بدأ محلل الأداء الدنماركي نيكلاس أورباك كنودسن عمله رسميًا داخل الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة مواطنه ييس توروب، في خطوة تأتي ضمن خطة القلعة الحمراء لتطوير أدوات التحليل والأداء الفني للفريق الأول خلال المرحلة المقبلة.
وانضم كنودسن إلى طاقم الأهلي في الساعات الماضية، حيث يُنتظر أن يلعب دورًا مهمًا في تطوير الجوانب التكتيكية والتحليلية، بما يواكب طموحات الإدارة والجماهير في المنافسة على جميع البطولات.
اقرأ أيضا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد هدف زيزو في مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد
وفي أول تصريحاته الخاصة لـ بطولات، عبر كنودسن عن سعادته الكبيرة ببداية مشواره في الأهلي، مؤكدًا انبهاره بالأجواء داخل النادي وبحجم تاريخه ومكانته في كرة القدم الإفريقية والعربية.
وقال محلل الأداء الدنماركي: “يا له من نادٍ رائع، وأجواء مميزة، ومجموعة مذهلة من الأشخاص الرائعين سواء في الجهاز الفني أو اللاعبين”.
وأضاف كنودسن في حديثه: “أتطلع حقًا إلى هذا الفصل الجديد مع هذا النادي الكبير، سعيًا لتحقيق مجد جديد والوصول إلى إنجازات أعلى”.
ويضم طاقم ييس توروب مع الأهلي كل من إيمره سابيتش، جوني مولبو، يواكيم فيلوم، كاي ستيفانسن وأخيرًا كنودسن بجانب عادل مصطفى.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been told – in an exclusive interview carried out by GOAL – that he would have “no chance” of winning the Ballon d’Or at Liverpool, as Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer is offered advice on how he could push himself into contention for the most prestigious of individual honours. Those words have been delivered by Blues legend Gus Poyet, who continues to keep a close eye on European football.
GettyBest in the world: Dembele lands Golden Ball in 2025
In 2025, the title of best player on the planet has gone to Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. The France international now forms part of an exclusive club – alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho – when it comes to players that have won the Ballon d’Or, World Cup and Champions League. His exploits when helping PSG to three major honours last season helped him to secure Golden Ball recognition.
Competition from Yamal was fended off when landing that prize, with the teenage wonderkid enjoying a meteoric rise. At 18 years of age, he is already considered to form part of the global elite – with it seemingly only a matter of time before he emulates fellow La Masia academy graduate Messi by winning the first of many Ballons d’Or.
AdvertisementDoes Palmer need transfer to compete for Ballon d'Or?
Palmer will also be hoping to challenge for upcoming awards, with his creativity being put to good use by Chelsea and England. He finished eighth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote despite enduring a slight dip in the 2024-25 campaign – with his goal output dropping from 25 to 18. He is now tied to a contract at Stamford Bridge through to 2033.
The 23-year-old has, however, been informed that a future switch to a team such as Barcelona or Real Madrid would make it easier for him to win the Ballon d’Or. Quizzed on whether that is the case, ex-Blues star Poyet – speaking in association – told GOAL: “100 per cent, no doubt. For me, [Jude] Bellingham when I saw him at Dortmund, I liked him a lot. Then his first season at Real Madrid, I love him. Why? Because he was at Real Madrid doing what he was doing, simple. And I thought, maybe he is the Ballon d’Or. It was a big opportunity because he was amazing his first season in Spain – he was tremendous, another dimension, another level, and that helps.
“Would Lamine Yamal win the Ballon d’Or if he was playing at another team, Liverpool? No chance. I would say that I don’t like the Ballon d’Or nominations and I don’t like the vote, I think they are not fair. The people in Spain vote for the ones that play in La Liga, the people in England vote for those in England. The countries that don’t have anyone nominated, such as Uruguay, maybe they vote for the real one, the one that you think is the best. I don’t think it’s right, but it’s a great party for the players and it’s great to have one of them.”
