These two teams have only played each other three times in the IPL and GT lead the head-to-head record 2-1

Sidharth Monga20-Apr-20254:40

Pujara backs Narine for opener, Finch suggests Rahane

Big picture: Batting worries for KKRKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have played 259 matches in all these years, but only three of them against Gujarat Titans (GT). Only Kochi Tuskers (no longer active) have played them less often. GT have not played any team this infrequently.It is a shame because these two teams make for fascinating contests. They love themselves a match-winning spinner or two, but their batting approaches couldn’t be more different. At their best, KKR are innovative and bold, pushing the realms of possibility. They open with Sunil Narine, and bowl spin at the death more than other teams. GT like to play within themselves, if you will. A majority of their runs are scored by three anchors at the top. They rely on their bowling to win games. They rely on minimising errors.Related

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IPL 2025, though, has not been the best for the defending champions KKR. They lost Phil Salt and Shreyas Iyer at the auction table, which left their batting light. They are the second-lowest on the scoring rate (9.05 runs per over). It is their bowling, the most economical (8.30) in the tournament, that is keeping them alive. Only just, though, with three wins in four games. GT have been the quickest batting side (10.10), and the third-stingiest (9.01) with the ball. Not a surprise that they are among the best sides with five wins out of seven.If the tournament so far has not done enough to remind KKR of their failures between the two seasons, imagine coming up against Shubman Gill, a former Knight. The nature of the tournament is such that you can’t hold on to all your best players forever, but the batting unit that KKR have built leaves more than a little to be desired. This is not to have a go at him but if Ajinkya Rahane is your best batter – and he is not in the top-15 run-getters – it says a lot about the line-up on the whole.GT will look to keep chipping away at KKR’s batting, which failed to chase down 112 the last time they played a game. GT themselves have the confidence of having won chasing 200-plus in their last match. All signs point to only one favourite in this match, but IPL has its own rhythms.4:39

Finch: Gujarat Titans are the team to beat

Form guideKolkata Knight Riders LWLWL
Gujarat Titans WWWLWIn the spotlight: Andre Russell and Shubman GillAndre Russell has faced just 31 balls, and bowled just 39. Halfway into the league stage, he has a batting strike rate of a tick over 75. His point of entry has been 14.6, 10.3, 19.3, 14.6 and 10.4. There hasn’t been anything particularly inefficient about how KKR have used him: easy wins when he hasn’t been required to bat or when he came out in the 20th over, two collapses, and two perfect points of entry with five overs to spare. Russell will want to make the use of those opportunities, especially with the middle order not doing well.He is not having a bad IPL at all – an average of 36 and a strike rate of 149 – but Shubman Gill is being outshone by the other two of GT’s holy trinity: B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. Gill has scored 215 of the 895 the top three have scored in seven matches. Coming off a run-out in the last match, now against his former team, Gill will want to get back among the runs.Team news and likely XIIsKKR handed Anrich Nortje a debut in the last match because they felt they could attack the Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting with the extra pace. Nortje did a job but they also sacrificed on Moeen Ali’s batting. Conditions will determine which of the two plays, but Moeen’s all-round capabilities make him the favourite after 95 all out.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Moeen Ali/Anrich Nortje, 11 Vaibhav Arora, 12 Varun Chakravarthy2:27

Why aren’t KKR getting the best out of Russell?

GT have a fairly settled line-up with only one player they rotate based on the conditions. It could be Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar or Kulwant Khejroliya. Washington gives them extra batting, but he plays only if the pitch is going to be slow.Gujarat Titans 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Ishant Sharma/Washington Sundar/Kulwant KhejroliyaThe big questionPitch and conditions: The Eden Gardens mysteryIt is going to be hot and humid in Kolkata, where teams winning the toss have elected to chase in all three games this season with mixed results. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) restricted KKR to 174 and won, but the other two games featured successful defences of 200 totals.Stats and trivia GT lead the head-to-head between these two teams 2-1, winning the only match they have played against each other in Kolkata. GT’s top-three batters average 49.72 this IPL, the highest for any team. Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) top three have aggregated more runs and have been scoring way quicker than GT: 172.4 compared to 155.92. Rashid Khan has taken just four wickets and is averaging 63.25 this IPL, easily his leanest. His economy rate of 9.73 also makes this his most profligate year.

Premier League fans, particularly those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion, were left disappointed this week when Harry Kane declared that he has no plans to come home as he is enjoying life with Bayern Munich so much. And why would he? He is primed to add another Bundesliga title to his maiden trophy won last year after firing Bayern to an explosive start to the season.

Kane is in the best form of his career, even pipping Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo to goal records these days and being hailed for his selfless work by coach Vincent Kompany. While he initially saw his stint in Germany as a short-term move due to his desire to become the Premier League's all-time top scorer, he is now open to prolonging his stay in the Bundesliga.

