خاص | مدرب حراس الأهلي الجديد.. ميزة هامة جعلت توروب يضمه إلى جهازه

علق نادي فييلي الدنماركي على رحيل مدرب حراس المرمى كاي ستيفينسن، الذي قرر خوض تجربة جديدة ضمن الطاقم الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة الدنماركي ييس توروب.

وجاءت هذه الخطوة لتؤكد الثقة المتبادلة بين توروب ومساعديه القدامى في الدوري الدنماركي، حيث يسعى المدرب إلى بناء طاقم فني متجانس قبل انطلاق مشواره مع الأهلي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. حقيقة رغبة توروب في الاستغناء عن بعض لاعبي الأهلي

وقال مورتين بيسجارد، المدرب المساعد في نادي فييلي في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “كاي حصل على فرصة للانضمام إلى الطاقم الفني مع ييس توروب، ونحن جميعًا نتفهم أن هذه خطوة جيدة بالنسبة له، وسعداء من أجله، نتمنى له التوفيق وسنفتقده”.

وأوضح بيسجارد: “الجميع داخل النادي تقبل قرار الرحيل بروح رياضية، كاي ترك انطباعًا طيبًا خلال فترة عمله القصيرة في فييلي”.

وأضاف: “لا أعرف كاي بشكل كبير، فقد عملت معه لمدة 3 أشهر فقط، لكنه شخص هادئ جدًا ويتمتع بشخصية متزنة”.

وأكد: “أسلوب كاي في التعامل مع اللاعبين وخاصة حراس المرمى يتسم بالهدوء والتركيز، وهو ما اعتبره ميزة مهمة ستساعده في مهمته الجديدة مع الأهلي”.

واختتم: “كاي سيكون إضافة قوية للأهلي، لأن لديه خبرة كافية لجعل حراس الفريق أكثر جاهزية وثقة داخل الملعب”.

Newcastle’s plan to replace Alexander Isak’s goals after Yoane Wissa injury and slow Nick Woltemade start

Eddie Howe is putting his Newcastle players through post-game training sessions to bolster their attacking output, as the Magpies seek to replace the goalscoring prowess of Alexander Isak. With record-signing Nick Woltemade bagging just once in his first three appearances, and Yoanne Wissa out through injury, Newcastle's manager is hoping to get his whole team firing to kickstart their season.

Newcastle stars involved in post-match shooting practice

reports that after Newcastle's 4-1 win over Bradford City in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, many of the club's stars took part in an attack-versus-defence drill in front of the Gallowgate End. The drill saw Woltemade, Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento, Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali take part, with the Italian midfielder smashing the ball into the roof of a portable net. The session was part of Howe's call to arms for his players to push forward in scoring more goals in the absence of Isak. The Swede, whose protracted transfer saga and eventual departure to Liverpool dominated Newcastle's preparations this summer, scored 27 goals in all competitions for the Magpies last term. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHowe's men struggle in front of goal after Isak sale

Newcastle are struggling to replace that output. They are the Premier League's second lowest scorers, bagging just three times in their first five league outing this season. Only Aston Villa, with one, have scored fewer. Howe's men are averaging just 2.6 shots on target per game, down from 4.6 last year. 

Woltemade adapting to the Premier League

If this drought is to continue, questions will certainly be asked of the towering Woltemade. The 23-year-old bought himself some time when he scored on his debut in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Wolves, however he has not bagged in his following appearances. The towering German offers a significantly different threat than Isak. A highly technical player that likes to drop deep to both connect play and dribble at opponents there is some speculation around the club that his best position may actually be as a second striker or a number 10. However, with Howe preferring to play a sole target man, extra work is required to get Woltemade up to speed with his demands, the requirements of the Premier League and also to get him acclimated to his teammates.

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AFPHowe wants goals across his Newcastle team

Hope reports that Newcastle's pre-season tour from hell — Isak's refusal to travel with the team to Asia kickstarted the extended saga — was the genesis of Howe's plans to bolster his attack from deep. The head coach routinely led an exercise that saw Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton encouraged to break forward from attack. It will be heartening to the Newcastle coaching staff that Joelinton chipped in with two goals and Bruno two assists in their 4-1 victory over Bradford. 