GettyTop 10: Palmer now in elite company
Another former Chelsea star, Joe Cole, has told of Palmer’s claims to a Golden Ball after breaking into the top 10 of that poll: “He is there, he is in that elite level of players, so I am happy for him that he got that. These individual awards are wonderful; man of the matches, player of tournaments, they are great – they are not the be all and end all. They are nice and it is really nice for Cole Palmer that he is recognised, and I think it will give him a little boost.”
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Injury blow: How long will Palmer be out for?
Palmer has been nursing an injury of late, with physical issues forcing him out of Chelsea’s Premier League defeat at Manchester United on September 20. He has made just four appearances across all competitions this season, scoring two goals, with Enzo Maresca desperate to get his talismanic No.10 back.
The Blues cannot afford to take any risks, though, on a player that is so important to the collective cause in west London. It is already being suggested that a groin complaint could keep him out for the remainder of the calendar year.
There was a lot made of what Celtic did and did not do in the final days of the summer transfer window, which officially slammed shut last Monday.
The Hoops were unable to sign a new centre-forward to bolster the squad, despite allowing Adam Idah to sign for Swansea for £7m, on deadline day.
This meant that the Scottish Premiership champions had to swoop for Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer the following day, after Sevilla terminated his contract early.
Whilst supporters will want to focus on who came in, and who did not, there also needs to be an appreciation of the players who moved on from the club, including Nicolas Kuhn.
Celtic’s model revolves around bringing in and developing young players to sell them on for a profit, but they then need to find replacements for those players to ensure that the team does not suffer as a result.
Matt O’Riley left the Scottish giants to sign for Brighton & Hove Albion last year and his move away from Glasgow left a gaping hole in the middle of the park.
Why Matt O'Riley's exit was a big blow for Celtic
The left-footed star took his game to the next level under Brendan Rodgers in the 2023/24 campaign after Ange Postecoglou moved down south to join Tottenham Hotspur.
O’Riley, who now plays for Marseille, only scored seven goals in 54 appearances in the Premiership for the Australian head coach, but did deliver 15 assists in that time.
This shows that he was a creative midfielder who did not offer a significant threat as a goalscorer from the middle of the park prior to Rodgers’ return to Parkhead in the summer of 2023.
O’Riley stepped up his game in the final third in the 2023/24 campaign, though, with a return of 18 goals in the Premiership to lead the Hoops to the title.
23/24 Premiership
Matt O’Riley
Squad rank
Sofascore rating
7.91
1st
Goals
18
1st
Assists
13
1st
Big chances created
14
1st
Key passes per game
2.5
1st
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international was a pivotal part of Rodgers’ team because he was the main threat in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
This is why his move to Brighton last summer was a big blow because the Scottish giants lost a star who could deliver goals and assists at an exceptional rate.
O’Riley’s ability to score goals, in particular, was important for Celtic because it took some of the pressure off the forward players, which is exactly what the team need right now with their issues in the centre-forward department.
Kelechi Iheanacho only scored four goals in all competitions last season, per Sofascore, whilst Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest have combined for six league goals since the start of last term.
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This is why there may be more of an emphasis on the midfielders needing to step up and score goals for Rodgers this season, and they may have their next Matt O’Riley already brewing at Parkhead.
The Celtic star who could be the new Matt O'Riley
Celtic broke their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from Augsburg for a fee of £11m last summer to ‘replace’ O’Riley, and he did not have a bad first season in Glasgow by any means.
The Belgium international delivered ten goals and 13 assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is a very respectable return for a central midfielder, but there was a lack of goals from open play.
Celtic’s goal threat from midfield
24/25 Premiership
Starts
Non-penalty goals
Arne Engels
21
2
Reo Hatate
24
9
Callum McGregor
29
8
Luke McCowan
12
5
Paulo Bernardo
11
2
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, Engels ranked joint-bottom alongside Paulo Bernardo for non-penalty goals in the Celtic midfield last season in the Premiership.
This is why it is Benjamin Nygren who could be the next O’Riley in the making at Parkhead, not Engels, because the summer signing has the potential to deliver a huge goal threat from midfield for the Hoops.
The Sweden international arrived in Glasgow from Nordsjaelland after an impressive haul of 16 goals and four assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Danish outfit last season, per Transfermarkt.