English fans will still get plenty of opportunities to see Kane in action though as he remains as committed as ever to his country. Take the fact that he was taken off in Bayern's last game with Eintracht Frankfurt with an ankle injury but still linked up with the England squad as usual. He is a doubt for Thursday's friendly with Wales but he is working hard in the gym to be fit for the trip to Latvia next Tuesday, where he will hope to help the team rubber-stamp their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Kane wanting to stay at Bayern is good news for national team coach Thomas Tuchel, who worked with him for one season at the Bavarian giants. It means he is settled out in Germany and can use his insatiable club form as a springboard to take the Three Lions all the way next summer in the United States and finally cement his status as England's greatest player of all time…

Getty Two goals per game

Kane broke all sorts of goal records in his first season with Bayern but this is proving to be his most prolific yet. He has a ludicrous 18 goals in 10 games in all competitions and in his last six matches he has averaged two goals per match. 

He has only failed to score once for his club this season and in that game against Augsburg he contributed two assists in the 3-2 win. His strike against Frankfurt helped Bayern make it six league wins from six and saw him become the first player in Bundesliga history to score 11 times in the opening six games of a season. 

Two weeks before, Kane became the first player to score 17 consecutive penalties in the Bundesliga when he scored two spot-kicks at Hoffenheim. It is now 18 successive penalties after also burying the ball in the net from the spot against Werder Bremen.

He is not just making Bundesliga history with each week either; he is surpassing modern greats of the game. 

AdvertisementAFP'Best striker of his generation'

Kane recently became the fastest player to score 100 goals for Bayern, doing so in 104 games. He smashed the previous record of Robert Lewandowski, who got to his century of goals in 136 games. And he even pipped Haaland and Ronaldo, who took 105 games to score 100 times for Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.

Given the head start he has given himself, it is easy to see Kane eclipsing Lewandowski's record of 41 Bundesliga goals in a single season. At his current rate of 1.8 goals per game, Kane will have overtaken Lewandowski just 22 matches into the season. That date might seem unrealistic, but he should at least get there by the end of the campaign. He is the leading top scorer in Europe's top five leagues despite playing two games fewer than Kylian Mbappe in La Liga and Haaland in the Premier League. 

Given the esteemed company he is keeping in the scoring charts, Tuchel was not exaggerating when he told this week: "He is undoubtedly the best striker of his generation. He has reached a new level and is now scoring two goals per game. 

"He’s in full flow; you can feel the confidence he carries Bayern Munich and the Three Lions with ease on his shoulders. He’s in top form, and I’m glad to have him as captain."

Getty 'Watch his work!'

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has grown tired of lavishing Kane with praise after each goalscoring feat but he is willing to point out the less appreciated aspects of the striker's game.

"I don’t have much to say about the things everyone can see. What I can say is: watch his work off the ball," the Belgian said after Kane scored twice to down Chelsea 3-1 in the Champions League. "Watch him press, help the team, recover the ball. It’s important for him, if he spends that much energy, to get rewarded and get chances to score. We can talk about talent and quality, but I keep highlighting that side because you need a lot of hard work to be where he is."

Kompany repeated the message after Kane plundered a hat-trick at Hoffenheim a few days later. He said: "When a player scores so many goals and then wins his first title, you can't always expect him to help defend, to give his all in every training session. Okay, at this absolute top level, maybe. But not everyone can do that. And the fact that Harry, despite all these goals, still helps so much in defence and inspires the others in every training session, of course, makes my job easier."

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Getty Pushing himself

Kane has embraced that side of the game and, like Kompany alluded to, he claimed that ending his decade-long wait to win a trophy last season has in fact made him even hungrier. "When you win a title maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like: ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve,'" Kane told English media this week. 

"But it's given me motivation to do more. My numbers are 11km a game, a lot of high‑speed running. Sometimes when I’m watching the games back, I’m more looking forward to watching tackles or one of my defensive actions than watching my goals back. I don’t know if that means I’m getting a little bit bored of my goals or like the tackling part as well but it’s been enjoyable.

"I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. It could have been easy to be a bit more relaxed. I pushed myself the other way, being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym."

