أثار اقتراح رابطة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “الليجا” بنقل مباراة فياريال وبرشلونة إلى ميامي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية جدلاً واسعاً.

وأبدى كل من برشلونة وفياريال انفتاحهما على الفكرة بدعم كامل من رئيس رابطة الليجا خافيير تيباس، وقد أبدت فرق أخرى معارضتها كما أعربت رابطة لاعبي كرة القدم الإسبان والمجلس الأوروبي عن مخاوفهما.

وأعرب ألكسندر تشيفرين رئيس الاتحاد الأوروبي “يويفا” عن رأيه بشأن نقل مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في الليجا إلى الولايات المتحدة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. رسمياً.. برشلونة يعلن رحيل لاعبه في صفقة انتقال نهائية

وقال تشيفرين في مقابلة لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “يجب أن تلعب الفرق الأوروبية في أوروبا”.

وأضاف: “سنفتح هذا النقاش أيضاً مع الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم الفيفا وجميع الاتحادات لأنني لا أعتقد أنها فكرة جيدة”.

وواصل: “إذا كان استثناء فلا بأس وإذا كان هناك سبب فلا بأس، ولكن من حيث المبدأ يجب أن تلعب الأندية الأوروبية في أوروبا لأن جماهيرها هنا، إنه تقليد عريق”.

ويأتي هذا بعد تقارير ظهرت في وقت سابق اليوم تشير إلى أن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم غير مقتنع بإعطاء الضوء الأخضر لمباراة فياريال ضد برشلونة المقرر إقامتها في 20 ديسمبر في ميامي.

وستجتمع اللجنة التنفيذية للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “اليويفا” في 11 سبتمبر في ألبانيا لاتخاذ قرار بشأن مباراة برشلونة ضد فياريال ومباراة ميلان ضد كومو في 6 فبراير في أستراليا.

MatériaMais Notícias

da winzada777： A derrota para o São Bernardo em um Morumbi lotado deixou muito mais do que marcas profundas no time do São Paulo para a sequência do Campeonato Paulista. Encerra, também, uma sequência invicta de quase dez anos do clube tricolor contra times considerados pequenos em seu estádio pela primeira fase do Estadual.

Levando em conta apenas duelos diante de adversários que não disputam a primeira divisão do Campeonato Brasileiro, o último revés são-paulino no Morumbi acontecera em 16 de março de 2014, quando levou 1 a 0 do Ituano.

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da dobrowin：
+ ATUAÇÕES: Ninguém vai bem no São Paulo, e substituições de Ceni não têm efeito na derrota

Na ocasião, o resultado foi encarado com desconfiança pelo rival Corinthians, já que a derrota, aliada a uma combinação de resultados, acabou eliminando o time alvinegro ainda na fase de grupos daquela competição.

Declarações do então técnico corintiano Mano Menezes e do atacante Romarinho levantaram a suspeita de que o Tricolor entregara o jogo de propósito. Rapidamente o então gerente de futebol alvinegro, Edu Gaspar, apagou o incêndio criado. Foi a público e pediu desculpas ao São Paulo pelas falas.

Isso não impediria um vexame histórico do Tricolor naquela competição. Dias depois, o São Paulo não saiu de um empate em 0 a 0 com a Penapolense no tempo normal em pleno Morumbi e caiu nas quartas de final para o rival do interior nos pênaltis, por 5 a 4.

O Ituano? Surpreendeu naquele ano, eliminou Palmeiras e venceu o Santos na final para se sagrar campeão paulista pela segunda vez em sua história.

Desde então, até o tropeço para o São Bernardo, o São Paulo acumulou 21 vitórias e dez empates contra pequenos em sua casa nesta primeira fase do Paulistão.

Evidente que outro vexame histórico do clube em sua história aconteceu no Morumbi. Em 29 de julho de 2020, o clube acabou perdendo por 3 a 2 para o Mirassol e foi eliminado do Paulistão daquele ano. Mas o confronto foi válido pelas quartas de final.

