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After another bumper summer in the busy transfer window, Birmingham City might well have expected to take the Championship immediately by storm.

Indeed, the Blues welcomed in a whopping 14 new faces during the off-season, as the likes of Demarai Gray dramatically returned back to St. Andrew’s after a lengthy Premier League career, among other notable signings.

Unfortunately for Chris Davies and Co., Gray hasn’t quite sparked into life just yet during his homecoming, with the ex-Everton winger not alone in being a disappointment so far, as the Blues loiter in an underwhelming 15th spot in the second-tier standings at this moment in time.

Birmingham's disappointing summer recruitment

It’s not just all on the shoulders of the new recruits, however, as many of Birmingham’s dependable performers during their League One title heroics have also floundered under the pressure of now competing in the division above.

Keshi Anderson definitely falls into his category, with the Luton-born attacker still goalless in Championship action this season so far, despite firing home nine strikes in all competitions last campaign for Davies’ emphatic title-winners.

Thankfully, Jay Stansfield has remembered his shooting boots, with six goals already fired home.

But, to further pile on the misery, Marvin Ducksch – who cost around the £1.75m mark to pick up from Werder Bremen in the window – is also routinely firing blanks as another option up top.

Moreover, the aforementioned Gray doesn’t quite look the same electric, fresh-faced presence he once was at St. Andrew’s when he was a youngster trying to cut his teeth, with Birmingham’s 1-0 defeat to Bristol City last time out only seeing him amass a lacklustre 18 touches of the ball.

It must feel like an awfully long time ago now for Davies when he looks back on Birmingham’s jaw-dropping 111-point season in League One, with one new signing under so much scrutiny already, that he could be on borrowed time in the West Midlands only a matter of months into his EFL stint.

Why Birmingham's expensive gamble hasn't paid off

Thankfully, in recent years, whenever a big price tag has been attached to a player since Tom Wagner’s millions were added into the mix, they have often lived up to their hype.

Stansfield was boldly purchased for a whopping £15m, even as Birmingham found themselves marooned in League One, but he immediately backed up his lavish price tag when scoring the crucial goals – 19 league strikes to be exact – to clinch the Blues’ straightforward passage back up to the Championship.

Therefore, when the newly promoted Blues announced they’d acquired the services of former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi for an equally hefty £10m in July, the expectation would have been that he would go on to be another superb Stansfield-like purchase.

After all, Kyogo had been branded as a “superstar” in Scotland by ex-Hoops teammate Callum McGregor, off the back of the Japanese gem firing home a stunning 85 goals in total for the Glasgow giants.

Moreover, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman also boldly stated that he would be a “really exciting” signing in England, after the new number nine showed off some entertaining tricks and flicks during his early days at St. Andrew’s.

Kyogo (25/26 League stats)

Stat

Kyogo

Games played

11

Games started

5

Minutes played per game

47

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Big chances missed

7

Stats by Sofascore

Kyogo’s tale hasn’t played out to the expected script, though, with the once confident and assured striker who pulled on Celtic green and white week in week out now nowhere to be seen in the Championship.

The 30-year-old, instead, has become a wasteful option up top for Davies, with seven big chances missed across 11 league games to date, meaning he is still chasing his first league goal in the West Midlands.

Even Lyndon Dykes has two league goals next to his name, despite averaging just 25 minutes of action himself.

EFL pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone out of his way to state that Kyogo is “struggling”, with patience surely already running thin at St. Andrew’s surrounding the quiet number nine, considering his excessive transfer fee.

