RCB captain Faf du Plessis pleased with confidence-boosting victory on a “really difficult pitch”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2023

Sanju Samson did not know what hit his team•Associated Press

Sanju Samson did not have an answer to why and how Rajasthan Royals’ fortunes have fluctuated in IPL 2023 as they were skittled out for 59 – the third-lowest total in the history of IPL – chasing 172 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur.Royals’ top three of Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Samson have done the bulk of the scoring this season in the powerplay, but with them falling inside the first two overs, the chase never took flight. With the Jaipur surface showing signs of slowing down, all three batters were dismissed playing expansive strokes, which Samson agreed was down to the nature of the surface.Related

When Maxwell went all Darth Vader against spin

“In our batting, the top three were scoring a lot of runs in the past few games. We go really hard in the powerplay, but today it did not come out well,” Samson told the host broadcasters after the game.”It is the nature of T20 cricket. You have to go hard at the bowlers in the powerplay, knowing that the wicket is slowing down when the ball is getting older. That’s how Jaiswal, Jos and myself play in the powerplay, but today it didn’t work.”RCB’s 171 always felt a bit above par on a two-paced surface, but Samson felt the score was just about par and with a decent powerplay the result could have been different.”I think that [the game] could have gone to the wire, that’s what I felt. It could have been a very tight match if we had a decent powerplay and through the middle if we played spin really well. That was a par score on this wicket,” he said.Faf du Plessis, on the other hand, said that the Jaipur pitch was a “really difficult” one and felt that 160 was a really good score here. That RCB managed 171 gave the side extra confidence. Anuj Rawat’s 11-ball 29 not out came in handy as they collected 18 runs off the final over to breach the 170-mark.Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell crafted a quick second-wicket stand•BCCI

“It was a really difficult pitch,” du Plessis said. “We batted first and assessed the conditions. Even early on in the powerplay, we felt like that ball was staying really low. So we kind of thought 160 would be a good score. The last few hits towards the end pushed us to a really good score.”For someone to just give us the momentum at the backend, we haven’t quite managed to do that very well. Today to do that and then you get that feeling in the dugout and you have everyone’s shoulders out, the confidence is high.”It is really good for our net run rate as well. We needed it. Lucky it unfolded the way it did.”With four wins in their first five games, Royals started their tournament brightly. However, since then things have taken a turn for the worst. They have managed just two wins in eight games and a loss by a margin of 112 runs means their net run rate has also taken a massive hit.With wickets falling at regular intervals, could the batters out in the middle then have taken a safety approach keeping the net run rate in mind?”You can think about the game in a lot of different ways. People batting there might have thought they still have the game in their hands. You can’t blame them the way they batted, but we will have to take the responsibility as a whole team,” Samson said.Royals are currently on 12 points with just a game in hand and have their playoffs spot hanging by a thread. Samson, though, is not losing hope just yet and believes “funny things happen at the end of the league stage.””We all know the nature of IPL, we all know that things can change in a couple of days. You never know how teams come up, how actually things happen. So we will have to be strong, we’ll have to keep the confidence up, we’ll have to do the job. We have to be professional,” he said.”We have to take one day off and then think about the game we are playing in Dharamsala and we’ll have to give our best. We never know. With the run rate and with all people playing really well, you definitely have to keep your hopes high.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Você já tentou montar seu time ideal de futebol feminino no videogame? Nomes como Tamires, Bia Zaneratto, Maria Eduarda, Adriana e Ary Borges não estarão disponíveis, e nem adianta procurar! Não vai ser possível encontrar nenhuma das jogadoras de futebol feminino. Isso porque, os avatares disponíveis são de nomes e rostos inventados. Diferentemente do universo masculino, que contempla muitos jogadores, com nomes e rostos reais.

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Para levantar a bandeira da representatividade do futebol feminino, as jogadoras lançam o movimento #BotaElasnoJogo, no dia 29 de julho e, com nomes trocados nas redes sociais e nas camisetas, assim como acontece nos jogos de videogame, reforçam a importância de trazer jogadoras reais para o game. Afinal, a falta de representatividade nesse universo colabora para a falta de visibilidade da modalidade.

