da spicy bet： Last night’s game against Liverpool in the League Cup was an enormous one for Tottenham Hotspur, and the players did themselves proud.

da pixbet： Ange Postecoglou’s side might be falling apart in the Premier League, but after yesterday’s superb performance, they are now just 90 minutes away from a final and have a one-goal lead to take to Anfield.

There were brilliant displays across the pitch for the Lilywhites, from the newly signed Antonín Kinsky in goal to the ever-impressive Dejan Kulusevski in midfield and the constantly dangerous Dominic Solanke up top.

However, two starters really stood out for us, and one of them was none other than Lucas Bergvall.

Bergvall's game vs Liverpool

So, one of the two best players for Spurs last night was the 18-year-old prodigy Bergvall, who started in midfield and looked cool, calm and collected from the first minute to the last.

On top of covering what felt like every blade of grass for Postecoglou, the former Djurgården ace was also a creative spark in the middle of the park and, most importantly, made the perfect run into Liverpool’s penalty area to put away the winner in the 85th minute.

Unsurprisingly, the watching press were full of praise for the talented midfielder with football.london’s Alasdair Gold awarding him a 9/10 at full-time, writing that he was ‘busy’ throughout and that he’s ‘adapting so quickly’ to first-team football.

Such a glowing appraisal of the young Swede is more than backed up by his statistics from the game.

For example, in 98 minutes of football, he scored a goal, created two big chances, played three key passes, took two shots on target, took 44 touches, won one foul, made two interceptions and completed three tackles.

Bergvall’s game in numbers

Minutes

98′

Goals

1

Big Chances Created

2

Key Passes

3

Shots on Target

2

Touches

44

Fouls Won

1

Interceptions

2

Tackles

3

All Stats via Sofascore

In short, it was a simply sensational performance and one that has to keep him in the starting lineup for every important game going forward, which is exactly what can be said about Djed Spence as well.

Spence's game vs Liverpool

Yes, the other starter who really caught our eye was Spence.

The talented full-back made just his sixth start of the campaign, and as has been the case in most other appearances he’s made this season, his performance was so good that it simply raises more questions about why he hasn’t started more games.

The “unbelievable” ace, as dubbed by the iconic Ian Wright, was absolutely rock-solid at the back, so much so that we forgot Mohamed Salah was even playing, as well as a useful outlet in attacking moves.

Like his Swedish teammate, the 24-year-old star seriously impressed Gold, who awarded him another 9/10 match rating and wrote that it was an ‘excellent display’ from the former Middlesbrough gem and that ‘he really is challenging now to keep his spot for the longer term.’

That might all sound like hyperbole, but it really isn’t, and his statistics from the game prove as much.

Spence’s game in numbers

Minutes

98′

Touches

78

Passing Accuracy

36/43 (84%)

Duels (Won)

12 (8)

Interceptions

1

Tackles

2

Clearances

6

Dribbles

2

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, in his 98 minutes on the pitch, the 6 foot titan took 78 touches, made 36 passes, won eight of 12 duels, made one interception, two tackles and six clearances and completed two dribbles.

Ultimately, it might only be half-time in the tie, but Spurs were superb last night, and while there were brilliant performances across the pitch, Bergvall and Spence stood out and simply have to start every important game from here on out.

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Hardly anyone got going for Rajasthan Royals after the openers Buttler and Jaiswal

Hemant Brar19-Apr-20232:30

Muzumdar: Samson’s run-out the game’s turning point

On a slow Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch, Lucknow Super Giants spoiled Rajasthan Royals’ homecoming in a game of middling totals by defending 154, the lowest total successfully defended this IPL.Playing in Jaipur after almost four years, Royals restricted Super Giants to 154 for 7. In response, they were 89 for 1 after 12 overs, needing 66 from the remaining eight. But Marcus Stoinis and Avesh Khan used the slowness of the surface to their advantage by banging the ball in the middle of the pitch to make run-scoring difficult.

Rahul fined for Super Giants’ slow over-rate

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul was fined INR 12 lakh for his team’s slow over-rate. It was Super Giants’ first offence of the season. They also faced the on-field penalty and had to bowl the 20th over with just four fielders outside the 30-yard circle.

As the asking rate mounted, so did the pressure on the Royals batters. With 48 required from four overs, Ravi Bishnoi conceded just six in the 17th. In the next over, Devdutt Padikkal picked up three fours off Stoinis to keep Royals in the contest but Naveen-ul-Haq bowled an excellent 19th over, giving away just ten and leaving 18 to defend for Avesh.Riyan Parag started the final over with a four, followed by a leg-bye, before Avesh dismissed Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel on successive deliveries to seal the result.

