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After losing a flurry of early wickets in a steep chase of 211 against India, Afghanistan had to veer away from their original approach and protect their net run-rate, ahead of what could be a virtual quarter-final against New Zealand this Sunday. So said Rashid Khan after Afghanistan got to 144 for 7, eventually losing by 66 runs.”Definitely, that’s the kind of thing we had in the mind after losing a few wickets,” Rashid said at the post-match press conference. “As a team, we planned to go there and score as many runs as possible; [then] just to focus more on the run rate, and that might play a main role in the last game when we’re playing against New Zealand. That could be a big difference at the end.”So, yeah, the message was clear, just go play smart cricket and play 20 overs and get as many as possible, so that was the kind of mindset of the players.”

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Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Afghanistan vs India is available here in English, and here in Hindi (USA only).

Afghanistan, however, will not be guaranteed a semi-final spot even if they just topple New Zealand in their last group-stage fixture on November 7. They might have to win by a certain margin to factor in a huge victory for India against Namibia the next day.Having won batting first against Scotland and Namibia, Afghanistan changed up their formula on Wednesday, putting India into bat. Rashid explained that Afghanistan had aimed to exploit India’s vulnerability around batting first. India had managed only scores of 151 for 7 against Pakistan and 110 for 7 against New Zealand batting first in Dubai, but on a much better batting track in Abu Dhabi, they maximised the powerplay and finished with 210 for 2.”It’s a kind of a wicket where you can chase 170-180, but that extra 30 runs… India have a deep batting line-up, so they tried to use the last three-four overs with which they took the total to 210,” Rashid said. “But that was the mindset as a player as well. Already, the Indian team struggled in the first two games in the batting department, so we, as a team, just tried to attack on that department, [in] which they struggled, and if we got success, we can be on the winning side. They played good cricket and took the target to 210, which was a bit much – like 20-25 runs – but credit goes to them.”Rashid had an off day with the ball, giving up 36 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket – his fourth-worst analysis in T20Is. According to Rashid, his figures would’ve been more respectable had he not conceded back-to-back sixes in the 14th over. Rohit Sharma first jumped out to a quickish wrong’un and swatted it over midwicket before sitting back and slog-sweeping the spinner over square leg.”I think only a two-ball difference in the whole spell,” Rashid said. “One he played a good shot and one I bowled a bad ball. Those two sixes, otherwise my economy would have been six, five-and-a-half, so that was, I think, a difference.Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have a chat•AFP/Getty Images

“But looking to the wicket, it was pretty hard for a spinner. It wasn’t spinning that much but still, you have to use your experience. As they had a very good start at the beginning, the openers had a good start, so it’s always very tough as a spinner when openers are still there and you’re bowling in the middle overs and then you see the top order there.”While Rahmanullah Gurbaz had recovered sufficiently after hurting himself in the outfield against Namibia, Mujeeb Ur Rahman missed a second successive game through injury. Rashid said that there is still no clarity over Mujeeb’s fitness.”We don’t have any clarity about him, how he is, but we hope that he is fit enough for the next game,” Rashid said. “As a player you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next couple of days. He had a full rest since he got injured. He bowled a couple of balls, but I can’t say anything at the moment. Could be very bad, could be very good, as well. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the next couple of days and then we’re going to decide.”

Commentator Munir Hussain devoted his life to the game, celebrating its magic and beauty

