After Australia scythed through the tail to set a target of 170, the extinguishing of English hope was left to David Warner and Cameron Bancroft

The Report by Andrew Miller26-Nov-2017Australia 328 (Smith 141*, Marsh 51) and 0 for 114 (Warner 60*, Bancroft 51*) trail England 302 and 195 (Root 51, Bairstow 42) by 56 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn the final analysis, it has been a slaughter, but England’s latest trip to the Gabbatoir has turned out to be a more humane affair than some of their more gory predecessors.Their decisive second innings may have been topped and tailed by some traditional fast-bowling savagery, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins claiming 4 for 10 in 21 balls to finish the work that Josh Hazlewood had started with the new ball on the third evening. But the extinguishing of English hope was left to David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, whose utterly unhurried opening partnership of 114 in 34 overs made mincemeat of what could have been an awkward victory target of 170.It was a curiously flat finale to a contest in which the momentum had not so much swung as vibrated from session to session. But, after a final burst of violent lurches one way and then the other on the fourth afternoon, Australia’s traditional dominance at their favourite home venue came flooding to the fore in a one-sided finale.Warner, whose second-innings onslaughts had been such a crucial factor in the 5-0 whitewash in 2013-14, took a more measured route to his latest Ashes half-century, which came from 74 balls with not so much as a boundary until his 27th delivery.But he did not need to rush on this occasion – worryingly for England, where the Aussie quicks had been able to threaten with pace through the air, even when the wicket had been at its most sluggish, England’s own mid-80mph seamers relied exclusively on the new ball for their breakthroughs, and once James Anderson and Stuart Broad had been neutered in a watchful start from Australia’s openers, the rest of the attack proved toothless.In particular, Moeen Ali – whose spinning finger was glued together after being lacerated by the Kookaburra seam in the first innings – was unable to replicate either the turn or the bounce generated by Australia’s own offspinner, Nathan Lyon. Emboldened by his lack of threat, the debutant Bancroft pumped him over long-off for six en route to a maiden Test half-century, as Moeen’s contribution was limited to four unthreatening overs.Moeen was, however, involved in arguably the decisive moment of the fourth day, and certainly the most controversial, when he was adjudged stumped for 40 off the bowling of Lyon – the very definition of a line call as the third umpire Chris Gaffaney adjudged his toe to be on the crease but not behind it as wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped off the bails.It was a crucial moment of what had been a gripping afternoon session, for Moeen’s positive attitude to England’s adversity had taken the attack back to Australia after their hopes of posting a defendable total had taken a big hit in the final moments before lunch, when Hazlewood had pinned Joe Root lbw for 51 to undermine the foundations of their innings.With Jonny Bairstow alongside him to chivvy the ones into twos and force Australia to keep an eye on the scoring rate as well as the wickets column, Moeen came out swinging after lunch. From the outset, he used his feet against Lyon where his fellow left-handers, Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan, had been caught on the crease, dumping a four over long-on in the first over of the resumption before nailing a sweep through midwicket two balls later.His approach did not trigger a deluge of runs by current Test standards, but in the context of an atypically low-scoring contest, it provided England with crucial breathing space, after they had lost five wickets for 113 in a frenetic start to their second innings. But, Lyon – such a threat in both innings – eventually got his revenge, ripping a sharp turner past Moeen’s long stretch down the wicket, and Paine, whose glovework has been maligned since his drop of James Vince on the first day, showed lightning reflexes to whip off the bails before Moeen could ensure his foot was fully grounded.Reaction to the decision was predictably polarised. Some viewers saw no controversy whatsoever, others quibbled both with the notion of the benefit of any doubt going to the batsman, and with the geometry of the crease itself, with images on Twitter suggesting that the line was wider in the middle of the crease than at either end. Either way, it all added up to a whole lot of not-a-lot. In the post-mortem of this contest, England’s inability to press home several moments of apparent dominance will be of far greater concern that one 50-50 umpiring call.Chris Woakes, on a pair, came through a skittish start to help Bairstow add 30 runs for the seventh wicket, and take the lead past 150, but with tea approaching, Starc struck with a vengeance to rip England’s resistance to shreds.Despite appearing to feel pain in his right ankle on a couple of occasions, Starc summoned the fury that had served Australia so well on the third evening to extract three wickets in ten balls – another example of his matchless ability to dock Test-match tails.Woakes was the first to go, caught fencing in the cordon as he was shocked by the short ball, and sent on his way for 17. But it was Bairstow’s departure, one over later, that truly wrecked England’s hopes. Another sharp short ball lured Bairstow into a ramp to third man, but Peter Handscomb had just been brought into a catching position and gleefully accepted the offering to send Bairstow on his way for 42.At 8 for 194 with just the bowlers to come, England’s prospects were looking bleak. But even so, their next wicket came as a surprise to both Starc and the batsman, Broad, who appeared to have been beaten by a full-length snorter outside off. However, Paine was adamant he had heard a noise, and with little to lose, Steve Smith opted for a review. Sure enough, a thin nick showed up on Hot Spot, and Broad was gone for 2.And it was left to Cummins to head-hunt the final wicket, as Jake Ball flapped another fierce bouncer over the cordon to Handscomb at a well-positioned fly slip. It all amounted to England’s second bona fide batting collapse of the Test. And Warner was lying in wait to snuff out any lingering hope.

