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Phil Parkinson was hugely disappointed with Wrexham’s performance in a 2-0 defeat at Hull City, with an “honest chat” taking place behind the scenes. The Red Dragons saw a nine-match unbeaten run in Championship competition come to a shuddering halt when paying a visit to East Yorkshire. Parkinson is now demanding an immediate response from his players.

Spent big: Reynolds and Mac chasing the dream

Wrexham spent big in the summer transfer window as Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac helped to make the funds available for more marquee additions. A slow start was made to the 2025-26 campaign, but the Welsh outfit have found their feet in the second tier of English football.

They had moved to within touching distance of the play-offs spots, but have now slipped to 14th place in the tightest of divisions. They remain only four points adrift of the top six, but saw collective standards slip at MKM Stadium.

AdvertisementGettyPull no punches: Parkinson assesses defeat at Hull

Parkinson told reporters afterwards, with Wrexham paying the price for a particularly poor first-half display: “We just weren't at the levels tonight and I've got to look at that – my part in it, all the staff will, and the players themselves. But we'll do that together. The lads have given us a lot but tonight we were below the level, and we'll come out ready for action at the weekend.”

Parkinson added on dressing room chat that saw the Red Dragons’ coaching staff pull no punches: “We've just had an honest chat with the lads. We just weren't where we needed to be tonight and we've got to be honest about that.

“It's very rare in my whole time at Wrexham to have a 45 minutes that was so unlike us. Tonight the first 45 minutes was certainly one of those performances, but against a good side as well. Give them credit, they were excellent.

“We will look to respond, of course. That's what football's all about. We'll be a bit flat tomorrow because we don't like losing. Nobody does in football, but we'll work together as a group, and we'll look to put up a good performance on the weekend.”

Confident camp: Hyam expects immediate improvement

Wrexham defender Dom Hyam is confident that Wrexham’s efforts so far this season mean a much-improved performance will be delivered when Watford pay a visit to SToK Racecourse on Saturday.

He said: “We've been on a really good run, we've got to add some perspective as well, we've come up from the division below and we've done well up until this point. Don't get me wrong, we're still bitterly disappointed with that tonight but it's a good opportunity to get it right on Saturday. That's the beauty of the league, we've got a game in three days' time. We know there's a big opportunity on Saturday in front of our home supporters to put things right.

“It's not doom and gloom by any means. It's very raw, that performance wasn't great on a lot of levels, but there's a lot to be positive about still. We'll take our medicine and make sure we're right again.”

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GettyUltimate goal: Wrexham aiming for the Premier League

While Wrexham were nine Championship games unbeaten heading into their meeting with Hull, they had been held in five of those fixtures. Inability to turn draws into wins has prevented them from clambering into the play-off places and daring to dream of securing a record-extending fourth successive promotion.

That remains the ultimate goal for all concerned, with Reynolds and Mac having never shied away from the fact that they want to bring top-flight football to North Wales. Greater consistency is, however, going to be required when it comes to picking up maximum points.

It could be that the Red Dragons dip back into the transfer market for more new recruits during the January window. They have four games to take in through to the end of the calendar year – with three of those being played out on home soil, while a trip to Swansea for a derby date with Welsh rivals will be taken in on December 19.

Captain Ronald Araujo has been granted indefinite leave by Barcelona following a request for a period of absence. The Uruguay international's representatives held discussions with club sporting director Deco on Monday after the defender was not part of the matchday squad for Saturday's 3-1 La Liga victory over Alaves at Spotify Camp Nou.

Araujo was sent off in Barcelona's Champions League loss at Chelsea

After being sent off in Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League last Tuesday, Araujo was absent as his side secured a victory over Alaves which sent them top of La Liga. 

A double from Dani Olmo and a strike from Lamine Yamal helped Hansi Flick’s side rise to the summit ahead of Real Madrid, who stayed in second place after drawing 1-1 with Girona on Sunday. With Araujo missing, left-back Gerard Martin had to step into the centre of defence alongside youngster Pau Cubarsi.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReport states Spanish giants have granted defender's request for absence

And according to Araujo has now been allowed to take a break following a request from his agents. The report states Barcelona chief Deco granted the 28-year-old’s wish to step away from football as the club remain committed to giving him the time he needs to recover.

