نجح آينتراخت فرانكفورت في قلب الطاولة أمام نظيره أوجسبورج، في مباراتهما اليوم، في بطولة الدوري الألماني.
وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثلاثين من الدوري الألماني، موسم 2023/24،، حيث فاز آينتراخت فرانكفورت بنتيجة 3-1. أهداف مباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت وأوجسبورج
كان أوجسبورج قد تقدم في النتيجة بهدف، في الدقيقة 13 من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق اللاعب روبن فارجاس.
وتغيرت الأمور لصالح فرانكفورت في الشوط الثاني حيث تمكن فارس شايبي من تسجيل هدف التعادل لأصحاب الأرض، في الدقيقة 61.
وقضى فرانكفورت على آمال أوجسبورج في العودة بعدما أحرز المحترف المصري عمر مرموش الهدف الثالث، في الدقيقة 95. هدف مرموش أمام اوجسبورج
بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد آينتراخت فرانكفورت إلى 45 نقطة في المركز السادس، بينما تجمد رصيد أوجسبورج عند 39 نقطة في المركز السابع.
Everton are interested in signing Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia during the summer transfer window and are reportedly ready to make a player-plus-cash offer.
Who is Everton target Boulaye Dia?
The Senegalese attacker moved to Salernitana this time last year, initially arriving on a season-long loan deal, before completing a permanent move from Villarreal in the process once the campaign reached its conclusion.
Dia has made an instant impression at his current club, scoring 16 Serie A goals in just 27 starts in the competition last season, with a further six appearances coming from the substitutes' bench.
At international level, the 26-year-old is also an established player now, scoring six goals in 25 caps to date, and he started four matches for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring once in the competition.
Dia has emerged as a potential transfer target for Everton this summer, as the Blues look to rebuild what has been a problematic area of the pitch of late. It looks as though transfer target El Bilal Toure could be on his way to Atalanta instead of Goodison Park, acting as a blow, but it could be that the Salernitana man is viewed as an alternative option.
His current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it may be that Everton are able to snap him up before the start of the new Premier League season, following a new update.
According to La Citta di Salerno [via Sport Witness], the Blues are pushing to sign Dia this summer, even though Salernitana would "gladly keep" hold of him beyond the current transfer window.
Everton are ready to table a €25m (£21.5m) offer for the Senegal international, and as has been reported separately, the deal could see Neal Maupay head the other way, after a hugely disappointing spell in a Blues shirt. The Frenchman has been a transfer "goal" for the Italian outfit, despite failing to impress on Merseyside, and it is believed that this could help "unlock" a deal for Dia.
Having potentially missed out on Toure, Dia looks like a great option instead, having shone so much for Salernitana in a short space of time, showing that he can excel in one of Europe's top five leagues, with only Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez scoring more than him in Serie A last season.
Described as "incredible" by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, the attacker has scored 68 goals in his senior career, not to mention chipping in with 16 assists, and this level of firepower is something that is badly needed at Everton, considering Dwight McNeil topped the Blues' Premier League scoring charts in 2022/23 with only seven strikes.
At 26, Dia already has a healthy amount of experience under his belt, and hasn't looked remotely daunted in a tough league, so there is no reason why he couldn't come straight in as the man to lead the line at Goodison Park, although his ability to play out wide and in attacking midfield is another added bonus.
