Arsenal have been handed a real transfer boost in their pursuit of a £69 million target, as his stance over a north London move comes to light.
Arteta furious at Bayern Munich goals in Arsenal draw
The Gunners rescued a 2-2 draw from their Champions League first-leg tie against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening, and there are plenty of positives to take from a very entertaining clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal are set to sign "important" striker
The Gunners are intending to bring in a star number nine.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024
Serge Gnabry's strike and a Harry Kane penalty cancelled out Bukayo Saka's opener, with Arsenal trailing the Bundesliga giants at half-time. Mikel Arteta's side did manage to keep their composure, though, and eventually clinched an equaliser just under 15 minutes from full-time – courtesy of Leandro Trossard.
One aspect of the 90 which infuriated Arsenal's manager was the manner in which they conceded their two goals, with Arteta claiming his team gifted Bayern the opportunities.
“In the Champions League you cannot give anything to the opponent and we gave them two goals today,” said Arteta on Arsenal's draw with Bayern.
Arsenal's next league fixtures in race for Premier League title
Date
Aston Villa (home)
April 14th
Wolves (away)
April 20th
Chelsea (home)
April 23rd
Tottenham (away)
April 28th
Bournemouth (home)
May 4th
“When you have this situation you are going to be punished. And that is the biggest lesson. The margins are very small in this competition and it is really difficult to create quality chances against this level of opposition. But I think the team showed a lot of composure, especially after 2-1 – you can throw your toys away and give your opponents a lot of space but we haven’t done that and the substitutes made a huge impact.
“I sense the belief among the players that we are going to go to Munich next week and be better.”
Defensively, the likes of Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been revelations under Arteta since the start of 2022/2023, but it is believed sporting director Edu is planning to source more quality to shore up their backline further.
One player to be regularly linked is Sporting Lisbon starlet Ousmane Diomande.
Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande.
As previously reported, Arsenal hold a very serious interest in signing Diomande this summer, with TEAMtalk now sharing a potential advantage for them in the race for his signature.
Diomande excited by prospect of joining Arsenal
According to their information, Diomande is excited by the prospect of joining Arsenal and he prefers a move to north London over Chelsea – who are also interested.
This has apparently catapulted Arteta and Edu into pole position to secure the £69 million Ivorian's services, which will come as good news where supporters are concerned.
Called an "elite talent" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Diomande has been a fixture in Ruben Amorim's side this season with over 20 Primeira Liga appearances and seven starts in Europe at just 20 years of age.
A partir desta semana, os fãs do futebol brasileiro poderão assistir a conteúdos exclusivos de oito dos principais clubes do país no Facebook Watch. Neste ano, Flamengo e Fluminense se uniram ao Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo e Vasco para trazer mais de dois mil vídeos ao Facebook.
+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule!
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Os vídeos serão publicados ao longo da temporada 2021 do Campeonato Brasileiro e os torcedores poderão assistir e acompanhar clipes de seu time do coração em treinos, entrevistas exclusivas, bate-papos com os jogadores, bastidores das partidas, entre outros formatos.
Juntos, esses clubes somam mais de 46,4 milhões de seguidores no Facebook, têm mais de 742 milhões de visualizações em vídeos e mais de 285 milhões de interações em suas páginas na plataforma.
– Nosso objetivo é desenvolver, junto com os clubes, projetos que engajem suas torcidas. Queremos que, além da conexão com o fã, nossos parceiros possam expandir sua receita e seus negócios em nossa plataforma – conta o gerente de parcerias esportivas do Facebook no Brasil, Pitter Rodriguez.
A criação e desenvolvimento do projeto é da LiveMode que, pelo segundo ano consecutivo, será também responsável pelo gerenciamento da produção dos vídeos pelos clubes. Em 2020, o Facebook, em parceria com os clubes brasileiros e a LiveMode, trouxe 800 vídeos exclusivos para os fãs de futebol na plataforma.
– Estamos animados com a renovação e com o crescimento do projeto. Acreditamos muito que a união dos Clubes vai sempre ser importante para alcançar resultados e produzir conteúdos muito significativos, como já ficou provado no ano passado. O empenho e a iniciativa do Facebook foram fundamentais para a plataforma abrigar o maior projeto digital do futebol brasileiro – comenta Guilherme Lenz Cesar, diretor da LiveMode.
