يحل فريق برشلونة ضيفاً على نظيره ليفانتي، خارج ملعبه، في الساعة العاشرة والنصف مساء، في الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وافتتح برشلونة موسمه في الدوري الإسباني بالفوز ضد ريال مايوركا بثلاثية نظيفة في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الاسباني، ويرغب الفريق في مواصلة انتصاراته وتحقيق الانتصار الثاني على التوالي.

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وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد استدعى مهاجمه البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي لقائمة المباراة بعد حصوله على التصريح الطبي، ولكنه سيجلس على دكة البدلاء اليوم. تشكيل برشلونة أمام ليفانتي في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: خوان جارسيا

خط الدفاع: اريك جارسيا – أراوخو – كوبارسي – بالدي

خط الوسط: مارك كاسادو – بيدري – رافينيا

خط الهجوم: ماركوس راشفورد – لامين يامال – فيران توريس

ويجلس على دكة البدلاء كل من: إيناكي بينيا – جافي – ليفاندوفسكي – كريستينسن – فيرمين لوبيز – داني أولمو – كوندي – جوفري – درو – فرنانديز – كوشين

Didier Drogba’s legacy at Chelsea is the stuff of legend.

The Ivorian striker was the beating heart of the Blues’ golden era, a colossus who combined power, skill and an unparalleled ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most, most notably in the 2012 Champions League final, where his unforgettable performance helped the Blues lift the trophy for the first time.

A decade after his departure, Chelsea are still yearning for a successor capable of replicating his impact on and off the pitch.

The club has seen a revolving door of strikers in the post-Drogba era, and while some such as Diego Costa enjoyed solid careers at Stamford Bridge, no one has been able to fully step into the legendary striker’s shoes.

From young prodigies already making their mark in west London to established European stars, we look at five players we think have the potential to take up Drogba’s mantle at Stamford Bridge.

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ByBarney Lane Feb 4, 2025 1 Nicolas Jackson Chelsea

Nicolas Jackson, who Chelsea signed from Villarreal in the summer of 2023, has plenty in common with Drogba. His physical presence and work rate mirror that of Drogba’s, while his ability to link up the play is perhaps even better than the Ivorian’s. He also has great pace and clever movement.

However, where he comes up short when compared to Drogba is his finishing. Though he’s far improved this term under Enzo Maresca, he still wastes too many big chances, often needing two or three clear opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet.

Since moving to Chelsea, Jackson has scored 23 Premier League goals, but also missed a whopping 39 big chances in his short Blues career so far – exactly triple the amount Drogba missed since this was recorded by the Premier League.

That being said, Jackson is still just 23 years old, and minus his hit-and-miss finishing, his impressive performances at his peak suggest he’s capable of leading the line at Stamford Bridge for years to come. However, consistency and improved displays in front of goal will determine if he reaches Drogba’s heights.

2 Shim Mheuka Chelsea

Shim Mheuka has rapidly ascended through Chelsea’s academy ranks since joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022.

During the 2023/24 season, he regularly featured for the Under-18s despite still being a schoolboy, netting an impressive 12 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions, including a memorable outing at Stamford Bridge in the Under-18 Premier League national final against Manchester United.

Mheuka also played a pivotal role for England in the European Under-17 Championship last summer, scoring in their opening match against Spain. More recently, he marked his first call-up to the Under-19s in style, scoring against France and the Netherlands.

Now 17, Mheuka’s powerful frame, intelligent movement, and superb finishing abilities – all qualities Drogba showcased – have already caught the attention of Maresca, with the Italian handing him his first-team debut in a 3-1 win over Astana in the Conference League back in December.

There is no doubting that he has a bright future in west London, and given Drogba was 26 when he signed for Chelsea, there is plenty of time for Mheuka to prove he has what it takes to grow into a Drogba-esque talent.