However, the manager will be hoping for more from his wide players. The quartet of Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga have yet to record  a goal and boast just one assist between them. That was from Murphy's cross to Woltemade for the German's debut goal.

At £55 million (€64m), Elanga represented a significant investment for the Magpies, but he has yet to displace Murphy in Howe's preferred starting XI. Speaking to Howe said: ‘It’s harsh to say he’s got no goals or assists. Statistically, that is right. But you look at the chances he has created and sometimes it’s not on him that players he has served haven’t scored.

"If Nick scores Jacob’s cross with the header, he gets the assist. Vice-versa, if someone misses an opportunity, that assist doesn’t happen. Anthony has done his job several times but it hasn’t ended up in a goal.

"He’s looked a threat. He has that raw pace and power that is so difficult to defend against. But I think he can get better, and we can help him do that as we continue to work with him."

América-MG encaminha contratação por empréstimo de lateral do Botafogo

MatériaMais Notícias

O América-MG formalizou uma proposta de empréstimo pelo lateral-direito Daniel Borges, do Botafogo. A oferta propõe um contrato válido até dezembro de 2024. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo “ge” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

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As negociações estão avançadas e devem ser concretizadas ainda nesta semana. O LANCE! apurou que Botafogo e América-MG já se acertaram financeiramente. Portanto, depende apenas de Daniel Borges para a contratação ser efetuada.

+ Atlético-MG perto de finalizar processo: veja os times brasileiros que ainda podem virar SAF em 2023

O lateral chegou ao Botafogo em agosto de 2021 e tinha contrato até 2024. O jogador foi muito utilizado por Luís Castro no ano passado, mas perdeu espaço nesta temporada depois da chegada de Di Plácido e atualmente é a terceira opção na posição.

Daniel Borges deseja obter sequência e não enxerga com maus olhos uma ida ao América-MG. O lateral disputou apenas nove jogos pelo Botafogo em 2023.

Newcastle offered chance to sign struggling GK to eventually replace Pope

Newcastle United already have Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale fighting it out for the number one jersey, but Eddie Howe has now been offered the chance to sign another figure to provide goalkeeping competition.

Newcastle see off Wolves with Woltemade winner

After a difficult start to the Premier League campaign and having to undergo a lengthy search for a striker in the wake of Alexander Isak’s exit, Newcastle claimed their first victory of the season on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Establishing himself as a new hero of the St James’ Park faithful, Nick Woltemade scored the only goal of the match to give the Geordies a precious three points on home soil.

Speaking post-match, Howe came in for high praise from the Germany international, who illustrated his gratitude to the manager after galvanising his side to claim a vital win after a slow start to the season.

Woltemade said: “I was just here for four days now, so everything was new for me. I was putting that bit away and I was focusing on myself today. I think the coach already gave me such a good feeling, so I felt good on the pitch. I knew what to do and I guess you saw today everybody knew what they have to do. This win was really important.”

Barcelona await next for Newcastle in their much-anticipated first Champions League fixture, and they will feel their solidity at the back can give them half a chance of stopping Lamine Yamal and company on Tyneside.

Three clean sheets in four Premier League encounters is a solid return for Nick Pope, who was linked with a summer exit to both Leeds and Manchester United.

Nevertheless, Newcastle appear to be looking at life after the Three Lions international and have now been offered a shock chance to sign an up-and-coming stopper.

Newcastle offered surprise chance to sign Sheffield United's Michael Cooper

According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper by intermediaries, with the approach coming as a surprise due to his recent dip in form.

Conceding 12 goals in the Blades’ first five Championship fixtures, the 25-year-old has recorded a save percentage rate of 62.5%, per Fotmob. Following an extremely disappointing start to the campaign for his club, Ruben Selles has now been sacked at Bramall Lane.

Newcastle have hit gold on “monster" worth more than Wissa & Woltemade

Newcastle United have struck gold with this standout star, who is worth more than both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 14, 2025

Despite this, Cooper has made 20 saves in that time period and is also on the radar of West Ham United and Everton, becoming an appealing homegrown option on the market as his contract is set to expire in 2026.

