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Focusing fully on the cricket and not the external hype becomes all the more important for Pakistan, given they really need points on the board

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Feb-20252:40

Aaqib: Naseem, Shaheen, Rauf remind me of troika from 90s

India vs Pakistan matches will always be passionate affairs. But for Pakistan’s players, this is just another opportunity to do the cricketing things they train to do as professionals. The hype, Pakistan’s coach Aaqib Javed feels, is external.”For the cricketers, this is a profession,” Aaqib said. “For them, it definitely is an honour. But, it is a profession. You try your best. In that, you sometimes lose as well. It is a match… one team will win, one will lose. How does it matter? Why so much pressure? Every game is different.”In a Pakistan-India game, the energy will remain high. And this is the beauty of this contest. What does the crowd do? When you play well, the crowd supports you, they clap their hands. When you play poorly, be it India or Pakistan, the home crowd will go against you. As a player, you shouldn’t keep the crowd in mind. We never kept it and neither should these players. What’s your focus? Ball, bat – that’s it.”Related

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Focusing fully on the cricket and not the external hype becomes all the more important for Pakistan, given, after their opening-day loss to New Zealand, they really need points on the board.There is also particular focus on this game, because although Pakistan are the official hosts, they have had to travel to Dubai, where India have set up camp, and have already played a match. There have been suggestions that it is India who are enjoying the closest thing to home advantage in this scenario. But Aaqib played those suggestions down.”There’s no advantage [for India] at all, because if you look at all the Pakistani players, they have been playing leagues here,” Aaqib said. “The PSL has been played here. So there’s nothing really – there’s no advantage or disadvantage.” Not to forget, nearly all of Pakistan’s home fixtures were played in the UAE between 2009 and 2019.The surface in Dubai is expected to play slower and lower than those in Pakistan, partly because the ILT20 was played here over the past six weeks. Very few of the strips on the square are fresh.”We also have to see the pitch and the ground here,” Aaqib said. “Are these similar to the one we have in Pakistan or are they different? We will play in accordance with the pitches, conditions and the opposition team.”

Manchester United are now racing Barcelona and Real Madrid for the signature of a “total footballer”, who is attracting growing interest from across Europe.

Man Utd eyeing midfielder amid Mainoo uncertainty

There are now doubts over Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford, with it recently being revealed the young Englishman is pressuring INEOS to sell him to Real Madrid in January, viewing the Santiago Bernabéu as a dream destination.

Mainoo has been unable to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans, having made just two appearances in the Premier League so far this season, both of which coming as a substitute.

It is perhaps no surprise the 20-year-old is looking to leave his boyhood club, given that receiving regular game time will be crucial to his chances of going to the 2026 World Cup, having been omitted from the most recent England squad.

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With the youngster’s future up in the air, the Red Devils are looking to sign a new midfielder, identifying Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba as a target, and they are expected to hold a meeting with the 21-year-old.

Baleba is not the only young central midfielder on the shortlist, however, with a report from Caught Offside revealing that Man United have now joined the race for Ajax maestro Jorthy Mokio, who is attracting growing interest from across Europe.

The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on Mokio, who is capable of playing in both defensive midfield and at centre-back, with the 17-year-old’s versatility deemed to be one of his key strengths.

Ajax are eager to keep hold of the teenager, whose contract doesn’t expire until 2027, but a bid in the region of €30m (£26m) could make the Dutch club reconsider their stance.

"Total footballer" Mokio is one for the future

The Gent-born midfielder/defender has already established himself as a first-team regular for Ajax, which is an encouraging sign, making 22 appearances for the Eredivisie side, and scout Ben Mattinson believes he is a very talented youngster.

Mattinson also adds: “Mokio on the ball is exceptional. Sprays passes effortlessly and plays through the press like a quality midfielder.”

