bonanza that would have come through reprising their place in Europe’s elite competition, they have completed some shrewd signings, with Marco Bizot from Brest taking the number two spot between the sticks and the versatile Evann Guessand adding firepower across the frontline, having recently signed from OGC Nice.

Though another deal could yet be completed, it appears that much hinges on the future of Leon Bailey.

The latest on Leon Bailey's Villa future

The Athletic have confirmed that Bailey, 28, is in talks with Serie A giants Roma over a potential transfer away from Villa Park this summer.

The Jamaican winger only started 14 times in the Premier League last season as he struggled against injuries, which punctuated his campaign.

However, he was electric the term before, racking up 19 goal contributions across the top-flight campaign, and it’s clear that more quality is needed to ensure that Emery has enough firepower to tackle multiple fronts once again this year.

And should Roma secure their quarry, it appears the Villans have already lined up the perfect replacement.

Villa join race for Bailey replacement

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Aston Villa are ready to join the race for Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu, should Bailey complete his potential move to Roma in the coming weeks.

The 21-year-old Fatawu suffered an injury-hit 2024/25 season but managed to showcase his quality across the smattering of fixtures he appeared in.

Everton have also been reported to have a vested interest in the speedy winger, so Monchi and co will need to ramp up the gas if they hope to get this one over the line.

Why Emery wants Abdul Fatawu

Leicester signed Fatawu from Sporting Lisbon last summer after he played an instrumental role in achieving promotion from the Championship in 2023/24.

An athletic, pacy and combative winger, Fatawu has the perfect skill set for the Premier League, and given that he has burst onto the scene in the second tier, he could prove to be Villa’s next version of Morgan Rogers.

The ice-cold attacking midfielder was one of Aston Villa’s biggest success stories from last season, notching 30 goal contributions across all competitions as he played a crucial role in making Emery’s system tick. The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell had described him as a “machine” of an attacking midfielder for his labours.

However, he’d previously completed 61 matches in the Championship, and it’s for this reason that Villa could repeat their own trick by signing Fatawu from the King Power Stadium this summer.

Remarked by talent scout Jacek Kulig to have been “simply unplayable” at times across the 2023/24 Championship season, it’s regrettable from a Leicester standpoint that Fatawu was cruelly ruled out for the lion’s share of last season, especially when he showed great promise across his few outings in ther Premier League.

In fact, even though Fatawu has struggled for fitness over the past 12 months, he still ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 15 for tackles won per 90 too, via FBref.

Indeed, looking at the Ghanaian’s performances across the past two years, you begin to see why Emery is invested in striking a deal over the next couple of weeks, adding not just creativity to his side but also some muscle and energy to his right flank too.

Matches (starts)

40 (33)

11 (6)

Goals

6

0

Assists

13

2

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.4)

1.2 (0.5)

Pass completion

80%

68%

Big chances created

32

2

Key passes*

1.7

0.5

Dribbles*

2.3

2.6

Ball recoveries*

3.7

3.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.0

2.3

Duels (won)*

6.1

7.6

And though he’s only played once in the Championship this season, Sofascore also record that the rising prospect completed six dribbles and won a whopping 12 duels, underscoring his one-of-a-kind physicality.

This level of completeness at such an early stage of his career emphasises a likeness to the 23-year-old Rogers, for the England international won 4.7 duels and made 1.2 tackles per game in the Premier League last season, as also recorded by Sofascore.

But with a potent attacking threat at the forefront of his game, it’s clear that Rogers could find himself mimicked by Fatawu, should the Ghanaian succeed in earning his big move after two years with Leicester which have shown potential but seen him spiral back into the Premier League after frustration last season.

Given that Rogers also created 16 big chances in the top flight last term, partnered with his preferred position existing in the centre or out on the left, there’s no reason why Fatawu and Rogers could not cohabit in Emery’s starting line-up over the coming years, each sharing similar skills but bearing their own tactical identity.

Whether Aston Villa manage to pull this one off remains to be seen, especially since Everton remain hopeful that they can strike a deal themselves.

But without a doubt, this is the kind of shrewd signing that could bear dividends in the long run, and if Bailey’s chapter in England truly is at an end, there are few better replacements currently on the market.