After Odysseas Vlachodimos left to join Sevilla, Newcastle are said to be keeping a ‘close eye’ on his situation, likely as a consequence of 33-year-old Pope coming towards the twilight of his career.

While he wouldn’t be a first choice immediately at St James’ Park, Cooper would add another layer of talent to the goalkeeping group and could potentially be a long-term successor to Pope if he can rediscover his form.

Dois salgados e um refresco? Entenda quem saiu ganhando nas negociações entre Corinthians e Zenit

MatériaMais Notícias

A negociação entre Corinthians e o Zenit, da Rússia, envolvendo a venda do atacante Pedro ao clube europeu abriu uma forte onda de protestos e questionamentos à diretoria corintiana. A revelação foi negociada por 9 milhões de euros (R$ 47 milhões, na cotação atual), que serão pagos em três parcelas, valor amplamente inferior aos 120 milhões de euros (R$ 627,8 milhões, na cotação atual) da multa rescisória do atleta.

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Porém, o negócio do Timão com a equipe russa não foi o primeiro. Desde o ano passado, as duas equipes têm construído um histórico de tratativas. A primeira foi por conta do interesse corintiano no empréstimo do atacante Yuri Alberto, que havia chegado no Zenit no início daquela temporada, comprado por 25 milhões de euros (R$ 130,6 mi, na cotação atual).

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Por conta da guerra entre Rússia e Ucrânia, no leste europeu, Yuri decidiu que gostaria de voltar ao Brasil e foi acolhido pelo Corinthians, que, para ter o jogador emprestado até junho de 2023, cedeu o goleiro Ivan e o atacante Gustavo Mantuan, pelo mesmo período.

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Frente às boas atuações de Yuri no ano passado, o Timão optou por negociar a compra em definitivo do atleta no início desta temporada. Com uma grande dívida, que ultrapassa R$ 900 milhões, e pouco dinheiro em caixa, a alternativa encontrada pela direção corintiana foi ceder o direito econômico de alguns atletas.

Foram repassados 55% dos direitos do zagueiro Robert Renan e 90% do volante Du Queiroz. No caso de Robert, os clube alvinegro seguem com 11% dos direitos, no qual parte era do Novorizontino, e os russos compraram os 25% que eram do estafe do jogador. Além disso, o goleiro Ivan foi devolvido antes do período previsto em contrato, sendo emprestado novamente, desta vez ao Vasco, mas com o Zenit tendo direito a 10% do valor caso ele seja comprado em definitivo pelo clube carioca no fim do ano. Os russos também ficaram com a preferência em relação a Pedro, mas nem precisou usar, já que foi a única equipe que apresentou proposta ao jogador. 

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Em um segundo momento, Mantuan, emprestado pelo Corinthians ao Zenit, na ‘primeira rodada’ de negociação entre os clubes, foi vendido definitivamente aos russos no último dia 23 de junho por 2 milhões de euros (R$ 10,4 milhões, na cotação atual), cedendo 40% dos direitos econômicos ao clube europeu e mantendo 40% – os 20% restantes pertencem ao próprio atleta. O valor da venda representou somente a metade do que estava pré-fixado no empréstimo, que era 10 milhões de euros (R$ 52,3 milhões, na cotação atual) por 80% do ‘passe’ do atleta.

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O Corinthians tem usado a plataforma ‘Transfermarkt’ como balizador do valor de mercado dos atletas envolvidos nos negócios. Nela, Yuri é avaliado em 18 milhões de euros (R$ 94,1 milhões, na cotação atual), enquanto Robert Renan e Du Queiroz, que tiveram os direitos repassados ao Zenit, têm preço previsto em 9 e 6 milhões de euros (R$ 47,1 e 31,4 milhões, na cotação atual), respectivamente.

Assim, o Timão considera que arrecadou mais do que os 11 milhões de euros (R$) referentes às vendas de Mantuan e Pedro, pois tem Yuri Alberto como ativo. Mesmo em má fase desde o início do ano, Yuri tem tido frequentes sondagens do mundo árabe, mas não é do interesse do jogador se transferir para esse mercado. Os corintianos não consideram o atleta inegociável, principalmente frente à má fase vivida por ele, mas só aceitariam vendê-lo por, no mínimo, 40 milhões de euros (R$ 209,3 milhões, na cotação atual). O contrato de Yuri com o clube alvinegro vai até dezembro de 2027.

