وجه ممدوح عباس رئيس نادي الزمالك الأسبق رسالة إلى أيمن الرمادي المدير الفني الجديد لفريق الكرة الأول بالقلعة البيضاء بعد توليه المهمة الفنية رسميًا.
وكان مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب قد أعلن عن تعيين أيمن الرمادي مديرًا فنيًا خلفًا للبرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو الذي تم فسخ التعاقد معه بالتراضي.
رسميًا | الزمالك يُعلن خليفة عبد الواحد السيد في منصب مدير الكرة
وكتب عباس رسالته للرمادي في تدوينة عبر حسابه الشخصي على “تويتر”: “كابتن الرمادي.. أرجو أن تكون أيامكم مع نادي الزمالك بيضاء وبنفسجي”.
ويعاون الرمادي في الإدارة الفنية للزمالك كل من أيمن عبد العزيز، مدرب عام، وأحمد سمير مدرب مساعد وحازم إمام (الصغير) مدرب مساعد وعماد المندوه مدرب حراس مرم ومحمد علاء محلل أداء ووائل القباني مدير كرة وماريو تومليانوفيتش مدرب الأحمال.
Three clubs are reportedly keen on rescuing an unhappy player from Celtic in January.
Celtic transfer news
Earlier this month, Celtic claimed their first silverware of the season by defeating Rangers in the League Cup final. Brendan Rodgers’ side are also flying in the league, currently leading the Scottish Premiership standings by 12 points after just 17 games.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
Given their good form, there doesn’t appear to be a pressing need for significant squad changes during the January transfer window, but speculation indicates that Rodgers might still look to strengthen his team.
Among the names linked with a potential move to Parkhead in the New Year is Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen. According to a report by Football Insider, Rodgers wants the Dane to add some European experience to his squad.
Kieran Tierney has also recently been linked with a return to Celtic, just over five years after he left the club to join Arsenal. The Scottish left-back finds himself out of favour at The Emirates and it’s thought the Hoops would be keen to bring him back to Glasgow.
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Rodgers recently refused to rule out a Celtic return for Tierney, saying in an interview: “We’ll always be linked with top players and especially players that are one of us. Kieran was an instrumental part of a really, really successful period when I was here.
“His talents then took him to another challenge but we’ll be linked with lots of names and with Kieran naturally because of his situation. But we’ll only talk about a player once he’s signed.”
Three clubs interested in Luis Palma
One man whose time at Celtic looks like it could be coming to an end, however, is Luis Palma. The Honduran winger arrived at Celtic Park in August of last year for a fee of £3.5 million, and enjoyed a solid first season with the Hoops, scoring six goals and providing nine assists in 24 games in the Scottish Premiership.
This season, however, he’s found minutes hard to come by, starting just once in the top flight. According to La Prensa, per Sport Witness, Palma is in “living hell” at Parkhead and could now seal a move away from Scotland in January.
The Argentine newspaper claims that the 24-year-old has already received approaches from Greek side Olympiacos and two unnamed MLS sides.
Back in October, Palma’s father, Enrique, said that his son wants to fight for his spot at Celtic after falling out of favour with Rodgers, but also kept the door open for a potential exit in the near future.
“Last year he also had a dip, but in the end, he overcame it and managed to do good things again and my son is trying to assimilate things to raise his football again. There is no sadness in him because he knows that the tournaments are just beginning, there are still many league and cup games to come and six Champions League games to go,” he told Diario Diez.
“He will be at Celtic right now and focus on the rest of the year and maybe there will be a sale, but what happens to him will depend on his work,” he added.
Wrexham are all set to compete with Birmingham City to sign ex-Man Utd midfielder Robbie Savage's son Charlie from Reading in the summer.
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Wrexham to compete with Birmingham for Charlie Savage
Robbie Savage's son plays for Reading
Two sides aiming for promotion to the Championship
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Manchester United star Robbie Savage's son Charlie, who currently plays for Reading in League One, could move to either of Birmingham City or Wrexham as the clubs continue to push for promotion to the Championship next season. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side are expected to fight it out with Tom Brady's Birmingham in the summer transfer window to secure the signature of the 21-year-old midfielder.
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WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Speaking to , TBR Football’s chief football correspondent, Graeme Bailey, said: "Savage senior’s former club Birmingham City and Wrexham – his hometown club – are both watching Savage junior and are prepared to move for him this summer. Birmingham know they are playing in the Championship next season and they are ready to compete and push for immediate promotion to the Premier League, which was done recently by Ipswich Town.
