Tim David boost for RCB as they look to seal playoffs spot

The only overseas player RCB are still awaiting is fast bowler Josh Hazlewood

Shashank Kishore15-May-2025Tim David, one of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) key finishers this season, has rejoined the squad in Bengaluru along with big-hitting allrounder Romario Shepherd and Lungi Ngidi. The franchise also confirmed the return of Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, and Phil Salt for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.Bethell will be available for just two matches and is expected to return to England after RCB’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 23, having been named in England’s white-ball squads for the West Indies series. In that case, Bethell will miss RCB’s last league game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).Salt, however, is available through to the end of the tournament, which now concludes on June 3. Salt is only part of England’s T20I squad against West Indies, with the series starting on June 6 in Durham.

Shepherd will also remain with RCB till the end of the tournament after getting clearance from Cricket West Indies (CWI). The 30-year-old allrounder, who smashed an unbeaten 14-ball 53 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), had been named in West Indies’ ODI squads for both the Ireland (May 21-25) and England (starting May 29) series – the latter clashing with the start of the IPL playoffs. He has since been replaced by Jediah Blades.Ngidi will only be available for RCB till the end of the league stage. He was named in South Africa’s squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s starting June 11 earlier this week. The WTC final-bound South Africa players will return to South Africa by May 27.The only overseas player RCB are still awaiting is fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood is managing a minor shoulder niggle, and the franchise is awaiting a fitness update from Cricket Australia (CA). His injury is not considered serious as he’s been named in Australia’s squad for the WTC final at Lord’s starting June 11.Related

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RCB are primed for the playoffs, having registered eight wins in 11 matches. They need just one more win to confirm their place in the final four.RCB resume their campaign on Saturday at home against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), whom they beat during the earlier exchange in Kolkata. They finish their league stages with an away fixture against LSG on May 27.

Dale Benkenstein leaves Lancashire as Steven Croft takes over as head coach

Winless club opt for change at the top ahead of T20 Blast campaign, which begins on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2025Dale Benkenstein is the latest casualty of Lancashire’s disastrous start to this season’s County Championship, as it was confirmed by the club that he has left his position as head coach by mutual consent.Steven Croft, Lancashire’s former captain, has taken over the role in an interim capacity, with the club yet to record a victory in seven attempts this season as it sits just one point above rock-bottom Kent in the Championship’s second division.Benkenstein, 50, was appointed as head coach in December 2023 when Glenn Chapple stood down following seven years in the role. However, he oversaw the club’s relegation from the top flight last summer, and has been unable to oversee an upturn in their fortunes in this season’s first block of first-class fixtures.Although the return of James Anderson had given the team a short-term lift, with a dominant display in a drawn contest against Derbyshire, the nadir came at Grace Road last week with an innings-and-three-run loss to Leicestershire, this season’s unlikely pace-setters at the top of Division Two.That was Lancashire’s second crushing loss of the campaign, following a three-day defeat to Northamptonshire earlier in the month that led to the resignation of Keaton Jennings as the club’s red-ball captain.Prior to that, the club hierarchy had issued a public apology for the team’s performances, with Mark Chilton, director of cricket performance, describing their form as “not acceptable”, and adding that Lancashire would “make necessary changes” to improve the situation.Now, with the club’s attention switching from the Championship to their T20 Blast campaign, which begins against Worcestershire at Old Trafford on Thursday, Lancashire have opted for a clean slate.”Following a difficult start to the season, we feel that now is the right time to make a change, as we look to improve our on-field performances,” Chilton said.”After relegation at the end of last season, results have not improved so far this year and after much consideration, both Dale and I feel the team will benefit from a change in direction.”We would like to thank Dale for his hard work and commitment during his time at the Club. He leaves Lancashire Cricket with our best wishes for the future.”Croft was a key member of the last Lancashire team to win the County Championship in 2011, and also captained the side to victory in the T20 Blast in 2015. Having retired from all forms of cricket last season, he is set to take over the club training from Tuesday, and will be supported in the role by William Porterfield, Craig White and Karl Krikken.”Steven is a Lancashire legend, highly respected in the dressing room and has been working incredibly hard on his coaching career for several years,” Chilton said.”More recently, he has coached within our Second XI and Academy and has also joined a couple of England Under-19s tours, working with some of the brightest prospects in the country.”I’d like to thank Steven, along with the other coaches, for stepping into the role at short notice ahead of our Vitality Blast opener tomorrow evening.”

