Leading the two-Test series 1-0, Sri Lanka may once again go in with the three-pronged spin-attack that fetched them 17 wickets in the first game

The Preview by Firdose Moonda19-Jul-2018Big PictureSoon, Sri Lankans might be making jokes about how the captain, the coach and the manager should be banned more often. Dinesh Chandimal, Chandika Hathurusingha and Asanka Gurusinha will miss four of the five ODIs against South Africa, after the ICC meted out its most severe punishment earlier this week since the demerit points system was introduced, but that is not a concern for the next five days.The trio is also out of this second Test but, even sans their engine room, Sri Lanka had trounced South Africa so soundly in Galle that they can confidently say they don’t need the big three back just yet. Rather, it’s the other three Sri Lanka will rely on: the three spinners.Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan made South Africa look like amateurs on a surface that was challenging but nowhere near a minefield, and they will look to do it again in Colombo. It’s difficult to imagine South Africa’s batting line-up doing worse, but stranger things have happened.For a start, South Africa have to decide on their approach against spin. Are they going to attack, with the mentality that they have to get runs before the ball gets them – something Ottis Gibson said was a tactic on seamer-friendly pitches – or are they going to show patience, bat time and trust that runs will follow? The latter sounds more sensible, the former more desperate, and desperate is what South Africa are.In 2014, South Africa reached the SSC 1-0 up in the series and were dogged in their determination not to lose the advantage. What followed was a blockathon that made the rain breaks more entertaining than play. Four years on, Sri Lanka are 1-0 up at the SSC and will want to turn the screws. South Africa will be happy to draw the series, but whether they are capable of that is the real question.Form guideSri Lanka: WWDLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LWWWLIn the spotlightWhile Dimuth Karunaratne scored more than the entire South Africa team in the first Test, he also made more runs than any of his team-mates, which puts the onus on Angelo Mathews, among others, to step up. In absence of Dinesh Chandimal, Mathews is the senior-most batsman in the line-up and will want to show that. He was their second-highest run-scorer, behind Chandimal, when they visited India last year, before missing two of the three Test in the West Indies for personal reasons. He has not got past the 30s in his last five innings, numbers that simply won’t do for the man who should be leading with the bat.On his first tour of the subcontinent, Aiden Markram already showed improvement from one innings to the next in the first Test and will want to leave his mark on the series in Colombo. Markram faced 46 balls in the second innings, six times more than what he faced in the first, and, though he was stumped trying to charge the spinner, he showed a little more patience and a little more finesse the second time. Batting coach Dale Benkenstein expects Markram’s ability to adjust quickly to bring more rewards in the second Test.Team newsThe major decision South Africa have to make is whether or not to leave out Vernon Philander – who, despite his efforts with the bat, bowled only 11 of the 112.1 overs they delivered in the Galle Test – and finding a suitable replacement. If it’s an extra batsman they’re looking for, Theunis de Bruyn will slot in. If it’s a bowler, Lungi Ngidi could come into contention.South Africa: (possible) 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Vernon Philander/Theunis de Bruyn, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiHaving had success with a three-pronged spin-attack against Australia at the SSC in 2016, Sri Lanka will probably go with a similar strategy.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Roshen Silva, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal (capt), 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lakshan SandakanPitch and conditionsThe SSC surface is expected to take substantial turn in the latter half of the Test, but it does also tend to be conducive to seam bowling on the first morning and generally has more runs in it than the Galle pitch.Some rain is forecast for every day of the match. However, the second day is the most likely to be affected, with an 80% chance of showers.Stats and trivia Hashim Amla needs three more runs to become the third South African, after Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, to 9000 Test runs. Angelo Mathews is eight runs away from 5000 runs. He will become the ninth Sri Lanka batsman to reach the milestone. In Galle, South Africa lost 17 of their 20 wickets to spin. In Colombo in 2014, they lost the same number of wickets to Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, but managed to draw the Test and win the series.Irrespective of the outcome of the series, both South Africa and Sri Lanka will remain in their current positions – No. 2 and No. 6 respectively – on the ICC rankings table. If Sri Lanka win 2-0, they will gain six points, and South Africa will lose six. If the series is drawn 1-1, Sri Lanka only gain two points and South Africa lose two.Quotes”It is very important that we win a series, and that we win at home. They are the No. 2-ranked team. We need a victory to gain confidence, so it’s a very important game.”
“I will give him a kiss on the cheek.”