– Não é muito louco pensar que nenhuma das jogadoras brasileiras está representada nos jogos de videogame de futebol? Os nomes e rostos disponíveis nos jogos são inventados, nenhuma representa as jogadoras reais. Isso está diretamente ligada com a falta de visibilidade do futebol feminino. Com o movimento #BotaElasnoJogo queremos dar a importância que nossa modalidade merece – explicou a jogadora Tamires.

– A invisibilização feminina é um problema estrutural que deixa mulheres sem nome e sem rosto nos games e no mundo. Entender que o que existe ali são rostos e nomes inventados, reforça a importância de levantarmos bandeiras para o futebol feminino ter a repercussão que merece. Estamos em campo e precisamos que essa representatividade esteja em todos os lugares, inclusive nos games – reforçou Bia Zaneratto.

Além de trocar os nomes nas redes sociais, as jogadoras postaram imagens segurando camisetas com seus nomes trocados, fazendo alusão aos nomes dos avatares disponíveis nos jogos de videogame.

– Vamos aproveitar esse movimento para mostrar que o futebol feminino merece estar em todos os lugares – completou Bia.

Tottenham Hotspur have approached a Brazilian transfer target via his representatives as they look to get a head start on the summer window, with north London rivals Arsenal also contacting him in the last seven days.

Tottenham face AZ Alkmaar in Europa League last 16

Spurs take on Eredivisie giants AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their last 16 clash in the Europa League this evening, with manager Ange Postecoglou revealing that winger Dejan Kulusevski will miss the tie with a foot injury.

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1

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 5, 2025

Postecoglou could well benefit from the full returns of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke, who have all been missing for weeks, but the Australian was coy over their chances of starting tonight.

“We’ll see, we’ll train today,” said Postecoglou in his latest pre-match press conference. “Obviously they’ve all out for significant amount of time so we’ll see when we reintroduce them but they’re all here and training today, so we’ll make decisions after that.”

Spurs’ boss will be eager to reintroduce as many first-team stars as possible before the next international break, and the Europa League represents their only chance of winning any major silverware in Postecoglou’s second season in charge.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Bournemouth (home)	March 9th
Fulham (away)	March 16th
Chelsea (away)	April 2nd
Southampton (home)	April 5th
Wolves (away)	April 12th

“I think it is fair to say the boys really understand there is a great opportunity for us,” said Postecolgou on the Europa League. I think they’ve appreciated the fact that the guys who have been playing through are now able to recover and train and prepare themselves better for games.

“That’s coincided with seeing their teammates come back and certainly the guys that have been out injured, we’ve already seen with guys like Vic, Brennan, Madders to a lesser extent (due to time out) but Wilson, Destiny, they’ve come back with a real hunger and desire to help the team because I think they’ve all been frustrated to sit on the sidelines and see how difficult it has for the group of players who have been playing. They’ve just wanted to help and now they get that opportunity.

“Again, I think you sense that in the group that they appreciate they have some support and some help. There is a platform there for us to hopefully get back to playing our football and seeing how far we can progress.”

Tottenham open talks with Flamengo defender Wesley Franca

According to RTI Esporte, the Lilywhites are also preparing for next season by making enquiries over key targets, and one of them is believed to be Flamengo defender Wesley Franca.

As per their information, Tottenham have held talks with Franca’s representatives, but they’re by no means the only Premier League side who are keen on a move for the right-back.

Cross-town rivals Arsenal also made contact with his camp this week, to gauge the conditions of a potential deal, with Franca’s price tag believed to stand at around £29 million.

The 21-year-old, called “exceptional” by ex-Chelsea and Atlético Madrid defender Felipe Luis, can also play as a right-midfielder when required. After claims of Real Madrid interest in Pedro Porro, Spurs have been sporadically linked with a new full-back, and Franca could be an astute option.

Already thinking about further reinforcements when the summer transfer window swings open, Aston Villa are reportedly lining up a move to sign a Premier League defender who’s ready to leave his current club.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans are seemingly ready to jump straight back into the transfer market after an incredibly busy January window, in which they welcomed the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan. Following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace last time out, it’s clear that those in the Midlands still have work to do despite those arrivals, igniting several transfer rumours.

Names such as Samu Aghehowa have already threatened to steal the headlines this week, as the Villans look to replace Jhon Duran following his winter departure to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

The Porto forward is certainly capable of completing that very task too, having enjoyed a clinical debut season in Portugal after leaving Atletico Madrid last summer. That said, it’s not just attacking targets who have emerged on Villa’s reported radar.