Sikandar Raza’s half century helped Zimbabwe chase down Scotland’s target of 170 with 13 overs to spare
The Report by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh17-Jun-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball updates1:41
‘Maybe we needed to lose first game’ – Cremer
Zimbawe’s spin-bowling attack capitalized on an overeager batting approach with captain Graeme Cremer’s 5 for 29 doing the bulk of the damage to wipe out Scotland for 169 in 42 overs. Sikandar Raza’s composed half-century anchored the Zimbabwe chase to clinch a six-wicket win for the tourists at the Grange with 78 balls to spare. It meant the series finished deadlocked at 1-1, with hosts Scotland failing to complete a landmark series win against a Full Member team.When Cremer had Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer stumped for 61 in the 22nd over, it seemed at the time to be a minor speed bump with Scotland comfortable at 106 for 2. But when Calum MacLeod was bowled six overs later by Sean Williams for 58 – while exposing his stumps on an attempted back foot punch – the floodgates were opened and Cremer raided the middle order for his second five-wicket haul.Williams’ figures might appear understated on the scorecard after he ended with 2 for 26, but he played a crucial role – coming on in the fourth over – after Zimbabwe’s opening pace attack was battered by Coetzer for three fours and a six to race to 27 for 0. Williams began with a maiden to Matthew Cross, thereby foreshadowing the role that spin would play to reel Scotland’s scoring rate back under control. Cross continued to struggle, trying to get Williams away in the sixth, but the pressure resulted in him backing away for a carve to the off-side only to see his off-stump sent cartwheeling.Coetzer and MacLeod added 71 for the second wicket as Williams came off once the Powerplay concluded. The pair milked Chris Mpofu’s medium pace for easy runs and Coetzer soon reached his eighth ODI fifty off 45 balls in the 15th over. His innings ended soon after though, when he stepped down the pitch to flick Cremer through the leg side, only to miss it completely and the wicketkeeper Peter Moor did the rest. MacLeod carried on to notch his third ODI half-century in the 25th when he cut Raza’s offspin through point for back-to-back fours. But when MacLeod fell in the 28th to Williams, it triggered a collapse that saw Scotland lose their last eight wickets for 34 runs.Richie Berrington first walked too far across his stumps before missing a flick as Cremer trapped him lbw in the 29th over. Then, a miscued flick to mid-off by Con De Lange, to start the 31st, put Cremer on a hat-trick and he completed the over gaining his second lbw decision, although the dismissed Preston Mommsen appeared to be struck quite high.Rather than go into a shell at 141 for 6 in 31 overs, having just lost 4 for 6, Scotland kept the faith in coach Grant Bradburn’s mantra of maintaining aggressive intent. But wickets fell regardless. The always adventurous Craig Wallace stayed true to form by going for a reverse sweep against Cremer but missed and the stumps were rattled once again to give Zimbabwe’s captain his fifth scalp.With Williams’ quota done, Raza came back to help wipe out the tail. Josh Davey was lbw prodding forward before Alasdair Evans edged behind as the ninth wicket. Raza and Cremer were done with their bowling quota by the 41st, but the captain stayed with spin by tossing the ball to Ryan Burl to bowl his first over in ODI cricket. The over concluded with Burl’s maiden scalp to end the innings as Chris Sole missed a swipe across the line to be bowled for 2, leaving eight overs unused and Michael Leask stranded on 11, the only player outside the top three to reach double-figures.Zimbabwe were required to bat 45 minutes before lunch was taken and, like Scotland, got off to a hot start in their first few overs before Sole, who began his spell with 11 dot balls and two wickets – gave them a scare. With the score at 30 for no loss after four overs, Sole struck with his first ball, snaring Solomon Mire with a gloved pull for a leg-side catch to Cross. He then tested Hamilton Masakadza early in the seventh over with the short ball too, until the opener fell fending a catch at backward point to make it 31 for 2.Sole prised out one more before the interval – the short ball working again – as Williams creamed a cut but picked out backward point to make it 44 for 3 in 10.3 overs. The break, though, arrived at the right time for Zimbabwe and they came out far more assured when play resumed with Craig Ervine and Raza adding 55 runs for the fourth wicket.Sikandar Raza hit seven fours during his unbeaten 58•Peter Della Penna
Scotland’s chances of defending the total were severely hampered when vice-captain de Lange bowled just two overs before leaving the field after completing the 17th over. The left-arm spinner had taken his maiden five-for in the first ODI but Coetzer said after the match that de Lange could not continue due to a migraine headache.With de Lange out, MacLeod was brought on to bowl part-time spin but was ineffective, finishing with 0 for 21 in five overs. Davey bowled a controlled spell of medium pace at the other end in a bid to keep pressure on and managed to beat Ervine driving for 30. But Raza continued on with Burl, teaming for a 72-run stand to seal victory. While Burl finished unbeaten on 30, Raza struck the winning boundary through midwicket to end on an unbeaten 58 for his seventh ODI half-century.Zimbabwe leave Sunday morning for the Netherlands where the first of three one-dayers takes place in Amstelveen on June 20, before they continue on to Sri Lanka for the start of a five-ODI, single-Test tour beginning June 30. Meanwhile, Scotland’s home summer fixture-list is over before the arrival of the June 21 solstice. Their next series isn’t until October, when they tour Papua New Guinea for two ODIs in the WCL Championship and a four-day Intercontinental Cup match.
