Even before Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz this summer, it was noted that Alexander Isak was the dream target for Arne Slot and Co.

He was the dream target for Arsenal too, only for the Gunners to decide he was too expensive. Instead, they are set to sign Viktor Gyokeres, someone who David Ornstein revealed on Tuesday was on the shortlist of the Anfield recruitment team too.

The Reds, despite their reported willingness to slap as much as £130m on the table, do have one problem. Newcastle United do not want to sell and are unlikely to change their stance on that unless an offer of around £150m was made.

That bid isn’t entirely out of the question but with Wirtz having already been signed for £116m, you sense Liverpool will need to make some sales. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez could well be the players to make way in an attempt to fund their push for the Toon striker.

Fortunately, FSG do have alternatives lined up.

Liverpool's attacking shortlist

The idea of signing Isak is a dreamy one but it’s probably unlikely in the grand scheme of things. However, Liverpool have essentially given Newcastle an ultimatum. Let us have Isak or we’ll make a play to sign your number one target, Hugo Ekitike.

The Magpies reportedly made an offer to sign the Frenchman on Monday, one that was rejected, but the Merseyside outfit are also at the table and will allegedly turn their attention to Eintracht Frankfurt striker if Isak is unattainable.

According to the Daily Mail, other options this summer could be Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and rather surprisingly, Marcus Rashford.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Given Nunez’s likely exit, Liverpool will certainly need to replace him but with Diaz also potentially on his way to Bayern Munich – subject of a bid this week – signing cover there may also be required.

That’s where Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo comes into the equation. Since Xabi Alonso arrived in the Spanish capital, he’s not particularly favoured the Brazilian.

He could be looking for an exit route out of Madrid, having played just 92 minutes at this summer’s Club World Cup in the USA. For much of the ongoing window, Arsenal had looked like favourites to secure the winger’s signature but Liverpool have burst into the race this week.

That’s according to reports from Spain that reveal ‘Liverpool will send an emissary to Madrid to sign him’.

They are now said to be ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal in the race to sign Rodrygo, although Bayern are considering entering the fight if they fail in their attempts to sign Diaz.

Madrid value the 24-year-old at €100m (£87m), but Richard Hughes and Co hope to be able to negotiate that price down.

What Rodrygo could add to the Liverpool attack

Signing Rodrygo and Isak this summer would be unlikely, but wow, would this make Liverpool favourites for the Premier League title again.

It’s not completely beyond the realms of fantasy to suggest they could be playing in the same team this season. Darwin Nunez is likely to fetch a price tag of close to £50m while Diaz, if he departs Anfield, will be sold for over £58m after Bayern’s offer totally that amount was rejected this week.

So, there are some additional funds there, and while signing an elite centre-forward will be the priority, Rodrygo would be a dazzling addition to the Reds’ forward line.

First and foremost, the Brazil international is a winger. He favours the left-hand side of the pitch but as he cohabited in the same team as Kylian Mbappe and Vini Jr last season, he played in an unfavoured role on the right.

He can even play through the middle with former Real boss, Carlo Ancelotti, suggesting he is a “special striker, he can play in all positions.”

It’s on the left where you sense Rodrygo would find the most joy, potentially replacing Diaz. While he still scored 14 times last term, registering 11 assists, his best campaign in a Madrid shirt came during 2022/23 when he played on a mixture of sides.

During that term, he netted 19 times and also provided 11 assists, showcasing his credentials as an elite wide player.

Blessed with incredible dribbling ability, whether it be Isak, whether it be Ekitike, they would love playing alongside Rodrygo. Here’s why.

Shot-creating actions

4.56

Top 3%

Progressive passes

4.69

Top 2%

Progressive carries

5.07

Top 2%

Succesful take-ons

2.15

Top 2%

Key passes

2.09

Top 3%

Analysing the data above, Rodrygo is the definition of a livewire. He takes players on with great regularity, he can pick a pass out and he’s incredibly progressive.

That is a dream for any striker, not least Isak, one of the best centre-forwards in the global game.

