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Estevao Willian has been labelled a "football genius" and backed to challenge for the Ballon d'Or after becoming a regular for both Chelsea and Brazil at the age of 18. The youngster formally joined the Blues this summer from Palmeiras and has already established himself as an important player under Enzo Maresca.

'Messinho' enjoying fine start at Chelsea

Estevao, also known as 'Messinho', has appeared in 16 matches across all competitions for Chelsea in his debut season at the club, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

Last month, Maresca lavished praise on the young winger: "It’s exciting to see him. The good thing about Estevao, sometimes with young players we are worried, because they have one good game and they think they are already [at the] top. Estavao, he’s playing well but he’s polite, he’s humble, he wants to learn. I think his family are also doing a big job there, so we are very happy not only with the way he’s performing. But he’s a nice boy, a good boy. In the Premier League he needs a little bit more time. I think he’s more [of a] winger, but he’s going to finish playing inside the pitch, in the pockets.

"For me personally, he's fantastic because he's a special player, but at the same time you don't have to be worried. Now he's going to play one game, two games, score, and he's already thinking that he knows how good he is."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEstevao backed to challenge for Ballon d'Or

Ahead of Brazil's international friendly against Tunisia on Tuesday night, opposing manager Sami Trabelsi spoke highly of Estevao, telling reporters: "I think he's a new football genius emerging, very young. I think he's doing very well and he's a player who can be expected to be among the greats, among the best in the world, certainly, in the coming years.

"If he manages to have good performances or win titles, whether with his club or national team, he will be among the players who, in the coming years, could even compete for the Ballon d'Or. He brings many solutions, a lot of technique, a lot of genius. There aren't many players of that level, of that category of genius, on the world stage."

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti added: "It's a surprise to see such a young player with this kind of talent. He's very precise and very incisive. Brazil has a guaranteed future with him."

Chelsea 'lucky to have' Estevao

After scoring a goal in Brazil's 2-0 friendly win over Senegal last week, Ancelotti claimed that Chelsea are lucky to have a talent like him in their ranks. 

The former Real Madrid boss said: "Estevao has an incredible amount of talent. It’s a surprise this level at his age. He’s good at finishing, has a lot of magic… and he works very hard. I can say this: with Estevao, Brazil have a guaranteed future. He’s a very talented player. He is able to show every game, in Chelsea too, and he doesn’t need a lot of minutes to show his quality. He can play five minutes and he can show his quality. I think the Brazil national team is really lucky to have him, and also Chelsea."

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(C)Getty ImagesEstevao was reprimanded by Ancelotti in October

However, recently reported that Ancelotti reprimanded Estevao for not following his instructions during a training session in October. This led to the Selecao coach allegedly shouting at the winger: "I only speak once. Either you do what I'm telling you, or you're out of the team." 

The tough love had an immediate effect on the Chelsea wonderkid. Estevao responded by scoring twice in the subsequent 5-0 friendly win over South Korea, and since then has continued to impress in the famous yellow shirt of Brazil.

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O Santos recebe a Portuguesa, neste domingo (17), pelas quartas de final do Paulistão. A bola rola a partir das 20h (de Brasília), na Vila Belmiro, com transmissão da TNT (TV fechada) e Max (streaming).

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasNotíciasPaulistão: como foram os últimos jogos entre Santos e Portuguesa?Notícias17/03/2024Palpites de HojePalpite: Santos x Portuguesa – Campeonato Paulista – 17/3/2024Palpites de Hoje17/03/2024NotíciasDomingueira! Fature mais de R$2.000,00 com as vitórias de Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Vasco, Santos e São PauloNotícias16/03/2024

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O Peixe terminou a fase de grupos do Paulistão com 25 pontos, tendo a segunda melhor campanha geral. Já a Lusa fez 10 pontos e entra no mata-mata com menos pontos conquistados.

