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Tim Paine has accused South Africa of ball tampering in the Test match immediately after Australian cricket was rocked by the sandpaper-gate scandal, claiming the act was covered up by match broadcasters.Paine made the explosive claims in his autobiography , with the former Test captain becoming the first player lift the lid on the 2018 Cape Town Test in a tell-all book.Paine denies any suggestion of a team meeting around the plan for Cameron Bancroft to use sandpaper on the ball during the third Test of the series against South Africa.And he says he was stunned and his heart sank as replays showed Bancroft hiding the sandpaper in his pants before being spoken to by umpires.”I was thinking ‘what the f**k’,” Paine wrote. “A sense of dread came over us all.”In a lengthy chapter on the 2018 tour, Paine went to great lengths to point out that ball tampering was commonplace in cricket and that it was the sport’s dirty little secret. Faf du Plessis, who was South Africa captain at the time, makes similar claims in his upcoming book.Related

• Bancroft: 'Self-explanatory' that bowlers were aware of ball-tampering tactics in Newlands Test

• Faf du Plessis says breakdown in relationship with coach Mark Boucher pushed him into Test retirement

• Tim Paine: I was hung out to dry by Cricket Australia

But Paine conceded using sandpaper was “next level” and “shameful”, with traditional tampering usually via means such as throwing the ball into the ground.Regardless, he says he was left furious when he spotted South Africa allegedly pulling apart the seam of the ball in the following Test.”I saw it happen in the fourth Test of that series,” Paine wrote.  “Think about that. After everything that had happened in Cape Town, after all the headlines and bans and carry on.”I was standing at the bowlers’ end in the next Test when a shot came up on the screen of a South African player at mid-off having a huge crack at the ball.”The television director, who had played an active role in catching out Cam, immediately pulled the shot off the screen. We went to the umpires about it, which might seem a bit poor, but we’d been slaughtered and were convinced they’d been up to it since the first Test. But the footage got lost. As it would.”Paine said it felt like Australia were being “provoked” throughout the series amid crowd abuse of players’ families with David Warner a particular target.The wicketkeeper also claimed Warner had every right to be upset after he thought Quinton de Kock had made a comment about his wife Candice before the infamous stairway confrontation in Kingsmead.”I was the one holding them apart and I know how it unfolded,” Paine said.Tim Paine believes David Warner was unfairly treated•Getty Images

Paine has regularly called for Warner’s lifetime leadership ban to be lifted, claiming Cricket Australia seized an opportunity to punish him after the previous year’s pay talks.And he admitted he felt as if the side had let the opener down before the Cape Town debacle.”I don’t know how [Warner] kept his cool in those situations and on reflection I feel the team let him down by not offering him more support,” Paine wrote. I can see now he was masking a lot of pain and we should have known it.”Meanwhile, du Plessis has said that South Africa were suspicious that Australia were tampering with the ball earlier in the series before the controversy erupted at Newlands, specifically referencing how much reverse swing there was in the opening match in Durban, referencing “borderline unplayable” deliveries from Mitchell Starc.”We suspected that someone had been nurturing the ball too much to get it to reverse so wildly, and we watched the second Test at St George’s through binoculars, so that we could follow the ball more closely while Australia was fielding,” he writes in .”When we noticed that the ball was going to David Warner quite often – our changing room must have looked like a birdwatching hide as we peered intently through our binoculars.”Australia’s pace attack from that series have always denied any knowledge of the ball being tampered with and last year issued a joint statement after Bancroft gave an interview where he indicated they must have been aware.The two teams will meet in a Test series for the first time since the 2018-19 encounter when South Africa travel to Australia for three matches in December and January.

أعرب برونو فرنانديز وجواو نيفيز وجونزالو راموس ثلاثي منتخب البرتغال، عن سعادتهم بالتأهل لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026، بعد الفوز ضد أرمينيا بتسعة أهداف لهدف واحد.