3 Liam Delap Ipswich Town

Liam Delap has been one of the Premier League’s best strikers this season. Big, strong and with a lethal eye for goal, the forward has scored 10 goals in the top flight for newly promoted Ipswich Town and has proven to be a real handful for some of the top flight’s best defenders.

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Already linked with a move to Chelsea, Maresca, who coached him as a youngster during his time in Manchester City’s youth ranks, is a big admirer.

“Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age,” said Maresca back in December before Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by Ipswich, a game in which Delap scored the opening goal. “I think we spent one year together, and he scored 22 to 24 goals. He is a very good striker.

“England have many good players, many good strikers,” he added. “He’s working hard off the ball and on the ball, understands the game and can score goals. I think he can be an important player for England.” For Chelsea too, maybe?

4 Victor Osimhen Galatasaray/Napoli

Victor Osimhen is perhaps the closest current player to Drogba in terms of style and impact.

The Nigerian forward’s scoring record at Napoli is certainly reminiscent of Drogba, not to mention continuing his streak in front of goal in a Galatasaray shirt, which is something the Ivorian did himself in between his Chelsea spells.

Osimhen came close to joining Chelsea in the summer, but the deal fell through prior to his loan switch to Istanbul.

Whilst there, he has again shown why he’s one of the deadliest strikers in world football, scoring 20 goals in 27 games, including two against Tottenham in the Europa League, which would already make him something of a Chelsea hero to some.

5 Benjamin Sesko RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is one of Europe’s most exciting young strikers and has often been compared to Erling Haaland due to his physical attributes and playing style. Rather crucially, he has also been mentioned in the same breath as Chelsea star Drogba.

The Slovenian forward stands at 6 foot 4, making him a real handful for defenders when the ball is crossed into the box. Not only is he big, but he’s also a terrific header of the ball. Since moving to Leipzig in 2023, the 21-year-old has scored seven headed goals.

Drogba, meanwhile, found the net with his noggin 17 times for Chelsea in the Premier League.

Like Drogba, Sesko has the ability to score from long range, best showcased by his stunning strike against Werder Bremen in January, where he unleashed a powerful drive that nearly shattered the net from 25 yards out.

Reportedly already on Chelsea’s radar, a move to Stamford Bridge could give him the chance to develop into Chelsea’s next dominant striker, potentially following in Drogba’s footsteps.

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Even a win can’t assure New Zealand of a top-four ticket, with Pakistan having a game in hand; and rain could play a part in Bengaluru again

Madushka Balasuriya08-Nov-20234:17

Williamson: ‘We knew anybody can beat anybody and we’ve seen that’

Big picture: All to play forAnd so it comes down to this. After a month of non-stop cricket – 40 matches leading up to this one, to be precise – there’s a very good chance that it will be the weather in Bengaluru which might end up deciding which team takes up not just the last semi-final berth in this World Cup, but also the final Champions Trophy 2025 qualification spot. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us first take a quick look back at how we got here.If you’re New Zealand, you could be forgiven for scratching your head a little at your present predicament. After four wins from your first four games, and then two scores of 383 and 401 in two of your next four, you surely ought to have nailed down that top-four spot, right? Well, not if that 383 came in an agonisingly close losing chase against Australia, and that 401 preceded some classic Pakistan shenanigans courtesy Fakhar Zaman, who wasn’t even in the starting XI at the beginning of this tournament.But New Zealand’s fate is largely in their own hands. A win against Sri Lanka, and they move to ten points to almost certainly lock that fourth semi-final slot. The only caveat – Pakistan will be playing two days later, knowing precisely what they need to do against England to trump New Zealand’s net run rate (NRR). Afghanistan too could get to ten points, but their NRR is so dire that it’s all but mathematically impossible to leapfrog the sides above them.3:07

SL assistant coach: ‘Captaincy must be a burden on Kusal Mendis’