Spanish publication reported earlier on Monday that Araujo lodged the request because he does not believe he can deliver for Barcelona at the moment. The report added the centre-back feared he would “hurt” the team if he tried to force himself to play.

While refusing to go into detail as to why Araujo requested a period of absence, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Atletico Madrid: “It is a private situation, I don’t want to say more. And please, if you can respect it I’d appreciate it.”

Barcelona president Laporta says Araujo has been treated unfairly of late

Flick’s comments came after Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Araujo had been treated unfairly in recent weeks and that the club were “behind him”.

Speaking at an event in Andorra on Friday, Laporta said: “He has been heavily criticised, and I don’t think that’s fair. He gives his all on the pitch, he’s our captain, and now he needs to get through this difficult period because he’s a very emotional person with strong feelings.

“He’s had a tough time, and I want to tell him that we’re behind him, that he needs to turn the page because here we all win and we all lose, and no one person is responsible for defeats or victories.”

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AFPBarcelona boss Flick expecting tough test against 'fantastic' Atletico

Barcelona are gearing up for a highly-anticipated fixture with Atletico in what will be just their third match at the renovated Camp Nou, following the earlier games against Athletic Club and Alaves. While the reigning champions are hoping to secure a win which would keep them above fierce rivals Real – who travel to Athletic on Wednesday – Diego Simeone’s Atletico should provide a strong test for Flick’s men.

Currently fourth in the table, Los Rojiblancos could go level on points with Barcelona with a victory at Camp Nou. Simeone’s side have lost just one of their 14 league matches in 2025-26, winning nine and drawing four.

Previewing the fixture, Barcelona boss Flick said: "We know we are up against a fantastic team with a lot of quality, one of the best in Europe with one of the best coaches. For that reason it will be a tough encounter.

"We are back at the top and we are happy about that, it's where we want to be but the important thing is to stay there until the end of the season. We have to keep working hard and give our best. We are leaders but at the moment we are not at our best. We need to move forward to to get back playing our best football.

“I think we are committing too many mistakes, despite having the quality to control matches. It's something we have missed in recent matches but we can do it and we are working towards that.”

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Em negociações com o Flamengo, o zagueiro Léo Ortiz reiterou o desejo em se transferir para o Rubro-Negro, mas ressaltou que só vai deixar o RB Bragantino caso o acordo seja benéfico para todas as partes.

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O Flamengo já acertou as bases salarias com Léo Ortiz, mas o clube carioca ainda não chegou em um acordo com o Bragantino, que deseja receber entre 8,5 e 9 milhões de euros pelo zagueiro de 28 anos. O Rubro-Negro tenta reduzir a pedida do Massa Bruta.

– O comprometimento sempre vai ser com o clube que estou jogando. Mas as pessoas que controlam minha carreira sabem da minha vontade, os clubes também sabem o que eu quero. Espero que as coisas andem, mas enquanto isso vou continuar jogando normal pelo Bragantino. Tem que ser algo justo para todas as partes. Quero sair pela porta da frente pelo clube que me deu essa oportunidade. Na conversa, as coisas vão se ajeitar. Sei que as coisas estão demorando mais do que a gente deseja e criando uma novela, mas as pessoas que controlam minha carreira sabem da minha vontade – revelou o defensor.

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Titular na defesa do Bragantino no empate com o São Paulo, Léo Ortiz ressaltou que mesmo em negociações com o Flamengo, vai honrar seu vínculo com o Massa Bruta.

– Eu respeito muito a camisa do Red Bull Bragantino e vou honrar até o final. Enquanto eu tiver contrato e nada estiver resolvido, eu vou jogar e dar o meu sangue. O clube me deu oportunidade quando poucos me dariam – assegurou.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Aos 28 anos, Léo Ortiz chegaria ao Flamengo para brigar por um lugar na equipe titular com Fabrício Bruno e Léo Pereira. O zagueiro já trabalhou com Tite na Seleção Brasileira, embora nunca tenha feito uma partida oficial com a Amarelinha. Na atual temporada, o zagueiro realizou sete partidas com a camisa do RB Bragantino, tendo marcado dois gols.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoLéo OrtizRB Bragantino

Celtic took on FC Midtjylland on Thursday evening. One of these clubs is a former European champion; a UEFA Cup finalist as recently as 2003. You wouldn’t have thought it was the team in green and white.