The decision to play the Delhi Test amid high pollution levels has drawn strong criticism from both participating countries with the Sri Lankan manager Asanka Gurusinha and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) deeming the conditions far from ideal. While the IMA wrote to the BCCI and Vinod Rai, the head of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, stating that it was troubled over the third Test between India and Sri Lanka being played in such conditions, Gurusinha urged the ICC to deploy air-quality meters in the future.Gurusinha further said both the India and Sri Lanka dressing rooms had to use oxygen cylinders. “The players are not able to breathe so we’re using oxygen cylinders in the changing room. This has been medically advised to us,” he told . “Even the Indian team is using oxygen cylinders in the dressing room.”The matter has reached the ICC’s attention as well with a spokesperson saying, “The ICC has noted the conditions in which the Delhi Test was played and has already requested the issue is considered by the medical committee for guidance should the situation arise in future. The matter is likely to be discussed in February’s ICC meetings.”According to , IMA president KK Aggarwal said the conduct of the match sent out the message that it was safe for children to play cricket even when the PM (particulate matter) 2.5 levels were more than 300. “Rain and poor light are taken into consideration when determining suitable playing conditions, we suggest that atmospheric pollution should now also be included in the assessing criteria for a match,” Aggarwal stated in his letter to the BCCI.Contending that air pollution could be an important factor in affecting the performance of athletes, Aggarwal quoted from medical literature and said the poor air quality in Delhi may increase the risk of lung and heart disease and trigger a potentially life-threatening event.The safe levels of atmospheric particulate matter, according to World Health Organisation air-quality guidelines, are 20g/cu mm (annual mean) for PM10 and 10g/cu mm (annual mean) for PM2.5. If the air quality index (AQI) is between 151 and 200, it is recommended that outdoor exercises be reduced.”The message from the India and Sri Lanka cricket match that has gone home is that it is safe for children to play cricket even when the PM 2.5 levels are more than 300,” Aggarwal wrote in his letter.The first signs of players’ discomfort in the polluted Delhi atmosphere came on the second day of the Test when five Sri Lanka fielders came out wearing masks in the post-lunch session. There were two stoppages of play spanning a total of 22 minutes after fast bowlers Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal appeared to struggle. Later in the Test, Lakmal and India’s Mohammed Shami were seen throwing up on the field. While the India camp initially appeared to be skeptical of Sri Lanka’s difficulty as bowling coach B Arun questioned their bowlers’ fitness, opener Shikhar Dhawan later conceded the visitors’ discomfort could have been genuine.Pollution in Delhi has been a major health concern in recent winters. A public health emergency was declared by the government in November this year, with schools closing down for a week even as the Delhi half marathon almost turned out a non-starter. During the Test match, air quality in some parts of Delhi was reported to be hazardous, and very unhealthy in the area adjoining the Feroz Shah Kotla.During the interruptions, match referee David Boon was seen talking to a doctor, who had a stethoscope around his neck, presumably for advice on how big a health hazard the current pollution was. Gurusinha felt the ICC needed to lay down guidelines in relation to pollution-related issues. “The match referee David Boon is handling our request. He is collecting all the data. This is an unprecedented situation, and has not happened anywhere before,” he said.”The ICC managers need to sit down and look at the problem. I don’t think anyone should jump the gun but we need to set a standard. Going forward, it should be treated like bad light which is measured by light meters. They may have to use pollution meters. The measures should be universally applied.”SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala offered praise to the Sri Lankan team for sticking it out in tough conditions. “I am proud of the character, spirit and perseverance you each showed under pressure. The challenges you faced, were not limited to the technicalities of the game only, but of external circumstances that challenged each of you personally as well.”