It’s safe to say the Swede is hot property this summer and it’s no surprise to see why. He bagged 27 goals in 42 outings during 2024/25, 23 of which came in the Premier League. That made him the division’s second-highest goalscorer, only behind Mo Salah.

Now, while Isak certainly didn’t receive bad service from the likes of Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy last term, they aren’t Rodrygo. He’s one of the best dribblers, one of the most progressive players in Europe; Isak would thrive alongside him. Whether Liverpool can make it happen, however, is another debate.

He's better than Ekitike: Liverpool chasing "monster" £60m Isak alternative

Liverpool are looking to sign a new number nine in the summer transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

The left-arm quick took a career-best haul to lead Australia to a tight victory over Pakistan which clinched the T20I series

Andrew McGlashan17-Nov-2024Spencer Johnson is building some good memories of the SCG. For his second consecutive outing there he walked away as player of the match as a career-best 5 for 26 sealed the T20I series against Pakistan.They were the best figures by an Australia men’s quick in T20Is, moving above James Faulkner’s 5 for 27 also against Pakistan in Mohali in 2016, and it follows his title-winning performance in last season’s BBL final against Sydney Sixers where he claimed 4 for 26. Throw in 3 for 28 also against Sixers in early 2023, and he has 12 wickets at 6.66 in T20s at the ground.Related

Maxwell sets up Australia win in seven-over thrash

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“That doesn’t really make any sense to be honest,” Johnson said of his figures on Saturday evening. “It’s nice to be back at the SCG. My last time here was the Big Bash final and the conditions were in the bowler’s favour.”Much like that BBL game, where he was struck for three boundaries off his four balls before turning things around, it wasn’t an ideal start in front of a crowd of 31,563 as his first ball went for five wides down the leg side and his third was taken first slip.But Johnson had confidence in himself, and in his second over removed Sahibzada Farhan. Then when he returned in the 10th over he put himself on a hat-trick with the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha before making the decisive blow by removing Usman Khan for 52 when he was threatening to turn the game back Pakistan’s way.”I’ve played enough T20 cricket to know game to game you can have good games and bad games,” Johnson said. “A lot of time it’s through no fault of your own. You can mis-execute. But I knew tonight I had three overs to bounce back. I felt like the first over in that Big Bash final was a bit under pressure, and I was thinking back to that game and that I still had three overs to contribute to the team.”Johnson is among a group of Australian quick bowlers who fight for their opportunities in white-ball cricket when the big three of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are absent as they are for this series. With that trio having spoken of Test cricket being a priority, there could be a chance of some renewal in Australia’s first-choice T20 attack ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup following their Super Eight exit at this year’s tournament although Johnson is not expecting rapid change.”I know the big three will be here for a long time,” Johnson said. “They’re not going anywhere, they are only getting better. To be able to chop in and be part of the squad a lot more will only help me there. They are unbelievably durable and have done it for so long. They are definitely the benchmark.”Johnson, who missed the UK white-ball tour in September with a side strain, admitted that backing up game after game remained the challenge for him. He is expected to play the final T20I in Hobart on Monday which would make it four games in a row having also featured in the deciding ODI in Perth and has his sights set on a Sheffield Shield outing for South Australia before the BBL with Brisbane Heat.”The durability question mark is there for me, and, hopefully, the more I play the more durable I get.” he said. “I feel like the body’s getting there. It’s taken its time.”

Where will Newcastle United’s striker search take them next?

The Magpies were in the race to sign Benjamin Šeško, even agreeing a £70m fee with RB Leipzig, but the Slovenian chose to move to Manchester United instead, a transfer that was officially announced on Saturday morning.

So now, has Eddie Howe identified his latest top target?

Newcastle's striker search

It’s been a busy summer in terms of Newcastle United strikers, both in terms of players at the club, as well as ones they’d like to bring to Tyneside.

Callum Wilson was released earlier this summer, while Alexander Isak is yet to feature in pre-season, as he aims to force through a move to Liverpool although, as reported by Luke Edwards of the Telegraph, the Swede has been informed he ‘will not be allowed’ to move this summer, the latest twist to this saga that is drawing no closer to a conclusion.