وكان منتخب البرتغال قد حقق الفوز ضد أرمينيا في تصفيات أوروبا بفضل أهداف ريناتو فيجا وجونزالو راموس، وأحرز جواو نيفيز وبرونو فرنانديز هاتريك، وسجل كونسيساو الهدف التاسع.

وقال جواو نيفيز في تصريحات نشرتها “A Bola” البرتغالية: “قدمنا مباراة رائعة وجاءت الأهداف نتيجة لما بنيناه، لقد خضنا عدة مباريات سنحت لنا فرص لتسجيل هذا العدد من الأهداف لكننا لم نستغلها، هذا نتيجة لعملنا في التدريبات وما قدمناه في هذه المباراة”.

وأضاف: “نلعب دائماً بنفس الأسلوب، من البداية إلى النهاية، لا نهتم بالنتيجة بل بأسلوب لعبنا، نعمل بجد ونطبق ما تدربنا عليه بدقة”.

وحول أهدافه الأولى بقميص منتخب البرتغال واصل نيفيز: “كانت مباراة مميزة، نظراً لأهميتها وارتداء قميص أوزيبيو ثم أهدافي الأولى، أول هاتريك لي مع المنتخب، هذا شيء للذكرى”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. أول رد فعل من كريستيانو رونالدو بعد تأهل البرتغال لنهائيات كأس العالم

بينما قال برونو فرنانديز لاعب خط وسط مانشستر يونايتد بعد اللقاء: “نسعى دائماً للفوز بنفس الطريقة، أن نقدم أداء مقنعًا ونسيطر على المباراة، قد لا يكون هذا ممكناً دائماً لكننا اليوم كنا فعالين وحققنا فوزًا رائعًا، وهذا هو الأهم ونتيجة لذلك تأهلنا لكأس العالم”.

وأضاف: “نحن نعمل على التحسن دائماً في الانتصارات والهزائم، وعلينا أن نتفاعل أكثر في الجزء الأخير من الملعب للتعامل بشكل أسرع مع فقدان الكرة لتجنب الهجمات المرتدة وهذا ما سبب لنا مشاكل ضد أيرلندا والمجر”.

واختتم عن تخطي لاعبي البرتغال السابقين هيلدر بوستيجا وروي كوستا في قائمة هدافي بلاده: “من الجيد دائماً أن تتاح لنا فرصة التسجيل ومساعدة الفريق على الفوز، نحن نتحدث عن اسمين عظيمين في كرة القدم البرتغالية، أحدهما قدوة رائعة بالنسبة لي، نشأت وأنا معجب بروي كوستا وأشاهده يلعب وكذلك ديكو، أنا مجرد لاعب يسعى لمساعدة البرتغال على مواصلة كتابة التاريخ ورفع اسمنا لأعلى المستويات”.

بينما علق جونزالو راموس مهاجم باريس سان جيرمان على منافسة كريستيانو رونالدو على مركز أساسي في خط الهجوم وإذا كان يرغب في الحصول على مزيد من الوقت للمشاركة: “كل منا هنا يقدم المساعدة والجميع يرغب في الحصول على مزيد من الوقت”.

وأضاف: “اليوم لم تكن هناك أمامنا اختيارات، كنا متفوقين بوضوح وأثبتنا ذلك في الملعب، تأهلنا وأظهرنا قدراتنا، تعلق الأمر بفعاليتنا، هناك أيام لا ترغب فيها الكرة بالدخول واليوم صنعنا فرص أكثر من المباراة السابقة، حققنا الفوز العظيم بفضل فعاليتنا وتطبيق خطتنا”.

واختتم راموس أن البرتغال لا تفكر إلا في الفوز بكأس العالم: “في أي بطولة نشارك فيها، نكون مرشحين للفوز بها، الأمر يتعلق بتقدمنا خطوة بخطوة ولا يزال أمامنا مباريات تحضيرية في مارس وموسم كامل للاستعداد لكأس العالم”.

