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Newcastle United are just over a week away from the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Liverpool await.

What should be a joyous occasion has been tainted by a slew of setbacks, casting Eddie Howe’s squad back into a depleted state that makes life difficult indeed given the calibre of opposition.

Still, the sixth-place Magpies are one of the most dangerous teams in Europe on their day. If Newcastle can make it a successful finish to the campaign, it would help immensely going into the 2025/26 campaign.

Newcastle are reportedly ‘excited’ by the upcoming transfer window after battling through PSR concerns, with Howe looking to be backed as he pushes for a return to the Champions League.

Newcastle's transfer plans this summer

Now that Miguel Almiron’s re-signed for Atlanta United in an £8m deal, Newcastle are short on options at right wing.

Jacob Murphy’s form has mitigated the urgency, but Premier League stars such as Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford are allegedly on the shortlist and could be targetted this summer.

With Sven Botman struggling for fitness and Lloyd Kelly leaving on loan in January, a centre-back would also go down a treat, but Newcastle are also eyeing a deal further back.

James Trafford, 22, has been incredible between the sticks for Burnley this season, keeping 24 clean sheets from 34 Championship matches and saving 87% of his shots faced, as per Sofascore.

Is it any wonder the Toon are keen on a deal? TalkSPORT suggest Burnley will want £30m for their goalkeeper, but this would surely be worthwhile as Howe looks to engineer the next phase in Newcastle’s development.

If he’s welcomed, though, someone will need to go…

Howe must cash in on £60k-per-week star

Newcastle might be compliant with PSR-related concerns, but if they wish to invest, sales will be necessary.

If Newcastle strike gold and bring Trafford to St. James’ Park, it makes little sense to keep Nick Pope on the books, an idea Howe subscribes to given United are already stirring up plans for his sale this summer.

As per Football Insider, Newcastle would be willing to let Pope exit for around £15m in the next window, which would be an absolute triumph given he was purchased from Burnley for just £10m.

Pope has been a stalwart shot-stopper during his time at Newcastle, but having been dealt a string of injury blows this season, PIF chiefs are warming to the idea of his sale since he is losing his way between the sticks.

With unavailability and a declining sense of security in shot saving, bagging a rising star of Trafford’s ability makes a lot of sense.

Pope’s Save % in the Premier League (last 5 seasons)

Season

Club

Apps

Clean Sheets

Save %

24/25*

Newcastle

17

3

67.9

23/24

Newcastle

16

5

72.4

22/23

Newcastle

37

14

74.6

21/22

Burnley

36

9

74.5

20/21

Burnley

32

11

77.2

Stats via FBref

Moreover, the 32-year-old (who turns 33 next month) is in the penultimate year of his £60k-per-week contract. With Trafford at the top of the Toon’s wish list, it feels right that he should move on this summer, no longer boasting his one-time unflappability and indeed feeling the effects of Father Time.

There have been several indicators of regression. Recently, loose passing and a lack of authority nearly cost Newcastle in a 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest, while his shot-stopping security has also raised questions – see below against Tottenham Hotspur.

Reporter Adam Clery even suggested several weeks ago the England international “looks absolutely petrified” when diving – a by-product of his injury issues – and that this is “fatal” for a goalkeeper.

Trafford would be the perfect fit to jockey with Martin Dubravka for the top spot, having been hailed for his “sensational” exploits this season by Burnley podcaster Natalie Bromley.

Bringing Trafford in would create a neat kind of continuity, for Pope too came from Turf Moor. His ship has run its course, and Howe will want to make the requisite transfer adjustments this summer to take his Tyneside crew to the next level.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 5, 2025

Mlaba and Tryon star with ball and bat to keep hosts on track for semi-final spot