No período de invencibilidade plena nesta fase inicial do Estadual ante os pequenos, o São Paulo acumulou cinco derrotas para os rivais da elite nacional. Caiu para As derrotas diante de clubes da Série A foram para Corinthians (2015 e 2023), Santos (2018), Bragantino (2020) e Palmeiras (2022).

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Ravi Shastri, meanwhile, has been conferred the lifetime achievement award

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2024Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma have won the BCCI awards for best men’s and women’s international cricketers of 2022-23. Gill won the men’s award, named after the former India captain Polly Umrigar, for the first time in his career, while Deepti won the women’s award for the second time – she also won it for the 2019-20 season.The BCCI had not announced their awards since naming Jasprit Bumrah and Poonam Yadav the international cricketers of 2018-19. They have now cleared their backlog, announcing winners for the past four seasons in one go. Mohammed Shami and Deepti have taken the honours for 2019-20, R Ashwin and Smriti Mandhana for 2020-21, and Bumrah and Mandhana for 2021-22.Gill made the step up from exciting prospect to international superstar in 2022-23 (the award timeframe runs from October 1 to September 30), enjoying incredible returns with the bat particularly in ODIs, in which he scored a world-leading tally of 1418 runs at an average of 64.45, with five hundreds including a double-century against New Zealand in Hyderabad. In the same period, Gill also scored 387 runs at 35.18 in seven Tests, and 304 runs at a strike rate of 146.85 in 11 T20Is.Related

• Jasprit Bumrah, Poonam Yadav claim top BCCI awards

Deepti, meanwhile, was a key member of an India side that won the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal in a year packed with T20I action. The offspinner picked up 38 wickets – the fifth-most in the world in the award period, and the most by a bowler from a Full Member nation – in T20Is at an average of 14.81 and an economy rate of 5.71, while also contributing 313 runs with the bat, including two half-centuries, at an average of 28.45. Deepti only played three ODIs and no Tests in the award period, but carried her form into a triumphant 2023-24 home season, taking 11 wickets at 10.81 and scoring 165 runs at 55.00 as India beat England and Australia in one-off Tests in Mumbai.Ravi Shastri excelled in various roles up and down the batting order•PA Photos

Shastri wins lifetime achievement award

Former India allrounder Ravi Shastri, meanwhile, has been bestowed the BCCI’s lifetime achievement award. A versatile batter who played multiple roles through his career – he had a particularly impressive record as opener outside Asia – and an accurate left-arm fingerspinner, he finished with 3830 Test runs at an average of 35.79 and 151 wickets at 40.96.After knee injuries ended his playing career when he was still only in his early 30s, Shastri moved effortlessly into TV commentary, where he established himself as an incisive voice with a distinctively punchy manner of calling big moments. While he only got to captain India in one of his 80 Tests, he got a wider canvas to express his skills as a tactician and man-manager as coach: his stints at the helm of India’s men’s team from 2014 to 2016 and 2017 to 2021 coincided with their rise as an all-formats, all-conditions force. Under him India became a near-invincible Test team at home and achieved unprecedented levels of competitiveness away from home, most memorably winning two successive series in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

England captain Buttler says defending champions 50 short with bat against New Zealand in World Cup opener

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20231:45

Did England miss Ben Stokes?

England captain Jos Buttler has admitted that his side was “a long way short of our best” after the reigning ODI World Cup champions suffered a crushing nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand on the opening night of the tournament in Ahmedabad.Asked to bat first, England stuttered along to a total of 282 for 9, losing wickets at regular intervals, and Buttler said afterwards he thought they were 50 below par with the bat. Although Sam Curran took a wicket with the first ball of the second over, that was as good as it got for England with the ball, as a record-breaking 273-run stand between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra saw New Zealand ease to victory with 13.4 overs to spare.It was a defeat that not only gave England plenty to think about ahead of their second group game, against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday, but left them with a net run rate hit of -2.149 that could yet play a significant role in their chances of progressing.”A disappointing day, very much outplayed by New Zealand and a tough defeat to take,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation. “It is one loss, whether we lost by a run or the margin we did today, it’s one loss at the start of a long tournament.Related

