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Manoj Tiwary’s occasional legbreaks got the crucial wicket of Parthiv Patel just before stumps•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bengal closed in on their first outright win of the season through a nine-over burst between their declaration and stumps to remove all three Patels. Both their opening bowlers struck once each, their captain Manoj Tiwary celebrated his 191 earlier in the day with the scalp of his opposite number, and Gujarat’s last six were left to erase the deficit of 248 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Tiwary began the day at 102 not out, and Bengal were 40 runs behind Gujarat’s 260. With Anustup Majumdar, Tiwary took Bengal into lead, and with Laxmi Shukla he piled on the misery for Gujarat. Shukla scored 113 off 117 to give Bengal a total they would feel safe with.Given nine overs to survive before stumps, Gujarat faltered. Priyank Panchal was run out in the second over, Niraj Patel fell to Ashok Dinda in the third, and Smit Patel was bowled by Sourav Sarkar in the fourth. Just before stumps, Tiwary accounted for the most important Patel, Parthiv, getting him to edge to Wriddhiman Saha.
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The highlight of a shortened day in Bhubaneswar was that Railways managed to get Uday Kaul out for the first time this season. Otherwise, Punjab, who had taken a lead on day two, couldn’t find a way through Railways’ batting a second time around, and the match headed towards a draw.Uday added four to his overnight 96 before he fell to Sanjay Bangar, but Punjab managed a lead of 109. Amit Paunikar responded with an unbeaten century, but that only took the match towards a draw. However, if Railways manage the draw, they will take away one point from the game.The concern for Punjab was that Manpreet Gony bowled only 3.5 overs.
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Saurashtra, who had taken a lead on day two, surprised observers by not asking Hyderabad to bat for what could have been a tricky period before stumps. Saurashtra already had a lead of 344, and Hyderabad, a fragile line-up, are missing VVS Laxman in this match.Their approach on the third day, though, was surprising. They batted out the whole 90 overs for just 270 runs. Sagar Jogiyani scored 69 off 195. While wanting to secure the match might have been behind their go-slow in the morning, it was hard to find reasons for not declaring, especially after Jaydev Shah’s 55 off 67 balls had provided them momentum.
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In another match headed towards a draw, Madhya Pradesh’s Naman Ojha struck a century after Ishwar Pandey finished his second five-for. However, Rajasthan all but ensured three points despite a solid second-innings response from MP.Rajasthan began the day at 306 for 6, and batted 26.4 overs for just 73 runs. When they were eventually bowled out for a lead of 123 runs, the only possibility of a result was if Rajasthan could bowl MP out. That didn’t happen, and the teams were headed towards a drab final day.

علّق النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، لاعب يوفنتوس الإيطالي، على تتويجه بجائزة IFFHS كهداف للمسابقات الدولية لعام 2019.

وتم اختيار رونالدو البالغ من العمر 36 عامًا، من قبل الاتحاد الدولي لتاريخ وإحصاءات كرة القدم كأفضل هداف لعام 2019.

وعبر حسابه الرسمي على “إنستجرام” نشر رونالدو صورة له مع الجائزة وعلّق: “سعيد بالفوز بجائزة أفضل هداف دولي في العالم IFFHS 2019”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كولوسيفسكي: كلمات رونالدو مثل البنزين.. وزلاتان اتصل بي بعد انضمامي ليوفنتوس

وهذه هي المرة الخامسة التي يفوز فيها كريستيانو رونالدو بهذه الجائزة في مسيرته، وبالتالي يواصل ملء متحفه بالإنجازات والألقاب التي حققها في سبورتينج لشبونة ومانشستر يونايتد وريال مدريد ويوفنتوس.
ويستعد رونالدو للمشاركة مع يوفنتوس في الدوري الإيطالي لموسم 2020-2021، تحت قيادة أندريا بيرلو لأول مرة ضد سامبدوريا، في مبارزة تقام يوم 20 سبتمبر على ملعب يوفنتوس.