Valkerie Baynes & Firdose Moonda13-Feb-2023

Chloe Tryon helped South Africa crawl out of trouble•ICC/Getty Images

South Africa 132 for 6 (Tryon 40, de Klerk 28, Carson 2-23, Tahuhu 2-27) beat New Zealand 67 (Devine 16, Jess 11, Mlaba 3-10, Tryon 2-12) by 65 runsA fired-up South Africa reignited their home World Cup campaign with a 65-run win over New Zealand in front of a boisterous Boland Park crowd.After their shock defeat to Sri Lanka in the tournament opener and with six of the playing XI including captain Sune Luus going unsold in the WPL auction, South Africa responded with a determined batting and disciplined on-fielding performance, to defend successfully against New Zealand for the first time. It was also only their third victory over New Zealand from 13 previous meetings and it has left New Zealand on the brink of elimination.New Zealand will be disappointed with the way they let things slip after they had South Africa 78 for 5 in the 13th over, but then lost their control. They were messy in the field and put down four catches, all in the last five overs, which South Africa entered on 97 for 5. The hosts scored 35 runs and lost only one wicket in that time to post what seemed a slightly under-par score.They made it look worth much more, though, with a stunning new-ball performance on a spin-friendly pitch. Nonkululeko Mlaba took two wickets in her first two overs and finished with a career-best 3 for 10. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka claimed one apiece and New Zealand finished the Powerplay on 19 for 4, with little chance of clawing their way back. Chloe Tryon accounted for Maddy Green and Sophie Devine, who batted at No.5, before Shabnim Ismail and Kapp finished thing off. New Zealand were dismissed for their second-lowest total in T20Is.Tahuhu causes trouble Kapp, who was picked by Delhi Capitals at the WPL auction earlier in the day, was in to bat early after Tazmin Brits was dismissed in the first over but she did not live up to her US$183,000 tagline. After slicing Jess Kerr over point and flicking Lea Tahuhu off her pads for four, Kapp tried to hit New Zealand’s most experienced bowler over mid-off but top-edged and sent the ball straight to Jess at mid-off to leave South Africa’s middle-order exposed again.And Tahuhu wasn’t done either. She was brought back on in the ninth over as South Africa were rebuilding and started with a pinpoint yorker to Laura Wolvaardt. She pulled her length back for the next ball, and the next one, and an impatient Wolvaardt tried to heave across the line but missed as Tahuhu hit middle and off stumps. South Africa were 56 for 4 after nine overs, with their top four all back in the dug-out.Tryon turns up Tryon has established herself as South Africa’s finisher but had a lot longer to bat as South Africa’s top order gave way. She was in in the seventh over and immediately showed positive intent when she flicked Hayley Jensen to fine leg. As wickets fell around her, Tryon found boundaries in every second over or so to keep the scoreboard ticking over.She was strong in the V and behind square, hitting the ball hard down the ground and on the pull, but then she also got lucky. She was dropped when she tried to cut Tahuhu and toe-edged to the right of Bernadine Bezuidenhout, who moved too late to get her hands to it. Tryon went on to make 40 off 34 balls, and shared in a 47-run sixth-wicket stand with Nadine de Klerk, which gave South Africa much needed lower-order runs.Ayabonga Khaka ran out Hayley Jensen as South Africa closed in•ICC/Getty Images

Mlaba finds her magicMlaba was tipped for big things in this tournament after recently moving to No. 2 on the ICC Women’s T20 bowling rankings and had opened the bowling 18 times in 27 matches since her debut. Still, South Africa opted to use seamers Shabnim Ismail and Kapp at Newlands before returning to Mlaba for this match, and she stormed back.She struck with the second ball of New Zealand’s reply to remove Bezuidenhout with a full, flighted delivery on fifth stump outside off that enticed an attempted push towards cover. Instead, the ball spun past the edge and into the waiting gloves of Sinalo Jafta, who whipped off the bails. With the first ball of her next over, Mlaba bowled Suzie Bates for a second consecutive duck with one that skidded on to beat the opener’s attempted pull and crash into middle stump. She returned in the 15th over and had Tahuhu trapped lbw as she tried to flick across the line and missed.New Zealand batters stumble againThis was the second match in a row that New Zealand’s batting line-up had failed to fire. Having opened with Bates and Devine, who also made a duck, they had been 26 for 3 against Australia, winners by a whopping 97 runs.On Monday, Devine came in with her side 13 for 3 and things failed to improve from there as Jafta took three catches to reduce them to 31 for 5. At 51 for 8, New Zealand looked in danger of being bowled out for their lowest total in T20Is. As it happened, their 67 all out was instead their second-lowest, and came just two days after their fourth-lowest of 76.

غادرت بعثة فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، فندق الإقامة في طريقها إلى مطار ميامي، من أجل التوجه إلى مدينة نيوجيرسي، استعدادًا لخوض مواجهة بالميراس البرازيلي المقبلة.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي أمام بالميراس، بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثانية من منافسات المجموعة الأولى ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

ويخوض الأهلي مواجهة بالميراس البرازيلي يوم الخميس المقبل، في تمام الساعة الثانية عشر ظهرًا بتوقيت أمريكا – السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب ميتلايف في نيويورك.

