Celtic are now in talks to sign a versatile defender who has been compared to Hoops star Alistair Johnston.

Celtic on course to sign Balikwisha

It could be a busy last week of the transfer window for those at Parkhead, with Hoops supporters voicing their frustrations at the lack of signings in the club’s 0-0 Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty.

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This is music to the ears of Hoops supporters.

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So far this summer, Celtic have spent just under £4m on seven new players, whereas they received an initial £16.5m by selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como. Brendan Rodgers admitted after the draw in midweek that Celtic “need” more signings before the September 1 deadline.

“We need to improve the squad. There was clarity around that for a long time. So we see that. I think supporters see that. We certainly do in football. We need to improve. This is a performance club. This is a club that has to perform. And that starts on the field. You do that with getting the very best players you possibly can to allow you to perform.”

The Hoops have been heavily linked with Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and now look set to sign the Belgian. Taking to X on Saturday, Sacha Tavolieri said:

It isn’t just Balikwisha who the Hoops are after, though, with defensive additions also on the agenda.

Celtic also in talks to sign full-back Marcelo Saracchi

According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Celtic are interested in signing Boca Juniors full-back Marcelo Saracchi. It is claimed that the Hoops have “opened negotiations” for Saracchi, with a potential loan-to-buy option on the cards.

The 27-year-old is primarily a left-back but can also play as a right-back or left midfielder when required so would offer plenty of versatility to Rodgers’s squad.

A Uruguay international, Saracchi has previous experience in Europe, playing in the Champions League for RB Leipzig. He has also turned out for Turkish side Galatasaray and Spanish outfit Levante before moving to Boca Juniors in 2023.

Since then, Saracchi has made more than 50 appearances for his current employers, scoring four goals and registering five assists.

Alex Telles

Botafogo

Alistair Johnston

Celtic

Valentin Barco

Strasbourg

Renan Lodi

Al-Hilal

Ridvan Yilmaz

Besiktas

As can be seen, Saracchi has also been compared to Johnston among other impressive full-backs, so he could be the competition Rodgers is after for the Canadian and Kieran Tierney, possibly filling in for the right-back who will be out for three months with a hamstring injury.

The U.S. State Department reportedly denied visa requests from Iran's delegation ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C. According to the Tehran Times, the U.S. government has not approved visas for Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, coach Amir Ghalenoei and seven other members.

• AFP
  

  Visa issues

  The news comes after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this year that impacted travel for 12 countries, with Iran among those put onto the banned list. That order included a clause that would make "major sporting events" an exception, namely the World Cup and the Olympics.

  The draw is scheduled for Dec. 5. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S.

  Earlier this week, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, who also serves as a FIFA vice president, said that he was not concerned about Iran's ability to play matches in the U.S. next summer despite the travel ban, saying, "We already have assurances from all three governments … that teams that qualify will be allowed to come in and participate."

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• Application concerns

  Meanwhile, the State Department said it will increase staffing at certain U.S. embassies and consulates to accommodate an expected major jump in visa applications from soccer fans wanting to attend World Cup matches in the U.S. next year. 

  The department on Thursday said that it will send hundreds of additional consular officers to designated countries to handle the demand for visa interviews.

  Tickets went on sale Wednesday amid concerns over the administration’s crackdown on migration and temporary visas that offer permission to enter the U.S. Fans from countries not part of the Visa Waiver Program and who do not already hold valid tourist or business visas will need to apply.

  The department said that fans should begin the visa application process now, adding that the passport operations will remain open during the U.S. government shutdown that began this week.

• Getty
  

  Iran's road to the World Cup

  Iran, whose federation is pursuing the issue through FIFA, qualified for the World Cup in March after a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan. Team Melli, semifinalsts at each of the last two Asia Cups, cruised through group play, finishing atop their six-team group with 23 points from 10 games to automatically qualify for the tournament next summer.

  Team Melli had qualified for each of the last three World Cups and five of the last seven prior to earning their place at the upcoming tournament. They've failed to advance out of the group stage in each, but nearly did so at the most recent edition in Qatar

  In their third match, Iran faced the USMNT, but fell, 1-0, to a Christian Pulisic goal, ending their run on three points.

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• AFP
  

  What next?