Yes, the trip to Denmark saw the Hoops’ season reach yet another low following a dismal 3-1 defeat in the Europa League, with a late Reo Hatate consolation doing little to help lift the mood among Martin O’Neill’s side.

It was men against boys stuff at the MCH Arena, in truth, evoking memories of last season’s humiliation at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, with the home side scoring three times in an eight-minute first-half blitz.

From the highs of Sunday’s extra-time triumph over rivals Rangers, the Parkhead outfit were very much brought crashing back down to earth, with such a display only heightening the need to wrap up this ongoing managerial search sooner rather than later.

It was a night in which anything that could go wrong did go wrong, a fact epitomised by the sight of Hampden hero Callum Osmand being stretchered off late on, cruelly cutting short what had been a lively cameo from the teenage striker.

Until that abrupt withdrawal, Osmand had been perhaps the only positive for O’Neill and co, coming amid a string of otherwise dour performances – including from a certain Anthony Ralston.

Ralston's game in numbers vs Midtjylland

The unfortunate blow of losing the ex-Fulham forward has further emphasised just how depleted Celtic are right now, with the Scottish champions faced with a raft of key absentees to add to their growing woes.

Indeed, there remains no Cameron Carter-Vickers, nor Jota. No Kelechi Iheanacho or Alistair Johnston. On the evidence of Ralston’s Danish display, the return of the latter man can’t come soon enough.

That may appear a harsh assessment for a player who has been a solid servant since his surprise rise under Ange Postecoglou, although the right-back’s shortcomings were brutally exposed amid the first-half onslaught last night.

The Scotland international was notably at fault for the home side’s second of the night, having almost watched as the impressive Mikel Gorgoza skipped past him, before curling a delightful effort into the far corner.

On the receiving end of an undoubtedly debatable handball call at the weekend, Ralston’s luck doesn’t seem to be in right now, with his woes also evident as he lost the ball on nine occasions from his 55 touches, while boasting a limp 79% pass accuracy, as per Sofascore.

While the typically committed full-back did win four of his five tackles, there was little in the way of any attacking impetus, having failed to even provide a single key pass or cross on the night, nor attempt a single dribble.

Limited would be the word to describe the 26-year-old, unfortunately, with the Glasgow giants desperately in need of Johnston’s return before too long.

That’s not to say Ralston was the only villain in Denmark, however, with issues cropping up all across the park.

How Celtic were let down by experienced faces

Scrutiny over the club’s new faces or emerging talents, be it Benjamin Nygren or Johnny Kenny, is no doubt justified following the limp showing of the pair in midweek, although much of the criticism should be centred around O’Neill’s core of experienced figures.

Indeed, while having had little chance with any of the three goals, Kasper Schmeichel was again somewhat erratic when playing out from the back, with that also the word to use for summer returnee, Kieran Tierney, as the struggling star notably lost the ball on 14 occasions from his left-back berth.

Long-serving hero, James Forrest, meanwhile, was hooked at the break having repeatedly run into trouble when cutting in from the right flank, albeit with perhaps the biggest frustration having been the performance of skipper Callum McGregor at the base of the midfield.

So often the shining light for Celtic, as he was at Hampden just a matter of days ago, McGregor at his best is central to everything good about the team, pulling the strings in metronomic fashion from his deep-lying berth.

Unfortunately, this latest outing was far from the captain in his pomp, with much of the away side’s woes stemming from the Scotsman’s inability to dictate proceedings, having been no match for the physicality of the towering opposition.

Up against the likes of ex-Bournemouth star Philip Billing, McGregor simply couldn’t get a foothold in the game, failing to make a single tackle or win any of his five attempted duels, while being dribbled past twice.

In an attacking sense too, the 32-year-old was also found wanting, having failed to successfully complete a single dribble or cross, while losing the ball on ten occasions from just 41 touches.

