Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has claimed coffee is fuelling the Reds' bid for three trophies as he opens up on some of the team's training secrets.
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Liverpool chasing three trophiesSlot discusses life at AnfieldSays new coffee bar is helpingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Slot is in his first season as Liverpool boss after replacing Jurgen Klopp in the summer and has his team in great shape to lift silverware in the coming months. The Reds are top of the Premier League table, into the Carabao Cup final and finished first in the Champions League group phase in what's been an impressive campaign so far.
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Slot has opened up on his successful start to his tenure at Anfield and has highlighted the importance of teamwork and mentality. The Dutchman also revealed how he believes the installation of a new coffee bar at the club's state-of-the-art training centre is also helping his players thrive.
WHAT SLOT SAID
He told reporters: "They have always had breakfast together. What has changed, and what you see a lot, is we have created a coffee bar here. Players sit down over there, talk to each other, have a lot of fun together. If you have a coffee bar and you don’t have results, probably you don’t see the same vibe there. But I think it all adds towards success. I believe you need to have a good training ground. You need to have a good programme. You definitely need to have good people. I took a few people to this club who I think are doing their jobs really well and are good human beings. But the ones who already worked here are great professionals and great human beings also. Add that to a great facility, great players and a great mentality, then that can lead to a successful period."
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Liverpool's lead at the top of the table was cut to four points by Arsenal on Saturday with their win over Leicester City. However, the Reds will hope to extend the gap to seven once again by beating Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
Manchester United’s miserable run of form continued on Sunday afternoon with a controversial 2-1 defeat away to struggling West Ham United.
Erik ten Hag’s side might count themselves unlucky not to come away with a result, but they now find themselves 14th in the Premier League with just 11 points on the board.
United dominated the first 45 minutes but did not manage to find the back of the net. They came close on several occasions, with Diogo Dalot missing one of the easiest chances imaginable, firing over the bar when he had an open net to aim for.
In the second half, the momentum completely swung. After a dominant first period from the Red Devils, it was Julen Lopetegui’s Hammers who were on top.
Their pressure paid off, and Crysencio Summerville gave them the lead in the 74th minute. United fought back, and Casemiro equalised just seven minutes later.
However, with moments left on the clock, the home side were awarded a penalty after Danny Ings was deemed to be kicked over by Matthijs de Ligt. It was a controversial call, but meant West Ham got all three points after Jarrod Bowen slotted home the winner from the spot.
On a disappointing day in East London for United, there were some players who particularly struggled, including Alejandro Garnacho.
Garnacho’s stats vs. West Ham
Making his 100th senior appearance for the famous club, Garnacho had a day to forget at the London Stadium. Although he was involved in the game throughout, he missed some crucial chances and lost the ball for the Hammers’ opener.
The first of those misses came a matter of minutes into the game. Bruno Fernandes won the ball for United and squared it to his Argentine teammate in the penalty box, who proceeded to rattle the crossbar. He also fired a shot wide moments later, which he had looked to bend into the far right corner from the left-hand side of the box.
Indeed, the 20-year-old received a rating of just 5/10 for his performance at the London Stadium. Goal journalist Richard Martin described the youngster’s performance as ‘lively but really wasteful’.
His stats after the game confirmed how frustrating an afternoon it was for United’s number 17. Garnacho had 60 touches of the ball, but lost possession 16 times and missed one big chance. Off the ball, he won just one of his three attempted ground duels.
It was certainly a disappointing day for the young winger, and he was not the only one of the attackers who struggled. Rasmus Hojlund also had a tough day at the office.
Hojlund’s stats vs. West Ham
After being slowly eased back into action following injury by United boss Ten Hag, Hojlund hit the ground running with goals against Porto and Brentford. However, it was a different story at the London Stadium.
The young Danish striker barely got a kick against West Ham. Although United managed to create so many chances, his involvement was few and far between, and the one big chance he did get, which he did well to fashion out in the first place, was well saved by Lukasz Fabianski.