  The FIFA World Cup draw will be held at the Kennedy Center in D.C. on Dec. 5. It will be the first draw to determine fixtures for the newly-formatted 48-team World Cup.

On a day when some supporters decided to take action against the board with a protest at the start of the match, Celtic looked on course to drop points in the Scottish Premiership against Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The Hoops, who had drawn 0-0 with their city rivals before the international break, found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time because of an equaliser from David Watson after Daizen Maeda had opened the scoring.

Given how the day started, the onlooking board members may have been fearing the reaction from the supporters if the full-time whistle had blown whilst the score was 1-1.

Fortunately, for them, the supporters, and the team, a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to the Premiership champions for a handball from James Forrest’s shot.

Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up to score from the spot with an emphatic penalty that thumped into the back of the net to win the match for the Hoops in the 96th minute.

It was a debut goal for the Nigeria international, signed on a free transfer the day after deadline day, and one that will hopefully tee him up for a successful season.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho's debut was a big positive for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the centre-forward at Leicester City in the Premier League, turned to the former Sevilla marksman in the 70th minute to replace Maeda whilst Celtic were winning 1-0.

There was nothing he could do, as a striker, to prevent Watson from equalising for the hosts from a corner, but his individual display showed plenty of signs of promise.

It was clear that the Nigerian number nine wanted to score. He was desperate to find the back of the net on his debut. Three of his nine touches on the pitch were shots: one was off target, one was blocked, and the third was the penalty that he scored to win the match.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho did lose both of his duels in the win over Kilmarnock, as he still looked a little bit short of full match sharpness, understandably.

The left-footed marksman had not played a competitive club match since Middlesbrough’s 2-0 defeat to Coventry City at the start of May in the English Championship, which means that it may take some time for the striker to get back to his best from a physical perspective.

With this in mind, Rodgers may slowly bed him into the team rather than chucking him in as a regular starter in the number nine position after his winning penalty on Sunday.

Iheanacho needs to build up his sharpness and that could come by alternating between being a starter and coming off the bench for a few matches before he is ready to fully kick on.

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Meanwhile, there is a summer signing made by Celtic who should already be deemed to be undroppable from the best starting XI after he made a positive impression against Kilmarnock.

Rodgers opted to hand Sebastian Tounekti, who signed on a permanent deal from Hammarby on deadline day, a debut on the left wing and was rewarded with an eye-catching display from the forward.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is undroppable for Celtic

Unlike Iheanacho, the Tunisia international was ready to be dropped straight into the starting XI because he had played six times for Hammarby in all competitions in August, per Sofascore.

This meant that the winger was fully fit and match sharp by the time he arrived at Celtic just before the international break, which helped him to hit the ground running with an impressive debut.

Rodgers opted to start Tounekti on the left flank, moving Michel-Ange Balikwisha over to the right, and the Tunisian star caught the eye with his fearless and confident performance, despite playing on an artificial surface that may have come as a shock to some players who are not used to that kind of pitch.

The 23-year-old star, who lined up with fellow new signing Marcelo Saracchi behind him, did not register a goal or an assist in the 2-1 win for Celtic, but his general play was enough to suggest that he will be an exciting player to watch this season.

Minutes

88

58

Touches

67

34

Shots

5

0

Chances created

4

1

Dribbles completed

5/9

0/1

Duels won

6

1

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti was way better than Balikwisha, who had started on the left against Rangers before the break, with five more shots, five more completed dribbles, and four times as many chances created.

These statistics show that the Tunisia international carried a far greater threat in the final third by constantly looking to make things happen with shots, dribbles, and key passes, whilst the Belgian attacker was too timid in his play.

This is why Tounekti should be considered undroppable by Rodgers already, because he has done more in one match on the left wing than Balikwisha has managed in his first two starts for the club, with one chance created and zero shots against Rangers and Kilmarnock, per Sofascore.

Celtic writer John McGinley noted that the former Hammarby forward “likes being a problem” for opposition defences with his fearless approach to the game, which is partly why his performance against Kilmarnock was so refreshing to see.

Tounekti was willing to take the game to the hosts by taking players on and taking risks with the ball at his feet, which is exactly what supporters want to see players doing to win matches.

Whilst it is now down to the player to prove that he can deliver consistent performances on the pitch, the new signing’s showing on Sunday should mean that he is now undroppable from the starting line-up.