South Africa allrounder Prenelan Subrayen has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday in Cairns.The offspinner took 1 for 46 in his ten overs, dismissing opener Travis Head as South Africa went 1-0 up with a 98-run win. This was the 31-year-old Subrayen’s ODI debut, which came almost two months after he earned his first Test cap against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.Related

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Subrayen now needs to undergo an independent assessment of his action at an ICC-accredited testing facility within 14 days which South Africa are hoping he can do in Brisbane at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre where Australia’s left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was tested earlier this year. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension while delivering the ball and he is allowed to continue bowling in matches until the results of his test are known. But South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said on Thursday that the team has decided Subrayen will not play until he has completed the testing process.”He’s available to play,” Conrad said. “You are allowed to play until you get tested.””We just felt that less noise and get him out of the public eye, make sure he is okay and focuses on the testing.”The process is to get him tested as soon as we can and we are looking to do it in Brisbane. That suits everyone. We are going to the UK via Brisbane so hopefully we can get it sooner rather than later.”This is not the first time the Subrayen has faced scrutiny over his action. In December 2012, Cricket South Africa (CSA) placed him under rehabilitation after two separate independent tests deemed his action illegal. He was cleared to bowl again in January 2013 after undergoing remedial work and re-testing.Subrayen was reported in September 2014 during the Champions League T20 tournament in India, and once more during a domestic T20 game in November 2015, and suspended from bowling after an assessment of his action found all his deliveries to exceed the 15-degree limit. He failed a re-assessment in January 2016, and was eventually cleared to resume bowling after having his action cleared at the CSA’s High Performance Centre in March 2016.”He has gone through this process before,” Conrad said. “It’s never easy. It’s taken him a long time to make his debut and we are rallying around him. Next week will reveal a lot and we will take it from there.”They’ve [the ICC] flagged 12 balls which they’ve forwarded to us. He has got to emulate those 12 balls during the test. We are going to be sending our bowling coach (Piet Botha) with him for support and for us to gain some knowledge about how these things work.”The second and third ODIs, which are the last two matches of South Africa’s white-ball tour of Australia, will be played on August 22 and 24 in Mackay.

Unbroken stand of 249 with Chris Benjamin lifts visitors from trouble at 137 for 6