LSG’s scratchy start

The recent record in Jaipur was in favour of the chasing sides, and Sanju Samson duly opted to bowl. Even though Trent Boult couldn’t pick up a wicket in the first over this time, he started with a maiden to KL Rahul. With just 14 runs on the board after three overs, Rahul walked at Sandeep Sharma and punched him uppishly towards extra cover, where Yashasvi Jaiswal put down a straightforward chance. Later in the over, Rahul got another life when he pushed one to the right of Jaiswal and took off. Jaiswal intercepted with a dive but missed a direct hit, and Rahul would have been out by a yard.In the next over, Rahul had a third life: he miscued Boult, but Jason Holder, having settled under it after running back from mid-off, failed to hold on. With Kyle Mayers also struggling to score freely, Super Giants finished the powerplay on 37 for 0 – the lowest wicketless powerplay total this season by a distance.

A flicker from Rahul and Mayers, but nothing more

It was only after the powerplay that Rahul and Mayers really tried to increase the tempo. They were successful too for a while. Mayers launched Holder for a six in the eighth over and Rahul finished it with a four. In the next over, Yuzvendra Chahal was in the firing line. Mayers started by hitting a six and four off successive balls before Rahul slog-swept the legspinner for another six.3:27

Were Rajasthan Royals left surprised by the slowness of their ‘home’ ground?

With Super Giants 74 for no loss after nine overs, the platform was set. However, the next nine overs brought them just 55 runs with the loss of four wickets. Rahul was the first to depart, chipping Holder to long-on for 39 off 32. The experiment to send Ayush Badoni at No. 3 didn’t work either; the batter deflected a scoop off Boult onto his leg stump in the next over.In the 13th over, Mayers struck back-to-back fours off Chahal, and brought up his half-century off 40 balls. But R Ashwin’s double-strike from the other end to remove Deepak Hooda and Mayers kept the lid on the scoring rate. And despite Nicholas Pooran hitting Holder for two fours and a six in a 17-run 19th over, Super Giants just crossed 150.

Jaiswal keeps Royals afloat

Royals started their chase slowly and were 23 for 0 after four overs despite Yudhvir Singh leaking 16 in the second. By the end of the powerplay, though, they had more than doubled their score. A misfield by Mayers gifted Jaiswal a boundary on the first ball of the fifth over, bowled by Yudhvir. Three balls later, Butter – on 5 off 14 until then – smashed a 112-metre six.In the last over of the powerplay, Jaiswal and Buttler hit Avesh for three fours, the second of those a slash from Jaiswal that burst through Naveen’s hands at short third.Still, Buttler was going slower than a run a ball, and it was Jaiswal who kept Royals afloat. The two added 87 in 11.3 overs; Buttler’s contribution in that was only 35 off 35.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stoinis and Avesh turn it around

Royals were moving towards their target with little fuss when Stoinis ended the opening stand with Jaiswal’s wicket, who steered one low to Avesh at short third. The next two overs brought two more wickets; Samson was run-out and Buttler holed out to deep midwicket off Stoinis for 40 off 41.With 56 needed from six overs, and Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer in the middle, Royals were still the favourites. Naveen leaked just five in the 15th, resulting in the required rate going past ten for the first time in the chase. Hetmyer tried to take on Avesh but was caught at long-on, only for 2. That turned the game in Super Giants’ favour, and from there on, they didn’t give Royals any chance.

أعلن خافيير تيباس رئيس رابطة الدوري الإسباني، نبأ سعيدًا لجماهير برشلونة قبل انطلاق منافسات الموسم الجديد 2025-2026.

ويسعى نادي برشلونة لتعزيز صفوفه بعد نجاحه في التتويج بالثلاثية المحلية الموسم الماضي، الدوري وكأس ملك إسبانيا وكأس السوبر الإسباني.

أقرأ أيضاً .. أولمو: نيكو ويليامز ولويس دياز؟ برشلونة يستحق الأفضل

وأكد خافيير تيباس لخوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة، أن النادي سيتمكن من العمل في سوق الانتقالات وفقاً لقاعدة 1:1 المالية هذا الصيف.

وتمثل هذه التطورات دفعة قوية لخوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة، الذي كان يخطط لتعزيز صفوف النادي، وبالإضافة إلى أن هذا القرار يسهل من تسجيل التعاقدات الجديدة، فإنه يكمل أيضًا تجديد عقود اللاعبين المعلقة مثل فرانك دي يونج وإريك جارسيا.

وكان برشلونة قد أنهى موسمه المالي بإيرادات بلغت 950 مليون يورو، متجاوزاً التقديرات، وقد اعتبرت رابطة الليجا أن النادي استوفى الشروط المطلوبة للعودة إلى الوضع المالي الطبيعي.

