Fortaleza e Altos se enfrentam pelas quartas de final da Copa do Nordeste, neste domingo (21), às 19h (de Brasília), na Arena Castelão. O jogo terá transmissão da ESPN (TV fechada), Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view) e Dazn (streaming).
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasOnde AssistirFortaleza x Cruzeiro: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pelo BrasileirãoOnde Assistir17/04/2024Futebol NacionalVÍDEO: Melhores momentos de São Paulo 1 x 2 Fortaleza pelo BrasileirãoFutebol Nacional14/04/2024DicasFortaleza x Cruzeiro: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo do BrasileirãoDicas16/04/2024
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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA FORTALEZA X ALTOS COPA DO NORDESTE – JOGO ÚNICO (QUARTAS)
Data e horário: domingo, 21 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília) Local: Arena Castelão, Fortaleza (CE) Onde assistir: ESPN (TV fechada), Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view) e Dazn (streaming). Arbitragem: Marcio dos Santos Oliveira; José Ricardo Vasconcellos Laranjeira (VAR).
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES Fortaleza (TÉCNICO: Vojvoda) Santos; Dudu, Brítez, Kuscevic e Bruno Pacheco; Lucas Sasha, Pochettino e Pedro Augusto; Marinho, Moisés e Lucero.
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Altos (TÉCNICO: Flávio Araújo) Careca; Luis Guilherme, Leandro Amorim, Ricardo e Arthurzinho; Hudson, Marcelinho e Dhonata, Matheus, Brayann e Rhuann.
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Copa do NordesteFortalezaFutebol NacionalOnde assistir
The Padres beat the Giants, 5-1, at home on Tuesday night and one young fan will never forget his experience at Petco Park, but for all the wrong reasons.
We're used to seeing fans run on the field at games and getting laid out by security guards before being hauled off to a jail cell, but what happened late in the Padres' win was something we've never seen before.
This has to be the youngest fan to ever storm a field at a professional sporting event. And check out how many security guards it took to take him down:
Not the best decision there, young fella. It feels like he might be grounded for a little while after that move.
Rangpur’s Naeem Islam became the second Bangladesh batter to cross 11,000 first-class runs
Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2025Defending champions Sylhet Division drew their NCL opening round match against debutant side Mymensingh Division. Although it was a drawn game, there were plenty of personal milestones, including Rakibul Hasan taking a nine-wicket haul in the first innings.At the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Mymensingh got off to a rousing start batting first. Maiden centuries from Ariful Islam and No. 8 Abu Hider, who remained unbeaten on 107, powered them to 401. Ariful’s 101 rescued Mymensingh from a bad start, after they slipped to 21 for 3 in the first half hour. Ariful added 127 runs with the veteran Abdul Mazid, who made 65.Later, Hider added 76 runs for the eighth wicket with Shohidul Islam, and another 51 runs with Rakibul, before reaching his century. Hider struck ten fours and six sixes in his 105-ball stay.Sylhet replied in style, with opener Shykat Ali slamming a career-best 175. He struck 19 fours and eight sixes, although he found little support from the Sylhet top and middle-order. This was also the game in which Mushfiqur Rahim returned to the Sylhet side after 17 years.Shykat eventually found help from No 10 Ebadot Hossain, who made his maiden first-class half-century. The pair added 148 runs, a ninth-wicket partnership record for Sylhet.While Sylhet was piling up the runs, left-arm spinner Rakibul became only the fourth bowler in Bangladesh’s first-class history to take nine wickets in an innings. He had figures of 9 for 168 from his 55.3 overs.Mymensingh replied with 272 for 9 with half-centuries from Mohammad Naim and Ariful, while the veteran Nabil Samad took four wickets for Sylhet.Khulna Division beat Barishal Division by seven wickets at the Khulna Stadium in a match marred by the death of Hasan Ahmed, the Barishal physio. Hasan suffered a heart attack at the stadium and died on the way to the hospital.Rangpur’s Naeem Islam became the second Bangladesh batter to cross 11,000 first-class runs•Associated PressKhulna made 313 all out with fifties from captain Ziaur Rahman, who captained the side in place of the injured Mohammad Mithun, and Sheikh