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Royals, meanwhile, will be hoping for a repeat of 2008, when they won the inaugural edition of the IPL

Shashank Kishore23-May-20221:47

Should either team look to make changes to their XI?

Big pictureAnd it’s over to Eden Gardens in Kolkata for Qualifier 1. Two teams with similar approaches will want to give themselves a few extra days of rest ahead of the grand finale. For Gujarat Titans, it’s the opportunity to play in front of a capacity home crowd in Ahmedabad. For Rajasthan Royals, this is a chance to pay a perfect tribute to Shane Warne, who led them to their only title in 2008.Royals have never finished in the top two since the playoffs came into existence in 2011. Meanwhile, Titans have exceeded expectations and pre-tournament billing to get here. Both sides have punted on their six-batters and five-bowler strategy to the hilt. Their unshakable faith in this core philosophy has brought them much success. That said, not everything is similar. Their approaches have varied. Titans have hit 69 sixes, the least for a team this season. Royals have hit 116, the most.Live in the USA

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Titans were written off by many even before a ball was bowled. Their auction strategy was scrutinised. They wondered if Hardik Pandya, fighting his own battles with form and injury, can inspire the new entrants. One of their openers pulled out of the tournament and their middle order had two rookie batters and an overseas batter who had racked up poor numbers season after season. Yet, nearly seven weeks later, they became the first team to enter the playoffs.Royals have traversed a slightly trickier path. The early pacesetters had a mid-season wobble but gathered their wits towards the end to seal the top two following a nervy win late last week against Lucknow Super Giants. Their spin base is covered by potentially two of India’s best, their top order has revolved around orange-cap holder Jos Buttler, whose late-season slump hasn’t affected dynamics much because the others have stepped up. Ashwin has played finisher and anchor all while delivering his overs tactfully, while the pace battery has been operating at the kind of level expected of them.David Miller has had his most productive IPL season since 2013•BCCI

Titans won the only outing between the two sides in the league phase. Hardik struck a bruising 87 to set up the game, before their pace battery of Yash Dayal and Lockie Ferguson snuffed out the Royals. It’s payback time now. But without too much pressure, because both sides know there is a second chance.Related

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In the newsWriddhiman Saha tweaked his hamstring in the final league game and didn’t return to keep wickets. But the Titans have been given a major boost with the keeper-batter confirming his availability.Likely XIsGujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Matthew Wade, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 R Sai Kishore, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Yash DayalRajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Devdutt Padikkal, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Obed McCoy, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Prasidh KrishnaSanju Samson completed a stumping against Deepak Hooda•BCCI

Strategy punt Miller has had his most productive season since 2013. He averages 83.5 against spin, this season, but against Royals, he will have a challenge after having been dismissed by Chahal and Ashwin a combined five times. So Samson will do well to keep a few overs of both his trump cards for the back end. Buttler has been dismissed four times by Rashid Khan in seven innings, while managing a strike rate of 60 in the five overs he has played off him. Overall, he has struck at 131.16 in the powerplay but is coming into this game on the back of three single-digit scores. It may be worth playing on his ego and bringing in Rashid early to test the waters.Stats that matter Titans have successfully chased down targets six times out of seven. The only instance where they missed out was when Daniel Sams defended nine off the final over for Mumbai Indians. Titans’ run rate of 11.6 between overs 16-20 in a chase is the highest this season. Essentially, it means they’ve backed themselves to score big in the final few overs. Royals run rate of 8.3 is the lowest. Saha missed the first five games, but since his entry into the season, only Buttler (357 runs) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (333) have scored more than his 312 runs. Royals are the only team to have three batters (Buttler, Samson, Hetmyer) to have hit 20 plus sixes this season. Samson’s eight wins after losing tosses is the most for a captain in a season.

Liverpool maintained their 100% Champions League record after a win over Spanish outfit Girona. It was not an easy three points for the Reds, who were made to work hard for the win, but they managed to hold on and triumph again in Europe’s premier competition to stay top of the table.

Few things of note happened in the first half, although both sides missed some good chances to take the lead. In the second half, the Reds kept chipping away and were eventually rewarded.

Colombian winger Luis Diaz was brought down in the penalty box by former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, which was eventually deemed by VAR to be a foul. Mohamed Salah stepped up and, unsurprisingly, converted to give the Reds the lead.

Arne Slot’s side managed to see the remainder of the game out safely, to take an important three points back to Merseyside. There were some impressive performances from the Reds, with Salah once again a standout player.

Mo Salah’s stats vs. Girona

There is an inevitability about Salah. It is almost a certainty that Liverpool’s number 11 will score or assist this season; he has only failed to do so on five occasions all season. He now has 16 goals and 12 assists in 22 games in all competitions, simply ridiculous numbers.

