Since their takeover in 2008, Manchester City have spent millions of pounds to reach the highest point in European football. Their investment has been rewarded in success, capped off by winning their first treble last season.

Whilst their dream of a double treble this term was ended thanks to defeat in the Champions League quarter-final on penalties against Real Madrid, they are still at the top of the Premier League table and have an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

Along the road to their success, many players have come and gone from the Etihad. Some have had success with the club, and some haven’t. Under Pep Guardiola alone, they have purchased 52 players, some who have become integral, others who left without making an appearance for the club.

However, there is one player in particular whom City fans and neutrals alike might be confused about as to how it did not quite work out at the Etihad. With the player seemingly set to leave in the summer, the end to his time at the club may be one of the more frustrating in the last decade or so for City.

Joao Cancelo's transfer value at Barcelona

The man in question here is Portugal international Joao Cancelo. The left-back, who was generally superb during his time at the club, left Manchester City due to a rumoured argument with his manager Guardiola.

Cancelo left the Etihad on loan in the January transfer window in 2023, to join Bayern Munich, before returning to City at the end of the season. Last summer, Cancelo joined Barcelona on a season-long loan for 2023/24.

Since joining Barcelona on loan, Cancelo’s transfer value has plummeted. City bought the Portugal international in 2019 for £60m, which also included a swap deal for Brazilian defender Danilo.

However, 29-year-old Cancelo has since seen his value drop by a great distance. According to Football Transfers, the Barcelona defender is now worth less than half of what City paid for him, £28m to be exact. That certainly might frustrate City, who would now have to take the hit and lose money should they wish to move Cancelo on next summer.

Joao Cancelo’s season in numbers

It has been a frustrating season for Barcelona as a whole. They are eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and seem unlikely to catch their rivals and trump them to the league title. They also got eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday, after PSG overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Barca in their own backyard.

On a personal note for Cancelo, he has had a strong season. So far, the 29-year-old has contributed from both left-back and right-back, playing 35 games, scoring four goals and registering four assists along the way.

Whilst he is outscoring City’s full-backs, it is hard to see how Cancelo fits in again at City should he return next season. Despite the Portugal international’s ability to invert into midfield, Guardiola tends to prefer his full-backs to sit alongside Rodri in midfield and give licence to the more creative players in attack.

When John Stones is fit, Guardiola tends to ask both full-backs to tuck in and make a back three, with Stones acting as a libero and stepping up into midfield. Neither role suits Cancelo’s game, who is a more attacking defender and enjoys getting into the final third, as his goal output from this season shows.

With that and his rumoured argument with Guardiola in mind, it may well be the case that City decide to cut their losses and sell Cancelo, meaning the Portuguese is unlikely to play for the club again. Dispute the fact that he is valued at half the price they bought him for, they will be able to recoup at least some of that fee and reinvest it into the squad elsewhere.

Should the 29-year-old leave there were rumours a few months ago that City are interested in swapping him for Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. Only time will tell if City decide to move Cancelo on and replace him with the exciting young talent that is Balde.

