da cassino： Having hoisted aloft the League Cup last weekend, Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action this forthcoming Sunday lunchtime at Tannadice.

da leao： By defeating Rangers in the League Cup Final, the Hoops now have 119 major honours to their name, one more than their fiercest rivals, boasting more trophies than the Gers for the first time since 1938.

So, as the Celts go in search of three more Premiership points this weekend, they’ll need to stop one of Scotland’s most in-form strikers to achieve this.

Sam Dalby: on fire at Dundee United

If you recognise the name Sam Dalby, perhaps it’s because you’re a fan of the popular Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham, in which the striker arrives from Southend, before scoring eight goals during the 2022/23 campaign, most notably on target when the Welsh club defeated Coventry City in a massive FA Cup upset.

However, having fallen out of favour under Phil Parkinson last season, seeing less than 1,700 minutes of action across all competitions, he joined Dundee United on a season-long loan last summer and, fair to say, this is going rather well so far.

To date, Dalby has eight Scottish Premiership goals his name, all coming during his last nine appearances in the competition.

This includes scoring in four successive matches, most notably heading home the opener during a credible 1-1 draw at Ibrox, before bagging a brace last weekend at Motherwell, albeit in vain, with the Tangerines beaten 4-3 in a thriller at Fir Park.

Nevertheless, Dalby is now the top-scorer in the Premiership, two goals clear of Celtic duo Kyōgo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor, Cyriel Dessers and Václav Černý of Rangers, as well as St Johnstone’s Benjamin Mbunga Kimpioka.

Only twice before has a Dundee United player ended a season as the top-scorer in the top-flight: Kenny Cameron in 1968/69 and Andy Gray in 1974/75.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

So, how do Celtic stop Scotland’s in-form striker? Well, they might just have the man to do it!

The Celtic star who can shackle Dalby

At half-time of Sunday’s League Cup Final, with Celtic a goal down and looking lethargic, Brendan Rodgers decided to substitute centre-back Auston Trusty, replacing him with Liam Scales.

Well, within 15 minutes, the Hoops had turned the tie around to lead 2-1, Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda the scorers, with Scales’ introduction adding extra in-possession security to their play.

In recent months, the Republic of Ireland international has lost his place in the starting XI to Trusty, who’s formed an impressive partnership with fellow United States international Cameron Carter-Vickers, but how do the trio compare?

Celtic centre-back comparison (24/25)

Statistic

Liam Scales

Auston Trusty

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Appearances

17

16

14

Minutes

1,383

1,356

1,154

Passes attempted

222

482

444

Pass completion %

93.2%

96.3%

94.6%

Tackles won

15

16

13

Interceptions

14

15

15

Blocks

6

5

2

Touches

267

542

470

Aerial duals won %

72.7%

45.8%

78.6%

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As outlined in the table, Celtic’s trio of centre-backs all have very similar statistics this season.

We know, based on four seasons of evidence, that Carter-Vickers will start if fit, which he isn’t all of the time in fairness, meaning it’s a straight fight between Scales and Trusty to be his partner.

Of the 47 matches in which they’ve both featured, Carter-Vickers and Scales have won 37 and lost only five, beaten twice by Lazio and at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, while the other two defeats both came at the hands of Heart of Midlothian last season.

Following the League Cup Final, Rodgers praised Scales, describing him as “brilliant”, adding the decision to introduce him as a substitute was made because “we looked so clunky and couldn’t get through the pitch… I didn’t like that”.

Thus, the Irishman will be hoping to start at Tannadice this weekend, tasked with preventing the Premiership’s leading marksman from adding to his tally.