Saad Shafqat06-Aug-2013Pakistan may have won their ODI and T20 rubbers against West Indies last week, but the upbeat mood was quickly tempered by a major loss suffered by the country’s cricketing fraternity and fans.Munir Hussain, a pioneering commentator, groundbreaking publisher, Karachi City Cricket Association mandarin, and sagacious elder presence in the nation’s cricket circles, died of natural causes at his home in Karachi on Monday, July 29. There was a sense of heartfelt loss, especially for those who he delighted in his witty commentary, and had been regaled by his wildly popular Urdu cricket magazine .Hussain was 83 and, but for arthritic knees that were beginning to limit his mobility, had been in reasonably good health. Just hours earlier, he had watched the second T20 international between West Indies and Pakistan on television, lauding the commentary of Ramiz Raja as well as bemoaning – in characteristic style – what he viewed as unforgivably declining standards in the Pakistan team.Hussain’s life is an inspiration to people everywhere who dream big dreams and aspire to create an impact. Born in Amritsar in November 1929, he moved to Delhi while still very young and grew up in the Karol Bagh neighbourhood. In 1947 he migrated to Pakistan, taking a train from Amritsar, the details of which harrowing journey are part of his family lore.Movies and cricket quickly emerged as his favourite pastimes, but it was journalism that became his singular passion. This found expression through magazine publishing, column writing and, later, broadcasting.His earliest success was a magazine titled , devoted to the film industry in both India and Pakistan. During his Karol Bagh days, he had become friends with Mir Khalilur Rahman, who became a leading media baron and went on to found the Urdu newspaper , Pakistan’s largest-circulation daily in any language. In it, Hussain wrote an influential weekly cricket column that ran for four decades and commanded a huge readership.A diehard lover of the game, Hussain could not get enough of cricket and immersed himself in playing as well as administering it. As an administrator, he served the Karachi City Cricket Association over many years in various capacities, formal and otherwise, including two terms as president, and was regarded for most of his life as one of a handful of key figures in Karachi’s cricket affairs.As a player, Hussain was a club cricket regular and took pride in his ability get the ball to seam at pace. In 1969 he even appeared in a first-class game, representing Quetta (at the time called Kalat Division) and taking 2 for 64. According to a widely passed anecdote, during the rest day of a Test match sometime in the mid-1980s, Hussain once bowled to Imran Khan in the nets and was complimented by the great allrounder on his nip and direction.A pioneer of Urdu commentary•Munir family archiveHussain’s landmark contribution undoubtedly was the initiation of cricket commentary in Urdu. Even until the late 1960s, commentary on Radio Pakistan and Pakistan television was exclusively in English, unintelligible to the vast majority of the country’s cricket followers. When Hussain first proposed the idea of Urdu commentary, traditionalists were aghast. There was a strong feeling that English was the rightful medium for properly conveying the nuances of the game.Yet Hussain remained undeterred. He had no patience for pedants and felt certain he was on to something. In 1969, he convinced the organisers of a local tournament, the Jang Gold Cup – whose matches were to be broadcast on radio and television – to give him a chance. He proved an instant hit, and a new art form was born.The Urdu magazine , the other major source of Hussain’s cricketing fame, appeared in its cricket identity in late 1976. He had been producing it as a social-interest-and-current-affairs magazine for a while before his distribution agent suggested the idea of giving it a cricket flavour. New Zealand were touring Pakistan at the time, and Hussain published a cricket supplement on the occasion under the masthead. In keeping with his Midas touch, this proved an instant hit as well. Bubbling with clever opinion, sharp interviews, catchy images, and comprehensive reportage, it acquired iconic status among players and fans alike.Hussain is fondly remembered as a backer of unpopular causes, a supporter of the disenfranchised, and a nurturing humanist. He has left a remarkable legacy that lives on through his multiple endeavours. His son Iqbal Munir, an accomplished photojournalist who has attained his own rank and status as a cricket media figure, says his father was always keen to pass on his passion for advancement and innovation in the game, mentoring a new generation of commentators and journalists.Hussain’s enthusiasm for the game never dimmed until, literally, his dying day. He devoted his life to cricket, breaking some of its barriers and always celebrating its magic and beauty. The game is richer for it.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： O sinal de alerta está ligado dentro do Juventude. Após ilusionar a torcida com uma temporada mais ‘tranquila’, o Jaconero passou sufoco no Campeonato Gaúcho e por muito pouco não foi rebaixado.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO

Com isso, o time gaúcho foca na recuperação para a disputa do Campeonato Brasileiro e a diretoria garante que o elenco está em processo de avaliação.

‘Temos que evoluir muito. Temos que evoluir tecnicamente, coletivo, fisicamente e taticamente. O Juventude precisa aproveitar as três semanas para fazer um trabalho para qualificar a equipe. Vamos fazer uma avaliação geral. Fizemos um Campeonato Gaúcho sofrível e, agora, vamos nos debruçar para qualificar a equipe. Nós estamos muito abaixo do que precisamos para iniciar uma Série A’, afirmou, antes de completar:

‘O grupo todo está sob avaliação. Tem alguns jogadores que encerram o contrato agora. Vamos fazer essa avaliação geral, junto com a comissão técnica e departamento de futebol. A gente não pode precipitar e temos que ter cuidado. O início da temporada foi atropelado. Temos que olhar para trás para aprender com os erros. Assim, poderemos ser mais assertivos nas contratações’.

Vale citar, que na temporada 2022, além do Brasileirão, o Juventude tem a Copa do Brasil, torneio que está garantido na 3ª fase.