As for Sri Lanka, an underwhelming tournament, scattered with only sporadic moments of triumph, reached a pointed nadir in their comprehensive defeat to Bangladesh on Monday – a fact conveniently sidelined by the furore surrounding Angelo Mathews’ mildly contentious, not-at-all-polarising dismissal.Related

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The margin of that loss, coupled with England’s win over Netherlands on Wednesday, also left them in ninth place* – below the cut-off point for qualification to the next Champions Trophy – with only NRR keeping them off the bottom. There are various scenarios at play but all four teams – Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Netherlands – could still finish level on four points, with run rate the decider.Which brings us to the rain, something that would be considerably more disastrous for New Zealand than their opponents because they need the full two points. Anything less than that and Pakistan, Afghanistan or both could surpass them in the race for the semi-finals.A washout may work in Sri Lanka’s favour but then they’d be waiting on at least two of Bangladesh, England and Netherlands to lose their final match of the World Cup.As for the actual head-to-head between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, it’s been all one-way traffic in recent times. Sri Lanka’s last ODI victory against New Zealand came back in 2015.Rachin Ravindra has hit three hundreds in this World Cup•Associated Press

Recent formNew Zealand LLLLW
Sri Lanka LLLWWIn the spotlight: Rachin Ravindra and Kusal MendisRachin Ravindra has 523 runs this World Cup. He hadn’t played a single game of ODI cricket when the year began but he is now the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Heading into the World Cup, all of Ravindra’s first eight ODI innings came at either No. 6 or 7. But from the moment he hit a hundred to kick things off last month, he earned himself a place in that New Zealand top order and has never looked back. Of batters to have played as many games as him in the World Cup, only Virat Kohl’s ludicrous average of 108.60 trumps Ravindra’s 74.71. And one last fact, his only ODI innings against Sri Lanka saw him score 49 from 52 balls, in what was his ODI debut.Of all the mid-tournament revelations in all the World Cups. In ordinary circumstances, having been pushed out of semi-final contention, this Sri Lanka side might have been looking forward to the creature comforts of home. Here, however, they still need a win, and more importantly inspiration. Enter Kusal Mendis, the man named captain two games into this tournament, two games in which he was a whirlwind of unadulterated intent. His seven innings prior to taking up the mantle had seen him rack up six scores of fifty or more, including a 77-ball 126 against Pakistan. Since then though his form has fallen of the proverbial cliff; he has averaged 15 at a strike rate of 68.18. Sri Lanka badly need Mendis to rediscover his mojo.Team news: Ferguson and Jamieson both to play?For New Zealand, Matt Henry has been ruled out of the World Cup. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s weakness against short-pitched bowling might see the inclusion of one or both of Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi/Kyle Jamieson, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee/Lockie FergusonSri Lanka badly need Kusal Mendis to rediscover his mojo•Getty Images

Sri Lanka don’t have any fresh injury concerns and are likely to stick with the same side which lost to Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk) 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Dilshan MadushankaPitch and conditions: Runs or rain?New Zealand as whole might not have fond memories of the Chinnaswamy stadium, but their batters might, having plundered 401 against Pakistan. Sri Lanka too will remember fondly their win against England here. Now if only the rain will keep away.Stats and trivia: A one-sided contest Rachin Ravindra is currently tied with Sachin Tendulkar for most runs at a World Cup before turning 25. He can go free and clear of an all-time great tomorrow. Dilshan Madushanka is seven wickets away from becoming the all-time highest wicket-taker in a single edition of a World Cup. Sri Lanka have won just three of their last 20 ODIs against New Zealand; they’ve lost seven of their last eight, with one game abandoned. Two of the three games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in this World Cup have seen the side batting first score above 350, with only England – against Sri Lanka – failing to do so.Quotes”We knew the talent was there, but to come out be one of the players of the tournament so far – not only with the bat, but he’s also making really valuable contributions with the ball. Yeah, very, very special player, and great that he’s on our side.”
*November 9 – This was updated to correct the permutations for Champions Trophy qualification

MatériaMais Notícias

da brdice： Gabriel Pires recebeu propostas de dois clubes do exterior neste ano. Ambos sinalizaram interesse em adquiri-lo por empréstimo, com opção de compra. O meia, no entanto, entende que está numa crescente e deseja permanecer no Botafogo por mais tempo.