There is still time on Kyogo’s side to turn around his shocking Blues start, but if the goals don’t come soon, he might just have to be written off as an expensive flop.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 8, 2025

He was disappointed to miss out on a maiden first-class double ton but pushed towards his India A dream

Ashish Pant13-Sep-2025Yash Rathod paused for a moment right after facing his first ball on the second morning of the Duleep Trophy final. He had just been beaten by Gurjapneet Singh. Stepping away, Rathod nodded his head furiously, talking to himself, trying to calm his nerves. After a disappointing semi-final against West Zone, where he managed just 2, Rathod was determined to make amends.Two hundred and eighty five balls later, as he walked back for 194, he had done his bit in helping Central Zone close in on their first Duleep Trophy win in 11 years.It wasn’t easy initially. Central Zone were 93 for 3 in the 34th over when Rathod walked out. A first-innings lead was just 56 away, but Gurjapneet was in the middle of a searing spell. He had just flattened Shubham Sharma’s middle stump, had Danish Malewar nick to slip, and was extracting plenty of movement in overcast conditions.Rathod started tentatively, particularly against Gurjapneet, who bowled 16 straight dot balls at him. He was beaten a few times and had an early escape when he edged the quick to second slip, with the ball falling just short. Then, twice he flashed outside off against fast bowler MD Nidheesh and was lucky to get thick edges past the gully fielder. The fluency, which had fetched Rathod 960 runs in the last Ranji Trophy season, was missing.Related

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Yash Rathod's 194 gives Central Zone a firm hold

“Initially, I think I was over-trying,” Rathod told ESPNcricinfo. “When I went to bat, the situation was tricky, but the plan was to react to the ball. Gurjapneet was also hitting the right areas quite consistently. The ball was swinging and seaming off the wicket as well.”Once I got past that phase, and the spinners came on to bowl, I thought I will capitalise. I tried to dominate them before lunch, but no matter what I tried – stepping out, sweeping, or playing off the backfoot – I wasn’t connecting [with] the ball consistently. It just wasn’t clicking.”Lunch came at the right time for Rathod. At the break, as he gathered himself, focus shifting over to playing instinctively, and once back, everything fell in place. Rathod clipped Gurjapneet for four through midwicket to raise his half-century off 84 balls. Soon after, he waltzed down the track to left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma, driving him past mid-on and then through covers.A key feature of Rathod’s innings was his backfoot play. He would often go deep into his crease off Ankit, nudging him fine past slip and would pull anything that was marginally short of a length. It took Rathod just 132 balls to reach his seventh first-class century, getting there by tapping Ankit to point off the backfoot, ending the second day unbeaten on 137.

My immediate goal is to prepare myself for the Irani Trophy. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first stepYash Rathod

Rathod was more proactive on the third morning. He clipped Gurjapneet through midwicket in the first over and reached his 150 with a push to mid-on. He rushed through the 180s with two fours but was cleaned up by Gurjapneet shortly after lunch, falling six short of a maiden first-class double-century. He was visibly dejected as he trudged off slowly, constantly looking at the replays of his dismissal on the big screen at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”It was very disappointing,” Rathod said on missing out on a double ton. “I have been trying to get a double-century for a while. Last year, I scored five centuries, but being a No. 5 batter, it becomes tough to score a 200 as you end your innings mostly with tailenders.”Today, I had a chance to score a double ton on such a big stage. So yes, it was quite disappointing to not score those six runs but again, very grateful for 194. Maybe there is something better lined up for me, maybe I can score a double-century in the Irani Trophy.”Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod added 167 for the fourth wicket•PTI A highlight of Rathod’s 194 was his calmness. Once settled, at no stage did he look hurried. He was involved in two big stands – 167 for the fourth wicket with Rajat Patidar and 176 for the sixth wicket with Saransh Jain – and ensured he didn’t try to match his partner’s pace.”It doesn’t matter how the batter at the opposite end is playing. Everyone has a pattern,” Rathod said. “I can’t play like Rajat bhai. His intent is different. My game plan is very different. I love playing risk-free cricket.”Five-day cricket is a long game. I know my patterns, I know my strengths where I can perform well. I like to take the game forward calmly, take control of the situation and stay clear with my plans and what I need to do.”Rathod has had a stellar start to his first-class career, with 15 scores of fifty-plus in just 35 innings, and was a key factor behind Vidarbha’s winning 2024-25 Ranji season. His next goal is to play all three formats but he is not looking too far ahead.”I have the belief it [playing all three formats] will happen,” Rathod said. “I also obviously want to play IPL, but my immediate goal is to prepare myself for Irani Trophy as that is also a big stage. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first step.”At 25, Rathod has already been part of a Ranji Trophy-winning team and is now close to being part of a Duleep Trophy-winning side. While things have happened quickly in the last year, Rathod is taking them in calmly, at a specific pace, much like his batting.

