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Yorkshire captain continues fine form and will face future team-mates in third round of T20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2025Lauren Winfield-Hill continued her fine form with a matchwinning 60 from 35 balls, and in the process set up an intriguing clash with her soon-to-be team-mates at Essex, as Yorkshire overpowered Staffordshire in the second round of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup.After winning the toss at Weetwood, captain Winfield-Hill found a key ally in Rebecca Duckworth, who made 51 from 54 balls, as Yorkshire set their Tier 3 opponents 177 to win.Olivia Thomas took 3 for 17 from four overs of legspin, while Claudie Cooper and Beth Langston claimed two wickets apiece as Staffordshire were bowled out for 108 off the penultimate ball of their chase.Winfield-Hill made 88 in Yorkshire’s round-one victory over Derbyshire on Monday, and was soon into her stride, hitting four boundaries in the second over, bowled by Staffs captain Lucy Shenton.She was given two chances en route to a 28-ball fifty, then picked off the first six of the innings before Georgie Harrison bowled her for 60 to end a 91-run stand with Duckworth.Staffordshire’s hopes were dented by a tight start from Yorkshire’s bowlers, who conceded nine runs in the first three overs of the chase, before offspinner Cooper struck courtesy of Winfield-Hill’s smart stumping of Helen Hughes for 3.Staffordshire recovered to 50 for 1 but fell away to 67 for 4 at the halfway mark, and never threatened thereafter. It means Yorkshire will host Tier 1 opposition for the first time when Essex visit next weekend, with Winfield-Hill due to join her opponents on loan later this season when the T20 Blast gets underway.Elsewhere, Glamorgan secured a home tie against Tier 1 side Lancashire by overcoming Sussex by 48 runs in Cardiff. Batting first, Glamorgan racked up 156 for 7 in their 20 overs, Bethan Gammon top-scoring with 41 from 30 balls. In reply, Sussex’s first two wickets fell for ducks as they were restricted to 108 for 7.Oxfordshire will host The Blaze in round three after seeing off Hertfordshire by 24 runs at St Edward’s School. Their imposing total of 191 for 7 was built on Sophie Grayson’s 48 from 37 balls, and a fast-paced finish from captain Ellie Ingram, who was unbeaten on 53 from 29. Hertfordshire battled hard, reaching 80 for 1 at the halfway mark, but could only tally 167 for 3.Leicestershire made light work of Cheshire at Grace Road, restricting their visitors to 93 before easing to victory in 12.1 overs, with Becki Brooker top-scoring with 42 from 37. Cambridgeshire, meanwhile, beat Northumberland by 18 runs at Corbridge, with Kelly Haynes’ 3 for 13 proving instrumental in their defence of 131.In Sunday’s ties, Northamptonshire overcame a dramatic top-order wobble to see off Shropshire at Shrewsbury, recovering from 50 for 6 to post 137 for 7, thanks to Mabel Reid’s 54 not out from 34 balls. In reply Shropshire were rolled aside for 66.At Butleigh Salterton, Devon saw off Suffolk in a tense 14-overs contest, eventually chasing 67 with two balls to spare. While at Wokingham, Kent marched into round three with an emphatic 47-run victory over Berkshire.

The KKR captain has had “a couple of stitches”, which should take “two-three days” to heal

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-20251:36

Rayudu: Narine completely dismantles oppositions

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane will be assessed by the team’s medical staff on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury he suffered to his right hand while fielding in his side’s 14-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC).Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rahane played down the extent of the injury. “Not bad,” he said. “I’ll be okay. I’ll be fine.” For now, as per KKR allrounder Anukul Roy, Rahane had “a couple of stitches”, which should take “only two-three days” to heal. KKR’s next game is on May 4, against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home. RahaneRahane was fielding at short cover when he was struck on the hand by a ball drilled at him by Faf du Plessis off the bowling of Andre Russell. The ball deflected towards mid-off for a single, and Rahane immediately started to head off the field to receive medical attention.He did not return to the field for the rest of the match, and had his hand heavily strapped. With Venkatesh Iyer, Rahane’s vice-captain, substituted out of the match for Vaibhav Arora, KKR’s Impact Player, Sunil Narine was called into action and led the team for the final nine overs of their bowling innings.Related