علقت جماهير آينتراخت فرانكفورت على أداء الدولي المصري، عمر مرموش، في مباراة سلافيا براج التشيكي اليوم بمنافسات الدوري الأوروبي “يوروباليج”.
وفاز فرانكفورت على نظيره سلافيا براج بهدف مقابل لاشيء، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين في منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الأوروبي على ملعب “دويتشه بانك بارك”.
اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | صاروخية مرموش تقود فرانكفورت للفوز على سلافيا براج في الدوري الأوروبي ملخص لمسات عمر مرموش في مباراة فرانكفورت وسلافيا براج بالدوري الاوروبي
وتمكن عمر مرموش من تسجيل هدف فرانكفورت الأول والوحيد في مباراة اليوم، عند الدقيقة 53، من ضربة حرة مباشرة على حدود منطقة الجزاء بطريقة رائعة.
وكالعادة عبرت جماهير فرانكفورت عن آرائها في أداء النجم المصري، خلال مباراة فرانكفورت وسلافيا براج عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي المختلفة. ردود أفعال جماهير فرانكفورت على أداء عمر مرموش أمام سلافيا براج
“ما هذا، من أين أتى، مرموش يحلق هكذا؟”.
Ach du scheiße, wo kommt der denn her, Marmoush so am rasieren — SGE_SINCE_1899 (@SgeSince55705) November 7, 2024
“لدينا بالفعل محمد صلاح الجديد”.
Wir haben wirklich den neuen Salah 😂😂 — FW (@MaxMacher35) November 7, 2024
“الرجل ليس طبيعيا”.
der typ ist doch nicht normal — noel (@sge_noel) November 7, 2024
“عمر أفضل من كريستيانو رونالدو”.
Omar > CR7 — Jannik 🦅 (@jannik_0612) November 7, 2024
“يا له من هدف!”.
What a goal…! — MarcO (@MarcO_with_c_) November 7, 2024
“يمتلك جودة رائعة. انه مذهل”.
So viel Qualität der Mann, einfach krass — Shlomi (@Shlomi282) November 7, 2024
“لاعب لا يصدق”.
Der Mann ist unglaublich! — Heiko Störtebeker (@Daddelduu) November 7, 2024
“حقا واحد من أفضل المهاجمين في الوقت الحالي”.
Genuinely one of the BEST strikers around now — Bolarinwa (@UTDbollars) November 7, 2024
Peça importante do Internacional nas últimas temporadas, o volante Patrick teve o seu contrato renovado até 2023.
O acordo foi muito comemorado nos bastidores do clube, já que o nome do meio-campista sempre está em alta em rivais nacionais.
Pressa
Antes da renovação, o contrato de Patrick terminava em dezembro, ou seja, ele estava livre para assinar um pré-contrato com qualquer clube no mercado.
Desde a sua chegada ao Internacional, Patrick disputou 167 partidas e anotou 23 gols com a camisa do Colorado.
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أعلن البرازيلي روجيرو ميكالي المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر تحت 20 عاماً، عن تشكيل لاعبيه لمواجهة اليوم أمام المغرب، ببطولة شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس الأمم الإفريقية.
ويلتقي منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا مع المغرب، على استاد هيئة قناة السويس، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى لبطولة شمال إفريقيا.
وتقام تصفيات شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس الأمم الإفريقية في محافظة الإسماعيلية في الفترة من 14 إلى 26 نوفمبر الجاري.
طالع أيضاً.. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا في بطولة شمال إفريقيا
ويشارك في البطولة عدة منتخبات قوية من شمال إفريقيا منها: “مصر، المغرب، تونس، الجزائر، وليبيا”. تشكيل منتخب مصر اليوم أمام المغرب في بطولة شمال إفريقيا
حراسة المرمى: عبد المنعم تامر.
خط الدفاع: معتز محمد – سليم طلب – عبد الله بوستنجي – محمود لبيب
Leeds United will be worrying that a promotion collapse is now well underway, after going the last three Championship games without a win with the performance and result against Blackburn Rovers last time out a real concern.
