Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly snubbed the chance to manage the Republic of Ireland.
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Ingram combined with the Strikers’ captain, Travis Head, to stabilise a slow start for the hosts, before a late-order flurry from Jonathan Wells closed the innings at 178
The Report by Sam Perry in Adelaide11-Jan-2019The Adelaide Strikers overcame a sluggish start to dismantle the Melbourne Stars in Adelaide as a Colin Ingram powershow and some miserly bowling proved enough to contain the visitors.Ingram combined with the Strikers’ captain, Travis Head, to stabilise a slow start for the hosts, before a late-order flurry from Jonathan Wells closed the innings at 178.The Stars started brightly with Ben Dunk and Evan Gulbis, but the spectre of Rashid Khan loomed large. An unplayable over or two from the Afghanistan superstar saw the Melbourne franchise fall behind the asking rate, from which they never recovered. The innings petered out as the Strikers’ bowlers shared the wickets, Ben Laughlin most impressive with 3 for 19, leaving the Strikers well-positioned as the competition hits the halfway point.Strikers motor after slow startOn a perfect Adelaide evening, the Stars won the flip and elected to field, hoping to limit a powerful Strikers batting line-up without Alex Carey on international duty, but welcoming Head back into the fold.They were greeted by a pristine batting surface, but Jackson Bird led an excellent start for the Stars, who held the home side to 2 for 25 from the first five overs. The pressure continued to build after each of Evan Gulbis, Ben Dunk and Dwayne Bravo delivered economical overs, as both Head and Ingram scrambled for rhythm.But they slowly built, taking the partnership from 48 off 42 balls, to then 55 from 47, before an expensive Plunkett over triggered a run spree. Head hit three sixes in a row, the first two over midwicket, then the third over long-off after Plunkett overcorrected. The returned Test batsman then tried to hit another over long-off, but holed out to Bird who took a comfortable catch. The damage largely done, Head departed for 43.Ingram continued where Head left off, taking Boland for a huge over while accompanied by a Rashid, who was promoted up the order. The move, as the Stars captain Maddinson confessed on-air, had “mucked up” his bowling plans. The Strikers captain was dismissed for 57 from 41 deliveries, leaving 19 balls left in the innings.A damaging spree of runs followed, as Wells took full toll of the Stars, combining with Harry Nielsen to plough 44 runs from the last three overs, which ultimately took the game away from the visitors.Rashid the catalystIt was as though the Stars knew they had to get the runs elsewhere. They started their chase brilliantly, taking 10 and 12 runs from the first two overs respectively, before Rashid was brought on, in the third over, to settle the pace. He did so, completely arresting the Stars’ Powerplay momentum by conceding only one from the over.Wes Agar was then introduced, and expensively so, before an athletic, sprawling catch at the deep-forward square leg boundary by Michael Neser brought Dunk undone from Ben Laughlin’s bowling. It was a quality catch, with Dunk swinging the ball away over leg, leaving Neser plenty of ground to make up before he snaffled it to his left.Stars FizzleNormally an asking rate of 10 with 10 overs remaining leaves a sporting chance, but it didn’t feel like that tonight. Once Maddinson, the captain, was removed for five, the remainder of the innings felt like a procession. It enabled Wes Agar to break his BBL wicket duck via a number of well-directed deliveries at offstump, and Laughlin to demonstrate his quality through his classic range of changes deliveries, both up and down.While their bowling just about held up well in the absence of Adam Zampa and Sandeep Lamichhane, the Stars batting is arguably hardest hit by the ODIs. They have to do without their nucleus of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Peter Handscomb, though will welcome each of them back once the Tests begin. They’ll certainly look forward to every ounce of the trio’s firepower after tonight’s display, which revealed little depth. While a number of tonight’s Stars may be worthy of a handy contribution batting around the above-mentioned players, at this point they may struggle to post sizeable totals without them.