West Ham United are close to reaching an agreement to sign Southampton central midfielder James Ward-Prowse this summer, according to reliable reports.
Is James Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton?
The St. Mary’s Stadium captain firmly established himself as his side’s overall best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.95, but having suffered relegation, he is likely to be one of the several prized assets cashed in on should the right offer arrive, despite still having three years remaining on his contract.
Football Insider claimed that the Irons saw a verbal proposal rejected for the 28-year-old earlier in the window, though the same outlet have since stated that David Moyes was set to formalise his interest by submitting an official opening offer, with a fee between £40-50m expected to be enough to prise him away from their rivals in the Premier League.
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Tuesday evening, reporters Dharmesh Sheth and Kaveh Solhekol confirmed the England international’s absence from his club’s pre-season friendly against Bournemouth detailing the reason as being due to a “precautionary measure due to a knee injury”, before following up with the suspicious line “Where have we heard that before during the transfer window?”, hinting that it was in fact as a result of his ongoing situation behind the scenes.
Are West Ham signing James Ward-Prowse?
According to Sky Sports Transfer Centre, West Ham are “edging closer” to an agreement with Southampton regarding a deal for Ward-Prowse. The E20 side are believed to have held “positive talks” with the south coast outfit and it’s suggested that the player agreeing personal terms is “not expected to be a problem”.
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
Ward-Prowse may primarily be a central midfielder but it’s obvious for everyone to see that he’s naturally much stronger in the offensive aspect of his game having posted 13 Premier League goal contributions (nine goals and four assists) last season, and should he sign on the dotted line, it would be a massive coup for Moyes and West Ham.
The CAA Stellar client recorded 241 crosses and 127 shot-creating actions over the course of the previous campaign which was more than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, and this kind of top form saw him dubbed a “machine” by journalist Alfie House.
The Portsmouth-born talent, who has the versatility to operate in six various positions across the pitch, is also strong when it comes to set pieces having been named the division’s number one free-kick scorer for the previous campaign with three direct goals, highlighting his ability to deliver under pressure.