The Whites would end up losing 1-0 to John Eustace's Riversiders courtesy of a late Sammie Szmodics strike, the second tier's top scorer showing the wasteful Leeds attackers where the back of the net is in the narrow defeat.
Daniel Farke will be riddled with even more doubt now over who he should start in the attacking positions going forward as the games become more tense to make the goals flow again, with Crysencio Summerville's set-in-stone position in the first-team up for grabs even after his dismal showing against Blackburn.
Crysencio Summerville's performance in numbers
Summerville has failed to score in his stuttering side's last three second-tier contests now, drawing yet another blank frustratingly against Eustace's visitors.
Failing to hit a single on-target effort at Aynsley Pears' goal in the 1-0 defeat, the usually electric Dutch winger also found all ten of his crosses go astray on a poor day at the office for the 22-year-old.
Unable to complete one successful dribble in the narrow loss as well, on top of squandering possession a staggering 28 times, the 5 foot 9 attacker could find his spot filled by somebody else versus Middlesbrough up next after such an off-performance.
This would be a very bold selection call by Farke, with Summerville having started every league game since being left out against Ipswich Town last August, but the German boss showed he can make rash switches by starting Wilfried Gnonto ahead of Daniel James in the 1-0 loss.
Gnonto will feel he's done enough to secure another starting spot for the upcoming trip to Boro, but Joel Piroe will be anxious that he will return to the substitutes bench again after putting in an anonymous display against Blackburn.
Joel Piroe's performance vs Blackburn in numbers
In another tweak from the XI that stumbled to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland, Piroe was preferred as the lone striker ahead of Patrick Bamford for the visit of Eustace's men.
This was a switch that didn't work out whatsoever for Leeds however, with the ex-Swansea City striker unable to really kick into gear against a resilient Blackburn defence and bag a decisive goal.
Joel Piroe
Piroe would fall victim to the same fate as Summerville by failing to fire a single on-target effort at the Riversiders net from his 90 minutes on the Elland Road turf, alongside seeing 11 of his 34 passes go astray in a below-par display from the struggling Whites number seven.
It wasn't a surprise, therefore, to see LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross hand out a scathing 3/10 rating to Piroe in the direct aftermath of the demoralising defeat – Cross stating that the 24-year-old attacker 'brought nothing' when it came to troubling the Blackburn back four.
Piroe's numbers vs Blackburn
Minutes played
90
Touches
43
Accurate passes
23/34
Shots on target
0
Duels won
3/7
Possession lost
13x
Stats by Sofascore
Scanning the table above, Bamford could well find a way back into his manager's starting lineup again ahead of Piroe after the 6 foot 1 striker's dire performance against Blackburn.
Daniel Farke before a game with Leeds United.
Farke will hope whatever XI he fields for the trip to the Riverside Stadium next can be the lineup that picks up a much-needed win, making the promotion-chasers confident again instead of being uncertain over whether or not they're cut out to be in the Premier League next season.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Hasan Mahmud is the new man in the line-up, which has changed significantly since the tour of India last year
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2020
Tamim Iqbal last played for Bangladesh in July 2019•BCB
Hasan Mahmud, the 20-year-old medium pacer, is the only new face in Bangladesh’s 15-man squad – which doesn’t include veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, who opted out citing security concerns – for the three-match T20I series in Pakistan later this month.Mahmudullah will continue to lead the side, which has a few other changes from the one that lost 2-1 on the tour of India late last year. Abu Hider, Arafat Sunny, Mosaddek Hossain and Taijul Islam have been left out, while Tamim Iqbal makes a comeback after last playing for Bangladesh in an ODI in Sri Lanka in July 2019.Bangladesh T20I squad
Mahmudullah (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das (wk), Mohammad Mithun (wk), Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Hasan Mahmud