Related Rodgers can forget Ferguson by unleashing his own 24-goal Celtic machine

The Celtic B team star has been on fire at youth level so far this season.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Dec 18, 2024

Former India allrounder Manoj Prabhakar has stepped down as the head coach of the Nepal men’s national team, the country’s cricket board said in a statement. He had been appointed to the role in August this year.Prabhakar only worked five T20Is and seven ODIs with Nepal, including four matches in the World Cup Super League 2.Related

• Lamichhane taken into custody upon landing at Kathmandu airport

• Nepal awarded five penalty runs after UAE's Sharafu uses saliva to shine the ball

Nepal had a successful tour of Kenya under Prabkhakar, winning a five-match T20I series 3-2 and then sweeping the one-dayers 3-0. A 2-1 home ODI series win against UAE followed in November.In the World Cup Super League, they suffered two defeats to Scotland and one to Namibia, with their other game against Namibia ending in a no result.Nepal currently sit second from bottom in the World Cup Super League 2 table, with just eight wins from 24 matches.A bowling allrounder, Prabhakar played 39 Test matches and 130 ODIs for India. He has coached the Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh teams, and was the bowling coach of Delhi when they won the Ranji Trophy in 2008. Prabhakar has also worked with Afghanistan when he joined them as their bowling coach in 2015, continuing on to the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Liverpool should swallow up a point gained at St. James’ Park and move on. The Reds have seen better days, Arne Slot has seen better days.

But Liverpool are not going to win every Premier League match this season, and have done incredibly well to have claimed such a haul at this stage that victories for Arsenal and Chelsea on Wednesday evening have left them seven points adrift in joint-second place.

Truth be told, Newcastle United were well worth their draw, and that’s just the way it is. Oh, Liverpool had their chances: Mohamed Salah, you might know him, was particularly brilliant, posting two wonderful goals and an assist to extend his scoring streak to seven matches. If Liverpool win the league, he will be the herald of that glinted silver.

But after such awe-inspiring wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City last week, the Merseysiders lacked some of their usual synergy and snap against Eddie Howe’s outfit, invariably dangerous on Tyneside.

Regrettably, there were a few who flattered to deceive.

Liverpool's worst performers vs Newcastle

Caoimhin Kelleher authored the late blunder that cost Liverpool the win. It’s a shame. He’s been brilliant between the sticks this season, covering for the injury-prone Alisson Becker and producing performances that have left onlookers in awe.

But the Irishman came unstuck against the Magpies. Newcastle were impressive with their pressing and duel success but truthfully claimed something against the table-toppers due to a catalogue of mistakes, unusual in the grand scheme of the season.

Inexplicably drifting out in an attempt to claim Bruno Guimaraes’ hoofed set-piece in the dying embers, Fabian Schar’s acute finish restored parity and left the likes of Salah and twice-assisting Trent Alexander-Arnold in despair, whose attacking efforts were countered by shoddy defensive play.

Joe Gomez also struggled, a shadow of the dynamic self that silenced Erling Haaland and the rest on Sunday. Jarell Quansah, pinch-hitting at right-back with Trent not risked from the opening, proved that perhaps some work is needed before he nails down that moonlit role (that’s being generous).

What is there to say about Darwin Nunez? He made “a mess of it,” said The Athletic’s James Pearce. It being his opportunity up top, and it also being missing two more big chances to add to the trove.

He put in a masterful off-the-bench showing last season at St. James’ Park last year but failed to ignite even a flicker of that brace-netting success here.

Darwin Nunez at St. James’ Park (23/24 & 24/25)
Match Stats	23/24	24/25
Minutes played	13′	90′
Goals	2	0
Touches	9	25
Shots (on target)	2 (2)	3 (0)
Big chances missed	0	2
Accurate passes	3/5 (60%)	8/12 (67%)
Key passes	0	0
Dribbles (completed)	0 (0)	2 (0)
Total duels (won)	1 (0)	13 (5)
Stats via Sofascore

And so on. Liverpool failed to live up to their staggering heights here, but that’s going to happen throughout the campaign. It’s paramount that the blip is cast into the background and kept there, with Everton up next.

This collection of stars will be frustrated with their efforts, but Ryan Gravenberch will be more annoyed still after putting in his worst display of the Slot era.