There is little to suggest that Liverpool are close to turning a corner and sustaining a respectable level of performance any time soon. What is most concerning is that the Reds and their boss, Arne Slot, have shown little sign of finding a solution to any of the many problems plaguing their campaign.

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence lies in tatters. There is a grudging acceptance across the red streets of Merseyside that Arsenal’s grip on top position is out of reach. Certainly, the gulf in quality between the two sides this season suggests that Liverpool will have to settle for a lesser prize on the league front.

Liverpool have been outclassed in successive top-flight fixtures, and change is surely needed now. Indeed, Liverpool languish in 11th place in the Premier League, having scored 18 goals and conceded 20.

Defensively, it’s been a mess, and the noise concerning Ibrahima Konate is only intensifying after the thrashing dealt by Nottingham Forest brought the French defender’s season to its lowest ebb.

Why Konate is becoming a huge problem for Liverpool

Konate, 26, was immense throughout the 2024/25 campaign, a powerful partner for Virgil van Dijk. He, of course, won the Premier League title, settling as a regular starter in Didier Deschamps’ France squad too.

Now, Konate is only offering the vestiges of that former level. What is most frustrating is that he has proven his quality before, but the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold beside him as exposed Konate’s issues in establishing confident build-up patterns.

But these two versions of Konate are so staggeringly opposed that it is hard to accept this is the same player. Errors and baffling decision-making have been central parts of the £70k-per-week talent’s season, and you can’t help but question whether he is somewhat distracted by outside noise.

Konate is playing out the final year of his contract at Anfield, and though FSG have offered him an extension, there has yet to be a breakthrough as speculation regarding Real Madrid’s interest continues to linger.

The season-ending injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni in his first game for the club after signing from Parma for £27m this summer was a cruel blow. A detrimental blow. The 18-year-old’s absence has been keenly felt, not least because a move for Marc Guehi fell through on deadline day.

With Slot insinuating that Liverpool’s focus this winter might be on areas further upfield (heavy speculation centres on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo), it might be that the Reds opt to make do at the back.

If this is to be the case, Slot must surely hand one of the club’s most talented young defenders a chance to shine.

Liverpool's academy Konate solution

Slot has shown a willingness to give youth a chance since taking over at Liverpool before the start of last season. Amara Nallo, for example, has been handed a few opportunities at senior level, albeit with those outings on the major stage leaving the up-and-comer beleaguered after red cards in both matches.

However, Nallo isn’t the only teenage centre-back who is playing himself toward senior contention, with 19-year-old Wellity Lucky inching toward a breakthrough after commanding displays for Rob Page’s development side.

The Spain-born defender moved to England aged 11 before joining Liverpool’s academy scene, and he has gone from strength to strength in the years since joining, having now made 60 appearances for the club’s respective youth levels.

Earlier this season, the “highly-rated” defender, as he was described by Reds reporter Ben Bocsak, made his professional debut off the bench as Slot’s side were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.

In the process, he was rewarded after being “outstanding this season” in the Premier League 2, as has been said by youth correspondent Jack Lusby.

A commanding and dominant defender with a promising ability to read and then snuff out opposition attacks, Lucky has shown that he can take his power and potential and transfer that over to contests against senior opponents. In the Football League Trophy this term, Lucky has impressed against the bustle of outfits like Crewe Alexandra and Chesterfield for the U21s.