Scott Kuggeleijn, Ish Sodhi finish with three-fors as India fold for 263

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy in Hamilton14-Feb-2020

Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill. On a green Seddon Park pitch that offered the new ball steep, tennis-ball bounce, Scott Kuggeleijn took just 3.2 overs to rip out the three contenders to open for India in the first Test in Wellington next week.From 5 for 3, which became 38 for 4, the Indians recovered courtesy a fourth-wicket stand of 195 between Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari. This was followed by another collapse, with five wickets falling for 30 runs either side of Vihari retiring on 101. Virat Kohli didn’t bat in the Indians’ innings; he left the ground midway through the day’s play after batting in the nets.Batting became easier once the ball became older and the pitch lost its early juice, but it was decidedly tricky at the start, and it might be harsh to read too much into the scores of 0, 1 and 0 against the names of India’s three opening candidates.Four balls after the two teams agreed to let the Indians bat first, Shaw was out for a duck, caught at short leg, fending one that rose unexpectedly towards his throat from short of a length. In Kuggeleijn’s fourth over – the seventh of the Indians’ innings – Agarwal fell for one that left him outside off stump, and edged behind to Dane Cleaver.On the eve of this match, Gill had spoken about the need for India to ensure New Zealand don’t take too many wickets with the short ball in the Tests. A short ball sent him on his way here, though it was a hard one to negotiate, climbing awkwardly in the fourth-stump channel. Gill, who had made 83, 204* and 136 in his last three innings, was out first ball, squaring up and fending to gully. The ball continued to nip around for the next half hour or so, and seam movement consumed Ajinkya Rahane, caught at slip off James Neesham, after he had looked reasonably solid in a 33-run fourth-wicket stand with Pujara.Rahane had been drawn into playing away from his body; it was an error Pujara avoided right through the early part of his innings. He let the ball come to him, leaving vigilantly outside his off stump and scoring the bulk of his runs via leg-side clips and nudges. He hit only one four in his first 80 balls, a pull off Daryl Mitchell, though this was partly down to a slow outfield. And there were virtually no scoring shots in front of the wicket on the off side until he drove Mitchell to the cover boundary in the second over after lunch. It was, in short, typical Pujara.Just as typically, he feasted on spin almost as soon as it made an appearance. Ish Sodhi dropped short on multiple occasions, and Pujara pulled him all over the leg side, including once for six over backward square, and once nearly for six over midwicket, only for Henry Cooper to keep it from going over the rope with a goalkeeper-style dive.Vihari was just as dismissive against spin, driving and late-cutting Sodhi even when he was marginally off his length, and jumping out to hit the left-arm spin of Rachin Ravindra for three straight sixes. The most impressive feature of his batting, though, was how assured he looked against pace. There was an elegant minimalism to his footwork: he often seemed not to move at all, only to somehow be in the perfect place to defend right under his eyes. Anything pitched up to drive was put away through the covers or mid-on, and the shortish ball giving him a hint of width punched on the up through cover point.At the end of the day’s play, Vihari said he and Pujara had decided to avoid horizontal-bat shots off the quicks, considering the steep bounce on offer. Vihari got away with a top-edged cut soon after tea, but Pujara wasn’t as lucky when he miscued a hook off Jake Gibson when he was eight runs short of his century.The innings, thereafter, came to a swift finish, with the lack of context around the match and the impending close of play – with no allowance for an extension post 6pm – leading to a slew of soft dismissals.

Manchester United have just unveiled their refurbished Old Trafford tunnel ahead of the new Premier League season.

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Man Utd began tunnel refurb earlier this summerRenovated area ready for start of seasonStark contrast with before and after photosWHAT HAPPENED?

United posted an interior view of the Old Trafford players' tunnel from September 2023 earlier this year, and it was clear that work needed to be done to update the place. Now, the Red Devils are showing off what some renovation work can do in just a matter of weeks.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIP

The clip shows the modernised tunnel, which encompasses LED lights on the ceiling, a Red Devil silhouette on one wall, with UNITED on the other – among other additions.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This is part of United's efforts to return to their former glory, mainly by winning trophies, but also looking the part. New minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a big part of this modernisation effort, which also includes potential plans to either renovate Old Trafford or build a new stadium in its place.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Before the players get to walk out from this tunnel and onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time this season, United take on rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday. Then, next Friday, they host Fulham in the league.

Smoke haze continues to impact the Australian capital and the air quality index reached an unhealthy level on Thursday before improving

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2020The air quality in Canberra will be monitored during the opening set of matches in the tri-series between Australia, England and India as smoke haze continues to impact the Australian capital from bushfires in the region.The series gets underway on Friday when England take on India at Manuka Oval before Australia play twice over the weekend.Australia trained in hazy conditions on Thursday after medical staff assessed the air quality. It was improved from Wednesday when smoke from a large bushfire south of the city blanketed Canberra. Earlier this season a BBL match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval was abandoned when smoke drifted across the ground.At one point on Thursday the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 167 which falls in the “unhealthy” range – 300 is when it is considered hazardous and the point at which ICC guidelines say consideration should be given to halting matches. By the evening it had dropped to a moderate level of 78.The final decision on conditions during the matches will be in the hands of the umpires and ICC match referee, although they will consult with medical staff including the Australia team doctor Philippa Inge.”There was a little bit [of smoke] around and it’s something we need to keep an eye on, but we got through all our training and our doctor is keeping an eye on what all that looks like,” Australia captain Meg Lanning said. “It’s out of our hands, really, so it’s not something we are too concerned about. If we get delayed or things like that then we’ll have to deal with it but with the fires going on there’s a lot of devastation around the country and they are the people we need to worry about and support.”An additional factor over the weekend will be very high temperatures that are expected to exceed 40 degrees although from Australia’s point of view the heat was not a concern.”Yeah, it’s going to be pretty hot over the weekend but it’s a summer sport and we expect conditions like that and we are reasonably used to it as well,” Lanning said. “We’ll leave those sorts of decisions [about the game] to the doctor and the match ref, they are the experts in that and they’ll make those decisions and we’ll go with whatever happens.”England trained indoors at Phillip Oval, south-west of the city centre, on Thursday, although it is understood that was not directly related to issues over the air quality. They have three asthmatics in their squad who have not reported any problems during the stay in Canberra.