Ryan Gravenberch had an evening to forget

Gravenberch has been one of Liverpool’s best players this year. The 22-year-old completed a £34m transfer to Anfield in August 2023 to complete Jurgen Klopp’s midfield rebuild.

After up-and-down results at Bayern, he failed to nail down a spot last term, starting 13 Premier League matches and struggling to impose himself in a multi-functioning role.

Now, Slot has changed all that, moving him into the deep-sitting position after being arrested by his flair and style and press resistance. Gravenberch sits deep and recycles play, but also has a license to glide forward all swan-like. But like a swan, he also has a bite.

Not against Newcastle. It was an evening to forget. The Dutchman had played every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns under Slot’s wing before being hooked on 67 minutes. He looked knackered, overworked, fizzled out.

Liverpool’s ability to promote existing talent and eclipse their rivals after missing out on their primary summer transfer target, Martin Zubimendi, makes for an interesting comment on FSG’s shrewdness, but with Wataru Endo not favoured, Gravenberch is now running on fumes.

The Netherlands ace was even singled out by The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle as the lowest-rated Redman on the evening, branding him with a lowly 4/10 score.

The journalist put it in no uncertain terms: ‘Lost the ball three times in dangerous midfield positions and appeared massively off the pace with little forward threat. Mild improvement after break but his least effective display for some time.’

Indeed. In fact, a cynical eye could conclude that Gravenberch suffered his worst performance under Slot’s management, having lacked bite going forward and been flimsy in combative sequences.

As you can see from the graphic, Gravenberch lost five of his seven contested duels and failed to register a single shot, key pass or successful dribble. Moreover, the rangy midfielder lacked his patent slickness, picking up a booking and being hooked before the closing stages, an indication of his depleted tank.

Look. Liverpool will drop more points before the end of the campaign. But so will Man City. So will Arsenal. And so on.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

What matters, however, is that Liverpool don’t lose points at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon. It could cause the pendulum to swing. Liverpool suffered frustration on Tyneside but now must bounce back.

Gravenberch must bounce back. He is the linchpin, the all-consuming machine in the middle. With Alexis Mac Allister now suspended for the Goodison Park clash, his performance will be doubly important.

Imagine him & Salah: Liverpool keen on "one of the best CFs in the world"

Liverpool are still targeting reinforcements despite the superb start to life under Arne Slot.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 4, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： Nesta quarta-feira, às 21h45, Atlético-MG e Palmeiras voltam a se enfrentar na temporada, desta vez pelo Brasileirão. Os recentes encontros entre os treinadores Cuca e Abel Ferreira renderam inúmeras polêmicas. O último, inclusive, contou com declarações fortes que perduraram até depois da partida.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras: Leila Pereira diz que ‘não escala’ Endrick e nega ter recebido propostas pela joiaPalmeiras27/09/2022BrasileirãoAtlético-MG x Palmeiras: onde assistir, prováveis times e desfalques do duelo pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão27/09/2022PalmeirasDudu projeta novo encontro com o Atlético-MG e analisa adversário: ‘Não vive um bom momento’Palmeiras27/09/2022

da wazamba： >Veja os uniformes das seleções lançados para a Copa do Mundo

Após o Verdão eliminar o Galo nas quartas de final da atual edição da Libertadores, o técnico do time mineiro lamentou o resultado e alegou que o jogo de sua equipe foi dificultado mesmo com dois atletas a mais. Na coletiva do português, entretanto, o comandante palmeirense explicou o que o adversário deveria ter feito para vencer o confronto.

– O Cuca é experiente, vai ver que tinha muita gente fora do nosso bloco, e tem que ter gente por dentro para atacar nossa linha. Ele tinha os pontas por fora, os dois laterais abertos, os zagueiros por trás, mas poucos jogadores por dentro do nosso bloco. Isso, para nós, foi mais fácil de controlar – disse o treinador alviverde.

Na partida seguinte, Cuca foi questionado sobre a “aula” do adversário e respondeu que, quando se vence, tudo é perfeito. O comandante do Galo ainda citou a ausência de Abel durante a decisão por pênaltis.

> Confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

– Quando você está vencendo, tudo que você faz é perfeito, bonito, maravilhoso. Se você sai para o vestiário e vai escutar música na hora dos pênaltis e ganha, vira moda. E se perdesse? Se a derrota vem para eles nesse jogo, vocês estavam cobrando as duas expulsões, as seis quedas do goleiro no mesmo canto, o treinador que não ficou para os pênaltis – desabafou.

Após alguns saírem em defesa de Cuca e outros ficarem do lado de Abel Ferreira, o treinador do Atlético fez questão de esclarecer o que disse em entrevista coletiva e reforçou que não houve nenhuma ofensa.

– Quando ele me pegou de surpresa naquela pergunta, eu respondi com a maior naturalidade possível que um cara pode falar, mas sem ofensa a ninguém. Eu simplesmente falei, e quis deixar entendido que a vitória te dá o direito de tudo e você tem razão. Na derrota, você não tem razão. Foi isso que eu fiz. Não tive maldade e nem ofensa para ninguém, nem para o Palmeiras, muito menos para o Abel – explicou Cuca.

Já o treinador palestrino, por sua vez, aproveitou a coletiva da última rodada do Brasileirão para também explicar o seu lado e dizer que não tem nenhum inimigo no futebol.

– Quando eu falo um minuto e vocês tiram 10 segundos para mostrar ao Cuca o que eu disse, vocês esquecem que eu disse que ele é um dos melhores treinadores. Ninguém quis saber disso, só foram falar outras coisas. Eu não tenho e nem quero ter inimigos. Não posso julgar pessoas que eu não conheço. Eu não tenho nada contra ninguém e nem quero ter – ressaltou o português.

Até o momento, foram oito duelos entre Cuca e Abel. Uma vitória do brasileiro, uma do português e seis empates.

Vale lembrar que, já que a derrota na final da Libertadores de 2020 aconteceu enquanto o atual comandante do Galo ainda estava no Santos, Cuca está invicto neste duelo pelo Atlético, com um triunfo e cinco resultados de igualdade.

Abel Ferreira, entretanto, não estará à frente da equipe alviverde nesta quarta. O técnico palmeirense foi expulso no clássico contra o Santos e cumpre suspensão. O auxiliar João Martins será o comandante.

continua após a publicidade

أعلن مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، رسميًا، اليوم الجمعة، عن التعاقد مع مدير فني جديد لقيادة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم في الفترة القادمة.

وكان مجلس إدارة الزمالك قد أعلن سابقًا رحيل الجهاز الفني للفريق بالكامل، بقيادة أيمن الرمادي، بشكل رسمي.

وتقرر تعيين البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، مديرًا فنيًا للفريق، وذلك بعد مفاضلة بين عدد من المدربين لاختيار المدير الفني الجديد بالتنسيق بين المدير الرياضي ومجلس الإدارة.

طالع أيضًا.. رئيس الاتحاد المغربي: لا نحلم بالفوز بـ كأس أمم إفريقيا القادمة.. ونسعى لطموحات مشروعة

ووقع جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي لنادي الزمالك العقود مع يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني الجديد لمدة موسم واحد.

ومن المقرر أن يتقاضى يانيك فيريرا، 50 ألف دولار شهريًا هو وجهازه المعاون حسبما أعلن حازم إمام عضو لجنة التخطيط السابق بنادي الزمالك.

يذكر أن أيمن الرمادي تولى تدريب الزمالك بشكل مؤقت، عقب رحيل البرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو، بعد خروج الفارس الأبيض من بطولة الكونفدرالية.