"With that they are putting plans in place and Reading midfielder Savage is a player they like. He has been outstanding for Reading since joining from Manchester United in 2023."
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Bailey added: "Reading are wanting to keep Savage, but that could very well be dependent on their own promotion push. Wrexham also are huge admirers. Wrexham are also looking towards next season and they will also look to have a healthy budget in the second tier. Savage is a player they would like, and given his Wrexham heritage, there is a clear appeal. They are already showing an interest in Tom Lawrence and signing two Welsh internationals with Wrexham connections, would be huge to the club and their fanbase."
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
The Red Dragons will be back in action in League One on Saturday as they take on Wigan Athletic in a crucial away fixture.
Botafogo e Flamengo ainda não chegaram a uma conclusão sobre o clássico da 5ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no domingo da semana que vem. O Alvinegro não deu a autorização, enquanto a CBF apenas “faz a ponte” entre os clubes. Como todos precisam concordar, ainda há indefinição.
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Isso se dá porque o Maracanã, local original da partida, ficará fechado entre os dias 5 e 16 de maio para troca do gramado. O Flamengo solicitou a inversão do mando de campo para evitar uma nova viagem para fora do Rio de Janeiro. A notícia foi publicada pelo “Canal do TF” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.
+ VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO
Nas redes sociais, a torcida do Botafogo foi bem contrária à possibilidade. A CBF, vale ressaltar, não tem poder sobre a decisão, apenas precisa ser notificada sobre a decisão dos clubes. Como é uma algo que precisa do aval de todos os envolvidos, o consenso é de que o jogo não pode ser, por ora, no Estádio Nilton Santos.
Sendo assim, a tendência é que o jogo seja longe do Rio de Janeiro. O Estádio Mané Garrincha, em Brasília, aparece como principal candidato para receber o duelo.
Shifting their focus back towards potential arrivals after officially appointing Graham Potter as manager, West Ham United are reportedly attempting to hijack Napoli’s move to sign a towering midfielder this month.
West Ham transfer news
With Potter secured, one of the many questions remaining is who will be the first arrival of a new era at the London Stadium. Even names such as Marcus Rashford have already been mentioned, but it remains to be seen whether the Hammers are in a position to convince the Manchester United outcast into a January switch over the likes of Milan.
Manchester United's MarcusRashfordwarms up as a substitute during the match
The new manager will be keen to get off to a good start both on and off the pitch and commence the revival of his reputation as a result following his failures at Chelsea. Potter addressed the West Ham fans for the first time after putting pen to paper, telling the club’s official website: “West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world.
“I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.
“The Club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a Club that the supporters can be proud of.”
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Meanwhile, after turning towards a familiar face in the technical area, those at the London Stadium could look to do the same at the heart of their midfield.
According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, West Ham are now attempting to hijack Napoli’s deal to sign Philip Billing from Bournemouth before the end of the January transfer window in a deal that would significantly bolster the mobility of Potter’s midfield.
That said, the Hammers are facing a race against time if they want to secure the Dane’s signature given that Napoli are reportedly closing in on a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign.
"Valuable" Billing would partner Soucek
Standing at a staggering 6 foot 6, Billing would finally replace Declan Rice’s mobility at the heart of West Ham’s midfield next to Edson Alvarez in what could be a crucial addition at the start of Potter’s tenure.
Meanwhile, if there were any concerns that the Dane isn’t as talented in possession as he is out of it, Andoni Iraola’s previous praise should ease those worries.
The Bournemouth boss described the midfielder as “valuable” at the end of last season and claimed that he scored some “important goals” in a solid campaign for the Cherries.
Now, however, Bournemouth’s loss could be West Ham’s gain as they look to hijack Napoli’s move and finally replace Rice in doing so.
Newcastle and Chelsea are both reportedly interested in signing Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who has a €100m release clause.
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Pavlidis eyed by both Premier League clubsBarcelona and Atletico Madrid also hoveringHas scored 14 league goals for Benfica this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per Record, Chelsea and Newcastle are leading the queue to potentially sign Pavlidis this summer. The former believe he could provide competition to Nicolas Jackson, while the Magpies are reported to be interested in case Alexander Isak leaves.
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A Greece international, the Benfica striker has scored 24 goals in 46 games in all competitions and has also provided 10 assists. He has a contract until 2029, having only arrived from AZ Alkmaar in a €20m (£17m) deal in the summer, and Record states the Portuguese giants are set to hold out for his release clause.