• Ganga: Regardless of Kuldeep's day, he should bowl his full quota

• The quiet, consistent brilliance of Sunil Narine

• Narine's all-round show sets up tense win for KKR

Rahane said that Narine’s final two overs – in which he dismissed Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs and du Plessis – were decisive. “204 on that wicket was good, but I thought we were 15 runs short, frankly. We were going really well as a batting unit. But again, you’re chasing 204, you know, as a fielding team, you are one or two wickets away, and that’s what happened.KKR sit seventh, with nine points from their first ten matches, but Rahane said that his team could take confidence from the memory of their late run to the play-offs in 2021. “That’s always been the talk when we are not doing well,” he said. “But again, it’s in the past. For us, what’s important is staying in the moment, taking confidence from this game and moving forward.”

“There’s no second dip at it. We have to make sure we hit the ground running and are nice and sharp come day one”

Firdose Moonda08-Jun-20252:58

Finch: Australia’s batting gives them the edge over SA

South Africa’s schedule of two-Test series throughout the World Test Championship has an unintended benefit in preparing them for getting off the starting blocks quickly, which could come in handy in a one-off final. Or at least, that’s the line Aiden Markram came up with, and is sticking to, three days out from the biggest Tests of his and his team-mate’s careers.”A lot of our series have been two-game series, so in order to win, you can’t start slow. That’s helped us along the way,” Markram said after South Africa’s first training session at Lord’s. “We know the importance of starting well, trying to get ahead of the game early and how important each session is going to be. There’s no second dip at it. We have to make sure we hit the ground running and are nice and sharp come day one.”A prominent example of South Africa taking time to get into matches was on their 2012 tour to England, where England got to 267 for 3 on the first day and South Africa appeared lethargic. But they soared back to win that match, the series and the mace, albeit with a completely different generation of players. The luxury of allowing themselves a meander does not exist in a one-off final and has not existed over the course of the cycle because of how few Tests South Africa have played. They could not afford to slip up, much less when they effectively forfeited a series in New Zealand by sending an understrength side in February 2022, which meant they had to win seven out of their next eight Tests.Related

• Imperfect World Test Championship still manages to stoke five-day fires

• Conrad on SA's C-word tag: 'Unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before'

Still, there are concerns over whether a team that has not played a Test in six months and whose warm-up match only had one full day of cricket will be ready for an occasion like Lord’s and specifically whether their batting line-up will be. Temba Bavuma is the only player in the top seven who has played more than 50 Tests and, before October, one of only three batters – Markram and Kyle Verreynne being the others – to have scored a Test hundred.South Africa’s inexperience is stark, especially when compared with the opposite in the Australian camp. As one illustration, Steven Smith has played two fewer Tests than Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham and Verreynne – South Africa’s top seven without Bavuma – combined. It’s no secret that South Africa’s batting is considered their weaker suit and all eyes will be on how they front up to Australia’s much-vaunted attack. Markram knows that and, after a few days facing his own bowlers in the nets, believes he is ready.”When you’re opening the batting, obviously your responsibility is to calm the changing room down, get the team off to a good start and get us ahead of the game,” he said. “That’s the challenge, that’s what excites us. When you’re preparing against your bowlers who are world-class, it can only help you as a batter, as uncomfortable as it can be at times. But that’s the gauge – that you judge where your game is at.”At Lord’s on Sunday, Markram faced Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen for a lengthy period of time, and with five fifties from 13 innings at the IPL, he considers himself to be in good form. “I’m feeling good. I feel like I’m moving well,” he said. “The IPL is obviously a completely different format but it was nice to come into a game feeling good. I’m pleased to be in that headspace at the moment and when you’re feeling like this, it’s really about cashing in and trying to make a difference for the team.”Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins with the Test mace ahead of the final•ICC via Getty Images