Burnley have submitted an official offer to try and bring an international playmaker to the Turf Moor before the window slams shut, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Burnley?

The Clarets have enjoyed a busy transfer window and have brought in a whole host of arrivals to help their quest to stay in the Premier League this term, with James Trafford, Zeki Amdouni, Aaron Ramsey, Jordan Beyer, Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Dara O'Shea, Hannes Delcroix, Luca Koleoso, Nathan Redmond and Lawrence Vigoroux, as per Transfermarkt.

Burnley are in a frustrating frame of mind at present and have encountered consecutive defeats against Manchester City and Aston Villa since returning to the English top-flight, something which Clarets boss Vincent Kompany was left to rue in his post-match press conference after their 3-1 loss against the latter, cited by BBC Sport.

He stated: "Learning comes at a price in the Premier League. You can see the quality of the Aston Villa team when they took their chances, credit to them.

"We didn't start the game badly at all, but didn't manage to get a real grip on the game. Villa were always a threat on the counter, we created moments and chances and built momentum in the second half and the goal helped us for that. We conceded a goal at the height of the momentum, a very good side who are very well coached. We are there in parts but we will have to learn from it when you get punished."

As per Football Insider, Burnley had an offer for Metz striker Georges Mikautadze rejected earlier in the summer and now face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Leicester City to sign the Georgia international before the transfer deadline.

Mikautadze is also garnering plenty of attention around Europe and is embroiled in talks with Dutch giants Ajax over a potential move to Eredivisie.

Who else could Burnley sign?

Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna has revealed that Burnley have submitted a bid to land one of their key targets on X, as he stated: "EXCL: Burnley made an offer to Genk for Mike Trésor. The player of KRC Genk wants to sign in Premier League. Negotiations are progressing. It's a loan with option."

Tresor has become the go-to man for assists at Genk in his time at the Belgian outfit, registering nine goals and 33 assists in 84 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Continuing to prove his worth as a constant threat to the opposition, Belgium international Tresor, who has been described as "sensational" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, has started 2023/24 in a fantastic vein of form, averaging two shots per match and 4.5 key passes per match in the Belgian Pro League, as shown on WhoScored.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that finding an agreement on personal terms with Tresor will not be a major issue in negotiations, making any prospective move to Turf Moor a more likely prospect if both Genk and Burnley can come to an agreement.

Arsenal could be set to continue their summer spending, with another lucrative swoop to push them ever closer to the Premier League title…

Is Nicolo Barella leaving Inter Milan?

Despite having welcomed Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice all for large fees, it would be easy to assume that Mikel Arteta had finished up for this window, content with the vast improvements he has made to his starting XI.

However, FootballTransfers now suggest otherwise, as they claim that the Gunners are considering a stunning swoop to sign Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Having utilised the method of tempting the player before the club when conducting their transfer business this window, the news that the Italy international is interested in an Emirates switch has likely stoked the flames of the potential deal, which is set to rack up another astronomical fee.

With their club transfer record already having been shattered last month, FootballTransfers suggest this deal could come to a far more modest sum, with his valuation sitting at €56m (£48m).

How good is Nicolo Barella?

To acquire another central midfielder would be to essentially add the finishing touches to a starting side capable of battling with anyone across Europe.

However, it would also see most others within the squad slip further down the pecking order, with Jorginho, in particular, likely to see less and less game time given he is far from the quality of his compatriot, and crucially five years his senior.

Having been a true stalwart across his impressive career, the 31-year-old always offers a calming influence in the engine room, with his match intelligence second to none.

As such, he impressed when joining in January, earning praise from his manager:

"The biggest quality he has is he makes the rest of the people look better, better than what you actually are. He’s made a huge impact already on the boys, on the staff and hopefully our supporters can see that as well and give him the support he needs. I thought he was tremendous today."

And yet, he completely pales in comparison to the Inter maestro, who offers everything Jorginho can and more.

Last season saw the Champions League finalist post a 7.08 average rating in Serie A, buoyed by his 11 goal contributions, 85% pass accuracy, 1.6 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

His combative presence in the midfield would be a welcome one, and yet he boasts the nastiness needed to thrive in there too.

After all, talent scout Jacek Kulig did brand Barella a "little warrior".