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Santos x Portuguesa
Quartas de final do Paulistão

Data e horário: domingo, 17 de março de 2024, às 20h (de Brasília)
Local: Vila Belmiro, em Santos (SP)
Onde assistir: TNT (TV fechada) e Max (streaming)

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SANTOS
João Paulo; Aderlan, Gil, Joaquim e Felipe Jonatan (Hayner); João Schmidt, Diego Pituca e Cazares; Otero, Furch e Guilherme. Técnico: Fábio Carille.

PORTUGUESA
Thomazella; Marco Antônio, Robson e Patrick; Borel, Leandro, Ricardinho, Zé Ricardo e Pedro Henrique; Henrique Dourado e Victor Andrade. Técnico: Pintado.

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Manchester United have now expressed in signing an “outrageous” striker, who’s been “on fire” this season, scoring a brace against Paris Saint-Germain.

Man Utd keen on new striker amid doubts over Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee may have scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace at the end of November, but the striker’s goalscoring record since arriving at Old Trafford leaves a lot to be desired.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

49

7

2025-26

9

1

Despite the Dutchman’s struggles in front of goal, Ruben Amorim wants to keep hold of him, as he values the forward’s versatility, but the manager is at odds with the club, who are open to sanctioning a January departure for a fee of around £35m.

Aston Villa are named as potential suitors for Zirkzee, alongside a whole host of other clubs from England and Italy, meaning United will have a decision to make in the January transfer window.

Should the Netherlands international move on, Amorim may want to bring in a replacement, considering Benjamin Sesko wasn’t exactly tearing up the Premier League prior to his recent injury, scoring two goals in 11 games.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man United have now expressed an interest in a striker who has been much more prolific in front of goal this season, namely RC Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

The race for Panichelli’s signature is heating up, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa also being credited with an interest, but Chelsea are currently in pole position, given that Strasbourg are a part of BlueCo.

That relationship gives the Blues an advantage in the race for the centre-forward, who has put in some top-quality performances since his arrival at Strasbourg in the summer…

"Outrageous" Panichelli "on fire" in Ligue 1

Scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Argentinian for the impact he’s made in France, having only arrived from Spanish side CD Mirandes during the summer.

The South American is now on ten goals in 19 matches in all competitions, with perhaps his best performance coming in Strasbourg’s 3-3 draw against PSG back in October, during which he bagged a brace.

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Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

ByDominic Lund 3 days ago

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior may be reluctant to part ways with the 23-year-old, given just how highly he spoke about his talisman earlier this season, saying: “He is a top player, we’ve done quite a bit of work with him during the pre-season to try to make him run less.”

The French club are under no immediate pressure to cash-in, with Panichelli contracted until 2030, but it could be worth Man United testing the waters with an offer, considering Zirkzee’s struggles.

Sunderland returned to Premier League action after the international break with a whimper, instead of a bang.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris’ men lost 1-0 away at Fulham, which doesn’t seem like the demoralising result on first glance. But, on another day, Marco Silva’s hosts could have run away with the clash as resounding winners, having notched up a colossal 23 shots, to the Black Cats’ meagre five.

Le Bris will hope his side can return to winning ways in the top-flight when AFC Bournemouth come to Wearside next, before December kicks into gear, which sees huge contests such as the Tyne-Wear Derby arrive on the jam-packed calendar.

Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen to give Sunderland an apt opportunity to improve their ranks, ahead of a tough second part of the season, with some high-profile names already being linked to the Stadium of Light.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Sunderland were very busy in the summer before jumping up to the big time in the Premier League, with a whopping £162m forked out on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs.

Therefore, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest they could break the bank again if a tempting move comes their way in January, with recent reports from Spain suggesting that the Black Cats could boost their forward line with the acquisition of Real Madrid hotshot Gonzalo Garcia.

The biggest rumour of them all comes in the form of Matteo Guendouzi, the former Arsenal midfielder who worked under Le Bris at Lorient.

Keith Downie reported last week that the Mackems boss has not ruled out a move for the Frenchman as they potentially go about bringing another former ex-Gunner to the Stadium of Light.

He isn’t the only Lazio midfielder catching the eye, with concrete rumours emerging involving the Premier League newcomers being in the hunt for Lazio outcast Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

As per reports from Italy, Sunderland are named as one suitor taking a look at the ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder this January, with the centre of the park a clear priority position to improve.