Whilst Nygren is more versatile than O’Riley, having played the bulk of his minutes on the right flank, he did score four of those 16 goals in his six appearances as either an attacking or central midfield player.
Since making the move to Parkhead, the Swedish star has mainly played in a central midfield role in the 4-3-3 set-up, and showcased his knack for goals from a central position with his strike against Aberdeen.
The left-footed star has scored three goals in four Premiership matches to date, per Sofascore, and only one of his 19 goals for Nordsjaelland and Celtic since the start of last season came from the penalty spot.
His Sweden teammate Alexander Isak, now of Liverpool, described him as a “fearless” star who plays with “confidence”, which has already been clear to see during his short time with the Hoops.
Nygren takes risks with the ball, losing the ball 19 times per game, He wants to progress his team up the pitch. He wants to take shots and create chances, averaging three key passes per game in the Premiership, per Sofascore.
His impact from a central midfield and a right wing position has been impressive, and his form in Denmark suggests that it is sustainable as well.
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Therefore, the 24-year-old star may be the next O’Riley for Rodgers as a central midfield star who has the potential to go and score 15 to 20 goals in the Premiership this season if he can remain consistent with his performances.
Rangers have made some high-profile signings over the years, with the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup going on to becoming Ibrox legends after heading to Glasgow.
Mikel Arteta, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ronald de Boer were just some other big names who decided to move to Scotland, but there could have been a lot more if the Gers got their way.
Rangers' top 15 goalscorers of all time
Rangers have had plenty of natural goalscorers at Ibrox over the last 150 years.
ByRoss Kilvington Dec 26, 2024
From Lionel Messi to Ronaldo, Rangers nearly signed some legends of the game.
10 star players Rangers almost signed 10 Lionel Messi
Argentina's LionelMessilooks on
Shortly before Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut, Rangers and manager at the time Alex McLeish were alerted to the Argentine talent.
McLeish’s son, Jon, found Messi on Football Manager, with the Gers trying but failing to sign him on loan back in 2003.
9 Andres Iniesta
At the same time Rangers were trying to sign Messi, they also almost brought midfield maestro Andres Iniesta to Ibrox.
The Spaniard was a teenager at the time and nearly headed to Scotland on loan for regular game time as Rangers looked for their Barry Ferguson replacement. Unfortunately, Iniesta would get his chance in the Barca first-team shortly after and wouldn’t look back.
8 Ronaldo
Ronaldo- Real Madrid andBrazil
Brazilian striker Ronaldo is arguably the biggest what if case when it comes to near transfer misses for Rangers.
The forward was wanted by the Gers, Lazio and Inter Milan in 1997 when he was still a Barcelona player. Ronaldo even had an offer from Rangers and former owner David Murray, but headed to Inter Milan instead.
7 Alan Shearer
Before becoming a goalscoring machine for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, Alan Shearer was a Southampton player.
The Premier League’s all-time record scorer caught the eye of Rangers boss Walter Smith in the early 1990s, however, those at Ibrox couldn’t persuade Shearer to head to Scotland.
6 Dennis Bergkamp
Smith certainly had an eye for a future attacking star, as, along with Shearer, also wanted to bring Dennis Bergkamp to Rangers in the 1990s.
Bergkamp was an Inter Milan player at the time, and after Rangers failed to put a proposal together, the skilful Dutch forward signed for Arsenal in a £7.5m deal and would go on to become a Gunners legend.
Games
422
Goals
120
Assists
116
Trophies
10
5 Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o celebrating for Barcelona.
After struggling to break through into Real Madrid’s first team from their academy, Samuel Eto’o found a home with Mallorca, securing a permanent move to the Spanish side in 2000.
The Cameroon striker would star for his new side and was wanted by McLeish in 2002. Rangers missed out on Eto’o, who, two years later, would sign for Barcelona, where he won three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.
4 Jaap Stam
It wasn’t just attacking stars who nearly signed for Rangers, with central defender Jaap Stam targeted by Dick Advocaat after he took over as Ibrox manager in 1998.
Stam was a PSV Eindhoven regular under Advocaat, but he couldn’t bring the towering centre-back with him to Scotland, with Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd winning the race.