Jorginho, across both Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League, could only narrowly surpass those aforementioned figures in tackles (1.9 per game) and pass accuracy (86%), to emphasise the gulf in class between the two.

To further outline Barella's quality alongside others in his role, when compared to midfielders in Europe he ranks in the top 7% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 19% for progressive passes per 90, and the top 10% for progressive carries per 90 and the top, via FBref.

It is clear that the creative powerhouse would add so much to Arteta's side, with his arrival sure to spell bad news for Jorginho given just how far behind he is from his Italy teammate.

Mikel Arteta acquired the Dutchman from Ajax in a deal worth £38m earlier in the summer, however after just 50 minutes of his debut Premier League campaign, the 22-year-old was forced to withdraw.

It was later revealed that the versatile defender had sustained damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, leaving him sidelined for the foreseeable future, and leaving Arsenal light in the defensive areas once more.

To add to the stress of Timber’s absence, recent reports have speculated that the Gunners could be without another defender, giving Arteta and Edu even more of an incentive to recruit before the end of the transfer window.

What’s the latest on Arsenal’s transfer situation?

While the ongoing doubts over the future of striker Folarin Balogun are well documented, there was a shocking revelation provided by journalist Ahmed Al-Ajlan, that suggested another star could depart this summer.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Taking to social media, Al-Ajlan relayed news from sources of Al Jazeera that there is interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

It was claimed that the Brazilian was part of negotiations in London with club president Anmar Al-Haili over a potential move, with Al-Ajlan claiming that talks were “proceeding positively”.

There could however be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Gunners, with rumoured interest in defender Jules Kounde, who cost FC Barcelona around €60m (£51m) in 2022.

Should Arsenal sign Jules Kounde?

Speaking after Arsenal’s 1-0 away win to Crystal Palace on Monday night, Arteta played down the speculation regarding the 25-year-old’s potential departure, despite him being benched for the opening two fixtures.

In the instance that Gabriel could depart north London, Kounde would be the perfect figure to replace the Brazilian, if the opportunity arose.

Having been lauded as “terrific” and a “sensation” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Frenchman has impressed during his first year at the Nou Camp, having joined from LaLiga rivals Sevilla a year earlier.

Deployable as both a right-back and centre-back, the 24-year-old has a host of attributes identifiable in Arteta’s demands of his back line, with strong versatility and strengths in going forward.

Based on his averages over the past year, the Paris-born gem ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for his progressive play, averaging 7.18 progressive passes and 2.29 progressive carries per 90, via FBref.

Defensively, the former Sevilla gem averaged closely to Arsenal’s Brazilian machine last term, averaging 1.37 tackles per 90 to Gabriel’s 1.27, as well as making 0.70 interceptions to the 25-year-old’s 0.84 per 90.

During his debut LaLiga campaign with the Catalan giants, Kounde made 29 league appearances and contributed to 18 clean sheets, via Sofascore, a contribution that guided the Blaugrana to become champions of Spain.

Winning mentality, versatility and a youthful aura, Arteta could land his ideal defender if the regrettable scenario of Gabriel bidding farewell to the Emirates plays out.

Newcastle United made a long-awaited comeback to the Champions League back in 2023/24. Their fourth-placed Premier League finish in 2022/23 saw them return to the competition for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Of course, this won’t be the first time that the Magpies competed at the peak of European football. They’ve been there before and faced some of the game’s giants.

Given they haven’t been Champions League regulars, you would be forgiven for struggling to recall just how the Magpies got on in the past.

Football FanCast has taken a look back at how Newcastle did in previous years.

1997/98 – Group stage

The mid-90s saw Newcastle make waves in English football, including breaking the world transfer record to sign Alan Shearer in 1996.

While they fell agonisingly short of winning the Premier League, the Mapgies took advantage of changes in UEFA rules that allowed for non-champions to compete in their main competition.

They did need to win a qualifier, but a 4-3 aggregate win over Dinamo Zagreb (then known as Croatia Zagreb) put them into group stages. Waiting for them? Dynamo Kyiv, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.

The group stage was also different in those days – there were only six in total, with the winners going straight through to the quarter-finals. The two best-placed runners-up would take the remaining berths in the final eight, meaning Newcastle were up against it to progress.

Things started off brilliantly with a 3-2 win against Barcelona that continues to live long in the memory. Faustino Asprilla earned and scored a penalty before planting a bullet header in the Barca net to leave the Toon faithful in dreamland.

He completed his hat-trick with another header moments into the second half, before Louis van Gaal’s side staged their comeback.