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been watching British television illegally, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher joked this week.

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Kane thanked Henry for singing his praiseStriker admitted to watching Sky SportsAccused of having 'dodgy box' in GermanyWHAT HAPPENED?

Kane appeared on to discuss his team's 3-0 win against Lazio on Tuesday as the German giants secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Englishman took a moment to thank Thierry Henry for praising him on Sky Sports' show Monday Night Football, but was quizzed on how he was able to watch the programme while in Germany.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT KANE AND CARRAGHER SAID

When Kane thanked Henry for the kind comments, fellow pundit Micah Richards asked him: "How do you get that in Germany, by the way?"

"Don't worry," Kane replied, sending the pundits into a laugh as Carragher shouted: "Harry's got a dodgy box!"

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It was not the only funny moment between Kane and the pundits after Tuesday's encounter. The striker broke Carragher's heart when he admitted that the pair had not spoken over the phone the night before the home game against Lazio, despite the ex-England hero's claim that they were friends.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

After his double helped fire Bayern into the last-eight of the Champions League, Kane and his co-stars will turn their attention to Saturday's game against Mainz in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian giants are currently 10 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Manchester United have had a plethora of talented players on their books throughout their 145-year history, but some of those have slipped through the net, and perhaps departed the club far too soon.

Football FanCast has taken a look at 10 players Manchester United should never have sold.

10 Angel Gomes to Lille – Free (2020)

Letting Angel Gomes – a highly-talented England Under-21 international – depart on a free transfer looks like a huge mistake from United.

Gomes has been an integral part of Lille's side since joining up with their first team in the summer of 2021 following a successful season-long loan spell with Portuguese top-flight outfit Boavista, and at just 23 years old, he has plenty of time to improve.

His performances for England at the Under-21 European Championship this summer were further evidence that United made an error in letting him go, as he displayed countless midfield masterclasses en route to winning the illustrious youth-level competition.

What's worse is that United are in desperate need of a deep-lying playmaker – the role Gomes operates in – and could do with someone of his profile to partner Casemiro at the base of the midfield.

Erik ten Hag would surely have loved to have him at his disposal…

9 Memphis Depay to Lyon – £13.8m (2017)

Memphis Depay very much feels like a 'right player, wrong time' kind of transfer, which is often the term United fans would use to describe his tenure at Old Trafford.

The Dutch forward made a £31m switch to Manchester in 2015 as a 21-year-old following a 28-goal season with PSV, but he failed to replicate the heights displayed in the Eredivisie and with his national team.

He netted a respectable seven goals in his debut season at United and provided nine assists, which certainly isn't a bad return, particularly given his age.

The following season, Memphis barely got a look-in under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, who sold the Dutchman in January 2017, ending a short 18-month career at United.

Since departing, he's flourished at Lyon, where he scored 76 goals and provided 55 assists across 178 appearances before joining La Liga giants Barcelona in 2021.

Memphis is now plying his trade with Atletico Madrid.

8 Darren Fletcher to West Brom – Free (2015)

Darren Fletcher was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's most reliable and consistent players. The Scotland international won five Premier League titles during his career at United, evincing his capabilities as a top-level title-winning midfielder.

But an illness limited his playing time and he fell down the pecking order during Louis van Gaal's reign before departing on a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion in the 2015 January window.

Fletcher went on to make 91 consecutive Premier League appearances and became a consistent performer once again – something United perhaps needed at that time.

So Van Gaal may have ultimately regretted the decision to allow him to leave.

7 Ander Herrera to PSG – Free (2019)

Ander Herrera was a passionate five-year servant for Manchester United and a fan favourite because of it. The Spaniard won the club's prestigious Player of the Year award in 2017 but was not offered a contract extension that summer, and departed Old Trafford on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.

In an interview with The Telegraph just over a year after his United exit, Herrera admitted he never wanted to leave: "My intention was not to leave the club and I was happy there – as happy as I am now here. It was not a secret.

"I was negotiating for more than one year but I expected more from the board after my third season at the club when I was player of the year.

"They didn’t come to me that summer; they didn’t even call me. And that was very painful for me because I had a feeling that I was giving everything."

The midfielder went on to make just under a century of appearances for the Parisians, winning two league titles and five domestic cups as well as starting the 2020 Champions League final.