The England midfielder made Spain's biggest game his own once again as he provided another huge goal to take down Madrid's biggest rivals
Jude Bellingham seems to like playing against Barcelona. The England midfielder is still to new to playing in El Clasico, but he is already having a major impact on Spain's biggest rivalry. On Sunday, in his third Clasico of the season, he came up with his biggest moment yet, as he capped off a chaotic, often controversial game with a dramatic late winner to secure a 3-2 victory – one that will surely sew up La Liga for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Barca made it a game early on, taking advantage of a sloppy Madrid start. They opened the scoring from a corner, when Andriy Lunin misjudged a teasing delivery, leaving an empty net for Andreas Christensen to nod into. But Los Blancos woke up, and worked their way back into the game, though they were rather gifted their equaliser when a careless tackle from Pau Cubarsi on Lucas Vazquez gave Madrid a penalty, which Vinicius Jr dutifully tucked away.
Barca thought they had retaken the lead soon after when Lamine Yamal's instinctive flick at the near post appeared to cross the line – but a VAR check determined that the ball had stayed out. A glance at the replay, though, proved inconclusive, and La Liga's puzzling lack of goal-line technology will surely come under the spotlight in the coming days.
Xavi's side did bag a second after the break, as substitute Fermin Lopez took advantage of another Lunin mistake for an easy close-range finish. But once again, Barca couldn't hold on, as Vazquez snuck in at the far post to meet Vinicius' whipped cross. And then came Bellingham's moment; the boy from Birmingham darted in at the far post to meet Vazquez's cross, and smashed the ball into the roof of the net with his weaker left foot to win the game – and establish himself as the new king of this storied fixture.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Santiago Bernabeu…
كشف أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي باسم نادي الزمالك، حقيقة بيع أحمد سيد زيزو، نجم الفريق الأول، وضم أشرف بن شرقي، ومصطفى فتحي نجم بيراميدز.
وقال أحمد سالم في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس” عن حقيقة بيع زيزو واستقدام بن شرقي أو مصطفى فتحي: “لا نستطيع أن نقول إنه أمر مطروح على الطاولة، لأن الإدارة لم تعرض زيزو للبيع من الأصل، كل ما في الموضوع إنه وصل عرض من نادي نيوم السعودي لـ زيزو، أي أحد سيقول أمر غير ذلك فهو اجتهادات، لكن اللاعب لم يُعرض للبيع، وكنا ننتظر لما بعد الأولمبياد لعقد جلسة مع زيزو ووالده للتفاوض على تجديد التعاقد والأمور معهما دائمًا تُدار بثقة بينهما والإدارة”.
وأضاف: “العرض المالي المقدم من نيوم السعودي محل بحث وليس تفاوض، حتى الآن لا يوجد قرار برحيل زيزو”.
طالع أيضاً.. خاص.. الزمالك يوضح موقفه النهائي من بيع زيزو
وبسؤاله هل بيع زيزو سيحل مشاكل الزمالك؟، أجاب: “الأمر لا يُحسب من هذه الناحية، بالتأكيد الوضع المالي صعب جدًا لأن الغرامات المالية التي دفعها النادي استهلكت موارد كثيرة، بالإضافة إلى مستحقات اللاعبين السابقة لها أولوية قصوى، بالتأكيد النادي يحتاج إلى سيولة خاصة ونحن سندخل فترة التعاقدات وفك القيد والتزامات كثيرة، لكن هذا ليس له علاقة بفكرة عرض زيزو للبيع”.
ماذا طلب جوميز من الإدارة؟ أفاد: “حتى الآن لم يجلس المدرب مع الإدارة، فقط الحديث معه كان عن أمور بعينها مثلًا سؤاله عن موتيابا أو عن احتياجات الفريق للاعب معين من أجل التجديد، لكن جوميز سيقدم تقريرًا بعد يوم 17 وسيكتب احتياجاته وبناءً عليه المجلس سيتحرك”.
هل تم استطلاع رأيه في ضم بن شرقي؟ أوضح: “لا يوجد ناد لا يتمنى ضم لاعب مثله، جماهيريًا وفنيًا، بالتأكيد سيحدث استطلاع لرأي المدرب”.
وأشار: “جوميز لديه ميزة وهي التعامل وفقًا للمتاح ويتكيف مع أي ظروف، وهذه ميزة تجعله يكتشف وجوهًا جديدة من الناشئين”.