It was not an easy afternoon for United’s number nine, as his post-match stats suggest. Hojlund had just 26 touches, fewer than Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana, who had 40. Hojlund lost the ball six times and won just three of his five duels.
Touches
26
Pass accuracy
88%
Passes completed
15/17
Duels won
3/5
Number of times possession lost
6
Shots on target
2
Following the game, the striker received a rating of just 4/10 from Martin. He explained that the youngster ‘barely got a sniff’ against a West Ham defence who have had their frailties this season, to say the least.
United will be hoping to get Hojlund more involved in his next outing, with the side in desperate need of goals and wins as they look to pick up the momentum following a poor season so far.
Man Utd wasted £72m on "awful" flop who earned 5x more than Garnacho does
Real Madrid are reportedly urging fans to make 'corruption' chants at home to Girona as they step up complaints over refereeing in La Liga.
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Real protest La Liga refereeing callsBellingham latest player sent off Urge fans to make 'corruption' chantsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Relevo, Madrid are asking their own fans to sing, 'Corruption in the Federation' in the 12th minute of their La Liga clash with Girona on Sunday. This comes amid their ongoing criticism of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Referees Committee (CTA) following several refereeing decisions that haven't gone their way.
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The report adds that this is a 'significant' change as Madrid had previously urged supporters to not take part in this type of chanting but now president Florentino Perez wants 'war' with Spanish football.
DID YOU KNOW?
This recent ill feeling towards the refereeing in Spain has stemmed from Jude Bellingham's red card against Osasuna and the officiating in their 1-0 loss to Espanyol.
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All eyes will be on Madrid's fans to see if they go ahead with this chant against Girona at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
“One of my mantras is you can’t control the scoring if you don’t control the length”
Mohammad Isam09-Jan-2022Bangladesh head coach Ottis Gibson wants his bowlers to bowl better lengths to control New Zealand’s scoring in the ongoing second Test, at Christchurch. New Zealand bounced back from defeat in the first Test, with Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway guiding them to 349 for 1 at stumps on the opening day.Though Bangladesh bowled out New Zealand twice in the previous game, and eventually beat the home side for the first time in New Zealand, their bowlers produced an average bowling performance on Sunday.”We have to learn from today,” Gibson said. “We bowled too many four-balls today. Too many balls wide outside the offstump. When we missed our lengths, we got cut or got too full to be driven. You can’t allow the batters to score down the ground and both sides of the wicket. One of my mantras is you can’t control the scoring if you don’t control the length. We didn’t control the length today to build pressure on them.”Gibson, however, conceded that such performances are bound to happen at the highest level. “We saw the highs and lows of international sport today. Last week, we were on a high. We are, perhaps, still feeling the effects of last week’s emotional and physical investment. We didn’t hit our straps.”New Zealand would have been hurting from last week. They showed why they are one of the best teams in the world. They applied themselves. They left a lot better. They showed us why they are holding the [WTC] mace at the moment,” he said.Gibson said that Latham’s approach of leaving as many balls as possible in the first session paid off as Bangladesh were then forced to bowl at him. But, he also said the green pitch at the Hagley Oval didn’t quite play up to its high reputation of helping the fast bowlers.”I thought Latham played really well. He left a lot of good balls early this morning. He made us bowl to him. Unfortunately, we didn’t bowl enough good balls to create the sort of pressure we created last week. Conway is in unbelievable form.”The pitch didn’t do as much as we expected. But we didn’t bowl as well as we could have done either. When we bowled full, there wasn’t a lot of seam movement.”Gibson felt that winning the first Test on the back of a good bowling performance and conceding a lot of runs on Sunday were both part of the learning curve for his still-green bowling attack.”The guys have been going forward. Ebadot [Hossain] is our most experienced seamer with 12 games. Taskin [Ahmed] is playing his ninth, Shoriful [Islam] is playing his third. Look at the inexperience of the bowling attack and see where they got to last week in terms of growth and learning, but again, today is a lesson for them,” he said.
Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is finally beginning to see the fruits of his labour with regard to how his signings from the summer transfer window are performing.