Interestingly, Ward-Prowse has secured six victories against the Irons throughout his career so is already used to being successful when facing Moyes and Co, and with the boss having seen first-hand what his target is capable of when being part of the away team, he’ll be excited by the prospect of what he can get out of him should he decide to jump ship and instead be working under the guidance of the Scotsman ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
India captain Mithali Raj has expressed concerns about the lack of opening stands from her batsmen, after they went down against South Africa by 115 runs on Saturday
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-20172:12
There’s always pressure chasing 270 – Mithali Raj
A lack of strong opening partnerships for India in the Women’s World Cup has become a worrying sign for the team. Captain Mithali Raj said after their 115-run loss in Leicester on Saturday that a strong start is something the team had been looking forward to, especially while chasing 274 against South Africa, as it makes the task easier for the rest of the batting line-up.”Yes, it’s been happening since the West Indies game that the openers have not given us the start that we expect,” Raj said after the match. “The way they (the openers) opened the World Cup campaign for us against England, we were expecting maybe one or two off games but it can’t be four in a row. So that is a worrying factor because whether you bat first or chase, it’s important your top order gives you those runs on the board. I feel that when you are chasing 270 there’s always going to be pressure but you need the opening pair to give us a start so that the batters can take from thereon. Unfortunately, today we didn’t get that.”India’s openers Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana scored 22 and 4 respectively as their partnership was broken in the second over of the chase when Marizanne Kapp had Mandhana caught at deep square leg. Since their dominating partnership of 144 in the first match against England, India’s openers have produced stands of 0 against West Indies, 7 against Pakistan and 21 against Sri Lanka.India’s task of chasing became tougher when South Africa racked up a challenging total of 273 on the back of a blistering 65-ball 92 from opener Lizelle Lee and a steady 57 from captain Dane van Niekerk. India’s decision to bowl was questioned as Lee started hammering sixes – seven in all – against spinners Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma who had troubled oppositions in the last few matches. Leicester, incidentally, is the same ground where England had amassed 377 and Australia had scored a stiff 290, both batting first against Pakistan. However, it is also where South Africa had bundled West Indies for only 48.”We did ask few people here at the ground and they told us that the team that bats second has more percentage wins,” Raj explained after the match. “And our matches with South Africa in the Qualifiers as well as in the Quadrangular Series, we probably have come close to 260, we lost one game though with 10 runs, that also was around 270 target. Considering these aspects, we chose to field first.”I’ve seen the way they have batted and even though they lost a wicket in the early overs, Lee has played exceptionally well for that innings and that is what put them on the track. We did realise that her wicket was important, but I give full credit to her batting because her shots were very clean and she did play one of the best innings I have seen so far in the World Cup against us. The bowlers have done a decent job of holding them in the middle overs, we managed to pull ourselves back into the game and maybe a few shots later in the innings got them to 270.”Dane van Niekerk on Lizelle Lee: “The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us”•ICC
Van Niekerk, who was named Player of the Match for her half-century and 4 for 22, dedicated her award to team-mate Lee while showering praises on her.”First of all, this goes to Lizelle Lee,” van Niekerk said. “I think she deserves it a lot more than I do. We said if we get more such trophies in the changing room, we have more better days than bad days. I think Lizelle Lee setup the game brilliantly well and I think she deserved a big hundred today. She’s been brilliant, she strikes the ball as clean as anyone in the world and she showed it today. She stuck to her guns and she found her groove and her rhythm and that’s the way she wants to bat and we back that all the way, it came off today. The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us.”Lee’s knock had powered South Africa past 125 in 20 overs before they stuttered a bit around the 150-mark. Van Niekerk’s fifty came in handy when she arrived at 160 for 4 in the 28th over and chaperoned the lower order to help them score 70 runs in the last 10 overs.”Yeah, personally [one of my better performances] I guess, especially against a team like India and the form they are in,” she said of her performance. “Coming into this game I thought they were the team to beat, and Australia, so it’s always great to contribute. I just thought of taking it deep, I know my game well enough to say that I can take it away at the back end, struggled a bit, but I stuck to my plans and today it came off.”While I was in there, we hit a bit of a slump and I said, ‘If we can get 250-plus, we have something to bowl at’. We know how good their batting is but if we stick to our lines and lengths…I spent a bit of time there so I kind of got a feel of where the good lines and lengths were and I said to the bowlers, ‘If we hit that consistently well, and we put them under pressure, hopefully it will go our way’.”The only criticism van Niekerk had for her team was for the bowlers, who dismissed India for 158 in 46 overs. She admitted she was being “harsh” on the bowlers, but only because they had taken seven Indian wickets within the first 20 overs, to set up a big win.”I will probably be a bit harsh on my bowlers but I thought we had to get them out a bit earlier, especially having them seven down for 65,” she said. “At the end of the day you don’t want it to go that long but the wicket died down so you can only do so much on a wicket like that.”We said we wanted all three facets of the game firing and we did that today, it wasn’t as clinical as I hoped it would be, but a win is a win. We came here for two points and we got it. Everyone chipped in and it was a brilliant team performance.”India, placed second with eight points, will face Australia and New Zealand in the remaining matches while South Africa, placed fourth with seven points, will take on Sri Lanka and Australia.