3 Robin van Persie
A Rangers move for Robin van Persie was extremely close in 2003, with a deal even agreed with Feyenoord for the Dutch forward to move to Ibrox for just £3m.
Van Persie was persuaded to head to Ibrox by Advocaat, however, Rangers failed to raise the funds and the striker would sign for Arsenal a year later.
2 Emmanuel Petit
Rangers found themselves in a bidding war with Arsenal for Emmanuel Petit back in 1997, and if it wasn’t for the Gunners, the French midfielder could have easily been a major signing for the Gers.
Former owner Murray once lifted the lid on how close Rangers were to bringing Petit to Ibrox.
1 Luka Modric
Rangers could have signed Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric in the early stages of his career for just £3.5m, however, those at Ibrox didn’t have the funds.
Former Rangers assistant Ally McCoist was actually sent to watch Dinamo Zagreb right-back Vedran Corluka but was stunned at what he saw from Modric and urged the club to get a deal done.
Mohsin suffered an ACL tear while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last December
Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2025Shardul Thakur has joined* Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as replacement for Mohsin Khan. Thakur, who had gone unsold at the auction ahead of IPL 2025, has been with the LSG squad in Visakhapatnam, where the Rishabh Pant-led team starts its campaign with an away match against Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 24.An IPL statement said that Thakur, who has been signed from the “registered available player pool”, has been acquired for his reserve price of INR 2 crore. He has played 95 games in the IPL over the years, turning out for five franchises – Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals (DC), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings, PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rising Pune Supergiant/s – and has 67 Wickets from them with an economy rate of 8.89.It is understood that Mohsin, who plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, tore the anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACL) on his right knee on December 31 while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. While Mohsin had joined the LSG camp recently in Lucknow, it is learned he did not travel with the squad to Visakhapatnam.Related
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The development is a setback for both LSG and Mohsin, who had survived a career-threatening shoulder injury after IPL 2022 but recovered fully and played the entire 2024 season. It is understood that Mohsin is currently doing rehab and will work with the LSG support staff to chalk out his route back.Thakur and Shivam Mavi have been training with LSG since the franchise started its main preparatory camp recently in Lucknow. Both fast bowers, who have featured for several other franchises in the IPL in the past, did not find any buyers.Consequently, Thakur, who had a successful domestic season with Mumbai after a foot surgery, signed as an overseas player for Essex to play in county cricket. It is learned that Thakur had already alerted Essex that he would take up the offer if any IPL franchise needed a replacement player, and Essex confirmed on Sunday that Thakur will no longer be joining them.
Club Statement: Shardul Thakur
Essex Cricket can confirm that Shardul Thakur will no longer be joining the Club for the start of the 2025 season following his selection by Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement player in the Indian Premier League.
While we are naturally… pic.twitter.com/SWMUEK19IL
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) March 23, 2025
LSG will consider themselves unfortunate considering none of their four first-choice Indian fast bowlers are currently fit. Apart from Mohsin, the trio of Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep are also unavailable. All the three fast bowlers are currently doing rehab at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.While Mayank continues his rehab for a lower-back stress injury, Avesh is understood to be recovering from niggles in his right knee that are believed to be workload related. Akash Deep, who last featured for India when he played the fourth Test on the Australia tour, is also recovering from stress injury in his lower back. There is no official update on when the three would be ready to make a comeback, but it is understood Avesh could be back in a week subject to him clearing fitness tests next week.
Barcelona’s long-awaited return to Camp Nou appears to be edging closer, with UEFA listing the revamped stadium as the host of their Champions League clash against Olympiacos on October 21. The development comes amid growing optimism that the Blaugrana could also host Girona in La Liga three days earlier. However, final approval from city authorities and UEFA remains the key before the doors officially reopen.
Most awaited Camp Nou return for Barca?
Barca could finally be heading home, with UEFA’s website stating that the Champions League group stage fixture against Olympiacos on October 21 is scheduled to take place at the Camp Nou. No official announcement has been made by either Barcelona or UEFA, with Marca reporting city officials and Barca executives are pleased with the progress being made in their efforts to end a process that has dragged on amid many delays.