His influence in the game against Girona was not as great as you may assume, and he did not have as much involvement as he may have hoped. As the stats on Sofascore show, the winger had just 45 touches of the ball, competing two dribbles and creating one chance.

When he did have the ball, the Egyptian attacker was an influence, as shown by the big chance he created. Salah’s penalty was composed, sending Paulo Gazzaniga the wrong way and firing home on the left-hand side of the goal.

It was a vital goal and saved the blushes of one Reds teammate who missed a few big chances in the game. That man is Darwin Nunez.

Nunez’s stats vs. Girona

It was a tough night for the Uruguayan striker who missed some critical chances. One of Nunez’s shots was well saved by Gazzaniga, using his foot to prevent a shot across his body from nestling into the far corner. It would have been a huge goal for the Reds.

His stats reflect just how poor Nunez was against Girona. Incredibly, he managed just 16 touches and completed just 50% of his passes, a really disappointing rate. On top of that, the Liverpool number nine missed two big chances and won just one from four duels.

Stat

Number

Touches

16

Pass accuracy

50%

Passes completed

4/8

Big chances missed

2

Ground duels won

1/3

Aerial duels won

0/1

He received a 5/10 from Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle. He explained the striker looked like he was ‘short of confidence’ and had a second half with ‘diminishing returns’. It was certainly a tough night at the office for Nunez, with his performance fortunately overshadowed somewhat by the clinical nature of teammate, Salah.

It will be interesting to see if Slot keeps his faith in his number nine ahead of the weekend’s clash against Fulham.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With Diogo Jota perhaps making a return from injury, and Cody Gakpo an option, Slot should well decide to rotate Nunez and bring in a fresh face against the Cottagers.

Slot must axe Szoboszlai & unleash Liverpool's very own Bellingham instead

Liverpool are expected to make rotations against Girona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 10, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo enfrenta o Palmeiras nesta quinta-feira (10), às 20h30, no Estádio do Morumbi. A partida será válida pelo Campeonato Paulista, que se aproxima de sua fase de quartas de final. O duelo pode ter papel fundamental na classificação das equipes ao mata-mata.

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O Tricolor paulista está se direcionando para seu terceiro clássico do ano, após garantir a vitória contra o Santos e o Corinthians. Desde quando Rogério Ceni assumiu o comando da equipe pela segunda vez, o São Paulo segue invicto em todos os clássicos disputados.

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A garantia da vitória do São Paulo contra o Palmeiras seria de bom grado, visto que ela garantia a classificação direta para as quartas de finais da competição. Além disso, um resultado positivo tornaria o Tricolor mais próximo ainda da conquista de melhor campanha do Paulistão.

Caso vença a partida, o São Paulo alcançaria os 20 pontos na tabela, mas ainda ficaria atrás do Palmeiras devido ao saldo de gols. Ganhar os jogos restantes fariam com que a equipe conseguisse alcançar de fato a melhor campanha. Além disso, o time de Ceni segue invicto há seis jogos, buscando a sua quarta vitória seguida.

TABELA:
> Clique aqui e simule todos os resultados do Paulistão 2022!

Por outro lado, o Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira é o único invicto e tem a melhor campanha da primeira fase do Paulista mesmo com dois jogos a menos que os adversários. O clube lidera o Grupo C com 20 pontos, seguido por Mirassol, com 17, além de Ituano e Botafogo-SP, ambos com 15.

Sob o comando do treinador português, o retrospecto do Verdão em clássicos estaduais é favorável. Em 18 partidas, foram sete vitórias, sete empates e quatro derrotas, totalizando um aproveitamento de 51,85%.

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Já contra o Tricolor do Morumbi, a equipe alviverde tende a ter uma maior dificuldade para manter o favoritismo dos números na era Abel. Em oito partidas, foram quatro empates, três derrotas e somente uma vitória. Além disso, na última edição do Paulistão, o Verdão conquistou apenas o vice-campeonato, justamente diante do rival.

O duelo desta quinta-feira (10) é o primeiro de uma sequência de três partidas consecutivas contra os principais adversários do estado. Para manter a invencibilidade e a melhor campanha do Paulistão, o Palmeiras ainda irá enfrentar o Santos no próximo domingo (13), e o Corinthians, no dia 17.

The last few years have seen Arsenal rise from a side stuck in mid-table purgatory to one now in their third Premier League title race in as many seasons.

Mikel Arteta has utterly rejuvenated the club, and while much of that is down to his tactics and philosophy, recruitment and the promotion of youth have been just as important.

For example, the likes of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and even Kai Havertz have become incredibly important to the first team, while Bukayo Saka has become the poster boy for the whole project.

However, had the club not sold another youngster eight years ago, the Spaniard would have another world-beater in his side, a talent who’s been compared to Saka and even Jamal Musiala.