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West Brom have tabled an offer for an "excellent" £5,400-a-week player and have already received a reply, according to a new transfer update from Sky Sports.

West Brom transfer news

Carlos Corberan's side fell short in their quest to leap from the Championship to the Premier League last season, losing to Southampton in the playoff semi-finals. There is renewed hope that the Baggies will again be one of the promotion front-runners in 2024/25, however, summer transfer business is vital to ensure they have the best possible chance of going up.

Torbjorn Heggem has already arrived at West Brom from Brommapojkarna, along with free signings such as Devante Cole and Ousmane Diakite, while Paddy McNair has joined on loan from San Diego FC. More signings could be needed, though, and other players continue to be linked with summer moves.

Standard Liege and Northern Ireland midfielder Isaac Price is one such figure, with the Baggies attempting to lure him back to English football, having moved to Belgium from Everton in 2023. They have bid for his services, hoping to boost Corberan's depth in the middle of the park in the process.

Meanwhile, young Leicester City striker Tom Cannon has also been backed to secure a summer move to West Brom, with a loan move feeling most likely, should they manage to strike a deal. The 21-year-old was limited to just three starts in the Championship last season and could feel that a move elsewhere is best for his development.

West Brom table bid for "excellent" ace

According to Sky Sports, West Brom have made a move for Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles, tabling a bid, but have seen their offer rejected by the League One side.

The update goes on to claim that the Baggies "remain interested along with others from the Championship and MLS", suggesting that they are far from done with trying to snap up the Hungarian.

Styles is an impressive footballer who surely feels like he should at least be playing Championship football at this stage in his career, considering he is a 23-time capped Hungary international. The midfielder did enjoy a loan period at Sunderland in the second half of last season, but a permanent move to a second-tier club could make sense.

The 24-year-old appeared once for his country at Euro 2024, further showcasing his ability, and former Barnsley manager Neill Collins has lauded him, saying:

"Callum's talent is undoubted and again for me, he has been excellent in pre-season. As long as I have got players like that, I will be delighted. I hope I can just help him continue to improve and become the player he has got the potential to be. He's definitely enjoyable for everyone to watch."

The £5,400-a-week Styles possesses the quality and experience to be a great signing for West Brom, while also remaining relatively young, combining technical ability and defensive nous.

The next Fellows: West Brom lodge new bid for “terrific” ace

West Bromwich Albion look to be shopping for more young gems.

1 ByKelan Sarson Aug 1, 2024

A tally of 22 goal contributions (13 goals and nine assists) in 151 appearances for Barnsley shows that he is capable of chipping in with end product, while an average of 1.8 tackles per game at Sunderland in the league last term highlights his off-the-ball impact.

A reprimand for damaging the pitch compounded Ajmal Shahzad’s disappointing 2011 but he is ready to put in the hard graft as Yorkshire seek promotion

David Hopps31-Mar-2012Ajmal Shahzad wants to put a horrific 2011 behind him as part of a Yorkshire side aiming to make a quick return to Division One of the Championship.As well as feeling the fury that met Yorkshire’s relegation, Shahzad’s position on the fringes of the England side disappeared as his bowling deteriorated amid the struggle to combat a long-standing ankle injury first suffered on England’s 2010-11 Ashes tour.To make matters worse, his personal reputation also suffered as he was found guilty of a pitch-scuffing incident at Edgbaston. By the end of the season, with only 25 Championship wickets to his name at 41 runs apiece, one of county cricket’s most ebullient figures cast a forlorn figure.Shahzad was severely reprimanded and fined £750 ($1,200) by an ECB disciplinary panel for scuffing the pitch in a late-season match at Edgbaston, an impromptu act that summed up the frustrations of a season in which Yorkshire’s reputation as the brightest young side in the country collapsed and Shahzad also fell out of form and favour.One ankle operation later, he shakes his head in embarrassment at the memory. “It was just a stupid error by me,” he said. “I went to Lord’s for the hearing and I could see from the footage it was just incredibly stupid what I did. There wasn’t even any point in doing it.”It’s not the way I want to play my game. I don’t want to be seen as a cheat, or a pitch-damager. We were hoping to win that game; we needed to win it to stay up. It didn’t really go the way we wanted it to go. Emotions and actions kind of just built up.”What I did was stupid. But I have been reprimanded and been given the penalty for that. It’s one mistake I’ve made in an eight- or nine-year career so far. It’s out of the blue for me, and I definitely would never do anything like it again. It was just a random, stupid act.”Shahzad suffered for trying to play through his ankle pain with the help of two injections. His bowling action suffered, he lost his ability to swing the ball and he tried to compensate by quickening his pace. Yorkshire grumbled, without much justification, that he had lost focus and, as relegation became a reality, the chairman Colin Graves also had him on his hit list when he accused some players of turning in “unacceptable” performances.”I played a bit more than half the season with a dodgy ankle,” Shahzad said. “I was in a lot of pain, but just kept playing through it because I wanted to put my performances in for Yorkshire. In hindsight, I could have probably taken that time away and got it checked out. If I’d had it looked at during the season, had surgery then, it would have kept me out for that summer. I had the surgery in October and it feels good now.”Injury kept Shahzad out of England’s winter squads, but he could not wait to pack his suitcase when he was invited to Dubai as net fodder for England during their one-day series against Pakistan and he played in all but one of Yorkshire’s pre-season games in Barbados.”It was just a nice feeling to be in and around the England team,” he said. “It’s been a year or two since I’ve felt that – enjoying their victories in the one-dayers and seeing again what kind of level I need to be at to get back into the squad if the opportunity comes.”I feel as if I’m starting at the beginning again. Last season was tough. I tried to adapt the way I bowl to compensate for my ankle injury. I shouldn’t have done that. But I was trying to get through a season, and minimise the pain.