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FC Barcelona
City Council optimism
Barcelona city deputy mayor Albert Batlle expressed confidence that the necessary adjustments would be completed in time for Camp Nou’s reopening. “We are hopeful that the necessary adjustments will be made and that, from a safety perspective, the go-ahead can be given for the partial reopening of Camp Nou. I think the minor issues that existed can be resolved,” he said. The club is racing to meet those conditions to raise capacity from 27,000 at Montjuic to 45,000 at the redeveloped Camp Nou.
UEFA conditions and regulations
Despite UEFA’s website listing Camp Nou as the venue, approval remains subject to strict requirements. The governing body has made it clear that a domestic league game must be played at the stadium before it can host Champions League fixtures. Additionally, UEFA rules state that group stage games must take place in a single venue, meaning Barca will need special dispensation after beginning their European campaign at Montjuic.
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AFP
Barcelona's position and upcoming European challenge
The Blaugrana have already communicated their intentions to UEFA, stressing that their request is based on necessity rather than financial motives. Club officials remain hopeful that UEFA will grant an exemption, allowing them to move fixtures back to Camp Nou sooner rather than later. The decision will mark a symbolic return for the team, which has been displaced since the redevelopment works began.
While, on field Hansi Flick's squad are set to face European champions PSG in the next game and their upcoming major home fixtures will be crucial in deciding the timeline of their Camp Nou return. The Girona clash on October 18 could serve as the first test before Olympiacos visit in Europe three days later. If clearance is delayed, the club may have to wait until November 2 against Elche in La Liga or December 9 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. Until then, all eyes are on UEFA and the city council’s final verdict.
Such is the toxicity of an online fanbase that very rarely do you get a signing that unifies a bunch of supporters, particularly Arsenal.
Their fans love a vent, they love sharing their frustration but there is also an incredible collective unity. That was seen when Eberechi Eze signed for the Gunners on Saturday.
While a deal was wrapped up by Wednesday evening, this move has been in the pipeline for a couple of weeks now with reports suggeting that they had initially agreed the framework of a move back on August 10th.
After that, Spurs stole in and it looked as though Andrea Berta and Co were set to ignore their summer-long interest.
Well, an injury to Kai Havertz turned the tide. Arsenal need another body and they brought one in swiftly, spending over £60m to bring the Crystal Palace star to the north of London.
If reports are to be believed, they might not be done just yet.
Another late signing for Arsenal on the cards
With the arrival of Eze it is highly likely that Arsenal are now done the in the transfer market when it comes to incomings.
That won’t faze many fans, for this has been a cracking window.
Yet, the one player that’s continued to elude the club despite several months worth of links is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo.
Reports earlier in the window suggested that talks had been held but interest has never been followed up. Well, according to reports in Spain, a bid was actually made for the Brazilian.
Transfer Focus
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Reportedly, Arsenal have actually submitted an offer worth £67m for the player. However, amid interest from Manchester City, Madrid are not prepared to sanction a sale unless their asking price of around £78m is met.
As a consequence, this is probably one deal too many for Berta this summer.
Why Rodrygo is as exciting as Eze
Wow, just wow. What a deal this is. The moment that Arsenal were able to steal Eze away from their biggest rivals is an event that fans won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
Eze certainly feels like the missing piece of the puzzle. Capable of playing from the left wing or behind the striker as more of a number 10, he’s a maverick, he’s a dribbler, he’s a goalscorer, he’s a creator. He’s got everything in his locker to be a success at Arsenal.
2024/25
43
14
11
2023/24
31
11
6
2022/23
40
10
4
2021/22
19
1
1
2020/21
36
3
6
What fans have perhaps bemoaned the most over the last year is the predictability of the club’s tactics but Eze will certainly help give this attack some unpredictability.
Rodrygo would help do the same and one might still argue that, despite added depth on the left wing now, they don’t have an elite option.
We’re clutching at straws here, but Noni Madueke’s favoured position is on the right and Eze’s preferred role would be more central.
Thus, signing Rodrygo, whether it be now or in the future would be the final piece of the puzzle on the left of Arteta’s forward line.