Arsenal's notable exits in 2016

Now, before we get to the talent in question, there was another notable player who left Arsenal in the summer of 2016, Arteta himself.

Yes, the Gunners’ current, potentially era-defining, manager finally hung up his boots at the end of the 15/16 season, following five successful years as a player for London’s premier club.

In those six seasons, the San Sebastian-born leader made 150 appearances for the first team, scoring 16 goals, providing eight assists, and winning two FA Cups and two Community Shields.

Arteta’s Arsenal career

Appearances

150

Starts

131

Points per Game

2.06

Goals

16

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.16

FA Cups

2

Community Shields

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, perhaps the most significant indicator of his future career path was the fact that Arsène Wenger named him the club’s permanent captain in the summer of 2014, just a couple of months after he led the team to FA Cup glory against Hull City, which also ended their eight-year trophy drought.

Playing primarily in central and defensive midfield during his time, the 42-year-old was never the flashiest of players.

However, just like today, his commitment was never up for debate, and occasionally, he was still capable of the extraordinary, as exemplified by his goal against Manchester City in April 2012.

In all, Arteta was a well-liked and respected servant when he finally hung up his boots eight years ago, and as such, he was one of the most notable exits from the club at the time – after he scored another screamer, of course.

However, another sale went a little more under the radar at the time, a sale the club must now regret making, as the player in question has since thrived and won comparisons to attacking stars like Saka and Musiala.

The sale Arsenal must regret

So, while a few other players left the Emirates that summer, including Wellington Silva, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere, on loan, the one that Arsenal must regret to this very day is surely Serge Gnabry.

Yes, before he was tearing it up for Bayern Munich, and after a dreadful loan spell with West Bromwich Albion, in which Tony Pulis deemed him not good enough, the German winger was sold to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the summer of 2016 for a fee said to be as low as just £5m.

Since then, the player talent scout Jacek Kulig, once dubbed a “future legend”, has produced 13 goal involvements in 27 games for Bremen, 17 in 26 for TSG Hoffenheim, 145 in 255 for Bayern and 31 in 49 games for the German national team.

Serge Gnabry’s post-Arsenal career

Team

Bremen

Hoffenheim

Bayern

Appearances

27

26

255

Goals

11

10

88

Assists

2

7

57

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

0.65

0.56

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In short, the former Gooner has gone on to become one of the most dangerous attackers in world football and has, at various points in his career, more than justified the “world-class” tag given to him by former Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand.

On top of his incredible career being reason enough to regret selling him all those years ago, the 29-year-old has also recently won comparisons to the sensationally gifted Saka and Musiala.

The comparisons stem from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the German is the seventh most similar forward to his compatriot over the last 365 days, while the Englishman is the ninth most similar.

We can see how this conclusion was reached by examining the underlying metrics in which the trio rank closely, which for all three of them seem to be non-penalty expected goals plus assists and shots per goal, both per 90.

Gnabry & Saka & Musiala

Statistics per 90

Gnabry

Saka

Musiala

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.84

0.70

0.73

Goals per Shot

0.11

0.10

0.16

Goals

0.36

0.42

0.69

Shots

3.46

3.38

4.23

Successful Take-On %

42.1%

41.4%

51.6%

Passing Accuracy

81.9%

75.5%

83.3%

Live Passes

50.4

32.2

46.9

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

However, the Bayern ace also ranks closely with the Gunners’ number seven in metrics like goals, shots and successful take-on percentage, and his own teammate in metrics like passing accuracy and live passes, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it’s notoriously difficult to predict the trajectory of a young footballer, it’s clear that Arsenal got it very wrong when they sold Gnabry for such a small fee in 2016, and while they now have a team bursting with talent, he’d still be an incredible squad player.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 5, 2024

England opener signalled his fitness by smashing 115 off 47 in a warm-up match ahead of the T20I series against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2022England 231 for 4 (Roy 115, Vince 40*) beat Barbados Cricket Association President’s XI 137 for 11 (Springer 36, Mills 3-25) by 94 runsJason Roy marked his return to fitness by hitting a 36-ball hundred – and 115 off 47 overall – in England’s warm-up match against a BCA President’s XI at Kensington Oval.Related

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Roy has not played any cricket since tearing his left calf muscle during England’s final Super 12s game of the T20 World Cup against South Africa in November when he collapsed in pain after running a single and was carried off the pitch.But his onslaught, which contained nine fours and ten sixes, signalled his fitness ahead of the five-match T20I series that starts on Saturday and will be staged in Barbados in its entirety.

Welcome back, @JasonRoy20!

115 off 47 balls

We make 231 from our 20 overs pic.twitter.com/iuN09pdPQ5

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 19, 2022