A informação sobre o interesse do Oriente Médio pelo jogador, bem como o valor de venda definido pelo Timão ao atacante foram publicados inicialmente pela ‘Gazeta Esportiva’ e confirmados pelo Lance!.

Leeds make £40m forward like Ronaldo top January target, 49ers ready offer

Leeds United have made a strong start to their Premier League campaign with four points from the first nine available to them.

The 49ers Enterprises oversaw a busy transfer window at Elland Road, and their new defensive midfielder and most expensive summer arrival, Anton Stach, is already proving himself to be a smart signing. Across Leeds’ opening games, Stach has been in the top 6% of players for successful defensive actions.

One signing that hasn’t hit the ground running is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who joined on a free following the expiry of his Everton contract. The former England striker has made two appearances off the bench, with one of them coming in Leeds’ shocking exit from the League Cup on penalties to Sheffield Wednesday. During that game, Calvert-Lewin missed four big chances and, crucially, his penalty in the shootout.

Leeds have already started looking at bringing in a new striker in January, and after going with the budget-friendly route of Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, they’re now considering spending big on a Premier League-proven striker.

Leeds plotting January move for Mateta

As per reports, Leeds are looking at signing Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the January transfer window and have made him a priority target. Upgrading from Calvert-Lewin to a striker who journalist Rory Smith said was “like original Ronaldo” could be a shrewd move by Leeds.

Caught Offside have claimed that Crystal Palace would want £40 million for Mateta, the same price they wanted for Marc Guehi, and that Leeds sees him as a long-term player who can help cement their place back in the Premier League, with the 49ers looking to test Palace’s resolve with a formal offer.

Crystal Palace's Jean-PhilippeMatetacelebrates after the match

The report adds that Leeds will face competition from other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Newcastle may decide to back off the move if their two new strikers hit the ground running, but Aston Villa have yet to score a Premier League goal this season, so they will likely be on the hunt for more firepower in January.

What adds to the speculation about a potential Mateta departure is that the club are currently unable to get him to sign on to a new long-term contract. Mateta is signed on until 2027, but the report goes on to state that “negotiations over a potential extension have stalled, with talks described as ‘unproductive’ amid internal uncertainty at the club.”

One contributing factor may be the recent high-profile exits from Crystal Palace, including Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and the likely exit of club captain Guehi, either to Liverpool in January when his contract expires.

Mateta could be key to Leeds's Premier League future

Since joining Crystal Palace, Mateta has scored 46 goals in 142 appearances, but most of those have come since the start of the 2023/24 season, when Mateta erupted.

Mateta since joining Crystal Palace

Season

Appearances

G+A

25/26

6

3

24/25

46

21

23/24

39

24

22/23

32

2

21/22

28

8

20/21

7

1

Mateta seems to have found consistency at a high level, which is why he’s become such an in-demand player and was linked in the summer with big moves to Arsenal and Manchester United. 65 goal involvements across the last two seasons make him look like a safe bet despite Leeds needing to splash out £40 million for him.

The Frenchman seems to be a favourite among strikers, with former Premier League and England striker Darren Bent having previously praised Mateta:

“He looks trimmed down… You look good, you feel good, you play good… Sometimes, it can be something as simple as that which triggers everything off.”

With numerous big exits making things look uncertain at Palace, Leeds may be able to tempt Mateta away from them, and if they do that, they could break the cycle of newly promoted teams getting relegated and cement themselves back in the Premier League.

Harry Kane's new role! Bayern Munich striker reveals secrets behind stunning season so far to make up for loss of injured Jamal Musiala

Harry Kane has lifted the lid on his new role within Bayern Munich's dominant start to the season, saying that the absence of Jamal Musiala has allowed him to drop deeper and become more involved in his side's build-up play. The England captain made the comments after bagging yet another goal in Bayern's 3-0 win away over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Kane lifts lid on playmaking role

Kane was speaking with Archie Rhind-Tutt and Thomas Hitzlsperger after his side's sixth win from six games in the Bundesliga this season. Rhind-Tutt asked the 32-year-old about his role within the team, suggesting that Kane was becoming even more involved in Bayern's build-up. 