هل التبرعات ديون مؤجلة أم لا؟ أجاب: “هل نحن نعلم عندما يتم التبرع للأندية المنافسة؟، هل أحد يجرؤ على معرفة حجم التبرعات أو من دفع كم أو هل سيتم إعادتها أم لا؟! ما كان يحدث سلفًا بسبب مشاكل بين الإدارة السابقة وممدوح عباس، لكنها أمور إدارية، هناك أمور ليس شرط أن تُعرض على الإعلام، الإدارة الحالية هدفها الحالي تسديد ما سبق وعدم تحمل النادي أعباء مالية مستقبلية”.
واختتم بالحديث عن محمد عواد حارس الزمالك: “حتى الآن الموقف معلق ولا يوجد جديد، هناك عرض مُقدم لـ محمد عواد لو وافق عليه أهلًا وسهلًا به، وإذا لم يوافق سنستطلع رأي جوميز هل يحتاج إلى حارس خبرة أم يستكمل بالشناوي وصبحي، لأن هناك حارس ثالث اسمه عمر عبد العزيز لا يقل عن مستوى الشناوي، والأمر سيكون خاضعًا للمدرب”.
MatériaMais Notícias
De olho no confronto contra o Fluminense, na próxima quarta-feira (13), na Neo Química Arena, às 21h30,pela 29ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Corinthians deu continuidade aos treinamentos da semana. No entanto, a presença de dois atletas chamou a atenção.
Sornoza saiu: veja 15 estrangeiros que tiveram passagem fraca pelo Corinthians
No treino deste sábado (9), Vagner Mancini incorporou ao elenco o lateral-esquerdo Guilherme Biro, do sub-17, e o zagueiro Lucas Belezi, do sub-20.Eles completaram a atividade do dia como parte do plano de integração entre os departamentos de Formação de Atletas e de Futebol. Ambos estão no Alvinegro há quatro anos.
Biro, de apenas 16 anos, assinou recentemente seu primeiro contrato profissional. Amulta do atleta para o exterior está avaliada em 30 milhões de euros (R$ 188 milhões na cotação atual).
O lateral, que começou sua carreira atuando como meia, é convocado constantemente à Seleção Brasileira e esteve presente no título Sul-Americano sub-15 de 2019, disputado no Paraguai.
TIMÃO NA LIBERTA? SIMULE OS JOGOS DO CLUBE NO BRASILEIRÃO
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No entanto, Biro não jogou em 2020 pois sofreu uma lesão em setembro. O único jogo do lateral foi em março, quando o Corinthians Sub-17 empatou com o Atlético-MG por 1 a 1.
Por outro lado, Belezi vem se estabelecendo desde 2020. No ano passado, o zagueiro fez 15 jogos pelo sub-20 e três pelo sub-17, já que ele ainda não completou 18 anos e estava disponível para ambas categorias.
Ainda, o defensor é detentor de uma importante marca no clube. Em julho de 2019, Fábio Carille o colocou em um amistoso contra o Botafogo-SP.
Dessa forma, elese tornou o mais novo a estrear pelo Corinthians, com16 anos, um mês e 21 dias, superando a marca que era ostentada por Jô, que disputou sua primeira partida pelo Timão com6 anos, três meses e 29 dias.
Sob supervisão de Marcio Monteiro
It is hard to believe that Ipswich Town were a League One outfit last season but their tremendous start to this campaign has got the Tractor Boys dreaming of a return to the Premier League.
Despite losing 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion last time out, Kieran McKenna's side are still seven points above third-place Leeds United and will fancy their chances of bouncing back against Millwall.
Ipswich boast the best home record in the second tier with seven wins from eight matches, however, the Lions have only lost once on their travels this term but do find themselves in a lowly 18th position.
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Here's how Ipswich could line up against Millwall tonight, with two changes from that loss to the Baggies…
1 GK – Vaclav Hladky
The backbone of any successful team is having a goalkeeper who breathes confidence into the rest of the team. In the shape of Vaclav Hladky, who has kept the second most clean sheets in the division (6), Ipswich have just that.
An outstanding shot-stopper and exceptional organiser, the 33-year-old has prevented the most goals in the Championship this term – 4.04, as per Sofascore.
2 RB – Brandon Williams
McKenna deploys a system that allows his full-backs to make an impact in the final third and on-loan Manchester United defender, Brandon Williams, has benefitted from being awarded that freedom.
The 23-year-old remarkably ranks in the top 1% against his division positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.27) while he's equally strong the other way, placing within the top 4% for tackles (3.34).