Markram also has the unique experience of being the only other captain to lead South Africa in an ICC event final this millennium (Hansie Cronje led them in the 1998 Wills International Cup final) – and he has done it twice. Markram was in charge when the South Africa U-19 won the age-group World Cup in 2014 and last year, when the senior side got to the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. The latter was the apex of a few weeks of intensity as South Africa reeled off eight consecutive wins to reach the final. In Tests, they’ve now won seven in a row. Are there any similarities?”It has a different feeling, to be very honest,” Markram said. “I think because it’s a one-off game and there hasn’t been a consecutive build-up to it, it does feel slightly different, at least for the time being. Maybe the night before, all of a sudden, it might all align. But for now, it’s got a different feel about it. Also, knowing it’s multiple days of cricket, not just three hours and it’s done.”All the reasons that make red- and white-ball cricket different (time, pressure, narrative) is why this South African team cannot be lumped with the ODI and T20I squads who failed to cross the final hurdle before them, but nuance can often get lost. South Africa know that, so “the few of us that have been a part of previous ICC events that didn’t go our way have dealt with it, chatted to each other and made sure we’ve buried it and taken some good lessons from it”, Markram said. “From now on, it’s more about the excitement of having another opportunity to do the job.”And that will require even temperaments and an understanding that they have to start strongly. “It’s about each guy making sure that they don’t peak too early and get too excited too early, because then you end up draining yourself,” Markram said. “So, managing your loads at training, managing specifics at training, instead of trying to flush everything out in one session, have that gradual build-up so that by the time you get to day one, you feel like you’ve ticked every box, but it hasn’t been at 100 miles an hour. We have to respect the Test match format. It takes a lot out of you from an energy point of view and a psychological point of view. We need to be fresh and ready to go on day one.”

Josef Martinez is in the midst of one of the best seasons in MLS history. Here is a look at the players whose company he has joined

Josef Martinez is enjoying one of the best seasons in Major League Soccer history, with his most recent goal for Atlanta United helping him break the league record for goals in a season with 28. With eight more games to play, Martinez is poised to obliterate the old record of 27 goals, leading to the question of where his season stacks up against the best ever seen in MLS.

The best individual seasons in league history have seen trophy-winning campaigns, as well as big statistical outputs. Those special players who were able to dominate statistically, while also winning titles, setting a standard that Martinez is still working towards. If Martinez can help Atlanta United secure a Supporters' Shield and/or an MLS Cup title, it will make a very strong case that his 2018 season will have been the best in MLS history.

Which players have set the bar for best seasons in league history? Here are Goal's picks for the top 10:

• 10Josef Martinez, Atlanta United, 2018

  The Venezuelan striker became the first MLS player to reach the 28-goal mark in a season, and did so with eight matches left in the regular season. With Atlanta United currently leading the Supporters' Shield race, and expected to challenge for the MLS Cup title, Martinez could finish at the top of this list if he can keep scoring goals and help Atlanta United secure a piece of silverware or two.

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  9Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC, 2015

  Toronto FC didn't win a single trophy in 2015, but the lack of silverware can't keep Giovinco's dominating 2015 season off this list. The Italian magician posted a whopping 22 goals and 16 assists in his first season in MLS, winning the Golden Boot and MLS MVP honors. TFC's early exit from the playoffs and lack of trophies keep Giovinco from being higher on this list, but there's no arguing against the fact his 2015 campaign was one of the best regular seasons in league history.

• Andy Lyons
  

  8Roy Lassiter, Tampa Bay Mutiny, 1996

  While Carlos Valderrama won the MLS MVP award in 1996, Lassiter gets the nod over his teammate on the all-time seasons list for his combined excellence in the regular season and playoffs. He scored 27 goals, a single-season record that has stood for 22 years, and scored six more goals in the playoffs. He and Valderrama helped the Mutiny win the Supporters' Shield title that season.