Meantime, on top of Šeško, the Magpies have failed in their attempts to sign fellow strikers João Pedro, Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitiké and Matheus Cunha, all of whom have joined Premier League rivals, while they’ve also seen a £25m bid for Yoane Wissa rejected by Brentford.

Sam Tabuteau of the Evening Standard believes that the Magpies are ‘preparing a fresh bid’ for the DR Congo international, but should they go for a different striker from within the Premier League?

Well, according to Ed Aarons of the Guardian, Newcastle currently lead the race to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, adding that the Senegalese striker has informed the Blues of his desire to leave, falling down the pecking order following the arrivals of the aforementioned Pedro and Delap.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Aarons adds that Jackson has ‘trained alone’ at Cobham, valued at around £80m by Chelsea, albeit the Blues are ready to ‘accept’ a fee closer to £65m.

So, could Jackson soon swap West London for the North East?

How Nicolas Jackson would improve Newcastle

Despite often being widely ridiculed, Jackson’s statistics since arriving at Chelsea two summers ago are largely impressive.

He scored 17 goals during his debut campaign in England, before adding a further 13 goals to his tally last time round, despite sitting out around three months of the campaign due to a hamstring injury.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him an “extraordinary” talent, while Moe Adikwu of Breaking the Lines praises his work rate and ‘ability to get into goal-scoring positions’, projecting he will become a ‘top striker’.

Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of the Athletic agree, outlining his ‘excellent’ pressing, with Ed Dove of ESPN documenting how Chelsea’s form nosedived during his injury last season, describing his ‘broader contribution… without the ball’ as invaluable.

So, would Jackson be a better signing than Newcastle’s other target, Wissa?

Let’s compare the pair to find out.

Appearances

65

69

Minutes

5,050

5,437

Goals

24

31

Assists

10

9

Shots

2.8

2.61

Shots on target %

46.2%

41.4%

Goals – xG

-7

+1.9

Shot-creating actions

164

133

Touches

30

28

% of touches in the box

17%

17%

As the table documents, Jackson and Wissa are stylistically very similar players, emphasised by the fact they accumulate a very similar number of touches per-90, registering an identical percentage of these touches in the opposition’s penalty area.

Jackson’s most eye-catching statistic is the fast he has underperformed his expected goals by seven across the last two Premier League seasons, missing a whopping 43 Opta-defined big chances, which is significantly more than anybody else.

Flipping that into a positive, it proves that the Senegal international is getting into good positions but just not taking these chances, a skillset he could improve in the future.

Still only 24 years old, while Wissa’s 29th birthday is coming up next month, Jackson would represent the more shrewd investment from Newcastle, given that the pair are pretty similar in quality at this very moment, but the current Chelsea forward has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the Premier League in the longer terms.

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يلتقي منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا، بنظيره منتخب تشيلي، صباح يوم السبت في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للشباب.

ويتواجه منتخب مصر مع تشيلي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس العالم للشباب والتي تقام في تشيلي. 

 طالع: ملخص مباراة مصر ونيوزيلندا (1-2) كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عام

وكان منتخب مصر الشباب تحت قيادة مديره الفني أسامة نبيه قد تعرض للهزيمة في أول مباراتين في دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس العالم للشباب أمام كلا من اليابان ونيوزيلندا على الترتيب. 

ويتذيل منتخب مصر المجموعة بدون نقاط، بينما يتصدر منتخب اليابان المجموعة برصيد 6 نقاط، بينما يتساوى منتخب تشيلي ونيوزيلندا في نفس الترتيب برصيد 3 نقاط لكل فريق. 