Parvez Jibon.Barishal were bowled out for 126 with Afif Hossain taking a six-wicket haul, that included a hat-trick when he removed the last three Barishal wickets. Barishal were not much better following on, this time bowled out for 224.Khulna struck the required 38 runs on the third day, losing just three wickets.Dhaka Division opened their NCL campaign with a drawn game against Rangpur Division. Batting first, Dhaka banked on Marshall Ayub’s 27th first-class ton to reach 221. Marshall struck 13 fours in his 161-ball stay as the rest crumbled around him.Rangpur replied well, scoring 358. Veteran batter Naeem Islam struck an unbeaten 137, his 34th first-class century. Naeem became the second Bangladeshi batter to cross the 11,000-run mark during this innings. Tushar Imran was the first to cross the milestone.Dhaka replied with 333 all out, with Jishan Alam scoring 97. Ashiqur Rahman Shibli also made a half-century. Rangpur ended the game on 115 for 6 on the final day, chasing 197.Yasir Ali and Mahmudul Hasan scored centuries for Chattogram•BCBChattogram Division got off to a solid start when they beat home side Rajshahi Division by 112 runs.Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Yasir Ali struck centuries to help Chattogram reach 401 runs in the first innings. Rajshahi were bowled out for 196 in reply, with left-arm spinner Hasan Murad taking 6 for 39.Chattogram replied with 277 for 9 declared, with Yasir missing out on twin tons by eight runs.Despite three half-centuries from Pritom Kumar, SM Meherob and Shakhir Hossain, Rajshahi fell way short of the fourth-innings chase, getting bowled out for 370. Murad added three wickets to take his match tally to nine wickets.
Finally, Pakistan’s crowd got what they wanted. Babar Azam struck an imperious 68 off 47 balls to take charge of a flagging Pakistani chase of 140, helping them ultimately cruise to the finish line with four wickets and one over to spare. It was his 37th T20I half-century overall, and his first since May 2024, helping Pakistan seal the series 2-1 against South Africa.The game appeared far from certain despite a relatively modest chase after Saim Ayub holed out softly for a six-ball duck. Corbin Bosch was Pakistan’s usual tormentor with a tight pair of overs, with George Linde also typically miserly as the visitors began to squeeze. Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Agha both struggled for touch early, and by the eighth over, the asking rate was beginning to approach eight.Babar, however, found a way to keep easing the pressure, recording nine fours through the innings, including three with the sweep. Busy running between the wickets in the interim turned the partnership with Agha into an ultimately match-winning one. The pair fell just short of the finish line within five runs of each other but by then, they had put together 76 in 52 balls.It promised to be much more straightforward when Shaheen Shah Afridi burst through the defences of Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in an electric first over. South Africa rebuilt with a workmanlike rearguard from Reeza Hendricks, supported by cameos from Dewald Brevis and Donovan Ferriera. Faheem Ashraf struck through the middle to leave them wobbling at 95 for 7, but Bosch chipped in with an unbeaten 30 off 23 to leave himself, as well as his team-mates, something to bowl at. Babar ensured it would not quite be enough.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Shaheen’s opening over mania
That Shaheen will pick up a wicket in his opening over is almost so regular as to be mundane. But how about two, and possibly three?Utilising the swing that vaporises within a few overs of the innings, Shaheen got one to nip back into de Kock, whose tentative push only saw him deflect it off the inside edge onto his stumps. Shaheen would soon turn a successful opening over into an epic. Pretorius clipped one off the pads first up, only to pick out short fine leg perfectly, with debutant Usman Tariq completing a straightforward catch.And still the drama wouldn’t end. A lovely delivery two balls later cut Dewald Brevis in half, seaming back in and crashing into his knee. Shaheen wouldn’t appeal, and the umpire didn’t need one, raising his finger immediately. It was only on review that DRS, somewhat surprisingly, showed it bouncing well over and denied the left-arm quick a third wicket in an incredible start that set the tone for Pakistan; they would keep South Africa to 22 in the powerplay, their third-lowest in T20I history.