A rebuild was certainly required at Ibrox, with plenty of high earners being sold or released, while a host of young talents arrived in Glasgow, along with a few experienced players.
With a few months of the season now completed, several players have established themselves as key members of Clement’s squad. Connor Barron, for example, has played in every single match this season so far, shining in the heart of the midfield.
Vaclav Cerny is another who has recently put a couple of bad performances behind him to embark on a wonderful run of form over the previous few weeks.
Vaclav Cerny
Indeed, the Czech winger has scored five goals and grabbed three assists in six games and there is no doubt the 27-year-old has cemented his place in the starting XI.
Others haven’t quite lived up to the hype on their arrival, especially a defender signed back in August…
How much Rangers paid for Robin Propper
One area which Clement needed to bolster during the summer was the Light Blues’ defensive options. Connor Goldson was sold after six years in Glasgow, while Leon Balogun was likely to enter his final season at the club.
This saw the Belgian turn to Europe in order to add some reinforcements to his squad, making a move for FC Twente captain Robin Propper.
The Dutchman had played over 200 times in the Eredivisie throughout his career, so it was clear the 31-year-old was experienced enough to take over from Goldson at the heart of the Gers defence.
Clement didn’t exactly have the biggest budget to play with, yet he managed to secure Propper’s signature for a fee in the region of just £1.5m due to a clause in his contract.
On the surface, it appeared to be a smart piece of business, yet after a few months, the centre-back hasn’t quite performed at his best for the Light Blues.
Robin Propper’s Rangers stats
Since making the move to Rangers, Propper has featured 14 times across all competitions, although he has had to settle for a place on the bench in the club’s last two domestic matches.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.
The former Twente captain has started three of their four Europa League ties, although his three starts have seen the club concede five goals, including four at home to Lyon in October.
During those games, Propper has won just 48% of his total duels each match, lost possession on average 9.5 times per game and completed just 80% of his passes.
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Europa League
Accurate passes
70.1
34.5
Tackles
1.9
1
Possession lost
8.7
9.5
Total duels won
6.1
3.5
Dribbled past
0.7
0.8
The defender has committed 1.5 fouls per game too, while being dribbled past on 0.8 occasions each match. Is he struggling with his discipline?
Question marks still surround Propper and his performances of late haven’t exactly convinced the Ibrox faithful that he is the right choice to be the leader in the heart of their defence.
Should the Gers have gone all out for a transfer target in 2023 who is now starring in the Champions League? Rather than wait another year for Goldson’s inevitable decline and having to replace him within a matter of weeks.
Auston Trusty was someone Michael Beale wanted, yet he ended up joining Celtic this summer.
Rangers' pursuit of Auston Trusty
Beale faced a similar conundrum to Clement during his first summer transfer window in charge, as a major rebuild was required at Ibrox.
One area which needed some overhauling was the defence, which led the Englishman to add several targets from down south to his list.
Trusty was one name that appeared quite frequently. In May 2023, the then Arsenal starlet was linked with a move to Ibrox, with the club reportedly even submitting a bid in July to secure his signature.
He ended up joining Sheffield United for the 2023/24 campaign, ensuring he got some first-team football in the Premier League.
It looked like the boat had sailed with regard to signing him during the summer, with Celtic eventually securing a deal for the defender, spending £6m to bring him north of the border.
The move looks like an inspired one, that’s for sure.
How Auston Trusty compares to Propper
Hailed by former teammate George Friend for being “incredible”, Trusty has shone for the Parkhead side during his first few months in Scotland, especially in the Champions League.
The American has played in all four of Celtic’s European games so far this season, as they have recorded two wins, a draw and a solitary defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Across three starts in Europe’s premier club competition, Trusty has succeeded with a staggering 96% of his passes, has been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game, won 4.5 total duels per game – a success rate of 62% – and has also lost possession just 2.3 times per match, showcasing his class on the biggest stage of all.
Compare these stats to Propper’s from the Europa League mentioned earlier, and they are night and day, with Trusty looking like the real deal in Europe.