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“There’s a lot of guys in our team, who’ve played a lot of cricket. We’ve beaten teams this way before and been on the end of these results before as well. We won’t read too much into it, won’t get to down on ourselves as much as we wouldn’t get too high if we were on the other side.”Although Buttler suggested the pitch had got better for batting under the floodlights, he said that England had not been clinical enough with their shot execution. All 11 of England’s players got into double-figures, but only Joe Root went on to pass 50, while the biggest partnership of the innings was the 70 put on by Root and Buttler for the fifth wicket.”I thought we were well below par,” he said. “Judging by the way New Zealand batted, they showed that. I thought we were aiming for 330, it felt like it was a really good wicket to bat on and it probably got even better under lights as well. Just with the score we had and the start they got off to, it’s tough to build any pressure.”We lacked being a bit clinical with our execution. Some of the dismissals were the right shots but just not quite executed correctly. We’ll keep being positive, we’ll keep playing our way. It shows you have to get good scores on the board if you’re going to defend them on really good wickets. You can’t be too defensive. I think we were just not quite clinical enough with our shot-making and our execution.”They played some really good cricket shots and got great value for them. I thought the margin for error on that pitch was very small and in that powerplay, someone like Devon Conway – I can’t think of any massive shots he played but he scored very quickly, and the same for Rachin Ravindra as well. The two guys played exceptionally well, they put together a fantastic partnerships and we were well beaten today.”I think conditions changed, the pitch skidded on even better under lights in the second half, that’s why we would have bowled first as well. But I still think it was a good wicket, I think we played a long way short of our best with the bat and still made 280. If we were closer to our best, I think we would have got up to a score which we may have defended – but with the conditions or the skill that New Zealand showed, it may still not have been enough.”England had gone into the game without Ben Stokes, who was suffering from a hip niggle in the build-up, and Buttler said they would “wait and see” on his availability to face Bangladesh next Tuesday. “Fingers crossed he can get fit as soon as possible.”Joe Root got the first half-century of this World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesJoe Root: It’s really important we don’t panicSpeaking to Sky Sports, Root said that England would not be panicking after losing their rematch of the 2019 final so comprehensively, adding that they would use the batting innings as a mean of “reaffirming” their belief in attacking cricket.”It was a frustrating day but it’s really important to remember, there’s so much cricket in this tournament and it’s really important we don’t panic,” he said. “If anything we just reaffirm what we’re about as a team and make sure we almost go more that way in the next game.”It’s always a cagey affair the first game of a tournament like this. We got ourselves into the game, got ourselves a score on the board. We knew that it was lower than what we probably wanted to be, and it could get dewy towards the back end tonight and it could skid on nicer, which it did. Credit to them, they played well. We underperformed with the ball, that’s why the gulf was so big in the end. We’re a better side with the bat, we know we are, and we’ve got plenty more opportunities in this tournament to prove that.”Asked whether it was the time for “difficult conversations” in the dressing room, Root said: “I don’t think it’s ever a difficult conversation, if you’ve got  good group who all trust each other and know what we’re about, we’re going towards something and have been for a while, then it becomes quite an easy conversation. It’s honest, not something we need to spend a huge amount of time talking about, because it’s pretty obvious where we’ve gone wrong.”It’s about how can we make sure we don’t find ourselves in this situation again. What can we do to enable us to go that bit harder and right a few of the little mistakes that we made through this game. It’s important that we keep going, keep getting better, and if anything you want to keep constantly improving as a team as the tournament goes on, so that towards the back end when it really counts you’re in a really good space as a group and peaking at the right time.”That being said, you can’t afford to lose too many games, but when have you ever seen a World Cup-winning campaign when there isn’t a little wobble or stumbling block. So, just stay calm, remember what we’re about as a group, and reinforce that for the next game.Root had come into the tournament on a run of poor form, with just 39 runs from four innings against New Zealand last month, but was pleased to spend some time in the middle while making his first ODI half-century since July 2022.”It was warm, bit different to Sheffield. I enjoy playing in these conditions. It wasn’t as straightforward as you might want it to be, it wasn’t really true and coming on, there was a little bit of turn that made it hard to put your foot down in certain moments and really force those partnerships and make them substantial ones. Last four games I’ve not hit my straps like I’d like to, you want to perform in a tournament like this. You want to be part of big scores that set games up, and contributing. It’s a bit hollow when you don’t win but it’s a step in the right direction from a personal point of view.”