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  7Marco Etcheverry, D.C. United, 1998

  D.C. United owns three of the first four MLS Cup titles, but their best team was arguably the 1998 team. Etcheverry led that team to CONCACAF Champions Cup title. He finished with 10 goals and 19 assists, propelling D.C. to the MLS Cup final, where DCU lost to the Chicago Fire. He was named MLS MVP that season, beating out Peter Nowak.

Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Juventus for €100 million, so where does the forward rank on the list of the biggest deals of all time?

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  101David Beckham | €37.5m

  Given David Beckham was one of the most marketable sporting stars on the planet, Real Madrid could not believe their luck when Manchester United told them they could have the England captain in 2003 for €37.5m.

  Of course, former Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson wanted rid of Beckham, feeling that the midfielder had become more of a celebrity than a footballer, but it still proved a shrewd move by Los Blancos, who made a fortune in sponsorhip and shirt sales off, as well as winning La Liga in the style icon's final season at the Santiago Bernabeu, in 2006-07.

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  100Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | €38m

  Many Liverpool fans wondered why manager Jurgen Klopp elected to spend €38m on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of the 207-18 season when it was clear that there was a great need to strengthen the Reds' defence.

  However, whereas it was initially thought that the versatile winger would prove little more than a valuable squad player, Oxlade-Chamberlain now looks set to become a key man at Anfield thanks to his impressive performances, both on the wing and in midfield, and the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

• Attila Kisbenedek
  

  99Andre Silva | €38m

  It is easy to understand why AC Milan felt compelled to sign Andre Silva for €38m as part of their 2017 summer spending spree. The young striker had impressed in the Champions League for Porto, while Cristiano Ronaldo had labelled him the heir to his throne within the Portuguse national team.

  However, while Silva has had no issues scoring in the Europa League, he has thus far struggled horribly in Serie A and there is even talk that Ronaldo now wants Real Madrid to sign his compatriot, so that he can take the No.9 under his wing at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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  98Mats Hummels | €38m

  Having come through the youth-team ranks at Bayern Munich only to fail to force his way into the first team, Mats Hummels departed for Borussia Dortmund in 2009, after a successful loan season at Signal Iduna Park.

  However, the Bavarians rectified their mistake seven years later by returning to their favourite super-market with €38m in the wallet to re-sign the defender, who, in spite of some fitness and form issues, remains one of the game's top centre-halves.

It proved to be good midweek round of fixtures for five of the English top-flight's big six clubs, with their star men on top form

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  Alisson | Liverpool

  Alisson made three saves, including one from point blank range to deny Andre Gray, in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Watford.

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool

  Alexander-Arnold is the youngest ever player to assist three goals in a single Premier League game (20 years, 143 days).

• David Luiz | Chelsea

  David Luiz helped Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham with nine clearances, two tackles and two blocks.

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  Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool

  Van Dijk scored the first double of his Premier League career in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Watford while also making more clearances (nine) than any other Liverpool player.

Ed Dove reveals his predictions for the Afcon Round of 16

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  Morocco

  Haven’t exactly clicked going forward, but Morocco still have room to grow in this tournament and Vahid Halilhodzic knows what he’s doing when it comes to knockout football.

  If the Atlas Lions can get the likes of Ayoub El Kaabi and Youssef En-Nesyri performing, then they can go the distance, but either way, they should have too much for Malawi.

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  Ivory Coast

  On paper, Ivory Coast vs Egypt should be a fantastic clash between two of Africa’s genuine heavyweights.

  However, while the Pharaohs can call upon Mohamed Salah, they don’t have anything like the depth or the variety of options going forward as the Elephants, who also boast the best defence in the tournament.