Signing a competent defender can make all the difference when performing in continental competition.
This is one area in which Clement has struggled, and it is clear the Ibrox side blundered massively by failing to sign Trusty back in 2023.
Of course, the £5m asking price that Arsenal demanded was clearly too much for the club. Instead, they splashed money on players such as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo instead.
It remains to be seen what the Gers will do in the January window, especially as Balogun enters the final six months of his contract. With the midfield improving after every game while Cerny and Nedim Bajrami settle in nicely, might another defender be signed?
If they can land someone similar to Trusty, then the second half of the season may see a change in fortunes, no doubt about that.
Rangers loan star is now worth £20m & better than Bajrami after leaving
Rangers had the chance to sign a former loan star for £5m…
Liverpool have been warned by one of their former left-backs that any transfer deal for USMNT star Antonee Robinson is "not going to be cheap".
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Questions being asked of RobertsonUpgrade may be sought in 2025Raid on Craven Cottage being lined upFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Reds are reportedly ready to bolster their defensive unit, with a possible upgrade being sought on Scotland international Andy Robertson – who is approaching his 31st birthday. It has been suggested that a raid could be launched on Premier League rivals.
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United States international Robinson continues to impress at Fulham and is a player that should be enjoying the peak years of his career at the age of 27. He has been making important contributions at both ends of the field at Craven Cottage – much like Robertson has done across his memorable spell at Anfield.
WHAT JOHN ARNE RIISE SAID
Liverpool legend John Arne Riise, who knows all about the demands of life as a left-back, has told GOAL – while speaking in association with – when quizzed on imminent recruitment business: "I think it’s the right idea if Liverpool decide to strengthen that position. I think Andy Robertson needs tougher competition in that position. I don’t think [Kostas] Tsimikas is giving that kind of pressure.
"If Liverpool decide to invest in a younger one and a good one, I think that might make Robertson realise that he has to step up. He knows that he has to perform at the top level we have seen for the last three, four, five years. A new left-back will toughen up the competition and make Robertson step up.
"If he doesn’t, then the Fulham guy might be the one if he is good enough to come in and play. I think they should strengthen the left-back position."
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Riise – who also represented Fulham in his playing days – added on Robinson, who is tied to a contract through to 2028: "He’s not going to be cheap. Being Liverpool, when looking for players, all of the other clubs know the value of the player they have. The money in football at the moment is ridiculous.
"If it is Robinson, they know that is an investment for the next four, five, six, seven years. They need to start looking. Robertson is not getting any younger either. I think it’s time to get one in and make that left-back position more competitive."
Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday as they prepare to travel away from Parkhead to take on Hearts in the evening kick-off.
The Hoops have had a two-week break, thanks to the last international window of 2024, and will be hoping to pick up where they left off, having won ten of their 11 matches in the league thus far.
Brendan Rodgers will be hoping that all of his stars return from international duty without any injury issues that could keep them out for the upcoming matches in the Premiership and the Champions League.
He may, therefore, be thankful that his three Japanese gems barely featured for their country, as Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate made one substitute appearance each, whilst Daizen Maeda featured in both games as a substitute.
The trio were not overworked by Japan in their two matches and will now return to Celtic fresh and ready to compete, and possibly start, against Hearts on Saturday.
Hatate has faced serious competition for his place in the starting XI for the Scottish giants this season, though, with the additions of Arne Engels and Luke McCowan, and the return of Paulo Bernardo, in the summer.
Reo Hatate's form for Celtic
The 26-year-old star has still managed to make the line-up on a regular basis in the Premiership, with nine starts in 11 matches, and that speaks to how much Rodgers trusts him.
Hatate, who was restricted to 16 league outings last term through injury, has prevented McCowan and Bernardo from being regular starters in the top-flight, with Engels and Callum McGregor the usual picks alongside him in the midfield three.
The Japan international has earned his place in the starting XI with dynamic and quality performances in the middle of the park, as he has been able to showcase his ability in possession.