The Ajax starlet’s defensive ability has been on display regularly over the course of the past year, while also proving himself as an impressive dribbler of the ball.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Blocks

2.82 (99th percentile)

Clearances

2.35 (84th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.25 (94th percentile)

Progressive carries

2.03 (92nd percentile)

With Baleba expected to cost over £100m, it would make sense for Man United to target a low-cost alternative, and Mokio’s potential availability for around £26m makes him an attractive option.

Combine that price tag with his ability to play at centre-back too, notably hailed as “one of the most talented teenage CBs in world football” by scout Jacek Kulig, this is certainly a saga to keep an eye on.

Benjamin Sesko shared his delight in scoring his first goal at Old Trafford in Manchester United's 2-0 win over Sunderland. The Slovenian striker did not get too caught up in the moment however, as he channelled his inner-Roy Keane in saying it's "his job" to score goals and that the Red Devils fans have yet to see the best of him despite finding the target on two occasions in his last two games.

Sesko shares delight after first Old Trafford goal

The 23-year-old doubled United's lead over the Black Cats in the 26th minute, latching onto a loose ball in the box after the visitors failed to deal with Diogo Dalot's long throw. 

Sesko was clearly elated, meeting the rapturous applause of the Stretford End with a spirited leaping celebration. Later, in an interview with , he described the moment as "a dream come true". 

"To play for a club like this, even train every day, is an obvious pleasure and I'm looking forward to being back [after the international break]," he said.

"It feels amazing [to score]. It feels even better because I helped the team to win the game because in the end, it's important to win the match. I try to help the team as much as possible.

"The atmosphere afterwards [his goal] was unbelievable. It's something I've been dreaming about – jumping high in the stadium like that. My dream came true." 

However, he was quick to bring himself back down to earth, suggesting the best has yet to come from him in a United shirt, replying "no net yet," when asked if we had seen the best of him in the past couple of games.

"There's loads to come. I'm still getting used to it more and more to read the players, to be connected with them even more. I believe I can be even better and I will try to show that.

"It's my job to try to score as many goals as possible, try to win the game, try to help the team in every single situation and hopefully I get more moments like this." 

When asked on the main differences between the Premier League and the Bundesliga, the young striker focused on the physical demands of English football. 

"I would say it's way quicker and you have less time in general.

"This is one of the biggest changes I would say. Everyone is really physical and athletic, but I'm getting used to it. I'll come to this level soon."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim praises Sesko's performance

Ruben Amorim expressed his pleasure with the £60m man's performance. The Portuguese manager said: "He gives us a different type of profile inside the box, to use more crosses.

"He is going to improve the connection with this team-mates. How many times Senne [Lammens] kick the ball and he was there with the first touch? That is more important, especially in this league that we are thinking when there is a throw-in we have an extra guy who is big at the first post.

"All the characteristics of Ben, not just the goals, can help us to win games. We are happy with him, he puts a lot of pressure on himself that is not a bad thing but he has potential to do so much more."

Is Sesko finally the answer to United's No.9 problems?

Among the many, many issues that have plagued the Red Devils in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, finding a long-term option at striker has been one of the most persistent. Veteran options like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani may have provided temporary respite, but the failures of young promising players such as Antony Martial, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, as well as bewildering stop gaps such as Odion Ighalo and Wout Wegworst, has left United without a reliable goal-getter for far too long. 

Hojlund's double for Napoli in the Champions League again raised the question of whether players are held back by the club's current state. Sesko's goal in the 3-1 defeat against Brentford, and in the win over Sunderland, therefore came at the most opportune time for Amorim and the club's decision makers. 

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Getty Images SportSesko will hope for form to continue after the international break

Sesko almost seemed disappointed that he would have to leave Manchester to hook up with international teammates ahead of Slovenia's World Cup Qualifiers against Kosovo and Switzerland.

He has a chance to solidify his standing with the Red Devils faithful upon his return. A winning goal against a reeling Liverpool side would be the perfect moment to start building his legend in the Stretford End. 

