All posts by h716a5.icu

PSG's stars failed to step up to the mark in a 2-0 loss at Bayern Munich that sees the Ligue 1 side bow out of the last 16 3-0 on aggregate

Marco Verratti's mistake cued a Bayern Munich clinic as the German side struck twice to send Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League.

The visitors enjoyed the best chance of the first half, with Vitinha dispossessing Yann Sommer inside the box before poking his shot towards an open net – but Matthijs de Ligt slid in brilliantly to divert his effort off the line.

The Parisians struggled to create thereafter, with Kylian Mbappe rendered anonymous for most of the proceedings.

And the home side deservedly broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, with Eric Chupo-Moting finishing into an empty net after Marco Verratti's giveaway.

Bayern added a second in stoppage time, as Serge Gnabry completed a classy counter-attack to boot PSG out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage without really having to try, triumphing 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.

GOAL rates PSG's players from a demoralising night at the Allianz Arena…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Made a neat save in the first half, helpless for both goals.

Achraf Hakimi (4/10):

Lost the wing battle to the rampant Alfonso Davies. Beaten one-on-one too often, and didn't get forward enough.

Danilo Pereira (6/10):

Serviceable playing out of position and made one excellent tackle, but doesn't have the instincts of a centre-back.

Sergio Ramos (6/10):

The best of PSG's three centre-backs, but perhaps should have scored on a free header.

Marquinhos (5/10):

Tried to play through an injury sustained at the weekend but was removed after 35 minutes.

Nuno Mendes (5/10):

Anonymous going forward, outclassed by the excellent Kingsley Coman. One to forget.

AdvertisementMidfield

Vitinha (6/10):

Energetic, silky on the ball, but lacking in his final pass.

Marco Verratti (5/10):

Gave the ball away inside his own box to cue up Bayern's opener. A season-defining mistake.

Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

Struggled to compete with the Leon Goretzka-Joshua Kimmich pivot. Not the kind of hard-working midfielder PSG need.

Getty ImagesAttack

Kylian Mbappe (6/10):

A few loose touches early, some half-chances late. Another crushing end to a Champions League campaign.

Lionel Messi (6/10):

Class for stretches, but really faded in the second half. Epitomised PSG's struggles.

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Subs & Manager

Nordi Mukiele (3/10):

Replaced the injured Marquinhos after 35 minutes. Swiftly substituted at half-time.

E.C. Bitshiabu (6/10):

Brought on for defensive solidity in the second half and looked inexperienced.

Warren Zaire-Emery (5/10):

Tasked with reviving a struggling midfield, which is pretty hard when you're a teenager.

Juan Bernat (5/10):

Legs for a tired Mendes.

Hugo Ekitike (N/A):

Last roll of the proverbial dice. Hardly touched the ball.

Christophe Galtier (4/10):

Switched to a back five after setting up in a four in the first leg. Contained Bayern's attack far more effectively in the first half. However, PSG were lacking at the other end, failing to create the chances they needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit. He might have coached his last Champions League game for the club.

With 2020 approaching, Goal picked out the greatest players to wear the blue shirt at Stamford Bridge over the past 10 years

Getty ImagesGK: Petr Cech

Chelsea claimed a first Champions League title in 2012 and Petr Cech was pivotal to the Blues' greatest moment.

The Czech goalkeeper saved a penalty from Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben in normal time and then, after the game at the Allianz Arena had finished 1-1, he stopped another two spot-kicks in the shootout to help seal victory for Roberto Di Matteo's unfancied side.

This was Cech's finest moment in a Chelsea shirt but there were many more notable triumphs. Indeed, he won four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He also still holds the Premier League record for the most clean sheets in a single season (24), which he achieved in 2004-05.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic is one of the more underrated stars of the modern Chelsea era, with a number of key goals and performances underpinning his time in the capital.

A late winner against Napoli during the club's Champions League-winning run in 2012 was an early step on the road to greatness, while he was also the match-winner in the Europa League final against Benfica the following year.