It would be fair to say that, so far, this season has not gone to plan for Arsenal.

After coming painfully close to winning the Premier League in their two prior campaigns, Mikel Arteta’s side came into this year with the sole intention of going one step further, and when Rodri was ruled out in September, it looked like it might happen.

Unfortunately, in the months since, the Gunners have had to deal with a considerable number of injuries themselves, some questionable decisions from officials, and simply put, some lacklustre form from some of their star players.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the men in red and white, as a few players have stepped up this season, including one already being compared to some highly valued stars.

Arsenal's top performers compared to last season

While there have been several players who have taken a step back for Arsenal in terms of their attacking output this season, it’s worth starting things on a positive – well, sort of – as, prior to his injury in December, Bukayo Saka was on track to have the best campaign of his career.

Last year, the Hale End icon was utterly sublime for the Gunners, racking up a haul of 20 goals and 14 assists in just 47 appearances, totalling 3865 minutes, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games, or every 113.67 minutes.

Yet, as incredible as that was, the 23-year-old was doing even better this year, racking up nine goals and 13 assists in 24 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, which means he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.09 games, or every 83.09 minutes, which is frankly incredible.

Unfortunately, while the Ealin-born superstar stepped up this season, many of his teammates, like Leandro Trossard, did not.

The Belgian international was a force of nature at points last year and, in 46 first-team appearances, totalling 2263 minutes, produced a brilliant tally of 17 goals and two assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games, or every 119.10 minutes.

However, so far this season, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has only been able to score five goals and produce seven assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2190 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.08 games, or every 182.5 minutes.

The good news is that while some of the senior players have let the side down this year, another gem has broken into the first team and is now being compared to some highly valued attackers on the continent.

Market Movers

The £85m Arsenal star in the making

When Saka injured his hamstring in December, and then Gabriel Jesus injured his ACL just a few weeks later, there was a genuine concern over who Arsenal would play off the right.

Fortunately, Ethan Nwaneri stepped up and, since returning from his own minor knock, has looked like a nailed-on starter.

The “incredible” 17-year-old phenomenon, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, was one of only a few bright sparks for the Gunners against Leicester City last week.

It was his cross that led to Mikel Merino’s opener, and on top of that, he hit the woodwork twice and was a constant threat throughout the encounter.

It was the sort of performance that shouldn’t come as a shock anymore because, as the campaign has progressed and Arteta has continued to give him more game time, the Hale Ender has continuously and increasingly impressed.

For example, in 24 appearances this season, totalling just 790 minutes, the Enfield-born wonderkid has scored seven goals and provided one assist, which means he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every three games, or more impressively, every 98.75 minutes.

On top of this, he has also been likened to Jamie Gittins by FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Borussia Dortmund star is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Arsenal dynamo.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, expected assists, crosses into the penalty area, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Now, being compared to one of the most exciting players in Germany with 15 goal involvements to his name this season is encouraging enough, but it also bodes well for the Arsenal ace’s future valuation.

For example, according to a recent report from the German publication Bild, as relayed by the BBC, Dortmund are demanding around £85m for their young star, so given their statistical similarities and the financial strength of the Gunners, who to say that the Hale End gem won’t be worth just as much in the near future.

