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Nem o mais otimista torcedor do Goiás poderia acreditar na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Internacional, na noite deste domingo (13), pela 9ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Com a expulsão de Jefferson aos 3 minutos de jogo, após falta dura em Marcos Guilherme, a equipe da casa, ainda na etapa inicial, encontrou seu tento com Vinícius Lopes. Já na segunda etapa, apesar de toda a pressão por parte do time gaúcho, Tadeu e companhia deram conta do recado para afastar os perigos e conquistarem mais um feito na competição.

Sendo assim, os comandados de Thiago Larghi chegaram aos 8 pontos, porém seguem no Z4, agora ocupando a 18ª colocação. Já o time comandado por Eduardo Coudet, mesmo tropeçando fora de casa, permaneceu na liderança com 20 pontos.

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INÍCIO DE JOGO COM EXPULSÃO

A bola nem começou a rolar direito no estádio da Serrinha e, praticamente no primeiro lance, Jefferson acabou cometendo uma falta muito dura em cima de Marcos Guilherme. Após checar o VAR, a arbitragem entendeu que o atleta do Goiás exagerou e o acabou expulsando, ficando com 10 em campo.

PANORAMA DO JOGO VIROU ATAQUE CONTRA DEFESA

Com desvantagem numérica, o time da casa, além de ter sido obrigado a reforçar seu sistema defensivo tirando o atacante Keko para dar lugar ao lateral Caju, passou a ficar recuado. Sendo assim, aproveitando a fragilidade do adversário, o Inter não quis saber e pressionava com jogadas aéreas em busca de seu gol, mesmo sem Marcos Guilherme, que acabou sendo substituído por Boschilia.

INTER ESBARRAVA NA DEFESA DO GOIÁS

Ainda na expectativa de abrir o marcador, Coudet pedia para que sua equipe acelerasse o jogo. Com diversas chances criadas, por muito o pouco o Colorado não marcou com D’Alessandro, que, por sua vez, acertou a bola na trave do goleiro Tadeu em uma cobrança de falta, e com Abel Hernández, que chutou fraquinho contra a meta rival.

PRESSÃO NÃO FUNCIONA E QUEM ABRE O PLACAR É O GOIÁS

Ainda martelando a defesa do time comandado por Thiago Larghi, a equipe gaúcha parecia que não estava com a pontaria afiada. Com isso, em uma das raras chegadas, a equipe local conseguiu abrir a contagem aos 43, com Vinícius Lopes aproveitando o rebote na falta cobrada na área do Inter. 1 a 0.

SEGUNDO TEMPO COM MAIS INTENSIDADE DO COLORADO

Preocupado com o tropeço parcial, Coudet optou por iniciar a última etapa colocando Thiago Galhardo no lugar de Bruno Praxedes. Com a mudança feita, o poder ofensivo do time visitante ficou mais forte, buscando a qualquer preço o seu tento de igualdade no confronto, porém ainda esbarrando na forte defesa do clube goiano.

MUDANÇAS NÃO SURTIAM EFEITO E TADEU EM DIA INSPIRADO

Sem conseguir furar a defesa do rival, novamente Coudet optou por algumas substituições. Com entradas de Rodrigo Lindoso e Rodrigo Fernández, bem que o Inter colocava pressão no rival, conseguindo criar com Abel, que ainda teve um gol anulado corretamente, porém acabava parando no goleiro Tadeu que fechava o gol do Goiás.

ÚLTIMOS MOMENTOS COM EMOÇÃO

A bola insistia em não sair do campo de ataque do time goiano. Com uma verdadeira blitz do Inter na área adversária, outra vez ele, Tadeu, de forma impressionante, praticamente no último lance, fez uma defesa milagrosa em cima da linha, garantindo uma vitória heroica para o Goiás.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GOIÁS 1×0 INTERNACIONAL

Local: Estádio da Serrinha, Goiânia (GO)
Data-Hora: 13/09/2020 – 18h (Horário de Brasília)
​Árbitro: Flávio Rodrigues de Souza(FIFA-SP)
Assistentes:Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (FIFA-SP) e Alex Ang Ribeiro (CBF-SP)
VAR:José Cláudio Rocha Filho (CBF-SP)
​Cartões amarelos:Fábio Sanches (GOI)/ Víctor Cuesta, Bruno Praxedes e Pedro Henrique (INT)
​Cartões vermelhos: Jefferson (GOI)
Gol: Vinícius Lopes (aos 43, 1’/1ºT)

GOIÁS:Tadeu; Edílson, David Duarte, Fábio Sanches e Jefferson; Sandro, Breno (Ratinho, aos 41’/2ºT) e Daniel Bessa (Gilberto, aos 49’/2ºT); Vinícius Lopes, Keko (Caju, aos 8’/1ºT) e Rafael Moura. Técnico: Thiago Larghi.