The right-back spent nine years at the club and won nearly every major honour possible, including three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, a Champions League and a Europa League.

He is not the most vocal character but he was an unassuming leader and just edges out Cesar Azpilicueta for the right-back berth.

IAN KINGTONCB: John Terry

Look up at the Matthew Harding end of Stamford Bridge and you will see the words: "JT Captain, leader, legend".

John Terry means as much to Chelsea fans as any player, a homegrown defender who went on to become the most successful footballer to wear the club's colours.

The academy product led the Blues to the Premier League title in 2005 – the Londoners' first championship for 50 years – and was voted Players' Player of the Year.

He would add another four titles to his collection, and lift the Champions League for the first time, in 2012, before leaving Stamford Bridge in 2017.

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Getty ImagesCB: Gary Cahill

"He has won it all" sang Chelsea fans as Gary Cahill left Chelsea in the summer of 2019 following a glorious career at Stamford Bridge.

Not many expected much of the £7 million ($8.9m) signing from Bolton Wanderers but he was immediately thrust in the spotlight.

Cahill was pivotal to Chelsea's Champions League run in 2012, most notably putting in a fantastic performance in the first leg of the semi-final triumph over Barcelona.

He went down injured in the second leg, but he returned in time for the club's finest hour, in Munich.

Upon Terry's departure, Cahill became club captain and he gets the nod ahead of David Luiz for his fantastic leadership skills.

Many players try to play like Lionel Messi but few come anywhere close – That doesn't stop pundits from comparing their stars to the icon, though!

GettyBarcelona's new Messi: Bojan KrkicBest known to English football fans thanks to his goals for Stoke City, Bojan Krkic broke Lionel Messi's record for Barcelona's youngest debutant in 2007, earning him instant comparisons to the Argentine forward. He played over 100 La Liga games for Barca before moving on to Roma, AC Milan, Ajax and Stoke. In 2018, he revealed that the "new Messi" nickname held him back and that he rejected a chance to go to Euro 2008 with Spain because of anxiety issues.AdvertisementGettyCatalan Messi: Gerard DeulofeuAny player who comes up through the Barcelona academy is always going to be in the shadow of Messi. Gerard Deulofeu was given the nickname the "Catalan Messi" as he broke through during his teenage years. Now at Watford, the Spain international was sold by Barca to Everton in 2015 but actually returned to his hometown club in 2017 when they exercised a buy-back option in his contract. He teamed up with Messi, playing 23 times before being loaned out and then sold back to England.Getty ImagesCroatian Messi: Alen HalilovicNot all the new Messis get to follow in the original Messi's footsteps, but the 'Croatian Messi' arrived at Camp Nou in 2014 to sign for Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb, where he had rose to fame. The youngest ever player to play for Zagreb at 16 years and 101 days, he also became the youngest player to play for Croatia in 2013. Unfortunately, his only first team involvement at Barcelona was less than half an hour in a cup game and he was sold to Hamburg in 2016. Now on the books at AC Milan, the 22-year-old joined Standard Liege on loan in January with the Belgian club having an option to buy him this summer.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesEgyptian Messi: Mohamed SalahMohamed Salah was named the 'Egyptian Messi' due to his amazing left foot, but by now he has moved on from the nickname to be regarded as one of the best players in the world. He finished sixth in the 2018 Ballon d'Or voting, just one place below Messi, having helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final and bringing Egypt to the World Cup. Still just 26, he followed up an exellent 2017-18 season with Liverpool by scoring over 20 league goals again in 2018-19 with the Reds again reaching the last four in Europe.