KKR lost their way after Rahane and Narine’s 103-run partnership for the second wicket

Sidharth Monga22-Mar-2025The first IPL after the latest mega auction brings with it much anticipation of new alliances and loyalties. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be thrilled that their latest acquisitions played an impactful role in their emphatic start to IPL 2025 against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).Josh Hazlewood used the spongy bounce at Eden Gardens to scuttle KKR’s powerplay and death-overs plans with analysis of 4-0-22-1; Krunal Pandya ended Ajinkya Rahane’s high-intent fifty in a spell of 4-0-29-3; Suyash Sharma salvaged an ordinary night with the massive wicket of Andre Russell; Phil Salt killed the chase with 56 off 31, an identical score to Rahane’s. A regular fixture at RCB, Virat Kohli then sealed the game with 59 off 36 with 22 balls to spare in the chase of 175.Related

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Known for pushing convention, KKR played safe with their captaincy choice post the auction. Rahane the batter will have to allay doubts practically every day, but he got off to a good start as he and Sunil Narine smashed 98 runs in overs four to ten. However, KKR were outplayed pretty much throughout the night outside those seven overs.Hazlewood’s height troubles KKRIt was just two overs at the top but that comprises 10% of the innings in T20s. Hazlewood, unavailable last IPL, was re-acquired by RCB at the auction. Coming off a long injury layoff, he started as if he had never been away: hard length, good pace, extra bounce. He had Quinton de Kock dropped in the first over before getting him two balls later. Then he had Narine swinging and missing through the third over.Ajinkya Rahane injected momentum after KKR’s slow start•Associated PressRahane takes off, Narine followsRCB did help Rahane out, but he dispelled some of the doubts around his batting with a high-intent innings even as Narine struggled to come to terms with the uneven bounce on the pitch to start with. RCB kept feeding Rahane straight balls, and Rahane kept picking them up over the leg side: all his first 30 runs came there. Once Narine joined the mayhem, that slow start was forgotten.One of the key moments was Narine going after his former team-mate Suyash, who tends to get the better of batters when they play him as a legspinner. Narine kept going over the off side as 22 came in the ninth over.Krunal leads RCB’s comebackKKR were 107 for 1 in 9.5 overs when Narine tried to crash Rasikh Salam over the off side but was done in by the extra bounce. Struggling for options until that point, RCB could then go back to Krunal as Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer can both be shut down by spin. In each of his three previous overs, Krunal, who used clever changes in pace, picked up a wicket with quicker balls. Rahane holed out to deep midwicket while Venkatesh and Rinku Singh were castled.The wicket of Rinku brought in Russell, cue for RCB to bowl legspin. Russell’s ordinary record against the wrong’un continued as he failed to pick one from Suyash and lost his middle stump. Since 2018, he averages 13.41 and strikes at 123.24 against the wrong’un. That wicket was worth about 40 runs.1:48

Why were RCB spinners successful?

Angkrish Raghuvanshi couldn’t get going as the ball gripped the surface. Hazlewood and Yash Dayal used the middle of the pitch masterfully to concede just 23 in the last four overs.Salt punishes former teamSalt, who played a huge role in KKR’s title run last year with an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 185.18 in matches in Kolkata, soon reminded KKR they should not have let him go. The first ball of the chase was crashed wide of mid-off for four. The intent never stopped, especially with Kohli turbo-charged during the powerplay too. KKR were forced to bring in Varun Chakravarthy in the fourth over, and Salt took 20 off him. Also, the ball had stopped gripping by then, possibly because of the dew.By the time Varun got the better of Salt, RCB had reached 95 in 8.3 overs. The asking rate had dropped under seven, and Kohli was never going to let such a chase slip. However, what will thrill RCB is that Kohli kept the intent up and sought to get them a big net run-rate boost. He slog-swept Varun for a six in his last over when it would have been easy to just play him out. New captain Rajat Patidar played the perfect little hand at the other end with 34 off 16 as RCB romped home.

If Arsenal’s victory over Nottingham Forest was about sweeping joyous football and a team that reminded us of 2022/23, the 2-0 win over Athletic Club in the Champions League was more about attrition.