“Last season was tough – I tried to adapt the way I bowl to compensate for my ankle injury but I shouldn’t have”Ajmal Shahzad

“Then there were instances where I probably tried to bowl a little bit too fast, change a little bit of my action to compensate for my ankle. But now I feel consistent with my action, my run-up, my landing – and that’s come about with having my ankle pain-free.”I’m 26, coming near to my peak and I want to keep progressing. I don’t want to stagnate, I want to achieve the best I possibly can.Graves’ financial support has kept Yorkshire alive for several seasons, so he had quite literally earned his right to say his piece, but when he labelled the performances of some Yorkshire players on the day they went down as “a disgrace”, it caused shockwaves throughout the county.”There were some harsh words spoken,” Shahzad said, “but at the end of the day, the stats are there for everybody to see. I’ve got my reasons for why it was so tough personally. If they didn’t think I was fit to play then I shouldn’t have been on the pitch.”There were a few people, including myself, who did get a bit of a shock at the end of last season by a few words that were spoken by the owner of the club. That’s the nature of the game. We’ve just got to crack on with what we do. We try our best every time we get on the pitch. There’s not a point when we get on the pitch and think ‘Oh, today’s not the day for us’ or ‘I don’t really feel it’.”This is my job. I’m a fast bowler, who bats – and I go on to that pitch every day trying to take wickets and bowl as quick as I possibly can, and bowl well. I’m at the end of a three-year contract with Yorkshire. We’ve got some serious players in the squad. My personal ambition is to do well this season, and hope to get another contract offer from Yorkshire – and put some hard graft in.”Edited by Alan Gardner

Ange Postecoglou praised a 'really strong' defensive performance as Tottenham silenced Erling Haaland in a 4-0 win at Manchester City.

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Spurs beat Man City 4-0Starting centre-backs Romero and Van der Ven out injuredHaaland stifled in devastating defeatFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following their best result of the season, Spurs head coach Postecoglou was brimming with pride and praise for his side, who have recently been through a rough patch of form, losing to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town in their last two outings.

With both starting centre-backs Van de Ven and Romero out through injury, Postecoglou was forced into playing a far from ideal central defensive partnership, but got just reward for the risk, as they were superb in keeping City quiet.

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Two-and-a-half weeks ago, Tottenham started Radu Dragusin and left-back Ben Davies as centre-backs against Galatasaray, where they had a torrid time marking one of the world's best strikers in Victor Osimhen. Losing 3-2, it looked as though Spurs' spell without typical starters Romero and Van de Ven was set to be a painful one. Skipping forward to Saturday, the same central defensive partnership was crucial to their clinical 4-0 win against City at the Etihad Stadium, where Haaland was limited to half chances.

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou was asked about Dragusin and Davies' fine performances, to which he replied, "Yeah, I thought they were all great. You have to be against City because obviously they've got big Erling up there, but the way they deliver the ball, the areas they consistently probe, you've got to be focused the whole time and I thought Ben and Radu were really focused, I thought Vic (Vicario) behind them was really positive as well with his positioning and the way they communicated. I thought Biss (Bissouma) was important to that.