South Africa target Nawaz
Mohammad Nawaz has enjoyed some of the form of his career since he was reintroduced into the T20I side earlier this year. On Saturday, his introduction to the attack right after the powerplay came at a position of strength. But Brevis, who showed sparks of his devastating ability in the middle overs of the first T20I, smacked him over the sightscreen off his third ball, signing off the over with another one over midwicket.Nawaz did snare Matthew Breetzke in his second over, but when he came back for his third, South African captain Ferreira was primed. Two sixes and a four saw him blown out of the attack for good as the visitors began to get their innings on track. The five overs immediately after the powerplay produced 55, with Nawaz’s three leaking 38. It laid the foundations for a defendable total.Usman Tariq took two wickets on debut•Getty Images
Babar bedlam at Gaddafi
Throughout this series, crowds in Islamabad and Lahore have cheered when the fall of a wicket brought Babar in to bat, and streamed out of grounds the moment he got out. In the decider, at the Gaddafi, there was no ungluing them from their seats. Ayub fell early, whipping the crowd into an excitement as Babar ambled up to the crease. Pakistan’s supporters have deluded themselves for a while now, thinking this might just be the innings that brings him back to his stratospheric height, often in vain. He began inconspicuously enough; it wasn’t until the ninth ball that he found his first boundary.Babar began to do things differently. He swept – you read that right – Linde over fine leg for his third boundary, and the glimpses of an innings began to sketch themselves into existence. Farhan, and later Agha, struggled to make much of a dent in the strike rate, and so, in the sort of chase Babar is generally built for, he took control.Time and again, he would punish South Africa for missing their lines and found sumptuous timing along the way. Like the top of a ketchup bottle finally being unscrewed, he denuded the match of its jeopardy with three successive boundaries off Ottniel Baartman, the third bringing up a 36-ball half-century.Bosch had kept Pakistan to just six runs in his first two overs, but Babar caressed him for a boundary over mid-on before lashing one past cover for four more. A crowd that tends to clear out upon Babar’s dismissal was rooted as he got each of his 68 runs, only clearing out after a rare, poorly placed jab found deep square leg.
Manchester United have been told that they could sign a long-term target for a much smaller fee than has been mooted ahead of the January transfer window. The Red Devils were able to sign coveted players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko this summer but their hunt for a central midfielder goes on. Now, one agent has claimed that a certain target could be available for no more than €40 million (£35m/$46m).
Man Utd eye midfield maestro
In 2025, United have been linked with Atalanta midfielder Ederson as they try and solve their problems in the centre of the park. The 26-year-old, who can play in defensive midfield, in the centre, and further forward, has been watched by a number of top teams, including Liverpool, but for now, he remains with the Serie A side. In the past, reports have suggested he could cost up to €80m (£70m), but that is said to have put off potential suitors. Now, however, Brazilian agent Andre Cury thinks he could be available for less than half of that.
AdvertisementGetty Images'A spectacular player'
Agent Cury, who represents Ederson and also Chelsea's Estevao, has suggested that the ex-Cruzeiro man will be available in 2026 for a cut-price fee as his contract expires the following year. He also said the Brazilian is a "spectacular" player.
He told Cadena SER: "Atalanta were asking for a lot of money, between €60m and €75m. He’s close to the end of his contract, they could even lower his price by half, to between €30m and €40m, but he’s a spectacular player with some of the best stats in Europe for his position."
Agent talks up Barcelona move
Ederson's representative appears to be drumming up interest for his player as he believes the midfielder would fit in nicely at Barcelona, a team the former Corinthians player has also been linked with.
Cury added: "A player I think could adapt very well to Barça’s system, contributing a lot of physicality and stamina, is Ederson, who plays for Atalanta. It’s an opportunity because his contract is expiring. Atalanta hasn’t wanted to sell him despite receiving very high offers. I think they’ll complete the transfer in this winter or summer window."
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GettyWhat comes next for Ederson?
Going by his agent's comments, it seems that Ederson, who has played 151 times for the Italian top-flight team and scored 14 goals, could be on the move in 2026. But whether United, Liverpool, Barcelona, or anyone else signs him, remains to be seen. The player himself will have an eye on making Brazil's World Cup squad so his future may only be settled after that tournament finishes next summer.