طالع | بن رمضان: التعادل مع إنتر ميامي لم يُرضينا.. والأهلي سيكون أفضل أمام بالميراس

وخاض الأهلي مواجهة افتتاح كأس العالم للأندية أمام إنتر ميامي الأمريكي على ملعب هارد روك بمدينة ميامي، وانتهت بالتعادل السلبي.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، رفقة أندية إنتر ميامي الأمريكي وبالميراس البرازيلي وبورتو البرتغالي.

Liverpool are facing a potentially huge summer transfer window with three of their biggest stars set to become free agents at the end of June.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of this season, which means that they will be free to discuss moves elsewhere unless the club can agree fresh terms with them.

As it stands, there have not been any reports that suggest that any of them are set to sign extensions at Anfield, but none of them have been signed by another team, which means that there is plenty of time left.

24/25 Premier League

Mo Salah

Appearances

29

xG

22.15

Goals

27

xA

7.01

Big chances created

21

Assists

17

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, losing Salah – in particular – would be a significant blow for Arne Slot and his side because the winger has been in sensational form this season in the Premier League.

The Reds will need other players to step up and carry the load at the top end of the pitch if the Egypt international does move on from Anfield ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Of the stars currently at the club, former PSV forward Cody Gakpo is, perhaps, best placed to step up and establish himself as the main man for Slot.

Cody Gakpo's incredible form this season

The Netherlands international has racked up 16 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for the Reds so far this term, matching his tally from 53 outings in the 2023/24 campaign.

This shows that he has improved his output in the final third, with as many goals in 13 fewer matches, since Slot arrived on Merseyside with his 4-3-3 set-up, predominantly utilising Gakpo on the left flank – cutting in on his right foot.

Make no mistake, Salah has been the main man for Liverpool this season but the Dutch winger has also played a significant role in the team’s success on the pitch.

Gakpo scored five goals and provided four assists in five appearances in the League Cup in the run-up to the final, only to miss out on a place in the starting line-up at Wembley as he recently returned from injury. Slot may wonder if the result would have been different if they had his attacking qualities on the pitch from the start.

24/25 Premier League

Cody Gakpo

Starts

16

xG

5.99

Goals

8

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.2

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old winger has also offered a big threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League, outperforming his xG and being unlucky to only have three assists to his name.

Liverpool may hope that he can add even more goals to his game and become an established star for the Reds if Salah moves on this summer, as a result of more responsibility being placed on his shoulders – despite him not being one of the most highly-paid players at the club.

According to Capology, Gakpo is currently on a wage of £120k-per-week and that does not even earn him a place in the top ten earners at Anfield this season.

That speaks to the value-for-money that the Reds have got out of the Dutch sensation this term, because he has been a terrific performer despite not being one of the highest earners, but it also suggests that the club may not be getting value for their money from other forwards.

Liverpool’s top ten earners

Player

Weekly wage

Mo Salah

£350k

Virgil van Dijk

£220k

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180k

Andy Robertson

£160k

Alexis Mac Allister

£150k

Alisson

£150k

Federico Chiesa

£150k

Ryan Gravenberch

£150k

Darwin Nunez

£140k

Diogo Jota

£140k

Wages via Capology

As you can see in the table above, there are ten players in the current Liverpool squad who earn more than Gakpo does at this moment in time, including Diogo Jota.

The Portugal international started the League Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday and put in the type of performance that explains why Liverpool chief Michael Edwards should ruthlessly cash in on someone who’s been described as a “pointless footballer” by one Liverpool content creator.

Why Liverpool should cash in on Diogo Jota

Jota failed to get his only shot attempt on target and completed just 40% of his attempted passes, whilst losing three of his four ground duels, at Wembley.

Quite simply, the Liverpool number 20 did not do anywhere near enough to cause problems for Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, who had a relatively easy time keeping him quiet.

It was a laboured performance from the 28-year-old forward and one that has become all-too-familiar to Slot and the supporters in the 2024/25 campaign, as the striker has failed to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Jota, who earns £20k more per week than Gakpo, has only scored eight goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for the Reds this season, half as many as his Dutch teammate has scored.