Manchester United’s incredibly dramatic 4-3 FA Cup victory over fierce rival Liverpool could very well be the catalyst for a last-minute revival of the campaign.

After that result, the Red Devils are now in the semi-final against Coventry City, while also sitting sixth in the Premier League.

However, inconsistency has been a common theme for Erik ten Hag this season, meaning that progress is often halted almost instantly.

Having said that, there has been one constant, and that is the outstanding performance of Kobbie Mainoo, who could thrive even further next campaign if United do sign their current midfield target.

Man Utd's search for a midfielder

Italian news outlet CalcioMercato recently reported that Man United are keen to reinforce the midfield department in the summer, with Joao Gomes said to be one of their main targets.

Ten Hag has first-hand experience playing against the Brazilian, with the 23-year-old being a key player in Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side, so the former Ajax boss has a strong understanding of what he could bring to the side.

It is reported that the former Flamengo player is estimated to be worth €40m (£34m), but Wolves are set to demand a higher fee at the end of the season.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanting to change the culture at the club, a player like Gomes fits the bill for the type of requirements the new owner will look for in a signing.

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How Joao Gomes could slot in at Man Utd

Mainoo’s rise to the top has been simply unbelievable, to the point where he’s not only a key figure in the Man United side, but he’s also earned his first England cap.

At just 18 years old, the number 37 has started 14 Premier League matches while displaying the maturity and mentality of a seasoned professional with experience way beyond his years.

The versatile midfielder’s position in the team has fluctuated between a few roles, but his main position has been as a defensive midfielder, like against Jurgen Klopp’s side last time out.

However, with the potential introduction of Gomes, Mainoo could be deployed in a more familiar and better-suited number eight position, which would allow him to showcase his ability to impact the game in the final third as well as drop deeper when needed.

As can be seen in the table above, showcasing Gomes’ average statistics in the Premier League this season, he’s the definition of a “warrior,” as dubbed by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, with his duels won, balls recovered, and tackles serving as evidence.

The Wolves gem with a “winning mentality” – as per Kulig – also ranks as the third-highest tackler in the entire league per game, which would see him slot alongside Mainoo perfectly.

Ten Hag’s midfield balance is currently all over the place, with Casemiro struggling to cover ground and keep up with intensity, as shown by his dribbled past per game average of 2.2, and the signing of Gomes could enable Mainoo to sprinkle his magic further up the field, just like the goal of the month he netted against Wolves in February.

Gomes also only loses the ball 9.3 times per game, which would provide much more control to United in possession while also limiting the number of times the team gets counterattacked, which would see Mainoo’s untouchable dribbling occur more often.

Overall, having the security of Gomes alongside Mainoo, who can simply act as a ball-winner and retainer, will enable the youngster to blossom into a world-class talent that he has already shown glimpses of.

Nottingham Forest returned to winning ways last night after a convincing 3-1 victory over Marco Silva's Fulham side at the City Ground.

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White all managed to get on the scoresheet, with the Reds picking up three vital points that saw them move three points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone.

A brilliant header from Tosin Adarabioyo gave the visitors hope for a second comeback in four days, but the Reds held on to secure a much-needed win.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side were without a win since the 17th of February after a 2-0 win against David Moyes' West Ham United, but the dominant performance last night has given fans reason to be positive about potential survival.

One player produced a sensational performance, with the talent needing to feature week in and week out before the end of the campaign.

Danilo's stats against Fulham

After being dropped following the 1-0 defeat away at Brighton and Hove Albion a couple of weeks ago, Brazilian midfielder Danilo was given an opportunity to feature from the start against Fulham last night, with the 22-year-old taking his chance with both hands.