Real Madrid'sRodrygoarrives at the stadium before the match
While he did go 17 games without scoring at one stage last term, the 24-year-old still netted 14 goals and supplied 11 assists. Remarkably, that is the exact same haul as Eze registered for Crystal Palace across all competitions in 2024/25.
In the words of former teammate Luka Modric, he’s a “superstar” talent. He’s also a maverick, just as Eze is, ranking among the top 20% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90 minutes and among the best 13% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.
In the shadow of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr at Madrid, since new boss Xabi Alonso came to the club he’s not received much game time and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Rodrygo grows frustrated and forces a move away from the Spanish capital.
This is a deal that will likely go into 2026 but there’s no doubt that he’s a fabulous player, someone boasting the same level of unpredictability and excitement in attack as Mr Eze.
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Arsenal could be about to land another top-level star after agreeing a move for Eberechi Eze.
Depois de flertar com a demissão no começo do mês, Vanderlei Luxemburgo vive seu melhor momento no Corinthians, e o treinador busca consolidar sua posição com a classificação às oitavas de final da Sul-Americana, diante do Universitario, nesta terça-feira (18), em Lima, no Peru.
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Um empate garante o Timão na próxima fase da competição tendo em vista a vitória por 1 a 0 no jogo de ida, mas uma vitória no Peru faria o clube embalar uma sequência que não acontece há mais de dois anos.
A última vez que o Corinthians venceu quatro partidas seguidas foi no primeiro semestre de 2021, com Vagner Mancini. O feito aconteceu após vitórias contra Ponte Preta, São Caetano e Mirassol, no Paulistão, e contra o Salgueiro, na Copa do Brasil.
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Em sua terceira passagem pelo Timão, Luxa possui nove derrotas, sete vitórias e quatro empates, com 41% de aproveitamento.
PREMIAÇÃO
Além de manter a invencibilidade, a classificação às oitavas de final significaria mais 550 mil dólares (R$ 2,6 milhões na cotação atual) aos cofres corintianos.
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Até o momento, o Corinthians falhou em seus objetivos no Paulistão e Libertadores. No Estadual, onde se projetava, no mínimo, que a equipe chegasse à semifinal, a eliminação aconteceu nas quartas. Já na competição continental, a estimativa era de, pelo menos, chegar às oitavas de final. Porém, o Timão caiu na fase de grupos, mas já ultrapassou a meta na Copa do Brasil, que era chegar até às oitavas de final.
Harshal Patel was unavailable for this match because of an illness
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20253:30
Do Head and Abhishek need to temper their approach?
Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill chose to bowl on a black-soil surface in Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins said that they were happy to bat first and that they will not veer away from their aggressive approach with the bat, despite having suffered three losses in a row.Harshal Patel was unavailable for this match because of an illness, according to Cummins. In his absence, SRH handed left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat his first match of the season.GT also made one change, giving offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar a franchise debut. They shored up their spin attack at the expense of left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Arshad Khan. Rashid Khan, who will be facing his former franchise SRH for the first time in Hyderabad, and R Sai Kishore will lead their spin attack.Gujarat Titans XI: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Rahul Tewatia, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rashid Khan, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 R Sai Kishore, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Ishant Sharma Impact subs: Sherfane Rutherford, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad KhanSunrisers Hyderabad XI: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Zeeshan Ansari, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed Shami Impact subs: Abhinav Manohar, Sachin Baby, Simarjeet Singh, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder
On Sunday afternoon, Alexander Isak will sit on the bench at Burnley’s Turf Moor. Perhaps he will be introduced in the second half, playing 20 or 30 minutes of football for his new club, Liverpool.
The main thing is that Liverpool prevailed in their summer-stretching bid to sign Newcastle United’s talisman, completing the highly-charged transfer on deadline day for a British-record £125m fee, not long after the Reds had broken the previous record when signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m.
Liverpool’s summer spending spree was conducted with the view from the FSG offices that it would be something of a one-off, a remarkable statement of strength that would secure Anfield’s future for many years to come.
And though some felt the deal was somewhat unnecessary after Hugo Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the summer, it was absolutely right that Liverpool pushed hard to land the signature of one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards.