Rehan Ahmed and Davina Perrin also honoured in end-of-season awards
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2025
Jordan Cox was named PCA Men’s Player of the Year•Luke Walker/Getty Images for PCA
Jordan Cox and Emma Lamb have been named PCA Players of the Year, capping stellar summers in which both players earned England recalls after consistent seasons in domestic cricket.Cox missed out on a Test debut for England last November due to an ill-timed injury and was left out of their white-ball squads at the start of the summer. However, he earned a T20I recall after scoring his maiden T20 hundred for Essex and finishing the Hundred as the leading run-scorer. He saw off competition from Joe Root, Ed Barnard and Dom Sibley to win the award.”My favourite moment of the year was taking my chance and scoring an international half-century [against Ireland],” Cox said. “It’s probably why I got selected to go to New Zealand, which means a lot. On the Lions trip [to Australia] I want to show the selectors I’m capable of playing Test cricket.”Lamb missed the PCA awards ceremony in west London on Thursday night – which are sponsored by Toyota – as she is currently in Colombo, preparing for England’s World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka. She was the leading run-scorer in Lancashire’s Metro Bank Cup triumph, and pipped Nat Sciver-Brunt, Kathryn Bryce and Georgia Elwiss to the award.Lamb said she was “very surprised” to find out she had won after England’s tense win over Bangladesh on Tuesday. “I wasn’t expecting it, but obviously I’m very happy,” she said. “It’s really lovely that my peers have taken the time to recognise my performances this year. It’s such an honour to receive this award… It’s been a very enjoyable 12 months.”Emma Lamb in action for England•ECB/Getty Images
Rehan Ahmed was named men’s Young Player of the Year after scoring five centuries for Leicestershire as they won promotion in the County Championship, while he also impressed for Trent Rockets in the Hundred. Davina Perrin, who scored a stunning 42-ball century in the Hundred’s eliminator, won the women’s award, having also impressed for Birmingham Bears.”I was a bit shocked to be honest,” Perrin said. “There’s been some great performances from young players, especially Ailsa [Lister] and Ella [McCaughan] who have had unbelievable seasons… The biggest thing for me is that I’m maximising my potential and hopefully the England honours will come.”Rehan said that the award “topped off a great season” for him. “My red-ball season was great,” he said. “I want to be a regular in the England [Test] team – it’s more important to me than the white-ball stuff – so being given the opportunity to perform and then repaying the coaches with my form for Leicestershire has been great.”The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Graham Gooch, for his “incredible support of the game” including his donations to the Cricketers’ Trust, while Adil Rashid and Nat Sciver-Brunt won Rado Recognition Awards for their England careers. The ECB’s Special Merit award went to Andrew Flintoff’s BBC series , while the players voted for Ian Blackwell and Gabi Brown as Umpires of the Year.Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s chief executive, said: “The most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket is always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our fantastic players who have worked so hard throughout the season. Another enjoyable year… culminated in everybody coming together to congratulate our four main winners at the PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota.”2025 PCA Awards in partnership with Toyota:Men’s Player of the Year: Jordan Cox (Shortlisted: Ed Barnard, Joe Root, Dom Sibley) Women’s Player of the Year: Emma Lamb (Shortlisted: Kathryn Bryce, Georgia Elwiss, Nat Sciver-Brunt) Men’s Young Player of the Year: Rehan Ahmed (Shortlisted: James Coles, Asa Tribe) Women’s Young Player of the Year: Davina Perrin (Shortlisted: Alisa Lister, Ella McCaughan) Outstanding Contribution Award: Graham Gooch Rado Recognition Awards: Adil Rashid, Nat Sciver-Brunt ECB Special Merit: Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams Men’s Umpire of the Year: Ian Blackwell Women’s Umpire of the Year: Gabi Brown
A ridiculous four-goal showing from Kylian Mbappe led an otherwise shaky Real Madrid to a 4-3 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Frenchman continued his outrageous run of form, while Vinicius Jr eased tensions after a week of controversy by grabbing an assist to carry Los Blancos to a much-needed European victory against a dogged opponent.
It was a miserable start for Los Blancos. They struggled to create in the early stages, and Olympiacos capitalised. Their opening goal was a wonderful thing, as Chiquinho crashed home from 20 yards after a fine team move.
But the Madrid response was absurd, as their French superstar netted a seven-minute hat-trick. Mbappe scored his first after 22 minutes, running onto a ridiculous trivela pass from Vinicius and finishing through the keeper's legs. He added a second with a fine header, and a third with a simple run in behind the defence and pass into the bottom corner.