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-May-2025Grant Stewart posted a brilliant swashbuckling hundred to inspire a notable Kent fightback on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship match against Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Their backs firmly against the wall after being reduced to 137 for 6, the visitors were indebted to the seventh-wicket pair of Stewart and Chris Benjamin, who staged a revitalising unbeaten stand of 249 in 56 overs to rescue a parlous situation. Stewart registered a career-best score of 173 not out from 174 balls with 19 fours and five sixes, while Benjamin contributed a cautious yet chanceless 82 not out, hewn from 212 deliveries with five fours, as Kent reached the close on 386 for 6.Stewart and Benjamin made history in the Bristol sunshine, establishing a record seventh-wicket stand in all matches for Kent, eclipsing the 248 scored by Arthur Day and Punter Humphreys against Somerset at Taunton in 1908. It was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes after Gloucestershire’s bowlers had dominated the first few hours, Ajeet Singh Dale claiming 4 for 97 and Tom Price and Josh Shaw weighing in with a wicket apiece to justify captain Cameron Bancroft’s decision to bowl first.If Kent mindsets were fragile following defeat by an innings and 161 runs at the hands of Glamorgan last time out, Gloucestershire’s bowlers certainly took full advantage. But the visitors will now feel they have the upper hand after Stewart and Benjamin turned the tables in such comprehensive fashion, banking three batting bonus points which had appeared beyond them earlier in the day.Requiring a solid start, Kent achieved exactly the opposite, Harry Finch pursuing Shaw’s second delivery of the day outside leg stump, offering a tame catch to James Bracey behind the stumps and departing for 1. That set the tone, Tom Price sending down four maidens in five overs that yielded just one run as Ben Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond fought to see off the new ball.Their resistance quickly crumbled in the face of a fiery spell from Singh Dale, who generated impressive pace to remove both in the space of seven balls from the Ashley Down Road end. Bell-Drummond miscued an attempted drive and spooned a catch to mid-on, while Compton, having taken 19 balls to get off the mark and demonstrated no little application in moving his score to 19, drove loosely at a delivery that pitched outside off stump and was pouched by the diving Bracey as Kent slipped to 36 for 3.Jack Leaning never looked comfortable, was squared up by Singh Dale and sent a looping catch to Bancroft at second slip, at which point Singh Dale boasted figures of 3 for 22 from five overs. The only one of Kent’s top-order batters to play with any authority, Tawanda Muyeye raised 25 from 37 deliveries with four fours before edging a ball that nipped off the seam to the reliable Bancroft at second slip, affording Tom Price the wicket his accuracy deserved. In urgent need of a stabilising influence, the visitors were grateful to Benjamin and Jaydn Denly, who ensured they reached lunch without further loss on 85 for 5.Looking to play positively, England Under-19 batsman Denly helped himself to a sumptuous cover-driven four at the expense of Tom Price to signal a change in momentum as Kent’s first innings realised three figures in the 33rd over. Failing to maintain the tight lines that had characterised their work in the morning, Gloucestershire’s seamers were powerless to prevent the sixth wicket pair adding 63 in 15.3 overs.Singh Dale returned to break the partnership, beating Denly for pace with a ball that ricocheted off bat and pad and hit the top of off stump. Denly had mustered 39 from 51 balls and accrued six fours and was just two runs adrift of his highest first-class score when he departed with the board on 137 for 6.Surviving Singh Dale’s second spell, Benjamin and Stewart found the going easier thereafter as the pitch flattened out and the shine disappeared off the ball. Adopting a forthright approach from the outset, Stewart was prepared to take risks and looked to get on the front foot and drive whenever possible. He was first to 50, attaining that landmark via 51 balls as Kent passed 200. The Italy international pulled Graeme van Buuren for six to add to his half dozen fours as the visitors reached the tea interval on a relatively healthy 225 for 6 at the end of a session that had yielded 140 runs for the loss of just one wicket.Adopting a more circumspect approach, the assured Benjamin raised a half century of his own, carefully crafted from 129 balls, as the seventh-wicket alliance continued to prosper into the final session. The hundred partnership occupied 177 balls, at which point Bancroft recalled the talismanic Singh Dale. Although he went past the bat on several occasions, the 24-year-old paceman was unable to provide the breakthrough Gloucestershire coveted.Strong off his legs, Stewart positively rushed to the second first-class hundred of his career, edging Zaman Akhter to the fine leg boundary to raise three figures via 120 balls with his twelfth four. He hooked the next ball to deep midwicket and was caught by Tom Price, only for the unbalanced fielder to step over the rope and concede a six, an act which saw Stewart improve upon his previous highest score of 103 made against Middlesex at Canterbury in 2018.Gloucestershire took the new ball as soon as it became available, but were unable to curtail Stewart’s lusty hitting, the 31-year-old by now scoring at better than a run a ball to progress to his maiden 150 from 152 deliveries as Kent reached the close resurgent. Stewart and Benjamin had already set a new record seventh wicket partnership for Kent in matches against Gloucestershire, surpassing the unbeaten 151 posted by Derek Ufton and Alan Dixon at the Mount in 1960.

England have it all to do after Shubman Gill’s historic double-hundred gave India a mammoth 587

Matt Roller03-Jul-2025

Shubman Gill walks off to applause from the Edgbaston faithful•Getty Images

India’s new-ball bowlers picked off England’s top three with the same ease with which Shubman Gill ticked off records during his maiden Test double-hundred to take control of the second Test. This was a near-perfect day for India’s captain: Gill cruised to 269 before offering his first genuine chance, then snaffled a blinder at third slip to prompt England’s slump to 25 for 3.Gill made clear at the toss that he supported India’s decision to reinforce their lower-order batting after two collapses at Headingley, and it has paid off so far. He added 203 for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, then 144 more for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar, turning 211 for 5 into the highest total that England have conceded in the Stokes-McCullum era.Related

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• Stats – All the records Gill broke during his historic 269