"I think the key for us was we had to do it as a collective today. I think when you play City, you can't rely on individuals to find solutions out there and collectively, I thought we defended really well, but credit to those two guys and not just defensively, but we had to play out from the back.

"It was the only way we were going to deliver balls to the areas we wanted to and both Ben and Radu didn't shy away from that. It wasn't always easy, but they consistently were looking for the ball and looking for us to play out from the back. So credit to those guys."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

Spurs will have been given a huge boost from their unexpected victory of the reigning Premier League champions, and ahead of the Christmas period, which sees them play nine games in the month of December, the morale boost from the result could prove crucial to their season. Their next game sees them host Claudio Ranieri's Roma in the Europa League.

Liton Das may have ended up five runs short of a maiden Test century, but he overcame one mental barrier during his day-one innings in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, according to Bangladesh’s new batting coach Ashwell Prince. Das was among three batters to cross fifty and help Bangladesh recover twice, after they had slipped to 8 for 2 and then 132 for 6.Das added 138 for the seventh wicket with Mahmudullah to move Bangladesh towards a position of respectability, but he missed out on a personal milestone when he holed out to fine leg off Donald Tiripano shortly before the second new ball was due.Prince, who is with the Bangladesh set-up only for this Zimbabwe tour, said Das had taken a step towards fixing an issue that’s dogged him through his career so far – of suffering breaks in concentration when set at the crease.”During some of our conversations during the week, he shared that sometimes he gives his wicket away in the thirties or forties, due to lack of concentration,” Prince said. “I told him, if he can bat for more than three hours, forgetting about the score which is on 30 or 40, he’d be close to a hundred. I would like to see how many hours he batted today. We were all quite disappointed for him that he didn’t get the hundred. I think this is a good learning for him.”Prince said Mahmudullah played a crucial role during the partnership, since Bangladesh needed a calm head with the experience of facing such situations in the past. Mahmudullah and Das came close to surpassing the highest-ever seventh-wicket stand against Zimbabwe, but fell four runs short of the mark achieved by Nicky Boje and Prince himself, back in 2005 at Centurion.”Mahmudullah played a really crucial innings for the team,” Prince said. “He was the perfect person for that job at the time. He and Liton Das really complemented one another really nicely. He was watchful, and Liton maneuvered the ball around. At 132 for 6, it was a big partnership for the team.”Prince also praised captain Mominul Haque for his composure, both mentally and technically as a batter. Mominul made 70 to steady Bangladesh after Blessing Muzarabani had rocked them with two early strikes. “The team had lost some early wickets,” Prince said. “It was a crucial period for us. Mominul’s calmness gives a lot of confidence to the dressing room.”His positions were very strong on the crease. He was comfortable at the crease. He is an experienced player, a very good Test player.”Bangladesh, Prince felt, weren’t out of the woods yet, but hoped the lower order could rally around the still unbeaten Mahmudullah.”Ideal scenario for Bangladesh would be for the No 10 and 11 to provide support to the one out-and-out batsman at the crease, Mahmudullah,” Prince said. “Nobody knows how good a score is, until both teams have batted on the pitch. So we can’t take for granted that anything between 290-320 is a good score. The best situation for Bangladesh would be to get as many runs we can get.”

Emma Hayes has returned to England to watch her former club Chelsea take on rivals Arsenal in a mammoth Women's Super League clash.

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• Hayes back in England
• Will watch Chelsea take on Arsenal in WSL
• Left Chelsea to join USWNT this summer

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The English manager returns to her homeland for the first time since leaving Chelsea to become the United States women's national team head coach in the summer. Per ' Sam Blitz, Hayes will be in attendance at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and watch her beloved Chelsea from the director's box as the reigning WSL champions take on London rivals Arsenal in a crucial clash.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 47-year-old, who won a host of silverware with the Blues during her time in England including a record seven WSL titles, has started on a positive note in her new project. Under the 47-year-old coach's tutelage, USWNT have remained unbeaten thus far and have won three out of the four matches they have played, taking gold at the Paris Olympics.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  After failing to make the Chelsea line-up against Real Madrid in the midweek Champions League encounter due to illness, England international goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is back in Sonia Bompastor's starting eleven to face the Gunners.

• WHAT NEXT?

  The reigning English champions will aim to grab top spot in the WSL table as they eye all three points and will want to extend their winning streak to three games on Saturday.