The former Palmeiras man played in a box-to-box role alongside academy graduate Ryan Yates, with Danilo excelling at both ends of the pitch throughout the encounter.

During his 90 minutes, the youngster managed 44 touches, which included 19 successful passes – one of which was a beautifully weighted ball into the path of Gibbs-White, who slotted the ball home for the Reds' third goal.

Despite his brilliant display in possession, the Brazilian was just as impressive defensively, winning 100% of his tackles, making one block and five interceptions, as he played a huge part in maintaining Forest's lead in the second half.

Danilo also won 50% of his ground duels that he contested, with the Reds' number 22 making three clearances – a tally only beaten by Murillo, Andrew Omobamidele and Neco Williams.

Minutes played

90

Shots

2

Touches

44

Successful passes

19/26 (73%)

Tackles

1

Blocks

1

Interceptions

5

Ground duels won

2

The midfielder was given a rating of 8.5/10 by Nottingham Post Forest correspondent Sarah Clapson, with the journalist claiming the Brazilian "covered a lot of ground throughout".

Why Danilo is now undroppable

Given his display against Fulham last night, the 22-year-old – who was "everywhere", according to journalist Callum Castel – has surely staked his claim for a regular starting role under Nuno between now and the end of the season.

His ability to quickly transition defence into attack is a huge asset for the club, especially given the counter-attacking playstyle implemented since promotion back to the Premier League in 2022.

Gibbs-White and fellow Brazilian Murillo are undoubtedly two of the first names on the teamsheet given their impressive campaigns in Forest's disappointing season, the latter attracting interest from sides such as Arsenal and Chelsea who are now keen on the defender, an indication as to how impressive he's been since arriving in English football.

Danilo has started in each one of Nuno's four Premier League wins as Forest boss, with the midfielder evidently a key asset to the head coach and deserving of a consistent starting spot over the coming weeks.

Nottingham Forest star has just made himself as undroppable as Murillo

He produced a brilliant display against Crystal Palace yesterday.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 31, 2024

Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for a European competition for the 2024/25 campaign took another blow as they were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

They were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City at Wembley in the semi-finals of the competition, which means that they do not have a chance to qualify for Europe through winning the tournament.

The Blues are also ninth in the Premier League table, ahead of their clash with Arsenal on Tuesday night, and have plenty of work to do if they want to reach the Europa Conference League or the Europa League places before the end of the season.

Their struggles on the pitch have not done much good for Mauricio Pochettino's position as the club's manager, as rumours continue to swirl over his position at Stamford Bridge heading into next term.

In fact, Todd Boehly and his team are reportedly looking at a manager from one of their rivals in the Premier League as a possible replacement for the Argentine boss.

Chelsea's interest in Premier League head coach

According to TV Dello Sport reporter Rudy Galetti, Chelsea have identified Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge.

The journalist claims that the Italian tactician is currently the "preferred" option for the Blues and has climbed ahead of other candidates in their thinking.

Galetti reports that Pochettino's position at Chelsea is "always" in question, which does not suggest that a definitive decision has been made either way at this moment in time.

This means that the former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton boss may still have time to save his job if the team's performances and results are impressive enough between now and the end of the current season to convince the board to stick with him heading into the summer transfer window.

The Italian journalist adds that De Zerbi is also open to moving on from the Seagulls, who he led to the knockout stages of the Europa League this term, to start a new experience in the 2024/25 campaign.

He reveals that the Brighton chief views Chelsea as a good option to join if he does decide to move on from his current side, but German giants Bayern Munich, who are looking to replace ex-Blues manager Thomas Tuchel, are also in the race to secure his services.

This suggests that Boehly may need to fight to land De Zerbi in the summer, should the Italian tactician become available, as Bayern could provide fierce competition for his signature.

If the London-based outfit can win the race for him, though, it could be heaven for current midfielder Moises Caicedo, who worked under him last season.

Moises Caicedo's form for Roberto De Zerbi

The Ecuador international was signed by Chelsea for a staggering British-record transfer fee of £115m, with an initial £100m and £15m of easily achievable add-ons.

It was a mind-blowing fee to pay for a defensive midfield player who had yet to prove himself in Europe or at a top club in England or elsewhere.