Sunderland will hope, even if a move for Guendouzi isn’t forthcoming, that they can still clinch a deal for Dele-Bashiru to leave Serie A behind, as Le Bris potentially works his magic on another diamond in the rough, much like he did with Wilson Isidor.

How Dele-Bashiru can be Le Bris' next Isidor

Isidor hasn’t had the smoothest career up to this point, even if he is now four Premier League goals down in Sunderland red and white.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old attacker has had to bounce back from a lot of adversity already, so early into his playing days, with the Rennes-born striker never going on to score a senior goal for AS Monaco, before many loan moves to the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow came to fruition.

Thankfully, the nomadic marksman has now found a home that suits him in Wearside, after such a well-travelled career, with Dele-Bashiru’s career path looking very similar.

Like Isidor, the “special” midfielder as he’s been labelled in Nigeria, is well-travelled, having already played in countries such as Turkey and Italy, after failing to make the grade at Manchester City at youth level.

Much like Isidor, though, he has shone in the EFL previously – which is where the 6-foot-1 striker bagged 13 goals to seal Sunderland’s promotion out of the Championship – with seven goal contributions coming his way on the books of the Owls in League One, as a rising youngster in South Yorkshire.

The nine-time Nigeria international has also shone in spurts for Lazio, even if only four appearances have come his way this season, with five goals and three assists from 33 appearances perhaps standing him in good stead to acclimatise to the Premier League effortlessly, as Isidor has managed.

Away from possessing a similar eye for a goal and assist like his Rennes-born counterpart, Dele-Bashiru would also be a useful buy when you consider his versatility across his up-and-down career to date, with his Lazio teammate in Boulaye Dia even hailing him as a talent who “can do everything”, whether that be from a central role, down the flanks, or even as an unorthodox defender.

CM

99

14 + 9

AM

41

7 + 6

RW

7

1 + 0

LW

7

2 + 1

RM

2

0

DM

2

0

RB

2

0

Valued at around the £4.7m mark, which is the amount he officially joined Lazio for, this is a deal that would be really worth exploring, with Dele-Bashiru lining up across seven different positions during his bumpy career to date.

Isidor only cost around the £5m price range, as well, and in January, another Isidor-style deal could soon be wrapped up.

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Manchester City are now frontrunners in the race to sign a “world-class” £80m star, who Pep Guardiola has called “extraordinary”.

Man City eyeing new forward after Bayer Leverkusen defeat

Guardiola rung the changes on Tuesday evening, making 10 alterations to the side that lost 2-1 at Newcastle United at the weekend, and Bayer Leverkusen made them pay, emerging as 2-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium.

City did manage to create some chances, with Nathan Ake, Savinho and second-half substitute Erling Haaland all squandering big opportunities, but they weren’t clinical enough on the night, and the German side emerged as surprise winners.

Pep would’ve been hoping that his attackers would step up in the absence of Haaland, with Omar Marmoush being given the nod ahead of the Norwegian at centre-forward, but it was a subpar performance from the Egyptian, who received a 6.2 SofaScore match rating, the lowest of any player.

The defeat arguably underlined the need for the Blues to bring in another forward to support Haaland in the January transfer window, and there has now been a positive update on their interest in Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.

According to a report from Football Insider, Man City are now frontrunners in the race to sign Vinicius, alongside Premier League rivals Chelsea, with the forward’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu in doubt, following a fallout with manager Xabi Alonso.

Talks over a contract extension have stalled, meaning the Brazilian could be set to depart the Spanish club, and City would have the financial muscle to get a deal over the line, with his current employers looking to receive £80m.

Should Madrid decide to cash-in this summer, with the 25-year-old’s current deal set to expire in 2027, a number of Saudi Pro League clubs would also join the Blues in the race, so there could be stiff competition for his signature.

"World-class" Vinicius could elevate Man City's forward line

With the likes of Savinho, Marmoush and Oscar Bobb failing to deliver against Leverkusen, Pep may be keen to bring in a forward who is already proven at the top level, and he is known to be a keen admirer of the Real Madrid star.