Emery's new Asensio: Aston Villa hold talks over signing £18m "wizard"

Aston Villa are looking to sign another attacker this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 14, 2025

The German coach and his players put their mediocre recent displays against minnows behind them with a top-level performance in Belgrade

England finally located their mojo on Tuesday in Belgrade, and Serbia didn't know what had hit them. In case they were wondering, it was five goals, from five different scorers, and the sound they could hear was that of Thomas Tuchel's side finally taking to the skies after several false starts, heading right for the 2026 World Cup, their mission to go all the way in North America back on track.

The Three Lions' performance proved that England are not just a squad of incredibly talented and famous individuals, as you might have been forgiven for thinking after their dour win over Andorra and their previous four outings under Tuchel. They can also be remarkably effective when they work together, as they did for the slick second goal scored by Noni Madueke.

"Teamwork in its purest form" is how Tuchel described the performance, emphasising the achievement of limiting their hosts to zero shots on target and praising the intensity his players showed throughout. The German also had a pointed message to the doubters, both in the fanbase and in the media: "I’m just glad for the players that they could show to the fans and to you guys what they’re capable of."

England will face much tougher teams than Serbia on their path towards their ultimate aim of winning the World Cup next summer, and the manner of this victory, as satisfying as it was, should not lead to talk of Tuchel 'bringing it home' just yet. It was reassuring, though, to see England rise to the occasion and remind everyone, not least themselves, of how good they can be.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Rajko Mitic Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Thomas Tuchel

  Tuchel not only needed to win, he needed a big performance to quieten the volume of dissent against him after four lacklustre victories and a concerning defeat to Senegal in his games in charge thus far. He got both, with England delivering their biggest away win since crushing San Marino 10-0 in 2021 while showing they can play free-flowing football as well as make the most of set-pieces.

  There were many things to be pleased about from the coach's point of view. His side barely let Serbia create any danger, with Jordan Pickford not asked to make any saves all night. They dominated the ball and territory but were seldom ponderous, playing in a direct manner throughout.

  Tuchel also showed his flexibility, dropping players who had underperformed against Andorra such as Marcus Rashford and Myles Lewis-Skelly while rewarding Elliot Anderson with a second consecutive start. It was not exactly the spell-binding performance Spain had produced against Turkey a couple of days earlier, but it was an imposing display and a big stride in the right direction.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Dragan Stojkovic

  Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic was roundly booed when his name was read out before kick-off, and the crowd's feeling towards him became ever more vociferous as his side were played off their own park. All the talk before about England being intimidated amid the noise and during the walk through the 73-metre, graffiti-soaked tunnel faded into nothing, and if anyone faced hostilities, it was the home side and their manager.

  Stojkovic was one of the best players of his generation but his star has faded as a coach and he is growing ever unpopular, despite leading Serbia to back-to-back major tournaments. Making it three out of three will be much harder after this bruising defeat, as they will almost certainly have to look to the play-offs to book their place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

  There is another reason why Stojkovic is unpopular right now, too. He is a fervent supporter of the Serbian government, which has faced waves of protests in the last few weeks, and if his side cannot beat Albania in their next game and reclaim second spot in the group, his own regime might be about to topple.

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Noni Madueke

  Madueke had been among the players Tuchel had named and shamed for not taking their chances against Andorra, but he showed the mental resilience you need at international level on Tuesday. The forward has many critics, as was made clear by the furious reaction among Arsenal fans when he signed for the Gunners, and when he kept his place in the starting line-up for this one ahead of Jarrod Bowen, more groans were let out online.

  But Madueke offered the perfect response. The game was barely a few minutes old when he latched on to a pass from Morgan Rogers and nearly won a penalty. He later rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Harry Kane, who somehow missed the target, while when he got a chance of his own, he made sure he didn't waste it. 

  Madueke demonstrated his renowned pace and determination as he sprinted into the box after Rogers' flick-on, but he also showed an ice-cool mentality in front of goal which has been previously lacking.  With his club team-mate Bukayo Saka potentially still injured for the next round of England games against Wales and Albania, Madueke has given himself the best hope possible of keeping his place.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Declan Rice

  Declan Rice already has his name on a seat on the plane to North America next summer, so he could feel entitled to rest on his laurels and coast a little bit through these qualifiers. He did no such thing on Tuesday, however, leading by example with a truly dominant performance.