Leicestershire will take a lead of 209 into day three of their Rothesay County Championship match with neighbours Northamptonshire after 16 wickets fell on a dramatic second day.The Division Two leaders bowled out Northamptonshire for 191 to lead by 113 on first innings, after Logan van Beek had taken 4 for 47 and Ben Green an excellent 3 for 17 in an impressive display of seam bowling. Allrounder Justin Broad’s 36 represented a modest top score for the visitors, who at one point were 87 for 6.Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson then single-handedly reduced Leicestershire to 52 for 5 in their second innings before they closed on 96 for 6.The day’s drama began in the second half of the morning as Northamptonshire’s response to Leicestershire’s first-innings efforts unravelled at pace, five wickets falling for 14 runs in the 30 minutes before lunch.Until then, batting had looked less hazardous than on Friday as the first 21 overs of the day rewarded the home attack with only the wicket of Luke Procter, trapped on the crease by Josh Hull.But then, with a relatively sunny start giving way to cloud, 73 for 1 became 87 for 6 in the space of 41 balls with the bowlers again finding movement through the air and off the pitch.Green, the seamer from Somerset in his fourth loan spell in two seasons at Grace Road, began the collapse via a catch behind the stumps as a swinging, bouncing delivery glanced off the bat of Ricardo Vasconcelos as he tried to leave.Tom Scriven dismissed George Bartlett leg before in the next over before Green’s movement deceived James Sales, who was bowled shouldering arms. Netherlands international van Beek then took two wickets in two overs immediately before lunch, pinning Rob Keogh and then Lewis McManus leg before.Northamptonshire were thus in disarray at 87 for 6 at the break, after which 191 all out at tea was better than they might have feared, Broad showing some fight to make what might be valuable runs before a good ball from Scriven found the edge.Sanderson and Harry Conway then frustrated Leicestershire by adding a plucky 34 for the last wicket before Sanderson was caught at first slip for 18. He had two escapes – on nought, when Rehan Ahmed wasted a run-out chance by missing the stumps from two yards, and 1, when he was dropped at first slip.Green was the culpable fielder, although he more than made amends with a masterclass in seam bowling, picking up his third wicket when extra bounce had Calvin Harrison caught at third slip. Green conceded only one boundary, bowling 71 dot balls from 84 deliveries in total.Van Beek, who had earlier had Saif Zaib caught at third slip with a superb delivery, dismissed Sanderson to raise his tally for the season to 14.Northamptonshire’s 10 wickets had fallen in the space of less than 50 overs but there were no immediate signs of conditions becoming easier as Sanderson then proceeded to rip through Leicestershire’s second innings, their lead suddenly looking slim as they floundered at 52 for 5.Rishi Patel, compiler of a brilliant first-innings hundred, was tamely caught behind on the leg side without scoring, while Budinger, after a typically explosive 39 from 24 deliveries – including five fours and a six off Sanderson – followed four consecutive boundaries by chopping on to his stumps.Sanderson then had Lewis Hill edging to third slip and Rehan to second, either side of a second-ball duck for skipper Peter Handscomb, trapped squarely in front. Sanderson’s last four wickets had come in 10 deliveries, the only runs conceded for a no-ball.The second of Sanderson’s five took him to the milestone of 400 wickets in first-class matches for Northamptonshire, having earlier passed 1000 first-class runs for the county.Ben Cox was sixth out at 75, gloving Conway down the leg side, before van Beek and Ian Holland, the latter hit on the helmet by Procter, survived a tough 12 overs to the close.

This season feels like a do-or-die for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

The Spaniard has done a brilliant job of taking the club from mid-table mediocrity to perennial title challengers in five years, but he now needs to get the team over the finishing line.

Fortunately, even with the absurd number of injuries they’re already facing, the Gunners now have a squad full to bursting with brilliant players, like Eberechi Eze, who could help them win the Premier League or Champions League.

Interestingly, though, while Arsenal should be delighted to have the Crystal Palace star on the books, one of their former players is currently performing just like him.

The problems Eze solves for Arsenal

Now, while there are undoubtedly other things he brings to the table, there are two main ways Eze can help Arsenal, and they are somewhat interlinked.

Firstly, the Gunners ended last season with 17 fewer goals scored than champions Liverpool, and therefore needed to go out and sign a serious attacking threat in the summer, like the former Palace star.

For example, in 43 appearances last season, totalling 3,303 minutes, the England international scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.

Appearances

43

Minutes

3303′

Goals

14

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, and the fact that he was able to do so in a mid-table side is even more encouraging.

This links to the other main way in which the Greenwich-born star could help the Gunners: his positional versatility.

On top of being proven in the number ten role, the former QPR gem is more than capable of playing off the left.

Not only will this give Arteta more tactical flexibility in games, but it also means the 27-year-old will be able to provide genuine competition for Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, two players who underperformed last year.

In all, Eze looks like an excellent signing for Arsenal, even though a player sold by the club years ago is starting to resemble the £68m man.

The former Arsenal star playing like Eze

It would be fair to say that Arsenal do not have the best track record when it comes to selling, often due to them selling a player for way less than their worth.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

That isn’t actually the case in this instance, as former Hale Ender Alex Iwobi was sold to Everton in 2019 for a hefty fee of around £35m.