Azhar Mahmood has been appointed Pakistan’s bowling coach for the Asia Cup and World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-20161:05

Mushtaq out, Mahmood in as interim bowling coach

Azhar Mahmood has been appointed Pakistan’s bowling coach for the Asia Cup and World T20, and is expected to join the squad in Dhaka on Thursday evening. The former Pakistan allrounder is replacing regular bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed for these two tournaments; according to the PCB, Mushtaq is rested and is expected to resume his duties ahead of the England tour in June this year.”Mushi has been rested for two events as he was too fatigued,” Pakistan’s team manager told ESPNcricinfo. “Mahmood is a good replacement for the interim, being a T20 specialist. He will join the squad later this evening.”Mushtaq, 45, the former Pakistan legspinner, has been a part of the Pakistan coaching staff and team management since 2014. He last played for Pakistan in 2003. After ending his playing career, he transformed into a successful coach. He worked with England as a spin-bowling consultant, and when he was released in 2014 he started working with Pakistan, working with and mentoring Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah among others.Mahmood, 40, has been active at domestic level since his last international game in 2007. A vastly experienced allrounder, he has played 225 T20s, representing teams from Pakistan, England, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand and the West Indies. Although he has not been involved in any international coaching till date, he has featured in the minor-coaching roles in private clubs in the UAE and England.

Aaron Phangiso, the South Africa left-arm spinner, has had his action cleared and is now set to take part in the World T20 but will not be rushed back into action for the deciding T20 against Australia in Cape Town on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2016Aaron Phangiso, the South Africa left-arm spinner, has had his action cleared and is now set to take part in the World T20 but will not be rushed back into action for the deciding T20 against Australia in Cape Town on Wednesday.He had been reported for a suspect action following Lions’ win against Warriors in the semi-final of the Momentum One Day Cup on February 24 and subsequent testing in Pretoria had found all his deliveries were illegal as they broke the 15-degree limit.Following remedial work with the South Africa coaching staff the follow-up tests that were carried out on Monday have now found all his deliveries to be within the permitted limits so his suspension has been lifted.After the initial test where his action failed, Phangiso was kept in the South Africa squad for the T20s against Australia with a view to him playing the final match if he was cleared, but he will now be given extra time to work on his remodelled action away from the spotlight of an international fixture before flying to India for the World T20.”It’s a huge relief to be cleared and to have my bowling action passed, it has been a tough and challenging few weeks for me,” Phangiso said. “Many thanks to Cricket South Africa and the Proteas management for their support and for giving me the best opportunity of making it to India for the ICC World T20.”In saying that, I’d really like to use the next few days ahead of the tournament to gain playing confidence, especially with some of the technical adjustments we have made to my action. My focus is on the World Cup and I’d really like to head into the competition with good form and confidence.”Russell Domingo, the South Africa coach, said: “We are really happy and relieved that Aaron has passed his re-test and he can now ready himself for the big tournament ahead. I said at the beginning of the series that we wanted to give everyone in the squad an opportunity to play and while it is tempting to play him tomorrow, both Aaron and I feel it’s best that he takes a little more time to work on and gain confidence with his new adjustments.”We have an important few weeks coming up in India so it’s going to be important to have him in the right frame of mind both mentally and physically.”South Africa open their World T20 campaign against England on March 18 in Mumbai. They have two warm-up matches, the first against India on March 12 followed by a second, against a local side, on March 15.

Trevor Bayliss is understood to have been offered the role of England coach ahead of fellow Australian Jason Gillespie