Ultimately, things haven’t necessarily gone to plan for the North Londoners this season, but in Nwaneri, it looks like they have yet another superstar attacker in the making and one who could have a massive part to play for the rest of the campaign.

He's like Xhaka: Arteta must rue not signing Arsenal's loan "genius"

The former Arsenal man is having a stellar campaign this year.

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Feb 20, 2025

Influence with bat and ball shines through on another weather-affected day

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2023Ed Barnard’s effectiveness with bat and ball maintained Warwickshire’s hopes of victory over Somerset as this end-of-season, mid-table LV=Insurance County Championship clash meandered along under leaden skies at Edgbaston.At the end of a third successive heavily weather-affected day, Somerset were 90 for 2 in their second innings, 32 ahead, after bowling the home side out for 273. Josh Davey took 3 for 62 and Neil Wagner 3 for 67 but Barnard’s skilful and patient 73 (144 balls) maintained his excellent late-season form and gave his side a handy first-innings lead of 58. Barnard then took both wickets as Somerset ground their way in front.Rain and bad light have chopped 125 overs from days one to three but, with better weather forecast for the fourth, a decisive result remains possible. Quick wickets could herald a Warwickshire victory bid, or the captains could simply agree a target overnight.After Warwickshire resumed the third morning on 112 for 3, Davey struck with the fourth ball which Dan Mousley edged low to Andy Umeed at second slip. Alex Davies fell lbw to Jack Brooks and when Michael Burgess edged Wagner behind, the home side was 147 for 6, still 68 behind. Somerset sensed a lead.Barnard had set down roots, though, and received obdurate support from the in-form Danny Briggs. Confident after his 99 at Lord’s last week, the former Hampshire and Sussex player contributed 38 off 68 balls to a stand of 93 in 25 overs which moved Warwickshire in front.Briggs scooped Wagner to long leg and Craig Miles gloved the New Zealand international behind before Barnard’s excellent innings was terminated by a skied attempt to hoist Davey straight.The Worcestershire product had ensured Warwickshire a handy first-innings lead, though, and Somerset faced an awkward 15 overs batting before tea. Openers Tom Lammonby and Sean Dickson made 39 from the first 14 before the former clipped Barnard to short mid-wicket in the final over of the session.Barnard’s happy day continued when Lewis Goldsworthy feathered a pull to wicketkeeper Burgess. Still eight runs behind with two wickets down, Somerset needed ballast and Sean Dickson (36 not out) and Umeed (20 not out) supplied it with an important unbroken stand of 40 in 12 overs. Dickson’s two hours of resistance, in which he struck just three of 84 balls faced to the boundary, was exactly what his team needed in the circumstances.

da pinnacle： Liverpool are believed to be willing to spend more than £40m to secure the signing of a “great” player this summer, seeing him as a possible successor to Virgil van Dijk at the heart of their defence.

Futures of legendary Liverpool trio still unclear

da imperador bet： The Reds may be closing in on Premier League title glory this season, but there are still genuine concerns surrounding the futures of Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.

All three Liverpool legends are out of contract at the end of this season, and as things stand, none of them have signed new deals yet. It is a precarious position to be in, and one that has left plenty of supporters frustrated, in terms of the club not sorting the situation sooner.

Alexander-Arnold has been continually linked with a move to Real Madrid for many months now, and the fact that the Reds’ vice-captain hasn’t silenced those rumours suggests that there is a real chance that he could move to the reigning Champions League holders in the summer transfer window.

While Van Dijk and Salah have appeared to be the more likely two to stay put at Liverpool beyond this season, the former has been backed to seal a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool line up £40m+ deal to replace Van Dijk – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are willing to pay around €50m (£42m) plus possible bonuses to sign Nico Schlotterbeck this summer, with a move to the Premier League a distinct possibility.