According to The Boot Room, Aston Villa are now lining up a summer swoop to sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton this summer. The Saints signed the central defender for a reported £20m last summer, but he is ready to leave just one year on amid their pending relegation.

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With Villa interested alongside the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion, it may well be quite the race for his signature.

Still just 23 years old, Harwood-Bellis is a player with plenty of potential even after a year to forget at St Mary’s. A Manchester City academy graduate, the young defender could yet follow in Morgan Rogers’ footsteps by completing a move to Villa Park.

"Aggressive" Harwood-Bellis needs Premier League redemption

Completing a permanent move from Manchester City last summer, Harwood-Bellis couldn’t have asked for a much tougher task than attempting to keep the current Southampton side afloat.

Whether under Russell Martin or now under Ivan Juric, the Saints simply have not been equipped to keep their Premier League dream alive. They were even outsiders to earn promotion last season, coming up through the play-offs, and that has been telling ever since at St Mary’s.

As Southampton suffer the drop, however, Harwood-Bellis will be desperate to earn the Premier League redemption that Aston Villa could offer him this summer in what would be a far easier ride at a club battling for a European place.

Full of praise for his defender’s aerial ability despite his difficult season and his own eventual sacking, Martin told reporters earlier in the campaign: “I think since he’s come in he’s been really aggressive.

“He wants to head the ball. Of course, it comes a bit down to physical prowess and athleticism. I think the biggest thing is having the mentality that you want to go and score.”

When the summer arrives, the Southampton defender looks destined to be among those ready to escape a sinking ship as Aston Villa potentially lie in wait.

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta accompanied the trophy to Bavaria, taking part in FedEx's 'Delivering for Success' event.

The big day is almost here, and the anticipation is building.

On 31 May, PSG and Inter willface each otherin one of the most important football events of the year: the Champions League final.

This match will determine which team will be crowned European champions and lift one of the most coveted trophies in sport.

The final of the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League will take place in Munich, and FedEx, one of the competition's official sponsors, will be responsible for transporting the trophy famously known as 'Big Ears.'

• FedEX
  

  FROM NYON TO MUNICH

  FedEx and the UEFA Champions League have created a series of content called 'Delivering For Success'.

  The series documents the trophy's journey from UEFA headquarters in Nyon to Munich.

  The journey is divided into stages and features one of the greatest midfielders in the history of world football: Andres Iniesta.

  The former Spanish star joined FedEx as a very special courier.

Advertisement

• THE STAGE IN BERN

  During a journey that took them from Switzerland to Bavaria and was also designed to inspire young people, Andrés Iniesta and his precious cargo also stopped off in Bern.

  Here, the former Barcelona star met the boys of the International Football Club, an amateur, self-managed team with over 40 players from 16 different countries.

  On this occasion, FedEx donated football equipment, while Iniesta showed off the extraordinary skills that led him to win the Champions League four times with Barcelona.

• ARRIVAL IN BAVARIA

  The second leg of the trip took Iniesta to Bavaria, where he had the opportunity to visit the DFI Football Academy.

  For Iniesta, it was also an opportunity to remember his years at La Masia, which were fundamental in developing his personality and desire to never give up.

  Iniesta took part in a question and answer session, during which he also explained how to manage success both on and off the pitch.

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• FedEX
  

  THE UEFA FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN

  On the last leg of his journey, Iniesta visited the UEFA Foundation for Children charity, SCORING GIRLS*.

  He was welcomed by founder Tugba Tekkal, who outlined the organisation's mission and explained how football can be a vehicle for positivity.

  Iniesta took part in a training session before an incredible surprise: together with FedEX, he unveiled the UEFA Champions League trophy.

Tottenham's Djed Spence has claimed that he predicted Paris Saint-Germain star Desire Doue's rapid rise to fame ahead of his Champions League heroics.