6 Jonny Evans to West Brom – £7.2m (2015)

Jonny Evans departed United for West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2015, and within two years at The Hawthorns, the centre-back was subject of a £20m bid from Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola was at the forefront of City's interest and had targeted the Northern Irishman himself, which is about as high praise as you can get given the Spaniard's exceptional record.

Evans was also the centre of interest from Arsenal the previous summer, but the West Midlands club held firm in their desire to keep him.

Leicester City managed to sign the defender in 2018 for just £3.5m after they triggered his relegation release clause, and he again proved his worth with the Foxes, making 152 appearances across one of the club's most successful periods.

He was an integral part of Leicester's FA Cup triumph and back-to-back fifth-place finishes. So perhaps the eight years that followed his United exit provided the club with good reason to rue their decision in 2015.

Evans is now back with the Red Devils, aged 35, having penned a one-year deal earlier this month.

5 Patrice Evra to Juventus – £1.6m (2014)

When United let 33-year-old left-back Patrice Evra depart in the summer of 2014 to Juventus, it certainly wouldn't have struck fans as a transfer blunder.

But Evra displayed that there was plenty of life in the old dog yet, as he went on to win two Serie A and Coppa Italia titles whilst starting in the 2015 Champions League final for the Turin titans.

He also played every minute of every game for France at Euro 2016, helping his nation reach the final before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Portugal.

The defender clearly still had the legs to play a pivotal role at Old Trafford and could've helped 18-year-old Luke Shaw adapt when he arrived from Southampton that same summer.

Though, it's important to note that his exit was down to family reasons, rather than United forcing him out the door prematurely.

On his United departure, Evra spoke to Tuttosport, via the Mirror: “My wife found it difficult to live in Manchester, I made a decision that wasn't mine."

4 Wilfried Zaha to Crystal Palace – £3.3m (2014)

Wilfried Zaha has been an electrifying top-flight winger ever since his 2014 United exit and was the subject of a mega-money bid from Arsenal in 2019.

The fleet-footed, skilful forward made a whopping 458 appearances across his two spells for Palace, scoring 90 goals whilst laying on 76 assists, so it's fair to say he didn't do too badly following his departure from the Red Devils…

He now plays his football in Turkey with Süper Lig giants Galatasaray, who have signed numerous high-profile players this summer, such as Mauro Icardi, Hakim Ziyech and Tanguy Ndombele, to name a few.

Perhaps United could've done with Zaha over the years, having bought several failed wingers to the club for sizeable fees.

3 Gerard Piqué to Barcelona – £4.3m (2008)

Gerard Piqué left Barcelona in favour of a move to Manchester United as a 17-year-old, but during his four-year stay, he never managed to gain consistent playing time.

The Spanish centre-back made just 23 appearances for the club before Barca re-signed him in 2008, and as they say, the rest is history.

Piqué enjoyed a trophy-laden 15-year spell at the Catalan giants and became one of the best centre-backs in the world for a number of years.

What could have been…

2 Jaap Stam to Lazio – £16.5m (2001)

Jaap Stam won three consecutive Premier League titles at Manchester United and was an integral part of the 1999 treble-winning campaign.

But his Old Trafford career came to an abrupt end when he was controversially sold to Lazio in the summer of 2001 due to a bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The United boss was reportedly upset about the allegations Stam had made in his autobiography, Head to Head, about the club. Both Sir Alex and Stam deny the book had anything to do with his exit and the Scotsman later confirmed the move was fuelled by Lazio's colossal offer.

"At the time, he had just come back from an Achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit. We got the offer from Lazio – £16.5m for a centre-back that was 29. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. But in playing terms, it was a mistake," said Sir Alex.

Nevertheless, regardless of how Stam's departure came about, it was certainly a ruthless end to a trophy-littered three-year stint at the club, with the Red Devils relinquishing their league title that season.

1 Paul Pogba to Juventus – Free (2012)

Probably the most high-profile transfer blunder United have made is… Paul Pogba, who left the club on a free to Juventus in 2012 before re-signing him four years later for a world-record transfer fee worth £93.2m.

What's worse is that the midfielder would leave Old Trafford for free once more last year, despite the eyewatering amount of cash outlaid to sign him in 2016.