But consolation goals from Luis Enrique and Luis Figo were not enough to prevent the Magpies from grabbing the perfect start to their group campaign.

A 2-2 draw in Kyiv followed, with Newcastle 2-0 down until a late fightback earned a point.

PSV, however, would then pick up back-to-back wins over Newcastle – without the Magpies scoring a goal. In fact, they’d then lost 1-0 to Barca before finally finding more points in the final game against Kyiv thanks to a 2-0 home win.

Newcastle weren’t able to overcome the talent in that group, finishing third behind PSV and… Kyiv. Yes, Barcelona finished bottom of the group, having lost 3-0 and 4-0 to the Ukrainian side.

That maybe makes a bit more sense when you learn a young Andriy Shevchenko scored five goals in six games for Kyiv that season, including a hat-trick at Camp Nou.

All in all, Newcastle were incredibly unfortunate. They came up against three great sides, but certainly had moments to savour.

Second qualifying round, 1st leg

Newcastle 2-1 Dinamo Zagreb

Beresford (2); Cvitanovic

Second qualifying round, 2nd leg

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Newcastle (aet)

Simic, Cvitanovic; Asprilla, Ketsbaia

Group C

Newcastle 3-2 Barcelona

Asprilla (3); Luis Enrique, Figo

Group C

Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 Newcastle

Rebrov, Shevchenko; Beresford, Holovko (og)

Group C

PSV 1-0 Newcastle

Jonk

Group C

Newcastle 0-2 PSV

Nilis, De Bilde

Group C

Barcelona 1-0 Newcastle

Giovanni

Group C

Newcastle 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv

Barnes, Pearce

Dynamo Kyiv

6

3

2

1

13

6

+7

11

PSV

6

2

3

1

9

8

+1

9

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

7

8

-1

7

Barcelona

6

1

2

3

7

14

-7

5

2002/03 – Second group phase

Newcastle had to wait a while before getting another crack at the Champions League. They qualified in 2002/03, though – but once again needed to play a qualifying round. Bosnian outfit Zeljeznicar fell to them 5-0 on aggregate, putting the Magpies back in the group stage.

And oh, was it one to remember. Newcastle found Juventus, Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord waiting for them and started as miserably as possible. They lost all three of their opening games to sit on zero points at the halfway mark.

But then something magic happened. Newcastle beat Juventus, beat Kyiv, and set up a historic tie with Feyenoord on the final matchday.

If they could claim victory in the Netherlands – and Juve beat Kyiv – Newcastle could qualify, with two slots available in the next phase of the competition.

They did just that, thanks to Craig Bellamy scoring a 91st-minute winner and Juve winning 2-1. That was history – Newcastle were the first side to ever lose their first three games and still get out of the group.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Zeljeznicar 0-1 Newcastle

Dyer

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 4-0 Zeljeznicar

Dyer, Lua Lua, Viana, Shearer

First group phase, Group E

Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 Newcastle

Shatskikh, Khatskevich

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 0-1 Feyenoord

Pardo

First group phase, Group E

Juventus 2-0 Newcastle

Del Piero (2)

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 1-0 Juventus

Griffin

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv

Speed, Shearer; Shatskikh

First group phase, Group E

Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle

Bombarda, Lurling; Bellamy (2), Viana

Juventus

6

4

1

1

12

3

+9

13

Newcastle

6

3

0

3

6

8

-2

9

Dynamo Kyiv

6

2

1

3

6

9

-3

7

Feyenoord

6

1

2

3

4

8

-4

5

Their reward, of course, was yet another group phase. If you’re not familiar, there used to be two group stages before the switch to the format we see today. Barcelona, Inter and Bayer Leverkusen waited.

Leverkusen – the previous year’s finalists – proved no match for the Magpies, losing 3-1 twice in succession.

Newcastle couldn’t quite compete with Barcelona and Inter, however. The Catalonians beat them twice, while Inter smashed them 4-1 at St James’ Park. A 2-2 draw at San Siro provided an extra point, but Newcastle’s seven saw them out as the third-placed team.