ويستهل برشلونة مبارياته التحضيرية للموسم الجديد في آسيا بعد غيابه منذ 6 سنوات، حيث تنطلق التدريبات يوم 14 يوليو الحالي، قبل أن يسافر إلى اليابان لمواجهة فيسيل كوبي يوم 27 يوليو، قبل لقاء سيول، ثم يختتم مبارياته ضد فريق دايجو يوم 4 أغسطس.

Marseille have been told they are "very lucky" to have Mason Greenwood amid speculation of a summer transfer exit.

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Greenwood initially benched by De ZerbiTalk of Marseille transfer exitTeam-mate sends message to clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Marseille forward Neal Maupay has given a glowing review of team-mate Greenwood and stressed how important he is for Roberto De Zerbi's side. This comes at a time when some believe the 23-year-old will leave the club this summer due to how he has been treated.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT NEAL MAUPAY SAID

The former Brighton star told GiveMeSport: “He's another top one. I wouldn't say he's a striker, you can put him anywhere on the pitch. He's very talented, he's still young. We are very lucky to have him here. He's got what 15 goals already and more to come hopefully.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While De Zerbi did bench Greenwood for a perceived lack of effort earlier this year, the Italian admitted he "adores" the ex-Manchester United man and vowed to make him an all-time great. The one-time England international has been linked with eye-catching transfer moves but it seems many at Marseille want him to stay.

GOALWHAT NEXT?

Greenwood, Maupay, and De Zerbi will hope second-placed Marseille can secure an important win in their crunch Ligue 1 clash with third-placed Monaco on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have now made contact over a deal for an “outstanding” defender, having emerged as the club showing the most interest in his signature.

Tottenham struggling defensively

Given Ange Postecoglou’s attacking style of play, it will always be difficult for Tottenham to keep a great number of clean sheets, and they have often looked poor defensively in the first half of the campaign.

Spurs’ 6-3 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Premier League displayed their frailties at the back, and their defensive struggles may soon be exacerbated further by a number of defenders being sidelined with injuries.

With the likes of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie all currently on the treatment table, Postecoglou may be forced to enter the transfer market for a new defender this month.

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A number of targets have been identified by the Australian, with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori now on the list, alongside the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Ikatura and Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, having opened talks for the latter two players.

Tottenham clearly have a number of options in mind, and there is another player on the shortlist, with journalist Alessandro Giovanni Pagliarini reporting they have made contact with Atalanta to ask for information about Ben Godfrey.

“Not only #Wolves and #NFFC, also #Tottenham asked for information for Ben #Godfrey. The defender did not convince Gasperini and will leave #Atalanta in the January market.”

The 26-year-old, who cost £10m in the summer, has not done enough to convince manager Gian Piero Gasperini and is set to leave the Serie A club this winter, potentially opening the door for a move to north London, although Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest are also keen.

Journalist Rudy Galetti has confirmed that Spurs have shown “the most interest” in Godfrey, as they look to reinforce their defence this winter.

Godfrey could reignite his career at Tottenham

Things may not have worked out exactly to plan for the centre-back in Italy, but he has put in some impressive performances over the past year, showcasing his defensive attributes.

The York-born defender ranks in the 99th percentile for clearances per 90, and the 97th percentile for aerials won, when compared to his positional peers, displaying his dominance in the air.

During his time with Norwich City, the defender was hailed by former manager Daniel Farke, who said: “You can speak about the best centre-backs in the world now but at 19 and 20 they will have made mistakes.

“The best ones learn. Ben is playing without mistakes and that is outstanding. He is a pretty emotional player and I like that a lot because it means you are capable of finding another gear.”

The Englishman has a great deal of Premier League experience, making 112 appearances in the competition, and he could be a solid signing for Tottenham as they look to fix their defensive issues between now and the end of the campaign.

Celtic are now expected to attempt a double transfer swoop this January, with a “sensational” player being targeted, according to a report.

Celtic set for January transfer business

It appears as though the Hoops could be active in the transfer market this winter, with Brendan Rodgers having recently held a summit with major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson.

The trio discussed potential new arrivals in January, and a left-sided attacker was identified as a priority target, but it is not the only position Rodgers is looking to strengthen.

A new midfielder could also be brought in, with Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen deemed a potential target, although Neil Lennon does not believe the move has much chance of happening due to the Dane’s high wage demands.

However, Eriksen is not the only Premier League midfielder on the shortlist, with Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke revealing that Celtic have two other targets in mind, both of whom currently ply their trade for Chelsea.

According to O’Rourke, the Hoops are expected to make moves for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka in the January transfer window, with the duo currently out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Both players have failed to force their way into Enzo Maresca’s plans, and they have started to attract interest from a number of other clubs.

However, Dewsbury-Hall is believed to be keen on staying in the Premier League, which could make it difficult for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions to get a deal over the line.