The City boss lauded the Brazil international as “extraordinary” last year, while he has also received high praise from Jurgen Klopp, who described the winger as “world-class” and a Real Madrid “legend”.

The former Flamengo man has been one of Madrid’s most important players for several years now, and he remained potent in front of goal right across the 2024-25 campaign, weighing in with 41 goal contributions in all competitions.

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By
Dominic Lund

Nov 27, 2025

As such, should Vinicius Jr become available, Man City should undoubtedly make a move, and £80m would be reasonable fee for a forward who is still young, and regarded as one of the best wingers in the world.

A hot topic of conversation amongst Premier League fans is which stadium generates the best atmosphere.

Having a raucous home crowd can even help change the flow of a game, with an intimidating home support helping suck the ball into the net.

For visiting players, some grounds can be a nightmare to go to. However, there are other stadiums which are relatively quiet and less intimidating to visit.

Premier League Player Power Rankings 2025/26

So, for the 2025/26 Premier League season, here is every stadium ranked for atmosphere, taking into consideration noise levels and capacity.

Best Premier League stadiums’ atmosphere
Rank	Club	Stadium
1	Newcastle	St James’ Park
2	Liverpool	Anfield
3	Sunderland	Stadium of Light
4	Aston Villa	Villa Park
5	Leeds	Elland Road
6	Crystal Palace	Selhurst Park
7	Nottingham Forest	City Ground
8	Everton	Hill Dickinson Stadium
9	Arsenal	Emirates Stadium
10	Man Utd	Old Trafford
11	Tottenham	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
12	Man City	Etihad Stadium
13	Chelsea	Stamford Bridge
14	Burnley	Turf Moor
15	Brentford	Gtech Community Stadium
16	Brighton	AMEX Stadium
17	West Ham	London Stadium
18	Wolves	Molineux
19	Fulham	Craven Cottage
20	Bournemouth	Vitality Stadium

20

Vitality Stadium

Bournemouth

Starting off at the quieter stadiums in the division, AFC Bournemouth’s ground holds just over 11,000, something which hinders the atmosphere.

The Cherries have performed well on the south coast, however, a visiting player probably doesn’t fear a trip to the Vitality Stadium.

19

Craven Cottage

Fulham

Next on the list is Fulham, with Craven Cottage previously having a mixed section for home and away supporters.

Now expanded to a capacity of just under 30,000, the Cottagers can create a good atmosphere, especially in a London derby, however, on the whole, it is one of the more relaxed stadiums to visit in the top flight.

18

Molineux

Wolves

Wolves fans have not had much to shout about in recent years, and that has come across in the flat atmosphere at Molineux.

Regular defeats and flat performances have left home supporters with nothing to cheer or get behind, whereas it is arguably the worst viewpoint for away fans on the side of the pitch.

17

London Stadium

West Ham

Even West Ham fans may even argue that the London Stadium should be further down this list after swapping the cauldron that was Upton Park for their current 62,500 stadium.

Built for the 2012 Olympics, it is evident that the ground was not made for football and that often comes across from the stands, with seats too far away to feel on top of the players.

16

AMEX Stadium

Brighton

An impressive ground to visit, the AMEX Stadium has been home to Brighton & Hove Albion since 2011 and has been a Premier League stadium since 2017.

The Seagulls have had plenty of success and memorable moments at their home, which has created a solid atmosphere, especially behind the goal.

15

Gtech Community Stadium

Brentford

Brentford moved into their new stadium in 2020 and have enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League since.

However, the Gtech Community Stadium which holds more than 17,000 isn’t exactly a daunting place to go. A game under the lights can often generate the best atmosphere, though, as we saw in their 2-1 win over Liverpool.

14

Turf Moor

Burnley

An old school traditional stadium, Turf Moor sees supporters close to the pitch with stands that rise steeply.

Holding just under 22,000 when at full capacity, the Clarets can generate a solid atmosphere but arguably cannot compete with some of their Premier League rivals and their grounds.