INTERNACIONAL:Marcelo Lomba; Rodinei (Rodrigo Moledo, aos 43’/2ºT), Pedro Henrique (Leandro Fernández, aos 22’/2ºT), Víctor Cuesta e Moisés; Susto, Edenílson e Bruno Praxedes (Thiago Galhardo, no intervalo); Marcos Guilherme (Boschilia, aos 7’/1ºT), D’Alessandro (Rodrigo Lindoso, aos 22’/2ºT) e Abel Hernández. Técnico: Eduardo Coudet.

كشف مصدر بـ اتحاد الكرة عن تلقى منتخب مصر عرضًا من منتخب تركيًا لمواجهة الفراعنة وديًا خلال شهر مايو الجاري ضمن استعداداته لخوض بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.

منتخب مصر يعتلي صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الأولى في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026 التي تضم إلى جواره منتخبات بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو وسيراليون وإثيوبيا وجيبوتي، برصيد 6 نقاط.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو في القاهرة يوم 6 يونيو، بينما تلعب مواجهة غينيا بيساو خارج القاهرة يوم 10 يونيو.

طالع | على رأسهم محمد صلاح.. مصدر يكشف لـ”بطولات” موقف اللاعبين المحترفين من معسكر المنتخب المقبل

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “منتخب تركيا طلب منذ عدة أيام مواجهة مصر رسميًا في الاسبوع الأخير من شهر مايو الجاري في إطار تحضيرات المنتخب التركي لمنافسات يورو 2024”.

وأوضح: “الجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن وافق على الودية وكان متحمس لها؛ ولذلك رغب الجهاز في إقامة المعسكر في وقت مبكر لخوض الودية؛ ولكن لم يتم الاتفاق مع الرابطة على تقديم موعد المعسكر”.

ويشارك منتخب تركيا في منافسات يورو 2024 المقرر إقامتها في ألمانيا خلال شهر يونيو المقبل، حيث يتواجد بالمجموعة السادسة بجوار منتخبات البرتغال والتشيك وجورجيا.

Manchester United are expected to make further moves in the transfer window this summer, with a refreshed update provided on one of the club’s reported targets.

Erik ten Hag’s side started the season with a victory at home to Wolves, however, the three points were far from the narrative of the game with the Dutchman’s squad falling short to the Midlands club all over the pitch.

Now, with a clearer outlook on what’s needed to compete at the highest level, the Red Devils are expected to delve back into the market to strengthen the squad once more.

Who could Manchester United sign this summer?

United have added four additions to the side already this window, with Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Jonny Evans committing their future to Old Trafford.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

There could however be a further market move, with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard said to be eyed by Ten Hag.

As reported by renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano via The United Stand, the Frenchman is open to a move to Manchester, with Romano saying:

“The Pavard deal is something very concrete in terms of the player's side at the moment because I am hearing that the player is really keen on joining Manchester United.

He wants to get this opportunity to go to the Premier League to try new a chance.”

A separate report, via 90min, has claimed that Munich would want a fee in the region of €40m (£34.5m) to allow the versatile full-back to depart.

What is Benjamin Pavard’s style of play?

Identifiable as both a centre-back and right-back, the 27-year-old has been a reliable asset for the Bavarians since his move to the club from VfB Stuttgart back in 2019.

Having been lauded as “outstanding” by Bayern president Uli Hoeness, the Frenchman was singled out by his manager Thomas Tuchel for his ability to defend “rigorously”, making him a particularly interesting talent for United to target.

The art of defending in the Premier League has had its tone set by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who guided his side to a historic treble win last season, conceding the joint-lowest number of goals in the league with 33 in 38 games.