  Rice's two assists, for Kane and Marc Guehi, added to his goal against Andorra and meant he had directly contributed to three of England's seven strikes during this camp. Tuchel had spoken of the importance of long balls and long throws before the game and it felt obvious that he had Arsenal in mind.

  Rice's pin-point deliveries have been a key element of the Gunners' growing threat from set plays (no Premier League team has scored more than them in the last two years) and it makes perfect sense for Tuchel to want to replicate that weapon, with the midfielder as his supplier-in-chief.

Leeds United and the 49ers Enterprises have made an enquiry to sign another new midfielder ahead of Premier League rivals Burnley and Everton.

Leeds bolster midfield with Longstaff and Stach signings

The Whites have been busy in recent weeks ahead of their top flight return, with two of their recent signings coming in midfield.

After bolstering Daniel Farke’s defence with Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson, Leeds have since added Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.

Signed for a combined £29.4m from Newcastle United and Hoffenheim respectively, the duo look set to provide competition for Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev this season.

Talking after signing, Longstaff said: “I think from the first time I spoke to Leeds, I got a feeling that they really wanted me. It just fills you full of confidence and it just makes you want to repay those people. It is a massive, massive football club – similar to Newcastle in a lot of ways.”

Meanwhile, Stach added: “I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season. My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best.”

Even better than Muniz: Leeds lining up move to sign "dominant" £30m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a striker who is even better than Rodrigo Muniz.

ByDan Emery Jul 31, 2025

The Whites don’t seem to be stopping there when it comes to midfield reinforcements, though, going off a new transfer update.

Leeds make contact to sign Benfica’s Florentino Luis

According to journalist Gianluigi Longari, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds have made an enquiry to sign Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis.

It is claimed that the Portuguese side could be open to selling Luis after bringing in Richard Ríos, with Leeds, Everton and Burnley all making approaches in recent weeks.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €22m Transfermarkt valuation. Luis has been with Benfica since 2019, winning two league titles, and is under contract until 2027.

He caught the eye of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed the midfielder the “Portuguese Octopus”, and he also ranks high for a number of areas over the last 12 months.

Tackles

97th percentile

Interceptions

99th percentile

Tackles won

94th percentile

Passes blocked

82nd percentile

Pass completion (long)

94th percentile

A move to England could be one to keep an eye on following the recent transfer update and it’ll be interesting to see if Leeds firm up their interest after making contact.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Jorge Sampaoli mandará a campo um Flamengo com novidades em sua estreia pelo clube. Para enfrentar o Ñublense, do Chile, o técnico promoveu as entradas de Vidal e Marinho entre os titulares. Vale destacar que, no setor ofensivo, Sampaoli escalou a dupla Gabigol e Pedro. A bola rola às 21h30 no Maracanã, pela segunda rodada do Grupo A da Libertadores. Acompanhe aqui!

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoPresidente do Flamengo fala sobre Jorge Jesus e ironiza: ‘Poderia vir se tivesse esse amor todo’Flamengo19/04/2023Fora de CampoTapa na careca! Sampaoli dá ‘trato no visual’ para estreia pelo Flamengo; veja!Fora de Campo19/04/2023

Santos; Fabrício Bruno, David Luiz e Léo Pereira; Marinho, Vidal, Thiago Maia, Gerson e Ayrton Lucas; Gabi e Pedro: este será o time que enfrenta a equipe chilena. Vidal e Marinho, as principais novidades, são jogadores que já trabalharam com Sampaoli no Chile e no Santos, respectivamente.

+ Assine o Star+ por apenas R$32,90 por mês e acompanhe o Mengão na Libertadores quando e onde quiser!

Os dois times perderam nas estreias do Grupo A – veja a classificação e a tabela completa da chave aqui. Nesta quinta, o Racing recebe o Aucas, na Argentina, no encerramento da segunda rodada.

continua após a publicidade

Para esta partida, o Flamengo tem os seguintes desfalques: Matheuzinho, Filipe Luís, Erick Pulgar e Arrascaeta (lesionados e entregues ao DM) e Bruno Henrique, seguindo o planejamento de retorno aos jogos após voltar a atuar no último domingo, contra o Coritiba, após 10 meses de recuperação.