3 CB – Luke Woolfenden
A towering presence at the heart of the Ipswich defence and equally comfortable with the ball at his feet, Woolfenden is an imposing, ball-playing centre-back who has gradually improved since making his debut for the club in 2017.
The 6 foot 4 goliath has set the tone this term by winning 82% of his ground duels and registering a pass completion of 86%.
4 CB – Cameron Burgess
Burgess formed an instrumental partnership with Woolfenden in their promotion-winning campaign last term and that understanding has only grown stronger in the second tier.
They say you should never break up a winning partnership and this duo has formed the backbone of their success under McKenna, with Burgess recording the fourth most clearances in the division (5.1).
5 LB – Leif Davis
Promotion rivals Leeds have been left kicking themselves since offloading their all-encompassing academy graduate, Leif Davis.
Of course, his powers as an assist machine have only been unlocked since the arrival of McKenna, with the 23-year-old projecting dynamite down the Tractor Boys' left flank. He registered a whopping 14 assists in League One last term and already has seven in the Championship this time around.
6 CM – Sam Morsy
The Ipswich captain leads by example on the field through his tough-tackling displays in the middle of the park and elegance in possession.
Adored by his manager, who praised him as an "absolutely outstanding" captain last season, the former Wigan Athletic star ranks in the top 11% against his positional peers in the division for tackles and top 15% for passes attempted per 90.
7 CM – Massimo Luongo
Massimo Luongo has been pushed out of the starting eleven by Jack Taylor in the previous two matches, however, the Australian international should start ahead of the youngster against Millwall.
The £5k per-week machine has averaged more balls recovered (5.2 v 2.4), key passes (1.3 v1.1) and tackles per game (2.5 v 0.7) than Taylor.
8 RW – Wes Burns
Although he was restricted to just 23 touches of the ball against West Brom, Wes Burns has been a menace down the right flank all season, utilising his pace and fleet-footed dribbling to outfox defenders. Whilst he only has one goal and one assist to his name, the fact he registers 0.23 expected assists per 90 – ranking in the top 8% in the second tier – suggests he should have more.
9 CAM – Conor Chaplin
In League One last term, Conor Chaplin was devastating as a second striker, plundering 26 goals and five assists. Some questioned whether he could translate that form across to the Championship, but posting six goals and four assists to his name so far suggests he has.
He's at his most dangerous when he picks up pockets of space and drives at defences, so Millwall will need to be wary of his threat.
10 LW – Marcus Harness
Nathan Broadhead was bitterly disappointing in the defeat against the Baggies, only making 18 touches across 62 minutes of action and misplacing five of his 13 attempted passes.
Marcus Harness, who has predominantly featured from the bench but still scored four goals, deserves to start from the off tonight in his place.
Manchester United won by a three-goal margin for only the second time this season as they defeated Everton in the Premier League over the weekend.
The 3-0 win will surely be a confidence booster as the Red Devils prepare to face Galatasaray in what is a vital Champions League match on Wednesday evening.
Erik ten Hag will be hoping the comfortable win over the Toffees could be the catalyst which turns around United’s season, as they haven’t exactly had the best of times recently.
Indeed, since the start of the campaign, the club have won just ten of their 19 matches and have already suffered elimination in the EFL Cup.
Surprisingly, especially with their form, the Old Trafford side occupy sixth spot in the table, just six points off the leaders Liverpool, and while a title challenge may be a tad farfetched, Ten Hag will be aiming for another top-four finish.
There needs to be some improvement to the squad, however, and with the January transfer window fast approaching, the Dutchman may just delve into the market for another signing or two ahead of the second half of the season.
Not content with just bolstering his first-team squad, Ten Hag is also keen on luring the very best young talent in the world to Manchester, and they have been linked with 16-year-old Estevao Willian recently.
Man Utd transfer news – Estevao Willian
According to reports in Spain, United are showing a keen interest in the talented winger, although they face stiff competition from close to home as Manchester City and Chelsea also retain an interest in making a potential swoop.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are another two names keeping tabs on him too, and with a reported release clause of €60m (£52m), clearly indicating that he isn’t going to come cheap regardless of who signs him.
The report claims that Ten Hag is pushing United to begin advanced negotiations with the teenage prodigy in order to fend off some intense competition.