Offspinning allrounder Mahedi Hasan, batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto and Rubel Hossain have also been brought in.Following a mediocre World Cup campaign, in which he scored just 235 runs at an average of 29.37, Tamim had taken some time off to work on his game and his fitness. He subsequently skipped the tour of India to be with his pregnant wife, and, more recently, had a decent time in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he scored 396 runs in 12 innings, but his runs came at a poor strike rate of 109.39.His team-mate at Dhaka Platoon, Mahedi, was one of the side’s better performers, hitting 253 runs at a strike rate of 136.02 after being promoted in the batting order, and also picking up 12 wickets at an economy rate lower than seven. Shanto also did well, the 115 not out against Dhaka one of the innings of the tournament, while senior quick Rubel was one of four bowlers – all pacers – at the top of the wicket-takers’ pile for the tournament with 20 strikes apiece.The three matches will take place in Lahore, on January 24, 25 and 27 – Bangladesh will reach Pakistan a day before the first game and leave the day after the last fixture.Bangladesh’s tour was confirmed only on January 14 after much negotiating between the two boards. While the BCB had initially said it would only tour Pakistan for T20Is but not for the scheduled Tests due to security reasons, the two boards eventually drew up a plan according to which Bangladesh will visit Pakistan over three legs – first, for three T20Is, then for the first Test from February 7 to 11, and finally for one ODI and one more Test between April 3 and 9.Along with Mushfiqur, the touring party will also miss a number of their support staffers. White-ball batting coach Neil McKenzie and fielding coach Ryan Cook both withdrew from the tour, while Daniel Vettori, the spin consultant, was not asked to travel because it’s a short tour. Mario Villavarayan, the strength and conditioning coach, is out of action with a fractured arm, while team analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran, being Indian, was allowed to skip touring as well.
Qualification for next season's edition of the Champions League is no longer an option for Manchester United with four matches left to play in the Premier League.
The Red Devils are 13 points behind Aston Villa in fourth, who have three games left, and it is now impossible for them to catch up with the Midlands outfit.
Erik Ten Hag's side must now compete to secure either Europa Conference League or Europa League football over their remaining clashes, starting with their meeting with Crystal Palace on Monday.
The attention will then turn to the summer transfer window and how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS can use the market to bolster the playing squad for the manager.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
It remains to be seen whether or not Ten Hag will still be the boss next season, with Bayern Munich's Thomas Tuchel having been linked with the job, but that has not stopped the club from identifying possible targets.
Man United's interest in Serie A sensation
A report from Spain at the end of las month named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as one of the players Manchester United are looking at ahead of the next transfer window.
The Telegraph recently reported that almost every player in the Red Devils squad has the potential to be sold, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund being the only exceptions.
This leaves Marcus Rashford's future up in the air, as he is included in the list of players the club are open to offers for, and Kvaratskhelia has been named as one of the stars being eyed up as a possible replacement for the England international.
The aforementioned claim from Spain stated that AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Barcelona's Raphinha, who previously played in the Premier League with Leeds, are two of the other options on their list, as they eye all three wingers to come in if Rashford moves on.
It also stated that Napoli could demand a fee within the region of €80m (£69m) for the Georgia international, who has been a key player for them in Italy this season.
Napoli forwardKhvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not United are prepared to pay that much for the talented Serie A star, or if they would prefer to go for Leao or Raphinha before they decide to push on with a deal for Kvaratskhelia.
Jadon Sancho, who is on loan with Borussia Dortmund, could have been seen as a possible replacement for Rashford when he returns to Old Trafford in the summer, but Sky Germany's Patrick Berger has confirmed that the forward does not see a future for himself at the club.
The English dynamo does not want to return to the Red Devils, whether Ten Hag is in charge or not, and Dortmund are now set to enter talks to secure a second loan deal, with an obligation to buy in 2025.
United, however, can forget all about Sancho and land a dream replacement, or competition, for Rashford by sealing a swoop for Kvaratskhelia this summer.
Jadon Sancho's form for Borussia Dortmund
The 24-year-old attacker re-joined Dortmund on loan until the end of the season in January and has been slowly working his way back to his best form in Germany.
Sancho made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, after being exiled from first-team training by Ten Hag for a social media post describing himself as a 'scapegoat' after the manager had dropped him for performance-related reasons.
This meant that he arrived in the Bundesliga lacking in match sharpness and that has possibly caused his slow start, in terms of his involvements in front of goal, to his return to the division.