The Spaniard deployed a back-three most prominently, with the expectation for all of his defenders to adhere to his expectations of maintaining a high level of defensive reading while being masters at progressive play.

Nathan Ake is one of the names transformed by Guardiola, who has become an integral part of Man City’s back line due to his versatility to play both wide and central.

The Dutchman has been likened statistically to United target Pavard by FBref, who like the former AFC Bournemouth dynamo has the ability to play in various roles across the back.

As per FBref, last season the 27-year-old machine averaged 7.48 progressive passes per 90 in the Bundesliga, exceeding the average of 6.73 per 90 recorded by Ake for City in the Premier League, suggesting that he could give the side a fresh outlet in defence.

In capturing the signing of the Frenchman, Ten Hag could take a note from the treble-winning manager’s book, in integrating a defender with significant strength and versatility to the back four that is currently rigid in its roles.

Tottenham Hotspur may have recruited efficiently already this summer, but that striker spot remains firmly up for grabs. With Richarlison faltering, perhaps Ange Postecoglou could be set to peruse the market to offer him some competition…

Who could replace Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur?

Following Harry Kane’s big-money departure, leaving to join Bayern Munich, the Lilywhites have been seamless in their transition despite what was a crushing exit.

He had become their leader and their talisman, so to lose him the day before their Premier League curtain-raiser was a blow.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, with four points from their first two league matches, already a fine foundation has been built with which a new star striker could now shine.

Therefore, perhaps they could seek to reignite their interest in Brighton and Hove Albion star Evan Ferguson, opting for the young Irishman over the host of alternative options for this role.

It is expected his club will command a fee of around £100m to sanction his exit though.

How good is Evan Ferguson?

Despite being just 18 years old, it is impressive the speed with which the pacey front man has risen to prominence in English football.

Last season marked his breakthrough, with an impressive six goals and two assists in the Premier League. This has marked a steady progression too, by kickstarting the new campaign with one goal across just 35 minutes of league football thus far.

His style is dynamic and unpredictable, with his physical assets a key factor in his success.

Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi sought to outline this, noting:

“Ferguson’s improvement has been incredible. He’s playing like an old player but he is only 18.”

It is therefore no surprise to see Statman Dave brand him a “special talent” too.

However, he is not the only young striker who Postecoglou is considering, with their interest in Gift Orban longstanding and well-founded.

He too has been tearing up his respective league, notching 20 goals in just 22 appearances last campaign across all competitions and starting this term in similarly red-hot form.

The in-form Nigerian finisher already has six goals in as many games in Belgium, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig branding him a “natural born killer”.

It is worth noting that the KAA Gent star is three years older than Ferguson, and yet boasts far less experience within one of Europe’s top five leagues.

For all his fine form, his exploits are not really comparable when put alongside a division that is ranked seven places higher on the UEFA coefficient list.

FBref help to further emphasise the proficiency of Ferguson, as when ranked against other forwards across Europe he sits in the top 7% for non-penalty goals per 90, and the top 10% for total shots per 90.

With Orban having enjoyed the most clinical year of his career, averaging a 25% goal conversion rate in the Belgium Pro League, his hypothetical competitor for Spurs' striker spot still performed admirably, with a 17% conversion rate of his own in the English top-flight.

With all the statistics in his favour – and those extra years of youth combined with a fine season of experience at the elite level – Ferguson clearly marks the far greater talent for Postecoglou to capture at Spurs this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers haven’t exactly had the best preparation before starting their 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

The Old Gold have made just two signings this summer, with Matt Doherty and Tom King arriving at Molineux while Julen Lopetegui has left the club after just nine months in charge amid a summer of unrest.

Gary O’Neil is the new man in charge, and he is already looking at making his first signing as Wolves have shown interest in Murillo.

Could Wolves sign Murillo?

According to Goal Brasil (via Sport Witness), Wolves have ‘opened talks’ to sign the Brazilian defender from Corinthians this summer.

The Old Gold are willing to spend around €12m (£10m) in order to make a move happen, yet this won’t be enough, especially considering Fiorentina had a bid of a similar amount rejected recently.

Nottingham Forest are also showing interest in Murillio and O’Neil could face some Premier League competition for the youngster.