But it was his first exit that left the club rueing their decision to let him slip from their grasp, as he quickly emerged as one of the world's best midfielders at Juve and was shortlisted for the 2015 Ballon d'Or, further evincing his world-class ability.

During his initial four years away from United, the Frenchman won four successive Serie A titles and five domestic cups whilst starring in the Champions League, helping his side reach the final in 2015.

Though, it must be noted that United did offer Pogba a new deal prior to his initial exit. The France international told Man United's podcast why he departed in 2012: "It was a very difficult decision for me, with the manager as well and everything with the contract.

"It wasn’t the contract but more like the trust with the manager. Obviously, the manager, for me, is still the best manager in history.

"When they asked me to sign the contract, if I didn’t sign, a lot of things happened. I didn’t train, I went back to training by myself and stuff like this.

"It made me a bit angry and was nothing about the money. It’s just about you’re a player, we believe in you, you believe in you and, me, I just want to play football. That is all I want. I want to play."

Vinicius Jr. claimed he has become 'unstoppable' due to a small tactical tweak at Real Madrid.

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Vinicius claimed he is 'unstoppable'Ancelotti's tactical change made it possibleHas scored 16 goals for Real Madrid this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid star claimed that opponents face difficulty while defending against him as he credited manager Carlo Ancelotti for a tactical shift that has made it possible. The Brazilian, who predominantly plays as a winger, has scored 16 in 27 matches across all competitions in this season and has provided eight assists.

AdvertisementWHAT VINICIUS JUNIOR SAID

Speaking in an interview with the club's official website, the Brazil international said, "I'm trying to help as much as I can, changing my game. I'm unstoppable because when I'm not playing well as a winger I go central and the opponents don't know how to defend against me."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Los Blancos have been a force to reckon with in the current 2023/24 season. The club have already bagged the Spanish Super Cup where they beat Barcelona 4-1 with Vinicius scoring a hat-trick. They are also leading the Spanish top-tier title race by seven points and have made it to the quarter-final of the Champions League. Their only setback this season came against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey round of 16 where they lost 4-2.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Ancelotti's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Osasuna in a crucial La Liga clash.

Aston Villa are readying a bid to sign a new midfielder according to a fresh report, and should he join it's not the first time that he will have been coached by Unai Emery.

Who are Villa's new signings?

Over the summer, NSWE and Monchi recruited five fresh faces in the form of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans on a permanent basis, whilst Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet both joined on loan for the remainder of the season.

In the Midlands, Cameron Archer, Ashley Young and Wesley Moraes were just a few of the big name players to leave for good, alongside the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Morgan Sanson, who were sent out on the road to increase their game time.

Looking ahead to January, Emery will now be thinking about who he’d like to sign in the upcoming window and he appears to have highlighted Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos as an ideal transfer target, having managed the central midfielder during his time at Arsenal.

In La Liga, Spain’s international has made zero starts this season and has been limited to just two substitute appearances, via WhoScored, so he has fallen significantly down the pecking order, though if the following update is to be believed, the 27-year-old may have been handed the perfect lifeline.

Are Aston Villa signing Dani Ceballos?

According to XCatalunya (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are "preparing an offer" for Ceballos and are willing to spend up to €18m (£15m) to bring him back to the Premier League.

The Midlands outfit are "interested" in the talisman, and having seen how out of favour he's become at the Bernabeu Stadium, chiefs are "keen" to give him a new opportunity to kickstart his career. NSWE are also looking to bring his salary to €8m (£6m), with the idea being that he would put pen to paper in January.

How many trophies has Dani Ceballos won?

Since the start of his career, Ceballos has secured an outstanding 14 senior trophies, including titles like La Liga and the Champions League, which shows that he possesses the winning mentality required to compete and be successful at the highest level, meaning he could add a bit more top level pedigree and experience to the current squad at Villa Park.

The Utrera native has also posted 18 contributions (12 assists and six goals) in 122 appearances for Real Madrid which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, alongside ranking in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons past his marker.

Sponsored by Nike, Emery’s ex-star is additionally a versatile operator having been deployed in eight different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the midfield and even three roles in the frontline.

Ceballos has been dubbed a “genius” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and there’s no doubt that he could bring a wealth of experience to the Villans, therefore making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete should the opportunity present itself.

Glasgow Rangers have parted company with Michael Beale on Sunday evening after just ten months in charge of the club following a disappointing start to the season.