Kepa, Alisson & the most expensive goalkeepers ever

With the Spaniard having completed a record-breaking £72 million move to Chelsea, Goal runs through the costliest shot-stoppers in football history

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    20Asmir Begovic – £10m

    Asmir Begovic joined Chelsea in 2015 after a five-year stint in goal for Stoke City. Thibaut Courtois, however, proved too hard to dislodge, and the Bosnian was shipped out to Bournemouth at the start of last season.

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    19Petr Cech – £10m

    After 11 brilliant years at Stamford Bridge, Petr Cech was snapped up by Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal in 2015, who made him one of the world's most expensive goalkeepers in the process.

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    18Ivan Pelizzoli – £10.2m

    Ivan Pelizzoli was just 20 when Roma broke the bank for the promising Atalanta player. He never quite fulfilled that early potential, though, and has meandered through Italy's lower leagues for the vast majority of his career.

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    17Mattia Perin – £10.5m

    Former Genoa No.1 Mattia Perin has huge shoes to fill in Turin, after being signed by Juventus this summer following the departure of Buffon for Paris Saint-Germain.

World Cup VAR review: Perisic handball, Neymar dive & all the major incidents at Russia 2018

The use of video assistant referees (VAR) is being rolled out for the first time at the World Cup and Goal takes a look at some of the incidents

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    France vs Croatia – Perisic handball leads to penalty

    VAR: Yes

    Verdict: Opinion split

    The first-ever use of VAR at the World Cup final occurred during the first half of France vs Croatia.

    With the score tied at 1-1, following an own goal from Mario Mandzukic and a leveller from Ivan Perisic, the Croatia goalscorer soon found himself at the centre of controversy.

    An Antoine Griezmann corner was delivered to the near post towards the head of France's Blaise Matuidi. Perisic knocked the ball behind the goal, with the French team's claims for a handball largely ignored by referee Nestor Pitana.

    The incident was then checked by officials, with Pitana then notified, and the referee proceeded to review the claim on the pitch-side screen.

    Pitana eventually awarded the spot-kick, which Griezmann converted to give Les Bleus a 2-1 lead going into half time.

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    Colombia vs England – Barrios only shown yellow

    VAR: No

    Verdict: Wrong decision

    With Harry Kane having been brought down just outside of the box, England had a good chance to open the scoring with a free-kick.

    Tensions rose in the wall between Wilmar Barrios and Jordan Henderson, however, with the former first headbutting the Liverpool man in the chest before raising his head, catching the midfielder's chin – though many felt the latter overplayed his reaction to the impact.

    The referee opted not to go to VAR for what could have been construed as a piece of violent conduct, but did present Barrios with a yellow card.

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    Russia vs Spain – Spain denied extra-time penalty

    VAR: Yes

    Verdict: Correct decision

    Russia were desperately clinging on to a 1-1 draw with Spain after taking the 2010 champions to extra-time in Moscow.

    When a late delivery was whipped into the box, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique felt that they were being held by Ilya Kutepov and Sergei Ignashevich respectively. Their protests were waved away at the time, with further frustration facing La Roja – who would go on to lose in a penalty shoot-out – following a VAR review.

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    Russia vs Spain – Russia awarded penalty

    VAR: No

    Verdict: Correct decision

    Spain were apparently comfortable at 1-0 up against Russia in their last-16 match when their hosts were awarded a corner.

    Gerard Pique missed his header from the kick, allowing Artem Dzyuba to head the ball goalwards. However, the Barcelona defender blocked it with his hand, despite not facing the man he was supposed to be marking. He had moved his hand upwards in an unnatural motion and, once the kick had been awarded, Dzyuba beat David de Gea from 12 yards.