The Nigerian wasn’t a bad player for the Gunners, far from it, but he wasn’t ever spectacular, and so when the Toffees made an offer like that for someone who’d amassed a tally of 39 goal involvements in 149 games, it was probably the right decision to let him go.

While he played a big role on Merseyside, the versatile international was eventually sold to Fulham for around £22m in the summer of 2023, and it would be accurate to say he’s been at his best with the Cottagers.

In fact, since moving to Craven Cottage, the former Gunners ace has scored 16 goals and provided ten assists in 83 appearances, totalling 6118 minutes.

Appearances

149

140

83

Goals

15

9

16

Assists

24

16

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.26

0.17

0.31

Yet, despite putting in consistently good performances for the West Londoners and already racking up three goal involvements in five league games this season, some consider him to be overlooked, with journalist Daniel Storey going as far as calling him “one of the most underrated midfielders in the country.”

With that said, what makes him like Eze?

Well, the first similarity the Nigerian shares with the Gunners ace is his positional versatility, as he’s just as comfortable playing on the wing as he is in midfield.

Second, he is also becoming a greater goal threat for his side, racking up 15 goal involvements in the league last season and just seven the year before.

Finally, like the North Londoners’ new star, he is also capable of making things happen, both through his brilliant close control and ability to deliver a pinpoint-accurate cross into the penalty area.

Ultimately, Arsenal did the right thing in selling Iwobi when they did, but it’s also true that the Fulham star is playing incredibly well at the moment, and looking a bit like Eze in the process.

Arsenal had Lewis-Skelly 2.0 in Hale End "monster", then he left for £0

The talented Hale Ender looked like he was going to be a star for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 25, 2025

Sunderland returned to the Premier League this season with a summer that made the rest of the league sit up and take notice.

Backed by ambitious ownership, the Black Cats spent £141.5m, just short of Nottingham Forest’s record spend for a newly promoted side in 2022.

It was a bold statement that they intend to survive the drop.

Habib Diarra arrived from Strasbourg to add dynamism in midfield, Simon Adingra was snapped up from Brighton, while Chemsidine Talbi and Noah Sadiki joined from Belgium.

Perhaps the most eye-catching additions were Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen and Nordi Mukiele from PSG.

Both players who bring Champions League experience and leadership to a youthful squad. That recruitment drive quickly paid dividends.

A raucous Stadium of Light saw Sunderland sweep aside West Ham 3-0 on the opening day.

Reality bit a week later with a 2-0 defeat away to Burnley, but Régis Le Bris’ side bounced back.

A last-gasp Wilson Isidor strike secured a 2-1 win over Brentford before a disciplined 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace earned another valuable point.

The Black Cats host Aston Villa next, with the fanbase buzzing at the idea that this side might just be capable of more than survival.

For many, the excitement brings back memories of one man: Asamoah Gyan, the Ghanaian forward who lit up the Stadium of Light during his brief but memorable spell.

Asamoah Gyan – Sunderland’s Premier League icon

When Sunderland signed Gyan from Stade Rennais in 2010 for a then-club record £13m, expectations were high.

The Ghanaian had already proven himself in Ligue 1 with 14 goals and five assists in 53 appearances and had enhanced his reputation on the international stage, scoring freely for the Black Stars.

Gyan wasted no time making his mark, scoring on his debut against Wigan Athletic. His flair made him an instant fan favourite.

Sunderland supporters will never forget his role in the club’s famous 3-0 victory away at Chelsea, nor the dramatic 94th-minute equaliser in the Tyne-Wear derby that denied Newcastle a double over their fiercest rivals.

Though his stay was short – 11 goals in 37 appearances before a lucrative move to Al-Ain in the UAE – Gyan’s impact was lasting.

At Sunderland, he remains a symbol of what a talismanic striker can do for the club. Lift the team, energise the fans, and turn matches on their head.

Fourteen years on, supporters may finally have reason to believe they’ve found a modern version of Gyan in their new Dutch centre-forward.

Brian Brobbey can be Sunderland’s modern-day Gyan

When Brian Brobbey swapped Ajax for Sunderland in a deal worth up to £21 million, eyebrows were raised.

Here was a 23-year-old striker and “natural born killer”, as per talent scout Jacek Kulig, with a proven record in the Eredivisie – 56 goals and 24 assists in 163 appearances – opting to take the next step in his career on Wearside.

For Sunderland, it was their 13th signing of a hectic summer but arguably the most significant.

A two-time Eredivisie winner with Ajax, Brobbey also boasts international experience with the Netherlands, having earned eight caps so far.