The Borussia Dortmund centre-back still has two years remaining on his current deal, but the Bundesliga side will be powerless to do anything if his clause is met.

It goes without saying that Van Dijk will hopefully sign a contract extension with Liverpool as soon as possible, putting to bed any talks of him leaving. If the worst-case scenario does happen and the colossal Reds skipper moves on, however, Schlotterbeck could be a good long-term replacement for him.

The 25-year-old has now racked up 123 appearances for Dortmund, as well as winning 18 caps for Germany, and former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has lauded his ability, saying:

“He is a great player, very good in tackling and strong in heading. He’s probably one of the best centre-backs in terms of ball-playing skills, not just in Germany, but in all of Europe. I really hope he can finally take the next step now.”

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Schlotterbeck is at a great age to come in, possessing lots of experience but also still being young enough to find extra gears, and his quality on the ball would surely appeal to Arne Slot, not to mention defensive expertise that has seen him average three clearances and 2.3 tackles per game across 12 Champions League appearances this season.

Their Premier League position might suggest otherwise, but Tottenham Hotspur are blessed with a number of incredibly talented players.

From the likes of Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the back to Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min in attack, there is talent throughout the Lilywhites’ squad.

That is especially true in the middle of the park, as Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr all possess game-changing qualities.

Yet, perhaps the club’s best player is none other than Dejan Kulusevski, and in an exciting development, it appears as if Hotspur Way could be about to provide Ange Postecoglou with a homegrown version of the Swede.

What makes Kulusevski so great?

So, when it comes down to what makes Kulusevski such an incredible player, there are a couple of core reasons, with the first being his positional versatility.

The former Juventus star was initially signed as a winger back in 2022 and has played off the right more than anywhere else for the North Londoners, but, especially this year, he’s thrived in several other positions, notably midfield.

In all, the Stockholm-born star has played 70 games as a right-winger for the Lilywhites, 40 games in attacking midfield, five in central midfield and up top, two off the left and in right-midfield, and he’s even made one appearance as a second striker.

Right Winger

70

11

15

Attacking Midfield

40

9

7

Centre-Forward

5

2

2

Central Midfield

5

1

3

Left Winger

2

0

0

Right Midfield

2

0

0

Second Striker

1

0

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The second reason the 25-year-old is such an incredible player for Postecoglou and Co is that, on top of being able to fill in all over the pitch, he’s got the ability to produce as well.

For example, in 42 appearances this season, the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, making him the second-most productive player in the squad, behind only his captain.

In short, Kulusevski is not just one of Spurs’ best players but one of the league’s best players, so it’s good news that Hotspur Way might be brewing their version of the Swede.

Spurs' homegrown Kulusevski

While the most-talked-about academy product at Spurs this season has been the incredible Mikey Moore, it could be the lesser-known Luca Williams-Barnett next season.

It’s the 16-year-old phenom who could well be the club’s own Kulusevski, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that like the Swedish international, the promising teenager can play in a handful of positions, from attacking midfield to either wing, up top and even left-midfield, lending credence to academy expert and pundit John Wenham’s description of him as a “cheat-code.”

Appearances

24

Minutes

1887′

Goals

20

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

1.25

Minutes per Goal Involvement

62.9′

However, the second and undoubtedly more important similarity to the former Juve star is that he’s already proving to be an incredibly effective attacking outlet for the youth sides.

For example, in just 24 appearances for the U18s, totalling 1887 minutes, the unreal talent, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as “a name to keep an eye on,” has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists.

That means he’s averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 62.9 minutes, which is the sort of form that could see him propelled into the first team next season.

Ultimately, while this season has been a disaster, Spurs have several incredibly talented players in their senior squad, and if Williams-Barnett continues on his brilliant trajectory, then there is every chance he could be playing alongside Kulusevski next year.

His value has risen 1475% this season: Spurs struck gold on their own Yamal

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 20, 2025

Just how far can Rangers go in this season’s Europa League?