Whether this works or not remains to be seen, although Palmeiras look resigned to losing him in the near future, such is his limitless potential.
The Red Devils are no strangers to picking up some of the best young talents in the business and a couple of them are already starring in the first team.
Alejandro Garnacho is one and could Estevao Willian follow in his footsteps?
Alejandro Garnacho’s statistics at Man Utd
The Old Trafford side signed the young Argentinian from Atlético Madrid back in 2020 when he was just 16 – the same age as Willian – and he has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the senior squad over the previous 12 months.
Indeed, the winger enjoyed a breakthrough campaign during 2022/23, making 34 appearances across all competitions and chipping in with five goals and five assists, proving himself to be a useful member of Ten Hag’s squad during his first season in charge.
The 19-year-old has already won three caps for World champions Argentina, and he can operate on either wing, giving the former Ajax boss plenty of options.
He showcased just how good he is by scoring a stunning overhead kick against Everton on Sunday, with many comparing it to a similar effort by Wayne Rooney against City 12 years ago.
Although the Dutchman will be aiming to add some more players who possess a winning mentality to his team, complementing them with some excellent young talent could be the correct way to go from now on.
Willian looks like he is the next big thing to emerge from Brazil and if he joins United, he may be Garnacho 2.0 for Ten Hag.
Estevao Willian’s youth statistics
The Brazilian is the product of Palmeiras’ excellent academy, which has produced talents such as Danilo, Endrick and Luis Guilherme while he is yet to make a senior appearance for the club, despite his potential.
The right-winger has scored twice in 14 matches for the U20 side, and it surely won't be long before he finally makes his long-awaited senior bow for the Brazilian side.
He was part of the Brazil squad for the U17 World Cup recently and despite being sent packing from the tournament by arch-rivals Argentina, he still managed to score three goals and register three assists, displaying his wide array of skills on the biggest stage for the best young talents in the world.
It was the tie against Ecuador in the last 16 in which Estevao was at his best in front of goal. Not only did he score twice, but he managed five total shots, supplied five key passes, and succeeded with all five of his attempted dribbles, making a mockery of the Ecuadorian backline on a regular basis.
This led to praise from talent scout Jacek Kulig, who said this after the game: “The youngest member of this excellent Brazilian team. World-class talent.”
Anderson
181
Kleberson
30
Fred
213
Casemiro
63
Antony
56
Rafael
170
Fabio
56
Alex Telles
50
Andreas Pereira
75
Stats via Transfermarkt
His performances have obviously attracted plenty of attention from the likes of United and City and while he may not be able to leave until he turns 18, it is looking increasingly likely that a club will agree a move for him before then.
Kulig lauded further praise on the youngster earlier this month, claiming that “the sky is the limit” for the 16-year-old and if the Brazilian hotshot continues his wonderful rise, he will be able to showcase those aforementioned skills on the senior stage in the coming months.
It's no wonder the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are all sniffing around the teenager as they look to sign the next big thing.
Man Utd's £47m star deserves as much praise as Garnacho and Mainoo
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ByRoss Kilvington Nov 27, 2023
There have been so many youngsters emerging in Brazil and Argentina over the previous few years who have been poached by the biggest teams. Although some hit the big time, such as Vinicius Jr, many are left with false promises and a career on European soil which doesn’t quite turn out as first anticipated.
If the Red Devils are certain on signing Estevao, they may be better off watching him play some senior matches first before deciding to go straight in and pay £52m.
His talent could lead him to become a first-team regular like Garnacho, but he must be nurtured if he does find his way to Manchester.
After suffering play-off heartbreak last season, it's no surprise that Sunderland are once again on course to secure their shot at a place at Wembley, even if it is early days. Tony Mowbray's side currently sit inside the play-off spots on goal difference. Given how tight things are in the Championship so far this season, the January transfer window could make or break Sunderland's season.
The Wearside club weren't the busiest during the summer, with their most exciting deal coming in the form of Jobe Bellingham, who has since enjoyed success at The Stadium of Light. Further reinforcements could come through the door during January and that may include one specific target.
Sunderland transfer news
Since the end of Amad Diallo's loan spell last season, whilst Sunderland haven't been incredibly short on goals, they have missed the spark that the Manchester United youngster provided. Another attacking addition could be made a priority in the New Year, and that's where Luciano Rodriguez comes in.