DID YOU KNOW?
The report adds that the interested clubs are unlikely to trigger the clause and would prefer to negotiate. It is unclear if Benfica would be willing to countenance that discussion, however.
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AFPWHAT NEXT?
Pavlidis will next be in action when Benfica play Tirsense in their Taca de Portugal semi-final first leg tie on Wednesday.
England head coach says there’s more nuance to new style than meets the eye
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2022Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, has said that he has no idea what ‘Bazball’ means and suggested that the phrase has missed the nuances of his side’s new approach.’Bazball’ was termed by Andrew Miller, ESPNcricinfo’s UK editor, on an episode of the Switch Hit podcast recorded before the start of England’s series against New Zealand last month to describe the positive style of play that McCullum’s old side had adopted under his captaincy.England have since adopted an ultra-attacking method with the bat and won all four of their Tests under McCullum’s leadership, sweeping New Zealand 3-0 and winning the rescheduled fifth Test against India to level the series at 2-2, chasing 270-plus in the fourth innings of all four Tests.”I don’t have any idea what ‘Bazball’ is,” McCullum told SEN radio’s WA Breakfast show. “It’s not just all crash and burn, if you look at the approach, and that’s why I don’t really like that silly term that people are throwing out there.”Because there’s actually quite a bit of thought that goes into how the guys manufacture their performances and when they put pressure on bowlers and which bowlers they put pressure on. There’s also times where they’ve absorbed pressure beautifully as well.”McCullum was asked by host Adam Gilchrist whether he felt as though England’s ultra-attacking style had “changed the landscape” of Test cricket, a suggestion which he denied. “I certainly wouldn’t say that,” he said.”All we try and do is play a brand of cricket which gives the guys the greatest amount of satisfaction and gives them the best opportunity. We’ve also got an obligation to entertain.”It’s been a challenging period for those who love the game of Test cricket because society has changed and people don’t necessarily have five days to sit down and watch cricket anymore, so we need to make sure that the product that we’ve got and the product that we’re taking to the people is worthy of their time and is able to captivate some of those imaginations.”So that’s one of the fundamental reasons why the guys are wanting to play this style of cricket and it seems to really resonate with them as well. From my point of view as a coach, it certainly resonates with me because it’s how I like to see the game played, and the same as the skipper [Ben Stokes].”McCullum added that one of the key tenets of England’s success had been their ability to “block out” the “external noise” generated by the British media.”The media over here, it is a huge beast and sometimes the negative and the positive can seep into an environment,” he said. “One thing we’ve tried to do is just be totally honest with one another and try and block some of that external stuff out and quieten down some of that noise. I think that’s helped.”
The Champions League underwent its biggest change in format since the second group stage was scrapped ahead of the 2003/04 season, with the 2024/25 campaign seeing the introduction of the new league phase.
After 20 seasons of 32 entrants being split into eight groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the knockout phase, UEFA revamped the format, which brought about more games, rounds and drama.
Now 36 teams play in one group stage, playing eight matches rather than six in previous editions. The top eight reach the knockout stage, while those between 9th and 24th compete in a play-off to reach the last 16. The bottom eight sides are eliminated and no longer drop into the Europa League.
Champions League 2024/25: How the new format works & current standings
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1
By
Alex Caple
Oct 2, 2024
More games hands teams more chances to put wins on the board. But which teams have won the most matches in the competition?
In this list, we have taken a look at the top 11 clubs with the most victories in Champions League matches since its previous revamp in 1992.
Most wins in Champions League matches (since 1992/93)
Rank
Club
CL matches
CL wins
1
Real Madrid
331
199
2
Bayern Munich
308
181
3
Barcelona
309
179
4
Man Utd
248
127
5
Juventus
230
114
6
Chelsea
197
101
7
Porto
228
101
8
Arsenal
201
97
9
Milan
207
94
10
PSG
165
89
11
Liverpool
163
88
11
Liverpool
88 wins
Liverpool had to wait until the 2001/02 season to make their debut in the Champions League and reached the quarter-finals that season. They won the competition in 2005 after a miraculous comeback against Milan in the final, while reaching another final two years later, with the Rossoneri gaining revenge with a 2-1 win.
The Anfield side had to wait until 2018 to reach another final. Jürgen Klopp’s side lost to Real Madrid before defeating Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 to claim their sixth continental crown.