O jogador pertence ao Benfica e está emprestado ao Glorioso até junho deste ano, com prorrogação automática até dezembro. O atleta não ficou satisfeito com suas atuações no ano passado e acredita que pode ser importante para equipe alvinegra nesta temporada.

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Apesar do interesse em permanecer no Botafogo, Gabriel Pires não está fechado para eventuais negociações. A tendência é que novas propostas do exterior surjam na janela de transferências do meio do ano.

Após oscilações e problemas físicos na temporada passada, Gabriel Pires vem sendo utilizado por Luís Castro nos primeiros jogos do ano e tem dado conta do recado. O jogador tem sido uma das surpresas positivas da equipe alvinegra em 2023.

O Glorioso entra em campo neste sábado, diante do Bangu, às 19h, no Luso Brasileiro, em partida válida pelo Campeonato Carioca.

The international break has come at the right time for Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca’s side needing a break to end their recent poor run in the Premier League as of late.

The Blues have lost three of the last five league outings, with their most recent coming at the weekend against Arsenal at the Emirates, with Mikel Merino’s goal the difference between the sides.

However, Maresca’s men still occupy a place in the top four with just nine league games remaining this season, looking to secure a Champions League place in his first campaign at the helm.

It would be a huge boost for the club after missing out on competing with Europe’s elite in the last couple of years, with their success potentially proving that the huge investment has been worthwhile.

Their spending has shown no signs of slowing down in recent months, with the Blues making yet another key addition in recent days – setting themselves up for future success.

Chelsea’s move to land Geovany Quenda

In recent days, Chelsea have made yet another addition after clinching a deal with Portuguese outfit Sporting CP for the signature of 17-year-old wide player Geovany Quenda.

The teenager, who can operate off either flank, has set the club back a fee in the region of £42.7m, taking the spending during the Todd Boehly era to over £1.3b.

However, Quenda is set to spend the 2025/26 season back on loan at the Liga Portugal outfit, before linking up with the Blues ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

He looks set to operate in wide areas, mainly off the left-hand side if recent reports are to be believed, and potentially able to feature in a wing-back role should the manager decide to utilise a back-five at Stamford Bridge.

Many must wish he was moving to West London this summer, especially after one first-team member’s display for his country on Thursday evening.

The Chelsea player who dropped a 4/10 for his country

Given the money spent over the last couple of years, it’s no surprise to see numerous players featuring for their respective nations during the international break.

Eight of Maresca’s key players were selected to represent their country, with many of them featuring in various matches across the globe last night.

Marc Cucurella started and featured for the entirety of the contest against the Netherlands in Rotterdam, but was unable to produce a performance to remember as they only managed to draw 2-2.

He received his 14th cap for his country, but it was one to forget, being run ragged by one player, which contributed to their inability to claim another victory.

The 26-year-old only managed to win four of the 12 duels he entered, whilst being dribbled past four times, including by Jeremie Frimpong, who spun the full-back, leading to the host’s second goal.

Cucurella also committed two fouls in the process, whilst only managing to complete 50% of his attempted crosses, failing to have a positive impact at either end of the pitch.

Minutes played

90

Touches

85

Duels won

4/12

Dribbled past

4x

Fouls committed

2

Crosses completed

1/2 (50%)

Dribbles completed

0

He also failed to complete any dribbles, with only two of his 62 attempted passes being key passes, unable to create any clear-cut opportunities within the final third.

As a result of his dismal showing for Spain, the left-back was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by GIVEMESPORT, showcasing how disappointing he was during the draw.