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 1-4 Inter

Solano; Morfeo, Almeyda, Crespo, Recoba

Second group phase, Group A

Barcelona 3-1 Newcastle

Garcia, Kluivert, Motta; Ameobi

Second group phase, Group A

Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Newcastle

Franca; Ameobi (2), Lua Lua

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Shearer (3); Babic

Second group phase, Group A

Inter 2-2 Newcastle

Vieri, Cordoba; Shearer (2)

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 0-2 Barcelona

Kluivert, Motta

Barcelona

6

5

1

0

12

2

+10

16

Inter

6

3

2

1

11

8

+3

11

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

10

13

-3

7

Bayer Leverkusen

6

0

0

6

5

15

-10

0

2003/04 – Third qualifying round

Unfortunately, this one ends on something of a sour note. Newcastle were back in the competition the following season and, once again, needed to win a qualifying match.

But they slipped up. Newcastle were able to pick up a 1-0 win away from home, and with the away goals rule in effect, seemed well-placed to snatch a group-stage berth. Unfortunately, the Serbians returned the favour, and then some – with Partizan winning on penalties.

Shearer was among four Newcastle players to miss in the shootout, which had remarkably gone to sudden death despite the home side missing their first three penalties.

Aaron Hughes missed the crucial penalty before Milivoje Cirkovic stepped up to break Toon hearts.

That dropped the Magpies down to the UEFA Cup, where they made it to the semi-finals. Beaten by eventual losing finalists Marseille, a double from a certain Didier Drogba ended the Toon’s European adventure that year.

That season marks the last time they competed under the Champions League banner. Of course, that will change come September.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Partizan 0-1 Newcastle

Solano

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 0-1 Partizan (p)

Iliev

2023/24 – Group stage

Newcastle’s fourth-place finish in the 2022/23 Champions League handed them an automatic group stage berth, with Eddie Howe’s side placed in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside PSG, Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

Things started well with a commendable draw in Milan and a historic 4-1 win over PSG, but things unravelled from there as three defeats and a late equaliser denying them a win in Paris saw Newcastle finish bottom of the group.

Group F

Milan 0-0 Newcastle

None

Group F

Newcastle 4-1 PSG

Almiron, Burn, Longstaff, Schar; Hernandez

Group F

Newcastle 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

Nmecha

Group F

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle

Fullkrug, Brandt

Group F

PSG 1-1 Newcastle

Mbappe; Isak

Group F

Newcastle 1-2 Milan

Joelinton; Pulisic, Chukwueze

Borussia Dortmund

6

3

2

1

7

4

+3

11

PSG

6

2

2

2

9

8

+1

8

Milan

6

2

2

2

5

8

-3

8

Newcastle

6

1

2

3

6

7

-1

5

Newcastle United's top scorers in the Champions League

Alan Shearer unsurprisingly leads the way in terms of goals at this level for Newcastle with seven, having spearheaded their incredible journey through the group stages back in 2002/03.

Faustino Asprilla has four to his name, while John Beresford and Shola Ameobi have three apiece, including one at Camp Nou for the latter.

There were six different scorers for each of Newcastle’s goals in the 2023/24 Champions League – will anyone be able to add to their tally in 2025/26?

Alan Shearer

7

Faustino Asprilla

4

John Beresford

3

Shola Ameobi

3

Kieron Dyer

2

Lomana Lua Lua

2

Hugo Viana

2

Craig Bellamy

2

Nolberto Solano

2

Temuri Ketsbaia

1

John Barnes

1

Stuart Pearce

1

Andy Griffin

1

Gary Speed

1

Miguel Almiron

1

Dan Burn

1

Sean Longstaff

1

Fabian Schar

1

Alexander Isak

1

Joelinton

1

تقدم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك بالهدف الأول أمام فيوتشر، بالمباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

الزمالك يواجه فيوتشر على أرضية استاد المقاولون العرب، في خضم مواجهات الجولة 24 من عمر بطولة الدوري.

وسجل سيف الدين الجزيري الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 35 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد تمريرة رائعة من عمر جابر استقبلها التونسي ووضعها داخل الشباك.

طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل فيوتشر أمام الزمالك في الدوري.. أحمد عاطف يقود الهجوم

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 24 نقطة، فيما يتواجد فريق فيوتشر بالمركز التاسع، وفي رصيده 30 نقطة. هدف الزمالك الأول أمام فيوتشر في الدوري

 

Anustup Majumdar joined Bengal’s list of second-innings centurions as they ground Gujarat into the dust on the fifth day in Jaipur