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Doue lights up the Champions League final Spence claims he predicted Doue's rise to fame Ferdinand backs Spence – likened him with Neymar Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Doue's rise to fame with Paris Saint-Germain has been one for the books, as the French teenager helped Les Parisiens win their first-ever Champions League title with a brace against Inter Milan in the final. Rio Ferdinand backed Spence's claims that he had predicted Doue's rise to stardom, as the Manchester United legend also revealed that the Tottenham star had compared Doue with Brazilian icon Neymar.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

After Doue's heroics in the Champions League final, Spence posted on X: "I tried to tell 'em, they laughed…"

Speaking on TNT Sports’ Champions League Final Preview Show, Ferdinand had said: "I sat with Djed Spence, and I said: ‘Give me a young player’s name, up and coming, we might not have spoken about.’ This was a few months ago.

"I didn’t realise he [Spence] went on loan to Rennes a couple of years ago, and he said: ‘I was with Doue there…Rio, this is like Neymar reincarnated.’

"At the time, he wasn’t [in the] knockout stages yet, I was like: ‘Alright, steady a little bit.’ But then I started seeing him and watching him a little bit, I was like: ‘He ain’t too far off.’

"He’s got huge potential, and I don’t know where his ceiling is."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Doue joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer from Stade Rennais after having also been linked with a move to Bayern Munich. This season, the 19-year-old made a total of 54 appearances in all competitions. He has grabbed 15 goals and 16 assists for the new European champions.

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WHAT NEXT FOR DOUE?

Doue has only made one appearance for France so far, having made his international debut in March. However, the teenage sensation could very well be a starter for Didier Deschamps' side in their Nations League semi-final against Spain on June 6.

A manager who plays a 3-4-2-1 system is keen on becoming the permanent Rangers boss when the job is up for grabs this summer, according to his brother.

Rangers manager rumours heat up as Ferguson beats Mourinho

The Gers put their domestic troubles aside on Thursday evening to qualify for the Europa League quarter-finals, with interim boss Barry Ferguson getting the better of Jose Mourinho and his Fenerbahce side.

Despite a 2-0 defeat in the second leg at Ibrox, Rangers prevailed on penalties with Jack Butland saving two spot-kicks and will now face La Liga side Athletic Club in the last eight.

Talking after the game Ferguson said: “To play for the club and then captain it was obviously a dream but to stand on the sidelines and lead the team I grew up supporting was an amazing feeling.

“When I was appointed I know people said I wasn’t qualified or I wasn’t the right guy for the job, that just makes me even more determined. I’m going to give it everything for the next few months. the player are digging deep for me and that’s all I asked.”

Ferguson has been linked with the Rangers job on a full-time basis under prospective new owners the 49ers Enterprises, as has Rafael Benitez, who is thought to be keen on returning to the dugout with a move to Glasgow. However, Ferguson also wants to make the job his.

Ferguson “wants” permanent Rangers job as brother calls it a “no-brainer”

Talking to Ibrox News, pundit Derek Ferguson, older brother to Barry, said that the 3-4-2-1-style boss would like to stay in charge of Rangers and said it would be a “no-brainer for him”.

“He was already there in an ambassador role so he knows the ins and outs at the club. It was a case of him getting the right people beside him.

“Neil McCann and Billy Dodds are good appointments as well. He looks comfortable in the job, especially when dealing with the press. He looks the part and I think it’s a no-brainer for him to take it. The way that will happen is by getting results. The result against Fenerbahce was marvellous, brilliant. But you’ve got to remember that has been the case for Rangers this season – they’ve been excellent in Europe.

“What Barry’s got to do from now until the summer is win every game. If he does that he’ll get the job. That means beating Celtic at Celtic Park, which is a big ask. But on the basis of the Fenerbahce performance, the players are capable of that. I’m not surprised he wants the job full-time.

“I said to him, and this is going back a bit, I couldn’t fathom why he worked with part-time clubs in Scotland. The Clyde one was fair enough, getting your foot through the door, but some of the full-time teams in Scotland were willing to take Barry on but for whatever reason he didn’t want to go down that route.

“This is a different kettle of fish now. I took him to Rangers as a boy. The club is ingrained in him. There’s only one conclusion: He wants the job but will need to win games.”

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Mar 14, 2025

Ferguson, after European success over Mourinho, can strengthen his claim for the role with a positive result against rivals Celtic and Brendan Rodgers this weekend.

There is perhaps no coincidence that Manchester City’s season began to go downhill after Rodri suffered a long-term injury back in September.