And then they started to pile on. Vinicius might have made it four after 30 minutes – a much-needed moment after a week of controversy. But his fine effort was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Olympiacos offered a response in the second half, though. A simple cross floated between Madrid's centre-backs was all they needed when Mehdi Taremi rose to nod into the bottom corner. The Greeks almost had another soon after, but reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin produced an impressive stop.
Mbappe gave Los Blancos daylight, though. Vinicius, in truth, did most of the work, with a lovely winding run down the left. Mbappe only had to convert his cut-back. Olympiacos showed some fight. They bagged a much-deserved third after applying plenty of pressure, and peppered the Madrid goal in the latter stages. However, Los Blancos held on to secure all three points.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium…
Getty
Goalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (7/10):
Could do nothing about the excellent opening goal, and was pretty helpless for the other two, as well. Made some important saves in between.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):
A very 'Trent' performance. Pinged a few passes that few other footballers can even see, but was also truly woeful in his one-on-ones.
Raul Asencio (6/10):
Lost his man to allow Olympiacos to grab a second, and was a bit erratic at times.
Alvaro Carreras (5/10):
Doesn't quite look comfortable at centre-back, in truth. Made a couple of mistakes, and didn't connect with the midfield too well.
Ferland Mendy (6/10):
A return after injury, and a game in which he struggled. Could have closed down the cross before the Olympiacos second.
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Getty
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Missing on the Olympiacos opener, when he really should have been shielding in front of the back four. But was otherwise solid, winning his tackles and moving the ball.
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
Full of energy in midfield, and played some key link-up passes, too. Removed at the half in what was likely a planned sub.
Arda Guler (7/10):
Assisted the second Madrid goal, created a few chances, and was useful on the ball. A solid hour.
Getty
Attack
Federico Valverde (7/10):
Ran a lot and offered an attacking outlet, but was mostly moving to open up space for others. A typically selfless showing.
Kylian Mbappe (10/10):
Scored twice in the space of two minutes to bring Madrid back into it. Added another three minutes later and added a fourth in the second half. He's in ridiculous form.
Vinicius Jr (9/10):
Looked to rebound after a week in which he told Madrid he won't pen a new contract. Assisted Mbappe's first with a sublime pass. Set up the Frenchman's fourth, too. A fine showing to answer the critics.
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Subs & Manager
Dani Ceballos (6/10):
Brought on for midfield control, which he didn't really offer much of.
Jude Bellingham (6/10):
Ran around, carried the ball effectively, linked up play, but lacked a bit of end product.
Brahim Diaz (6/10):
A puzzling introduction, especially with Asencio taken off. On the ball here and there but not particularly involved.
Fran Garcia (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (7/10):
Needed a lift after being criticised of late. Got his win, even if Madrid are incredibly unreliable. Will take the three points, but concerns remain.
The final chunk of international action is winding down for the year, and that means Liverpool fans can get ready to see Arne Slot’s side back in action.
There is an air of uncertainty about the Reds at the moment. After all, they were thrashed out of the Etihad Stadium nearly two weeks ago, having put Real Madrid to the sword in the Champions League days before.
But we must look at the wider trend, and we must accept that Slot’s squad have lost five of their past six matches in the Premier League, and that has eliminated any hopes of retaining that hard-won title for the time being.
The season is still young, but whatever happens over the coming months, FSG will have accepted that a few deeper problems need to be solved.
Take, for example, Virgil van Dijk’s announcement that the 2026 World Cup will be his last for Oranje. That underlines the 34-year-old’s ageing legs, and his acceptance that soon – not yet, but soon – he will wind down.
And the same could be said of Mohamed Salah, who has not been himself this season. FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are aware that Salah, 33, might be nearing the end at Anfield.
Liverpool begin search for Salah successor
Liverpool’s search for a Salah successor is tentative and new at this stage. The Egyptian star earns £400k per week on Merseyside after renewing his soon-to-expire contract in April, keeping him at the club until the end of next season.
After such staggering success last year, Salah’s drop-off in form has been painful to see, though circumstances have played a part, and the prolific winger is sure to rediscover his shooting boots at some point.