It would be viewed as a “great pick-up” if Celtic are able to get this potential double signing done this winter, but it remains to be seen whether either player could be tempted by a move north of the border.

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He was loved by the fans during his time at Celtic.

1 ByBarney Lane Dec 26, 2024 Dewsbury-Hall performing well in Europe

The Chelsea duo have largely been limited to appearances in the Conference League this season, finding it difficult to break into a team that is performing above many people’s expectations in the Premier League so far this term.

Dewsbury-Hall has been particularly impressive in Europe, picking up two goals and an assist in six outings, and he had a fantastic year with Leicester City in the English Championship last season, with 26 goal contributions in 44 games.

Rodgers knows the 26-year-old very well from their Leicester days, having lauded him as “sensational” in the past, so he could perhaps use the existing relationship to tempt him into a move to Parkhead.

Chukwuemeka is a little less proven, given that he is still only 21 years old, but he already has 37 Premier League appearances to his name, and a move to Celtic could provide the Englishman with the perfect platform to prove himself.

As such, it would be exciting news if Celtic are able to pull off a double signing this January, but it seems a little unlikely given that Dewsbury-Hall wants to stay in England.

Only four India batters reached double-figures after not having answers to Starc’s swing and pace

Sreshth Shah19-Mar-20233:21

Tait: Starc close to being an Australia all-time great

Mitchell Starc produced a masterclass in new-ball swing bowling before openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head hammered rapid fifties to complete a knockout performance against India and level the series 1-1. India received a thrashing like no other in Visakhapatnam – their heaviest defeat in terms of balls remaining – when they were bowled out for 117 in just 26 overs.Starc was the tormentor in chief with his 5 for 53, his ninth five-for in ODIs, and gave Marsh and Head freedom to bat with no scoreboard pressure; Marsh raced to 28-ball fifty before Head got to his in 29 balls and Australia chased the target down in just 11 overs.Starc got deliveries to swing in as well as angle across to the right-hand batters in equal measure. His work up top allowed Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis to join hands and run through the lower middle order thereafter. In all, the Australian bowlers were done with their shift inside two hours and 20 minutes, with the three seamers sharing all ten wickets.When Starc got the deliveries to angle across, he tempted Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma to drive away from their bodies, only for both to get dismissed cheaply. Gill was the first to go, out for a duck in the first over, when he chased a full and wide delivery and drove to point, in what was a repeat of his dismissal from the Mumbai ODI. Rohit, returning to the side in place of Ishan Kishan, was out in the fifth over. He had had moved to 13 by relying on leg-side flicks, but then swung big against a wide ball to edge to first slip.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Suryakumar Yadav walked in looking to make up for his first-ball duck from the first ODI, but he suffered the same fate when Starc swing the ball into him again, and had him lbw for another golden duck. In what was another repeat from the first ODI, KL Rahul came in trying to survive a hat-trick delivery. He did that successfully, but could not last too much longer. The half-centurion from the previous game was also trapped lbw by Starc, on 9, with another inswinging delivery that got him missing a shot across the line.At 48 for 4, India needed a recovery job, but that wouldn’t come. Abbott got a length ball to bounce a bit more and Hardik Pandya poked at it only to see Steven Smith take a stunning one-handed diving catch at first slip to rock them further. Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja tried to resurrect the innings, but they failed as well this time. Kohli was trapped lbw by Ellis when, on 31, he swiped across the line to a full ball, and didn’t bother reviewing the on-field decision. Ellis then came around the wicket to get Jadeja edging a catch to the wicketkeeper Alex Carey. At 91 for 7, India were on the mat and the crowd was completely silenced.That India reached triple-digits was because of Axar Patel’s unbeaten 29. He was circumspect at first alongside Kuldeep Yadav as India went past 100. But when Kuldeep and Mohammad Shami fell in quick succession to Abbott, Axar realised the end was coming soon. He smacked Starc for back-to-back sixes but ran out of partners as No. 11 Mohammed Siraj became Starc’s fifth victim after seeing his off stump rattled.Marsh and Head thwarted India’s hopes of staging any kind of fightback. While Head’s 30-ball 51 was dominant when taken in isolation, it almost paled in comparison to Marsh’s 66 off 36 balls.When the full deliveries from Siraj and Shami were put away in the initial burst of overs, both bowlers tried to go short. The openers were equally competent to the short ball, and made use of the day’s best batting conditions just before sunset.Marsh pulled, drove and punched his way to his second straight fifty after his 81 in the first ODI. Head’s boundaries were more streaky but the highlight was his four consecutive fours against Shami in the sixth over soon after Australia had crossed 50. Marsh also launched three sixes in a Hardik over before finishing the game in the 11th.The ODI series now moves to the decider in Chennai on Wednesday. After the way they have put India’s batters in trouble in these two games, Australia will quietly think they go into the final game as favourites.