The club had won four of their first five Premier League games of the season but then won only four of their next 13 while missing the Spaniard.

He returned to training at the start of the month, which means a first-team comeback might not be too far away.

What Man City have missed with Rodri out injured

The midfielder enjoyed arguably the finest individual campaign of his career last season. Across 50 games for City, he scored nine goals and registered 14 assists in all competitions.

When compared to his positional peers in the top flight throughout 2023/24, Rodri ranked in the top 1% for passes attempted (112.26), progressive passes (11.55) and carries (77.16) per 90.

These statistics certainly prove that Rodri is highly influential for the Etihad side, dictating games with a superb passing range while creating chances for his teammates on a regular basis.

Helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship boosted his profile and the 28-year-old won the Ballon d’Or in October 2024.

It was hardly a surprise, therefore, that his injury has hit City hard, but did Pep Guardiola sell an ideal replacement a few years ago for peanuts?

Man City sold an "elite" Rodri replacement

A number of high-profile midfielders have come and gone from City, notably Cole Palmer and Douglas Luiz, however, want to talk about another academy star here.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

A certain Romeo Lavia is the player in question. He made only two first-team appearances for City before being sold to Southampton for a fee of just £10.5m in the summer of 2022.

The club inserted a buyback clause into the contract and, following an excellent first season with the Saints, where he made 34 appearances for the club, clubs soon began showing interest.

Indeed, in 2023, Chelsea spent £58m to bring the midfielder to London, giving the Saints a major profit. He might not have played as often as he would have liked due to injury problems, but at his best, Lavia would have made for an ideal Rodri replacement.

Due to a hamstring injury, Lavia has featured for Chelsea just 13 times this season. In the Premier League, the Belgian youngster succeeded with 92% of his passes, made 1.5 tackles per game and won 53% of his ground duels.

The midfielder ranks in the top 5% for pass completion percentage (91.8%) when compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, indicating that he has similar sorts of qualities to Rodri.

Accurate passes

29.5

Key passes

0.6

Tackles

2.1

Interceptions

1.1

Possession lost

7.2

Total duels won

4.9

Hailed as “an elite number 6” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this season, his value has risen since departing City for £10.5m nearly three years ago.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Lavia is valued at £33.5m, which proves that the Manchester side sold him far too hastily.

His current valuation has risen by 219% since departing the Etihad and given the fact he is now finally beginning to show his best form at the Blues, it could be a move that Guardiola regrets sooner rather than later.

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Man City need support for Nico Gonzalez and Rodri.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 24, 2025

It might be one of the most overused words in the modern football lexicon, but Tottenham Hotspur are undoubtedly going through a project under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

That might sound like a bit of nothing phrase, but, in reality, it just means that while things might look bleak at the moment – and they certainly do – fans and pundits might need to wait a few more years to see the club’s plan come to fruition.

This will likely mean that players such as Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison will be moved on and replaced by exciting and hungry youngsters.

The absurd amount of injuries the club have had to deal with this season has already seen some of those up-and-comers be given more game time, and should Daniel Levy and Co be able to get a specific deal over the line in the summer, they’ll have another young star in their squad who’s already being compared to an incredibly valuable talent on the continent.

Spurs rising stars

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a few of Spurs’ other promising prospects, such as Archie Gray.

The former Lees United gem is still only 18 years old, and while respected football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as a “future £100m” central midfielder, he has been a vital part of the defence this term.

So far, injuries have seen the Durham-born gem make 19 appearances at centre-back, seven at right-back, and five at left-back.

Another new arrival who’s made a significant impact on the first team despite still being a teenager is Lucas Bergvall, who joined the club from Swedish side Djurgarden for a fee of around £8.5m – which is starting to look like a bargain.

In recent months, the Swedish midfielder has become an increasingly important player for the manager and has made 36 appearances.

Impressively, 18 of those appearances have been starts, and he has managed to rack up a decent tally of one goal and four assists to boot.

Finally, while he’s not had quite the same impact on the first team this season, Mikey Moore looks like he’s set to become one of the North Londoners’ most dangerous attackers in the near future.

Appearances

36

36

16

Starts

28

18

7

Minutes

2619′

1746′

632′

Goals

0

1

1

Assists

0

4

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0

0.13

0.18

Minutes per Goal Involvement

0

349.2

210.66′

He’s made 16 appearances so far, totalling just 632 minutes, in which he’s scored a goal, provided two assists and was even compared to Neymar Jr by James Maddison.