Appearances
11
Goals
3
Big chances created
4
Assists
0
Key passes per game
1.3
As you can see in the table above, Hatate has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator from a midfield position for Celtic in the Premiership, and he has been unfortunate not to register a single assist so far.
His return of zero assists from four ‘big chances’ created and 14 key passes suggests that his teammates have let him down with their wasteful finishing in the final third, as they have not made the most of his creativity.
The midfield whiz has also produced one goal and one assist in four matches in the Champions League for Celtic, starting three of those matches on the European stage, with his goal coming against RB Leipzig earlier this month.
Despite Hatate’s strong form in all competitions this season, Rodgers could go and land an upgrade on the Hoops star by swooping for one of the club’s reported transfer targets – Lennon Miller.
Celtic's interest in Lennon Miller
The Daily Mail recently reported that Celtic are interested in a potential move to sign the Scotland U21 international from Premiership rivals Motherwell when the January transfer window opens for business.
It was claimed that the Hoops and their Glasgow rivals Rangers are both preparing swoops to snap the Scottish starlet up ahead of the second half of the season.
The report added, however, that Premier League giants Liverpool are also keeping tabs on the 18-year-old dynamo and could join the race for his signature. This suggests that Celtic and Rangers could face some serious competition for his services, as Arne Slot’s side are currently top of the English top-flight and could be an attractive destination.
Celtic were dealt a blow by the attraction of a move to Anfield in 2022 when 16-year-old starlet Ben Doak decided to move on from Parkhead to join the Reds for a compensation fee of £600k.
The Bhoys will be hoping that the allure of the Premier League does not hurt them again, as Miller could be an excellent addition to Rodgers’ squad in January.
It was reported by the Daily Mail that Motherwell are set to hold out for a fee of around £4m and Celtic must now splash out to sign him as quickly as possible, to stop Liverpool or Rangers from beating them to his signature.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Journalist Mark Guidi recently claimed a fee of £3.5m plus add-ons would be a “bargain” for the Hoops and added that the “hot” sensation has the potential to get “hotter” in the future, suggesting that Celtic could then make a big profit further down the line.
Why Lennon Miller would be an upgrade on Reo Hatate
Rodgers should push for the board to snap the Scottish teenager up when the January transfer window opens for business because his performances in the Premiership this season have been nothing short of outstanding.
Miller only turned 18 in August and has already established himself as one of the stars in his position in the league, after playing 25 times as a 17-year-old in the division last season.
As you can see in the clip above, the teenage sensation did showcase his quality against Celtic earlier this year, spinning McGregor and providing a brilliant assist.
He used the 2023/24 campaign to settle into senior football and gain vital experience in the Premiership by playing week-in-week-out for Motherwell, and is now kicking on and thriving.
Appearances
11
11
Goals
2
3
Big chances created
5
4
Key passes per game
2.1
1.3
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
1.7
Ball recoveries per game
6.5
3.6
As you can see in the table above, Miller has offered a similar level of quality to Hatate in the final third, as they have both produced seven goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in the Premiership.
However, the Scottish starlet has provided far more to his team out of possession as a defensive and combative presence in the middle of the park, with 9.5 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game.
These statistics suggest that Miller would come in at Parkhead as an upgrade on the Japan international, by offering the same qualities at the top end of the pitch whilst being far better off the ball to protect his defence.
Celtic's huge talent who left for just £600k is now becoming "world-class"
The former Celtic man has impressed whilst playing for his country this season.
1 ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2024
At the age of 18, he is also eight years younger than Hatate and has more time ahead of him to develop and improve, which is why Rodgers must swoop to bring him to Glasgow in January.