Another final loss to Madrid in 2022 is the last time they have reached this stage of the competition, earning 88 victories since 2001.
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10
Paris Saint-Germain
89 wins
The big prize has eluded Paris Saint-Germain to date, but the Parisians’ 2024/25 campaign has left them on the verge of history after being transformed under the guidance of Luis Enrique.
Despite the departure of Kylian Mbappe, PSG are in their second final, having previously finished as runners-up in 2020, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern in a behind-closed-doors finale.
PSG’s run to the 2025 final saw them rack up some wins to hurl themselves into the top 10, overtaking last-16 opponents Liverpool in the process.
9
Milan
94 wins
It may sound surprising that Milan are ranked this low, having racked up 94 wins in the competition, especially considering they have won the title on three occasions in the post-European Cup era and reached another three finals.
They failed to qualify for the competition on several occasions in recent years, which is a key reason they haven’t won as many games as the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Indeed, since winning the Champions League in 2007, Milan have reached the semi-finals only once, with Inter defeating them over two legs in 2023.
8
Arsenal
97 wins
Despite Arsenal being one of the most decorated sides in England, their record in Europe is relatively disappointing.
Indeed, since making their Champions League bow during the 1998/99 season, they have reached the final just once, in 2006.
The Gunners lost 2-1 against Barcelona in Paris as Arsène Wenger came so close to triumphing in the competition.
However, the club did have a remarkable consistency in the tournament, reaching the group stages for 17 consecutive seasons, earning 97 wins since their debut.
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7
Porto
101 wins
Porto were no strangers to Europe prior to the inception of the Champions League, winning the European Cup in 1987 against Bayern.
José Mourinho led them to their second continental crown in 2004, surprising the whole of Europe in the process.
Since that spectacular triumph, they have qualified for the group stage 20 times, but have yet to make it past the quarter-finals, being stopped at that particular stage on four separate occasions.
Despite this, the club have still managed to win a total of 101 games in the competition since the 1992/93 season.
6
Chelsea
101 wins
Like Liverpool, Chelsea were relative latecomers to the Champions League, having to wait until 1999 to make their debut.
The Blues suffered agonising semi-final defeats to Monaco and Liverpool in 2004 and 2005 respectively, not making their first final until 2008.
They lost to Manchester United then, but glory finally arrived four years later, defeating Bayern in their own backyard to win the tournament for the first time.
A surprising win over Manchester City in 2021 saw the Stamford Bridge side claim their second title, and they rank sixth on this list with 101 wins, coming in fewer matches (197) than Porto (228).
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2
By
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5
Juventus
114 wins
No European club has lost as many European Cup/Champions League finals as Juventus, with seven losses occurring at the last hurdle between 1973 and 2017.
Two of those losses arrived before the inception of the Champions League, but since 1993, the Old Lady have tasted defeat on no fewer than five occasions.
They won the tournament most recently in 1996, defeating holders Ajax in the final, yet lost the following two finals against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
It looked as though they would end that barren run in 2003, but Milan prevailed on penalties at Old Trafford. Since then, both Madrid and Barcelona have defeated the Serie A side in the showpiece event.
Despite this, they have won an impressive 114 games in the Champions League, although they would surely love to claim another title in the next few years.
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4
Manchester United
127 wins
Man United
It took Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson a while to get to grips with the Champions League.
Domestic dominance between 1993 and 2001 was achieved fairly easily, but Europe was a different proposition. Of course, no one will forget the stunning comeback to win the trophy in 1999 with two injury-time goals, but this was their only final between 1993 and 2007.
United won another Champions League trophy in 2008, before reaching the finals in 2009 and 2011, losing to Barcelona and Pep Guardiola each time.
Since Fergie retired, the Red Devils have qualified for Europe’s premier club competition on just seven occasions, failing to make it past the quarter-final stage.
They rank fourth on the list of most victories in the Champions League with 127.
3
Barcelona
179 wins
Barcelona won the last edition of the old European Cup in 1992, claiming the prize for the first time in their history.
Johan Cruyff’s ‘dream team’ reached the final in 1994, but were thrashed 4-0 by Milan – and this was the last time they would reach the final until 2006.
That year, they won 2-1 against Arsenal, before winning in 2009 and 2011 under the mercurial guidance of Guardiola, with Barcelona becoming one of the finest club sides of all time.
Under Luis Enrique, the La Liga side reached another final in 2015, sending Juventus packing with a 3-1 win in Berlin, giving them their fourth Champions League crown in just nine years.