Corinthians are demanding a bid of at least €20m (£17m) for any team to lure the player out of Brazil and this shouldn’t present much of a problem for Wolves, who have yet to spend any of the £47m they received from the sale of Ruben Neves.

Who is Murillo?

O’Neil’s first port of call will be to improve his defensive options. Not only did Conor Coady leave the club, joining Leicester City in the Championship, but Nathan Collins also departed, securing a move to Brentford and the former Bournemouth manager is lacking any real depth at the back.

Murillo could add some much-needed depth to the first team squad, while also being a big upgrade on Toti Gomes.

The Portuguese centre-back couldn’t quite grab a regular slot at the heart of the defence last term, yet when he did, the 24-year-old failed to live up to his potential.

The defender ranked 14th across the squad for tackles per game (0.9) while also ranking ninth for interceptions (0.6) and fourth for clearances (2.6) per game and keeping just four clean sheets in his 17 Premier League appearances.

For Corinthians this season, Murillo has already averaged 1.3 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 4.8 clearances per game across just 12 matches and these figures rank him 12th, fourth and second in the squad receptively, clearly suggesting he could be an improvement on Toti.

The 21-year-old brute even ranks in the top 1% when compared to positional peers for blocks per 90 (2.13) and the top 8% for clearances per 90 (5.52) and the youngster has even displayed his attacking qualities, ranking in the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.75).

In contrast, Toti only ranked in the top 20% for blocks per 90 (1.46) when compared to positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues while ranking out with the top 35% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.82) and although he did finish in the top 1% for clearances per 90 (4.66), it’s evident that the Brazilian could be a better option at the back for O’Neil.

There is no doubt Wolves need to bolster their squad before the end of the transfer window and luring Murillo to the Midlands could give O’Neil his dream first signing, and he may just be the catalyst for a few more to arrive in the coming weeks.

Thisara Perera will lead Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I teams in India next month*, replacing Upul Tharanga. It is yet another change in leadership for Sri Lanka this year, and as the appointment is only for this series, it is hardly a stabilising long-term appointment.Nevertheless, it will be the 28-year old allrounder’s first experience of the role in 50-over international cricket; he was in charge of a depleted T20I side that took on Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium last month. Thisara is the seventh different man to captain Sri Lanka in 2017, following Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Dinesh Chandimal, Tharanga and Chamara Kapugedera, who have borne the responsibility in one format or the other.”All teams go through tough patches, it’s upto each of us to get past our mental barriers and perform best for our country,” Thisara said after his appointment on Wednesday. “The goal for each one of us is to bring glory to our country. This must be clearly stated. I can confidently say that although India are currently best in the world in all three formats, if you compare each player of our team with any player in the world [not only India] we are on par with the best of the best.”My policy as captain is to stop dwelling on the past and failures, and to march forward together with my team, with our eyes firmly planted on the goal of bringing glory to our motherland,” Thisara said. “I believe that if each player can perform to his individual potential, we can easily win this series.”Thisara’s captaincy, for the time being, is only guaranteed for the India series, as the role of captain will be evaluated on a series-by-series basis going forward until a long-term appointment can be made. With Mathews having relinquished captaincy duties and Chandimal’s position in the limited-overs unit a persistent doubt, the unusual stance taken by SLC to not name a long-term captain with the World Cup less than two years away speaks towards Sri Lanka’s lack of outright leaders in the camp.SLC, however, was impressed with Thisara’s commanding of a young outfit when several first-choice players expressed reluctance to travel to Lahore, with SLC CEO Ashley De Silva noting that it was Perera’s “aggressive” captaincy that had caught their attention.”The selectors noticed that he got a lot of support from the players during the T20 series in UAE and Pakistan, and we expect the same support and cooperation to be extended by the players,” de Silva said. “We felt that he carried out his duties very effectively, and he was also a very aggressive captain. So I think when it comes to ODIs and T20s, that is what is required and the selectors have identified his capabilities.”Chairman of selectors Graeme Labrooy further said: “We are keen to implement our selections policy across the board in all aspects of the game, and Thisara’s appointment is one such move. We believe this is the leadership skillset the team needs right now, and have made this decision specifically with our long-term goals in mind.”Thisara, while acknowledging his poor run of form in limited-overs cricket, pointed to his success in franchise T20 cricket as well as his recent exploits with the World XI for reasons behind his selection. He also expressed hope that the added responsibility of captaincy would signal an upturn in form and consistency going forward.”Even though I’ve played less than half of the limited-overs matches the team has played in 2017, I’ve played a lot of cricket abroad in that time. It’s with those performances in tow that I returned to play for Sri Lanka. Yes, my performance level has been low, and I have been in and out of the team. But now as captain, I am a permanent member of the team, so I hope that means I’ll be able to perform better going forward.”Thisara, who made his debut in December 2009, has played 125 ODIs, with a formidable strike-rate of 108 but an average of only 17. As a bowler, he has taken 133 wickets at 32.62 apiece. His form in recent series, though, has come under some scrutiny. Thisara made only 91 runs – at 18.20 – and picked up a mere four wickets in the ODIs against Pakistan and followed that with 19 runs and three wickets across three T20Is.Sri Lanka’s limited-overs cricket has undergone plenty of upheaval this year. They lost an ODI series for the first time to Zimbabwe, which prompted Mathews to resign. Tharanga was then appointed captain, but under his watch Sri Lanka were whitewashed 5-0 at home by India and 5-0 away by Pakistan.The team was beaten 5-0 in South Africa as well, when Tharanga had been a stand-in captain. His batting form, however, was one of the few bright spots during this period. Tharanga carried his bat, scoring 112 not out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and also flayed 119 off only 90 balls against the South Africa attack in Cape Town.Speaking on Tharanga’s role in the team, Labrooy said: “Quite contrary to the baseless speculation on social media sites, Tharanga had not failed us in any way. We want him to keep making big scores and want him to concentrate on his game without burdening him with the captaincy. This is merely a strategic move, and we have discussed it with Tharanga too, who being the 100% team player he is, understands our reasoning and requirement.”We are keen to implement our selections policy across the board in all aspects of the game, and Thisara’s appointment is one such move. We believe this is the leadership skillset the team needs right now, and have made this decision specifically with our long-term goals in mind.”*1345GMT The news was updated after Sri Lanka Cricket issued an official release