Kolpak returnee realistic about his chances of making a Test comeback in New Zealand
Alagappan Muthu07-Feb-2022Simon Harmer once thought he was done with playing for South Africa. He and his brother even had plans to memorialise his kit in a beach house that they are hoping to buy. All that will have to be put on hold now that the 32-year-old offspinner has been picked to represent his country again.Come February 17, Harmer could be playing his first Test for South Africa since November 2015. But it’s a long shot. For one thing, the game will be played in New Zealand, where spin is often an afterthought. And for another, South Africa already have that base covered with Keshav Maharaj who has 119 wickets in 35 Tests over the last five years. Among his peers, only Nathan Lyon (187), R Ashwin (182) and Ravindra Jadeja (121) have done better.”I think if we’re realistic, if you look at the Hagley Oval, it’s probably the greenest and bounciest and quickest wickets in New Zealand so the chances of us playing two spinners is very low,” Harmer said. “So I’m just going to make sure that I’m available if needed. If something was to happen – Kesh has done extremely well in his international cricket thus far. And I’m always going to be a supporting act to him which I hope I can do to the best of my ability if the opportunity does arise.”But for this tour, I just have to work really hard and support the guys that will be playing and just to try and add value where I can, whether it be music in the change room, whether it be throwing balls, whether it be pushing guys to try and be better.”Harmer, the highest wicket-taker in the 2021-22 four-day franchise series, only made it to the squad because the usual back-up spinner George Linde is getting married this month and was unavailable to tour.”We [the Titans team] were on our way to Bloemfontein and I was sitting at the back of the car and I got a message from [selection convenor] Victor Mpitsang saying, let me know when you get to Bloem, we can have a chat. I was a bit unsure. I had spoken to him a few weeks earlier just about where I fit in and how I can compete for a place in the team and sort of how the whole selection thing is going to work. So I thought he was calling about that. He did a good job of keeping me in suspense.”This opportunity has arisen because things have happened. That’s how sport works. There’s injuries. There’s other things. The whole dynamic that makes up professional sport. I’m under no illusion as to why I’m here but I am here now and I’ve just got to try and show people what I’m about, what my brand is about. It’s obviously been a long time since I’ve been involved in the set-up. I think I’ve matured a lot and I understand what I need to do and how I need to go about it.”Harmer’s journey – from making his Test debut in January 2015, then cutting ties with CSA and moving to England as a Kolpak player and finally having to come back to fight for a spot again – has changed his perspective.”Everything I aspired to do and to be was to play international cricket. Reflecting on that, I think, the mistake I made is I didn’t reassess my goals once I got there. I had this ultimate goal to play for South Africa. My dream was to play for South Africa. And I achieved that. But once I achieved that, I didn’t reassess. ‘Okay, you’ve now achieved this goal. What’s next?’ So that’s one thing I’ve done over the last few years is to make sure that I’ve got goals for myself every year. Some of them might be out of reach but it’s things I aspire to be each year, which I think has helped me a lot.”Plus, I’ve realised that cricket isn’t the be-all-end-all. There’s a lot more to life.”Harmer is already working on becoming a lawyer once his playing days are over. “I have always kind of been the black sheep of the family. Always enjoyed my sport, never wanted to be in my room doing homework, always wanted to be outside. I didn’t know what I wanted to do study-wise. Got myself into trouble with the law and sort of found out through that it is an interesting field. That’s how I stumbled into law.”I have understood I have got my time under the sun in terms of my cricket career and one day that’s going to come to an end; the sun’s going to set. I need to have something to fall back on in terms of my future family and the aspirations and dreams I want to achieve in my life post cricket. The corporate world is something I want to move into after cricket. I don’t want to be involved in cricket after I break away and [I want to] have an identity to do something different.”