They rank third in terms of victories in the tournament, racking up a staggering 179 since their first match in 1993.
2
Bayern Munich
181 wins
Bayern Munich’s tally of six continental titles ranks them as the third-best team in European Cup/Champions League history. Since the Champions League’s inception in 1992, Bayern have won three titles, although the Bavarian club have lost a further three finals.
The German side claimed the title in 2001, 2013 and 2020, but given their stature among Europe’s elite, the club should perhaps have won more, especially when Pep Guardiola took charge between 2013 and 2016.
Since their last title, Bayern have reached just one semi-final, losing to Real Madrid in 2023/24. Under Vincent Kompany, they have a vibrant, young coach who has plenty of ambition, but they bowed out in his first season at the quarter-final stage.
They rank second on the all-time victory list in the competition, recording 181 since their first match in 1994.
Weekly wages: Bayern Munich FC 2025/26 highest-paid players
Manchester United claimed just their fourth Premier League win of the Ruben Amorim era last night, beating Marco Silva’s Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
It was by no means a pretty game, but Lisandro Martínez’s deflected effort secured all three points for the Red Devils, moving them up to 12th in the table.
However, with the club’s current dismal situation on the pitch, it’s not about how attractive the performances are, but ultimately getting the points on the board to turnaround the recent slump.
Whilst the display wasn’t the best since the 39-year-old’s appointment, he must take some satisfaction that his side were able to walk away with all three points despite not being at their best.
That being said, numerous players failed to impress in West London, producing displays that could see them replaced before the end of the window.
Man United’s poor performers against Fulham
Despite the recent transfer rumours about his future at the club, Alejandro Garnacho started the clash in the capital but was unable to showcase why the club are demanding £55m for his services.
The Argentine featured for 81 minutes before replaced, but his performance warranted his withdrawal, losing possession 13 times during his time on the pitch.
He also only completed one of his three attempted dribbles, failing to register a single effort on goal – looking toothless within the final third for the Red Devils.
Noussair Mazraoui has often featured as a wide centre-back for United since the arrival of Amorim, but was selected to operate in a left wing-back role against Fulham – a position in which he struggled.
The Moroccan was also wasteful with the ball, losing possession 12 times, but didn’t have his usual defensive presence, completing just one tackle and unable to make any interceptions.
However, both of the aforementioned players were better than one of their teammates, who once again ensured an evening to forget despite the manager’s continued faith in him.
The Man United player who dropped a 3/10 against Fulham
Striker Rasmus Hojlund has been a player low in confidence and evidently struggling in recent weeks, but Amorim has continued to stand by his number nine to produce the goods.
However, the Denmark international has been unable to produce, failing to score in any of his last 11 outings across all competitions, only registering two goals in 18 league outings.
Yesterday was another goalless display for the 21-year-old, undoubtedly cranking pressure on his shoulders over his regular starting role – with his all-round play just as alarming as his lack of tangible contribution.
Hojlund was only on the pitch for 58 minutes before being replaced by Joshua Zirkzee, a substitution that simply had to be made after the Dane’s inability to hold the ball up at the top end.
He only completed six of his attempted passes during his display, registering a measly tally of just 21 touches, with goalkeeper Andre Onana managing more than double with his tally of 47.
Minutes played
58
Touches
21
Passes completed
6/8 (75%)
Possession lost
12x
Duels lost
9/11 (82%)
Shots taken
0
Dribbles completed
0/1 (0%)
The striker also was guilty of squandering possession on the rare occasion the ball fell his way, conceding play 12 times also losing 82% of the duels he entered – leading to content creator Jon Denton dubbing him as United’s “worst player” and receiving a 3/10 rating from Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst.
Hojlund also, like Garnacho, was unable to register any efforts on goal, highlighting the desperate need for investment from INEOS before the end of the ongoing transfer market.
Amorim’s current two senior striker options, Hojlund and Zirkzee, have only scored a combined five Premier League goals throughout 2024/25, with their fortunes only changing with new additions.
Viktor Gyokeres, Christopher Nkunku, Matheus Cunha and Jonathan David have all been touted with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks, with all the options providing a massive upgrade on the current crop of options – all scoring more so far this campaign.
With just over a week to go, time is ticking for the hierarchy to provide Amorim with the ammunition needed to succeed and build on the latest victory, with last night’s display at Craven Cottage added evidence that the current options are simply not up to scratch.