Minutes

90

Touches

41

Pass accuracy

78%

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

10

Tackles

0

Total duels won

0/5

Dribbled past

2

For a man who has averaged 81.8 touches per game in the Premiership this season, as per Sofascore, such a drop off only serves to emphasise his struggles, with the typically reliable midfielder enduring a real off night in truth.

At a time of so much chaos and uncertainty surrounding the club, O’Neill – or his permanent successor – are in need of figures like McGregor to step up to the plate.

As Thursday’s outing showcased, however, he is currently the captain of something of a sinking ship.

Postecoglou 2.0: Surprise target emerges to now replace Rodgers at Celtic

Celtic’s search for a new manager continues, with a new Ange Postecoglou figure under consideration…

ByRobbie Walls Nov 6, 2025

A stubborn seventh-wicket stand between Ervine and Masakadza only delayed the inevitable

Himanshu Agrawal01-Jul-2025The first ball of the day set the tone. Corbin Bosch wished Zimbabwe good morning by cramping Nick Welch with a sharp short delivery, which he ended up fending to short leg. That left Bosch on a hat-trick after he had had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught at third slip off what had turned out to be the last ball of the third day. Sean Williams avoided the hat-trick, but soon after, a collapse of 4 for 18 left little scope for Zimbabwe to take the game deep after South Africa had set them 537 to win. The visitors won by 328 runs soon after lunch.From 82 for 6, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine and Wellington Masakadza doubled the total in a fighting seventh-wicket partnership of 83. South Africa’s frustration lasted for just over an hour, as a superb diving catch by Tony de Zorzi – again at short leg – helped Bosch break the stand. Ervine departed on 49 to give Bosch his fourth wicket, and with that, ended South Africa’s irritation.Bosch bagged his maiden Test five-for, when, four overs later, he had Vincent Masekesa chopping on. That added to the milestone of scoring his first Test hundred with the bat on the first day, and made Bosch the fifth South African to achieve that double in a Test. Eventually, his and Wiaan Mulder’s all-round heroics, coupled with debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 153 on day one, confined Zimbabwe to their heaviest Test defeat in terms of runs.But apart from that union between Ervine and Masakadza, Zimbabwe provided brief spells of entertainment on the fourth day. Although Williams arrived to bat in a tricky situation, he didn’t hesitate in attacking the bowlers. He had four boundaries off his first eight balls, and fell for 26 off 18 balls when, in the 25th over, he ended up top-edging a short ball from Bosch to Kyle Verreynne.Codi Yusuf replaced Bosch in the 28th over, and had Prince Masvaure caught at second slip for 12. Yusuf’s fun continued when Wessly Madhevere nicked to Verreynne in the 30th over, and Tafadzwa Tsiga found fourth slip in the 32nd. But Ervine and Masakadza blunted all that with a flurry of boundaries.Ervine had already swept, reverse swept and chipped Keshav Maharaj for boundaries, and Masakadza didn’t shy away from playing his shots either. When on 10, Mulder had Masakadza dropped by Verreynne, and the life Masakadza got helped the stand grow. The partnership passed fifty in the 33rd over when Ervine reverse swept Maharaj past slip, as the left-arm spinner looked short of ideas both as bowler and captain.After lunch, when Masakadza punched Bosch for four past gully to raise his maiden Test fifty – his previous highest Test score was 17 – there seemed to be no end to South Africa’s misery. But when Bosch had Ervine caught by de Zorzi, that started another collapse. Masekesa and Masakadza followed, but there was more annoyance in store for South Africa.Blessing Muzarabani, Zimbabwe’s No. 10, went 4, 4, 6 off part-time legspinner Dewald Brevis in the 64th over, and then smashed a six and four each off Maharaj in the 66th. Finally, two overs later, Brevis had his first Test wicket when Tanaka Chivanga chipped down the pitch and missed a ball outside leg, and was stumped. South Africa now have a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Despite the occasion being Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of West Ham United at the London Stadium, the Monday night affair between the Hammers and Brentford had a subdued feeling from the get-go.