The Ibrox side will now be looking for their third permanent manager in just two years and this cycle will need to be broke should they wish to return to the summit of Scottish football anytime soon.

Steven Davis has been placed in interim charge of the Gers whilst they search for a new manager and with a Europa League tie against Aris Limassol fast approaching, the Northern Irishman doesn’t have long to prepare his side for their second group stage tie of the season.

Why was Michael Beale sacked by Rangers?

The former first-team assistant at the Light Blues had taken over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November last year and whilst failing to secure any of the domestic trophies on offer, he was given the summer to rebuild the squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Beale did indeed complete a total revamp of the first team squad, showing no sentiment by allowing the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Scott Arfield to leave at the end of their contracts while selling Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala and Antonio Colak.

In their place arrived nine new players, and it appeared as though Beale was certainly backed by the board in terms of getting his main targets and with Celtic losing Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham Hotspur, the Gers had a solid chance of battling them for the Premiership crown.

A 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock in the opening league match of the season was a dreadful start, yet there was plenty of time to make amends, but the performances on the pitch weren’t exactly lighting up Ibrox.

Indeed, until the international break, the Light Blues played nine games and won just four of them, including a 2-1 win over second-tier Greenock Morton. Defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Celtic practically derailed their campaign before it was even up and running and handed the momentum to the Parkhead outfit, while the Gers also failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages.

There was a slight response by the team as they secured four wins in a row while failing to concede following the international break, but Beale was booed by the Ibrox faithful after the 1-0 win over Motherwell and the writing was on the wall.

Losing 3-1 to Aberdeen proved to be the last straw and now thoughts turn to who will be the 19th permanent manager of Rangers.

Who will be the next manager of Rangers?

There will likely be a cascade of names who put themselves forward for the role, yet the club must be wise about their next decision and not rush the process, otherwise the cycle will simply repeat itself.

The Gers are showing interest in Graham Potter, who is currently without a club having been sacked by Chelsea, while former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat has declared his interest in the vacant managerial role as of late.

Another name to have been linked with taking over at Ibrox is English-born Pascal Jansen, who is currently in charge of Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, whom he has guided to second in the league table.

Jansen would certainly be an interesting choice and would represent somewhat of a gamble, yet going slightly left field as opposed to the safer option is the direction the club should be going in, and the AZ coach could be an ideal successor to Beale should he be appointed.

Who is Pascal Jansen?

The 50-year-old spent the first few years of his managerial career taking charge of the PSV youth sides, including their U19 and U21 sides as he sought to gain plenty of experience ahead of landing a senior role in the near future.

He landed the post of assistant to manager Arne Slot at AZ before taking over the hot seat in December 2020, initially until the end of that season, yet nearly three years later, he is still in charge of the Dutch side.

The last three years has seen steady progress at the club, establishing a team which can challenge for not only domestic honours, but also success on the continent.

Indeed, Jansen led AZ to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season, losing to West Ham United, and he clearly has plenty more experience than Beale in terms of managerial experience.

Third

2.16

Fifth

1.79

Fourth

1.97

Across his spell with the Dutch club, he has an excellent 1.97 points per game average while seeing his team score 303 goals over just 145 matches, which works out at just over two goals a game and this sort of attacking play is much-needed at Ibrox.

Beale in comparison, has just 1.77 points per game across spells with Rangers, QPR and Liverpool U21s, while his teams have scored 217 goals across 120 matches.

Jansen has much more experience managing in a more competitive league, while he also tends to play with a 4-3-3 formation which certainly fits the skillset of the players he would have at his disposal should he take over the Gers.

Reporter Graeme Bailey praised the coach before the Europa Conference League semi-final clash against West Ham, saying: “English-born, a truly fascinating and engaging character who would love chance to manage in the Premier League.”

This is the type of managerial appointment that the Light Blues should be all over. A coach who has plenty of years of experience yet is still only 50-years-old while challenging teams such as Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV on a regular basis.

Whether or not the board take the same approach remains to be seen, yet in order for the Ibrox side to make any progress, risks will have to be taken and luring a coach such as Jansen to Glasgow could be the very first step in the road to success.

Davis will take charge of the team for the coming weeks before a decision is made on the future, yet with Celtic already seven points clear, the next manager must come in and hit the ground running, or the Gers face another trophyless campaign.