Front-footed and fast, you could even say that he offers shades of a player like Konate, which could make adding him to the mix an attractive prospect from a stylistic standpoint.

Matches (starts)

2 (2)

Touches*

90.5

Accurate passes

61.5 (88%)

Key passes*

0.5

Dribbles*

1.5

Ball recoveries*

6.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

Clearances*

5.5

Duels (won)*

5.0 (83%)

It might not have been against top-level opponents, but for Lucky to have won 83% of his duels across the two fixtures bespeaks his incisiveness in defensive phases. Moreover, his cameo against Palace last month saw him complete all 22 of his attempted passes while making a recovery too. Small factors, but promising nonetheless.

Slot continues to show a reluctance to give Joe Gomez a run of chances, and if Konate continues to flatter to deceive, it’s surely only a matter of time before things change there.

Could that open up an opportunity for a youngster such as Lucky? After all, he has earned Slot’s approval already this year, and Nallo’s struggles under the boss’s wing suggest that Lucky could be set for a promotion sooner rather than later.

To throw Lucky into the deep end would hardly be a propitious move, but if Slot can ease him into life among the big boys, this could add an exciting and fresh dimension to a defence crying out for support.

Read between the lines and you could surmise that Liverpool will prioritise a wide forward this summer. In this, the need for academy support at the rear is significant, and Lucky could be the shrewd solution to thread the connection between the club and the fanbase back together.

Forget Isak: Another Liverpool flop is quickly becoming the new Nunez

Alexander Isak has had a wretched first few months at Liverpool.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 23, 2025

There was definitely some magic in the air at Great American Ballpark on Friday night.

The Milwaukee Brewers, powered by Christian Yelich and his custom Bob Uecker bat, a perfect tribute to the late former MLB catcher and announcer, stormed back to erase an 8-1 deficit and win a franchise record-tying 13th straight game with the 10-8 win over the Reds. And while the victory was undoubtedly one of the Brewers' most improbable of the season, there was never any doubt, particularly among Yelich.

Down 8-1, the 2018 National League MVP looked at his manager Pat Murphy in the dugout and firmly guaranteed his club would emerge victorious.

"… He told me on the bench, straight up, it was 8-1, he said, 'We're going to win this game,’" Murphy said, via Adam McCalvy. "How do you make that statement? He looked at me and said, 'We're going to win this game.'

"And then—it happened."

Yelich himself confirmed that his bold declaration also happened.

"Yeah," Yelich said when asked if he had said that to Murphy, via the . "We've been in that situation before. We seem to always kind of make it close. Just with the way our team is, I knew we weren't going to get our doors blown off. We were going to find a way to get back into that thing. Just kind of a room full of fighters and guys that don't care what the scoreboard says…

Spurred by a Yelich RBI double and Andrew Vaughn three-run homer, Milwaukee put up a five-spot in the top of the third inning to quickly cut into the deficit, then tied the game in the top of the fourth inning thanks to—guess who—Yelich.

A never-surrender type attitude certainly was paramount to the Brewers' victory, but it would be naive to think that there wasn't a little Uecker magic going on at the ballpark. Yelich, who was dealing with an injury last summer, was unable to use the blue Louisville Slugger, which featured a picture of the iconic announcer, a tribute to his signature play-by-play call and was designed for MLB's Players' Weekend.

But there he was on Friday night, using the bat en route to a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, the perfect tribute to Uecker, who passed away in January.

"…When it comes to that guy [Uecker], nothing surprises me," Yelich continued. "You guys have been around him a lot too. Stuff like that, that's just part of 'Ueck. If you know 'Ueck, you know crazy things like that are going to happen when he's involved. It just adds to how special tonight was with the guys and the comeback win… Just a pretty cool, full-circle moment."