Planned protests against Hammers chairman David Sullivan and vice-chairman Karen Brady meant sections of West Ham’s ground were sparsely filled throughout, with the feeling around their home stadium only worsening by the full-time whistle, as a 2-0 defeat kept the East Londoners deep in the Premier League relegation mix.

Nuno is clearly still getting used to all the new players at his disposal, as some surprising alterations were on show for the clash with the Bees. Most notably, Malick Diouf sat on the bench alongside the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Guido Rodriguez.

Unfortunately, none of those changes worked, with Mathias Jensen’s late strike condemning Nuno’s side to a miserable sixth league defeat of the season already, which also leaves the ex-Nottingham Forest boss still searching for a first win in the Hammers dug-out.

West Ham's biggest underperformers vs Brentford

Truthfully, although it took until the 94th minute for Jensen to seal the win for Keith Andrew’s visitors, Brentford should have had the game tied up long before this last-gasp stunner.

Indeed, the Bees would tally up a mammoth 15 shots just in the first half, as the ropey centre-back duo of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo were continually caught out by the physical approach of Igor Thiago, with a long ball over the top late into the first half catching Kilman out, before Thiago eventually bundled home the opener.

19-year-old Oliver Scales also noticeably struggled on a surprise start, with just one of his aerial duels being won before being hauled off on the 46th minute mark.

Another intriguing selection decision by Nuno in handing Andy Irving a first Premier League start of the season also fell flat, as the Scotsman gave up possession ten times as an unassured body in central midfield.

Even Jarrod Bowen was quiet to further add to the misery on display, with the usually dependable Hammers captain only managing to tally up a lacklustre xG of 0.08 come the full-time whistle, firing a few chances off target.

He wasn’t the only first team regular who decided to put in a no-show against Brentford, however.

West Ham star has regressed under Nuno

While Graham Potter was deservedly sacked after collecting a dire four defeats from five Premier League games at the start of the season, at least Lucas Paqueta stood out as a bright spark during those tough times.

The Brazilian certainly lived up to his previous “explosive” billing – as he was once labelled by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp – when collecting two goals across this choppy patch of matches, with a kiss of the badge after confidently tucking a penalty away at Forest cementing his reputation as a fan favourite.

However, he hasn’t looked quite so razor-sharp in front of goal since Nuno entered the building, with only a meagre four efforts attempted by the enigmatic Brazilian across his new manager’s first three league games at the helm. That must be particularly worrying considering that he operated as a false 9 in the absence of the injured Niclas Fullkrug on Monday.

In particular, Paqueta’s ongoing regression under his new manager was clear for all to see against Andrew’s away side, as the hot-and-cold number ten failed to be a feared forward presence in the same manner the hard-to-contain Thiago managed to be for the Bees.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Shots

1

Accurate passes

26/42 (63%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Possession lost

23x

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

7/20

Instead, Paqueta was often seen giving up the ball time after time, with possession squandered a costly 23 times. Having amassed three key passes against Arsenal in their last away outing, this was a notable drop-off.

Only winning 35% of his duels, too, on top of only testing the Bees goalkeeper with one shot, Nuno might well be prepared to boldly drop the 28-year-old in games to come, as the already under pressure Hammers boss tries to get a tune out of his demoralised side no matter what.

Branded as a “shocking” mess of a situation post-match by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, Nuno will have his work cut out for him to get the sinking ship back on course, with the 51-year-old desperately needing Paqueta to get back to his best, and sharp.

Nuno suggests West Ham could be about to rely on "very aggressive" young star

The Hammers boss clearly loves what he can offer.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo oversaw a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Everton during his debut game in the Hammers dugout, and he’s now being told that there’s another world-class player in his new squad to rival Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham set for change under new boss Nuno Espírito Santo

Chairman David Sullivan followed the advice of fellow boardroom member Karren Brady, who was a big supporter of Nuno, and appointed the Portuguese on a three-year contract immediately after sacking Graham Potter last Saturday.

Potter was a popular figure among senior members of the West Ham squad and had significant backing behind-the-scenes, according to credible reports.