So far, Caicedo is yet to live up to his price tag as his performances have not even been as good as his displays for Brighton in the Premier League last season, whilst working with De Zerbi.

Moises Caicedo

Premier League

22/23 (Brighton)

23/24 (Chelsea)

Appearances

37

28

Sofascore rating

7.08

7.03

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Tackles per game

2.7

2.4

Interceptions per game

1.5

1.1

Duel success rate

58%

55%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old dynamo created twice as many chances (key passes) per game, and made 0.7 more tackles and interceptions per outing, whilst also winning a higher percentage of his physical duels.

The chart above also illustrates how much more of an impact Caicedo had on the pitch in the Premier League under De Zerbi than he has for Pochettino this term, with more progressive passes, progressive carries, and touches in the opposition penalty box per 90.

These statistics all point to him being far more successful in the Italian's system in comparison to the current set-up at Chelsea, as he currently does not have as much license to get forward to progress play from deep whilst his defensive powers have also waned.

Therefore, De Zerbi arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer would be perfect for Caicedo, who would be back in heaven with a manager who he knows can get the best out of him in the Premier League, as he could then start to justify his mammoth transfer fee.

Roberto De Zerbi's record with Brighton

The 44-year-old boss, who typically deploys a base formation of 4-2-3-1, led the Seagulls to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last term, which earned them Europa League football.

He won 14 of his 32 league matches in charge of the club, having replaced Graham Potter after his move to Chelsea, and currently has Brighton, who lost Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister last summer, in tenth place.

Meanwhile, Pochettino currently has the Blues in ninth in the Premier League, despite splashing the cash on Caicedo, Cole Palma, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson, among others, ahead of the season.

De Zerbi, whose dominant style of football was hailed as "unique" by Pep Guardiola, has also caught the eye with his management in Europe for Brighton, with a record of five wins, one draw, and two defeats in eight Europa League games.

Whereas, Pochettino lost five and won six of 14 Champions League matches in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, which was his last experience of European football prior to arriving at Stamford Bridge.

It remains to be seen whether or not De Zerbi can be a success at a top club and compete for major honours on a regular basis, having only performed in the mid-to-upper level of the table in England so far.

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However, his appointment would be heaven for club-record signing Caicedo, whose performances could improve under his former manager, and that is one seemingly glaring positive that could come from bringing the Brighton boss to London to replace Pochettino in the summer.

Glasgow Rangers will be aiming to build on their Hampden heroics during their Scottish Cup semi-final win over Hearts on Sunday as they chase down what would be a stunning treble success.

Philippe Clement has already won one trophy during his relatively short time in Glasgow thus far – the League Cup last December – and will be desperate to cap off a fine debut season in style.

It will be an exciting final few weeks of the campaign as both Rangers and Celtic battle it out for domestic glory.

The Old Firm rivals could also be fighting each other in the summer transfer window over one particular signing too…

Rangers transfer news

The player in question is Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron, who has been linked with a potential move to both Rangers and Celtic in the previous 12 months.

His contract expires at the end of the season, and it looks as though he is not going to sign an extension, while interest also has emerged from Serie A, with both Sassuolo and Cagliari weighing up whether to swoop for the Scotsman in the coming weeks.

After his Scottish Cup semi-final display against Celtic, former Ibrox midfielder Andy Halliday has suggested that either of the Old Firm should be doing all they can to bring the player to Glasgow.

"Personally I thought Connor Barron was the best player on the pitch on Saturday, to be honest," Halliday said. "And he's out of contract in the summer.

"I'm not trying to prise him away from Aberdeen but I always feel they are the no-brainers that Celtic and Rangers should be looking for, especially when they're trying to get homegrown talent for their European squads. I thought he was excellent.”

Considering Rangers wouldn’t have to pay a fee, plus the fact he won't expect bumper wages indicate this is a move that Clement should be all over, especially as it can boost the club’s homegrown contingent ahead of European competition next season.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Light Blues have signed a player from Aberdeen and the Gers could repeat their Ryan Jack masterclass from 2017 by signing Barron.

Connor Barron could be Ryan Jack 2.0 for Rangers

Jack is also out of contract at the end of the season as it looks increasingly likely that he will depart Glasgow after seven seasons playing for the club.