Celtic maintained their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership table this weekend as they beat Motherwell 2-1 in dramatic fashion on Saturday.

The Hoops did not take the lead until Luis Palma struck in the 87th minute and then appeared set for late heartbreak as the hosts equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

However, Denmark U21 international Matt O'Riley became the hero for Brendan Rodgers as he popped up with a 97th-minute winner to secure all three points for the Bhoys.

How did Luis Palma perform against Motherwell?

The Honduras international, who joined from Aris FC during the summer transfer window, caught the eye off the bench with an impressive cameo.

As per Sofascore, Palma provided two key passes, one of which created a 'big chance', and completed nine of his 11 attempted passes to go alongside his goal.

The 5 foot 10 ace, who was a hero alongside O'Riley, scored his first goal for the Hoops as he cut inside onto his stronger right foot from the left flank and whipped a shot, which may have been a cross, into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Rodgers must now unleash the 23-year-old ace from the start in the Premiership as the exciting winger is yet to make his full league debut for the club and he could form an exciting link-up with O'Riley at the top end of the pitch.

How many chances has O'Riley created this season?

The former MK Dons star, who has scored five goals in seven top-flight outings, has created 17 chances for his teammates so far this term.

This comes after the 22-year-old produced a whopping 84 key passes and provided his teammates with a staggering 16 'big chances' in the Premiership during the 2022/23 campaign.

He has made 0.6 more key passes per match than any other Celtic player this season and made 0.2 more per game than any of his teammate's last term at league level.

These statistics show that O'Riley is the club's outstanding creative threat from a central midfield position and Palma is a player who has the potential to profit from the Danish gem's invention.

How many goals did Palma score last season?

The Honduras international scored 13 goals and produced eight assists in 36 matches across all competitions for Aris in Greece last term.

He was a lethal scorer at league level for the Greek side as the Celtic ace scored 11 goals and only missed one 'big chance' in 20 Super League starts.

Palma, who was described as "ambitious" by Rodgers, rarely passed up a big opportunity in front of goal as he found the back of the net 11 times from just 7.84 expected goals, which shows that the young wizard is a phenomenal finisher from a wide position.

The summer signing has now showcased his ability in front of goal with the strike against Motherwell on Saturday and that is why Rodgers must finally unleash him from the start in the Premiership to see how he fares over 90 minutes.

O'Riley's outstanding level of chance creation from midfield could provide Palma with the opportunities he needs at the top end of the pitch to carry his superb scoring record over from Greece to Scotland.

Nabi turned the match around with a brilliant display as he struck 86 of the 99 runs needed when he came to the crease

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2018
ScorecardA savage and brilliant innings of 86 not out in only 32 balls by Afghan allrounder Mohammad Nabi secured a stunning five-wicket victory for Leicestershire Foxes in their North Group match against Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.Coming to the wicket with his side on 92 for 5 in the eleventh over and needing another 99 runs to win the game, Nabi tore the Lancashire attack apart, hitting eight sixes and four fours as the visitors cruised home with eight balls to spare.Ateeq Javid, Nabi’s partner in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 102, made only 15 not out but finished the game with a pull for four off Matthew Parkinson in front of a crowd 9525, most of whom were probably stunned by what they had just witnessed.Much earlier in the evening Alex Davies had made a career-best 94 not out in the home side’s 190 for 5 and that total had looked plenty when the home side lost a wicket in each of the first three overs of their innings, left-arm spinner Mark Watt taking a wicket with only his second ball for Lancashire.Colin Ackermann and Ben Raine repaired the innings to some extent with a stand of 77 but both fell to successive balls from Parkinson. That, though, only prepared the stage for Nabi, whose previous highest score in this year’s Vitality Blast was 32.Nabi hit almost all of Lancashire’s bowlers for sixes and some of them cleared the boundary by over thirty yards. It was as astonishing a hitting innings as even this great ground has seen.The centrepiece of Lancashire’s innings was the batting of Davies. The diminutive right-hander scored most of his early runs with ferocious drives as his side levied 77 runs in the six Powerplay overs and he then helped later batsmen consolidate that progress when the Foxes’ skipper, Colin Ackermann opted to take pace off the ball.Lancashire’s early surge was checked when Zak Chappell took two wickets in three balls, first having Karl Brown caught at cover by Harry Swindells for 29 and then bowling Arron Lilley for 4, Indeed, it was not until the 17th over that Lancashire doubled their rich haul from the first six overs.However, T20 debutant Josh Bohannon helped Davies add 58 for the third wicket in 7.3 overs and Steven Croft joined the opener in a 48-run stand for the fifth but most of the burden fell on Davies who batted through the innings, hitting eleven fours and two sixes.Lancashire’s top order was lacking a trio of batsmen either injured or on Test duty and Davies’ innings was certainly needed as the home side certainly struggled against the Foxes’ slower bowlers.Chappell was the only Foxes bowler to take two wickets but the efforts of Ackermann, who took 1 for 23 in three overs, and Neil Dexter were quite as valuable in checking the Lightning’s progress.Left-armer Callum Parkinson also bowled well on his return to Old Trafford and his figures of 0 for 36 in four overs did him little justice.