The former Leeds star scored a stunning treble as the Spanish giants demolished their opponents in a shock Champions League drubbing

Despite having not beaten Bayern Munich almost nine years, Barcelona were truly stunning on Wednesday evening, recording a 4-1 hammering that will likely send shockwaves throughout the European game. That Hansi Flick is a former coach of Bayern will only serve to rub salt into Bavarian wounds.

Barcelona, amazingly, had the lead within a minute, as Raphinha sprang beyond Bayern's offside trap, rounded Manuel Neuer, and finished coolly.

Bayern thought they were level before the 10-minute mark thanks to a brilliant Harry Kane header but he was ruled offside by VAR. He only had to wait until the 20th minute to get on the scoresheet, though, finishing a Serge Gnabry cross with an absolutely brilliant volley.

Barca were back in front after the half-hour mark thanks to an excellent finish from Robert Lewandowski after a clever assist from Fermin Lopez, with Neuer stranded.

The hosts had a third on the stroke of half-time, Raphinha adding a second with a stunning strike from the edge of the box after a stunning cross-field ball from Marc Casado.

Ten minutes after the restart, Barca had a fourth, and Raphinha had his hat-trick, chesting Lamine Yamal's long ball forward, taking two touches, and powering an effort into the bottom corner.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Inaki Pena (6/10):

Could do absolutely nothing to stop Kane's equaliser. Was not really tested beyond that.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Torched by Gnabry in the build-up to Bayern's equaliser but recovered to play an important role in cutting off Bayern's danger down the left flank.

Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

Perhaps a little overawed by Kane early on but grew into the game and was rarely troubled once Barcelona took a grip of the game.

Inigo Martinez (7/10):

A wily, experienced defender, Martinez was never beaten. Always good with his distribution and that didn't change here.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Stood up well to the threat of Michael Olise and marked him out of the game.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Marc Casado (7/10):

Absolutely stunning assist for Barca's third, pinging a ball over 50 yards onto Raphinha's boot with laser-guided precision. A smart midfield performance but took a knock late on and required treatment.

Pedri (7/10):

Mucked in very well defensively whenever required. Was capable of bursting from midfield into attack and passed the ball carefully and precisely.

Fermin Lopez (8/10):

A superb assist for Lewandowski as he nipped in ahead of Neuer and played the ball to the Pole. Worked so hard throughout and was subbed on the hour after an excellent display.

AFPAttack

Lamine Yamal (8/10):

Pressed Neuer in the first half and almost scored by blocking his clearance. Some stunning trickery and a superb assist for Raphinha's hat-trick goal. He's always so lively.

Robert Lewandowski (7/10):

Read Lopez's intention and got on the end of his assist to finish and give Barca the lead. Led the line well and was unfortunate not to score again, as he missed a late sitter.

Raphinha (10/10):

Scored a brilliant early goal, keeping his composure to round Neuer and finish. His second was even better, taking in Casado's unbelievable pass and curling an effort into the corner and his third another piece of magic. An utterly superb performance.

AFPSubs & Manager

Frenkie De Jong (6/10):

Replaced Lopez on the hour. Kept Barca ticking in midfield.

Dani Olmo (6/10):

On for hat-trick hero Raphinha. Was never going to match his impact but made some smart runs into the final third.

Ansu Fati (N/A):

On with five minutes to go.

Pau Victor (N/A):

Came on late.

Gavi (N/A):

A late introduction.

Hansi Flick (8/10):

Played this perfectly. Barcelona were irrepressible, continually tearing Bayern apart on the break. He can hardly have dreamed for a better performance against his old club.

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup in the Blues' Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

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Hampton benched against Real MadridBompastor explains omissionChelsea beat Real 3-2Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The English goalkeeper failed to make it to Sonia Bompastor's starting lineup as Chelsea faced Real Madrid in their 2024-25 Women's Champions League opener on Tuesday. In a closely fought game, the reigning Women's Super League champions edged out the Spanish giants 3-2 to begin their journey in the competition on a winning note.

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Hampton started the new season on a positive note and had performed exceptionally well in the Blues' Women's Super League opener last month as they breezed past Aston Villa 1-0. Therefore, fans were left bemused when she was dropped from the lineup, however, Bompastor has now revealed the real reason why the England international was left out on the bench.

WHAT SONIA BOMPASTOR SAID

Speaking to the club's website after the game, the Blues boss said, "Hannah felt unwell just before they went out. She’s now feeling better, she recovered. It was a situation that happened right before we went out and we had to manage that. Zecira was ready. We have two really good goalkeepers and she was ready to play."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The West London club will be back in the WSL on Saturday as they take on rivals Arsenal in a crunch encounter.