Like Gyan before him, he arrives with pedigree and hunger, eager to prove himself in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

The timing of his move was crucial. Sunderland had been forced into the market after Chelsea recalled Marc Guiu as cover for Liam Delap.

Brobbey was identified not only as a replacement but as a forward who could spearhead the club’s attack for years to come.

A centre-forward “goal machine”, in the words of Kulig, his numbers speak for themselves.

Matches Played

30

Goals

4

Assists

3

Progressive Carries

18

Progressive Passes

19

Source: FBref

Brobbey ranks in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty expected goals (0.61 per 90), the 94th percentile for shot-creating actions (3.53 per 90), and the 99th percentile for assists (0.50 per 90).

He also offers physical presence, winning aerial duels at an impressive rate and pressing defenders relentlessly.

Stylistically, he has been compared to Nick Woltemade, Marcus Thuram, and Nicolas Jackson, as per FBref – all forwards who blend power with mobility.

Yet for Sunderland fans, the more exciting comparison is with Gyan.

Like the Ghanaian, Brobbey thrives on sharp movement in the box, intelligent link-up play, and an ability to score crucial goals.

If he can replicate even half of Gyan’s impact in red and white, Brobbey could become a cult hero on Wearside.

And unlike Gyan, who departed after just one season, Sunderland will hope their Dutch striker sticks around long enough to build a legacy of his own.

Le Bris could unleash his own Mateta in Sunderland's “one man machine”

Regis Le Bris could unleash Sunderland’s very own Jean-Philippe Mateta for his side’s away test at Crystal Palace.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 13, 2025

حسم نادي الترجي التونسي، تأهله إلى دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا للموسم الحالي 2025-2026، بعد الفوز على فريق رحيمو من بوركينا فاسو.

والتقي فريقا الترجي التونسي ورحيمو البوركيني، اليوم الأحد، في مواجهة الإياب لدور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وحقق فريق الترجي الفوز بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، سجلها حمزة جيلاسي وفلوريان دانهو وأشرف الجبري في الدقائق 33 و51 و72.

طالع | الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا (محدث باستمرار)

وبذلك، يتأهل فريق الترجي التونسي إلى دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بمجموع المباراتين 4-0، حيث كان قد فاز في لقاء الذهاب 1-0.

ويعد الترجي التونسي الفريق رقم 13 المتأهل إلى دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بعد الأهلي، باور ديناموز الزامبي، الهلال السوداني، سانت إيلوي لوبوبو من الكونغو الديمقراطية، يانج أفريكانز التنزاني، ريفرز يونايتد النيجيري، بترو أتلتيكو الأنجولي، شبيبة القبائل الجزائري، الجيش الملكي المغربي، سيمبا التنزاني، الملعب المالي وصن داونز.

ومن المقرر أن يجري الاتحاد الإفريقي “كاف”، قرعة دور المجموعات، يوم الإثنين الموافق 3 نوفمبر 2025 في مدينة جوهانسبورج في جنوب إفريقيا.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras chegou a mais uma final nacional na base. Depois de eliminar o Corinthians na semifinal do Brasileirão sub-20, o Verdão vai disputar o título diante do Flamengo. A presença alviverde na busca por essas principais taças do país tem virado rotina nos últimos anos. Depois da “virada de chave” de 2014 para 2015, as Crias da Academia passaram a receber mais atenção e investimento, em contrapartida revelaram algumas joias e deram muitos troféus para a galeria do clube. Esse desbloqueio nas conquistas começou em 2017, na Copa do Brasil sub-17.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

A fama palmeirense era de um clube que não tinha muito cuidado com suas categorias de formação. Sem títulos de expressão e sem grandes atletas revelados, ficava muito para trás na comparação com os demais clubes do país. No entanto, quando o Alviverde passou por sua grande reestruturação sob o comando de Paulo Nobre, as coisas começaram a mudar. Em 2015, chegou João Paulo Sampaio, que coordena a base do Verdão até hoje, e foi aí que a sementinha passou a crescer.

No mesmo ano de 2015, Gabriel Jesus, Cria da Academia, subiu para o profissional, foi protagonista, ganhou títulos e foi vendido ao Manchester City-ING naquela que, até Endrick, era a maior venda da história do Palmeiras. Apesar do “case Jesus”, ainda faltava levantar taças nacionais na base palestrina. A Copinha era um sonho, mas a hegemonia precisava começar de alguma forma.

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+ OPINIÃO: Entre um Pedro Lima e um Jhon Jhon, a dor da transição no Palmeiras

Foi aí que em 2017 o time sub-17 bateu o Corinthians na final da Copa do Brasil e levantou o primeiro título nacional de expressão para a base alviverde. Curiosamente, Gabriel Menino já era um grande nome daquela equipe e cerca de três anos depois estava comemorando, como um dos protagonistas, a Libertadores de 2020 com o elenco profissional. Vitão, atualmente no Internacional, e Lucas Esteves, que fez parte dessa atual fase vitoriosa de Abel Ferreira, também eram titulares do grupo que “desbloqueou” a hegemonia.