Given his disappointing outing last night, many supporters must wish that Quenda was moving to the Bridge this summer, offering another option in wide areas for Maresca.

However, Cucurella will remain the number one option for the next couple of years at least, with the Spaniard needing to return to his usual high standards ahead of the return to club action in a week’s time.

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One position that is key in Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea system, is the wingers, pinning fullbacks high and wide, looking to provide the team with output and being isolated in 1v1 scenarios as often as possible.

However, the Italian has lost his most productive wide option to injury, Noni Madueke, who has netted eight times this season, also providing four assists and totalling 1,653 minutes played.

This leaves Maresca with just Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho as his senior wide options, as the Blues also lost another winger due to suspension back in December last year.

Mykhailo Mudryk's time at Chelsea

Chelsea announced in December 2024, that Ukrainian winger, Mykhailo Mudryk had been provisionally suspended by the FA after testing positive for a banned substance.

This came after making 15 appearances for the Blues this season, scoring three goals, providing five assists and totalling 849 minutes played.

Whilst a large majority of Mudryk’s minutes came in the UEFA Conference League (523 minutes), losing the 24-year-old has still affected Maresca’s squad, as they are now left with just two natural senior wingers after Madueke’s injury.

The Blues signed Mudryk in January 2023, with an initial fee of around £62m with up to a further £27m in bonuses. The Ukrainian is now valued at €38.5m (£31.8m) according to Football Transfers, but that is still more than a certain other Chelsea man…

The Chelsea star who's now worth less than Mudryk

Reece James was once valued as high as £57.4m according to FootballTtransfers, but over the past few seasons, his value has taken a real hit, following plenty of injury troubles which have kept him off the pitch for prolonged spells.

Chelsea’s top ten player values
Player	Value (£)
Cole Palmer	£95.6m
Moises Caicedo	£66.8m
Enzo Fernández	£61.5m
Nicolas Jackson	£59.4m
Pedro Neto	£51.3m
Christopher Nkunku	£49.1m
Levi Colwill	£45.8m
Roméo Lavia	£44.8m
Noni Madueke	£43.4m
Mykhailo Mudryk	£31.8m
Stats taken from Football Transfers

The Chelsea captain has managed to make ten appearances for the club this season, scoring one goal, providing one assist, contributing to one clean sheet and totalling 556 minutes played.

The 25-year-old has suffered from reoccurring hamstring problems since 2020, missing a total of 131 games since 2019/20, when James was first introduced to the first-team under Frank Lampard.

When James is fully fit, there is no doubt about his quality, with Kyle Walker even labelling him the “complete” player and revealing why he believes James is the best right-back in the world.

However, having only made 168 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals, providing 23 assists and totalling 11,503 minutes, his availability will always remain a concern.

James is now valued at €37.4m (£30.9m) according to Football Transfers, which means he isn’t seen as one of Chelsea’s top ten most valuable players, despite being the highest-paid player at the club, as well as being the club captain.

With Chelsea’s new wage structure aiming to pay players based on their value to the side, James could come under consideration if his injury troubles continue, as to whether the Blues need to focus their resources elsewhere.

Market Movers

That likely wouldn’t go down well with Chelsea fans, as James is one of the only academy graduates remaining to have successfully come through the system and become a fully fledged first-teamer – yet if his injury woes remain, an upgrade may be needed.

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Naveen will instead take part in the SA20 league, which runs almost concurrently with the ILT20