13

Stamford Bridge

Chelsea

Chelsea’s atmosphere has been described as dull and lethargic and Joe Cole said in 2025 that it’s the “worst” he’s seen in all his years supporting, playing or visiting Stamford Bridge.

Despite this, the Blues often show in a big game that the noise can be generated, but they just don’t do it regularly enough.

12

Etihad Stadium

Man City

Manchester City’s home support has been a running joke for a number of years now, however, the Etihad Stadium can generate an excellent atmosphere at times, especially for the big Premier League games.

The consistency isn’t there, though, with home supporters often leaving early despite seeing Pep Guardiola’s side run riot more often than not.

11

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham

Even though Tottenham have one of the newest stadiums in the division, which includes a South Stand capacity of 17,500, Spurs’ home support is often flat.

Performances and results haven’t been there in recent years, but the 62,850 stadium doesn’t produce the atmosphere it should.

West Ham United are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements and could now be set to lodge a bid to land Lazio star Tijjani Noslin in January.

Nuno Espirito Santo has walked into quite the job in East London, facing up to the possibility that a real fight for survival could be the story of the campaign unless his side get their act together over the next few weeks.

Fan unrest, dwindling forward options, and a set of difficult festive fixtures are unlikely to whet supporters’ appetites. However, West Ham is a club that has been built on fighting spirit, which is something the former Wolves boss will hope to incorporate to push them closer to Premier League safety.

Conceding from set-pieces has also become a major concern. While some would be led to believe that the Hammers could solve their problems by spending in January, journalist Dean Jones believes Nuno will have a ‘restricted’ budget to work with at the London Stadium.

He explained: “I am told there is a pretty restricted budget that will limit what they are capable of. It’s a pretty worrying time for their fans.”

Something has got to give, one way or another, albeit the Portuguese boss will have to press on with the squad he has for now, hampered by injuries to Ollie Scarles, Kostantinos Mavropanos and German international Niclas Fullkrug.

After facing Newcastle United, West Ham take on Burnley next weekend in a critical match relative to the context of their mission to secure survival. Winning is all that matters, with the consequences if they don’t looking bleaker than ever.

January is a lifeline in some respects, and they may now have their eyes on an attacker to gift Nuno some much-needed flexibility across his frontline.

West Ham set to launch bid for Lazio star Tijjani Noslin

According to reports in Italy, West Ham are lining up a move worth in the region of £14 million for Lazio attacker Tijjani Noslin, who could be cashed in on by the Serie A giants after joining from Hellas Verona in 2024.

The Amsterdam-born man is capable of playing on either flank or through the middle and has registered six goals and four assists in 43 appearances for his current club. However, he would be open to the possibility of a January departure.

Ultimately, West Ham’s willingness to spend will determine whether there is movement on his situation. Despite possessing an element of physicality and athleticism that could benefit the Hammers, he has only featured in 37 minutes worth of football for Lazio this season.

Versatile by nature, Noslin is capable of fitting into different tactical systems due to his robust skillset after being brought in to help replace veteran Ciro Immobile.

Jarrod Bowen refusing to leave West Ham despite relegation fears

Nevertheless, he hasn’t exactly been a rip-roaring success at Lazio, and his return of 31 goals in 159 senior career matches doesn’t suggest the attacker would be a prolific solution to the Irons’ goalscoring woes of recent times.

By holding Mustafizur Rahman back till after the powerplay, Bangladesh had their bowling plan down pat, and then it just needed common sense to pull off the chase

Danyal Rasool21-Sep-20251:49

Chopra: You look at Saif Hassan and go ‘there’s some serious talent there’

When Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi last week, it boiled down to the middle overs. Chasing 140 at a time when no one seemed quite sure what constituted a good total in the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka emerged from the powerplay with the fluidity of a car merging back on to the motorway. They barely changing gears from their belligerent start, motoring on as if a punctuation mark in the passage of play had never happened. The spread field held little meaning as they plundered 81 runs off the eight overs immediately following the easing of fielding restrictions. It remains, comfortably, the highest number of runs scored in that period all tournament.A week on, and Bangladesh inserted Sri Lanka. They had not let victory over Afghanistan defending a total play with their heads, aware that as the tournament goes on, chasing appears to proffer a clear advantage. Two days earlier, Sri Lanka had chased down 170 against Afghanistan – the highest successful pursuit of the tournament and one that Bangladesh owe their continued involvement in this tournament to. They had no intention of doing Sri Lanka any return favours here in Dubai.Sri Lanka may have been unbeaten this tournament, but all those wins came batting second. Even so, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started brightly, scoring 36 in the first four overs – the highest off the bat for them this tournament – but with Bangladesh holding Mustafizur Rahman back until after the powerplay, they understood exactly when to start applying the strangle.Related

• Old habits die hard for new-era Bangladesh

• Bangladesh ready to 'ride the hype' in high-stakes India clash

• Fizz at the finish: Mustafizur Rahman is on a roll, but can he keep India quiet?

• Saif and Hridoy fifties hand Sri Lanka their first Asia Cup defeat

Nissanka had fallen to Taskin Ahmed by now, and with Mustafizur bearing down, they found merging into post-powerplay traffic trickier this time. The seventh produced just three runs; Mahedi Hasan’s over that followed claimed the wicket of Mendis. He cleaned up Kamil Mishara in the next as Sri Lanka retreated into a shell they have not known in the middle overs this tournament, and one that offered them little protection.Mustafizur wouldn’t return until the 14th over, with Sri Lanka’s run rate scarcely above seven; it took him just four balls to end Kusal Perera’s run-a-ball innings. This time, in those same eight overs, Sri Lanka scored just 45 runs. Excluding matches involving Oman or UAE, it is the second lowest post-powerplay middle-overs effort of the tournament, bettered only by the chokehold India established on Pakistan in the phase that followed the first six overs. All this despite Sri Lanka being – by orders of magnitude – the most prolific side in overs 7-15, scoring at 8.12, with India a distant second at 7.68.It was a passage of play Dasun Shanaka tried to right in an astonishing lower-order onslaught, hitting six sixes in an unbeaten 37-ball 64, but acknowledged had hurt Sri Lanka decisively in the end.1:50

Chopra: Numbers don’t validate Bangladesh’s change in batting approach

“We had that momentum going on at the start,” he said at the press conference after. “But unfortunately we lost some momentum. Especially Fizz and Taskin bowled really well. We expected to score 180 but unfortunately we fell short. We fell 10-15 runs short.”That last remark can feel like the sort of catch-all cliché captains deploy post-match, primarily because any serious post-match analysis is yet to happen, and will take place behind closed doors rather than therapised to the media. But, in pursuit, Bangladesh knew those extra handful of runs were all that they really needed. Their own 7-15 over run rate is just a tick over seven. But having done their attacking in the first six, where they smashed 59, a number only India have bettered all tournament, that’s all they required.Anchoring is a much nicer gig chasing rather than setting a total, and especially if you are ahead of the rate. They scored 55 in the eight overs that followed. They hit a pair of fours and a pair of sixes. They lost a pair of wickets, but they had the luxury of hunkering down. They didn’t need to outrun the bear, only the snail-like pace Sri Lanka had established in that phase of the innings. Ten runs ahead was all the margin they needed.1:55

Chopra impressed with Hridoy’s cricketing smarts

“While we were batting in that phase, [Towhid] Hridoy and I had a good partnership,” Saif Hassan, who combined with Hridoy for all but three balls of that passage of play, said. “We had built our partnership knowing we were ahead in the game at that point.”From the vantage point other cricket nations have rather snootily opted to mount when viewing the new edge that Bangladesh-Sri Lanka contests have taken on, the perception is that this isn’t a rivalry to be taken quite as seriously. That it’s petty, overly emotional, and lacks a legitimate basis in cricket itself. In Dubai, though, Bangladesh shed all that with the clinical execution of a game plan they had brought to the game, one that aligned so well with their script that the fact that the chase went down to the penultimate delivery felt like a feature, not a bug.Sri Lanka’s caution in the face of Bangladesh’s accuracy through the middle might have reflected a belief that the side they had reprieved just two days earlier could be reeled right back in on command.But having regained control of their destiny, Bangladesh’s attack right through the middle demonstrated a clear understanding of the format they were playing: incremental, unspectacular improvement in any facet of a T20 innings might be all that’s required to turn defeat into victory.