Arsenal could already be looking ahead to next season, just two games into the 2023/24 campaign, with a new report linking the Gunners with a sensational transfer move next year.

Focusing on this term, Mikel Arteta has recruited strongly in the summer transfer window so far, hiring Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya to bolster his squad in the hope to better the highs of last season.

With two wins in two, things are rolling at a maximum success rate for the north Londoners, however there remains room for improvement with a few names listed as potential new arrivals.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

After the devastating injury to Timber just 50 minutes into his Premier League debut, the Gunners have been linked to a number of defenders, including Barcelona centre-back Jules Kounde and Real Valladolid starlet Ivan Fresneda.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

While the injury to Timber is an immediate blow, another area that the Premier League runners-up were expected to bolster was their strike options, particularly when considering the absence of Gabriel Jesus and the pending departure of Folarin Balogun.

Perhaps this summer it looks unlikely that a striker will be recruited, however, a recent report by FootballTransfers has named the club as being interested in a blockbuster move for Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson in 2024.

The audacious report claims that the £100m Irishman is ‘on the radar’ of the north Londoners, for what is speculated to be a significant ploy to capture the teenager in the future.

What could Evan Ferguson offer to Arsenal?

Having sensationally been dubbed as a “good striker” by Kylian Mbappe prior to France’s match-up with Ireland, the 18-year-old has won the approval of those leading the way to forming the next era of generational talent.

In his breakthrough campaign last year, the robust centre-forward netted six goals and provided two assists in only 19 appearances, with only 10 of which coming from starts, via Sofascore.

The youngster has continued where he left off in the 2022/23 calendar, opening his scoring tally during the season opener against Luton Town at the Amex.

A move for the £20k-per-week teen could be deemed outrageous considering the price tag on his head, however, the matter remains that Arsenal need a reliable marksman, and they’re an extremely hard archetype to locate, whatever the level.

At just 18, Ferguson has shown that he can cut it in the top-flight already, with his talents suggesting that he could be a devastating addition to the Gunners should the report be believed.