Mohamed Salah in the Premier League
Stats (per 90)
24/25
25/26
Goals scored
0.77
0.37
Assists
0.48
0.18
Shots taken
3.23
2.29
Shot-creating actions
4.51
3.11
Touches (att pen)
9.50
5.68
Pass completion (%)
70.6
68.7
Progressive passes
3.84
3.66
Progressive carries
4.14
3.66
Successful take-ons
1.55
0.64
Ball recoveries
2.70
2.84
Tackles won
0.29
0.18
Data via FBref
But Liverpool do need to start drawing up plans, and Spanish sources suggest this is already in the running, with Hughes preparing a
€100m (equating to £88m) offer for Barcelona superstar Raphinha.
The Brazil international is a wanted man after his sensational 2024/25 campaign, with Atletico Madrid also keen.
However, Liverpool have more financial might and La Blaugrana’s interminable money worries could see a deal completed in 2026.
Why Liverpool want Raphinha
Raphinha, 28, is not a young, up-and-coming talent who can be shaped into a superstar over the next several years.
That’s because he’s already among football’s top brass, hailed as “the best player in the world” by Statman Dave for his herculean efforts in last year’s Champions League.
Last year, the former Leeds United ace produced Salah-esque numbers for Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions. He scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists across all competitions, and that haul saw him eclipse everyone else across Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions. No small feat that, especially when considering the season Liverpool’s talisman had.
Most Goals + Assists 24/25 (Europe’s top 5 leagues, all comps)
Player
Apps
Goals + Assists
Raphinha
57
34 + 26
Mohamed Salah
72
34 + 23
Harry Kane
46
38 + 13
Ousmane Dembele
49
33 + 15
Kylian Mbappe
55
42 + 4
Data via Transfermarkt
He hasn’t quite hit the same awe-inspiring heights so far this season, but Raphinha has still made a commendable start to the campaign, notching five direct involvements from six league games.
A ready-made talent, Raphinha could prove the perfect replacement to Luis Diaz in Slot’s Liverpool, who was, of course, sold to Bayern Munich this summer for £66.5m.
Diaz, also 28, has been riding the crest of a gigantic wave in Germany this season, with six goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga, just nine games played, as well as three strikes from four in the Champions League. His all-round play has been spectacular, his impact sending tremors across Germany.
Away from the more emphatic side of his game, Diaz’s combative side has been sorely missed this term at Liverpool. Last season in the Premier League, he averaged more than one tackle per fixture. Moreover, journalist Neil Docking hailed him as “strong and a fighter” upon the announcement of his departure.
There is also the small matter of Raphinha’s Premier League experience. The Brazilian’s years at Elland Road fashioned in him a physicality and determination that are necessary for success in England. The struggle of Florian Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt underlines the difficulties of integration from overseas.
But, most crucially of all, Raphinha is a player whose skillset aligns with Liverpool’s former wideman. FBref’s data reveals that the Barca man ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for goals and assists combined, and then the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 too.
This has seen Diaz recorded as one of his most comparable players. Diaz is incredibly prolific in front of goal, and like Raphinha, he observed his fleet-footed quality, not running about with the same intensity and frequency as someone like Jeremy Doku, but instead being economical in his advancements.
Liverpool need something different in attack, and with Salah winding down, Wirtz struggling to make his mark at this stage, and Diaz now plying his craft elsewhere, the dynamic and versatile Raphinha would be a stunning addition. If Liverpool can capitalise on Barcelona’s financial plight, they must do so.
Bigger mistake than Quansah: Liverpool sold their next Gravenberch for £15m
Liverpool made a bigger mistake than offloading Jarell Quansah when they got rid of their own Ryan Gravenberch for just £15m.
After setting a soft deadline of December 5, former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has reportedly emerged as one of the final candidates to buy Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls have not rushed into anything since entering administration and will be well aware that they must ensure that their next owner can make the guarantees that Dejphon Chansiri could not, financially speaking.
A number of candidates have shown proof of funds worth around £50m, but it has also been reported that a consortium from the Middle East has dropped out of contention due to the cost of completing a takeover. It is expected that, whilst the reserve price could be £30m, the actual cost of buying Sheffield Wednesday could rise to £100m over the next three years when considering a number of investments around the club.
Meanwhile, on the pitch, the Owls have the smaller matter of the Steel City derby to play against Sheffield United this weekend. They square off against the Blades looking to drag their rivals down with them in the Championship’s dropzone.
Previewing the crucial clash, Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen admitted that he expects to face an “organised side” in a tough challenge for his side this weekend.