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2023

Naveen-ul-Haq has moved from the ILT20 to SA20•AFP/Getty Images

Naveen-ul-Haq has been banned by the UAE’s ILT20 for 20 months for breaching his player agreement with Sharjah Warriors when he “refused to sign the retention notice” for the second season of the tournament, to be played in January-February next year.The decision effectively bars Naveen from playing in the ILT20 in 2024 and 2025, but he has signed with Durban’s Super Giants – owned by the group that owns IPL team Lucknow Super Giants, of which he is a part – in the South African SA20 league, which will be played almost concurrently with the ILT20.Warriors, who had signed Naveen on for the inaugural edition of the league in 2023, had “earlier this year sent him a retention notice on the same terms and conditions,” an ILT20 statement said. “Sharjah Warriors approached the ILT20 to intervene in this dispute. The ILT20 first initiated a mediation process through an independent third-party mediator, however the mediation failed.”The league’s disciplinary committee, comprising ILT20 chief executive David White, head of security and anti-corruption Col Azam, and Zayed Abbas, member of the Emirates Cricket Board, heard the points of view of both Warriors and Naveen and examined the evidence before them before communicating their verdict.”We do not take pride in making this announcement but all parties are expected to comply with their contractual commitments and recognize that non-compliance can cause damage to the other party,” White said. “Unfortunately, Naveen-ul-Haq failed to honour his contractual obligations with the Sharjah Warriors and as such the league had no option but to impose this 20-month ban on him.”The disciplinary proceedings against Naveen were conducted in a transparent manner and both parties involved were given opportunities to prepare and present their submissions.”Naveen was one of the better performers for Warriors in the 2023 season, finishing as their joint-highest wicket-taker (11 wickets) along with Junaid Siddique. Warriors, however, had a rough time of it, winning just three of their ten games to miss the playoffs.

As they potentially look to replace Callum Wilson this summer, Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with the entourage of a Champions League-winning striker.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies are closing in on what must be an important summer at St James’ Park, with exit rumours continuing to surround star man Alexander Isak. In what would be the move of the transfer window – perhaps in terms of both valuation and the impact it would make – both Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly targeting the Swede, who’s worth £150m.

Whilst there’s no doubt that his exit would leave a gaping hole, Newcastle would at least be free from any PSR constraints to finally welcome reinforcements of their own.

That said, Isak may not be the only one to depart this summer, with Callum Wilson currently on course to leave as a free agent when his contract comes to an end in the coming months. In one swoop, it’s certainly a real possibility that Eddie Howe could be left without both of his strikers.

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If that does prove to be the case, the arrival of one particular target will be more important than ever and the Magpies seem to be well aware of that. According to CaughtOffside, Newcastle have now made contact with Tammy Abraham over a summer move from AS Roma.

The former Chelsea man has spent the campaign on loan at Milan in a mixed spell and has since found himself on the radar of the Tyneside club, along with the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham United.

Whether a return to the Premier League beckons for the 27-year-old remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that he’s one to watch amid growing rumours. An experienced goalscorer these days, he could instantly ease Newcastle’s Wilson blow.

"Amazing" Abraham could make Premier League return

Eyebrows were raised when Abraham swapped Chelsea for Milan in 2021 after winning the Champions League with the Blues, but the forward’s Italian adventure has proved more than worthwhile when fit and firing. Now, five years later, he looks destined to receive the chance to return to England’s top flight as a far more complete player.

Earning the praise of Jose Mourinho during their time together in Rome, the so-called Special One told reporters after a 3-0 win over Monza in 2022: “Today he was my Tammy.

“He played how I wanted him to. He won everything, he kept the ball, he provided an outlet, he won the first ball and he gave us an option in behind to push them back.

“We always talk about strikers when they score and obviously tonight was Paulo [Dybala]’s night, but Tammy was amazing.”

After scoring eight goals in all competitions in more of a backup role on loan at Milan this season, Abraham could yet become the perfect option for Newcastle behind Isak next season.

It’s a role that Wilson has struggled to fulfil amid injury issues, but one which could yet see the former Chelsea man thrive at St James’ Park.

With the dust having settled on Thursday night’s Europa League clash away at Real Sociedad, it’s hard to know what to make of Manchester United’s display, with a largely positive performance having been somewhat overshadowed by a familiar sense of Deja vu late on.

It must be said that a far more competent United side could have already had the tie wrapped up, with the Red Devils once again coming up short in the final third, prior to Joshua Zirkzee’s opener just before the hour mark.