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Meanwhile, Iheanacho still needs to prove his fitness and quality on the pitch before he can be considered an undroppable member of the best XI.

Even though Sunday put a slight dampener on things, the outlook for Arsenal this season is a positive one.

As long as the Gunners can keep their star players from missing as many games as they did last season, they should remain in the Premier League title race until the very end.

Moreover, even if the club do suffer with more injuries, they’ve done an incredible job bolstering the squad with brilliant alternatives over the summer.

Yet, there are still some issues, including one player Mikel Arteta has to give up on, a player who is earning more than marquee signing Eberechi Eze.

What Eze brings to Arsenal

The signing of Eze in and of itself lifted the mood of the Arsenal fanbase last month, as, on top of getting one over Tottenham Hotspur, the club were addressing a few problem areas in one deal.

For example, in addition to scoring goals last season, a significant problem for the Gunners was simply creating chances.

According to data from Stats Muse, despite finishing as runners-up, Arteta’s outfit were only the fifth best team at creating goalscoring chances, chalking up just 427 compared to Liverpool’s 502.

In other words, it was crystal clear to all who watched that the Gunners were in desperate need of some ingenuity in the team, and while one player alone won’t see them create the most chances in the league, Eze will undoubtedly help.

For example, according to Stats Muse, the Englishman created 59 chances on his own in the league last year, which is all the more impressive given that he did so for a mid-table side.

The second significant benefit of signing the 27-year-old is his ability to play in multiple positions.

One week, he might be tasked with starting in the middle of the park, either to cover for or replace, should his form not improve, Martin Odegaard, and then the next week, be the starting left-winger.

At the moment, it feels more likely that the £175k-per-week “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, will start in the latter position.

After all, that is where the player who needs to be dropped and moved on is currently playing.

The Arsenal dud earning way more than Eze

If you were to ask fans what the most significant problem area in this Arsenal team is, most would probably say the left wing.

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Leandro Trossard has not looked convincing for nearly a year now; Noni Madueke has looked uncomfortable out there on the few times he has played there, and worst of all, fans are losing patience with Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian wideman was once one of the most exciting members of the Gunners’ squad, with his breakneck speed and impressive finishing ability making him a key part of the side’s first title-challenging season in 22/23.

However, it has been a long time since we’ve seen that version of the 23-year-old, and instead of picking up 15 goals and six assists in the league like he did in 22/23, he was only able to amass a tally of eight goals and four assists last season.

Moreover, what is particularly frustrating about the winger is that, time after time, he will find himself with the ball at his feet and with one defender ahead of him and, instead of beating his man or dinking the ball over their head, he’ll pass it backwards or run into them.

This was on full display on Sunday when the Guarulhos-born ace failed to have any positive attacking impact on the game whatsoever, so much so that podcaster Phil Costa labelled him “clunky and indecisive,” which is about the worst way to describe a winger.

This wouldn’t be such a problem if the former Ituano gem were a fringe squad player on a low wage who could be easily moved on, but instead, he’s a core part of the squad and making an astronomical £180k-per-week.

Martinelli vs Eze in 24/25
Players	Martinelli	Eze
Appearances	51	43
Minutes	3564′	3303′
Goals	10	14
Assists	6	11
Goal Involvements per Match	0.31	0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement	222.75′	132.12′
Stats via Transfermarkt

That comes out to a whopping £9.36m-per-year, and when you compare his output to Eze’s over the last couple of seasons, it’s impossible to ignore how poor a use of funds this is.

Now, there is, of course, a chance Martinelli could one day rediscover the form that led to him earning his current contract.

However, after two seasons of underwhelming performances and a poor start to this one, that feels very, very unlikely.

Therefore, Arteta should be dropping him from the team for the next game, and Arsenal should do what they can to move him on as soon as possible.

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Leeds United youngster Harry Gray has attracted attention from supporters this season with his fantastic performances for the U21 side in recent weeks.

The 16-year-old fired in an impressive hat-trick against Scunthorpe earlier this month, which sparked some fans to call for him to get more game time in the first-team.

It is not as simple as that, according to Daniel Farke, though, as the Whites head coach explained why patience is needed with Archie Gray’s brother.