The ex-Spurs striker agreed with the assertion, suggesting the lack of an out-and-out No.10, a role previously filled by the departed Thomas Muller or injured Jamal Musiala has facilitated the change. Kane suggested his deeper role has actually helped with his goalscoring, as he's able to disengage with centre-backs who can keep closer attention to him when he's trying to occupy the defensive line.

He said: "I've spoken already about when Jamal's playing it's a little bit different. Jamal is such a good player, getting the ball off defenders, driving and dribbling. 

"Obviously a lot last year when we were playing together, it was better for him to go and do that. I still did that at times. 

"I think since me and Serge [Gnabry], and me and Nico [Jackson] have been forming that partnership this season, it's allowed me to just be a little bit deeper and use my qualities in that sense of turning and playing it forward and playing it out wide, and then arriving into the box a little bit later. 

"Which also helps. Sometimes when you're playing up there as a nine, it's easy to be marked, to be marked out of the game almost. Even my goal today, arriving a little bit late, I finished it off."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKane's goal vs Eintracht Frankfurt shows role is working pefrectly

As Kane alluded to in the interview, his goal against Frankfurt demonstrated his new role in the team perfectly. Joshua Kimmich played the ball forward into Luis Diaz, who drifted into the No.9 position ahead of Kane; in fact out of Bayern's front four the Englishman was by far the deepest, as Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise pinned back the host's defensive line. As Diaz' path to goal was screened off, he shifted the ball to Kane, who stepped forward, pushed the ball out of his feet and arrowed a long-range effort into the bottom corner of Kevin Trapp's goal. 

While Kane did start the game as the lone striker, Vincent Kompany has explicitly positioned him in a second striker role at times this year, most notably against Cypriot side Pafos when the 32-year-old operated behind Nicolas Jackson in the hole. Both men scored in a 5-0 win, Kane finding the back of the net twice. 

Kane in blistering goalscoring form for Bayern

It shows that dropping deep certainly has not diminished his goal scoring prowess. He's bagged 18 goals in 10 appearances across all competitions in 2025-26, a staggering return considering his propensity to join with the build-up. It has propelled Bayern to a truly ominous record of six wins from six in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian giants have scored 25 goals in the league, conceding just three in return. 

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Getty Images SportWhat happens Musiala returns from injury?

Musiala's broken leg, sustained in the Club World Cup, was supposed to spark a crisis for the Bavarian side. Without the young German and his experienced mentor Muller, it seemed the number 10 role was going to be a serious problem for Kompany's side, especially when Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade spurned the club's advances in favour of moves to the Premier League. 

Kane's emergence as a playmaker/striker has quashed all fears, and Bayern look set to win this year's iteration of the Bundesliga at an absolute canter. Musiala is currently slated to return in the new year, and while his presence will undoubtedly give his team-mates a lift, he might find himself operating off the left or slowly rotated back into the starting XI to allow Kane the freedom he so clearly enjoys. 

Kompany did have to replace Kane in the final moments of Saturday's game. However, the England captain announced the suspected ankle injury will not keep him from representing his country in England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.. 

KKR coach bats for home teams getting favourable conditions

Chandrakant Pandit clarified that the franchise is currently not in control of preparing pitches at Eden Gardens

Vishal Dikshit30-Mar-2025

Chandrakant Pandit was asked about pitch preparation ahead of KKR’s game against MI•KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has batted for favourable home conditions in the IPL, while also clarifying that currently, the franchise is not in control of preparing the pitches at their home ground Eden Gardens.Even though KKR have played only two games so far in IPL 2025, they started with an opening loss at home, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), before winning the away fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati.Within the first ten days of the tournament, there have been a few captains and support-staff members who have spoken about the home conditions the franchises get – whether favourable or not – as only five out of the ten games have been won by the home teams so far.Related

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Fleming: 'No home advantage at Chepauk'