The Portuguese attacker’s form in both the Premier League and the Champions League this term has been a cause for concern, as he has struggled quite badly.

Diogo Jota (24/25)

Premier League

Champions League

Appearances (starts)

18 (10)

4 (3)

xG

6.10

0.98

Goals

5

0

Big chances missed

9

3

xA

1.08

0.11

Assists

3

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Jota has underperformed against his xG in both competitions, scoring just five goals in 22 matches, and has created very little for his teammates at the same time.

This shows that the former Atletico Madrid man has not made enough of the opportunities that his teammates have created for him, as he has missed 12 ‘big chances’ to go along with those five goals, which means that Slot cannot rely on him to perform week-in-week-out.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping tabs on his situation at Anfield ahead of a possible swoop for his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.

With this in mind, Edwards must brutally cash in on the Portuguese dud who has not offered enough on the pitch this season to justify his £140k-per-week wages, particularly in comparison to Gakpo’s contributions as part of the front three.

Therefore, Liverpool must take advantage of the interest from Wolves to move on from the 28-year-old forward, who has been unreliable in front of goal this season, in order to make room for Slot to bring his own signings in to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 18, 2025

Limited play frustrates visitors as Kent struggle to make inroads in 32 overs of action

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2023

Nick Browne was back in the runs for Essex•Getty Images

Essex 289 for 1 (Westley 138*, Browne 105*) vs KentTom Westley and Nick Browne both hit centuries as Essex advanced to 289 for one on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.Westley scored a swashbuckling, unbeaten 138, which contrasted with Browne’s more measured 105 not out, but for the second day running conditions halted Essex’s progress, with just 32 overs possible.Kent’s bowlers toiled again and Westley and Browne have now put on an unbeaten 246 for the second wicket.Almost incessant overnight rain left the St. Lawrence outfield saturated, wiping out the entire morning session, but conditions slowly improved.Essex were on 164 for one when play finally got started at 3.15 pm and they carried on where they’d left off on day one, scoring at four an over, with only the occasional alarm.Westley reached three figures, from 129 balls, with a violent straight drive off Conor McKerr that flew to the Pavilion End boundary and it was 245 for one at tea, the duo having added 81 without loss in 22 overs.Browne took almost twice as long to pass three figures, hitting his 236th delivery, from Hamid Qadri, for two through the covers. Browne’s form had dipped since his epic 234 not out against Somerset last July and this was the first time he’d made even a half-century in 14 innings. His relief on making his century was transparent and Westley gave him a bear hug to celebrate the landmark.The leaden skies encouraged him to accelerate and he smacked a four off Evison before bad light forced the players off at 5:40 pm.With the rain falling once again play was subsequently abandoned for the day and just 74 overs have been bowled over days one and two.

MatériaMais Notícias

O mercado da bola do Internacional está intenso nas últimas horas e o Colorado oficializou a chegada do lateral-direito Weverton, que estava no Vasco.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Apesar de estar no elenco do time carioca, o atleta pertence ao Red Bull Bragantino e fica por empréstimo no Inter até dezembro de 2023.

Assim que foi anunciado, Weverton também teve o seu nome publicado no BID da CBF, o que deixa o jogador apto a estrear pelo clube gaúcho.

Confira a Ficha Técnica:

Nome: Weverton Guilherme da Silva Souza

Data de nascimento: 15/06/1999 (23 anos)

Local de nascimento: Maceió (AL)

Altura: 1,81m

Clubes: Santa Cruz (AL), Inter, Figueirense, Cruzeiro, Bragantino, Vasco da Gama e Inter.

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استقر الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو، المدير الفني لفريق الكرة بـ الأهلي، على التشكيل المقرر له خوض مباراة بورتو البرتغالي، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتقام مباراة الأهلي أمام بورتو، على أرضية ملعب “ميت لايف” بمدينة نيوجيرسي الأمريكية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة المجموعات بالمونديال العالمي.

وتُلعب منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، بمشاركة 32 فريقًا لأول مرة في تاريخ المسابقة، وتمتد فعالياتها حتى 13 يوليو المقبل.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى من كأس العالم للأندية، إلى جانب بالميراس البرازيلي وإنتر ميامي الأمريكي وبورتو البرتغالي.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي الرسمي أمام بورتو في كأس العالم للأندية.. زيزو والشحات أساسيان

وكان الأهلي قد تعادل سلبيًا أمام إنتر ميامي في مباراة الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات في كأس العالم للأندية، قبل أن يتلقى هزيمة صعبة أمام بالميراس البرازيلي بثنائية نظيفة.