ويتمسك منتخبنا الوطني للشباب بالأمل، في الفوز على منتخب تشيلسي”مستضيف البطولة”، من أجل ضمان التأهل إلى الدور المقبل من بطولة كأس العالم للشباب.  موعد مباراة منتخب مصر الشباب أمام تشيلي في كأس العالم تحت 20 عاماً

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة منتخب الشباب أمام نظيره منتخب تشيلي للشباب في الثانية فجر السبت بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة منتخب الشباب أمام تشيلي في كأس العالم 

وتنقل مباراة منتخب مصر الشباب أمام نظيره منتخب تشيلي على قناة بي إن سبورت المفتوحة على قمر النايل سات.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

 

Rohit Sharma took heart from India’s performance at the Gabba, particularly in the way they were able to save the follow-on and then take a few quick wickets when Australia were batting in the second innings.Although they fell behind in the game – after winning the toss and choosing to bowl – KL Rahul held the batting together in their first innings with his 84 and their lower-order rallied hard enough to effectively dismiss Australia’s hopes of a win. India were helped in large parts by the rain in Brisbane which affected all but one day’s play.”This thing has been in our team for a while now that we don’t give up easily, whatever the situation. We want to keep fighting. Even when we bowled in the second innings, we had the same intensity that we wanted to bowl them out for 60-70 runs because we knew they would play their shots and look to score quickly. That gives you opportunities and we get some as well. But we didn’t have enough time to chase 270-280 in 50 overs.”Related

• 'We're not going to take any risk' – Rohit on Shami's fitness

• Ind, Aus take a moment to recalibrate with everything up for grabs

• Only murmurs in the building: Gabba shrouded in mystery before Ashwin bombshell

• WTC final race – How can India, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka qualify?

Australia batted with the purpose of setting up a declaration on day five, so they went out and took a lot of risks and in the process lost a lot of wickets. They declared on 89 for 7 and had about one session or so to go for a win but then the rains came again.”There’s pressure on the other team too,” Rohit said. “Until you put some pressure on the other team you won’t come to know how they react under pressure. When we were here last, we had chased 320-330 [328] on the last day and they’ll remember that in the back of their mind, they know we are capable of chasing like this. Whatever happened today, it gave us confidence ahead of Melbourne. We’re aware we have to start from scratch, conditions are different there and the ball may not move around so much there like it did here. We have to analyse all this and proceed.”Rohit’s own form is a matter of concern as well with the 10 he scored in Brisbane being his highest score in four innings so far on the tour, including a practice game in Canberra.”Yeah, I have not batted well. There is no harm in accepting that. But I know what’s in my mind. How I am preparing myself. All those boxes are very much ticked. It’s just about spending as much time as possible [batting].”Which I am pretty sure I am just there. As long as my mind, my body, my feet are moving well. I am pretty happy with how things are panning out for me.Sometimes those numbers can tell you that it’s been a while since he has got big runs. But for a person like me, I think it’s all about how I feel in my mind. What kind of prep I am having before each game. And how I am feeling about myself. That’s the most important thing.”And I am feeling good about myself, to be honest. Yeah, runs are obviously not showing that. But inside it’s a different feeling.”India move to Melbourne on Thursday for the fourth Test of the series which remains locked at 1-1, and the team is fairly pleased with that state of affairs.”It might appear that we were lagging behind in this Test but we take a lot from here,” Rohit said. “I’m immensely proud of the attitude we have shown because runs and wickets are one thing, but if your attitude and character are good then you can turn the impossible into possible.”

Chelsea are listening to offers for many members of their bloated squad this summer.

Player "personally trying to force" Chelsea move as club reduce asking price

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ByEmilio Galantini Jul 30, 2025

Yet more high-profile players could follow the likes of João Félix and Noni Madueke out of the Stamford Bridge exit door before deadline day on September 1, with Chelsea under some pressure from UEFA to balance out their incomings through outgoings.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

The club struck an agreement with UEFA to do this, or risk not being able to register new signings in their Champions League squad next season (Kaveh Solhekol).

This comes after Chelsea were fined for breaching FFP rules earlier this month, which is why sales will be crucial for BlueCo despite the club being in a pretty solid position when it comes to the Premier League’s separate PSR laws.

Chelsea have raised around £158 million through transfers already this summer, coming after Ishe Samuels-Smith sealed a £6.5 million move to sister club Strasbourg on Thursday.

The defender joins Felix, Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and Mathis Amougou on Chelsea’s list of confirmed sales so far, but many more could still leave before the deadline.

Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Alfie Gilchrist and Nicolas Jackson have all been linked with exits at some point this summer, with Chelsea demanding a premium for the latter.

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea value Jackson at up to £100 million, amid rumoured interest from Man United and other top clubs.

Chelsea sources expect Nicolas Jackson to seal 'out of nowhere' exit

Chelsea are not opposed to selling the Senegalese this summer, with Jackson enduring a torrid end to 2024/2025 despite scoring in the Conference League final against Real Betis.

He managed just one Premier League goal after the turn of the new year, spending some time on the sidelines through injury, and got sent off for a red card against Flamengo at the Club World Cup.

Journalist Simon Phillips has previously reported that Jackson’s agents are working to secure him a move elsewhere, and the same reporter has shared a fresh update via his Stamford Bridge sources.

Phillips writes that Chelsea insiders expect Jackson to seal an “out of nowhere” exit, and the former Villarreal star is now getting offers.

“SPTC sources heard just yesterday that ‘Jackson is getting offers’ now and this story is progressing. I still think he goes but again though, it’s not a dead cert that Chelsea replace him. But they will certainly explore options to do so and have a desire to do so.

“Our sources think a Jackson departure will come out of nowhere at this point.”

The 24-year-old has been linked not just to United, but a variety of Premier League sides.

It is believed by some that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is keen to work with Jackson again, coming after the pair’s time together in La Liga at Villarreal.

He could be an adept solution for sides desperate to sign a new centre-forward, but they’ll first have to get past Chelsea’s sky-high valuation.

Disgraced former Premier League David Coote has pleaded not guilty on the charge of making an indecent video of a child.

• Appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court
• Granted conditional bail
• Currently banned by the Premier League & UEFA

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on September 11, confirming his full name and address, as reported by the Mirror. After entering a not guilty plea, he was granted conditional bail. He was told: "You will next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9 for a plea and case management hearing.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Coote stands accused of having made one indecent video of a child of category A on January 2, 2020 – which is the most serious category as it typically relates to young children being sexually abused by adults.

  District Judge Gilliam Young handed Coote bail conditions that stipulate he must have no contact with any child under the age of 18 or reside at an address where a person under the age of 18 is present.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Prosecutor Ben Payne stated that police became involved in the case after an independent company examined two mobile phones and allegedly found "two conversations of concern". A laptop is also said to have been seized from the address where Coote was arrested – with the category A image being discovered on that device.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) in December 2024 after a video emerged online showing him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He was charged by the FA in June 2025 over those comments.

  In February 2025, Coote was banned by UEFA following the release of a video that appeared to show him snorting a white powder at Euro 2024. He had come out as gay a month earlier.

MatériaMais Notícias

Durante a entrevista coletiva após a vitória do São Paulo por 3 a 0 sobre o América-MG, o técnico Dorival Júnior concedeu entrevista coletiva no Morumbi, e comentou seu início de trabalho no clube. O técnico revelou qual será a sua principal dificuldade nesses primeiros momentos após o retorno.

– Você tem que mostrar e aplicar (no treino), repetindo as variações possíveis, todas as possibilidades que existem dentro de uma partida. Por isso que ontem seria impossível qualquer tipo de ação nesse sentido – contou.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloEm estreia com vitória, Dorival Júnior fala sobre a saída de Ceni do São Paulo e destaca: ‘Ele representa todo legado’São Paulo22/04/2023São PauloDorival explica mudanças em reestreia pelo São Paulo e revela busca por ‘segundo homem’ no meio-campoSão Paulo22/04/2023São PauloRafael fala sobre destaque em vitória do São Paulo e agradece carinho da torcida: ‘Hoje foi um dia inesquecível’São Paulo22/04/2023

+ATUAÇÕES: Rafael tem noite de “paredão” e salva São Paulo na estreia de Dorival

+Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

O treinador fez algumas mudanças na equipe em relação ao que era proposto anteriormente por Rogério Ceni. No entanto, Dorival deu a entender que o risco foi ‘calculado’, já que esperava dificuldades no jogo.