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2015Trevor Bayliss has been offered the role of England coach ahead of fellow Australian Jason Gillespie.Bayliss, 52, a former Sri Lanka coach who led them to the World Cup final in 2011, has also been a successful coach with New South Wales, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders. The initial reports emerged in the UK and Australia newspapers and were later confirmed. It is believed that he was the ECB’s first choice for the role after an interview process led by Andrew Strauss.Bayliss would not fill the criteria of international playing experience, but his considerable coaching pedigree around the world has seemingly held sway. He briefly coached Australia last year during a Twenty20 series against South Africa.Alastair Cook admitted it will be good to get the appointment confirmed although was out of the loop having been focussing on the final day at Lord’s. “We are a little bit in limbo, not quite sure what’s happening behind the scenes. it broke at lunch, and kind of took us all by surprise a little bit. I’ve probably now got to go and ring Andrew and see what’s going on.”Gillespie, the current Yorkshire coach, had been the frontrunner for the job of next England coach even before Moores was sacked earlier this month following the tour of West Indies. He recently became Adelaide Strikers coach in the Big Bash although that contract had a clause allowing him to take up an international role if it was offered.Trevor Bayliss during his time with the Sri Lankan team•AFPHe confirmed that he had informed that the ECB had an alternative preferred candidate. “I’ve spoken to Andrew Strauss and I’m not that preferred candidate, so that’s their call,” Gillespie told .”I’d hardly say I’m disappointed but I think it would have been a good job to have, no question. There’s exciting times ahead for English cricket and it would have been a great challenge, but it’s not to be. I’ve got a wonderful job with Yorkshire and the Adelaide Strikers, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that work.”Bayliss was interviewed a year ago when England searched for a replacement for Andy Flower before they eventually settled on returning to Peter Moores – an appointment that lasted barely 12 months. His appointment would see him reunited with Paul Farbrace who was his assistant with Sri Lanka.Last year, during England’s previous coach hunt, Bayliss said: “I am interested in hearing more about the job. I am happy doing the jobs I have got at the moment but when it comes to a position like that I would be silly not to find out what they have to say and finding out a bit more about it.”Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, has played under Bayliss in the IPL. “It’s a bit different in the IPL because teams are made up slightly different but I really enjoyed working with Trevor, he’s a champion fella, he’s very relaxed in the background and I’m sure he’ll have a very good relationship with Alastair and Eoin.”He’s had a lot of success of all the teams he’s worked with. The majority of teams have gone on to be very good. He’s a backroom guy, you won’t see him front and centre all the time. He encourages you to play his game.”

Shikhar Dhawan and Eoin Morgan carried Sunrisers Hyderabad to 201 before their bowlers saw off a late burst from the Rajasthan Royals lower order for a seven-run win

The Report by Abhishek Purohit07-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:38

O’Brien: Royals could miss out on knockouts

Sunrisers Hyderabad took the call of leaving out both their star overseas fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Trent Boult for the first time this season. They shored up their notoriously thin middle order with the inclusion of Ravi Bopara, and then had their four overseas players bat in the top five. The result was a 200-plus total after being put in. David Warner provided the start, Shikhar Dhawan the middle-overs meat with 54 off 35, and Eoin Morgan the finish with 63 off 28, his fastest IPL innings.Rajasthan Royals lost Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson within the first four overs. Steven Smith made 68 off 40 but had too much to do with little support. There were late blows from James Faulkner and Sanju Samson, but with 57 needed from three overs, both fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Sunrisers seemed to have sealed the game. Chris Morris swung Praveen Kumar for three successive sixes to bring it down to 22 off nine, before the Kumars tightened up again.Starting strongly has not been an issue for Sunrisers, and Dhawan and Warner provided another solid base as they put on 48 inside five overs. Warner had issues with his back and took treatment in the middle, eventually nicking behind trying to hit a third successive four off Watson.Sustaining the momentum given by the openers has been Sunrisers’ problem area but though Moises Henriques struggled to get going at No. 3, Dhawan kept scoring at a healthy pace. There were his usual punches and pulls, and he also resorted to a few reverse-hits before another attempt resulted in him being bowled by James Faulkner.Sunrisers were 127 for 3 in the 15th over then, and have often failed to finish strongly from such stable positions. But Morgan was to finally do the job he has been picked for several times this season. He was on 18 off 15 in the 16th over when he suddenly accelerated full throttle. Six of his next eight balls went for either four or six as Morgan sped to his half-century in 23 balls. Targetting the straight boundary mostly, Morgan spoiled Pravin Tambe and Morris’ figures. The fast bowler came back with a tight last over but could not prevent Sunrisers from going past 200.The Sunrisers seamers were disciplined at the start of the chase. Even as batsmen kept falling at one end trying to force their way through lack of pace, Smith continued to keep Royals alive. His shuffling created angles and room the others did not have.After he missed one off Ravi Bopara in the 15th over, the lower order kept connecting with the boundaries right till the end. Two sixes off the last two balls could have forced a Super Over, but Morris managed a four and a single.