Why Harry Gray is not being fast tracked into the Leeds XI

Prior to the 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, the German boss backed his own record with young players and claimed that the youngster needs to keep playing matches at U21 level.

Farke said: “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I gave Harry his debut in the crunch time. If I were to back a manager to be brave enough to play a young player, to know what a young player needs, I’d pick me. Harry needs to train with the first team, experience physicality of the Premier League.

“He needs game time with the U21s to stay in his rhythm and not to lose his striker instinct. He needs time and peace to develop. You will see him once he is prepared for Premier League games.”

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Gray is not the only player who is knocking on the door of the first-team, though, as Connor Douglas is also a U21 star who should be unleashed by the former Norwich City head coach when the time is right.

Why Connor Douglas should get a chance in the first-team

Whilst Gray has caught the eye with his goals, including the hat-trick against Scunthorpe, Douglas provided a reminder of his quality with an assist against Crystal Palace’s U21s on Monday night in a 3-2 defeat for the young Whites.

The 19-year-old star is a right-sided attacker and that position in the first-team is still up for grabs, as Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto, and Daniel James have combined for zero goals and zero assists in the Premier League this season.

Brenden Aaronson’s Premier League career

Stats

22/23

25/26

Appearances

36

5

xG

3.86

0.19

Goals

1

0

xA

2.59

0.78

Assists

3

0

Dribbles completed per game

0.9

0.8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson, who has started the last two games on the right flank, has struggled to make a consistent impact in the final third throughout his top-flight career at Elland Road.

These statistics suggest that the USA international is not the long-term answer to the club’s problem in the right wing position, because he has failed to prove himself to be a reliable option at that level. This opens the door for another player to step up.

Douglas, who was hailed as a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, has delivered two assists in four Premier League 2 matches so far this season, per Transfermarkt, and may be putting his case forward to make an emergence in the first-team.

The 19-year-old talent has scored five goals and provided six assists in 34 games for the U21s, after a return of six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18s, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has consistently chipped in with goal contributions throughout his academy career.

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The next step for the teenage sensation is to make his first-team bow. His form at the start of this season should put him in contention to make the step up, alongside Gray, which is why Farke should look to unleash him on the right flank if his other options continue to underperform in front of goal.

MatériaMais Notícias

O treinador Diego Aguirre deu explicações após a derrota do Santos para o Fortaleza, por 4 a 0. Com problemas para escolher o onze inicial por conta de desfalques no elenco, o técnico, que improvisou João Lucas em uma posição mais ofensiva do que o habitual, explicou suas ideias para o jogo.

– Tivemos para esse jogo muitos desfalques e precisamos usar jogadores que não são titulares. Buscamos alternativas. Para Marcos Leonardo, usamos Furch, pois é uma situação natural, ele é centroavante. Nosso plano de jogo para hoje era assegurar um pouco, não receber gols e tentar ajustar mudanças para ganhar no segundo tempo. Na primeira parte aconteceu bem, com um jogo controlado. Quando colocamos Patati no lugar de João Lucas mudou tudo e tomamos os gols. Tudo mudou quando sofremos o gol. Tinham muitas suspensões, mas faltavam jogadores importantes – relatou o comandante santista.

+ Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

Com todos os gols tomados no segundo tempo da partida, o treinador do Peixe se disse preocupado com a confiança do elenco que tem nas mãos.

– O primeiro tempo foi bom. No nosso planejamento imaginavamos um primeiro tempo como aconteceu. Acho que mudou tudo com o gol. Nós cometemos um erro e o time perdeu confiança e não encontramos os caminhos para empatar o jogo e marcar gols. O Fortaleza jogou melhor e ganhou merecidamente. Obviamente estou preocupado. Nós só tivemos três treinos e agora nós teremos uma semana longa até o jogo em casa – concluiu Diego Aguirre.

VEJA OUTRAS RESPOSTAS DO TÉCNICO:

QUESTÃO PSICOLÓGICA DA EQUIPE

Ainda é muito cedo para tirar conclusões. Tem muitos jogos pela frente. Como te falei, estivemos juntos somente em três treinos. Eu acredito que faremos todo o possível, traremos confiança e calma. Não é normal um time como o Santos ter uma sequência tão longa sem vitórias. Temos que voltar a conseguir vitórias e temos jogos muito difíceis pela frente. Temos que recuperar a confiança e posso falar com mais certeza quando passar por três ou quatro jogos mais.