وصلت بعثة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، برئاسة الدكتور محمد شوقي، عضو مجلس الإدارة، إلى مطار القاهرة منذ قليل، استعدادًا للسفر إلى الكونغو لمواجهة فريق مازيمبي في نصف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، المقرر لها السبت المقبل.
كان الأهلي قد خاض تدريباته ظهر اليوم الأربعاء على ملعب الترتان بفرع النادي بمدينة نصر، وذلك بعد انتهاء الراحة السلبية التي حصل عليها اللاعبون لمدة 24 ساعة.
وحرص الجهاز الفني بقيادة مارسيل كولر على إقامة المران الختامي على ملاعب الترتان، وذلك للتعود على حساسية الملعب قبل السفر إلى الكونغو. اجتماع مع اللاعبين
عقد المدير الفني للفريق اجتماعًا مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق المران، وذلك للحديث عن المرحلة المقبلة، وشحذ عزائمهم لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية في مواجهة مازيمبي. مران بدني قوي لتحسين اللياقة
خاض اللاعبون مرانًا بدنيًا متنوعًا مع بداية فقرات المران الجماعي تحت إشراف أندرياس أندويا، مخطط الأحمال.
طالع أيضًا | رئيس مازيمبي: لا مجال للأخطاء أمام الأهلي.. وسنتسلح بالدعاء والصيام قائمة الأهلي لمباراة مازيمبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا
في حراسة المرمى: مصطفى شوبير، حمزة علاء، مصطفي مخلوف.
خط الدفاع: رامي ربيعة، محمد عبد المنعم، علي معلول، خالد عبد الفتاح، محمود متولي، أكرم توفيق، كريم الدبيس، محمد هاني.
خط الوسط: أحمد نبيل كوكا، محمد مجدي أفشة، عمرو السولية، أحمد عبد القادر، طاهر محمد طاهر، كريم فؤاد، رضا سليم، محمد الضاوي كريستو، كريم نيدفيد.
خط الهجوم: بيرسي تاو، أنتوني موديست، محمود كهربا، وسام أبو علي.
وشهدت القائمة عودة بيرسي تاو بعد تعافيه من الإصابة التي لحقت به وأدت إلى استبعاده من المباريات الماضية. موعد مباراة الأهلي ومازيمبي الكونغولي في ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا
ويواجه الأهلي نظيره مازيمبي الكونغولي في الثالثة من عصر السبت المقبل الموافق 20 آبريل، على ملعب تي بي مازيمبي.
ويسعى الأهلي لتحقيق الفوز في مباراة الذهاب أمام مازيمبي، لوضع قدم على طريق التأهل إلى نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
علق عمر الوحش، لاعب فريق الاتحاد السكندري على مباراة الليلة أمام الإسماعيلي والتي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.
وكان التعادل السلبي قد حسم مباراة الإسماعيلي والاتحاد السكندري في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ19 من المسابقة المحلية.
طالع.. فيديو | التعادل يحسم مباراة الإسماعيلي والاتحاد السكندري في الدوري
وقال عمر الوحش في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “مباراة ديربي بين ناديين كبيرين، الفريقين أصحاب قاعدة جماهيرية كبيرة، وأشكر زملائي أنهم أعطوني شارة قيادة الفريق قبل المباراة، لأنها أول لقاء لي أمام الإسماعيلي بيتي”.