It was a reminder of the progress and changes Mikel Arteta has made to his team since 2022. Arsenal are more stern; they’re difficult to break down and it’s about trying to find a way to win at all costs. They did that in Bilbao on Tuesday evening.

This was not their finest performance in Europe over the last few years, far from it, but they found a way and their ability to get over the line courtesy of their impressive defence was seen again.

This was the Basque club’s first game in the Champions League for 11 years. The first time the euphoric theme song had been played inside their stadium for over a decade. It was never going to be an easy tie. It proved just that.

Ultimately, the north Londoners left it late but headed back to the English capital with a pair of substitutes to thank. This time it wasn’t about the shiny new toys, as it was against Forest. This time, it was two of the old guard who rescued Arsenal.

How Arsenal won in Bilbao

Heading into this clash, Arteta made just one change to his starting XI, which saw Declan Rice come into the team at the expense of the injured Martin Odegaard.

There was perhaps a surprise in defence too. Riccardo Calafiori, who spent a lot of last season out with injury, played his fifth game in a row, starting ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly and new signing Piero Hincapie.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It’s evident Arteta really values the way the Italian can drive forward and invert from left-back.

A lot of the praise come full-time was deservedly sent the way of Calafiori and his fellow defenders, not least Cristhian Mosquera, who continues to go from strength to strength in Arsenal colours.

William Saliba, who? The young Spaniard has ensured that Saliba’s injury hasn’t impacted the side at all.

While the hosts did not dominate possession, they had their spells in the game, but ultimately they came to very little. Gabriel and Mosquera were titans at the back, the former winning five of his six duels and the latter winning seven of his 13 battles.

It was perhaps up front where the Gunners struggled most on this occasion.

A few days ago, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke dazzled as they defeated Ange Postecoglou’s men but on this occasion, they found it more difficult.

Madueke was still a consistent threat, attempting four dribbles but unlike Forest, he struggled to create. He provided five key passes a few days ago but none on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Eze really found his work difficult. He made one key pass and didn’t have a shot. His magic abilities were limited but he will no doubt have brighter nights in Europe this season.

What that meant is that with just under 20 minutes to go, Arteta needed a rescue act. He got that courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

With Madueke and Eze entering the building, it looked like their days as regular starters were numbered but they issued a reminder on Tuesday night that they are still part of this squad.

Within 36 seconds of coming on Martinelli showed he’s made for European away nights, bursting clear of the Bilbao defence before coolly slotting the ball past Unai Simon having been subbed on for Eze.

Martinelli was involved in the second goal too, acting as the supply line for Trossard who scored his first goal of the campaign with just three minutes to go.

It was a difficult night for the Gunners, one where they had to suffer, and it was made trickier by the midfield three.

Arsenal star must be dropped after Bilbao

Against Liverpool a few weeks ago, a match in which Arsenal set up tactically in a similar fashion to Tuesday evening on the continent, Arteta selected a midfield three of Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Rice.

For Zubimendi and Merino, this week’s clash was one with extra narrative. Once of Real Sociedad, they were heading back to the club’s rivals. They knew what this game and type of atmosphere would bring.

Unfortunately, they struggled to make much of an imprint on the game. Merino was perhaps the biggest culprit in that regard.

Merino’s time at Arsenal has been curious. In midfield, he’s showcased his technical ability but also his flaws. It’s actually up front where he’s shone most, notably scoring six times towards the back end of last season when operating as an emergency striker.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He has showcased he can do it from deeper areas too, scoring a hat-trick for Spain against Turkey over the international break.

However, he had no such joy in Bilbao on Tuesday. In fact, Arteta should have picked a more creative outlet with Odegaard out injured, perhaps Ethan Nwaneri.

Minutes played

90

Touches

40

Accurate passes

21/28 (75%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

0

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Ground duels won

2/6

Aerial duels won

3/7

Possession lost

11x

Fouls

3

Fielded in the ‘Odegaard role’, the 29-year-old struggled to get on the ball much, ultimately having just 40 touches, 16 fewer than goalkeeper David Raya, not what you want from a midfielder on a big night in Europe.