MARCOS LEONARDO

Além dos desfalques dos jogadores importantes, a situação do Marcos Leonardo eu não tenho certeza, mas eu acho que ele vá se juntar nos próximos dias para ajudar o resto do time. É o que eu imagino. Nós precisamos dele e tomara que tenha um acordo entre a diretoria e o jogador, pois para nós é muito importante que ele volte a ajudar o time até o resto do ano.

PRESSÃO

Times grandes, times gigantes como o Santos, que não está acostumado a jogar para não cair, tem uma pressão extra. Sem dúvidas nenhuma, pois está acostumado a jogar lá na parte de cima, mas isso não é uma desculpa. Nós temos que trabalhar muito, prepararmos e ganhar o próximo jogo para ter uma sequência positiva. Obviamente estou preocupado, pois o time até apresentou alguma coisa no primeiro tempo, mas no segundo, assim que tomamos o gol, o time caiu e não reagimos.

PROJETO DO SANTOS

Sempre é difícil jogar aqui. Eles vêm motivados com a classificação na Copa, mas também é verdade que temos que jogar mais. Temos que melhorar mais e muitas outras coisas para podermos competir. Quando cheguei no Santos sabia da dificuldade na tabela, a pressão e tudo isso. Nós assumimos tudo isso pensando que é possível melhorar. Temos uma sequência de jogos que com certeza vai melhorar, mas precisamos de um resultado para que volte a calma e tranquilidade. É uma situação complicada, mas eu, como treinador do grupo, preciso transmitir confiança e trabalho.

Chelsea left Old Trafford with no points for their Premier League tally and a sense of frustration after being defeated by a Manchester United side who have fallen by the wayside under Ruben Amorim.

Not quite, actually. United played with coherence and tenacity against the Blues, even if Robert Sanchez was dismissed in the opening stages and then the Red Devils came together to rise two goals to the good.

That was not a team who played as if they were directionless and lost under their Portuguese tactician with his controversial formation. Could it be coming together? Time will tell, and consistency must be the order of the day if the Premier League giants truly wish to enter the ascendancy once again.

If this is truly going to be the case, and Man United are going to succeed under Amorim and challenge for silverware of the highest level once again, as is their due, then Bruno Fernandes is essential to reaching lofty goals.

Fernandes continues to inspire

Hardly a revelatory statement. Fernandes has been Manchester United’s talisman supreme right from the moment he shook Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s hand and signed for the club in an initial £47m deal.

The Portuguese Magnifico has been a pillar of strength throughout the turbulent river of a journey over the past five years, and against Chelsea, he scored his 100th goal for the club on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Operating in a different, deeper role than has been the norm this season to accommodate Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. It’s been somewhat rocky, but the 31-year-old continues to inspire and he has since been singled out by podcaster Adam Joseph for being a “truly special player” with a “remarkable” ability to maintain his fitness and form and presence as a leader.

To think that the captain came close to leaving his ship this summer, having been offered a lucrative package to leave Europe and forge a new career over in the Saudi Pro League.

Ultimately, Bruno opted to stay – a further illustration of his commitment to putting this club back on their perch. However, he can’t do it alone, and while Amorim and INEOS have completed a series of exciting summer signings, there’s an existing member of the squad who has the potential to step up and become a leader in his own right over the coming years.

Man Utd's future talisman

Fernandes isn’t quite a veteran of the game, but having turned 31, he’s certainly one of the most experienced superstars in the Premier League.

On the other end of the spectrum at Manchester United is Amad Diallo, whose breakout year in red last season has put his name on the map.

Signed from Atalanta for a £19m fee as a teenager in January 2021, the versatile winger had completed a series of loan spells before coming into his own last year, scoring 11 goals and assisting ten more across 41 matches in all competitions. His performances led journalist James Copley to hail him as a “wizard” when on the ball.

The six-cap Ivory Coast international has much still to learn, but he provided the Red Devils with a different attacking dimension last year, offering a focal point from across the wide positions.

Right winger

128

42 (35)

Attacking midfield

33

10 (3)

Centre-forward

22

9 (1)

Left winger

20

9 (4)

He might not be on Fernandes’ level yet, but he can surely reach such a position with careful work over the coming campaigns, recorded by data-led platform FBref to rank among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 6% for ball recoveries and the top 5% for tackles won per 90.