Dali em diante, se não ganhou título, o Palmeiras esteve entre os quatro melhores de pelo menos uma competição nacional na base. Em 2018, foi campeão Brasileiro sub-20 e campeão da Copa RS sub-20. Na Copa do Brasil, foi semifinalista no sub-17 e no sub-20.

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Em 2019, o sub-17 voltou a ser campeão da Copa do Brasil e ainda levou a Supercopa do Brasil. Já o sub-20 foi vice-campeão brasileiro, perdendo a final justamente para o Flamengo, adversário na decisão da edição 2023.

+ Pedro Lima se despede do Palmeiras pintando Itaquera de verde

Os anos de 2020 e 2021 foram atípicos. Com a pandemia de Covid-19, alguns campeonatos não foram realizados e muitos atletas da base foram usados no profissional, desfalcando algumas vezes os torneios nas categorias de formação. A falta de competições também acabou prejudicando a sequência de alguns jovens no clube. Assim, nesses dois anos, o Verdão não conquistou títulos nacionais. Foi no máximo semifinalista da Copa do Brasil sub-20 e sub-17.

No entanto, ainda estava por vir o ano da consolidação palmeirense como a melhor base do Brasil. Em 2022, veio a tão sonhada conquista da Copinha, sob o comando de Endrick, Giovani, Jhon Jhon e outros. E de lá para cá, todos os títulos nacionais foram conquistados pelo clube. Campeão Brasileiro sub-20 e sub-17 (2022), Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-20 e sub-17 (2022), o que levou também aos troféus da Supercopa do Brasil das duas categorias, por ter “varrido” as competições.

Em 2023, novamente a Copinha foi conquistada, depois veio a Copa do Brasil sub-17 e agora a final do Brasileirão sub-20. E podemos ter ainda mais títulos, já que o Alviverde segue vivo e favorito no Brasileirão sub-17 e vai começar a disputar a Copa do Brasil sub-20. Ou seja, a hegemonia começou tarde, mas parece não ter hora para acabar.

+ Com mais um título, Palmeiras confirma hegemonia nacional na base

Confira as principais conquistas da base do Palmeiras desde 2017:

2017

Campeão Paulista sub-20
Vice-campeão Paulista sub-17
Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-17

2018

Campeão Paulista sub-20
Campeão Paulista sub-17
Semifinalista Copa do Brasil sub-17
Campeão Brasileiro sub-20
Semifinalista Copa do Brasil sub-20
Campeão da Copa RS sub-20

2019

Campeão Paulista sub-20
Vice-campeão Paulista sub-17
Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-17
Campeão da Supercopa do Brasil sub-17
Vice-campeão Brasileiro sub-20

2020

Campeão Paulista sub-20
Semifinalista Copa do Brasil sub-17
Semifinalista Copa do Brasil sub-20

2021

Campeão Paulista sub-20
Vice-campeão Paulista sub-17
Semifinalista Copa do Brasil sub-17

2022

Campeão Paulista sub-17
Campeão Brasileiro sub-17
Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-17
Campeão da Supercopa do Brasil sub-17 (unificou títulos)
Campeão Brasileiro sub-20
Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-20
Campeão Supercopa do Brasil sub-20 (unificou títulos)
Campeão da Copinha (sub-20)

2023
Campeão Copinha (sub-20)
Campeão da Copa do Brasil sub-17
Final do Brasileirão sub-20

Chelsea have reportedly joined Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign Koln’s rising star Said El Mala. The 19-year-old winger, who only broke into the Bundesliga this season, has taken Germany by storm with his pace and dribbling skills, quickly turning into one of Europe’s hottest young talents.

• Bundesliga breakout catching Europe’s eye

  El Mala, who signed a long-term deal with Koln until 2030, has become one of the most talked-about young players in Europe. His pace and dribbling skills have made him a standout player on the Koln side. Scouts from England have been monitoring him closely, and reports that Chelsea are the latest club to show interest. Earlier, reports confirmed that Bayern Munich and Dortmund are also eyeing to sign the 19-year-old next summer. 

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  Koln want to hold El Mala for long-term

  While European giants are eyeing to sign the German winger, Koln want to keep hold of their young star. Last summer, they rejected a written €14 million offer from Brighton, which was verbally raised to €20m (£17m/$23m). According to , the club might only consider bids around €50 million (£44m/$58m) range if El Mala continues to impress. With no release clause in his deal, the Bundesliga club are in full control and wants to take full advantage of his growing value.