Described as “clunky” by the Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, with those touches, he completed just 75% of his passes. Only one of those passes transpired into a key pass or a goalscoring opportunity.

Usually heralded as something of a duel monster, Merino struggled in this capacity too.

The Spaniard won just two of his six ground duels. He also only won three of his seven aerial battles. This wasn’t a good night for him and Arteta must consider dropping him to the bench when they take on Manchester City this weekend.

Merino and Rice as the two 8s in this team simply doesn’t work. They are fantastic players, but they look a lot better when paired with someone more creative.

Arteta must heed that warning against Man City, or else it may be another struggle for Arsenal to create. Stable and tenacious Merino may be, but his influence on this Arsenal team wanes significantly when he plays in Odegaard’s position. It must not happen again.

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Openers assemble unbroken stand as Glamorgan struggle at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025Middlesex’s bowlers shared the wickets around as they dismissed Glamorgan for 199 to take control on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship Division Two encounter at Lord’s.Skipper Toby Roland-Jones led a mid-afternoon recovery with 3 for 44 after Glamorgan had looked well-placed at 108 for 1, while Middlesex debutant Dane Paterson was among another trio to collect two wickets apiece.Opener Zain-ul-Hassan top-scored with 65, his second 50-plus score in as many innings, but the visitors failed to build on that solid foundation and needed Ben Kellaway’s maiden half-century, a fearless unbeaten 54, to get then anywhere near 200.Middlesex openers Stephen Eskinazi and Nathan Fernandes reached stumps unscathed with an unbroken stand of 63 in response to leave their side trailing by 136 going into the second day.The home side were finally able to include Paterson, whose commitments with Western Province had delayed his arrival at Lord’s by a fortnight and the South African seamer found some early swing after his side won the toss in cloudy conditions.Zain survived two lbw appeals when Paterson made balls straighten up down the slope and there was another close call for the opener, whose leading edge looped up just short of Roland-Jones in his follow-through.Yet Glamorgan made steady progress and it was one of Paterson’s wider deliveries that brought the breakthrough, with Eddie Byrom caught behind pushing at a ball well away from his body.Sam Northeast – who became holder of the record individual score at Lord’s when he hit an unbeaten 335 in this fixture last year – was fortunate to escape an early dismissal, walking into a Henry Brookes delivery that appeared to hit his pads flush in front of the stumps.However, the Glamorgan captain remained at the crease alongside Zain, who punched Brookes’ penultimate ball of the morning through the covers for three to raise his second successive half-century.Paterson prised out Northeast after lunch, persuading him to nibble outside off stump and, with the visitors starting to become desperately bogged down, three more wickets followed in the space of 11 balls.Roland-Jones accounted for two of those including the scalp of Zain, caught at second slip after Leus du Plooy’s brief juggling act, while Brookes removed the dangerous Colin Ingram as wicketkeeper Jack Davies claimed his fourth dismissal.Kellaway counter-attacked, dispatching Brookes for a couple of sweetly-struck boundaries which briefly lifted the shackles before Middlesex’s seamers re-established their grip on the innings.Ryan Higgins, at that stage the sole wicketless member of the quartet, made amends by collecting two in successive overs as he moved the ball away to clip the top of Chris Cooke’s off stump and then had Timm van der Gugten taken low at slip.Having done his best to marshal the tail, Kellaway stepped up a gear once Ned Leonard and Shoaib Bashir had fallen to Zafar Gohar either side of the tea interval, clubbing the spinner for successive fours and slamming Paterson to midwicket fence as well.Kellaway’s well-deserved half-century arrived courtesy of another leg-side four off Paterson and his efforts had guided Glamorgan tantalisingly close to the 200 mark when Roland-Jones dismissed last man Asitha Fernando.Despite scoring only nine in his four previous innings this season, Fernandes looked assured as he and Eskinazi launched the home side’s reply, flicking Fernando past square leg for an early boundary.Eskinazi began more sedately, but gradually overtook his partner as they chipped away at the deficit and the pair had posted 34 and 26 respectively when bad light brought play to a close.