New Zealand Cricket has turned down a request from the PCB to tour Pakistan later this year for a T20I series because of security concerns. New Zealand are set to travel to the UAE to play Pakistan for a full tour that is likely to comprise three Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is in October-November, even though the fixtures are not announced yet. The PCB had hoped to convince New Zealand to play the T20I leg of the tour in Pakistan.”At the end of the day it came down to following the advisory and the security reports we’d obtained.” NZC chairman Greg Barclay told . “There’s no doubt they (Pakistan Cricket Board) are disappointed. I think they saw a tour by a country like New Zealand as being a great precedent for them to start to build an international programme back in Pakistan.”So they’re disappointed but they’re good guys, we get on really well with Pakistan, and I think they’re fully accepting of the decision that we’ve reached.”NZC had received a request to tour Pakistan earlier this year and was going to consult with security providers, the government, and the players.Since the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, Pakistan have played most of their home games in the UAE. Zimbabwe broke the deadlock in May 2015 when they toured for a short limited-overs series, which was marred by a blast near the Gaddafi Stadium.A World XI side led by Faf du Plessis, comprising a number of current internationals toured the country for three T20Is in September 2017. In April this year, a depleted West Indies squad also toured Pakistan for three T20Is in as many days. In between, Lahore and Karachi have hosted a few PSL matches.New Zealand last toured Pakistan in 2003, just a year after a suicide bombing outside their team hotel in Karachi had cut their tour short.”I can’t comment on the decision process that the West Indies went through, perhaps some of the timings may have been different as well,” Barclay said of West Indies’ decision to tour. “I just know that we went through a very thorough process and I’m comfortable with the decision that we got to.”We’re very sympathetic to the plight they find themselves in, we’re a member of the ICC, we’re very aware that the ICC are trying to facilitate more international cricket in Pakistan and we’re very supportive of that.”Although they were given three months to analyse the situation, NZC had not sent any of their representatives to Pakistan to conduct any personal checks.

USMNT forward Brandon Vazquez scored for the second consecutive Champions Cup game to book CF Monterrey a spot in the next round.

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• Rayados defeat FC Cincy 3-1 (aggregate)
• Vazquez scores winner in each leg
• Monterrey to clash with Miami in quarterfinals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vazquez found the back of the net in the 67th minute to ice the game, making it 2-1 to the Mexican side, and 3-1 on aggregate. He scored the winner in each leg for Rayados, putting his ex-club FCC to bed each time. Now, with the victory, he's rewarded with a match against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the quarterfinals of the region's marquee competition.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 25-year-old, who narrowly missed out on the 23-man USMNT roster for their CONCACAF Nations League roster this March, added his eighth goal in 13 appearances for Rayados since his January arrival. He's been on fire in Mexico, and now, will have his eyes on a leaky Inter Miami defense in the next round.

  The Herons "biggest weakness," Vazquez will look to exploit their backline, but what they lack defensively, they can attribute for up top. Monterrey will have to handle the attack of Messi and MLS-leading scorer Luis Suarez, with a midfield pivot of Federico Redondo and Sergio Busquets behind them. The biggest question looming moving forward, though, will be the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's injury status.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VAZQUEZ AND MESSI?

  The Inter Miami superstar will have time to recover, however, with the next round of the Champions Cup not arriving until April 2 and 9. Although time and location for the home and away legs has yet to be determined, there is a period of recovery available. As for Vazquez and Rayados, they will look to continue their incredible form into the weekend when they clash with Atlas in Liga MX action.