Musiala, Bale & players who snubbed England

The Bayern Munich youngster follows in the footsteps of some other big names who turned down the Three Lions

Bayern Munich youngster Jamal Musiala turned down England for Germany in 2021, joining the likes of Gareth Bale, Scott McTominay and more in rejecting the Three Lions.

The decision came as something of a blow for England, with Musiala having represented the country at various youth levels and looking like a future senior international.

So who else had the opportunity to play for England, but ultimately snubbed them for another country? Goal takes a closer look.

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    Jamal Musiala | Germany

    Stuttgart-born Jamal Musiala had played mainly for England at youth level (turning out for Germany U16s twice), but dropped something of a shock on Three Lions fans when he declared for Germany in 2021.

    “I’ve thought about this question a lot,” he told . “What is best for my future? Where do I have more chances to play?

    "In the end, I just listened to the feeling that over a long period of time kept telling me that it was the right decision to play for Germany, the land I was born in.

    "Still, it wasn’t an easy decision for me.”

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    Alex Iwobi | Nigeria

    Arsenal youth academy product Alex Iwobi represented England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 level before declaring for Nigeria in 2015. Born in Lagos, winger Iwobi has since gone on to play for the Super Eagles at the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. He even scored against England in a friendly match at Wembley ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

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    Gareth Bale | Wales

    Gareth Bale was eligible to play for England through his grandmother, but dismissed the idea that he would ever have played for them, saying: "It is an honour to play for Wales… Nobody ever got in touch with me personally from England, only through my agent." A history maker in the Champions League with Real Madrid, Bale is the Dragons' leading goalscorer of all time, having surpassed the tally of legendary striker Ian Rush in 2018.

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    Victor Moses | Nigeria

    Victor Moses played for both England's U19 and U21 teams after arriving in the country as a child asylum seeker. He then, however, opted to represent Nigeria, where he was born. Despite turning out for the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter, Moses may not have been a regular starter for the Three Lions – though he became an important member of the Super Eagles squad before retiring in the aftermath of the 2018 World Cup.

From The Selecao to La Albiceleste – What are the nicknames of the 32 teams heading to the 2022 World Cup?

Goal takes a look at the interesting monikers of the 32 teams that are travelling to Qatar in November 2022…

The World Cup is the grandest stage of international football where people, art, and culture from across the globe come together. It is a month-long carnival where the finest footballing nations lock horns for the ultimate prize in football.

Almost every football team has got nicknames that gives an insight into their roots or their distinct characteristics. There is usually a story behind each of these monikers that also resonate well with the fans at large. These nicknames would be used by commentators and journalists.

In fact, Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history, has got around six nicknames. Argentina are popularly known as for its colour of the flag and jersey. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are known as for their rich naval history whereas England are known as

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    Australia – Socceroos

    The term 'Socceroos' was coined by Sydney-based journalist Tony Horstead who wanted to highlight Australia's iconic kangaroos. The words  and  are combined into a portmanteau word as 

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    Iran – Team Melli

    in the Persian language means "The National Team". There are a few other nicknames as well such as meaning the "The Iranian Lions", meaning the "Lion Hearts" and "Princes of Persia".

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    Japan – Samurai Blue

    The Japanese team is nicknamed the in close reference to their historical Samurai background.

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    Qatar – The Maroon

    Qatar is nicknamed The Maroon, corresponding to the colour of their home jersey.

De Bruyne is right, the Golden Generation is over! Belgium winners, losers and ratings as Hazard struggles in shock Morocco loss

The Red Devils once topped the FIFA world rankings, but they look a long way short of Qatar 2022 contenders right now

In the build-up to Belgium’s 2-0 defeat against Morocco, Kevin De Bruyne conceded that his country's so-called ‘Golden Generation’ was at an end, hinting that their chances of winning the World Cup were over even before the group stages were completed.