“If we’re going to play on these pitches, we have to have the patience to bat on them”

Danyal Rasool14-Oct-2025

Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 17 runs•Getty Images

Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood criticised his batters’ shot selection for throwing away a position of near-total dominance in the first Test. On the stroke of tea on day three, Pakistan found themselves in a near-impregnable scenario, leading by 259 runs on a rapidly deteriorating surface with six wickets still in hand. Within 45 minutes, those six wickets fell for just 17 runs, and South Africa had an unlikely – but not impossible – 277 to chase.”We put ourselves in this situation [where South Africa have a chance in the game],” Mahmood said at the press conference. “We were 150 for 4, and then lost 6 for 17. No one is to blame but our shot selection and decision-making.”It’s simple. If you lose 6 for 17, that’s not ideal. The pitch allowed the ball to break but the pitch didn’t get anyone out. Our shot selection was not good. This is something we need to improve. If we’re going to play on these pitches, we have to have the patience to bat on them.”Related

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Muthusamy keeps South Africa in with a chance

Mahmood’s frustration was likely a compound result of Pakistan demonstrating their vulnerability to losing wickets in large clusters on more than one occasion. In the first innings, they lost three wickets without adding a run either side of tea on the first day as 199 for 2 turned to 199 for 5. A 163-run partnership was followed by another collapse as the last five fell for 16 runs.”Against England, we played on a used pitch, and then it spun a lot versus West Indies,” Mahmood said. “But on this pitch, if you bat well, it gets easier. Because the pitch is slow, it’s hard for a newcomer to get set. In the first innings, we had starts, but we couldn’t convert 50s to 100s. In the second innings, Abdullah [Shafique] and Babar [Azam] scored 40s, but we’d like to see them turn into big scores.Shan Masood and Noman Ali celebrate the early wicket of Aiden Markram•Getty Images

“It’s not easy, but we have to adapt different kinds of shots to improve our scoring options on these pitches. The middle and lower order tried, but the pressure got to them. At tea, we wanted to bat the whole session, but we did not. We made those mistakes and we will have a look at that in the future.”With Babar and Shafique falling after scoring 42 and 41, respectively, Shakeel was Pakistan’s best hope of batting South Africa out of the game. He appeared to be doing just that with a chanceless innings as tea loomed, having ticked up to 38. But on the stroke of the break, he launched Senuran Muthusamy towards square leg, failed to hit it cleanly, and holed out to Tristan Stubbs.That dismissal, in particular, appeared to rile Mahmood. “You understand in Test cricket when you’re vulnerable, and it’s often at the end of sessions,” he said. “Saud Shakeel played that expansive lofted shot just before tea. It was unnecessary to put that pressure on himself at that stage. After tea, [Mohammad] Rizwan got out immediately. We sent in Shaheen [Shah Afridi] to up the ante, but the other batters didn’t have to play the same high-risk shots. Even if we had added 25-30 runs when we sent Shaheen in, that would have been hugely advantageous to us.”The upshot was South Africa finished the day two wickets down, with Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi – their most prolific scorers in the first innings – seeing out the final hour for an unbeaten 33-run stand. Victory for the visitors is still distant, 226 runs away, but not quite out of reach.”We’re not going to bat again, so our focus is on winning this game now. The pitch is deteriorating and we are confident we’ll defend this.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl may still be wondering how his side were unable to see the game out for all three points after they found themselves 1-0 up against ten-man Braga on Thursday night.

The Light Blues are yet to win a match in the Europa League this season and they may not have a better opportunity than the one they had at Ibrox earlier this week.