وتابع: “الإسماعيلي هو المكان الذي تربيت فيه والأمر كان به حساسية، ولكن كان كل تركيزي مع نادي الاتحاد وكان فخر وشرف لي أن ارتدي شارة الفريق”.
وأكمل: “كانت مباراة قوية جدًا، واستطعنا تسجيل هدف ولكن تراجعنا بعض الشيء بسبب الاجهاد”.
واختتم: “بين الشوطين طارق العشري تحدث معنا وأجرى بعض التبديلات من أجل تنشيط الفريق، وأتمنى التوفيق للإسماعيلي في الفترة المقبلة”.
Leeds United could be set to secure a sensational summer coup, should they tempt the reigning European champions to offload one of their younger stars…
How much is Rico Lewis worth?
That seems to be what Daniel Farke is seeking to achieve, as he is reportedly battling with Southampton to tempt Manchester City's Rico Lewis to continue his fine development on loan at Elland Road.
This comes per a report in the Sunday Express [July 30, page 5], who suggest that loan offers have already been dismissed by Pep Guardiola, who will seek to give his 18-year-old gem additional playing time in the coming campaign (as relayed by HampshireLive).
Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…
That being said, if a good enough case can be put forward, perhaps the Whites could convince the Spanish boss that the full-back is best served to receive consistent play time as a starter under their stewardship for the season.
FootballTransfers value the teenager at just €13.4m (£11m).
How good is Rico Lewis?
Last year marked a true breakthrough season for Lewis, who put himself on the map for displacing Kyle Walker due to his adaptability within Guardiola's system.
Jamie Carragher outlined this back in January, noting:
"Pep Guardiola knows how good he is and every time I've seen him play this season, Kyle Walker brings a more dynamic style to his play but Guardiola wants control of the game. Right now, Rico Lewis is giving him that control because his game understanding is years beyond his age."
It was admittedly a convoluted one, but in the end bore fruit, as the Spaniard's side wrote their name in history by claiming a historic treble.
Their academy graduate would feature admirably throughout the term, with 14 Premier League appearances, five in the FA Cup and a further two in the Champions League, where he would score too.
As such, his trophy cabinet is already bursting at the seams despite his career only really just beginning.
Perhaps a stint in Yorkshire could help add some steel to his creative arsenal, forcing him to fight in the Championship to earn promotion, rather than cruising to comfortable victories at the Eithad. After all, he has already shown he boasts more than enough quality to dominate the second tier.
Across his 14 league appearances last season, the full-back, who would often find himself in midfield, posted a 91% pass accuracy alongside 0.9 key passes and 1.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
To sign someone of such creative quality in that role could even see Farke emulate Marcelo Bielsa's success with Ezgjan Alioski, who operated in similar channels despite being a left-back by trade.
During their 2019/20 promotion campaign, the North Macedonian stalwart posted eerily similar figures alongside his eight goal contributions.
Whilst his pass accuracy sat at a lowly 77%, he instead maintained 1.1 key passes and 1.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore, which suggests that his role was a more offensive one where he would risk a loss of possession should it potentially forge a chance.
The 31-year-old was an all-action defender with that unique ability to invert, which Lewis could seek to replicate during a one-year stint under Farke.
ezgjan-alioski
Guardiola sought to compare him to another who enjoyed periods at both full-back and midfield, lauding Lewis:
"There are players who play for themselves really well, but he has the ability to make all the team play better. He has this ability and it's not easy to find it. He is our little Philipp Lahm."
With the foundations of a trophy cabinet that will one day rival the German legend, perhaps he could add another string to his bow by battling through the Championship and adding promotion to his ever-growing list of experiences.