According to reliable reporter Alan Nixon on his Patreon, relayed by The 72, Sunderland are eyeing a move for Rodriguez, who has continued to impress for Uruguay top flight side Liverpool. The forward can play in any of the front three roles, which could hand Mowbray a major boost when it comes to positional depth. Though considered an ambitious deal, Sunderland will reportedly have the funds available following the sale of Ross Stewart during the summer transfer window.
It remains to be seen whether the Black Cats can secure a deal, but the fact that they've scouted Rodriguez suggests that they're certainly keen on the Liverpool forward.
"Incredible" Rodriguez would boost Sunderland's promotion chances
At just 20-years-old, Rodriguez's stats show that he is seemingly a player full of potential and someone that Sunderland should be desperate to sign. At Liverpool this season, the forward has been involved in 10 goals in 27 appearances to attract the interest of Mowbray and co. The Uruguay U20 may only get better with time too, and could even look to follow in the footsteps of his compatriots, Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez, by enjoying success in English football, potentially starting with promotion at Sunderland.
January looks set to be an important month for Rodriguez's career, especially if the Black Cats make their move. In the Championship, he'd likely gain even more attention and even more praise after already impressing the likes of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who said:
"Luciano Rodríguez is absolutely incredible at Sudamericano U-20. Already one of the biggest individual winners of the tournament without a doubt."
As Sunderland look to finally replace the spark of Diallo, who played a pivotal part in their play-off push last season, Rodriguez could be the player to turn to and feature alongside star man Jack Clarke. Throughout his career so far, the versatile forward has shown several signs that he's only just getting started when it comes to goals.
When Manchester United take one step forward in one game, they take five steps backwards in the next.
After a 3-0 win away at Everton last Sunday, the Red Devils suffered a further blow in Europe by crumbling to a 3-3 draw in Istanbul against Galatasaray in midweek and were bested by top-four rivals Newcastle United on Saturday night in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag will be left scratching his head once more after his side's performance away at St. James' Park. Man United had just eight shots on goal against the Magpies, with only three coming from inside the penalty area. All eight attempts at goal registered a measly xG of merely 0.48 which averages out at 0.06 xG per shot.
The centre-forward position has become a graveyard shift this season at Old Trafford and the noticeable lack of service to the striker is quite stark during games, but United's frontmen are struggling to convert the chances that are created. As a result, Ten Hag is eyeing up a player in January who could potentially alleviate his team's goalscoring woes.
Manchester United transfer links – Serhou Guirassy
According to The Guardian, Manchester United have added VfB Stuttgart centre-forward Serhou Guirassy to the club's Christmas wishlist ahead of the winter window to provide adequate competition for Rasmus Hojlund.
The outlet are reporting that the English giants have made contact with the player's agent and that the Guinea international has a release clause of just £15.1m which United could activate over the coming weeks.
Guirassy has had an incredible rise to stardom this season, breaking Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga record by scoring ten goals in the first five matches of the campaign. The 27-year-old is currently second in the goalscoring charts with 16 goals. Only England captain Harry Kane has found the net more times this season in Germany's top-flight.
In addition to the Manchester United links, Stuttgart's star striker is reportedly being eyed up by a whole host of clubs in England, including Arsenal, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Serhou Guirassy's stats this season
With his fifteen goals for Stuttgart, Guirassy has scored more than three times Manchester United's £72m summer showpiece signing Hojlund who has converted five opportunities this term, with all five coming in the Champions League.
Meanwhile. United's backup centre-forward Anthony Martial has scored just twice in all competitions for the English giants. Overall, Guirassy has scored more than double Ten Hag's two frontmen put together.
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The former Rennes number '9' is one of the most prolific goalscorers in European football this season and has outperformed both Hojlund and Martial in several key attacking metrics in all competitions.
Goals
1.77
0.4
0.31
Expected Goals
1.16
0.5
0.24
Shots
4.58
2.02
1.09
Shots On Target
2.08
0.81
0.63
Goals Per Shot
0.32
0.2
0.29
Stuttgart teammate and Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Denis Undav even described Guirassy as "ice cold" in front of goal, having scored 1.77 goals per 90 which is a tremendous record for a striker.