23/24 Bundesliga
Jadon Sancho
Appearances
12
xG
0.68
Goals
2
xA
2.97
Goals
1
Dribbles completed per game
2.8
Dribble success rate
57%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, he has been directly involved in three goals in 12 matches – one every four games on average – but has been let down by his teammates with only one assist from almost three xA.
Sancho, due to his issues at Old Trafford and a mid-season loan move, has not enjoyed a prolific season in the final third and his current form does not suggest that he would return to Manchester to be the dream replacement for Rashford, even if it were on the cards.
Why Man United should sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Ratcliffe and his team can forget all about the English forward by allowing him to complete another move to Dortmund next season, whether that is on loan or permanent, and signing Kvaratskhelia to bolster the team's options on the left flank.
The Napoli sensation, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed puts defenders "on ice" with his quick feet, is a left-sided winger who has the quality to deliver goals and assists on a consistent basis.
Napoli forwardKhvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Last season, as his team secured the Serie A title, the £69m-rated star racked up an eye-catching 12 goals and ten assists in 30 league starts, one goal involvement every 1.36 starts on average.
The exciting whiz also completed 2.2 dribbles per match, which speaks to his ability to put defenders 'on ice' with direct play and quick feet to drive past opposition players.
He has followed that up with ten goals and six assists in 29 starts during the current campaign, which is a return of a goal or an assist every 1.81 starts on average.
These statistics suggest that Kvaratskhelia would be a significantly better option than Sancho, who has averaged a goal involvement every four games in Germany, in the final third for United, based on their respective form this season.
23/24 season
Kvaratskhelia (Serie A)
Rashford (Premier League)
Appearances
31
31
Sofascore rating
7.50
6.92
Goals
10
7
Assists
6
2
Big chances created
11
6
Dribbles completed per game
2.8
1.5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old sensation has also outperformed Rashford, who has made 31 appearances in the Premier League this term, with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.
The Napoli wizard has offered a greater goal threat and provided more quality as a creator for his teammates, while also being three years younger than Rashford, and these statistics show why United must swoop to sign him.
Ratcliffe could forget all about Sancho by landing the Georgia international as a sensational replacement for Rashford, should the club cash in on him this summer.
Man Utd could help Sancho explode by hiring "crazy" Ten Hag replacement
Jadon Sancho was back to his best in the Champions League semi-finals.
Alessandro Zanardi é sinônimo de superação. Acidentado em 2001 dentro de um carro de corridas, o ex-piloto de Fórmula 1 teve as duas pernas amputadas e renasceu no guidom de um triciclo esportivo conquistando quatro medalhas em duas paralimpíadas seguidas. Um ano após o outro incidente que marcou sua vida, ocorrido em Siena, na Itália, a esposa de Zanardi revelou ao portal da ‘BMW’ o real cenário e a luta do esportista
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O acidente aconteceu na rodovia SP 146. Segundo o jornal “Gazzetta dello Sport”, Zanardi perdeu o controle da bicicleta e se chocou contra um caminhão.
O ex-piloto de Indy e F1 foi submetido a uma neurocirurgia e uma cirurgia maxilofacial por complicações do traumatismo craniano.
-Um ano após o acidente, a condição de Alex está estável. Ele está internado em uma clínica especial, onde passa por um programa de reabilitação. Isso inclui estímulos multimodais e farmacológicos sob a orientação de médicos, fisioterapeutas, neuropsicólogos e fonoaudiólogos para tentar facilitar sua recuperação – disse Daniela Zanardi.
Devido ao período em coma e contratempos na recuperação, Zanardi consegue se comunicar, mas não é capaz de falar.
-Foi um processo muito complexo que exigiu mais neurocirurgias e se caracterizou por uma série de contratempos. Alex está em uma condição estável, o que significa que ele pode se submeter a programas de treinamento para seu cérebro e seu corpo. Ele pode se comunicar conosco, mas ainda não consegue falar. Depois de um longo tempo em coma, as cordas vocais ainda precisam recuperar sua elasticidade. Isso só é possível por meio da prática e da terapia. Ele ainda tem muita força nos braços e nas mãos, e está treinando intensamente com o equipamento – conta.