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2017PTI Anustup Majumdar joined Bengal’s list of second-innings centurions as they ground Gujarat into the dust on the fifth day in Jaipur. Having already secured a first-innings lead of 130 and extended it to 613 by the end of the fourth day, Bengal chose to rest their bowlers ahead of the semi-finals and not declare their second innings.Gujarat dismissed the overnight double-centurion Writtick Chatterjee in the fourth over of the morning and took the wicket of Boddupalli Amit not long after, but those would be their only successes of the day. Majumdar, on 6 overnight, made up for the disappointment of falling for 94 in the first innings, and scored an unbeaten 132 (172b, 17×4, 1×6). He added an unbroken 157, in 45 overs, with Aamir Gani, who made an unbeaten 53 off 156 balls (4×4).By the time the foregone conclusion was reached, Bengal had made 695 for 6 in 231 second-innings overs. Gujarat extracted 70 overs from their offspinner Rujul Bhatt, who finished with figures of 2 for 175. Bhatt had only bowled four overs in Bengal’s first innings.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their search for another number nine option before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to the Northern Echo, the Black Cats are hoping to make a breakthrough and reach an agreement to sign Zorya Lugansk centre-forward Nazariy Rusyn as sporting director Kristjaan Speakman attempts to bolster Tony Mowbray's squad.

The report claims that the recruitment team have held talks over a deal for the Ukraine international and cites reports in his home country that an offer of €2m (£1.7m) has been lodged for his services.

It states that negotiations are now ongoing and that they hope to secure a deal before the club's next match, which is against Rotherham on Saturday.

How good is Nazariy Rusyn?

The 24-year-old marksman has been in fine form for Zorya since the start of last season and could come in to partner Ross Stewart in attack, once the current Black Cats ace is back from his Achilles injury.

Ellis Simms and the Scotland international partnered each other as part of a front two in six matches in August of last year and struck up a wonderful connection.

The Everton loanee plundered three goals whilst the ex-Ross County man produced five goals and three assists.

This shows that Stewart is able to thrive alongside another striker and that is why he could excel next to Rusyn, particularly when you consider his record for Zorya.

The Ukrainian attacker has scored 14 goals and provided six assists across 32 league matches since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. Meanwhile, no current Sunderland player managed more than ten Championship goals last term and no striker produced more than three assists.

This suggests that Rusyn has the potential to offer a much-needed goal threat for Mowbray's side if he is able to translate his form over to English football this season. He is a striker who can both score and assist goals and this could make him a difficult player for opposition defences to deal with due to his ability within the box and in the build-up phase to create for others.

The Zorya star, who was described as "random" by journalist Josh Bunting upon being linked to the club, also caught the eye at youth level for Ukraine with seven goals in 12 caps for their U19 and U21 teams combined, which included six in ten for the latter.

His presence at the top end of the pitch could cause defenders to focus on him and take some of the attention away from Stewart in the same way that Simms did, which could allow the Scottish dynamo to recapture his immense form from last season.

The 26-year-old hotshot, who Mowbray confirmed is around six weeks away from returning to action, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.40 across 13 Championship matches last term and produced a phenomenal ten goals and three assists.

Stewart was the team's outstanding performer as no other player within the squad averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 7.03, which illustrates how influential he can be for the Black Cats upon his return.

Now, imagine him and Rusyn terrorising opposition defences on a regular basis with their ability to be lethal scorers who can also create for their teammates.

Australia’s captain Steven Smith was nervous enough about his chances of closing out a 2-0 Ashes series lead that he popped a sleeping pill in his Adelaide hotel room the night before Josh Hazlewood claimed the key breakthroughs to deliver an ultimately comfortable 120-run victory in the day-night Test.Amidst what he admitted were a “pretty tough” two days from the moment he declined to enforce the follow-on and saw England roar back into the contest, Smith said he had questioned his own decisions plenty of times. Tension enveloped the Australians and the Barmy Army took particular enjoyment from the hosts’ loss of their two reviews in the space of three balls on the fourth evening, but it was Smith who revealed the full extent of his anxiety.”I had to have a sleeping pill last night,” Smith said. “It has been a pretty tough 24 hours if I’m being honest, it’s all part of being captain of your country, you have to make difficult decisions and sometimes you’re going to make the wrong decision. It’s all part of the learning experience and hopefully I can learn something from this game. I’ll think back and reflect in the next day or so, what I could have done differently and better just areas I can continue to improve in my leadership and captaincy as well.