How Isak compares to Premier League strikers
Liverpool spent more this summer than any team had spent before across a single transfer window, and now Arne Slot’s side are expected to deliver: they must defend their Premier League title; they must battle against the continent’s finest for a seventh Champions League triumph.
Isak will help in the pursuit of all that. The 25-year-old scored 27 times for Newcastle last season and has emerged over the past few years as one of the best strikers in world football, so intelligent and influential and clinical in front of goal.
Mohamed Salah is known for his success in the final third, but Isak has actually been scoring at a more prolific rate since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, and the overload of creative quality at Slot’s disposal suggests the Swede will only go from strength to strength on Merseyside.
Erling Haaland
100
88 (0.88)
Mohamed Salah
111
67 (0.60)
Alexander Isak
86
54 (0.63)
Ollie Watkins
115
50 (0.43)
Chris Wood
95
39 (0.41)
Bryan Mbeumo
101
39 (0.39)
However, as already suggested, there are some who maybe feel that a record-breaking bid for Isak was superfluous, especially with Slot already having an Isak-esque talent in the ranks.
Liverpool already sold an Isak-esque talent
Sadio Mane was considered an irreplaceable part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, and he was, but FSG hit the jackpot in signing a positional successor in Luis Diaz, who proved instrumental in winning a horde of silverware across his three-and-a-half years at the club.
A left-sided forward by trade, Diaz was regarded as a “magical” player by the likes of Liverpool reporter Matt Addison, not quite hitting the same clinical heights as Mane before him but still contributing crucially throughout his spell at the club.
And last year was his best of the bunch, posting 17 goals and eight assists across the campaign. While consistent performances as a striker were bound to raise his output, Diaz still played the role extremely well, never goal-hanging and instead adding a dimension to Liverpool’s build-up play and altogether widening the scope for the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo, who both enjoyed terrific campaigns in front of goal.
Long regarded as one of the most electric and direct wingers in the Premier League, Slot opted to refashion Diaz into a centre-forward last season, with Darwin Nunez toiling in front of goal.
And the results reinforced that decision, just one of a myriad of tactical enforcements that have established Slot as a Premier League champion and “one of the best coaches” in the world, as remarked by analyst Joe Baker.
Isak arrives at Liverpool as an upgrade in regard to being a centre-forward, but Diaz offered something very distinctive, a blend of sharp-paced athleticism and nifty tricks on the ball, all translatable to an unnatural berth at number nine.
After all, Diaz ranked among the top 3% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for non-penalty goals scored per 90, statistics courtesy of data-led platform FBref.
This much-improved focus in the final third, combined with a dynamic approach to the physical side of the game, led FBref to liken Diaz to Newcastle’s Isak, who had been named by pundit Ally McCoist as being “the best all-round centre-forward” in England.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland might have more of a predatory instinct in front of goal, but you can see why Liverpool invested such an effort into signing Isak, who brings more to the table, who will carry something of Diaz’s style of play through the campaign.
Diaz was an immense and perhaps even underrated member of a multi-title-winning Liverpool side, but he appeared to have been pining for a transfer, first looking toward Barcelona and then Manchester City and the Saudi Pro League too, before eventually completing a move to Bayern Munich, where he is thriving.
It’s the news that Pep Guardiola’s side had come close to signing him that perhaps rankles some within the Reds fanbase, with Liverpool proposing to the Sky Blues a scenario in which City signed the Colombia international and Liverpool got Julian Alvarez in return upon realising that Diaz wanted to join their domestic rivals.
Diaz’s desire to leave Liverpool and join a domestic rival underscores a further similarity between his case and that of Slot’s new focal frontman, and let’s just be grateful that he was at least willing to remain at the club and continue to ply dutifully toward the outfit’s goals.
The versatile forward, in any case, served Liverpool extremely well, and though he carried some similarities to Isak, there’s no question that Liverpool fans and those involved at the club will consider the arrival of the Sweden star a significant upgrade and a fantastic deal, even though Isak’s signature came at such a premium.
FSG have already sold Liverpool's homegrown Zubimendi for just £15m
Former Liverpool player is now starring as a deep-lying playmaker reminiscent of Zubimendi.