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  Cameroon

  Even with three goalkeepers available, Comoros would have their work cut out to progress past hosts Cameroon into the quarter-finals.

  With no goalkeepers available, it’s unthinkable that they’ll progress past the Indomitable Lions.

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  The Gambia

  I’m going for a shock here, and tipping Gambia to advance past Guinea.

  The Scorpions—for me—have been the most impressive ‘surprise package’ of the tournament, defeating Tunisia and Mauritania, and holding Mali in their group campaign.

  Guinea have struggled to get out of first gear so far, even losing to Zimbabwe in their final group game. The loss of Naby Keita through suspension is a major blow for a team lacking creativity.

The race to be the USMNT's No. 9 will come down to the wire.

We are less than a month away from the start of the World Cup, and there's still little clarity when it comes to which strikers will be there to represent the U.S. men's national team.

It's been a race and a discussion that has gone on for months but, for a variety of reasons, we're still not fully sure what twists and turns this prolonged battle has left.

A combination of form and fitness will almost certainly determine who Gregg Berhalter brings to the World Cup after the September international break provided little clarity. In fact, the big winner of the final pre-World Cup friendlies was likely a guy that wasn't even on the roster.

However, in the weeks since, several strikers have stepped up with big goals, while the frontrunner has faltered a bit with a mini cold spell.

But who leads the way right now? Who will start for the USMNT in Qatar? GOAL breaks down the situation as it stands…

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  1Jesus Ferreira – FC Dallas

  Even after a relatively quiet September window, Ferreira remains the front-runner. However, a recent dry spell could hurt him in a big way.

  The FC Dallas striker didn't find the back of the net against Japan or Saudi Arabia, but it's fairly clear where he stands in Berhalter's mind. You can't always read into friendly lineups, but you can read into the fact that Ferreira was given the bulk of the minutes and was given the start with what was the closest thing to a first-team group.

  Despite his lack of goals on the international level, Ferreira is the player that Berhalter sees as the best fit for his system. He provides pressing energy, on-ball creativity, solid positioning and the occasional goal, which is exactly what Berhalter is looking for.

  However, Ferreira will head to the World Cup a bit out of form, having not scored in any of his last six games for FC Dallas. And, furthermore, he also may be lacking fitness, with FC Dallas' playoff elimination at the hands of Austin FC ensuring he'll go nearly a month without a competitive game.

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  2Ricardo Pepi – Groningen

  The floodgates have opened. Ricardo Pepi is officially back.

  Pepi has now scored six goals in as many games in all competitions for Groningen, including five in his last five since the September international break. Playing in a more free-flowing Eredivisie, Pepi has been unstoppable, helping lowly Groningen pick up two massive wins in the last two games.

  For quite a while there, it looked like Pepi had squandered his chance after going a year without scoring for club or country, but that's all changed over the last few weeks.

  He's the USMNT's most in-form forward and, perhaps, still the best fit to start. What a turnaround it's been for Pepi, who has played his way right back into the squad over the last month or so.

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  3Josh Sargent – Norwich

  After years of toiling away on bad teams, Sargent is finally finding his way.

  The striker has eight goals in 16 games for Norwich this season, a very good return considering the fact he scored just nine league goals in his previous three seasons.

  It's easy to forget that Sargent is just 22 years old and playing a position that has a steep, steep learning curve. He's been on the scene so long that you forget that he's still very much a young player adjusting and learning on the fly.

  It seems, though, that it's starting to come together at the right time for the young forward.

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  4Jordan Pefok – Union Berlin

  No player gained more from the September camp, which is funny because Pefok wasn't even called in. And, while he may not have the goalscoring numbers of some of his competitors, you can't fault what Pefok is doing with Union Berlin.

  Stunningly, Union Berlin are atop the Bundesliga, despite a recent loss to Bochum, with Pefok helping to lead the way. He has three goals and three assists so far this season despite minor injury issues as the USMNT striker has helped the club emerge as the surprise of the season so far.