The Manchester City midfielder said when asked about the claims of his nation being contenders for the ultimate prize in Qatar: “No chance, we’re too old. I think our chance was 2018. We have a good team, but it is ageing.”

On the evidence of the latest showing from Roberto Martinez’s side on Sunday, De Bruyne makes a valid point, as a squad loaded with household names lacks the spark required to chase down the most prestigious of honours.

Belgium looked leggy and short on ideas throughout, with Hakim Ziyech seeing a goal on the stroke of half-time ruled out for offside before Abdelhamid Sabiri repeated the trick from a free-kick midway through the second 45 as he fired through and beyond Thibaut Courtois,Zakaria Aboukhlal then grabbed a second for Morocco in stoppage-time.

GOALruns through all of the winners and losersfrom a lacklustre performancethat leaves Belgium sweating on a place in the last-16 and facing more questions over their alarming lack of inspiration…

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    The Winners

    Abdelhamid Sabiri:

    During Huddersfield Town’s two-year spell in the Premier League between 2017 and 2019, Sabiri made just 13 appearances for the Terriers. He is now, though, on the books of Serie A outfit Sampdoria and the scorer of a match-winning goal at the World Cup finals. His big moment against Belgium came in the 73rd minute, just five minutes after he had been introduced off the bench. Sabiri whipped over a free-kick from the left that curled and dipped towards Courtois. With a runner getting across the Belgium goalkeeper, he was left helpless as the ball squeezed underneath him and over the line.

    Hakim Ziyech:

    The Chelsea winger has played just 148 minutes of Premier League football this season and appeared destined to miss out on World Cup selection at one stage after falling out with former Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic. He is in the Middle East, though, and remains the man most likely to provide a moment of magic for his country. Ziyech thought he had broken the deadlock in first-half stoppage-time but his whipped free-kick, which slipped over the body of an unsighted Courtois, was ruled out as Romain Saiss was judged to have been in an offside position and interfering with play when failing to get a glancing head on the ball. Ziyech did, though, provide the assist for Aboukhlal to fire Morroco’s second effort of the game into the roof of the net to cap an electrifying display.

    Morocco fans:

    If Walid Regragui’s side needed a lift prior to kick-off, then it was provided by those in the stands. The Moroccan national anthem was belted out by all concerned, with spines left tingling for those on the field – with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou deciding that he was unable to continue before a ball had been kicked. Belgium took control during the early exchanges, without ever really threatening, but a vocal and passionate fan base was not to be subdued. Wild celebrations were cut short when Ziyech’s effort late in the opening 45 minutes was chalked off, but Morocco’s loyal supporters were able to get the party started once Sabiri forced a breakthrough, Aboukhlal doubled their lead and dreams of a place in the knockout rounds were able to be formed.

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    The Losers

    Eden Hazard:

    The Real Madrid forward may still wear the captain’s armband for Belgium, but he no longer leads by example. Hazard delivered flashes of what he is capable of against Morocco, with his quick feet still capable of slipping beyond opposition defenders, but he drifts out of games for far too long and appears to lack that burst of pace which once made him so dangerous. Injuries and a lack of football at club level have been doing him few favours, with it difficult to flick a switch and turn back the clock to the days when he formed part of the global elite at Chelsea.

    Amadou Onana:

    The Everton midfielder was drafted into Belgium’s starting XI as Martinez shuffled his pack and Leicester star Youri Tielemans dropped to the bench. Onana adds greater energy to the engine room as a hard-working 21-year-old, but he also has a reckless streak to him. The youngster will play no part in what will be a crucial clash with Croatia on matchday three after picking up a needless yellow card. After leading with his elbow when competing for a high ball in the first half, Onana collected his second caution in as many games and must now serve a ban. He was replaced on the hour mark and faces a fight to win his place back.