Thakur on high-scoring pitches: 'All bowlers want is a fair chance'

“Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer,” Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the seven home matches out of a total of 14 they play before the playoffs.KKR now play Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, before back-to-back home fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Eden. When asked specifically about who decides the nature of pitches in Kolkata, Pandit said: “See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow which we are playing [against MI].”Pandit was pressed again at the press conference about who calls the shots when it comes to deciding pitches in Kolkata. Was the KKR franchise in charge of everything at the ground?”No. In charge of everything at the ground… I don’t know. That doesn’t mean that they [the franchises] have a control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don’t know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise. But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that’s all.”2:12

Fleming: We haven’t been able to read the Chepauk pitches

The talk around the lack of helpful home conditions stirred up after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane had said after their loss to RCB that they “would love to see the pitch helping our spin bowlers”. KKR bank heavily on their spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who picked only a wicket each while trying to defend 174, as RCB won with 22 balls and seven wickets to spare. In reply to this, the Eden Gardens chief curator Sujan Mukherjee had said that as per the BCCI guidelines, franchises and players do not have “any say” in the preparation of pitches.”As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India,” Mukherjee told RevSportz. “It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise.”Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming was a lot more scathing in a feisty press conference after their biggest home loss in the IPL, against RCB by 50 runs. Fleming said they had “no home advantage at Chepauk” anymore.CSK have been known to stack their squad with spinners at the auction to make the most of the traditionally slow and turning tracks in Chennai. But their second home game of this IPL was more helpful for pace bowlers, proven by the RCB quicks Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning combined figures of 10-0-59-6.”Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” Fleming said. “We’ve won away from home a couple of times. And we haven’t been able to read… we’ve been really honest with you. We haven’t been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years. So it’s not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don’t know. We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”Gujarat Titans’ home victory against Mumbai Indians on Saturday was a rare occasion in this IPL so far when someone from the team management said publicly that they had asked for a particular kind of pitch to make things difficult for the visiting team.”Mumbai have been preparing themselves by playing on a red [soil] surface. It was a deliberate effort from our side [to prepare that pitch],” GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel had said during an in-game interview with the commentators during the match. “We wanted to play on black soil. It’s stopping a bit, and it’s slightly stickier to start with.”The GT fast bowlers made the most of the conditions by taking the pace off the bowling especially while bowling to the MI middle and lower orders in a chase of 197, and got them a 36-run win.

Marc Guehi is in demand! Bayern Munich hold talks with Crystal Palace star and aim to beat Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid in race to land defender on free transfer

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi saw a proposed summer transfer to Liverpool fall through at the 11th hour last month. But rather than simply resurrect a deal that would see him switch to Anfield by next summer at the latest, the England international looks set to have a number of other high profile clubs to choose from – including Bayern Munich as they make their own move.

  • 'Concrete' interest from Bayern

    According to Sky Sport Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Bayern are already "concretely" looking at a move for Guehi. Senior sporting executive Max Eberl is described as a "big admirer" and early stage talks with the player's representatives are said to have already taken place, establishing Bayern's serious interest in taking Guehi to the Bundesliga and gauging the response from the other side of the table.

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    Guehi's contact situation unresolved

    Although Guehi has been widely praised for how he has handled himself in recent months – as opposed to the transfer-forcing tactics employed by the likes of Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Yoane Wissa during the summer window – his days at Crystal Palace still appear numbered.

    His contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign and the Eagles have arguably lost their best chance to command anything close to a reasonable and fair transfer fee for him. Selling in January, due to his contract have just a few months left to run by that stage, is unlikely to bring big money because it makes more financial sense for suitors, unless desperate, to wait until July.

    January also brings something else into play because, from New Year's Day, Guehi would be able to enter into a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club that locks in a free summer transfer. That is something that Liverpool will want to avoid, as it theoretically gives Bayern an advantage. Plettenberg also names Barcelona and Real Madrid, both in need of defensive reinforcement, as other rival suitors that stand to give Guehi a plethora of incredible options.

  • Familiar faces in Munich

    Were Guehi to choose Bayern, it wouldn't be a complete jump into the unknown, despite leaving the home comforts of English football and the Premier League for Germany and Bundesliga.