  His transition to the Bundesliga has been seamless. Pefok has never looked overwhelmed or out of his depth since moving from Young Boys, proving that he can play at a high level.

  Questions remain over his fit with the USMNT, but Pefok is still a player in good form that gets goals. That could be a valuable option, especially off the bench in the World Cup setting should Berhalter choose to bring him in.

The free-spending Blues are in rotten form and changes are essential if the under-fire manager is to hold onto this job…

If certain reports are to be believed, Graham Potter's future as Chelsea manager hinges on the outcome of the club's next two games, at home to Leeds and Borussia Dortmund.

After the Blues suffered a rare London derby defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, it was claimed in certain sections of the media that Potter could be sacked if he fails to arrest his team's rotten run of form.

However, other outlets insisted that Potter retains the backing of the club's ownership.

Wherever the truth lies, the coach's situation is likely to deteriorate very quickly if Chelsea fail to take three points against old rivals Leeds and/or suffer a premature Champions League exit at the hands of Dortmund.

Potter clearly needs to make changes – and fast – if he is to save his skin…

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  Tweak the formation & unleash James

  Since the World Cup break and Chelsea's subsequent January spending spree, Potter has moved away from playing three-at-the-back and predominantly deployed a 4-2-3-1.

  Though the formation accommodates more of the Blues' oversubscribed attacking ranks, it simply hasn't worked to date.

  Part of the problem is that flying wing-back Reece James – arguably the best player on the planet in his position – has been shackled in a deeper, more traditional right-back role.

  The England international has looked out of sorts since returning from a knee injury, rarely posing his usual potent threat from out wide.

  There is little doubt that his position is a contributing factor – a return to a back three with wing-backs could rejuvenate the team and also see James back at his devastating best.

  In terms of centre-backs to step in, Thiago Silva's untimely injury poses a problem, especially with Benoit Badiashile not in the Champions League squad.

  But Potter still has Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah at his disposal for Tuesday's crunch second leg with Dortmund at Stamford Bridge.

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  Give Aubameyang a go

  After a few weeks in exile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was reintroduced to the fold on Sunday, coming off the bench against his old north London foes Spurs.

  Perhaps it's a sign that the Gabonese frontman, the only established Premier League goalscorer in the entire Chelsea squad, is edging back towards the forefront of his manager's thinking in his desperate search for goals.

  Although he was omitted from the Champions League squad and is, therefore, unavailable to face former club Dortmund, Saturday's home game against relegation-threatened Leeds presents a decent opportunity for Aubameyang to rediscover his touch.

  As long as Kai Havertz and David Fofana aren't producing the goods and Aubameyang has been as "professional" as Potter insists he has been, he deserves a chance.

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  Or exile the unwanted!

  Alternatively, it could be time for Potter to show his ruthless side and cast aside those players he knows won't be at the club next season.

  It has been reported that the head coach feels his bloated squad post-January is negatively affecting training, as he struggles to find ways to involve every member of his 31-strong group.

  A simple, if cold-hearted, solution could be to root out and exclude the players who have no intention of being at the club beyond the summer anyway, and begin to build for 2023-24 with those who are, and will remain, fully committed to the cause.

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  Enzo needs support

  Enzo Fernandez's class has been clear for all to see since his huge-money January move from Benfica.

  However, what is evident is that he can't do it all on his own, and Potter needs to work out who is the ideal midfield partner for the Argentine from his raft of options.

  On recent evidence, Ruben Loftus-Cheek probably isn't up to the task, and Conor Gallagher's form has been patchy at best.

  Chelsea have been boosted by the return from injury of both Mateo Kovacic and Denis Zakaria in recent weeks, and although the midfield might have a defensive look to it, either of them could supplement Enzo nicely in the centre of the park and perhaps allow the World Cup winner to be more adventurous.