ويغيب عن الأهلي 4 لاعبين دفعة واحدة وهم إمام عاشور وطاهر محمد طاهر وأحمد نبيل كوكا، بسبب الإصابة، بجانب مروان عطية بسبب الإيقاف.

ويحتاج الأهلي إلى الفوز على بورتو بفارق هدفين، بشرط خسارة إنتر ميامي بفارق هدفين على الأقل من أجل التأهل بفارق الأهداف، على حساب الفريق الأمريكي. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام بورتو اليوم في كأس العالم للأندية

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني – أشرف داري – أحمد رمضان بيكهام – مصطفى العش.

خط الوسط: حمدي فتحي – محمد علي بن رمضان – آليو ديانج – تريزيجيه – أحمد سيد زيزو.

الهجوم: وسام أبو علي.

تحدث ريناتو جاوتشو، المدير الفني لفريق فلومينينسي، عن مواجهة الهلال السعودي المرتقبة مساء يوم الجمعة في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025.

ويلتقي الفريقان في خضم منافسات دور ربع نهائي بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، التي تستضيفها أمريكا حتى 13 يوليو الجاري.

وتأهل الهلال إلى ربع نهائي البطولة بعدما حقق مفاجأة تاريخية عقب فوزه على مانشستر سيتي بأربعة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة، في حين أن فلومينينسي انتصر على إنتر ميلان بهدفين لهدف.

وقال ريناتو جاوتشو، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “UOL” البرازيلية: “أرى نفسي دائمًا قويًا جدًا، قلت إن فلومينينسي يمثل البطة القبيحة من الناحية المالية (يقصد ضعيفة أو غير جذابة)، لدي فريق أثق به ثقة كبيرة، ولكننا لا نملك جودة العديد من الفرق هنا، ومع ذلك نحن في ربع النهائي”.

وأضاف: “لطالما أردت أن أضع نفسي مكان المدربين الذين يعملون مع هؤلاء اللاعبين، دون ذكر أسماء الأندية، ولكن مع كل ما لديهم وتشكيلتهم، وخططهم المتغيرة باستمرار، وجودة لاعبيهم الهائلة، لا أحد يعلم من هو اللاعب الأساسي”.

وواصل: “كما إنه من الجيد العمل معهم حيث يصبح العمل معهم سهلًا، وكثيراً ما كنت أرغب في أن أكون في مكان مدربي تلك الفرق، كما أود أن يأتي أحدهم لتدريب الفريق الذي أدربه في البرازيل ويحقق نتائج جيدة، للأسف، غالبًا ما يكون هذا نقدًا بناءً”.

وشدد: “الصحافة لا تُقدر المدربين البرازيليين، إنهم يقدرون الأجانب كثيرًا لكنني أود أن أرى أجانب يقومون بالعمل الذي أقوم به هنا، سيطالبون بتدريب المنتخب الوطني، إذا شاهدوا فلومينينسي، البطة القبيحة، يحقق نتائج جيدة، عندها سيتضح من هو الأفضل، هذا كل ما أود قوله”.

اقرأ أيضًا | الهلال يفقد 4 لاعبين أمام فلومينينسي.. موقف عبد الرزاق حمدالله

واسترسل: “إذا لم يقدرني أحد، فعليّ أن أقدر نفسي، في الأندية التي لا تملك خزائن ممتلئة دائمًا ما أحقق نتائج جيدة. لذا لا بد أن يكون لدي شئ ما”.

وما إذا كان الهلال يلعب بالطريقة الأوروبية، قال: “لديهم الظروف المالية، انظروا فقط إلى الأرقام، تُحسم كرة القدم في الملعب، لديهم أربعة برازيليين، دائمًا ما نواجه صعوبات مالية، تطورهم رائعًا جدًا، لا أعرف إلى أي مدى يمكن أن يكون أداء نادٍ أوروبي خارج الملعب، لكن داخل الملعب ليس مثل باريس سان جيرمان أو ريال مدريد أو مانشستر سيتي، لكنهم قدموا مباراة رائعة في المباراة الأخيرة”.