On Thursday night, the Light Blues took a gigantic step towards the quarter-finals, thanks to a famous 3-1 victory over Fenerbahçe at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

So, assuming Barry Ferguson’s side can complete the job back at Ibrox next Thursday, they’ll face either Roma or Athletic Club in the last eight in April; that tie is perfectly poised following I Giallorossi’s 2-1 victory in the Italian capital.

This would be the Gers’ 13th appearance in a major European quarter-final, memorably getting all the way to the Europa League Final just three seasons ago, and if they’re to repeat those exploits, they’ll need one rising star in particular to be at his best.

Rangers' Thursday night heroes

Rangers’ stars of the victory in İstanbul were, unquestionably, the two scorers: Václav Černý and Cyriel Dessers.

The Czech winger netted twice, on target at the end of both halves, taking his tally to six in the Europa League this season, second only to Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiacos, who scored when the Gers visited Piraeus in November, one of his seven strikes in the tournament.

Meantime, Dessers actually had the ball in the net on three occasions, albeit both of his second-half goals were disallowed for very marginal offsides.

The Nigerian’s goal that did count came after just six minutes, rounding goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat before his shot made it over the line by mere picometres, despite Çağlar Söyüncü’s best efforts to clear.

Scottish Football analyst John Walker stated that this was Dessers’ “best match for Rangers”, with Gavin Berry of the Daily Record describing his performance as ‘superb’, while Fenerbahçe boss José Mourinho claimed “today, Dessers looked like the best player in the world”, which is high praise indeed.

While this attacking duo are getting all the plaudits, and deservedly so, could another Rangers forward, who was reduced to a late cameo on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait, be their key man for the remainder of this European escapade?

Rangers' highest-value attacker

Many were surprised that Hamza Igamane was only named on the bench in Turkey on Thursday, but one cannot argue with Ferguson, considering the end result.

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The 22-year-old Moroccan has exceeded all expectations since arriving in Glasgow from Botola side Association sportive des Forces armées royales, or AS FAR for short, in the summer for a reported fee of £2.5m, having been lauded as “outstanding” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.

The striker has 13 goals to his name this season, four of which have come in the Europa League, while he also bagged a perfect hat-trick at Hibernian in January, during a time he was, as Anthony Evans of the Daily Record puts it, in ‘red-hot form’.

Meantime, Matthew Elder of the Scotsman believes him to be the Scottish Premiership’s ‘signing of the season’, while Keith Jackson of the Daily Record labels him a ‘superstar’, so let’s assess how Igamane compares to Rangers’ other attackers.

Players

Goals

Assists

Cyriel Dessers

22

7

Václav Černý

17

7

Hamza Igamane

13

3

Danilo

6

3

Mohamed Diomandé

5

7

Nedim Bajrami

5

4

Tom Lawrence

5

2

As alluded to earlier, Rangers paid just £2.5m for Igamane last summer, described as a “jackpot transfer” by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout.

Indeed, in January, amidst interest from Everton, the club reportedly placed a £25m price tag on Igamane’s head, with that figure far exceeding the current valuations of both Dessers and Cerny.

Reports during the winter window claimed that Dessers could depart for a fee of around £6m, while in the case of Cerny, it has been reported that a permanent deal could be struck for £6.75m.

Should Igamane depart for that amount, it would make him the club’s record sale, currently held by Calvin Bassey’s £19.6m move to Ajax in 2022. For Rangers’ sake, however, they’ll be hoping he sticks around for a little while longer yet.

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Big Picture: Can Bangladesh spring a surprise?