India pay for their fielding lapses as Australia take 1-0 lead in the five-match series

Srinidhi Ramanujam09-Dec-2022Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 89 powered Australia to a nine-wicket victory against India with 11 balls to spare in the first of the five-match T20I series. Mooney and Tahlia McGrath shared an unbroken 100-run stand off 56 balls for the second wicket to steal the show after Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh’s fireworks had helped India post a competitive172 for 5.The successful chase meant Australia are yet to lose a match this year in any format. In T20Is, this was their ninth win in 12 matches, with three games producing no result.Ghosh, Deepti’s late flourish after rapid start
After being put in, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided a brisk start to India, with Verma hitting two fours and two sixes in her 21 off ten balls. Jemimah Rodrigues was out for a six-ball duck in the fifth over when she mistimed Ellyse Perry to mid-on. But Mandhana’s 28 off 22, despite initially struggling to time the ball, took India to 48 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.Australia pulled things back in the middle phase, with Annabel Sutherland dismissing Mandhana in the eighth over. Harmanpreet Kaur tried to steady the innings with a 23-ball 21 but was dismissed in the 12th over when she tried to loft debutant Kim Garth over cover but ended up hitting straight to the fielder.At 76 for 4, Ghosh changed the momentum of the innings, slamming 36 in just 20 deliveries with the help of five fours and two sixes. With Devika Vaidya, who was playing a T20I after eight years, Ghosh stitched together a crucial 56-run stand for the fifth wicket.After Ghosh was stumped off Ashleigh Gardner in the 17th over, Deepti went berserk straightaway. The allrounder struck two fours in each of the 18th and 19th overs before hammering four successive fours off Megan Schutt in the 20th to take India to a competitive total. Eight boundaries in 15 deliveries meant Deepti finished unbeaten on 36, while Vaidya remained unbeaten on 25 off 24.The Australian chase
Like India, Australia also started well with stand-in captain Alyssa Healy and Mooney keen on utilising the powerplay to the fullest. Healy picked up the gaps nicely and punished the loose deliveries to score a 23-ball 37, filled with four fours and two sixes. She and Mooney put on a 73-run stand before Vaidya removed Healy via a soft dismissal; Healy hit a full toss straight to Harmanpreet at cover.The wicket didn’t tilt the momentum for India as Mooney and McGrath kept finding boundaries to keep the scorecard moving. India’s sloppy fielding, and the dew, didn’t help them either.The chase looked fairly easy, largely due to Mooney pacing her innings well. Having begun on a steady note, she unfurled well-timed cover drives, pulls and punches off the backfoot to blunt the Indian attack. From 81 for 1 after ten overs, it was a walk in the park for Australia as they brought down the required run rate from ten to 7.4 by the end of 15 overs.Mooney’s 57-ball knock contained 16 fours, while McGrath slammed four fours and a six in her 29-ball innings.

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2016KL Rahul steadied the innings with Virat Kohli, as the pair added 84 runs for the second wicket off 58 balls•BCCIRahul went on to score 52 off 32 balls, his third successive fifty.•BCCIKohli, too, accumulated a 44-ball 52, his fifth fifty-plus score of the season•BCCIKolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers, however, had controlled the scoring with key wickets. Piyush Chawla contributed with two scalps, including that of AB de Villiers for 4•BCCIWith the score at 112 for 3 after 15 overs, Royal Challengers desperately needed a late boost, and Shane Watson provided that with a 21-ball 34•BCCIWatson’s knock, and Stuart Binny’s 16 off four deliveries, helped Royal Challengers amass 54 off the last three overs to finish at 185 for 7•BCCIStuart Binny followed up his cameo with the wicket of Robin Uthappa in the first over•BCCIPromoted to No. 3, Chris Lynn could only manage 15 and Knight Riders were soon struggling at 69 for 4 in the 11th over•BCCIKnight Riders needed 102 off the last eight overs. Andre Russell released the pressure by taking 17 off Tabraiz Shamsi in the 15th over•BCCIYusuf Pathan then turned the match decisively, smashing 24 runs off a Shane Watson over – the 17th of the innings•BCCIYusuf brought up his half-century off 27 deliveries and remained unbeaten on 60, ensuring Knight Riders sealed the win with five balls to spare•AFP