The 22-day tournament will feature 16 teams and will be played between January 13 and February 3
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2017
ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Defending champions West Indies will begin their 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign against hosts New Zealand in Tauranga on January 13, the opening day of the tournament. West Indies and New Zealand have been placed in Group A, along with South Africa and the Africa qualifier, Kenya. Tauranga will also host the tournament final, on February 3.2018 Under-19 World Cup pools
Group A: West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Kenya
Group B: India, Zimbabwe, Australia, PNG
Group C: Bangladesh, England, Namibia, Canada
Group D: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ireland
Sixteen teams will participate in the 2018 edition, including the five qualifiers – Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Afghanistan and Ireland. The ten Test teams [prior to Afghanistan and Ireland’s elevation] and Namibia, who finished as the best Associate team in the 2016 edition, had gained automatic qualification.Runners-up of 2016 and three-time champions India, who blanked England 5-0 in the recently-concluded series, have been slotted into Group B with Zimbabwe, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Australia will make their return to the tournament, having pulled out of the 2016 edition in Bangladesh due to security concerns.Bangladesh, who were semi-finalists in 2016, will compete with England, Namibia and Canada in Group C. Two-time champions Pakistan and 2016 semi-finalists Sri Lanka are in Group D with Afghanistan and Ireland.The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League, while the remaining eight teams will feature in the Plate competition. Twenty matches, including the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, will be televised, with the final scheduled to be played at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. Both Super League semi-finals will be held at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.The 11th edition of the Under-19 World Cup will be played across seven venues in four cities – Whangarei, Tauranga, Christchurch and Queenstown – over 22 days. This is the third time the tournament is being held in New Zealand, after 2002 and 2010.
Manchester City’s interest in Crystal Palace attacker Michael Olise has been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, who described a deal as “one to follow in the next days”.
Are Man City signing Josko Gvardiol?
The Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners have added to their ranks already this summer with a move for midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, and fellow Croatia international Josko Gvardiol looks set to be the next Etihad arrival.
The RB Leipzig defender has been a top target for Pep Guardiola’s side, however, Gvardiol has also caught the eye of top-flight rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, who all allegedly submitted offers of their own recently.
It does look as if a transfer to City will materialise, though, with Sky Sports recently reporting that a €90m (£77.6m) deal has been agreed between the two clubs, a figure under the Bundesliga side’s €100m asking price.
City may not stop there, though, with a new winger to replace Riyad Mahrez who left for Saudi Arabia appearing to be on the cards.
Do Man City want to sign Michael Olise?
Olise has been linked with a move to the blue side of Manchester in recent weeks, with Romano saying last month:
“Chelsea and Manchester City have both Michael Olise in their list. Understand there’s release clause into his contract – around £35m. Both clubs are waiting for clarity about his conditions as he picked up injury last month.”
Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise.
Since then, City have also been linked with Rennes attacker Jeremy Doku, but it looks as if a move could soon be made for Olise.
In a new update, Romano took to Twitter on Thursday morning to confirm the interest and the rumoured release clause of the Palace man.
“Release clause confirmed. Man City and Chelsea interest confirmed. Olise, one to follow in the next days/weeks.”
Olise is primarily a right-winger, something City which don’t currently have following the exit of Mahrez, as per Transfermarkt, whereas the Palace man is also able to turn out in a central attacking midfield role if needed.
The 21-year-old made the move to Selhurst Park from Reading back in 2021 and has gone on to make 71 appearances for the Eagles, contributing to 25 goals.
The France U21 international has been labelled as "outrageous" by Crystal Palace central midfielder Will Hughes and appears to be going from strength to strength, with his Transfermarkt valuation currently standing at a career-high €38m.
The left-footed forward is thought to be on £45,000-a-week in London and has enjoyed a productive 12 months. As per FBref, Olise ranks in the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90, while also ranking highly when it comes to tackles, interceptions and blocks, showing how he could fit into Guardiola’s system both on and off the ball.
Olise also ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers for crosses, showing how he could replicate Mahrez in cutting in from the right on his favoured left foot in Manchester. A move could well be one to keep an eye on, and at his £35m release clause, City may feel they are getting themselves a bargain both in the short and long run, should they manage to seal a deal.