The defending champions have been upset by Afghanistan. Australia haven’t looked like Australia of World Cups past. Pakistan seem lacking too. And the South African juggernaut fell apart against Netherlands. Of all the pre-tournament favourites, only India and New Zealand have played like favourites. The latter have made it four wins in four, and now India are looking to do the same, against Bangladesh in Pune.Bangladesh may have a favourable 3-1 ODI record against India in the last 12 months – most recently winning their Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup last month – but beating India in India is easier said than done.The hosts have played with plenty of main-character energy in their first three fixtures, scoring convincing victories against Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were tested to varying degrees in all those games – reduced to 2 for 3 in the chase against Australia; Afghanistan setting a target of 273; and Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan building a solid platform – but in the end it wasn’t even close.India’s outstanding bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has taken 28 out of a possible 30 wickets so far, while they have lost only nine wickets in three chases and never more than four in a game. Rohit Sharma’s ultra-aggressive approach has been the highlight of their batting performances and he’s got another batting-friendly surface waiting for him in Pune.Related

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Bangladesh’s only win against India in the ODI World Cup was 16 years ago – in Trinidad in 2007. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were just starting their careers then, and they have played India three times on the biggest stage since, losing quite convincingly on each occasion.This Bangladesh squad has enough experience and young talent in their ranks to stretch India, but their current form isn’t promising. Mushfiqur has scored two fifties in three matches so far but the rest have struggled with consistency. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das had one good knock each. Rookie Tanzid Hasan hasn’t had much impact. Towhid Hridoy, who scored 500 runs before the World Cup this year, is batting lower than his usual No. 5 position. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also hasn’t been effective.Shakib suffered a quadriceps injury last week but could play – as per their coach, Bangladesh are awaiting results of a scan done on match eve before taking the final decision.* With Bangladesh looking to lengthen their batting by having Mahmudullah at No. 8, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed, both of whom played a part in the Asia Cup win against India, are unlikely to make the XI.Whether Bangladesh runs India close or not could come down to how their fast bowlers fare. Mustafizur Rahman aside, the others have been off-colour. Shoriful Islam has been expensive at times and Taskin Ahmed is not the force he was earlier this year. If these three, or Hasan Mahmud and Tanzim Hasan, can fire it will give Bangladesh a stronger foothold in the contest.Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets in a Test the last time he played Bangladesh•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Najmul Hossain Shanto

Kuldeep Yadav has five wickets from three games and his economy of 3.9 in 30 overs is testament to the control he’s offered during the middle overs. He revealed recently that increasing his pace has allowed him to bowl better in the last 12 months. Bangladesh’s most recent memory of Kuldeep is his eight-wicket haul in the Chattogram Test late last year – India will be hoping for more of the same from him.After his unbeaten fifty against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto‘s low scores against England and New Zealand have had an impact on Bangladesh’s top-order returns. His free-flowing batting has been a huge boost to Bangladesh in 2023 and they desperately need him back among the runs.

Team news: Bangladesh to gamble with extra bowler?

India are unlikely to change their winning combination. The small ground dimensions and flat pitch could mean that Shardul Thakur is likely to keep his spot ahead of R Ashwin.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh can play Shakib, they will. They could be tempted to promote Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open with Litton and Mushfiqur could also bat higher in the order. The question is whether Bangladesh will look to strengthen their bowling by sacrificing some batting depth.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions: High scores in Pune?

Since 2017, teams batting first have posted 300-plus totals in three out of five ODIs in Pune, though this will be the first international at this venue in nine months. There was some drizzle on the eve of the match but the forecast is for sunshine on match day.

Stats and trivia: A 25-year wait ends

• This is Bangladesh’s first ODI against India in India in 25 years. From those who played their previous ODI against India at the Wankhede in 1998, Minhajul Abedin is the current chief selector, Khaled Mahmud is the team director, and Athar Ali Khan is a TV commentator.
• Virat Kohli has an average 67.25 and strike rate of 101.25 in 15 ODIs against Bangladesh, with four centuries.
• Shakib, Taskin and Mustafizur all have five-wicket hauls against India in ODIs.

Quotes

“He had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision. If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk it. If he is ready, there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow.”

“When you enter a World Cup, every team will pose you a challenge. So, from our perspective, I don’t think we’ll take anyone lightly.”