This comes after India forfeited two games, including the semi-final, against Pakistan due to strained political relations between the two countries

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2025The PCB has issued a “blanket ban” from future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing “biased” conduct by the tournament organisers. This comes after India Champions forfeited two games, including the semi-final, against Pakistan Champions due to strained political relations between the two countries.The board also criticised WCL’s decision to award points to a forfeiting team – the teams shared points when India had refused to play Pakistan in the group match – saying it was “tainted with hypocrisy and bias”. The board also took issue with what it described as a selective use of the “peace through sport” narrative, accusing the organisers of allowing political considerations and commercial interests to interfere with the tournament. The statement comes after the PCB’s 79th board of governors meeting, held virtually under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi.”The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but on appeasing a specific nationalistic narrative,” the PCB said in a statement. “This sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.Related

India Champions pull out of WCL semi-final against Pakistan Champions

“However, we cannot allow our players to be part of events where the spirit of the game is overshadowed by skewed politics that undermines the very essence of sportsmanship and the gentleman’s game.”The WCL had issued an apology for “hurting sentiments” following India’s withdrawal.”The WCL’s apology for ‘hurting the sentiments’, whilst being farcical, inadvertently acknowledges that the cancellation was not based on cricketing merit, but rather on succumbing to a specific nationalistic narrative,” the statement further said. “This bias, masquerading as sensitivity, sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.”While reaffirming their commitment to global cricket and healthy rivalries, the board said they would not permit their players to participate in tournaments that “undermine the spirit of the game.”

Will the start of yet another new era off the park lead to one on the pitch for Rangers?

On Monday, it was announced, somewhat out of the blue, that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, just weeks after they had been publicly backed by Andrew Cavenagh and other members of 49ers Enterprises.

Thelwell and Stewart oversaw the hiring and swift firing of Russell Martin, as well as appointing his successor Danny Röhl, with the power vacuum upstairs likely to see the German head coach have a rather large say when it comes to January recruitment.

Before the transfer window opens, Rangers have eight more matches to play, with Röhl still attempting to build a cohesive team out of the mishmash squad he has inherited, but which big-money signing should find himself on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday?

Danilo's continued poor performances

Rangers have signed plenty of players who have not lived up to their price tag in recent years, with Danilo right towards the top of that list.

Since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £6m, the Brazilian striker has made just 67 appearances for the Light Blues due to injury problems.

However, when he is on the pitch, he is not delivering either, scoring just 15 times for the club, of which three have come this season, putting in a very underwhelming display during Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Braga, as the table below documents.

Shots on target

1

3rd

Expected goals

0.15

6th

Successful dribbles

2

7th

Accurate passes

14

18th

Passing accuracy %

71%

17th

Touches

34

18th

As the table documents, Danilo made little impact on the night’s proceedings.

His major moment came just after the half hour mark, played in-behind by Mohamed Diomandé, but tamely shooting straight at Lukáš Horníček, lacking any semblance of confidence or conviction, never appearing to believe he was going to score.

In the Brazilian’s defence, he was deployed out of possession on the left-wing so, with that in mind, Röhl surely must start his forgotten special young talent when Falkirk visit Govan on Sunday instead.

Rangers' youngster with an exciting future ahead

Amazingly, 26 matches into this season across all competitions, only two Rangers players have scored four goals or more, namely Djeidi Gassama and James Tavernier.

Just below them on three goals is Findlay Curtis, despite the fact he has barely featured for three months.

The teenaged academy graduate made his senior debut against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup in January, but was one of the stars of Martin’s ill-fated tenure, scoring three times before 24 August.

The pick of the bunch was this rocket to secure a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier back in July.

Overall, Curtis has seen 244 minutes of action this season, but just 17 minutes of this have come since the start of September, not featuring at all in 12 of Rangers’ last 15 fixtures.

He was given a nine minute cameo by Röhl during the defeat to Roma earlier this month, this the only time he has been seen under the new manager.

Despite this, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he has an “exciting future ahead”, while Kai Watson asserts that he “looked really bright” every time he is called upon.