Mitchell Marsh added to squad

In the only Australian change for the Perth Test, the selectors have recalled Mitchell Marsh after his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery. He takes the place of Chadd Sayers in the 13-man group to convene in Perth on December 10.
Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

“I think we probably dominated the first two-and-a-half days of this Test match, England fought their way back into the game over the last couple of days and if I’m being honest I was a little bit nervous last night at the end of play. I thought they played really well, [Joe] Root and [Dawid] Malan in particular. We were only one or two wickets away, but with Root a dangerous player and if he got going he might’ve made things difficult for us. But fortunately we were able to pick them up and the rest is history.”Coming here today I thought if we could get one or two early wickets, with the new ball only being 18 overs away at the start of play, then 180 was a lot of runs. It was very pleasing that Josh was able to come out and do what he did this morning, I thought his length was exceptional and to get the wicket of Joe Root really put us in a good position and I could breathe a little more easily then.”Smith’s decision not to enforce the follow-on has been subject to plenty of criticism, akin to that faced by his mentor Mark Taylor when he also declined to send England in again at the Gabba in 1994. Then, as now, the hosts subsequently endured two difficult days before ultimately winning by a wide margin. Smith said he had thought primarily about preserving the bodies of his pace bowlers, while putting down the sharp swing generated by England’s bowlers to a combination of night conditions, a lack of breeze and a smart choice of ball on their part.”We were 215 runs in front of the game. People say it swings a lot more at night, it probably does a little bit more and the conditions were favourable for the England bowlers, who exploit anything in the wicket when it’s like that,” Smith said. “It was very still that night as opposed to the first day when it was quite windy. I think when it’s still and not as windy it does a bit more, which was the same today, quite still and our new ball swung a lot too, as we saw from the first ball Starcy bowled.”My rationale was we were a long way in front in the game, if we bat reasonably well … I thought we batted pretty poorly to be honest to get to 350 [in front] … but if we batted reasonably well then we should be getting up over 400. We didn’t do that but we were still a long way in front and confident.”We know it’s a long summer and I think these bowlers we’ve got are very valuable, and just giving those guys a little bit of a rest always makes me confident they can come back and do the business they need to do. So give them a rest and keep the England bowlers bowling. They bowled 150 overs in the first innings and part of an Ashes series is that it’s long, and if you can tire out their bowlers early in the summer then it can make a big difference at the back end. But I will say over the last day or so I have had a few different thoughts, and I’ve read a lot of things, but in the end we’ve won the game so it’s all irrelevant.”As for the loss of the DRS reviews, shortly after ICC regulations were changed to remove the top-up at the end of 80 overs, Smith said he needed to be smarter. “I guess your thinking sort of changes a little bit now with the umpire’s call – and whether you keep it, or if it’s missing you lose it,” he said. “It’s a tough one, and I certainly think my thought process around it has changed a little bit. Sometimes there’s more hope [than being confident a batsman is out] – and if it’s just touching the stumps we’re all right [and keep the review]. It’s an interesting one, but something I can continue to work on and try and get it as consistent as I can.”Josh Hazlewood dismissed Chris Woakes with the second ball of the fifth morning•Getty Images

Overall, Smith said he felt there was plenty of improvement left in Australia’s performance, not least more consistency with the bat after a poorly second innings. But he also pointed out that in Nathan Lyon, the world’s leading Test wicket-taker this year, and Pat Cummins he had two players at very near to the top of their games.”I think we can improve. I think we let ourselves down a little bit in the second innings with the bat, albeit for the top order in the night things were tough and England bowled particularly well, we’ve got to give some credit there,” Smith said. “Yesterday afternoon the way we batted was a little bit disappointing, we gave a few wickets away there, didn’t grind things out for long enough and try and bat for longer and get a bigger total, so we probably missed a trick there.”I think Nathan is bowling as well as I’ve seen him bowl, he’s hitting great lengths, he’s very confident, he’s bowling exceptionally well. A lot of credit’s got to go to Patty Cummins as well, I think he bowled brilliantly throughout this game. Even last night when things probably weren’t going our way, he was only going at one and bit an over still keeping the pressure on, beat the bat a few times, got the key wicket of Malan at the end of the day. He had a particularly good game with ball and bat as well, he contributed with Shaun [Marsh] in the first innings to help get us in a position to drive the game.”It’s always tough coming back from 2-0 down, particularly when you’re away from home. You can be only one or two bad sessions away from the series really. That can play on people’s minds when you’re behind. So we have to be confident, do what we’re doing, do the basics really well. Getting first-innings runs is really crucial, as we saw in this game, and just backing up day in, day out and making sure we’re doing what we can to get this series to where we want it to be.”