• El Mala shines in Bundesliga debut

  Signed from Viktoria Koln in 2024, El Mala spent last season on loan back at his old club, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances. Returning to Koln this year, he immediately impressed on the Bundesliga stage. His stunning solo goal against Hoffenheim and earlier strike versus Freiburg have made him one of the league’s most exciting young wingers. 

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  What's next for El Mala

  With no release clause and rising interest from top clubs, El Mala is expected to be one of the biggest names in next summer’s transfer window. If he keeps performing like this, Koln will soon have to decide whether to cash in or hold on to their young rising star. For now, the young German winger’s focus remains on helping Koln climb the Bundesliga table, where they sit sixth with three wins from six games.

England captain hints that winter debutant is likely first-choice to bat at No.3 for five Tests against India

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-May-20251:36

Stokes: Cook has the skills to complement our attack

Ben Stokes has given a strong indication that Jacob Bethell will return as England’s No.3 against India despite his absence for the first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe.Though the international season kicks off at Trent Bridge on Thursday, Bethell will be more than 4,000 miles away in Lucknow preparing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s penultimate fixture in the IPL league stages against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. It will be his last appearance for the franchise before returning to the UK to report for the first ODI against West Indies at Edgbaston next Thursday (May 29).Bethell was always due to miss the Zimbabwe Test, as per the agreement the ECB had in place with its IPL stars, with the competition originally due to finish on Sunday, prior to the competition’s suspension following unrest between India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, he is expected to return to the Test XI at first drop, after impressing Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum during his maiden Test series against New Zealand at the end of last year.Related

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An average of 52.00 from 260 runs, with three half-centuries among six innings, was underpinned by a level of flair and maturity that earned the 21-year-old rave reviews. McCullum was particularly enamored by how Bethell dealt with the last-minute circumstances of his promotion, following an injury to Jordan Cox on the eve of first Test. With Cox set to keep wicket with Jamie Smith on paternity leave, a rejig saw vice-captain Ollie Pope take the gloves and drop down the order. That opened the door for Bethell to state his case at three, having never batted in that position in the 20 first-class matches prior to his debut in the first Test. He eventually steered England to victory with an unbeaten 50 off 37 deliveries in the fourth innings.Speaking at the end of the series, McCullum credited both Bethell and Pope for their work during the series, but acknowledged the former had made the future a little less clear for the latter: “He’s [Bethell’s] definitely given us a good headache and we’ve got a couple of months to work out what we’re doing.”It seems England have now worked out what they are doing. Speaking in the pre-match captain’s press conference, Stokes more or less confirmed Bethell will slot back in.”If you’re smart enough, the series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he’s going to be back in the UK for that India series,” Stokes said, when asked about Bethell. “I think you put 2 and 2 together, you probably know what’s going to happen.”You look at what Beth did in the winter for us, if you talk about nailing down a position, Beth has done himself the world of good by the performances he put in there with being part of our plans going forward.”Jacob Bethell seized his chance in the New Zealand Tests•AFP via Getty Images

Stokes’ backing of Bethell, on the eve of the first of 11 Tests in a legacy-defining nine months for the team, dials up the pressure on Pope and indeed Zak Crawley. Both have failed to score consistently at the top of the order, with Crawley in particular found wanting in New Zealand, averaging 8.66.Yet the Kent opener feels the more secure of the two, particularly given his recent exploits against this summer’s opponents India, and Australia, finishing as England’s leading runscorer in the 2024 and 2023 series against both. Nevertheless, both players have a chance to complicate matters with big runs over the coming days.That Stokes has willingly heaped pressure on two of his top three batters reflects a broader desire to take his team to the next level. England are now second in the ICC Test Rankings having moved up in May, a jump that prompted the skipper to send a message to McCullum and men’s managing director Rob Key saying “one more place to go”. There is scope, he feels, for much more.England have not been No.1 in the world since 2011, off the back of a 2010-11 Ashes success Down Under that they hope to replicate later this year. And though they were knocked off top spot by South Africa in 2012, Stokes believes greater focus and more fine-tuning could bring about a return to the top of the tree should progression and results trend in the right direction.”If we win what we’ve got coming up, the likelihood is that we will be at the top of that leaderboard. There’s no doubt in my mind we have the ability to be that team.”A change of mindset, a change of what we think about going out there – it’s something both me and Baz felt was needed. We’ve taken all good things that we’ve felt we’ve built over the last three years, but adding to all the good stuff we’ve managed to achieve and all the good things we’ve created in that dressing room, it’s something we felt this time was the perfect time to do that.”Baz uses this phrase a lot – we’re starting from a place of strength. So for us to be able to build on that, and everyone knows that we have got improvement to do, it’s very very exciting that we are where we are as a team at the moment. Everyone understands and knows we’ve definitely got another level to go to.”