However, a string of poor results, not to mention the club’s second-worst win percentage of the Premier League era behind Avram Grant, forced Sullivan and co to pull the trigger.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Nuno wasted no time stepping into Potter’s shoes, with Tottenham’s former boss overseeing first-team training at Rush Green the very same day that Potter was sacked, as he prepared his team for a looming trip to Merseyside.

The tactician noticeably omitted midfielder James Ward-Prowse from his first ever West Ham matchday squad – a player he didn’t fancy at Nottingham Forest either – and it’s since been reported that the 30-year-old is resigned to leaving in January (GiveMeSport).

Ward-Prowse has already been told that he has no future at West Ham under Nuno, with the ex-Al-Ittihad coach wasting no time in stamping his authority on the team amid reports that Sullivan is also ready to back him in January.

There are suggestions that West Ham are prepared to bid up to £43m for AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, though it is highly debatable that the USA international would leave a potential Serie A title challenge midway through the campaign.

In any case, the squad is going to look slightly different under West Ham’s new manager.

That being said, alongside the obviously undroppable Bowen, summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf is already making quite an impression.

West Ham told El Hadji Malick Diouf might be the best left-back in the world

The 20-year-old, who joined West Ham in July for around £19 million from Slavia Prague, is already looking like an absolute bargain.

Malick Diouf’s marauding pace down the left-hand side has already wreaked havoc at times, with the Senegal international bursting past two Everton players before putting in a delightful cross in the build up to Bowen’s equaliser at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.

The defender undoubtedly sent a message to Nuno with that moment of sheer quality, and members of the media are convinced that he could be something special.

YouTuber and football content creator ‘CaniSports’ told West Ham they might have the best left-back in world football, while Sky presenter Joe Thomlinson has already called Diouf “one of the finds of the season”.

Elsewhere, presenter Jamie Boyce branded the African a “special” player amidst a tongue-in-cheek verdict that Diouf could be one of the best players to ever wear Claret and Blue.

Meanwhile, journalist Muhammad Butt has already called Diouf “massively superior” to Man United’s Patrick Dorgu, hailing West Ham’s often criticised recruitment team in the process.

It is still very early days, and a lot of these verdicts may be deemed excitable to say the least.

However, what is clear is that Diouf has stood far above West Ham’s newest recruits so far, and Nuno will be hoping that is set to continue.

The GT top three again did the bulk of the scoring, scoring 183 runs among them

Sidharth Monga21-Apr-20251:53

Finch: Gill always looks in total control

Despite losing the last time they batted first, Gujarat Titans (GT) stuck with their tried and tested method of starting calmly, assessing the conditions and minimising risk. The result this time was a total of 198 for 3 on a tricky surface, a total they defended with ease against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to consolidate their lead at the top of the table.Led by Shubman Gill’s 90 off 55, the GT top three again did the bulk of the scoring, scoring 183 runs among them, after the second-slowest powerplay of this IPL for a side not losing a wicket. On a pitch that had just enough to discourage fluent stroke-play, Gill and B Sai Sudharsan relied on rotation of strike and the occasional onslaught. They added 114 for the first wicket before Jos Buttler provided the finishing touches with 41 off 23.There were still doubts if GT had left a few runs out in the middle, but their relentless bowling extracted enough from the pitch to vindicate the batting approach and set up a big win by 39 runs.Assessing the pitchIn their young existence, GT have always played like peak Chennai Super Kings (CSK), trusting their batters to make decisions in the middle and investing in bowlers who reduce the need to take high risks when they are batting. They are the second-slowest team in the powerplay this IPL, but also the quickest overall. Part of it is their top order taking its time and then cashing in later. On the night, it meant no boundary in the first 11 balls, only one aerial shot in the powerplay and just 45 runs when the field was up.Gill, Sai Sudharsan take turns at attackingHe didn’t do much when the field was up, but once he felt he was in, Gill took on the deep fielders immediately after the powerplay. He started with 6 off 11, then used the pace of Harshit Rana to reach 22 off 19 before hitting Moeen Ali for six, four and four in consecutive balls. Again, though, he chose a touch of caution when facing Sunil Narine.1:43