-Eu mudei, sim, a postura de um ou outro jogador dentro de campo, mas eu sabia que nós teríamos muita dificuldade. Eu imaginava que sofreríamos mais defensiva do que ofensivamente, acredito que tenha sido que o que aconteceu. Não criamos da forma gostaríamos mas fomos muito eficientes na nas chegadas.

Por fim, o comandante Tricolor exaltou seu time, mesmo com os defeitos naturais de início de trabalho e que serão ajustados. De acordo com Dorival, a equipe teve coisas boas, e o ‘espírito’ da equipe foi fundamental para a conquista dos primeiros três pontos do clube no Brasileirão.

A próxima partida do São Paulo está marcada para quarta-feira (25), às 21h30 (hora de Brasília) pelo duelo de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, diante do Ituano no estádio Novelli Júnior. O jogo de ida terminou em 0 a 0, e o Tricolor precisa de uma vitória simples para se classificar.

continua após a publicidade

Germany Legend Michael Ballack believes Barcelona will win the Champions League, while dismissing Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Ballack picks Barcelona as his title favouritesSays Bayern lacks momentum While City and Real face squad upheavalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Europe's premier club competition kicks off next week with Paris Saint-Germain looking to defend their status as continental champions from the likes of Spanish treble winners Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, among other challengers. However, Ballack feels only one team is truly capable of dethroning Luis Enrique's team this season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After a complete sweep of domestic trophies, Barca strengthened their squad with the signings of Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford in the summer as they look to improve on last season's semi-final elimination from the Champions League last season. Many of their rivals, however, have made significant changes, too, with Bayern splashing out on Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson.

City, meanwhile, have replaced key players like Kevin De Bruyne with Tijjani Reijnders while Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki were also brought in. Madrid are off to a strong start in La Liga under new coach Xabi Alonso and hope to seal Champions League glory in his first attempt. The Spaniard has a new squad in hand and is still figuring out their best side, with almost everyone at risk of being dropped.

Despite these improvements, Ballack sees only two top contenders to win the prize this season, giving his backing to Lamine Yamal-led Barca and PSG.

WHAT BALLACK SAID

The ex-Bayern and Chelsea midfielder told : "Bayern can beat any opponent. But we have to talk about momentum: Last season, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Inter. That's why Bayern are not among the absolute top favourites for me, but rather a challenger. I also don't count Manchester City among the top favourites based on their past performances and the upheaval. [Real Madrid], not either. The situation there is somewhat comparable to that at Manchester City."

Instead it is Hansi Flick's team he sees as the eventual winners, adding: "Of course FC Barcelona. The team is strong, and especially in Lamine Yamal, they have an outstanding difference-maker in their ranks – and in Hansi Flick, a coach who's a perfect fit. Of course, you have to count Paris Saint-Germain, as defending champions, among the top favorites. The team has become a top team under coach Luis Enrique."

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Getty Images SportWHAT'S NEXT?

The Champions League group stages are on the horizon as Bayern face Chelsea, City face Napoli, Real face Marseille, and Barcelona face Newcastle in their opening fixtures in this year's campaign. 

Bengal, Chandigarh, Andhra, UP, Baroda, Delhi, MP, Saurashtra, Mumbai and Vidarbha made it to the knockouts

Shashank Kishore06-Dec-2024

File photo: Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged a hat-trick against Jharkhand•BCCI

On Thursday, that saw the final round of group fixtures at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), as many as 17 teams were in contention for the eight remaining knockouts spots. At the end of an engaging day’s play, this much was certain: Punjab won’t be defending their title this season despite Abhishek Sharma’s heroics, Mohammed Shami will have an opportunity to garner more match time with Bengal and Ajinkya Rahane’s scintillating form for Mumbai may yet keep him in conversations around captaincy at Kolkata Knight Riders. Here are the highlights from Thursday:Bhuvneshwar the hat-trick hero as UP enter knockoutsSigned for INR 10.75 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved he is not a spent force just yet. His hat-trick against Jharkhand in a match-winning effort helped Uttar Pradesh seal a pre-quarterfinals berth, where they will take on Andhra on Monday.Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy knockouts:

1st Pre-quarterfinal: Bengal vs Chandigarh (December 9)

2nd Pre-quarterfinal: Andhra v UP(December 9)

1st Quarter-final: Baroda vs winner of 1st PQF (Dec 11)

2nd Quarter-final: Delhi vs winner of 2nd PQF (Dec 11)

3rd Quarter-final: MP vs Saurashtra (Dec 11)

4th Quarter-final: Mumbai vs Vidarbha (Dec 11)

Bhuvneshwar, captaining UP, recorded figures of 4-1-6-3 – all his wickets coming in his final over – as Jharkhand fell short by 10 runs chasing 161. Among the wickets for Bhuvneshwar was the big-hitting Robin Minz. That Jharkhand got that close was because of allrounder Anukul Roy, who smashed a 44-ball 91 at No. 5.Earlier in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar upstaged Jasprit Bumrah to become the first Indian seamer to get 300 T20 wickets. Among Indians, only Yuzvendra Chahal (364), Piyush Chawla (319) and R Ashwin (310) have more T20 wickets than Bhuvneshwar (308).Shami continues pain-free returnShami picked up three wickets in another sure shot sign of him slowly returning to full match fitness, as Bengal stormed into the pre-quarterfinals where they will take on Chandigarh.Playing his seventh straight game of the competition, Shami picked up 3 for 26 as Bengal restricted Rajasthan to153 for 9, before half-centuries from Abishek Porel and Sudip Gharami helped seal a seven-wicket win.Related

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Shami has so far bowled his full quota of overs (27.3 out of a possible 28) in the seven games, while picking up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.67. Prior to SMAT, Shami had returned a match haul of seven wickets against Madhya Pradesh in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy last month, his first competitive outing since last year’s World Cup final.Bengal will take on Chandigarh in the pre-quarterfinal on Monday.Rahane 95 helps Mumbai record highest SMAT chaseIn a must-win, Mumbai eclipsed their previous highest chase of 227 to beat Andhra and set up a quarter-final on Wednesday against Vidarbha, the team they beat in last season’s Ranji final. Rahane’s 95 off just 54 balls, with nine fours and four sixes, kept Mumbai in the chase right until the end, before Suryansh Shedge finished it off in a blaze.Set an imposing 230, thanks to KS Bharat’s unbeaten 53-ball 93, Mumbai were fuelled by a rollicking opening stand of 51 in just four overs between Rahane and Prithvi Shaw, who made a 15-ball 34. Then they hit choppy waters with Shreyas Iyer (25) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) falling in quick succession.Rahane then found support from Shivam Dube, with whom he put on 54 in just 31 balls; Dube’s contribution to the partnership an 18-ball 34. At one stage, Mumbai needed 26 off 10, and Shedge, on 2 off 2 at that point, hit two fours and three sixes to finish on an unbeaten eight-ball 30 as Mumbai won with three balls to spare.File photo: Ajinkya Rahane continued his fine form in T20s•AFP/Getty Images

A win would have helped Andhra qualify directly for the quarter-finals as they would have topped the table. They will now have to play the pre-quarters because Mumbai and Andhra finished on the same points and Mumbai were the table-toppers because of their head-to-head against Andhra earlier in the league stage. Mumbai’s win also knocked Kerala out of the competition.Gujarat knocked out despite six wins in sevenNet run rate cruelly led to Gujarat’s group-stage exit as they lost out to Saurashtra and Baroda, who set the record for the highest T20 score, against Sikkim.When Gujarat blasted 251 for 5 batting first against Karnataka, thanks to opener Aarya Desai’s 73 off 40 and Axar Patel’s unbeaten 20-ball 56, there was no inkling of the heartbreak that was to follow. They managed to restrict Karnataka to 203, with Axar picking 2 for 22 off four overs in their 48-run win.However, Saurashtra managed to edge out Gujarat by chasing down their 137 target against Tripura in just 13.3 overs. In the end, Baroda, Saurashtra and Gujarat all finished on 24 points and Gujarat lost out on a knockout berth because their NRR was lower than Saurashtra’s by 0.335.