Curtis’ direct dribbling and fearlessness is something Rangers severely lack, especially with Mikey Moore currently sidelined, while fellow wingers Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard simply are not offering enough.

Thus, with games against Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock up next, Röhl surely has to reintegrate Curtis, or risk him becoming the latest Rangers youngster who is forced to depart in search of first team opportunities.

Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

The NZ captain has a signature deadpan style and even World Cup pressure hasn’t been able to dilute it

Sruthi Ravindranath22-Oct-20254:19

Preview: ‘Wounded’ India favourites against New Zealand?

Two losses in the first three games, and the next two washed out. New Zealand’s World Cup campaign has veered off track, but on the eve of an all-important clash against India, captain Sophie Devine was all calm, answering questions at the press conference in her signature deadpan style.”Thanks for not saying I’m old. I appreciate that, experienced is nice,” she said on being asked how her near 20 years as an international cricketer might help her in Thursday’s high-pressure game.New Zealand haven’t had much game time lately but they’re embracing the “underdog badge with pride”, Devine said, also acknowledging the pressure her side will be under playing in Mumbai in front of “99.9%” of India fans. But she also feels “real empathy” for hosts who have come under scrutiny after losing three matches in a row.”We’re really stepping towards that pressure,” Devine said. “In all honesty, I can’t begin to imagine the type of pressure that the Indian team is under. I know when we played at a home World Cup [in 2022], the pressure that we felt to perform in front of our home crowd was at times overwhelming. I can’t imagine what that’s like with a billion people tuned into the TV screens and the expectation and the weight that’s on their shoulders.””These are the moments that you want to be playing cricket in – a pretty much knockout game against India in India at a World Cup. We’re obviously under no illusions that India are still the favourites, without a doubt. And we will wear the underdog badge with pride, as Kiwis often do.”India might have home advantage but when it comes to ODI World Cups, their win-loss ratio against New Zealand is 0.2, the lowest against any opposition. Does that give New Zealand a psychological edge?Sophie Devine has 260 runs at the World Cup at an average of 87•ICC/Getty Images

“Yeah, ask me after the game tomorrow because I think that’s generally the way it goes, isn’t it?” Devine quipped. “We can get confidence from the fact that we’ve played them in pressure situations before. But tomorrow’s a new game, everyone starts on zero.”Related

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Whether it’s the atmosphere or the profile of the game, Devine hopes it serves as a learning experience for the young players in her side.”Some youngsters that we’ve got, they’ve still played cricket under different pressures and have had to perform at different stages,” she said. “It is such a cool opportunity. This is why you play high-performance sport, it’s why you play international cricket. To be put under the most intense pressure and see how you stand up.””To me that’s just a really exciting opportunity to not only showcase the women’s game, but showcase New Zealand cricket,” she said. “And as you mentioned, we’ve had a great record, not just females, but males as well, of playing India in these sort of tournaments.”Rustiness is a concern – New Zealand haven’t played a full game in nearly 12 days – but so is the forecast. With rain having already sabotaged their campaign, Devine responded in her trademark style when informed there’s more in the forecast.”I’m not surprised, to be honest. I expect there to be rain everywhere we go at the moment,” she said, shrugging. “But you can’t control the weather. We’ll deal with it if it comes. There’s no point worrying about it until it actually falls down and the umpires call you off, we’re just focused on what we want to do.”Thursday’s clash will also be New Zealand’s first outing at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, but they’ll be banking on local knowledge from Amelia Kerr, who has played six WPL matches at the venue.”Not just tomorrow, but everyone expects Melie to perform and to give to this group,” Devine said. “She’s played a lot with Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur], she’s obviously played with the Mumbai Indians here. Hopefully she’s got a few fans in the crowd as well that’ll be cheering for New Zealand and her.”Melie knows some of those Indian players really well. They also know Melie well. I think the Indians probably have enough pressure on them coming from the rest of your country to try and perform and get through to a semi-final, which I know is the expectation for them.”Devine ended the press conference in her typical style: “We’ll let the Indian public and the media and all that give the Indian team enough pressure and we’ll just keep going about our thing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Flamengo e São Paulo se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (17), pela 2ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024. A bola rola às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Maracanã, em no Rio de Janeiro, com transmissão do Globo (TV Aberta) e Premiere (pay-per-view).