With a soft deadline of 5 December for their takeover, victory over Sheffield United would certainly be a fine way to start what is a crucial two-week period.
Mike Ashley now a serious contender to buy Sheffield Wednesday
As reported by the i Paper, Ashley is now among the serious candidates to buy Sheffield Wednesday ahead of their December 5 deadline. The Owls are expected to narrow their search down to three or four options by the time that it’s time for offers to arrive and the former Newcastle United chief could yet be among those.
Whilst some will be quick to point out Ashley’s flaws from his time at St James’ Park, he could arguably be what Sheffield Wednesday need at present. He was unambitious at Newcastle when it came to signings, which left fans frustrated, but in terms of finances he was safe.
Sheffield Wednesday now targeting two more Man Utd academy stars in Amass repeat
Amass has been a great success.
By
Tom Cunningham
Nov 13, 2025
The 61-year-old cleared the Magpies’ debt with an interest-free loan and may well steady the ship at Sheffield Wednesday. Whether he’d ensure that they become an established Championship side again after what seems to be inevitable relegation is another question, however.
There’s no denying that Ashley didn’t exactly jump at the chance to invest in the squad during his time at Newcastle, as they suffered relegation from the Premier League twice.
Are the glory days heading back to Stamford Bridge?
Having enjoyed so much success during the two decades of Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea supporters cannot help but hark back to the past and hope that current players can replicate those from then.
While they may never see a player as good in their position as Petr Čech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard or Dider Drogba ever again, did an up-and-coming Chelsea youngster put in a display reminiscent of a Chelsea superstar from more recent times against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday?
N'Golo Kanté's Premier League legacy
Given how widespread football and football coverage is in the modern era, it is very rare that any player can be truly described as completely unique.
However, N’Golo Kanté certainly falls into this category, considering we’ve not seen the like before or since.
He was a key figure in Leicester City’s title triumph against all odds a decade ago, before winning another Premier League title, the FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea, as well as the World Cup with France.
At just 5 ft 6 in (168 cms) tall, he possessed seemingly endless amounts of energy, covering every blade of grass match after match, racking up more tackles, blocks, interceptions and distance covered than anyone else to ever grace the Premier League.
Now 34 years old and playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, his unique skillset is underlined by the fact that Didier Deschamps recalled him to his French national team squad last week after a year away, starting against Ukraine at Parc des Princes, still unable to find someone better at being Kanté than Kanté.
Now though, which current Chelsea player put in a Kanté-esque display at Turf Moor?
Chelsea's new N'Golo Kanté
The major talking point ahead of kick off between Burnley and Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime was the fact that Moisés Caicedo was left on the bench.
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With games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, Enzo Maresca decided to rest his star midfielder, after he had completed 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s matches during the international break, these friendlies against Canada in Toronto and then New Zealand in Harrison, New Jersey.
This presented Andrey Santos with an opportunity to stake a claim, and he certainly did just that.
The table below documents the Brazilian’s impressive display in Lancashire.
Accurate passes
34
11th
Key passes
1
6th
Defensive actions
12
1st
Clearances
4
3rd
Interceptions
4
1st
Tackles won
3
3rd
Duels contested
10
2nd
Duels won
7
2nd
Ball recoveries
4
1st
Touches
63
6th
SofaScore rating
7.3
3rd
The table emphasises Santos’ excellent display against Burnley, leading the match when it comes to defensive actions, interceptions and ball recoveries, as well as winning seven of his ten duels and putting in three tackles, all Kanté-esque traits.
Matthew Judge of Goal noted that deputising for Caicedo is always an ‘unenviable’ task, but the Brazilian put in an ‘excellent’ display, given that he provided ‘a solid shield’ in front of the Chelsea backline, a key reason why Burnley rarely threatened, awarding him an 8/10 rating.
Meantime, Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport asserted that it was Santos’ “best performance to date” for the club.
The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama back in January 2023, but did not make his debut for the club until the Club World Cup in June against Espérance Sportive de Tunis.
He spent last season on loan at BlueCo’s other club Strasbourg, impressing all Ligue 1 observers, including Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, who asserted that he is an “incredible midfielder in the making”.
Well, with massive games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, was this the game Santos came to the fore and asserted himself as a key figure in this Chelsea team, as Kanté was during an ultra-successful period?
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