    Roberto Martinez:

    The former Everton and Wigan boss has been at the Belgium helm since 2016, allowing him to take in three major tournament outings with a star-studded squad. Silverware has proved elusive, after two quarter-finals showings at European Championships and one run to the last four at World Cup 2018, and fingers of blame have to be pointed in his direction. Martinez cannot be held entirely responsible for those at his disposal underperforming, but he has failed to get the best out of a side that occupied top spot in the FIFA rankings for long periods. It appears as though a familiar story is set to play out at Qatar 2022.

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    Belgium ratings: Defence

    Thibaut Courtois (5/10):

    Arguably the best goalkeeper on the planet, but will be disappointed to have beaten by two efforts that were close to him.

    Thomas Meunier (5/10):

    Flies into too many clumsy challenges, and it was his foul that led to the free-kick from which Morocco opened the scoring.

    Toby Alderweireld (5/10):

    Was not overly troubled for long periods of the game, but was unable to keep a clean sheet.

    Jan Vertonghen (5/10):

    Can be troubled by pace in behind, which is a concern when coming up against lively attacking units.

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    Midfield

    Timothy Castagne (5/10):

    Not involved nearly as much as he would have liked at wing-back.

    Amadou Onana (5/10):

    Was brought in to deliver added drive, but fluffed his lines and must now serve a suspension.

    Axel Witsel (5/10):

    Another of of those that looks a shadow of his former self, with little impact made on proceedings and was at fault for the second goal.

    Thorgan Hazard (5/10):

    Tried to combine with his brother, but neither was able to get Belgium going.

PSG player ratings vs Bayern Munich: Marco Verratti drops a CLANGER as Kylian Mbappe goes missing in Champions League loss!

PSG's stars failed to step up to the mark in a 2-0 loss at Bayern Munich that sees the Ligue 1 side bow out of the last 16 3-0 on aggregate

Marco Verratti's mistake cued a Bayern Munich clinic as the German side struck twice to send Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League.

The visitors enjoyed the best chance of the first half, with Vitinha dispossessing Yann Sommer inside the box before poking his shot towards an open net – but Matthijs de Ligt slid in brilliantly to divert his effort off the line.

The Parisians struggled to create thereafter, with Kylian Mbappe rendered anonymous for most of the proceedings.

And the home side deservedly broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, with Eric Chupo-Moting finishing into an empty net after Marco Verratti's giveaway.

Bayern added a second in stoppage time, as Serge Gnabry completed a classy counter-attack to boot PSG out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage without really having to try, triumphing 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.

GOAL rates PSG's players from a demoralising night at the Allianz Arena…

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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

    Made a neat save in the first half, helpless for both goals.

    Achraf Hakimi (4/10):

    Lost the wing battle to the rampant Alfonso Davies. Beaten one-on-one too often, and didn't get forward enough.

    Danilo Pereira (6/10):

    Serviceable playing out of position and made one excellent tackle, but doesn't have the instincts of a centre-back.

    Sergio Ramos (6/10):

    The best of PSG's three centre-backs, but perhaps should have scored on a free header.

    Marquinhos (5/10):

    Tried to play through an injury sustained at the weekend but was removed after 35 minutes.

    Nuno Mendes (5/10):

    Anonymous going forward, outclassed by the excellent Kingsley Coman. One to forget.

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  • Midfield

    Vitinha (6/10):

    Energetic, silky on the ball, but lacking in his final pass.

    Marco Verratti (5/10):

    Gave the ball away inside his own box to cue up Bayern's opener. A season-defining mistake.

    Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

    Struggled to compete with the Leon Goretzka-Joshua Kimmich pivot. Not the kind of hard-working midfielder PSG need.

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    Attack

    Kylian Mbappe (6/10):

    A few loose touches early, some half-chances late. Another crushing end to a Champions League campaign.

    Lionel Messi (6/10):

    Class for stretches, but really faded in the second half. Epitomised PSG's struggles.

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  • Subs & Manager

    Nordi Mukiele (3/10):

    Replaced the injured Marquinhos after 35 minutes. Swiftly substituted at half-time.

    E.C. Bitshiabu (6/10):

    Brought on for defensive solidity in the second half and looked inexperienced.