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Happy To Win The IFFHS World's Best International Top Goal Scorer 2019! 🇵🇹 🇮🇹😀💪🏼

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Tottenham Hotspur host Leicester at Wembley Stadium this weekend and will be hoping that they don’t have to grind a win out in the fashion that they have had to in recent weeks, although the Foxes represent another test for a Lilywhites side missing Harry Kane and Dele Alli, most notably.

Despite the duo’s absence, a pressing concern seems to be that Christian Eriksen could be leaving in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly adding James Maddison to his list of potential players to replace the Dane. The Spurs boss can test just how good the number 10 is on Saturday, by giving one player a specific instruction.

On the chalkboard

According to The Times, the north London club are lining up a move for Maddison, who they see as a replacement for Eriksen should he seek pastures new in the summer.

Tottenham are keen to secure more homegrown talent and the signing of Maddison would see the Englishman join up with the likes of Alli, Kane, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks.

The former Norwich man has impressed in his first season in the Premier League, scoring five and assisting four, so it is no wonder that the bigger clubs are sniffing around.

Sunday’s clash with Leicester presents Pochettino with the opportunity to see the player in action against his own side – the Argentine will surely want to put the Foxes’ danger-man through his paces in order to see how good he really is.

Sit Sissoko on Maddison

Eric Dier is unavailable due to a virus and so it looks likely that Moussa Sissoko will continue alongside Winks at the base of midfield – the Frenchman has enjoyed his new role this season and will be key if his side are to nullify the visitors’ attack.

Maddison is the lynchpin for his side, carrying the ball; connecting the dots; playing his teammates in and working chances for himself. If Spurs want to stop Leicester from having anything in their half, Pochettino should task the powerful Sissoko with following the 22-year-old wherever he goes.

Either this will help the Lilywhites to the three points or, if Maddison deals well with the constant pressure from the Spurs number 17, it will be confirmed in Pochettino’s mind that he is a top class player.

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A new setback struck Leeds United last week as it emerged Kemar Roofe picked up a knee injury during their 2-1 win over Swansea City.

The Whites will now miss their main man for their next few weeks, which could be a problem, considering how tight the Championship title race is getting.

While Leeds face relegation contenders Bolton Wanderers at home next and won’t miss Roofe much, the games following it are the real headaches. While youngsters Jamie Shackleton and Jordan Stevens are primed to make an impact for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, creating the sort of impact Roofe does will be extremely difficult.

Roofe’s not only been their goal-scoring hero, but also the drive for allowing Bielsa’s attractive style to come into effect. He’s scored 14 goals for them this season(stats via Transfermarkt), always popping up with key goals to win them matches. With games against promotional rivals, West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City on the horizon, Roofe’s lack of presence can be telling.

While Bielsa is clever enough to shuffle around his options to make up his absence, it’ll be difficult for anyone to replicate Roofe’s influence in games. Leeds can now only hope Roofe can work with the medical staff and recover from his nagging issues soon.

As Leeds United head into the final stretch, they’ll need their impactful attacking midfielder to be fully raring to go. If Roofe’s injury issues end up causing a long lay-off, Leeds’ chances of winning the Championship will hit a major roadblock.

Following last summer where they failed to sign anyone, Tottenham once again saw no new arrivals in the transfer window last month.

The north London club, however, did seem to be interested in signing a new striker with Harry Kane out injured if latest rumours are to be believed.

The Breakdown

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham made an approach for Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic which, unsurprisingly, was rebuffed with the west London outfit uninterested in doing business, especially at the £27m fee reported.

And with the 24-year-old leading the club’s survival push, it is not hard to understand why. In 26 Premier League games, he has managed to find the back of the net on 10 occasions while his all-round centre-forward play has been top-notch, making Tottenham’s interest make some sense.

That being said, Mitrovic does not come without baggage with the Serbia international’s discipline having often come into question in the past, while a reported bust-up with former team-mate Aboubakar Kamara (Sky Sports) can be seen as another red flag.

Considering that, bringing in the Fulham man may not have been worth it in the end. Fernando Llorente has also sparked into life in recent weeks, giving Mauricio Pochettino a solid alternative to the injured Kane.