FBref also note that Amad’s most statistically comparable players are Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as well as Marcus Rashford, who needs no introduction.

It was the 23-year-old who kept his composure to strike a vicious blow on an unforgettable occasion in last season’s Manchester derby. No such luck this year, but he did play an important role in claiming all three points against Chelsea, nestled behind Benjamin Sesko in the first half, alongside Bryan Mbeumo.

His continuing rise can be examined through his market valuation, which in recent years has skyrocketed up to something in the ballpark of £46m, data provided by Football Transfers. That’s over double the fee United first paid for him, so it seems they got this deal right.

As a reference point, Football Transfers also note that Fernandes is worth around £41m, which isn’t a fair reflection of his actual worth within the United squad nor indeed what Saudi suitors were willing to pay during the summer transfer window.

But, in any case, Fernandes no longer carries the same staggering price tag as he once did, having passed the barrier of his twenties over a year ago now.

Amad, eight years his junior, showed signs of a certain quality that would allow him to take the skipper’s proverbial place when the fateful day of his departure does arrive, having even been singled out as a “candidate for the Ballon d’Or” in the future by former Fiorentina goalkeeper Giovanni Galli in the past.

Tonight’s ceremony will not include the Ivorian’s name, but if Man United manage to rise to the fore once again, and Amad maintains a presence as one of the club’s biggest stars, he might just make good on such one-time praise in the coming years.

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After they won their first home game of IPL 2025, Kohli felt RCB were finally getting to grips with their batting template at the Chinnaswamy

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-20251:28

Rayudu: ‘This is the exact template RCB would love Kohli to play’

After three consecutive home defeats featuring underwhelming batting displays, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally posted a total north of 200 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to set up a thrilling win over Rajasthan Royals (RR). Virat Kohli, who top-scored with 70, said the batting unit had discussed what they needed to do differently, and on Thursday they were able to apply themselves and find a template that worked.”We’ve had three pretty average games at home and we discussed a few things in the batting unit that we need to get right and I think we applied ourselves well enough today to get that total on the board,” Kohli told the host broadcaster after RCB’s first home win of IPL 2025. “We felt like the pitch wasn’t as flat as the score displayed on the scoreboard.”Unlike in their previous three home games, where they lost at least three wickets in the powerplay trying to take on the bowlers, RCB got through the first six overs against RR with all their wickets intact. And after Phil Salt became the first batter to be dismissed in the seventh over, Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal put on a 95-run stand to set up a grand finish.Related

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Kohli and Hazlewood break RCB's home duck as RR botch another chase

Parag: We didn't show enough intent against the spinners

“I think the template is simple, you know, one of the guys to kind of bat through and the others to kind of attack around him,” Kohli said. “So I have that responsibility. I know this pitch very well, so does Devdutt. So yeah, that was basically the plan. Let Salty do his thing and then once we have a couple of wickets down, then really capitalise and rebuild and yeah, today it paid off.”On the eve of the match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar had called on the batters to focus on their shot selection, and Kohli underlined the change in approach that helped them on Thursday.”There’s pace and bounce in the first three-four overs with the new ball, especially in the first innings. So I think we were trying to force the shots a bit too much in the last three games.”Today, we kind of let the ball come to us and, you know, really time the ball into the gaps and I think that was the adjustment and the application that I spoke about to assess the pitch and then find our options and then hopefully put enough pressure on the opposition for them to keep giving us boundary balls, which was the case today and we were able to capitalise on those.”Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli put on a 95-run stand•Associated Press

RCB posted 205 for 5, a total that RR fell 11 runs short of despite looking comfortable for large parts of their chase. That RCB prevailed was thanks largely to Josh Hazlewood’s excellent spell at the death.”[205] was enough in the end, but at one stage, I thought maybe [we needed] a few more,” Kohli said. “That’s the tricky part right now. We’ve figured out a way to bat now, so [the batters] have more confidence.”So heading into the last three more home games, I think we should be in a better position to try and get those 25-30 extra runs.”Kohli highlighted the importance of the toss in Bengaluru, citing dew as an important factor helping chasing teams. For the fourth home game in a row, Patidar lost the toss on Thursday.”I think the first challenge is to win the toss, to be honest, because the first half and second half … the second half you kind of have a look at the pitch,” Kohli said. “Also, the dew comes in, so it becomes a bit of an advantage. So we’ve been fighting hard to kind of get the total on the board in the first innings. We’ve fallen short by 25-30.”Today, we were able to get past 200, so that always kept us in the game.”