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➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

O Tricolor vem de derrota contra o Fortaleza na estreia do Brasileirão, enquanto o Rubro-Negro venceu o Atlético-GO, em Goiânia.

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Flamengo e São Paulo (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Flamengo x São Paulo
2ª rodada – Brasileirão

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 17 de abril de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Onde assistir: Globo e Premiere
Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (FIFA-RS)
VAR: Rodrigo D Alonso Ferreira (SC)
Assistentes: Rafael da Silva Alves (FIFA-RS) e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ)

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Tite)
Rossi, Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira e Ayrton Lucas; Pulgar, De la Cruz e Arrascaeta; Luiz Araújo, Cebolinha e Pedro

SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Thiago Carpini)
Rafael; Igor Vinícus, Arboleda, Diego Costa e Welington; Pablo Maia, Alisson e Galoppo; Ferreira, Luciano e Calleri.

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BrasileirãoFlamengoSão Paulo

David Alaba has rejoined Real Madrid group training and is expected to be in the squad for Sunday's La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano, providing a major boost for Xabi Alonso. The defender returns from a calf injury that has seen him miss four games, as the club continues to cope with injuries to Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni.

• Alaba's return provides crucial defensive relief

  Madrid have received a significant defensive boost as Alaba has rejoined group training and is poised to make his return to the squad for match against Vallecano, according to a report from .

  The 33-year-old defender's return provides a timely solution for manager, whose squad has been severely depleted by injuries, particularly in defence.

  Alaba participated in the majority of group exercises during Friday's training session at Valdebebas, with the outlook for his recovery described as "very positive." The Austrian international is expected to complete Saturday's final session without issue and be named in Alonso's squad for the trip to Vallecas.

  The comeback of the experienced centre-back is a critical development for Real Madrid, who are facing an injury crisis in their backline. Alonso remains without four key players for the upcoming league fixture.

  The injury list includes starting right-back Carvajal and fellow centre-back Rudiger, whose absence has compounded Madrid's defensive woes.

  Furthermore, the club is without key defensive midfielder Tchouameni, who was the latest player to be sidelined. The Frenchman is suffering from a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg and is not expected to reappear until after the upcoming international break. His target is reportedly the match against Elche on November 23. Youngster Franco Mastantuono also remains unavailable.

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  Four-match absence follows calf strain

  Alaba has been sidelined for Madrid's last four matches after sustaining a strain in his right calf muscle, identified as a soleus injury. The setback occurred at the end of the first half of the club's league match against Getafe on 19 October.

  His injury, coinciding with Rudiger's spell on the treatment table, forced Alonso to field a makeshift defensive partnership. The manager has had to consolidate a centre-back pairing of Eder Militao and 20-year-old summer signing Dean Huijsen.

  This pairing was further disrupted during Alaba's absence, with Spanish international Huijsen also missing the Champions League match against Juventus, highlighting the precarious lack of depth Alonso has been navigating.

• A difficult start to the 2025-26 season

  The injury has been a frustrating interruption for Alaba, who has had a limited impact on the 2025-26 campaign. The defender, whose contract expires in 2026, has struggled for consistent fitness and game time.

  Prior to his injury, the Austrian had featured in only four matches for Madrid this season, accumulating just 145 minutes of playing time.

  His involvement has been sporadic, receiving minutes from the bench against Real Sociedad and Levante in La Liga, and making one start on the second matchday of the Champions League in Almaty.

  His return to fitness is therefore crucial not only for the team's immediate needs but also for Alaba himself as he looks to re-establish his role as a cornerstone of the Madrid defence.