A round-up of the first Nagico Super50 semi-final between Guyana and Jamaica from Port-of-Spain

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2015
ScorecardShivnarine Chanderpaul struck six fours during his unbeaten 98•WICB Media/Ashley AllenShiv Chanderpaul showed he still has plenty to offer in limited-overs cricket by striking an unbeaten 98 to guide Guyana into the Nagico Super50 final with a six-wicket win over Jamaica in Port-of-Spain. Guyana will face the winner of Friday’s second semi-final between Trinidad & Tobago and Combined Campuses & Colleges.Chanderpaul opened Guyana’s chase in pursuit of Jamaica’s 188 for 9 and displayed his array of typical nudges and nurdles to graft his way to a half-century off 91 balls. He hit four boundaries along the way, the only ones for Guyana as the run rate hung below three per over through 31 overs.The left-hander had been doing most of the work himself as he struggled to find a steady partner. Just a few balls after Chanderpaul brought up his fifty, Guyana allrounder John Campbell struck for the third time, bowling Christopher Barnwell for 6, to make the score 90 for 4 in the 32nd.Royston Crandon came to the crease and teamed with Chanderpaul to take Guyana the rest of the way. The pair produced an unbroken 99-run stand as Crandon struck three fours and a six in his 45 off 51 balls to help ease some of the pressure off Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul eventually chipped a two to mid off for the winning runs with 11 balls to spare, ending two short of a deserved century off 142 balls.The victory was achieved after Guyana had won the toss and sent Jamaica in to bat. Jamaica got off to a confident start, reaching 51 without loss at the start of the 16th over before the wheels came off in spectacular fashion. Steven Jacobs trapped Campbell on the back leg for 21 his opening partner Nkrumah Bonner was done in by the new batsman Jermaine Blackwood and was run out for 24 by Chanderpaul fielding in the covers.Veerasammy Permaul then seized on the opening by recording a double-wicket maiden in the 19th. Blackwood was given leg before defending down the wrong line on the front foot and four balls later Danza Hyatt was unfortunate to be given out caught behind for a duck after replays showed a gap between bat and ball while coming forward to defend.After being 51 for 0, Jamaica were under severe pressure at 54 for 4 and they struggled to rebuild from there. Horace Miller took on the responsibility to prop his side up and made 64 off 79 balls coming in after the fall of Hyatt. Miller stayed until the 48th over when he was bowled by Devendra Bishoo, who had earlier burst through the tail and finished with 3 for 33. Permaul, whose earlier damage had set up the low target, finished with 3 for 38.

Brendon McCullum has agreed to play seven T20s for Birmingham this summer in a deal that further allays fears that the NatWest T20 Blast will be starved of international quality

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2015Brendon McCullum has agreed to play seven T20s for Birmingham this summer in a deal that further allays fears that the NatWest T20 Blast will be starved of international quality.McCullum gained the love of world cricket with his batting, leadership and attitude in captaining New Zealand to the World Cup final. He brings his side to tour England this summer and will stay on following the internationals for his stint in the NatWest Blast beginning on June 26 against Lancashire, giving a big boost to the reigning champions.McCullum’s World Cup specials

77 from 25 balls v England, Wellington
The innings that will resonate most with England fans. This not only consigned England to one of their heaviest defeats in history but included a particularly murderous assault on Steven Finn with 44 coming off 10 balls with six sixes.
50 from 24 balls v Australia, Auckland
McCullum threatened to humble Australia too in this blast in pursuit of another small target. This time Mitchell Johnson felt the force, being taken for 34 in 13 balls including an AB de Villiers-esque scoop for six.
59 from 26 balls v South Africa, Auckland
This one really mattered. New Zealand were chasing an almost seven-an-over target and their captain delivered a perfect start that ultimately helped them to their first World Cup final. Dale Steyn was casually lofted over his head into the stands.