واعترف: “لو راهنت، لكان من الصعب على أي شخص المراهنة عليهم، لقد لعبوا بشكل جيد للغاية، في رأيي استخف بهم مانشستر سيتي ظنًا منهم أنهم قادرون على الفوز في أي لحظة، ما قلته لفريقي هو أنه لا يمكننا الاستهانة بهم، علينا أن نكون حذرين، وأن نحترمهم”.

وفيما إذا كان يمكن اعتبار أن باريس سان جيرمان أفضل فريق في العالم، أوضح: “الأفضل هو من يفوز، وأفضل خطة هي التي تفوز، باريس سان جيرمان فريق قوي جدًا، المال مهم، لكن في الملعب تُحسم الأمور داخله”.

واختتم: “لا جدوى من الحديث عن باريس سان جيرمان الآن، لكن لحظة فوزك بدوري أبطال أوروبا، ستكون في الصدارة، لدينا فرق عظيمة أخرى في العالم تلعب كرة قدم مختلفة، فلومينينسي هو البطة القبيحة ماليًا، نحن قادمون وسنظهر قوتنا، آمل أن نواصل إظهار قوتنا غدًا”.

In case there is no play, and Mumbai Indians beat SRH in the day’s first game, RCB will be eliminated

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2023

File photo: Super-soppers at work at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium•BCCI

The rain that had been forecast for Sunday evening in Bengaluru came down in torrents not long after the toss in Mumbai in the first game of the day, and with at least another shower forecast for later in the evening, around 7pm local time – toss time – the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Titans game could well be affected.The match, which is crucial for RCB, who are in a race with Mumbai Indians for the final spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs, is scheduled to start at 7.30pm, but the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was left drenched roughly three hours before the toss, though the rain did lose some intensity at around 4.30pm.At the time of writing this, the main square is under covers, but there are many large patches of the ground under water.Related

Chinnaswamy drainage gets makeover to tackle wet outfield

The Chinnaswamy has the high-quality sub-air drainage system, which has in the past allowed matches to begin quickly after ran has stopped. Even on Saturday evening, teams trained not long after a shower.RCB started the day in fourth place, tied on 14 points with Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai, who are playing bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. As things stand, if Mumbai win, RCB, who have an edge over Mumbai and Royals on net run rate, have to beat Titans, the table-toppers.

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Here are the scenarios, starting with the possibility of the RCB vs Titans game being washed out.No result in the RCB-Titans game
In this event Mumbai will qualify if they win, otherwise RCB will go through to the playoffs.Mumbai Indians and RCB both win
Both Mumbai and RCB will move to 16 points, but this scenario will be stacked in favour of RCB who have the better NRR of the two. Even if RCB win by the barest margin of one run, Mumbai are required to thrash SRH by at least 79 runs to finish ahead of RCB. Even if Mumbai win by a margin bigger than 79 runs, RCB will have the advantage of knowing exactly what they would need to qualify because they are playing the last game.Only one of Mumbai or RCB win
Whichever team wins, moves to 16 points and makes it to the playoffs. RCB losing to Titans is the best-case scenario for Mumbai to qualify with a win.Both MI and RCB lose
This is the outcome Rajasthan Royals will be hoping for, for it would give them a realistic chance of qualifying. If this happens, all three teams – Mumbai, RCB and Royals – will be tied on 14 points. Mumbai will be knocked out on account of their poor NRR.It will come down to NRR between RCB and Royals and here’s what Royals would need from Titans. If RCB bat first and score 180, Royals need Titans to chase down the target in 19.3 overs or before. If RCB field first and concede 180, Royals need Titans to restrict RCB to 174 or less.If the margins of RCB’s loss are tighter than that, then they will go through with a better NRR.No result in the Mumbai-SRH game
In this event, RCB will qualify if they win, otherwise Mumbai will go through to the playoffs.No result in both matches
RCB will qualify on account of superior NRR.

Glasgow Rangers’ Old Firm victory earlier this month was their first at Parkhead for nearly five years.

The 3-2 victory showed the Gers at their very best, being the first to every ball and creating chance after chance in the final third which saw them lead by two goals at the break. It’s safe to say Barry Ferguson has engineered a new found vigour at Ibrox.

While Celtic fought back in the second half, a screamer from Hamza Igamane with minutes left sealed the win and all three points for Ferguson’s side.

The key to winning the game was dominating the midfield, something Nico Raskin had done expertly against the runaway Premiership leaders.