Raphinha had a phenomenal 2024-25 season, but in the summer of 2024, he was one of the players Barcelona were desperate to offload him. The Brazil international has previously stated that he would've considered a departure because he was struggling mentally. In a recent interview, he reiterated that "the offer from Saudi Arabia really tempted me", but conversations with Hansi Flick changed his mind.

Raphinha was on the verge of leaving Barcelona

Raphinha had two underwhelming seasons at the Camp Nou ever since he arrived from Leeds in 2022. In the summer of 2024, the Catalans found themselves in both sporting and financial turmoil, with the winger one of the players the club was keen on selling. However, a phone call with Flick changed his mind. 

"I was thinking about leaving Barca after the 2024 Copa America," he said back in March. “I wasn’t feeling mentally comfortable until Flick called me. Every day, there were rumours about me signing for one team or another. Things didn’t go as they should have; I had a worse season than expected, and I saw people asking me to leave while reports of my departure surfaced daily. I seriously considered leaving."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRaphinha admits he would have accepted Saudi offer

In April, reports surfaced that Al-Hilal were preparing a mouth-watering bid worth €100 million (£87m/$117m) and a four-year contract worth €170m (£150m/$200m). At the time, he conceded that he would have accepted the offer.

Now, in a recent interview with , the 28-year-old said that accepting the offer from Saudi in 2024 "would have changed my life." 

"I've been playing football since I was 15, I've been through good times and bad times everywhere, so there came a point when I thought it was time to take care of myself and my family. The offer we had from Saudi Arabia really tempted me. It would have solved not just my personal life, but also the lives of my parents, my son… a lot of people.

"Obviously, we thought about leaving [Barcelona]. I thought it might be time to leave, but then we talked to [Flick], first on the phone and then at the beginning of the preseason, and he managed to convince me to stay. I'm glad he did."

A memorable 2024-25 season: Raphinha becomes Ballon d'Or contender

The Porto Alegre-born attacker smashed Champions League records and scored important goals in some of the biggest games, including several goals against rivals Real Madrid, a Champions League hat-trick against Bayern Munich, as well as a crucial goal in the final minute of the semi-final second leg against Inter at San Siro. In all, he scored 34 goals and produced 26 assists in 57 games for La Blaugrana, achieving a career-best fifth-place finish at the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings. 

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AFPFitness issues threaten Raphinha's availability for Barca in El Clasico

The former Vitoria de Guimaraes wonderkid penned a new deal last season, which will see him remain in Catalunya until 2028. He began the 2025-26 season in similar vein, scoring three goals and registering two assists in six La Liga games so far. However, the Catalans' mounting injury crisis was only exacerbated by the hamstring issue suffered by Raphinha, which saw him take no part in the 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. He is expected to remain on the sidelines until next week, which means he will, in all likelihood, miss the La Liga encounter against neighbours Girona. He could be fit in time for the high-voltage clash against Real Madrid on October 26.

Glasgow Rangers ended their months-long wait for a win in the Scottish Premiership thanks to a last-gasp strike from Max Aarons on Sunday afternoon.

The loan defender popped up in stoppage-time to find the bottom corner with a fantastic finish from Nicolas Raskin’s corner to claim all three points for the away side.

Russell Martin’s side had four draws and one defeat on the board from their first five matches in the Premiership before Sunday’s match, which is why Aarons’ goal was so important.

Despite picking up all three points, there were several players who may not come away from the game being pleased with their individual showing, including captain James Tavernier.

How James Tavernier performed against Livingston

The Rangers skipper will rue the fact that he failed to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the first half when he put his spot-kick down the middle, making it relatively easy for Jerome Prior to leave a leg out and block.

The English defender, who failed in three of his four attempted dribbles (Sofascore), will be disappointed that his penalty gave the goalkeeper a chance to keep it out.