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2015Upul Tharanga – playing his first Test after a year – began the rebuilding process with Dimuth Karunaratne, as the pair took Sri Lanka to lunch unscathed save the early dismissal•AFPYasir Shah made inroads into the Sri Lanka middle order after lunch, claiming three scalps, two of them to exuberant strokes which were poorly executed•AFPOn the other end of the scale, Karunaratne was skipping down the track and going back as he milked the spinners, striking a few delectable drives in between•AFPKarunaratne and Jehan Mubarak added 67 runs for the fifth wicket and drove Sri Lanka into a dominant position, but Mubarak got out at an inopportune time. Karunaratne moved on to his second Test century – a show of extreme diligence and determination – and was out for 130. Sri Lanka ended the day on 272 for 8•AFP

Barcelona are set to launch a fresh bid to lure Nico Williams to the Spanish giants as they prepare to enter talks with the Athletic Club star.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Barca and Arsenal target Spain star WilliamsLa Liga leaders ready to open new negotiationsHope Yamal friendship will convince him to signFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Catalan club attempted to sign the winger last summer following his role in last year's Euro 2024 success, but the 22-year-old opted to stay with the Basque side for at least one more year. Barca, however, have not given up on landing him as reports they are prepared to open talks over a summer transfer.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The current La Liga leaders are not the only team interested in signing Williams. Bayern Munich have also been linked, but it is Arsenal who have been regarded as the favourites of late to complete the transfer, reportedly opening talks with the intention of triggering his release clause in his contract which is said to be set at €60 million (£51m/$66m).

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the competition, Barcelona feel they have an advantage in the race to buy Williams. The winger has a close friendship with fellow Spain star Lamine Yamal, with Williams saying last year: "We laugh a lot. I think it's obvious that we have the same or very similar personalities and we like the same things. He's a kid that I get along with really well and I always try to give him as much advice as possible, like my brother Inaki has done with me."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The Catalan club will hope Yamal's bond with Williams will tip the balance in their favour in the race to signing Williams, while Mikel Arteta will be eagerly awaiting news on his target's decision.

Kieron Pollard will return to the Pakistan Super League for the first time since 2019 after he was picked by Multan Sultans in the replacement draft. The draft, which took place over a conference call on Wednesday, allowed each of the PSL sides to add two more supplementary players, as well as to name partial replacements for those whose availability was limited. Each side was allowed a maximum of one foreign player among the two supplementary picks.Haris Sohail, who recently returned to the Pakistan ODI side for the first time since 2020, was picked by his former side Peshawar Zalmi. Saud Shakeel, who recently made his mark in Pakistan’s home Test series against England and New Zealand, will play for Quetta Gladiators.All the movements at the PSL replacement draft•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There were a number of replacement picks owing to availability issues for the duration of the PSL, primarily due to a bilateral series between West Indies and South Africa, as well as potential international commitments for Afghanistan. A white-ball series between England and Bangladesh spanning much of the length of the PSL means several England players also needed to be partially replaced, with Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Jason Roy potentially unavailable.Related

• Qalandars rebuild around Afridi; Sultans retain successful core

• Karachi Kings lack batting firepower; Peshawar Zalmi missing premium fast bowlers

• PCB invites department teams to return to domestic cricket

• PSL 2023 to kick off with Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars in repeat of last season's final

• PCB postpones women's T20 league to September

In the Platinum category, Lahore Qalandars picked Sam Billings for Rashid Khan; Peshawar Zalmi replaced Rovman Powell with Richard Gleeson; Islamabad United picked Gus Atkinson and Tymal Mills for Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Alex Hales. Multan Sultans replaced David Miller with Izharulhaq Naveed. Quetta reserved their pick for Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, who will depart the tournament on March 3, meaning he will be available for Quetta’s first six games.In the Diamond category, Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi reserved their picks for Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb ur Rehman; Quetta Gladiators picked Dwaine Pretorius and Will Jacks for Odean Smith and Jason Roy.The PSL begins on 13 February in Multan, with the final taking place in Lahore on 19 March.