    Warren Zaire-Emery (5/10):

    Tasked with reviving a struggling midfield, which is pretty hard when you're a teenager.

    Juan Bernat (5/10):

    Legs for a tired Mendes.

    Hugo Ekitike (N/A):

    Last roll of the proverbial dice. Hardly touched the ball.

    Christophe Galtier (4/10):

    Switched to a back five after setting up in a four in the first leg. Contained Bayern's attack far more effectively in the first half. However, PSG were lacking at the other end, failing to create the chances they needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit. He might have coached his last Champions League game for the club.

Inside PSG's Champions League nightmare: Angry players question 'underwhelming subs', Christophe Galtier edges towards the sack and doubts emerge over Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar

PSG are in a vulnerable position following their 3-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16

Every PSG team is expected to win the Champions League. None have done so.

The club have poured billions into piecing together competitive squads with enough star power to outshine the rest of Europe. They have backed up those names – Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi – with the kind of complimentary pieces to theoretically allow them to shine.

And for the last 10 years, the club has failed to make any serious noise on the European stage.

Such was the case last night, as PSG crashed out of the Champions League with an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

In the less than 24 hours since, an unsteady club has been rocked by player discontent, manager uncertainty and scathing comments from French national team legends.

According to reports from , it could all go very wrong, very quickly. Manager Christophe Galtier appears to be on his way out, while sporting director Luis Campos looks set to follow. The squad, highlighted by its three big stars, will also likely be shaken up.

The club is likely to look entirely different by August. Here's a look inside PSG's post-Bayern chaos.

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    An unsteady dressing room

    Following the loss, the senior players in the squad were angry. Galtier's substitutions had been questionable, with the manager refusing to introduce any attacking talent despite the Parisians facing an aggregate deficit. In lieu of promising striker Hugo Ekitike, he brought in teenage midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, who struggled to impact the game.

    Meanwhile, 17-year-old E.C. Bitshiabu was brought on at half time, while the more senior Juan Bernat was left on the bench. It all amounted to a PSG side that looked lacking in conviction and was entirely overrun by a more experienced Bayern.

    Everything was made worse by the fact that the Bavarians introduced Joao Cancelo, Sadio Mane, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry to bolster their attack – a handful of veterans who put PSG away for good.

    Mbappe was brutally honest after full-time.

    "Bayern were a team built to win the Champions League," he said. "At the start of the season, I said we would do the maximum we could do. This is the maximum we could do."

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    Galtier and Campos facing the sack

    The result also further threw the futures of Galtier and Campos into question.

    Galtier was already struggling. The manager has reduced PSG into a counter-attacking team, relying on a series of diligent workmanlike midfielders to provide a base for Mbappe and Messi to hit on the break. And it hasn't always worked. PSG have underwhelmed in the league this season and were comfortably beaten in the Coupe de France by arch-rivals Marseille.

    And now, things are worse. Wednesday's contest was a chance for Galtier to prove that he could beat the biggest teams on the biggest of stages. Instead, his tactics crumbled, failing to get anything resembling a solid performance out of the squad Campos assembled.

    It now appears that Galtier and Campos are headed for the exit – regardless of whether PSG win Ligue 1.

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    An uncertain future for the stars

    This was always going to be a pivotal year for Mbappe's future. It is no secret that the winger, although under contract for at least one more year, could eye a move if he feels unhappy at the Parc des Princes.

    But this campaign was supposed to push that plan back. Instead, he now looks more likely to go than ever. The France star can now opt to leave at the end of the 2024 season, and could even request a move away this summer. He hasn't indicated that he would be willing to stay, and the Frenchman's public discontent with Neymar suggests a move is possible.

    And what of the other two? Messi is in talks to renew his contract, but none of the specifics have been addressed yet. Meanwhile, his father met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta last week, fueling speculation of a sensational Barcelona return.

    Meanwhile, Neymar needs surgery for his fourth ankle injury in as many years. He'll be sidelined for the rest of the season, and is being pushed towards a Premier League move, according to the .