  Of course, there is another option too…

Manchester United completed a second half turnaround in a thrilling Europa League contest to knock Barcelona out of Europe.

For the first time in years, there's European belief in Old Trafford. Manchester United overturned an early deficit and roared to life in the second half to beat Barcelona 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) and advance in the Europa League knockouts. And although it's hardly a marquee competition, United put in an admirable second-half performance to beat La Liga's leaders.

But it wasn't exactly easy. Barcelona went ahead from the spot inside 30 minutes, with Robert Lewandowski converting after Bruno Fernandes pulled Alex Balde to the ground.

Still, Manchester United stayed in it, and enjoyed spells of possession as Barcelona struggled to assert authority on the game in the absence of Gavi and Pedri.

United came alive after the half and got back on level terms within two minutes, with Fred finishing a sweet passing move. They found the winner in the 73rd, when Antony curled a shot into the far corner to make the crowd at Old Trafford rock like it rarely has on European nights in recent years.

Barcelona made a late push, but Raphael Varane cleared Lewandoski's effort off the line deep into stoppage time to avoid any late heartbreak.

So, one dream stayed alive as another ended. Manchester United are already playing in one final, the Carabao Cup, and still have a chance to reach a second. Barcelona, meanwhile, can turn their attention to pushing for a first La Liga title in three years – and that ability to focus on a single task might not be the worst thing.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Old Trafford…

• WINNER: Fred

  There was nothing particularly controlled about Fred's equaliser. The ball sort of rolled awkwardly off his shin and into the far corner. His lack of conviction is rather irrelevant given the magnitude of the goal. Fred made good on a spell of United pressure and helped turn the match around.

  But Fred offered more than just a big moment. He was scrappy in midfield, especially in the second half. Casemiro tends to grab the plaudits for the way that he has lifted this side, but Fred's contributions and willingness to do the dirty work should not be neglected. He's not first choice – and probably doesn't deserve to be. But on Thursday night, he was a momentary hero. And that's exactly what his team needed.

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• LOSER: Raphinha

  What a frustrating player.

  Raphinha has enjoyed the best few weeks of his Barcelona career. He's been scoring goals, creating chances, and showing flashes of becoming the deadly 1v1 forward that the Blaugrana bought from Leeds. But he can still go missing – or try to do too much. That was the case on Thursday night. Raphinha was selfish at times, struggling to link up with Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto, instead launching ill-advised efforts on goal.

  His defensive work was good, especially in the early goings. But Raphinha wasn't necessarily on the pitch to track back. Indeed, he needed to be clinical, and make something happen. He was wasteful.

• WINNER: Antony

  Speaking of clinical…

  Antony is not the first name that comes to mind in the realm of elite finishers. The Brazilian has a tendency to dabble in the final third. But on Thursday, he took his chance, scoring the winner with a lovely curler past a sprawling Marc Andre ter Stegen. Antony contributed little else, and perhaps should have created a few more chances in key moments. But no one will remember the passes he didn't play on Thursday night.

  The former Ajax winger hasn't been short of critics in his first season in English football. But there have still been some incisive moments of quality from the Brazilian that showed why United paid so much for his services. Whether he can score goals like that every week remains to be seen. But on Thursday, he took his chance. And like Fred, that's all that matters.

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• LOSER: Xavi

  Are Barca back? If they are, Xavi didn't get enough out of his team to prove it on Thursday night. The manager was hamstrung by a series of injuries and suspensions and was forced to field a semi-fit Sergio Busquets against a suffocating Man Utd midfield. But this could have been the manager's signature showing, the game where he outsmarted Ten Hag to produce a vital away win.

  But Ten Hag made some changes, tinkered with his lineup, and got a better performance out of his side in the second half, while Xavi simply appeared to ask for more of the same.

  Barcelona are still positioned to win La Liga, and are a safe bet for Copa del Rey glory. But European success would have been the perfect sweetener to an already memorable season. Instead, they'll be hoping for another run next year.