It was reminiscent of Steven Davis at his very best. The Northern Irishman was arguably the last midfielder for the Ibrox side who had the capabilities to get the better of Celtic in the heart of the pitch.

Raskin has the potential to become a leader like Davis before him and his display at Parkhead might have given the supporters a glimpse of what the future holds for the recently caped Belgium international.

While the Gers might not see a player of Davis’ quality at the club anytime soon, having those in the squad who can go toe-to-toe with Celtic domestically might make all the difference next season.

How the new manager would love a younger version of the Irishman, however.

What made Steven Davis such a valuable asset to Rangers

The midfielder spent two separate spells with Rangers. The first being between 2008 and 2012, before he left to join Premier League side Southampton.

Arriving back in Glasgow midway through the 2018/19 season – initially on loan – saw Davis enjoy a second stint which lasted until he retired in January 2024, nearly a year after suffering a serious injury.

The first spell may have seen the Irishman win eight domestic honours, including three league titles and reaching the 2008 UEFA Cup final, but his influence on the team when he returned was excellent.

Rangers failed to win a trophy in the 18 months after Davis returned to Glasgow, but he was inspiring throughout the 2020/21 title-winning campaign.

He missed just three Premiership matches that season, helping the club go undefeated and he starred in four wins over Celtic, scoring a sublime acrobatic effort during the 2-0 Scottish Cup win.

In the league that season, Davis averaged an 89% pass success rate, while creating three big chances, providing two assists and averaging 81.7 touches per game.

Defensively, he was only dribbled past 0.7 times per game, while the midfielder won 3.6 of his total duels – a success rate of 56% – and made 1.3 interceptions per match.

Steven Davis’ Rangers statistics

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2022/23

16

2

0

2021/22

33

1

1

2020/21

49

2

3

2019/20

43

1

3

2018/19

18

0

3

2011/12

39

5

14

2010/11

53

5

12

2009/10

50

4

16

2008/09

40

6

12

2007/08

25

1

6

Via Transfemarkt

Despite his advancing years, Davis was still capable of controlling games with his wonderful passing range and ability to protect the back four.

He reached another major European final during the 2021/22 season, but like in 2008, the Ballymena-born star couldn’t lead the Light Blues to victory, suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

On Christmas Eve 2022, it was confirmed that Davis had suffered a season-ending knee injury, and it looked as though he might have played his final match for the club.

Raskin might just be the player who could step into the shoes of Davis, especially following his previous two Old Firm performances, securing the club successive wins in the fixture for the first time since August 2021.

Meet Rangers' new Steven Davis

The Belgian isn’t the only one capable of replicating the feats of Davis. Indeed, Bailey Rice is a talent who has a bright future in the professional game. Will he make the grade at Ibrox?

The midfielder moved to Rangers from Motherwell in the summer of 2022, rejecting the offer of a professional deal at the former.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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On the surface, it appeared to be a smart deal for the Gers. Rice was certainly one of the standout players in the Motherwell academy.

In February 2023, Rice became the second-youngest player to feature for the first team when he came on as a late substitute against Livingston in the Premiership. He was only 16 years, four months and 14 days old at the time, ranking behind only Derek Ferguson.

Since then, however, Rice has featured only seven times for the Gers across all competitions, with his development being handled rather conservatively by those in charge of the club.

The youngster began to gain more minutes for the first time at the start of 2025. He featured twice in the Scottish Cup, before coming on for the second half of the club’s 4-0 win over Ross County in the top flight.

His cameo against Manchester United in the Europa League was even praised by former defender Rio Ferdinand, who said of the Scottish midfielder: “I’ll tell you what. I like Rice. He’s come on and looking composed and that left foot looks like it has a bit in it. He’s seeing pictures, playing and executing. That is a wonderful pass.”

High praise indeed from a genuine legend of the game, and the 18-year-old has even made the recent step-up at international level too.

Having played 16 times for the U19 side, Rice was called up to the U21 squad for their most recent games, and he came off the bench in the 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Friday evening.

This is just another step on the path to success for the talented midfielder. Ferguson must give him some more minutes between now and the end of the campaign.

Hailed as a player who has “huge potential” by Scottish content creator Kai Watson, Rice has all the tools in his locker to enjoy an excellent career in the game.

Could he be the player to finally fill Davis’ boots at Ibrox, however? Only time will tell. But if he manages to impress the new manager in pre-season, 2025/26 could be the most important in his young career to date.

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