“Brendon’s dynamic performances in the World Cup have demonstrated once again exactly why he is one of the most feared batsmen in the game,” Dougie Brown, Warwickshire director of cricket, said. “Securing his availability for our last seven games has to make him one of the biggest overseas player signings in the competition’s history.”His power at the top of the order and experience of playing in big matches are great assets to bolster our already strong squad as we look to win through to the quarter finals and defend our NatWest T20 Blast title.”McCullum, who has previously played T20 for Sussex in 2010 and Glamorgan in 2006, joins Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Gayle as World Cup stars who will play in this season’s NatWest Blast.”Hopefully I can make a big contribution and ensure that we can progress in the tournament,” McCullum, the leading run-scorer in international T20s, said. “Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and hopefully it will be rocking for the big Friday night matches. I’m really excited about becoming a Bear and the challenge ahead.”The Bears’ title defence begins on May 15 against Nottinghamshire. McCullum will join for the final seven matches of the group stage.

Steven Smith was “satisfied” with a 2-0 victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and lauded his bowlers for performing so well on helpless tracks

Daniel Brettig at the SCG10-Jan-20154:47

‘Kohli and Smith still learning their craft as leaders’

Steven Smith expects to hand the captaincy back to George Bailey ahead of the World Cup, and Michael Clarke once he returns to full fitness, after a successful first stint as leader delivering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia with a 2-0 series margin over India.Leading from the front with a record tally of runs in a four-Test series, Smith said he had enjoyed the role, and spoke warmly of how his team had fought through the emotional trauma of losing Phillip Hughes to a freak accident in the weeks before the series began.”Extremely proud,” Smith said. “From the first game in Adelaide the boys showed a lot of heart to go there and play the way we did there. To win that first Test match was extremely big for us to start the series off well.”There’s been tough moments throughout the series, but the way the boys have held themselves throughout the series has been terrific, we set out at the start to win the series and we did that 2-0 and we are extremely satisfied with our results.”Smith reserved some of his highest praise for his pace bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Hazlewood made his debut in Smith’s first Test as captain at the Gabba, and a five-wicket haul in his first innings was a major reason for victory in that match, to be followed up by draws on the holiday swing through Melbourne and Sydney. India’s captain Virat Kohli also cited Hazlewood as the example for his own pacemen to follow.”He has done a terrific job since he got picked at the Gabba,” Smith said. “He has got the extra height and the extra bounce. That is something that is very important on Australian wickets. He gets that little bit of extra kick from the wicket and the bounce which can catch the edge of the bat. He was terrific throughout the series.”Starc’s growth was also significant, for he took on the role of lead fast bowler with aplomb in Sydney after struggling on a rather more helpful surface in Brisbane. His performance in place of Mitchell Johnson was of a standard that demanded his re-selection for Australia’s next Test matches, in the West Indies in June.”The way Mitchell Starc came back in this match and filled the role Mitch Johnson has been doing for us, he was very aggressive, he swung the ball early and got the ball to reverse at nearly 150kph consistently,” Smith said. “I am very proud of the way he came back into the side after being left out a couple of games. He has got a bright future.”Smith has also had time to reflect on his unfortunate dalliance with Channel Nine’s Spidercam on day three, when his attempt to take a critical catch was distracted by its wires.”It was just one of those things,” he said. “It was right above the wire, looked like it was moving as I was going to the ball. I think it’s a great innovation, a great camera, but I think it just needs to be in the right place at the right time, to be honest.”On Sunday morning, Smith will return to the ranks as a member of Australia’s World Cup 15 when it is announced at Circular Quay. But in three weeks as Australia’s leader he has shown much evidence to suggest his tenure – whenever it becomes permanent – will be long and fruitful.