Whilst Mohamed Diomande was sent off later in the match, the Gers allowed the Portuguese side to equalise whilst they had a man advantage, as Nasser Djiga’s wayward header caught James Tavernier out and allowed Gabriel Martinez to pounce.

The German head coach will be scratching his head and wondering what he could do to turn things around in Europe, as the Light Blues have lost four of their five matches, with two of those losses coming in his three games in the competition.

Attention, for now, will turn back to the Scottish Premiership as Rangers play host to Falkirk at Ibrox, after the reverse game at their stadium led to Russell Martin’s dismissal.

Rohl has won all four of his league games in charge of the club so far, but these league matches present an opportunity to try things out ahead of European games. For example, unleashing Oliver Antman in a new role.

Why Oliver Antman should be unleashed in a new role

You could hardly blame any supporters for getting a bit excited by the signing of the Finland international after he registered 17 assists in all competitions for Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

On top of that, Antman delivered two assists on his debut for the Gers against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, crossing for Djeidi Gassama and winning a penalty for Cyriel Dessers to score.

Since that impressive debut, though, the Finnish forward has produced no goals and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has failed to deliver consistent quality in the final third.

Per Transfermarkt, all 11 of his starts have been on the right flank. With this in mind, it may be time for Rohl to unleash the 24-year-old attacker in a new role in his Rangers career.

RW

69

9 + 13

CM

22

1 + 0

LW

21

5 + 3

CF

18

5 + 0

AM

8

0 + 0

RM

8

1 + 5

As you can see in the table above, Antman has played in other positions throughout his career, on the left and through the middle, which means that the Light Blues can, realistically, use him in other areas of the pitch.

With this in mind, Rohl should unleash the Finland international in a flexible number ten position, which would allow him to drift out to the left or the right when the situation demands.

This would allow him to provide creativity on both flanks and centrally, which could help to support the two wingers whilst also providing the centre-forward, in theory, with more creativity.

In order to make this positional change for Antman against Falkirk, though, the German head coach will have to ditch one of his starters from the 1-1 draw with Braga on Thursday night.

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With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Youssef Chermiti from the starting line-up after his dismal showing against Braga, which would allow Danilo or Bojan Miovski to lead the line up front, with the Finnish whiz in behind them in the number ten role.

Why Rangers should drop Youssef Chermiti

Rangers parted company with sporting director Kevin Thelwell at the start of the week, after just one transfer window at Ibrox, and his lasting legacy may be the signing of the Portuguese striker.

The former Gers chief sanctioned an £8m deal to sign the forward from Everton, which made Chermiti the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years, since Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move to Glasgow.

That staggering outlay was made in spite of the fact that the 21-year-old striker failed to score in two seasons at Everton after Thelwell signed him for the Toffees from Sporting.

So far, Chermiti has delivered one goal and one assist in 14 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has not lived up to his price tag yet.

The former Everton attacker’s performance against Braga was the latest in an unfortunately long line of underwhelming displays from the £8m summer signing.

Minutes

89

Sofascore

5.9

Shots

3

Shots on target

0

Pass accuracy

52%

Key passes

0

Duels won

6/15

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese centre-forward failed to offer quality on the ball, as he was particularly poor with his passes, and also lost the majority of his physical duels.

After the match, reporter Jonny McFarlane posted that Chermiti is “mind-blowingly bad” and that the striker “offers nothing”, whilst describing him as a “galling signing”.

As harsh as that is, it is hard to disagree with the sentiment because of how poor the £8m attacker’s performances have been for the Light Blues, with one goal in 14 matches far from enough for the money spent on him.

Of course, Chermiti is not at fault for the transfer fee that Thelwell agreed to pay for him. He is a young player who is clearly trying his best and competing for the Gers, as evidenced by his 15 duels on Thursday night, but the quality is not there, on current evidence.

That is why Rohl must ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for this clash with Falkirk at Ibrox, because he has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he should be playing week-in-week-out as the main number nine.

Dropping Chermiti will then provide the manager with an opportunity to unleash Antman in this new role, because Danilo can move into a number nine position or also be dropped for Miovski to start.

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