Gill personified class and composure. He milked Shoaib Bashir for singles with the ease of a father teaching his son a lesson in the back garden, caressed back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse through wide mid-on and cover, and treated Harry Brook’s medium pace with utter disdain as he swept landmarks aside.He started England’s innings off the field after his 387-ball epic, and then took a spectacular catch four balls after walking back on. Akash Deep, India’s replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, cramped Ben Duckett for room from around the wicket and induced a thick outside edge; Gill flung himself acrobatically to his left and clung onto the chance, sending last week’s fourth-innings centurion crashing back to earth.Akash Deep struck again with his next ball, a full outswinger that Ollie Pope optimistically tried to whip leg side. His outside edge flew to KL Rahul at second slip, who parried the chance up to himself and grabbed it at the second attempt; Pope said after his first-innings century in Leeds that he was determined to avoid a familiar tail-off as the series wears on but has now failed twice since.India were rampant and soon had a third when Mohammed Siraj, who bowled a faultless opening spell, had Zak Crawley edging to first slip. It was a textbook Crawley dismissal, pushing with hard hands – and no foot movement – at a ball which left him, which left Brook and Joe Root to pick up the pieces: after 151 overs in the field, England were still 362 short of the follow-on mark.While Root was watchful, Brook sensed an opportunity to take the pressure off himself – and to get rid of some close catchers. After surviving an umpire’s call lbw shout – with Sharfuddoula consistent across both innings – Brook charged Siraj, flat-batting him through extra cover before launching him for six down the ground. He made it through to stumps, the deficit still 510.But a 52-run stand could not take the shine off Gill’s day. It is increasingly hard to fathom that he averaged barely 35 in Tests before this tour: he has led by example in his first series as captain and already looks ensconced in his new role at No. 4. Chief among his records were the highest score by an India men’s captain, and the highest score by any India batter in England.He was brilliantly supported by India’s two spin-bowling allrounders. Jadeja was the aggressor at the start of the day, slapping Ben Stokes through the off side for back-to-back boundaries. The pair exchanged words about Jadeja’s habit of taking two strides down the pitch before deciding whether to attempt a run or not, and both were warned off the danger area by umpires.1:39

Aaron: English bowlers were way off their mark

Jadeja fell shortly before lunch, gloving Josh Tongue’s short ball down the leg side for 89, and Washington struggled early against the bumper barrage. But he decided to take Tongue on after lunch, pulling him over long leg for six, and otherwise held up one end while Gill dominated the scoring.Stokes opted to preserve Chris Woakes’ body, and his own: neither man bowled an over after their initial bursts which started the day, with Bashir relied upon to hold up an end as Tongue, Brydon Carse and Brook rotated from the other. It took Root, curiously under-bowled, to break the partnership, ripping an offbreak past Washington’s outside edge and into middle stump.Gill fell shortly after tea, mistiming a pull straight to square leg: it was the first genuine chance he had offered, after a half-hearted lbw shout on the first evening and an outside edge past second slip in Woakes’ early burst on the second day. Bashir was handed the final two wickets on a platter: Akash Deep holed out to long-on and Siraj walked past a carrom ball to be stumped.India’s selection plan is halfway to working: Gill explained that Washington’s selection ahead of Kuldeep Yadav owed to the extra batting he provided, and he played a major role in helping India add a national-record 372 runs for the last five wickets. The second half relies upon them taking 20 England wickets with the resources available: after three early strikes, so far, so good.

Everton laboured their way to defeat on the opening day of the Premier League season, losing at Elland Road to newly-promoted Leeds United.

Contentious penalty or not, David Moyes will be frustrated with his outfit’s lack of coherence and bite in the final third, especially after a drab opening half.

Might a few more signings be in order? Perhaps so. But Everton are “on it”, as Moyes says himself, and further than a week of transfer window terrain stretches in front of the Hill Dickinson Stadium, which awaits further fresh faces.

Marquee man Jack Grealish has been welcomed to the fold, with raw striker Thierno Barry, 22, also touted for big things.