Mitrovic is certainly a good No.9 who could have added something to this Tottenham side but, given some of his history, plenty of supporters are likely to be delighted with his failed transfer and might actually see it as a bullet dodged.

Tottenham Hotspur have managed to dig themselves a gaping hole just at the moment in which everything appeared to be falling into place, but Daniel Levy could yet hand Mauricio Pochettino a timely boost to catapult the club back onto flat ground. 

When it rains it pours. Tottenham are in the midst of a crisis in their season which is both damning and familiar in its character.

An annual crisis of football existentialism is a theme which habitually perpetuates in north London, with the narrative surrounding Pochettino’s failure to break his silverware duck and it’s correlation with Levy’s apparent reluctance to part with a penny in the transfer market painting a gloomy outlook for the future.

In the midst of a mini injury crisis and following a cataclysmic trio of results which ended Spurs’ realistic hopes of mounting a title bid and seen them crash out of both the Carabao and Fa Cup, there is an endless stream of reasons for supporters to vent at the club’s hierarchy.

Demands for new signings have fallen on deaf ears in the past but there is a growing feeling that Spurs simply cannot afford to draw a blank this month with a Champions League encounter against a slick, fresh and title-chasing Borussia Dortmund side looming on the horizon.

The final hours of the transfer window are sure to be characterised by intrigue and a strong sense of pessimism amongst the supporters, but that negativity could transform into optimism if a recent report from the Daily Mail comes to fruition.

Indeed, the report claims that Tottenham transfer target Ante Rebic has publicly declared his interest in moving to the Premier League.

“The Premier League is attractive and it would suit my style. I’d like to experience it.”

While the arrival of Rebic would not entirely dispel the problems which have plagued the club in the past twelve months, it would go along way to easing the current crisis and solving Tottenham’s long-term second striker conundrum.

The Croatia international played a starring role in his nation’s journey to the World Cup final in the summer, dribbling with infectious tenacity and working relentlessly hard off the ball to recover possession for his side.

His style is tailor made for the Pochettino mould and his versatility would give Spurs another option at centre-forward to utilise in Kane’s absence.

Rebic is not a natural centre-forward, but his preference to operate slightly behind a natural number nine and his goal scoring return this season suggest that he is perhaps better suited to a role at the spearhead of the attack than the likes of Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min.

Eintracht Farnkfurt’s talisman has continued his excellent form from the World Cup and started the Bundesliga campaign in style, with seven goals and three goals to show for his efforts from 14 fixtures.

In the modern climate it is difficult to find a player boasting that type of return who is valued at anything other than an extortionate price, so the fact he is reportedly valued at £35 million should be giving Levy plenty to ponder over ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

Rebic is a perfect fit for Spurs – particularly given current circumstances – his potential asking price is not unreasonable and he clearly has personal motivation to make the switch to English football.

Time to act, Levy.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick has warned Timo Werner about the challenges of moving to the Premier League, Bulinews have reported via quotes from Sky Germany’s ‘Wontorra – the football talk’ show.

What’s the word?

German international striker Werner was one of the forwards linked with a move to Anfield throughout the January window, as outlets such as Bild and The Independent claimed the Reds would be chasing the £58.5million-rated ace.

The interest had solid foundations as the 23-cap international is out of contract in the summer of 2020 and is yet to commit his future to the Bundesliga club. Of course, no deal came through and the Stuttgart product remains in Germany, but interest could well be revived in the summer.

If you haven’t seen Patrice Evra’s bizarre new Instagram post then you need to check out the video below…

RB Leipzig manager Rangnick, however, has been quoted talking on Sky Germany’s ‘Wontorra – the football talk’ show by Bulinews, stating that it might not be the right move for the 22-year-old.

“[Naby] Keita was an outstanding player here, but he’s still struggling in Liverpool. So far, he’s not the player there that he was here,” Rangnick told Sky. “The surroundings must be right for Timo.

“We have gone to our financial limit with our offer. We know that he can earn more elsewhere, but he can also provide for himself for the rest of his life here.

“He’s a top player, and he has become one of the most exciting Bundesliga strikers.”

Should Liverpool revive rumoured interest?