England raced into a 3-0 lead against Wales in their friendly on Thursday night. Bukayo Saka bagged the Three Lions' third with a stunning finish from 20 yards out, leaving Dragons shotstopper Karl Darlow clutching at thin air. Morgan Rogers had fired England ahead in the third minute before Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins doubled their advantage eight minutes later.

England battering Wales on home turf

Bukayo Saka wowed the Wembley crowd on Thursday night as he scored a sumptuous third to put England into a commanding lead early on against Wales, becoming Arsenal's highest ever scorer for the men's national team in the process. Playing an international friendly against their neighbours, Morgan Rogers had fired the Three Lions ahead in the third minute.

Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins then added his first and England's second in the 11th minute but it was Saka's strike that had the home fans on their feet.

Elliot Anderson's shot was blocked, and the ball worked its way back to Declan Rice. He then found Ezri Konsa before the Villa defender laid a pass to Saka in space on the right.

Konsa's underlapping run opened up a gap for Saka to make his move and despite pressure from David Brooks, the Arsenal sensation managed to pick out the top corner from 20 yards, leaving Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow to clutch at thin air.

AdvertisementWatch Saka's goal belowTuchel names strong England XI

Despite suggestions that Thomas Tuchel could name a weakened XI for the friendly meeting with Wales, the England boss named a surprisingly strong side at Wembley on Thursday night. Captain Harry Kane missed the game due to injury, with Watkins deputising on the frontline, but the likes of Declan Rice, Marc Guehi, Anthony Gordon and Saka all featured from the outset.

Marcus Rashford replaced Watkins for the second half in the capital as Tuchel sought to keep his players fresh ahead of next week's World Cup qualifier against Latvia. Tuchel also handed Djed Spence a full England debut after the Tottenham full-back became the first Muslim player to represent the men's national team when he came off the bench against Serbia last month.

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Getty Images SportWhat next for England?

England currently sit top of Group K in World Cup qualifying, with their 5-0 win at Serbia in Belgrade last month making it five wins from five. Their group rivals will have the chance to make up ground on the Three Lions this weekend as Latvia host Andorra and Serbia take on Albania.

Tuchel's side, meanwhile, are back in competitive action on Tuesday night as he takes his men to Latvia. England won the reverse fixture at Wembley 3-0 courtesy of goals from Reece James, Kane and Eberechi Eze.

Tuchel is expected to have Kane available for Tuesday's match after he sat out the welcome of Wales. The England boss said of the Bayern star earlier this week: "[Kane] got a kick in his last match with Bayern Munich. It was too risky he gets another kick and be in an up and down situation pain-wise. We gave him the chance that everything calms down. We are convinced he'll be ready for the match against Latvia."

تحدث حازم إمام نجم نادي الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق، عن قدرات ثنائي الزمالك، قبل مواجهة ديكاداها الصومالي في الكونفدرالية. 

ويلتقي الزمالك مع ديكاداها الصومالي، على ملعب السلام، في إياب دور الـ32 من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

طالع.. تشكيل الزمالك لمواجهة ديكاداها الصومالي في الكونفدرالية.. الجزيري يقود الهجوم

وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “عدي الدباغ لاعب جيد لكن ينقصه بعض الأمور، هو يركض كثيرًا بالكرة ولكن دون فائدة، أما شيكو بانزا فهو لاعب عشوائي ويفقد الكرة سريعًا”. 

وأضاف: “شيكو بانزا في بعض الأحيان يفعل أشياءً صعبة والسهل لا يجيد اتقانه، هو يمتلك قدرات لكن لا تفهم طريقة لعبه، هل سيلعب من لمسة واحدة أم سيركض”. 

وأردف: “لكن لا يجوز أن مهاجم تصل له الكرة 10 مرات يفقدها 8، مشكلته دائمًا يستلم الكرة بالضهر، ولكنه يحتاج أن يدخل في منظومة اللعب الجماعي”.