Amelia Kerr’s three-four and Sophie Devine’s 93 go in vain for New Zealand, who go down for the third time in the tournament
Firdose Moonda17-Mar-2022A heroic performance by Marizanne Kapp, not for the first time at this World Cup either, made all the difference as South Africa extended their winning streak to four matches. Kapp scored 34* in 35 balls as South Africa made hard work of what should have been a simpler chase and snuck home by two wickets, handing New Zealand their third loss in five matches.It was South Africa’s 13th win chasing in 15 matches (with one no-result and one tie) since the start of 2020, and their first victory over New Zealand in World Cups, and had them drawing level on points with Australia at the top. The result left South Africa one win away from securing a semi-final spot, but New Zealand are in a precarious position and at risk of missing out on the knockouts.Replying to New Zealand’s 228, South Africa were cruising at 161 for 2 in the 36th over. Laura Wolvaardt had racked up her third successive half-century, after being put down on 33; Sune Luus was on her way to a second fifty, and Amelia Kerr, whose first seven overs cost 46 runs, was brought on to bowl.Cue chaos.Laura Wolvaardt scored her third half-century on the bounce•ICC via Getty ImagesSouth Africa lost three wickets for nine runs in 27 balls, including both Wolvaardt and Luus, to leave it to the lower order to finish the chase. South Africa needed 59 runs off 59 balls when Luus was dismissed. Kapp and Chloe Tryon, the same pair that got South Africa out of jail against England, came together to put on 28 runs off 30 balls, but Tryon couldn’t see it through, as she stepped out and hit Frances Mackay to Amelia Kerr at deep midwicket at the start of the 46th over. South Africa needed 31 off 29 balls then.When Trisha Chetty, who was with Kapp in the England game, arrived and swung big but got a leading edge for Mackay to collect a return catch, South Africa needed 18 off 17. And when Shabnim Ismail, who finished the England game with Chetty, was bowled by Sophie Devine in the penultimate over, it was 12 off ten.Ayabonga Khaka, who was not needed to bat in the previous two matches, missed the first ball she faced, and top-edged an attempted hoick the second ball, but it fell safely between mid-off and mid-on to put Kapp back on strike. Kapp smashed Devine over mid-off for four and then pushed her to long-on to ensure she would face in the final over. South Africa needed six runs from six balls then.Sophie Devine missed her second century of the World Cup by just seven runs•AFP via Getty ImagesMackay was tasked with the final over. Off the first ball, Kapp slog-swept her for four. Off the second, she ran a single to long-on, and then met Khaka mid-pitch for a lengthy conversation. With scores level, Khaka went on the back foot to punch Mackay to mid-off for a quick scramble to complete the win as the dressing room erupted in joy.Kapp sank to her haunches in relief. “I’m tired,” she told the television interviewee afterwards. So were New Zealand, after they came back well, but not well enough.In the end, New Zealand didn’t have enough runs to play with after they were kept to 228 on a good Seddon Park pitch. South Africa’s attack found swing early and then took pace off the ball to prompt a lower-order collapse. New Zealand lost six wickets for 30 runs in 46 balls, and failed to bat out their 50 overs.Devine fell seven runs short of a second century at this World Cup and put New Zealand in a position to push for a big score. She shared in an 81-run stand for the second wicket with Amelia Kerr and 80 for the fourth wicket with Maddy Green, but New Zealand could not get away from South Africa’s quicks. Ismail struck at the top and bottom of the innings, Khaka had two catches dropped but still finished with three wickets, while Kapp took two wickets in two balls at the death to cap off a dominant performance from the quicks.
Yamal set up Raphinha with a ridiculous assist and went on to score a stunner himself during Barcelona's Champions League clash with Benfica
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Yamal in sensational form against BenficaAssisted & scored in the last-16 tieSet UCL record with his two goal contributionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Facing Benfica in the second leg of their last-16 clash, Yamal's skill and composure were on full display, leaving defenders struggling to contain his relentless attacking presence. During the first goal on the night, the teenager glided past two defenders effortlessly before setting up Raphinha with a dinked slice, and he simply tapped into an open net.
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Moments after setting up Raphinha, Yamal added his own name to the scoresheet in extraordinary fashion. Collecting the ball near the corner flag on the right flank, he showcased remarkable dribbling skills, effortlessly skipping past two Benfica defenders. With space opening up, he unleashed a stunning curling effort from the edge of the box, sending the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the net.
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Yamal's goal not only restored Barcelona’s lead at 2-1, but also cemented his place in Champions League history. At just 17 years and 241 days old, he became the youngest player ever to both score and assist in the same match in the competition – an achievement that underscores his immense potential.