Even that sweeping, stroked effort from the Dutchman epitomised the at times casual nature of the away side’s forward play, with Ruben Amorim’s men lacking that real ruthless cutting edge even when firmly in control, as Alejandro Garnacho notably lashed two efforts into the side netting from the angle.

Predictably in this dismal season of woe, the Old Trafford outfit were made to pay for that profligacy as Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the penalty spot to level proceedings. The hosts almost inflicted even more misery in the closing stages, only for Orri Oskarsson to inexplicably poke his attempt wide.

Thankfully, the scoreline remains level ahead of Thursday’s reverse fixture, albeit with Amorim left with key selection decisions to ponder…

Man Utd's worst performers vs Sociedad

While Bruno Fernandes can feel aggrieved to have been penalised for a somewhat harsh handball call that led to Oyarzabal’s equaliser, it must be said that the Portuguese playmaker was far from at his brilliant best on the night.

Not only did the 30-year-old fail to offer his usual attacking verve, after registering just a solitary key pass, but he was also caught out at times defensively, after being dribbled past on three occasions in the centre of the park.

Elsewhere, it also proved to be a frustrating outing for Fernandes’ compatriot, Diogo Dalot, with the 25-year-old full-back coming under fire for failing to pick out Rasmus Hojlund in the first half, a decision that even his manager described as “not the best”.

As for Hojlund himself, it was hard to doubt the Dane’s endeavour on this occasion as he tirelessly worked the channels, although the 22-year-old particularly faded from view as the game progressed, with the lack of a suitable alternative on the bench seemingly not helping matters.

Having failed to register 17-year-old, Chido Obi, for the competition, Hojlund will have to remain the go-to striker moving forward, albeit with Amorim certainly needing more from a player who hasn’t scored since mid-December, as he also lost the ball eight times from just 19 touches on the night.

In the case of the former Atalanta man, Amorim’s hands were tied in a sense due to the club’s depleted bench, yet the same cannot be said for Hojlund’s international teammate, Patrick Dorgu, with the 20-year-old perhaps fortunate not to have been withdrawn at some stage.

Patrick Dorgu's game in numbers vs Sociedad

Mixed would be the word to describe Dorgu’s start to life in Manchester.

Performance in Numbers

Subbed at half-time against Leicester City in the FA Cup, the former Lecce man then put in a lively display away at Goodison Park, with Amorim subsequently stating that the wing-back is “going to be a very good player for us now and in the future”.

Unfortunately for Dorgu, that was followed by a chaotic showing against Ipswich Town as he teed up the visitors’ opener before being dismissed just before the break, with that early red forcing him to sit out Sunday’s FA Cup tie at home to Fulham.

Having been reinstated for the trip to San Sebastian, there were signs of life from the £30m man again down the left flank as he regularly looked to get forward, albeit while having been found desperately lacking with regard to his end product.

Much like his compatriot, Hojlund, it is hard to criticise the defender’s work rate as he frequently bombed up and down the wing, although he failed to pick out a teammate with any of his three crosses, having lost the ball on 19 occasions.

That corroborates the verdict of the Daily Express’ Alex Turk, who handed the defender a 5/10 match rating, while also writing that Dorgu was ‘so often an attacking outlet for United down the left flank but wasn’t hitting the sweet spot with his crossing.’

90 minutes

52 touches

66% pass accuracy

1 key pass

0/3 crosses completed

0/1 long balls completed

0/2 successful dribbles

1 big chance created

3/8 ground duels won

1/2 aerial duels won

19x possession lost

While his tally of 52 touches was even more than influential goalscorer, Zirkzee (45), Dorgu did only record a 66% pass accuracy rate, while also struggling in a defensive sense after winning just four of his ten total duels.