But more is needed.

Everton's late-stage transfer targets

Everton desperately need a right-back, and a right-sided forward too. Lyon’s Malick Fofana, a versatile winger, has been touted as a player of interest.

However, Everton would be remiss not to consider other areas too, with depth, or a lack thereof, appearing a glaring concern at the moment.

That’s why one notable Everton insider has revealed that Everton are working on a deal to sign Manchester City’s Nathan Ake, perhaps in response to Jarrad Branthwaite’s recent hamstring injury.

Everton have a good relationship with the Etihad Stadium side and have already completed a loan deal for Grealish this summer. They must now use this line of communication to complete a shrewd swoop for the experienced Ake.

Why Everton want Nathan Ake

Left-back Vitalii Mykolenko missed the season opener with a fitness problem, heightening the need for reinforcements. Ake, who operates across the backline, would be a fantastic addition in this regard, covering and challenging the established starters.

A dynamic defender, Ake has been hailed for his “incredible” efforts in a City shirt by Pep Guardiola, having played 145 times for the club, scoring ten goals, since joining from Bournemouth five years ago in a £41m package.

However, his match action dried up last year, in part because of injuries, and with Guardiola’s recent comments regarding a desire for a slimmer squad, the Toffees must pounce on the 30-year-old Dutchman, in doing so, replicating what might turn out to be fantastic business for Grealish.

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Grealish was in a similar boat as a Citizen, having been pushed toward the periphery over the past couple of years in Manchester, consequently missing out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, a decision that polarised England’s football community.

At Everton, he has the chance to shine once again, and showed flashes of his quality on a dour evening in Leeds on Monday night, taking some smooth touches and fizzing a dangerous delivery into the penalty area across his second-half cameo.

That crossing ability could play to Ake’s strengths. The Netherlands defender is renowned for his aerial ability and would add a dimension to Everton’s threat from set-pieces.

Moreover, he would add depth to Moyes’ build-up play, with a passing game fit for a transitional approach. Data from FBref reveals Ake ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 10% for progressive carries per 90.

If Everton pull this off, they will be repeating a move for Grealish that holds so much promise. Adding such talents to his team, Moyes is demonstrating a tactical acuity that suggests he wants to widen the scope of Everton’s potential. He might just succeed by completing a deal for Ake.

Moyes' own Lukaku: Everton still chasing move for £51m "game changer"

Everton are still in the market for new players this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 21, 2025

Bayern Munich’s blistering start of the season under Vincent Kompany has stunned the Bundesliga, with club legend Philipp Lahm crediting the Belgian coach for restoring “calm” and balance to the club. The Bavarians’ dominant run has left rivals like Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig far behind, as Lahm insists Harry Kane and Co. are simply too strong to be challenged for the title this season.

Kompany’s Bayern dominate Bundesliga with record-breaking start

Bayern are flying under boss Kompany, who has guided the German giants to 10 consecutive wins across all competitions, including a 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. With a stunning 25 goals scored and only three conceded in six league matches, Bayern sit comfortably atop the Bundesliga table, four points clear of Dortmund. Kompany’s men have dispatched Leipzig 6-0, Hamburg 5-0 and Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0, asserting themselves as virtually untouchable this season.

The Belgian tactician, now in his second year at Bayern, has set new records, including the best goal tally after six matchdays in Bundesliga history, surpassing club legends Udo Lattek and Jupp Heynckes. His side’s cohesion, pressing structure, and flexibility have silenced early doubts about his appointment, proving that Bayern’s project is once again in steady hands.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLahm praises Kompany for restoring ‘calm’ at Bayern

At the Hall of Fame Awards in Dortmund, Bayern legend Lahm hailed Kompany’s management for stabilising a club often embroiled in coaching chaos. “He has brought calm to the club. That wasn’t the case before,” Lahm said. “There have been many coaching changes, and it’s difficult to bring calm to a club like FC Bayern. We’ve managed that now.”
The 2014 World Cup winner emphasised that Kompany’s leadership has transformed the dressing room dynamic and restored unity. Yet, Lahm was cautious about long-term success, adding: “We’ll have to wait and see how far the team really is when they advance in the Champions League and the knockout matches come up.” His comments capture the mood in Munich which is confident, but aware that the true tests are still to come."