-É certamente outro grande desafio. É uma jornada muito longa e no momento não há previsões de quando ele poderá voltar para casa. Colocamos toda a nossa energia na recuperação de Alex – completa Daniela.
Grave incidente ad Alex #Zanardi, travolto da un camion nel comune di Pienza, mentre partecipava alla staffetta obiettivo tricolore. E' ricoverato alle #Scotte di Siena per i diversi traumi riportati. Sarebbero gravi le sue condizioni. pic.twitter.com/s28QqlEm84
— roberto viggiani ® (@robertovigg69) June 19, 2020
Peshawar made to sweat on play-off place after falling three runs short of target
The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Mar-2020
AFP via Getty Images
Multan Sultans clinched first place outright in the league stage in thrilling fashion as a helter-skelter death bowling spell from Ali Shafiq secured a three-run win over Peshawar Zalmi defending a total of 154.With 27 needed off 18 balls, Shafiq bowled a masterful 18th over in which he claimed the wickets of Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik while conceding just two runs. Tasked with defending 15 off the final over and 12 off three balls, Shafiq momentarily lost his cool by bowling a pair of chest-high no-balls, the first of which was top-edged over the wicketkeeper for four by Adil Amin.But with a free hit to come and six off three balls to win, only two runs came off the next two balls. With four needed to win off the last ball, Amin got the perfect length ball on the stumps for his premeditated scoop, but he failed to execute the shot with the ball thudding off his pads and trickling to silly point.The Sultans total was set up by a confident half-century from Zeeshan Ashraf. The left-hander profited early and often through the leg side on his way to 50 off 35 balls, along the way surviving a very generous interpretation by the third umpire who judged he had some part of his bat across the crease when it got lodged in the ground attempting to make his ground for a single to mid-on during the fourth over on 14.ALSO READ: Four days shaved off PSL scheduleImam-ul-Haq drove the Zalmi reply with a half-century of his own to help his side rebound from a rocky start to the chase of 8 for 2. But Imam’s wicket, miscuing a drive off Sohail Tanvir to mid-off for 56 in the 17th over, killed Zalmi’s momentum. From a position of needing a very manageable 29 off 21 balls, they lost three wickets for four runs in the space of nine balls to set up the dramatic last-over finish in which Sultans ultimately prevailed.Turning point Even after Imam’s wicket, Zalmi theoretically should have had enough firepower at the crease to get over the line in the form of Ali and Malik, and especially when considering the fact they were taking on a bowler in Shafiq who was playing just his first match of PSL 2020 in place of Junaid Khan. But the underdog Shafiq won the battle. Ali drove a length ball to long-off on the fourth ball of the over. Malik was on 30 and still the odds-on favourite to take Zalmi home, but two balls later his attempted heave to a length ball on the legs wound up taking a leading edge over point.Star of the day Zeeshan provided the spark plug at the top of the order to bring to life a match played in front of an empty stadium. He was particularly strong off his pads. He slog-swept Malik’s offspin in the seventh over for four and six, then flicked Mohammad Amir Khan’s pace to the fine leg rope twice more in the eighth. Another flick through fine leg for a boundary off Malik in the ninth took him to 48 before a clip through midwicket off Wahab in the 10th brought up his half-century to provide a winning platform.The big miss Zalmi’s overseas contingent. The quintuplet of Tom Banton, Liam Livingstone, Lewis Gregory, Liam Dawson and Carlos Brathwaite all flew home prior to the match as a consequence of Coronavirus travel logistics. In particular, Gregory has shown a solid penchant for finishing innings with an uncanny ability to clear the rope. In his absence, Zalmi fumbled away what is a standard winning position in modern T20 calculations.Where the teams stand Sultans have clinched first place in the league with the win and can afford to rest some of their players for their final match before the play-offs. Zalmi are the first team to finish up their slate and end on nine points but will have to sweat out the last two days of the regular season. They need Karachi Kings to defeat Islamabad United on Saturday or Sultans to defeat Lahore Qalandars on Sunday in order to guarantee that neither United nor Qalandars push them out of the play-off positions from third into fifth place on the points table.