Celtic lost another star player during the summer transfer window when they sold electric forward Nicolas Kuhn to Serie A side Como for a fee of £16.5m.

The German attacker ended the 2024/25 campaign with a return of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership champions, per Transfermarkt.

Kuhn provided a huge threat at the top end of the pitch down the right flank because he had the quality to cause the opposition problems as both a scorer and a creator of goals, domestically and in Europe.

The Hoops did not sign a natural right winger to replace the German, though, and Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest have combined for no goals or assists in nine combined appearances in the Premiership this season, per WhoScored.

This suggests that Celtic are struggling on the right wing because they did not go out into the market to sign a like-for-like replacement for the left-footed attacker.

Another player the Hoops have yet to fully replace since they sold him for big money is attacking midfielder Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove for a fee of more than £25m last year.

Why Matt O'Riley was so valuable for Celtic

The Scottish giants raked in a club-record fee of £25m from the Premier League side when they decided to cash in on the Denmark international. This was because of the value that he provided on the pitch for the Bhoys in the 2023/24 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers arrived at Parkhead in the summer of 2023 to replace Ange Postecoglou in the dugout in Glasgow, and he was key to O’Riley’s impressive progression on the pitch.

The left-footed midfielder scored three goals and provided 12 assists in the Premiership in the 2022/23 campaign under the Australian head coach, which was an impressive return given his creative output.

Rodgers, though, elevated O’Riley to the next level at Parkhead by freeing him up to take on more responsibility as a goalscorer, putting him further up the pitch to break into the box by joining attacks.

Appearances

38

37

Shots on target per game

0.7

1.2

Goals

3

18

Goals per game

0.1

0.5

Big chances created

16

14

Assists

12

13

Assists per game

0.3

0.4

As you can see in the table above, the English-born playmaker scored 15 more goals under Rodgers than he did under Postecoglou in the previous Premiership season.

Per WhoScored, O’Riley led the team in both goals (18) and assists (13) in the Premiership in that season under the Northern Irish head coach, which is why he was so valuable to the squad, as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

These statistics and his importance to Celtic convinced Brighton to splash a fee of more than £25m on him in the summer of 2024, and the Scottish giants are still looking for their next version of the Dane.

Benjamin Nygren has shown flashes of promise in a central midfield role, with three goals and one assist this season, and Arne Engels delivered nine assists in the Premiership and the Champions League combined last season, per Sofascore.

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However, Celtic may have their next Matt O’Riley in the making in the form of a player who has been rarely used by Rodgers, so much so that he has played fewer minutes than both Nygren and Engels.

Portugal U21 international Paulo Bernardo has not had too many opportunities to impress in the middle of the park, but has shown potential to develop into an impressive player in the future.

Why Paulo Bernardo could be the next Matt O'Riley for Celtic

Signed on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer of 2024 after a loan spell in the 2023/24 campaign, the central midfielder has fallen down the pecking order at the start of this season.

Luke McCowan, Callum McGregor, Benjamin Nygren, Arne Engels, and Reo Hatate have all played more minutes than Bernardo in the Premiership, per WhoScored, which shows that the manager rates other players ahead of him in his position at this moment in time.

The Portuguese star has only played 74 minutes in the league. This comes after he started 13 of his 28 outings in the division in the 2024/25 campaign, and showed plenty of signs of real quality at the top end of the pitch.

xG

0.22

Top 7%

xG on target

0.23

Top 8%

Goals

0.14

Top 20%

xA

0.21

Top 11%

Assists

0.21

Top 13%

Chances created

2.20

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo excelled against his positional peers per 90 in a host of key offensive metrics, in both scoring and creating goals.

These statistics suggest that the former Benfica starlet, who was described as “tenacious” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could provide a big threat at the top end of the pitch from midfield as both a scorer and a creator of goals if given the chance to start week-in-week-out and play more minutes for the Hoops.

His assist, for O’Riley in fact, in the clip above illustrates the kind of quality that Bernardo can provide in the opposition’s box when he is free to push forward and join in with attacks to make things happen in the final third.

The Portuguese whiz is a creative and silky attacking midfielder who has the ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate when allowed to express himself on the pitch, but Rodgers has rarely given him an opportunity to do that.

Celtic’s manager elevated O’Riley to the next level by playing him week-in-week-out and pushing him up the pitch to score goals, and Bernardo has the potential to follow in the Dane’s footsteps.

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But it is now down to Rodgers to provide the 23-year-old star with more chances from the start to allow him to find some consistency in his performances and his end product on the way to being the club’s next O’Riley.