‘Bayern are always the favourites’ – Lahm

Lahm didn’t mince words when asked about Bayern’s title chances. “It’s been a while since it was a two-horse race for the championship,” he told . “I always see FC Bayern at the top. Leverkusen was there the year before last, but otherwise Bayern are always the favourites. You can see that again now, they have more quality than Dortmund, Leipzig, Leverkusen, and Frankfurt.”

His remarks underline how dominant Bayern remain in domestic competition, powered by world-class talents like Kane, Luis Diaz, and Joshua Kimmich. Lahm’s confidence reflects the reality that no other Bundesliga club appear close to matching Bayern’s depth, consistency, or mentality this season.

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Kane, Diaz & Gnabry leading the way for Bayern

English striker Kane's sensational form this season has been crucial to Bayern's bright start. His goal against Eintracht Frankfurt took his tally to 11 in six league matches this term while Luis Diaz netted twice and set the former Tottenham star up for his. Meanwhile, Serge Gnabry has excelled since moving into a different role this season and has three goals and as many assists in the German top-flight, putting him in contention for a new contract.

Derby County have made a seven-figure offer to sign a versatile new player for John Eustace and the Rams have received a response.

Derby’s summer signings so far as Brewster arrives

It has been a productive summer transfer window for those at Pride Park so far ahead of the new Championship campaign. Eight new signings have been made, with former Sheffield United forward Rhian Brewster the latest to arrive.

Patrick Agyemang

Charlotte

£5.8m

Carlton Morris

Luton

Undisclosed

Andreas Weimann

Blackburn

Free

Danny Batth

Blackburn

Free

Rhian Brewster

Sheffield Utd

Free

Richard O’Donnell

Blackpool

Free

Owen Beck

Liverpool

Loan

David Ozoh

Crystal Palace

Loan

The forward left the Blades following the expiry of his contract this summer and has chosen Derby as his next move. Talking after signing, Brewster revealed his excitement to get started.

The striker joins Patrick Agyemang, Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell, Carlton Morris, Owen Beck and David Ozoh ahead of Eustace’s first full season in charge, and Derby don’t look to be showing any signs of stopping.

Derby make £1m+ bid to sign Sunderland player

According to reports from The Daily Record, relayed by EFL Analysis, Derby County have made a bid worth £1.2m to sign Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis.

However, Sunderland have actually turned down Derby’s offer for Triantis, who is under contract with the Black Cats until 2027.

The Australian has spent the last 18 months on loan at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian and appears to be surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light.

Hibernian actually wanted to keep Triantis at Easter Road, with manager David Gray praising the player for his “fantastic season”.

“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill.”

A versatile player capable of playing as a holding midfielder or centre-back, the 6 foot 2 Aussie is valued at a career-high €1m by Transfermarkt, and it’ll be interesting to see if Derby go back in with an improved bid.

Sam Konstas fell cheaply as NSW lost three wickets late in the day in a game that will have a huge bearing on the Shield final

Tristan Lavalette06-Mar-2025Sam Konstas started cautiously on a tricky surface before falling late on day one as another low-scoring Sheffield Shield match at the WACA appeared to be in the works.After Western Australia was bowled out for 196 in their first innings, New South Wales slumped to 17 for 3 in the pivotal fixture.Less than a month since WA crashed to South Australia in the shortest outright result in Shield history, the green-tinged pitch was again difficult to bat on with significant seam movement on offer.Related