Overall, the future looks incredibly bright for Tottenham, and it could be brighter if Levy and Co complete a deal to sign another exciting youngster in the summer, a youngster compared to an £83m star.

Spurs' potential £83m superstar in the making

Now, while all the talents mentioned above are already officially Tottenham players and will be next season – lest they be sold for some reason – the player in question might not be, despite starting for the team last Thursday.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a short-term loan last month, but, importantly, there is an option to buy in the deal at £45m, and while his next move is not entirely down to the North Londoners, reports from last month seemed to indicate that he’d be open to staying for the long term.

Now, there might be some fans who remain unconvinced by the 19-year-old attacker, and considering he’s not hit the ground running in England, scoring one goal in six games, that would be understandable.

However, during his still relatively limited game time for Bayern Munich last season, he showed just why respected talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “mind-blowing talent.”

In just 1406 minutes of first-team football, he scored ten goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an astounding average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes and also saw him win comparisons to Borussia Dortmund’s rising star, Jamie Gittens.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

The comparison primarily stemmed from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the Bundesliga last season, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the Englishman was the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, live passes, blocks, clearances, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.52

0.43

Progressive Passes

2.31

2.20

Shots

3.69

3.66

Expected Assists

0.26

0.25

Live Passes

33.2

30.3

Shot-Creating Actions

3.86

3.92

Blocks

0.94

0.93

Clearances

0.51

0.59

Carries

35.5

33.8

While the comparison to one of the most exciting talents in Germany is already encouraging enough regarding the Sarcelles-born star’s development, it’s also a good sign for his future value.

For example, it was only last month that the German publication Bild, as relayed by the BBC, reported that Dortmund value their incredible youngster at up to £83m in light of his growing reputation and the interest in him from other sides.

So, if the young Englishman is worth such an astounding amount of money and is so statistically similar to the Bayern loanee, who’s to say that he, too, won’t be worth as much down the line once he gets even more game time?

Therefore, while he has not hit the ground running at Tottenham, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to bring Tel to N17 this summer, as with the right coaching, he could be an extraordinarily valuable asset on and off the pitch in the future.

Not just Porro: Levy must ensure £35m flop isn't at Spurs next season

Ange Postecoglou needs to be brutal and part ways with multiple Tottenham Hotspur players this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb Mar 12, 2025

Carlo Ancelotti says Brazil were missing an important player in Barcelona star Raphinha as his first game in charge ended in a draw against Ecuador.

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Brazil held to 0-0 draw by Ecuador in Ancelotti’s debutAncelotti cites Raphinha’s absence but praises team’s defenseBrazil fourth in table and next face Paraguay in key qualifierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ancelotti's Brazil were held to a goalless draw by Ecuador in the new coach's first match at the helm of the national team. Brazil lacked many obvious scoring opportunities in the World Cup qualifying game, despite controlling possession and keeping a strong defensive structure. The Italian coach, who recently joined the team after leaving Real Madrid, acknowledged the absence of Raphinha as a key factor and also praised his team's organisation and commitment, refraining from offering any excuses because of the state of the field.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The five-time world champions attempted just three shots, compared to Ecuador's seven, and the draw leaves them fourth in the standings with 22 points. With Ancelotti needing to hone the team's attacking rhythm and fluidity before the next game, the Selecao now trail third-placed Paraguay by two points.

Brazil nonetheless had an impressive line-up including the likes of Richarlison, Casemiro and Vinícius Jr, but Ballon d'Or contender Raphinha was absent from the squad as he served a suspension and Ancelotti feels he was missed.

WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

He told reporters: "It's a different kind of work, we have very good quality players. There's not much time to work, but there's room for improvement because we have quality. I'm sure we'll improve in attack, today we were missing an important player, Raphinha."

"We lacked a bit of attack. Ecuador defended well, it wasn't easy to find space between the lines, it was difficult to get out, we didn't always have clean ball in the final third. I don't want to make excuses, but the pitch wasn't easy to play on in these conditions."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL AND ANCELOTTI?

Brazil will return to action on June 11, with Raphinha expected to return to the starting XI for the match against Paraguay.