Finch: Venkatesh Iyer’s lack of intent was mesmerising

Sai Sudharsan took the load off him by attacking fellow Tamil Nadu player Varun Chakravarthy and then Harshit, who was getting purchase from the pitch with his offcutters. He even outpaced Gill to the fifty: in 33 balls to Gill’s 34. The orange cap followed soon after.Buttler, Gill carry on hittingSai Sudharsan’s wicket to Andre Russell’s extra bounce would have given KKR hope, but Buttler crushed their joy by hitting three consecutive fours in the same over. Gill now took on the responsibility of attacking the two main spinners, taking 12 and 11 in the 16th and 17th overs. It was a big win for GT that the spinners bowled 11 overs for no wicket and 96 runs without frenetic cricket.Gill missed out on the century as he hit a full toss straight to deep midwicket, but Buttler and Shahrukh Khan made it 85 off the last eight overs.KKR batting continues to misfireKKR rang in the changes in this match hoping for better returns, but they also went in confident chasing anything under 210. This is where the GT way comes in. They might sometimes fall ten or so short of a perfect chase, but they hardly ever were 50 short because they went too hard. Lucknow Super Giants might have put in a perfect chase last game, KKR were far from perfect.Mohammed Siraj started with an unplayable ball to get Rahmanullah Gurbaz: an outswinger that pitched and nipped in to give him no chance. Ajinkya Rahane was the only KKR batter who looked fluent, but Narine and Venkatesh Iyer got stuck at the other end. Narine still managed 17 off 13, but Venkatesh’s 14 off 19 left them needing nothing short of a Russell special.Rahane scored a fifty off 36 balls but a clever Washington Sundar wide ball had him stumped immediately after. Russell started with a four and a six off Washington, but canny spin bowling from Sai Kishore tied him down before Rashid Khan capped off his return to good results with the wicket of Russell. The ask was already in the realms of the impossible by then.Towards the end, Prasidh Krishna extended his lead at the top of the purple cap charts with figures of 4-0-25-2 taking him to 16 wickets.

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Manchester United are now in a strong position to win the race for a “fantastic” Carlos Baleba alternative, despite rival interest from Juventus.

Man Utd eyeing Baleba alternatives after halting pursuit

It was always going to be difficult for Man United to lure Baleba to Old Trafford this summer, given that Brighton & Hove Albion were set to hold out for £115m, and Ruben Amorim’s side are now believed to have pulled the plug on the deal.

As a result, the Red Devils have been forced to move on to different targets in central midfield, and a number of exciting options have made their way onto the shortlist.

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Mateus Fernandes

Southampton

£30m+

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

£100m

Fermin Lopez

Barcelona

£69m

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

£68m

Amorim knows Morten Hjulmand well, with the United boss working with the midfielder during his time at Sporting, but given the £68m release clause in his contract, a deal could be on the expensive side.

However, according to a report from Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Man United should be in a strong position to win the race for Hjulmand, despite rival interest from Juventus, as they are less likely to be put off by the huge asking price.

The Italian club, on the other hand, had been hoping to sign the maestro for less than half of Sporting’s asking price, and consider the Portuguese club’s current valuation to be way too high.

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As such, the Red Devils are better-placed to sign the 26-year-old this summer, and the next few days are said to be crucial, with Juventus standing no chance of winning the race if Amorim’s side decide to launch a formal move.

"Fantastic" Hjulmand impressing for club and country

The Danish midfielder has certainly impressed at international level in recent times, with compatriot Andreas Christensen saying: “Morten has become extremely important to the team. For us in defense, he always offers a passing option and provides a lot of tranquility. He is a fantastic player.”

Christensen is right to point out that passing is one of the central midfielder’s key strengths, as his ability in possession of the ball has regularly been on display for Sporting over the course of the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

63.65 (89th percentile)

Pass completion %

90.2% (97th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.75 (85th percentile)

That said, there are some doubts over whether the Sporting star is a like-for-like alternative to Baleba, given that the Brighton midfielder is arguably more solid defensively, having averaged more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 over the past year.

Not only that, but Man United should also be wary of Hjulmand’s huge asking price, as £68m would be a huge sum to pay for a player who is yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.