Tavernier did, however, score the opening goal of the game with a terrific acrobatic finish from Oliver Antman’s cross to put Rangers 1-0 up early on, which may allow supporters to forgive him for the penalty miss.

Meanwhile, Bojan Miovski was even worse than the captain will be thankful that Aarons saved him from being blamed for a loss of points if the Gers had drawn the game.

Why Bojan Miovski should be dropped

The summer signing from Girona was selected to lead the line for the Light Blues ahead of Youssef Chermiti, after the £10m signing from Everton started the 1-0 defeat to Genk.

Football FanCast have suggested moving to a 4-4-2 against Sturm Graz with both Miovski and Chermiti for the Europa League clash with Sturm Graz on Thursday because of Mohamed Diomande’s suspension, but the left-footed striker should be dropped for the trip to Falkirk.

Rangers travel to Falkirk in their next Premiership match next Sunday and Martin must ruthlessly ditch the Macedonia international from the XI with the favoured 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, because he did not do enough as the lone marksman in the win over Livingston.

Minutes

90

Goals + assists

0

Shots

2

Big chances missed

2

Dribbles completed

0/3

Duels won

2/12

Key passes

0

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers number 28 was completely dominated by the Livingston defenders, losing ten of his 12 duels and failing with all three of his attempted dribbles.

On top of his incredibly lightweight play out of possession for the Scottish giants, the former Aberdeen star also spurned a glorious chance to find the back of the net in the first half.

Miovski, as shown in the clip above, was clear through on goal with the chance to score his first Premiership goal for the club, but blazed his effort well over the bar. Prior had committed and was already going the other way, which meant that the striker only had to keep his effort down and he would have been celebrating the opener.

The Gers forward was even worse than Tavernier, who won eight duels and scored the opening goal, and should now be dropped for the trip to Falkirk next weekend, providing Chermiti with a chance to lead the line.

Rangers eyeing bargain 2026 deal to sign "super" Scottish gem who's keen on Ibrox move

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 27, 2025

Miovski may have been saved from bucket loads of criticism for his performance by Aarons scoring the winner, but he may not escape being dropped from the starting XI in the league.

Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan turned the tide as GT picked 6 for 58 in the last 9.3 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025The Gujarat Titans (GT) bowling that allows them to bat conventionally shone again to restrict Mumbai Indians (MI) to just 155 for 8 after they had been 97 for 2 at one point, thanks to three dropped catches. Rashid Khan bounced back from his analysis of 3-0-50-0 in the last match, with 4-0-21-1, and R Sai Kishore took the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. The last 9.3 overs brought GT 6 for 58 despite an 18-run final over.It wasn’t just the spinners, though. Mohammed Siraj removed Ryan Rickleton in the first over, Arshad Khan renewed Rohit Sharma’s troubles with left-arm seam, and Prasidh Krishna strengthened his grip on the purple cap, taking his 20th wicket. It was the three dropped catches – Will Jacks twice and Suryakumar once – that gave MI their only fruitful phase.Suryakumar went past 25 for a 12th straight time in men’s T20s – the record is 13 – and Jacks registered his first half-century for MI as the two added 71 in 7.1 overs. However, they were not always in charge of the spinners. Rashid came desperately close to getting Jacks out lbw on more than one occasion, drew five false shots out of him in nine balls, and eventually had him caught at deep square leg.Sai Kishore had to fight tougher odds as Suryakumar kept going inside-out against him. Eventually, he went over the wicket, cramped Suryakumar and drew a catch at long-off. GT welcomed Hardik with a slip and a short leg, and Sai Kishore responded to his captain’s aggressive fields with immaculate length and dip. Hardik tried to hit out, but only managed a top edge on the slog sweep.Prasidh and Gerald Coetzee drove home the advantage with hard lengths, taking the wickets of Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir in quick succession. Rashid underscored his return to form with an excellent 18th over for just four runs. Corbin Bosch took MI past 150 with two sixes off Prasidh in the last over.