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There was much intrigue over how Konstas would approach the situation having to come out to bat an hour before stumps. He started in orthodox fashion, playing straight and hitting a couple of elegant drives. There was no sign of anything fancy in his first 15 balls but he fell in tame fashion on the next delivery when he chipped left-arm quick Joel Paris to mid-off.Nic Maddinson and nightwatchman Ryan Hadley were dismissed by quick Lance Morris just before stumps to leave the match in the balance.Veteran Jackson Bird and captain Jack Edwards were standouts with five wickets between them. No WA batter reached fifty, but in an encouraging sign opener Cameron Bancroft was resolute with 22 off 66 balls in his return to the field after a horrific head-on collision in the outfield during a BBL game on January 3.Just 0.24 points separates second-placed NSW and WA with a victory for either team putting them into pole position to reach the final.With the remarkable events of the ground’s last Shield match still fresh, Edwards had no hesitation in bowling first despite the hot conditions. The calendar might have flipped into autumn, but March is essentially an extension of summer in Perth and the pitch was baking with temperatures already in the mid-30s Celsius by the time the first ball was bowled.All eyes were on Bancroft in his long-awaited return and he was intent on showcasing his trademark steely defence against accurate new ball bowling from Bird and Edwards. WA only scored two runs off the first six overs with Edwards starting off with three consecutive maidens.The ball wasn’t quite zipping off the surface like the South Australia match, but Edwards did occasionally produce sharp bounce and he had captain Sam Whiteman fending agonisingly short of leg gully.Whiteman had a torrid time, hit on the helmet by Hadley after attempting a pull shot before edging over the slips for a fortuitous boundary. But after battling through early trouble, Whiteman and Bancroft blunted the bowling in a sedate period through the middle part of the first session.The hardnosed openers have a knack of leaving bowlers flustered and they appeared set to bat through the first session as NSW’s quicks started to lose patience. But Liam Hatcher provided a spark 30 minutes before lunch when he nicked off Bancroft before having a huge appeal for caught down the legside off Jayden Goodwin turned down.Goodwin made it through to the long break, but Whiteman didn’t after he chopped on to a back of a length delivery from Edwards. WA reached lunch at 62 for 2 in a total that was eerily similar to the same stage of the South Australia match. On that occasion WA fell apart after the interval and there was a sense of déjà vu when they lost 3 for 27.Edwards was in the midst of a terrific spell and had Goodwin nicking off before Hadley clean bowled Hilton Cartwright, who had an error of judgement when he didn’t play a shot.Ashton Turner was unperturbed and decided to back his attacking instincts as runs flowed quickly for the first time in the day. He drove powerfully, but was fortunate on 21 when he was dropped by Bird in his follow through with the ball almost parrying to mid-off.But Turner couldn’t regain his rhythm after tea and he nicked off to Bird although he was unhappy with the decision. After dismissing Paris on the next delivery, Bird came within inches of completing his hat-trick when Cameron Gannon almost chopped onto his stumps.There was mock applause from several hard-bitten fans in the terraces when WA reached 150. But their mood brightened when wicketkeeper-batter Joel Curtis flourished after a sluggish start to lift the home side to what appears a competitive total.

MatériaMais Notícias

da roleta： A vitória do São Paulo por 12 a 1 sobre o SC Brasil, na última sexta-feira (17),foi a maior goleada do time Sub-20 no CFA Presidente Laudo Natel, em Cotia. O placar superou os 10 a 0 marcado sobre o Guaratinguetá, em 2016.

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da 888： O Tricolor teve seus gols marcados por João Adriano (4), Vitinho (3), Maioli (2), Facundo, Stevanato e Samuel.Foi também, a maior vitória do técnico Alex no comando da equipe. Anteriormente, a maior vitória sob o comando do treinador tinha sido 6 a 0 sobre o próprio SC Brasil e sobre o Grêmio Osasco.

Com a larga vitória diante do SC Brasil, o São Paulo se manteve líder do Grupo 7, somando 16 pontos. O Tricolor tem seu próximo desafio na competição na próxima quinta-feira (23), em Cotia, mas, antes, tem compromisso pelo Brasileirão.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Na próxima segunda-feira (20), o São Paulo entra em campo para enfrentar o Botafogo, às 16h15, no estádio Marcelo Portugal Gouvêa, em Cotia, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.