In this instance, Arsenal should look to their north London neighbours who tortured the Reds by taking a chance on one of their young strikers, with a certain Harry Kane departing the capital as the Premier League’s second-highest all-time goalscorer.

At just 21 years of age, he enjoyed a breakthrough season at Tottenham.

Kane was given the chance to showcase what he would do, which resulted in him scoring 213 Premier League goals some nine years later.

The similarities extend further than that, though, as seemingly Spurs are also in the coveted race to sign the Irish wonderkid, reportedly viewing the teenage talent as a 'dream' replacement for the departed England skipper.

Further to that case, former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given specifically likened Brighton's academy gem to the prolific marksman, as he said back in March this year:

"He's a number nine, he can drop off into the number ten position, similar to Harry Kane with all of his brilliant positions."

Fellow Irishman Damian Delaney also approved of this opinion, adding: "I agree with Shay – there are shades of Harry Kane about him when you watch him."

While Arteta’s side have hugely progressed in recent years, the club have still failed to equip a reliable goalscorer to their ranks, especially not one that was close to being as prolific as Kane.

In signing Ferguson, the Spaniard could give the Irishman a dedicated role in his squad, in a chance that just could follow suit to their neighbours in producing the next upcoming marksman, which would undoubtedly fire Arsenal up the ranks within England and Europe.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is now looking to bring in several reinforcements before the transfer window closes, according to latest reports.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops are in the midst of an injury crisis in central defense and may need to enter the market to add another body to their rearguard following injuries to Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who will all be out for up to two months with various concerns, as per BBC Sport.

Cited by the outlet, Celtic boss Rodgers has confirmed that he may enter the market to bring another centre-back into the fold at Parkhead, stating: "It's an area we're light in. We have to look at it, no doubt. Obviously [it's] disappointing for us. Stephen Welsh had an operation just the other day so he's come through that well. The other two, we hoped they'd be back sooner."

Speaking to The Herald, Rodgers has also confirmed that Canada international right-back Alistair Johnston is now available to play after escaping the shackles of an injury complaint, saying: “He will be available for the squad Ally, he’s looked good over the last 11 or 12 days. We didn’t involve him on the Astro [at Kilmarnock], but he’s had another good week this week so he will be available, which is really good news for us."

Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has indicated that Aris Thessaloniki winger Luis Palma will miss his side's clash on Sunday against Lamia amid speculation surrounding his future at the club. Celtic are favourites to land the Honduras international and he also has two offers on the table from outside of Europe.

Celtic winger Sead Haksabanovic has grown frustrated by his lack of involvement at the club and may seek an exit between now and the transfer deadline, with clubs around Europe believed to be willing to offer him a Parkhead escape route, as per Football Insider.

Who else could Celtic sign?

According to a separate report from Football Insider, Celtic want to wrap up a whopping five more signings in an end of window 'blizzard' of incomings at Parkhead.

Bringing in a goalkeeper, left-back, central defender and striker are believed to be areas of priority for Celtic as they seek to bolster the ranks to help maintain their Scottish Premiership crown.

Cited by The Daily Record, Celtic boss Rodgers issued a plea for signings following the Hoops' 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup last weekend, stating in an interview: "You can see we need that quality and we have had quality go out the building. So we definitely need that quality in but we will work very hard to get the players in that can improve us and make us better and that is something we will do over the period of time now between now and the close of the window."

Given the injury list at Parkhead, the Hoops look to have no intention of letting their star players go this window and have rejected a bid for Denmark Under-21 international Matt O'Riley from Serie A outfit Bologna, according to The Scottish Sun.

Looking ahead, Celtic fans will be expecting an exciting end to the transfer window and plenty of incomings could be afoot in the east end of Glasgow.

Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2017

Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon, warning the offspinner that it could be his own career that is ended if England repeat their Ashes triumph of 2010-11.Prior, an integral part of the side that won the Ashes Down Under in 2010-11, was one of the most prominent England failures on their return trip three years later, making 107 runs in six innings before being dropped for the fourth Test of the series.However, having already hit back at Lyon’s claim that he had been “scared” of the extreme pace generated by Mitchell Johnson in that series, Prior went one step further in a pair of Twitter posts, as he addressed Lyon’s desire to “end some more careers” when the 2017-18 series gets underway on Thursday.”I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421,” Prior wrote. “I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends.”Prior is no stranger to wars of words, having been the subject of a vitriolic attack from his former team-mate, Kevin Pietersen, who labelled him the “big cheese” in his autobiography in 2014.By and large, Prior kept his counsel on that occasion, but he has been less willing to take Lyon’s comments lying down.”Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time,” he wrote. “To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home. You’ve embarrassed yourself @NathLyon421 & this game has a funny way of biting back.”

As he soaks up that winning feeling, the Vidarbha captain talks about how he always knew his team could go the distance this season. Coach Pandit, meanwhile, is happy to script an inspiring-underdog story

Vishal Dikshit in Indore01-Jan-2018Captain Faiz Fazal believes Vidarbha’s first match of the season, which they won against Punjab by an innings and 117 runs, “set the tone” for their victorious Ranji Trophy campaign. Vidarbha lifted the prestigious domestic trophy for the first time in their 61st attempt by beating Delhi comprehensively in Indore on the first day of 2018. Overall, Vidarbha registered an impressive seven wins in nine matches and only drew against Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.”The way we played the first game against Punjab – they are a great side and we got seven points from that game,” Fazal said after winning the Ranji Trophy. “That set the tone and we started believing that definitely we can win this trophy.”I cannot describe this feeling. This is what we work for. As a cricketer, you always think winning the Ranji Trophy will be the biggest thing. If you want to achieve anything, you have to go through the process and discipline and everything. Winning the Ranji Trophy has been the biggest achievement in my career. Playing for India was a big high for me, as an individual you get to achieve that.”Vidarbha dominated the Ranji final right from the first day when debutant Aditya Thakare struck in the first over of the match. They wrapped up Delhi on the next morning for 295 and even though Vidarbha were briefly in trouble at 246 for 6 in their first innings, they took a hefty lead. Fazal was confident at the end of the third day that he would get to lift the trophy before long.”To be very honest, yesterday, when the day finished, I thought that [we were going to win]. I know we were talking about how we shouldn’t lose our grip and everything, but I thought that we are going to win this game.”Vidarbha had a new coach this season – Chandrakant Pandit – who has a reputation of being a disciplinarian and a strict mentor. Throughout the final day too, when Vidarbha inched closer to the win, he barely displayed his emotions while sitting outside the dressing room and intently watching each and every delivery. Finally, victory sealed, the coach said the players had earned the right to let loose and celebrate.”They deserve to celebrate, that [victory] is what they were waiting for,” Pandit said. “I am sure my team and my captain must be very excited to celebrate and they should. There is no restriction, today you are not going to restrict them from anything. They can do whatever they want for they have been working hard throughout the season.”I must thank the selection committee, they also contributed so much during our journey. And each and every person who has been working… I would like to especially thank the ground staff. The way they have been preparing pitches, given us nets every time we asked for it. They also deserve to be celebrating.”We have been following our routines, which is the best part that the team has been doing. All credit goes to the players because they have put in a lot of hard work. I am also happy with the way they have respected me. The system which we have been following, they have never ignored that. The team is together, they started enjoying each other’s performances. We stayed together all the time. We had certain kind of activities within the team [for] bonding. So the boys have done a fantastic job.”A day before the final, Fazal had clearly stated he was confident of winning the match because of the kind of wave his team was riding by winning the quarter-final and semi-final. Fazal had even said he was itching to “get the feel of trophy in my hands”.When he was asked after lifting the trophy on Monday when he had first thought they would win the tournament, he took everyone a few months back. “From day one,” he said. “I never thought that we can’t lift this trophy. I was in England before the season so when I came to Nagpur and when I met Chandu sir, first thing we discussed was how to win the trophy and then the process started for me. The team was already preparing for it but then I joined in the act and from day one of the preparation I thought that we should lift the trophy.”Pandit said his team of underdogs winning such a title will motivate teenagers to play for their state and will instil belief in them. “Everybody likes to win the cup,” he said, “but this win will not only change the team, but in Vidarbha, every 14-year-old and 16-year-old boy will probably stand up and raise his hand that he can also win. That kind of culture I will be happy to achieve in Vidarbha.”