In that time, he has made 210 appearances for the Light Blues, winning all three domestic trophies on offer to him along with helping the side reach the 2022 Europa League final.

Injury issues have stalled his progression over the previous few years as Jack has missed 126 games through a variety of different setbacks since the summer of 2017.

Even this season, the Scot has started just 12 matches in all competitions. Heading into the new season, Clement will want players in his squad whom he can trust to be available for nearly every match, which means Jack will be shown the exit door at the end of the season.

Barron is practically a like-for-like replacement for the 32-year-old. It is now up to Clement to work his magic in the coming weeks.

Connor Barron’s statistics for Aberdeen this season

The 21-year-old typically operates as a defensive midfielder yet has still scored once while chipping in with two assists in all competitions this season for the Dons.

His growing maturity was evident as the youngster featured in all six of Aberdeen’s Europa Conference League group stage matches, ranking fifth among his teammates for accurate passes per game (18.8) while also ranking fourth for big chances created (one), second for key passes per game (1.2) and third for tackles per game (2.2), demonstrating his skills across a range of metrics on the highest stage.

Hailed as “brilliant” and “brave” by his former manager at Aberdeen, Jim Goodwin, for his displays last season, it appears as though the Scottish starlet is taking things to a whole new level throughout the current campaign.

Still only 21, there is no doubt Barron will be an excellent signing for the future, but judging by his performances in a struggling Aberdeen side this term, he is more than ready to take over the void which will be left by Jack’s imminent departure.

Accurate passes per game

25.3

Big chances created

3

Total duels won per game

3.4

Tackles per game

1.7

Possession lost per game

12.5

With age on his side plus the fact he will cost peanuts, it is a move Clement simply cannot pass up, especially as the 5 foot 9 titan could form a stunning midfield duo with Mohamed Diomande.

How Connor Barron could fit in at Rangers

Barron has shown glimpses of his influential defensive abilities this season, ranking in the top 18% for tackles won per 90 along with ranking in the top 17% for interceptions per 90, showing that he is able to protect the backline during matches while winning the ball back and starting attacks from deep.

Diomande is a more forward-thinking midfielder. Alongside Barron, the Ivorian would have a greater licence to bomb forward often, assisting the forwards with the many attacks Rangers conduct during games.

Indeed, since arriving at Ibrox, Diomande has scored twice in the top flight, created a big chance, averaged 1.4 key passes per game and succeeded with 50% of his dribbles, showcasing a desire to join the front four when Rangers have the ball in the final third.

This duo could be the future of the Rangers' midfield for years to come. Barron is able to screen the defence while moving the ball on accurately as Diomande bursts forward into the opposition danger zone in order to add an extra body during the attacking phase.

Having someone like Barron alongside him could give the 22-year-old more confidence to leave his position, knowing the young Scot would be there to sweep up anything in his absence.

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The move is a no-brainer for the Gers, especially considering Clement is trying to establish a player-trading model at the club, which could see someone like Barron eventually sold for millions of pounds worth of profit.

The next few weeks could be very interesting indeed.

حقق منتخب أوروجواي فوزًا جنونيًا ومثيرًا على نظيره كولومبيا، بنتيجة 3-2 ضمن مباريات تصفيات أمريكا الجنوبية المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2024.

منتخب أوروجواي تمكن من الفوز ورفع رصيده إلى 19 نقطة في وصافة الترتيب متفوقًا على كولومبيا ومتخطيًا البرازيل، بينما الكافاتيروس الكولومبي في المركز الثالث بنفس رصيد النقاط، لكن فارق الأهداف في صالح السيليستي.

تقدم خوان فيرناندو كوينتيرو بهدف رائع خادع من خلاله الحارس روشيت، من مخالفة خارج منطقة الجزاء عند الدقيقة 31.

وانتهى الشوط الأول بتقدم الضيوف على ملعب سينتيناريو، ولكن في الشوط الثاني، في الدقيقة 58 أرسل مارسيلو ساراتشي عرضية وقبل أن تمر وجدت دافينسون سانشيز الذي سجلها في مرماه بالخطأ.

طالع أيضًا.. سكالوني بعد السقوط أمام باراجواي: مباراة معقدة.. ورأيتم ما حدث من الحكم

بعد 3 دقائق، تمكن رودريجو أجيري من قلب النتيجة وتسجيل الهدف الثاني لأصحاب الأرض بعد تبادل رائع للكرات، ليطلق رودريجو تصويبة سكنت شباك الحارس كاميلو فارجاس.