Thomas Muller ended his 25-year association with Bayern Munich by joining Major League Soccer outfit Vancouver Whitecaps as a free agent over the summer. However, things could have played out a whole lot differently. Indeed, Bayern's all-time record-appearance holder admitted that he could have "imagined a future with Barcelona" had his former coach Hansi Flick called him.

Vancouver adventure after Muller's Bayern Munich exit

Muller completed a much-anticipated summer switch to MLS in the summer, having spent his entire life at Bayern Munich. Indeed, the veteran forward joined the Bavarian giants' youth academy in 2000 at the age of 10. In 2008, he made his first team debut and in the 2009-10 season, he was promoted to the senior squad by the then-manager Louis van Gaal. The move paid off, as he scored 19 goals in 52 games. He continued his incredible exploits for the record Bundesliga champions until the end of the 2024-25 season. The former German international left the club after scoring 250 goals in a club record 756 appearances. 

His move to North America was not a big surprise. Muller had lost his status as an undisputed presence in the starting XI due to the emergence of Jamal Musiala. Additionally, he was also about to turn 36. 

"The overall package just worked," Muller shared in his monthly newsletter in August. "From a sporting perspective, we are in contention for the title and are currently in second place in the Western Conference. The discussions with managing director Axel Schuster and coach Jesper Sorensen were really good from the start, I noticed they know where they want to go. Clear words, as you know, I've always liked that."

He further added that leaving Europe to join the MLS didn't "feel as strange as you might think," stating that he had "known about his situation since March."

AdvertisementAFPMuller was open to Barcelona move before leaving for MLS

It could all have played out entirely differently had one of Muller's former coaches intervened. Indeed, in a recent interview with , the 36-year-old revealed that he could have joined Barcelona. Muller enjoyed his matchups with the Catalan giants, both individually and collectively. He featured in 10 games against Barca, ending up on the winning side eight times and losing just twice. In fact, he also found the back of the net eight times while producing two assists, too. Muller enjoyed more wins against Barcelona than against any other non-German side.

"I could have imagined a future at Barcelona, yes," admitted Muller. "If Hansi Flick, who knows me very well, had called me and I had liked the project at Barcelona, I could have imagined something like this. It's a top-level club where you know what people expect from you."

Muller spent two seasons under the tutelage of Flick. In the first season, Die Roten were simply magnificent. They won the continental treble, wreaking havoc in Germany in addition to winning all 13 games in the Champions League. Flick's first season at the Allianz Arena was the epitome of ruthless dominance. 

After Flick left Bayern in the summer of 2021, he took over the reins of the German national team. The association between Muller and the current Barca coach was far less fruitful, though, as the latter registered a below-average win percentage of 48. 

Muller continues to win silverware at Vancouver Whitecaps

The legendary former Germany and Bayern attacking midfielder has had a positive impact on his new side, helping them clinch the Canadian Championship. In the final, he scored once and delivered an assist, showcasing that he still remains capable of influencing the outcome of the biggest games at the biggest stages. In all, Muller has scored eight goals in as many games, recording a direct goal contribution every 68 minutes. His first few months in Canada have been dreamy. Not only has the iconic midfielder completed 300 career goals, but has also overtaken Toni Kroos as the German footballer with the most titles in football history with 35. 

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Getty ImagesMuller non-committal about life after retirement

Bayern legend and supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently confessed that "it is the wish of the fans and the club that former players take on a leadership role at Bayern Munich." In what was a cheeky response, Muller joked that "the path has already been mapped out" for his post-playing endeavours. 

However, Muller is unsure whether he wants to continue working within the football fraternity after calling it a day. "That's a long shot," clarified Muller when asked if he had given thought to what he wants to become once he quits being a footballer. "I'm aware of that. I know my skillset. But even so, I still have no idea whether I could be a good coach and want to be a good coach. And whether I could be a good sports official and want to be a good sports official."

For now, Muller remains focused on his objectives in Vancouver. He remains tied to the club until December 31, 2025, with an option to extend the deal for another year as a Designated Player.