There certainly remains reason to be optimistic surrounding United’s January arrival, yet perhaps Dorgu might have benefitted from being replaced when he started to tire, with teenage sensation, Harry Amass, waiting in the wings to make his ‘long overdue’ first-team debut, as per journalist George Smith.

While throwing on a 17-year-old for his first taste of senior football may have been a real gamble, it did look as if United were in need of fresher legs as Sociedad wrestled back control, having been left hanging on in the final throes of the game.

Senior options are, frankly, desperately limited at present, yet with games coming thick and fast, Amorim may need to start trusting his academy talents – like Amass – sooner rather than later.

Lost the ball 21x: Man Utd's 4/10 star showed why INEOS need to sell him

Man Utd held on for a draw away in San Sebastian on Thursday evening

ByRobbie Walls Mar 6, 2025

Three wickets fall on truncated first day as relegation fight with Kent hots up

ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2023Relegation-threatened Middlesex closed a truncated opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Nottinghamshire on 162 for three as they began the last round of the 2023 season with one eye on Kent’s progress against Lancashire in Canterbury.Middlesex have to better Kent’s result or match it with at least one more bonus point than their rivals if they are to avoid joining Northamptonshire in Division Two next season.Given that they have won only two batting bonus points all season, skipper Toby Roland-Jones might have taken a few by surprise with his decision to bat first, although he might argue that his players are at least close to the four-an-over run-rate required in the 42 overs possible after rain delayed the start until 2pm.Whether they turn that into a substantial hand of points is another matter, especially since they have also lost Stevie Eskinazi, at least for the moment. He was hit on the head by a ball from Lyndon James on 23 and was not deemed fit to continue.It looks vital that the partnership between Ryan Higgins (60) and John Simpson (26), currently worth 69, turns into something substantial on day two.The day had begun with Nottinghamshire announcing the pending departure from the club of Jake Ball, their 32-year-old former England fast bowler, who was integral to the county winning the T20 Blast in 2017 and 2020 but has made only a handful of Championship appearances in recent seasons because of recurrent injury problems.Thankfully fit currently, and with Nottinghamshire already assured of remaining in Division One next season, Ball was given the chance to say a proper goodbye, making his first outing in the red-ball side since July in place of the Sri Lankan Asitha Fernando.He took the new ball alongside Brett Hutton, who has been the mainstay of the Nottinghamshire attack this year with Olly Stone and Luke Fletcher also sidelined. Neither of them started particularly well but took wickets in consecutive overs to remove both Middlesex openers with 33 on the board.Ball struck first, drawing an edge from Sam Robson for his 204th first-class wicket for the county, before Hutton straightened one to dismiss Mark Stoneman leg before.Eskinazi had an escape on four, dropped by Joe Clarke at first slip with Ball about to celebrate a second wicket, but the introduction of Lyndon James as Hutton took a breather brought a divided immediately when the all-rounder’s first delivery, angled in to Max Holden, took out the left-hander’s middle stump.Middlesex were 93 for three when Eskinazi, struck a nasty blow on the side of the head attempting to pull James, had to leave the field. Ironically, Eskinazi’s last Championship appearance in a disappointing season, against Lancashire two weeks ago, was as a concussion substitute after Holden was hurt during the warm-ups on day two.A brief stoppage for a shower at 117 for three was followed by another interruption after Steven Mullaney landed heavily making a diving stop, the Nottinghamshire skipper becoming the second injury casualty of the day, although he was soon back on the field.It will be determined overnight whether Middlesex need a concussion sub for Eskinazi. In the meantime, Higgins is taking the lead role on the field, reaching his second consecutive fifty and his ninth of the season, from 63 balls with six fours.The three changes made by Middlesex included the omission of Tim Murtagh, who is retiring at the end of the season at the age of 42, which means that his appearance in the eight-wicket defeat to Warwickshire at Lord’s, in which he took six for 83 in the first innings and eight in the match, was his final farewell after 23 years as a player, first at Surrey, and at Middlesex since 2007.