If Werner does not accept the contract that Rangnick is claiming to be at RB Leipzig’s financial limit, Liverpool have to enter the race for his signature in the summer.

The 22-year-old is one of the Bundesliga’s top goalscorers with 11 goals in 19 games, and has supreme quality in possession.

Jurgen Klopp may have to convince the German international that a move to the Premier League would not hamper his chances of featuring at Euro 2020, however, and assure the 5 foot 9 forward that he would be an instant match for his tactics as well as having a place in the side. Currently, it’s difficult to see quite where he fits into the starting XI ahead of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah.

Southampton fans will be pleased to see their side finally making some sort of progress under Ralph Hassenhuttl.

The Austrian replaced Mark Hughes in December and has managed to improve their fortunes in the short-term. A late Burnley goal at the weekend denied them a massive three points that would have moved them clear of the relegation zone. The Saints will be looking to return to winning ways against fellow strugglers Cardiff next.

After seasons of over-spending on mediocre talent, funds were limited in January meaning Hassenhuttl was unable to make a single permanent signing. Should he keep the club in the Premier League, the former RB Leipzig will finally get the chance to shape his own squad in the summer. Defensive reinforcements will be a priority with Southampton struggling following Virgil van Dijk’s departure.

One man he could target is RB Leipzig captain – Willi Orban. Valued at just £13.5m by Transfermarkt, Hassenhuttl is no stranger to the man who now captains the Bundesliga side as Orban played a key role under his tutelage. The 26-year-old has been a mainstay in the defence since joining the club in 2015 and has made 23 appearances in all competitions this season.

The Hungary international is a natural leader and would finally add some stability to the Saints backline. Orban is an excellent tackler and reads the game superbly as well as being a dominant force in the air. He is also a significant threat in the opposition area, netting three goals from set-pieces in the Bundesliga this season.

Orban is now approaching the prime of his career meaning there is no better time to bring him to the Premier League.

Southampton fans, thoughts?

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In-form Southampton attacker Nathan Redmond has opened up to The Daily Echo on his one-to-one meeting with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the squad’s training camp in Tenerife earlier this month, saying that the Austrian told him to stop ‘standing still’.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 51-year-old boss had a discussion with and provided feedback on every player in the squad that was present for the trip to the Canary Island, which included Redmond.

The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form since Hasenhuttl was appointed as Mark Hughes’ successor back in December, scoring six goals and providing a further two assists in all competitions.

However, despite being arguably the south coast outfit’s best player in the last couple of months, the former Norwich City man revealed to The Daily Echo that he wasn’t exempt from having things to work on and improve.

Redmond said: “In terms of the negatives, he told me to not stand still as much. He noticed at the start when he first came in that I stood still and that I was waiting for things to happen.

“He said I was still standing still a little bit, but not as much as before.

“There are a lot of things like decision making and stuff, but at the end of the day if I want to keep developing and performing in this team, then I have to take it on board.”

Is Hasenhuttl right?

He probably is, yes.

While Redmond has clearly stepped it up in terms of being a big threat in the final third for Southampton in recent times, there are still obviously more ways in which he can affect matches for his side.

Hasenhuttl clearly wants the one-cap England international to be more aware and on his toes, providing that movement to help his teammates out when they are looking for forward passes.

It is the sort of contructive criticism that can make the 24-year-old an even better player than the one he is showing he is right now, and that can only benefit Saints in their battle against relegation.

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Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to react after Scott Brown ended his near two-year long wait for a goal with an absolute scorcher against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup rout.

The 33-year-old, who has been with the Bhoys for almost 12 years, found the top corner from almost 30 yards out to score his first goal since netting against Inverness back in February 2017.

Brendan Rodgers’ men recorded a resounding 5-0 victory to extend their domestic cup winning run to a remarkable 24 games, as they look to complete another treble.

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Scott Sinclair also netted a hat-trick in the game, showing excellent composure in front of goal to ensure that he took the match ball home, whilst James Forrest also got in on the act to complete a fantastic victory.

Despite the former Manchester City man’s treble, it was Brown’s stunner that had the Celtic fans on Twitter talking, such was the rarity of the occasion…