حكم المباراة احتسب 7 دقائق وقت بدلًا من الضائع، وفي الدقيقة الخامسة، وسط عشوائية في دفاع أوروجواي، استغلها أندري جوميز، وسجل هدف كولومبيا الثاني القاتل.

جمهور أوروجواي شعر بالصدمة، وظن البعض أن كل شيء قد انتهى، بما في ذلك المدرب الأرجنتيني مارسيلو بيلسا، المدير الفني لـ أوروجواي.

الحكم ظل يراجع الهدف مع تقنية الفيديو حتى الدقيقة 100، ليشير في النهاية إلى نقطة البداية، ويؤكد صحة التعادل لمنتخب كولومبيا.

وبعد أقل من دقيقة على احتساب الهدف، عرضية من البديل فاريلا لتجد الكرة البديل الآخر مانويل أوجارتي نجم مانشستر يونايتد، والذي أطلق صاروخية من منتصف الملعب في شباك فارجاس، معلنًا فوزًا مجنونًا لـ أوروجواي.

الهدف جعل الملعب ينفجر فرحًا، وجن جنون الجميع بما فعله أوجارتي، الذي تسبب في حزن كبير ظهر على ملامح نيستور لورينزو مدرب كولومبيا.

احتسب الحكم الهدف بعد العودة لتقنية الفيديو، وأكد على صحة قراره، ليصعد المنتخب الأوروجوياني إلى الوصافة بانتصار مثير للغاية. أهداف مباراة أوروجواي وكولومبيا في تصفيات كأس العالم

The Sydney Sixers are concerned about the potential for the Big Bash final turning into the lottery of a heavily shortened match with a poor forecast threatening to ruin the showpiece occasion at the SCG on Saturday as well as the fundraising Bushfire Bash that will precede it.Given current predictions, even a reduced game may be too much to ask with significant rain – much needed for the region – forecast from Thursday and right through the weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology is currently saying a 90% chain of rain for Sydney on Saturday with up to 25 millimeters possible.An abandoned final would see the Sydney Sixers taking the title – their opponents, either the Melbourne Stars or Sydney Thunder will be known on Thursday – with a minimum of five overs per side needed to constitute a match. There is no reserve day for the final.The double-header is already a sellout – although a few tickets may be released later in the week – with the bushfire relief match in the afternoon featuring a host of former greats including Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne.”You can’t do anything about it. I’ve spent a lot of days sitting here at the SCG watching it rain, especially in Test match cricket. I think second place would be more worried than us,” Josh Hazlewood said.”The one thing we’re worried about is getting one of those five, six, seven-over games. We either probably want it completely washed out or get the full game in. That’s probably the only worry.””It [a short game] certainly is a bit of a lottery for sure. If you’ve got five overs, a batter hits a couple of balls out of the ground it’s game over just about or one bowler bowls a good over it’s the same result. It is a bit of a lottery but that’s what it comes down to sometimes.”Having earned a longer lead-in to the final, Hazlewood said that the Sixers would likely use their training days to work through a few potential scenarios for rain-reduced matches.”Just with that threat of rain we’ll probably practice a few of those, not super overs, but pretend you’ve only got one over in the game and batting again is the same, pretending you’ve only got 10 or 12 balls to face. A lot of good batting orders have those players at the top anyway so it’s not necessarily going to change the order too much it’s just how you bowl knowing you might only have six balls to make an impact on the final. It’s going to be tough.”The Sixers do have the advantage of having played – and won – a Super Over this season having tied their match against the Thunder before winning the decider.”We were pretty fortunate we had that experience early on in the season,” Sean Abbott said. “We can definitely call upon the conversations we had after that game. That was an advantage we’ve had.”The feeling in the Sixers’ camp is that it would be fun to have a Sydney derby as the deciding match of the season. “We’ve already sold out the game with the bushfire relief game beforehand. A Sydney derby would be great, especially as they had the Melbourne derby last year, but I’m just really excited to play a home final,” Abbott said.However, Hazlewood fancies the Stars to end their four-match losing streak in the Challenger at the MCG. “I think Stars will bounce back and get the win down there on their home ground. But I don’t mind either way to be fair.”