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Hope, who will be playing his 100th ODI, and Thakur among players to watch on Sunday
Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Jul-20222:42
Takeaways from the first ODI: Can Deepak Hooda be an extra bowling option?
Big pictureThey lost the first ODI, and that result meant they had suffered seven successive defeats in the format, but West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran said after the match that it “definitely [felt] like a win” for his side.Watch live on ESPN+
If you’re in the USA, you can watch the second ODI between West Indies and India live on ESPN+
You could understand why. West Indies had not only lost their previous six games, but had lost the bulk of them comprehensively: by 120 runs and 53 runs against Pakistan, and then with 55 balls remaining and a whopping 176 balls remaining against Bangladesh. In five of those six matches, West Indies failed to bat out 50 overs.Against India on Friday, West Indies batted out their full 50 overs, and came within one hit of pulling off only their third successful chase of a 300-plus target in ODIs. There were positives with the ball too; at one stage, India had looked like they would get past 350 with ease, but West Indies pegged them back admirably, taking five wickets and conceding just 83 runs in the last 15 overs.Related
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How Hooda turned things around (with a little help from Pathan)
As impressive as that performance was, though, West Indies were at close to full strength, and playing at home against an India side lacking the bulk of its first-choice players. For all the pride Pooran showed in his team’s performance on Friday, he and his team-mates will want desperately to put wins on the board. And they’ll be wary of false dawns. This run of defeats, after all, began with West Indies scoring 305 in a narrow loss in Multan.Form guide West Indies LLLLL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first) India WWLWWIn the spotlightShai Hope has been among ODI cricket’s most consistent run-getters in his time, but, as his 7 off 18 balls in the first ODI showed, those runs can sometimes come at a pace that’s a throwback to an earlier age. Of the 16 highest run-getters in ODIs since his debut, Hope has the lowest strike rate (74.86), with only one other batter in that top 16 – Tamim Iqbal – striking at below 80. He plays an important role in this West Indies line-up, however, and they will hope he can make a crucial contribution when he plays his 100th ODI on Sunday.On Friday, Shreyas Iyer completed 1000 ODI runs for India in only 25 innings•Associated Press
Shardul Thakur has an ODI economy rate of 6.63. Of all the bowlers to have taken at least 20 wickets since his debut, only one – Oshane Thomas – has done worse on that front. Thakur brings other things to the table, though, and his display on Friday summed him up. He came to the crease with only nine balls left, and hit a last-ball boundary that turned out quite useful given India’s narrow margin of victory. And while he was India’s most expensive bowler in terms of economy rate, and only sent down eight overs, he also picked up two key wickets, both of which owed something to his gambler’s instinct of willing batters to go after him. It was, like many of his performances, imperfect but not without its merits. But can he do more? And might he need to do more to keep out other contenders for the No. 8 role, particularly with Deepak Chahar now well on the road to recovery from the back injury that ruled him out of IPL 2022?Team newsIt seems unlikely that West Indies will make any changes given how close they came to victory on Friday, with performances coming from numerous members of their XI. Jason Holder, of course, will remain unavailable having tested positive for Covid-19.West Indies (probable): 1 Shai Hope (wk), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Shamarh Brooks, 4 Brandon King, 5 Nicholas Pooran (capt), 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Akeal Hosein, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Gudakesh Motie.Ravindra Jadeja sat out the first ODI with a knee injury, and the BCCI has confirmed that he will miss Sunday’s match as well. India don’t often make unforced changes when a series is still alive, so expect them to retain the same XI from the first ODI, though the fitness status of Axar Patel – who went off the field on Friday with what appeared to be a hamstring issue – is as yet unknown.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Prasidh Krishna.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch for the first ODI was a curious beast: flat and exceedingly so for long periods, but there were also phases when run-scoring was a little trickier with the old ball stopping on the batters. It resulted in an interesting contest between bat and ball, and conditions should remain similar on Sunday. The weather is expected to be clear, with a maximum temperature of 31°C.Stats and trivia Of all West Indies bowlers with at least 50 ODI wickets, Alzarri Joseph (31.8) has the best strike rate. Among players from Full Member teams, Shamarh Brooks (578) is the highest ODI run-getter in 2022, and Akeal Hosein (23) is the highest wicket-taker. India have won 12 ODIs at Queen’s Park Oval. It is their second-most successful ODI venue outside Asia, behind Harare Sports Club, where they have won 16 matches.