Since the beginning of the 2022/23 season, no player in Germany's top tier has scored more times than the Guinean with 27 goals in 33 appearances.
Additionally, Guirassy is one of only three players to score 15 or more goals in Europe's top-five leagues this term, alongside Bayern's Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Ballon d'Or nominee Kylian Mbappe, meaning the Stuttgart frontman has achieved this feat quicker than even Manchester City's goalscoring machine Erling Haaland.
Bruno Fernandes' stats this season
Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United's main creative fulcrum since moving to the club almost four years ago, recording 59 assists in 205 appearances since joining the Red Devils.
Before this weekend's fixtures, the captain had the second-highest expected assisted goals tally in the Premier League behind Liverpool star Mohamed Salah with 4.9.
Compared to all other number 10s in Europe's top five leagues over the past calendar year, Bruno is in the top 15% for assists per 90, the top 1% for expected assists per 90 and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
However, United's skipper has actually underperformed his 0.37 expected assisted goals per 90 by registering just 0.26 assists per 90. The underperformance comes as a result of his strikers not being able to convert the opportunities that he creates. As a result, that man Guirassy could well be perfect for a creative talent such as Fernandes.
Both Hojlund and Martial have a higher xG per 90 rate than goals per 90 in the Premier League as the duo have struggled for consistency while leading the line. Meanwhile, Guirassy has scored 0.59 goals per 90 from an xG of 0.57 per 90 in the Bundesliga.
Additionally, Fernandes is whipping 6.27 crosses into the penalty area per 90 and needs a centre-forward who can be dangerous in the air to get on the end of these balls.
Guirassy is winning 3.1 aerial duels per 90 this term and 57.4% of his total duels in the air. The duo could complement each other very nicely in the final third should Man United decide to activate Guirassy's modest release clause.
In a rain-hit contest, BCB XI scored at over 7.5 runs an over to down the visitors in their only warm-up game
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2018Tamim Iqbal marked his return from injury with a blazing century for the BCB XI. The touring West Indians – under brand-new captain Rovman Powell – lost their only warm-up game before the three-match ODI series that begins on Saturday in a high-scoring rain-hit contest.Tamim, who fractured his left wrist during the Asia Cup in September, scored at a strike-rate close to 150, as he pummelled the West Indian bowlers for 13 fours and four sixes, making a 73-ball 107 while chasing 332.ALSO READ: Tamim, Shakib return to Bangladesh’s ODI squadIn a game where the BCB XI bowlers were themselves clattered for 331 in the first innings, Tamim joined forces with No. 3 Soumya Sarkar early in the chase to add 114 runs for the second wicket in just 83 balls. Sarkar smacked a quickfire unbeaten ton of his own, finishing on an 83-ball 103, as BCB XI won by 51 runs (via DLS method) with rain stopping play in the afternoon.Even without the downpour, BCB XI were cruising towards their target of 332 on the back of the Tamim-Sarkar stand. When the game stopped with the BCB XI 314 for 6 after 41 overs, the hosts were only 18 runs from their initial target.ALSO READ: Rovman Powell to lead West Indies’ 15-man ODI squadEarlier in the day, the West Indians, too, had a field day with the bat after winning the toss. A century stand between openers Kieran Powell (43) and Shai Hope (81) gave them a rapid start, but five wickets in the middle overs derailed their progress. Mehedi Hasan Rana and Nazmul Islam picked up two wickets each as the visitors went from 101 for no loss to 176 for 5. But a late surge by the unbeaten Roston Chase and No. 8 Fabian Allen took them past the 330-run mark. Chase finished on 65 off 51 balls, while Allen hit a 32-ball 48. Rubel Hossain and the captain Mashrafe Mortaza were the only two bowlers to concede less than six per over.As for the West Indian bowlers, the spinners found the most reward, with Chase and Devendra Bishoo taking four wickets between them. Chase’s offspin dismissed both Bangladesh openers while Bishoo’s legspin earned him the wickets of Mohammad Mithun and Ariful Haque. Allen, the left-arm spinner, chipped in with Towrid Hridoy’s wicket. The West Indian pacers, though, found it harder on a batting-friendly surface. Keemo Paul and Kemar Roach went wicketless at over 9 per over while Oshane Thomas leaked 57 runs in his seven-over spell.