    Star winger Michael Olise was a teammate of Guehi's at Crystal Palace for three seasons, from when they both joined the Eagles in the summer of 2021, until Olise was sold to Bayern in 2024. Guehi also plays alongside chief Bayern goal-getter Harry Kane for England.

    Then there is Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, a Manchester City player for the best part of a decade, before two years in charge at Burnley. Guehi will additionally have come up against both Luis Diaz, signed from Liverpool in July, and Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea. He may also have plenty of knowledge of Jamal Musiala due to shared time in Chelsea’s academy, albeit in different age groups.

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    Huge clubs in need of a centre-back

    Plettenberg further noted that Bayern's final decision to approach Guehi will depend on the respective futures of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae. But the Bundesliga champions aren't the only top side in need of a defensive boost.

    After running out of time to sign Guehi in September, Liverpool have been left horribly exposed by the long-term injury to summer signing Giovanni Leoni. Ibrahima Konate is also nursing a problem, potentially leaving Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez the only fit centre-backs in the squad.

    At Real Madrid, Dean Huijsen was recruited in June, but Los Blancos could feasibly be short once more if David Alaba is to leave. Antonio Rudiger, 33 this season, isn't getting any younger. Barcelona similarly lack quality depth behind Pau Cubarsi, with Ronald Araujo's future uncertain.

As bad as Idah: Rodgers must now ruthlessly drop 5/10 Celtic man

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers stated on August 1st that his squad needed attacking signings to replace the quality that has been lost this year, through Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Jota.

The Northern Irish boss said: “I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”

19 days later and the Hoops started their Champions League play-off tie against Kairat at Parkhead with James Forrest, Adam Idah, and Daizen Maeda as their front three, with Hyun-jun Yang as the only natural winger in reserve.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, despite the level of opposition, the match ended in a 0-0 draw with few chances for either side, and some home supporters decided to voice their concerns with boos.

Adam Idah's toothless performance for Celtic

The Ireland international failed to score in the opening two games in the Scottish Premiership, missing three ‘big chances’, but was rewarded with another opportunity to impress on Wednesday night.

Performance in Numbers

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

Unfortunately, Idah did not impress at Parkhead in the first leg clash and was substituted at half-time in favour of Yang, which allowed Maeda to play through the middle.

In his 45 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, the former Norwich marksman registered zero shots, created zero chances, and only completed five passes. Toothless.

However, Idah was far from the only Celtic attacker who failed to perform. Rodgers should also ruthlessly ditch James Forrest from the starting XI for the second leg.

Why James Forrest should be dropped

As aforementioned, Rodgers wants more attacking players in the building and that is why it feels harsh to criticise the veteran Scottish winger too badly, as he may not have been playing if the manager had his way with transfers already.

However, you have to deal with the situation at hand and that is why the manager should drop Forest, who was given a 5/10 player rating by the Scotsman, for the second leg, as he was just as ineffective as Idah at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst the Irish striker did not do himself any favours with some of his touches, the lack of quality in the wide positions also meant that the forward was starved of service most of the time.

Minutes

45

70

Touches

12

48

Shots

0

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

1/4

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

1/2

0/0

Duels won

3/7

1/3

As you can see in the table above, Forrest had 36 more touches than Idah yet did not attempt a single cross into the box in an attempt to create a chance for his teammates.

His lack of quality in his attempted dribbles played a part in that because his failure in three of his four attempts limited the space he had to put crosses into the box, as he was unable to beat his opposing full-back to create the space that was needed.

Ultimately, Celtic should not want to be relying on the 34-year-old, who scored one goal in all competitions last season, to win them matches in the Champions League, but that is the situation they have found themselves in.

It did not work on Wednesday night and that is why Rodgers should roll the dice with Yang out wide on the right for the second leg, unless the club are able to wrap up a move for a new winger in the days leading up to the trip to Kazakhstan.

Yang upgrade: Celtic have serious interest in deal for "flamboyant" winger

Celtic reportedly have a serious interest in a star who would be a big upgrade on Hyun-jun Yang.

ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2025

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