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• AFP
  

  What next? Vallecas test and historic Austria call-up

  Provided he passes Saturday's final fitness test, Alaba will be in line for minutes in Sunday's La Liga encounter at Vallecas. Following the match against Rayo Vallecano, Alaba's immediate focus will shift to international duty. The defender has been called up by manager Ralf Rangnick for a potentially huge international break for Austria.

  The Austrian national team are on the verge of securing qualification for the next World Cup, an achievement they have not managed in 28 years. The country's last appearance at the tournament was in 1998 when it was held in France.

  Austria will face Cyprus on Saturday, November 15, before a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina the following Tuesday evening. Alaba's return to fitness will be a welcome sight for Rangnick, who will rely on his captain's leadership and experience as his side attempts to make history.

This week, Tottenham Hotspur fans will get to see Heung-min Son again. On Tuesday, he will be there, down N17, beaming and emotional as he waves goodbye to the club he devoted the prime years of his iconic career.

Poetry has a funny way of weaving its way into so many narratives in football, and there was certainly something romantic about the South Korean legend sealing silverware on his final game for Spurs, ending the endless drought.

Tottenham haven’t really replaced their former captain, just as someone on a level with Harry Kane at number nine has not been signed either.

That may change in 2026.

Spurs lining up new forwards

In October, Tottenham announced a £100m equity injection. What this pertains to could go on interminably, but it effectively means Frank’s first-team squad will be seeing some improvements in the near future. Investment is imminent.

And it’s clear that additions are needed up top, with the potency Son provided – even on the decline, the 32-year-old scored 24 goals and assisted 19 more across his final two Premier League campaigns – yet to be matched.

Should the Lilywhites win the race for RB Leipzig prospect Yan Diomande, with their interest confirmed by Caught Offside, Frank might just land the talisman he is looking for.

The report claims Spurs are among the myriad of top clubs to have sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old winger this season, and such competitive intrigue indicates a market value or around €80m (equating to £68m).

The news comes just days after it was revealed by separate sources that Spurs were in ‘very advanced talks’ with the player’s agents last week to sign the player.

Why Spurs should sign Yan Diomande

Diomande might be in the hatchling stage of his career, but already, he is proving that he can throw down with the heavyweights, having made an electric start to his career in Germany with Leipzig, scoring seven goals and supplying four assists across 15 matches this term, having joined from

The Ivorian winger’s technical skills stand out, and a slippery dribbling style makes him a force to be reckoned with. Coach Harry Brook believes he will “be worth £100m plus” in the not-too-distant future, and so it’s worth Tottenham snapping him up promptly.

Already, we can observe startling progress across a range of areas for Diomande. He is physical and he is fast, and he is also fostering a natural-born clinical edge in front of goal, with his defensive work-rate not leaving much to be desired either.

Remind you of anyone? This could be the new Son, especially since he hails from the Bundesliga, with Tottenham signing their departed hero from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

Goals scored

0.36

0.31

Assists

0.21

0.31

Shots taken

2.08

2.75

Shot-creating actions

5.23

4.51

Touches (att pen)

7.16

5.55

Pass completion (%)

81.2

76.4

Progressive passes

3.44

4.25

Progressive carries

6.66

4.30

Successful take-ons

4.01

1.61

Ball recoveries

6.01

3.16

Tackles + interceptions

2.72

0.83

Diomande is showing signs of elite balance in output. He’s got an eye for goal, but that doesn’t detract from his playmaking, and nor does it mean he shirks away from defensive duties, from using his speed to cover plenty of ground and influence in different areas.

Son, in many ways is irreplaceable, and perhaps that’s why the board opted against trying to find a carbon copy, as they did with Kane.

But now, real quality, bona fide quality, is needed up top, else Tottenham will find themselves struggling to match the might of rivals at the top of the Premier League.

Diomande has talent in spades, and he might just find himself developing into a winger of a similar level with Son, following that Korean legend’s footsteps from Germany over to English shores.

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