    Wednesday night's loss only made things worse. Now two of the three – or perhaps the whole trio – could leave.

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    Legends question the vision

    Perhaps most damning of all, France legends have revived old concerns about the PSG project.

    Some fans felt alienated when Qatari billionaire Nasser Al-Khelaifi bought the club in 2011. The new owner swiftly went about buying some of the biggest talents in Europe and destroying the club ethos of promoting players from the talent-rich Paris area. And although domestic success and flashy signings such as Neymar and Mbappe put those fears on hold, complaints have since resurfaced.

    "What are you trying to achieve? I don't think the fans can relate to this team," Theirry Henry asked after the final whistle.

    David Ginola, who tallied 115 appearances for the club, went one further, criticising the players' effort.

    "There is a clear lack of commitment and investment by the players. There has been a problem for years," Ginola said. 'Individual talents alone are not enough to win."

    It's something the club will surely have to address going forward, as the manager and its star players could both depart this summer.

Man Utd player ratings vs Nottingham Forest: Brilliant Bruno Fernandes leads the way as Antony makes a point with goal and assist

Erik ten Hag's side dominated at the City Ground as they ran 2-0 winners to move themselves back up to third in the Premier League table

Antony grabbed his first Premier League goal in six months and his first assist in the English top-flight to lead Manchester United to a much-needed away victory at Nottingham Forest.

Given their shaky away form and Forest's knack for getting results against top sides at home this season, this was far from an easy fixture for Erik ten Hag's side, especially considering their long injury list.

The manager was given another headache moments before kick off when Marcel Sabitzer picked up an injury in the warm-up, but Christian Eriksen produced a classy display in his place.

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But Bruno Fernandes was United's real star – he ran the show in attack and was desperately unlucky not to score, hammering the bar after cutting in from the left.

GOAL rates United's players from the City Ground…

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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    David de Gea (6/10):

    Had very few saves to make and only had one wobble with his kicking.

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka (6/10):

    Another solid performance defensively. He focused on shackling Forest, leaving Dalot to get forward.

    Harry Maguire (4/10):

    Very shaky. Booked in the third minute, survived Forest appeals for a handball and almost scored another own goal, knocking a ball from a corner against the post. Taunted by Forest fans.

    Victor Lindelof (8/10):

    A class act. Was the calmness and confidence personified on the ball, in contrast to Maguire. Had big shoes to fill in coming in for Lisandro Martinez but did himself proud.

    Diogo Dalot (7/10):

    Incisive and ambitious in attack and took his goal well, controlling Antony's pass perfectly before beating Navas with style. A bit suspect at the back and fortunate Awoniyi did not punish his sloppy pass.

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    Midfield

    Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

    Was back to his marauding best in attack after having to play deeper in Casemiro's absence. Really deserved a goal, hitting the bar and being denied by a fine save by Keylor Navas.

    Casemiro (7/10):

    Not as dominant as he can be but improved in the second half and put himself about at both ends of the pitch.

    Christian Eriksen (7/10):

    His passing was magnificent in the second half. Very impressive, especially considering he only learned he was playing minutes before kick-off after Sabitzer's injury.

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    Attack

    Antony (9/10):

    Was very dangerous and finally scored again in the Premier League. Unlucky not to strike again in second half but made amends with dream assist for Dalot.

    Anthony Martial (7/10):

    Good hold up play from deep and his shot was too hot for Navas to handle, allowing Antony to score. Should have buried his free header just before being taken off.

    Jadon Sancho (4/10):

    Offered almost nothing all game. Was too indecisive on the ball and too scared to take players on. How long can this go on before he gets dropped?

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  • Subs & Manager

    Wout Weghorst (6/10):

    Worked hard but offered none of the threat or poise that Martial did. Booked in added time.

    Fred (6/10):

    Enthusiastic but made a couple of sloppy passes.

    Erik ten Hag (7/10):

    Had so many injuries to deal with but picked a team suited for the occasion and earned a crucial three points.

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