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Liverpool will face Porto on Wednesday evening in a clash that has really no impact on the side’s qualification, as they secured their passage to the last sixteen in the Champions League a few weeks back, after going unbeaten.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will have the opportunity though to remain unbeaten in Europe alongside Ajax and Bayern Munich, and if they do beat Porto tonight it will keep Atletico Madrid in with a chance of qualification.

One player that is predicted to play for Liverpool tonight is Divock Origi, who is currently out of favour in Klopp’s super starting eleven but has made a few outings this season so far with seven appearances, three goals and two assists across all competitions so far.

Although Origi is not a starter for the side, he has proven this term that he has something to offer, whether that be with Liverpool or another club in a move that has been highly speculated over the last six months.

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle United are interested in the 26-year-old striker, who was reportedly valued at £12-£15 million by the club in the summer transfer window, however, nobody could meet Liverpool’s valuation and the player remained at the club for the season ahead.

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Liverpool have a strict sell to buy framework at the club and will need to offload a player to bring another in, and Klopp could capitalise on these last two Champions League games to showcase Origi’s talents and attributes to drum up interest of notable value that would be more appealing and financially beneficial for the club going into the transfer window.

The Belgian is available on a free in the summer, so if the club is looking to make a quick buck on the striker, time is ticking, and starting him in the next two Champions League games will give the striker the opportunity to put on great performances that could potentially make FSG millions.

The £10.8m-rated beast is likely to start in tonight’s game having had many moments of magic in the Champions League in his time at Liverpool and has been hailed a “monster” by former Belgium teammate, Vincent Kompany;

“He is very gifted and talented,” said Kompany. “Technically, he’s a monster.

“More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy.”

Liverpool take on Porto at Anfield tonight and despite the likelihood of a weaker starting eleven, Klopp will expect his team to put in a performance to continue their unbeaten run in Europe.

In other news: Liverpool must complete transfer swoop for Renato Sanches

Indian batsman Rohit Sharma will miss the inaugural Corporate Cup due to a shoulder injury he picked up during the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. Playing for Mumbai Cricket Association XI against Vidharbha, Rohit hurt his left shoulder while attempting a catch off his own bowling.Aijaz Asahi, the Mumbai physio confirmed to Cricinfo that there was an inflammation in Rohit’s left shoulder which will take at least a couple of weeks to heal. Rohit also reported to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for a check-up.The injury is the latest setback for Rohit, who was dropped from India’s one-day squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in South Africa. He was in indifferent form during the one-day series in the West Indies in June-July, scoring just 15 runs in four matches. He will not be able to turn out for Indian Oil in the Corporate Cup which runs from September 1 to 8.

Match facts

Thursday, July 16 – Monday, July 20 2009
Start time 11.00 (10.00 GMT)
Graham Onions is in line for a recall as England try to find a way of taking 20 wickets…with or without Andrew Flintoff•AFP

The Big Picture

The series resumes after a nail-biting final hour in Cardiff in which England clung to the mightiest of draws after being dominated for most of the match. Since then time wasting and Andrew Flintoff’s retirement have become the big issues, but the teams will not be focussing on the pre-match hype when the first ball is delivered.They will be more intent on a brisk start and continuing their on-field battles in a contest that has already provided more heat than the St John’s Wood tube station in summer. Australia enter the match disappointed they are not leading 1-0, while England are buoyant to be level. The visiting batsmen fired at Sophia Gardens, roaring to 674 for 6 before declaring, and their bowlers fell one wicket short of victory. The bowlers on both sides will be more excited by the conditions on offer in this game.Nothing gets an Australian’s neck prickling like the sight of Lord’s and the players’ baggy greens gain extra power whenever they bob through the Long Room. England’s leaders can’t understand why their team hasn’t beaten their Ashes rivals in 75 years here. Another chapter will be added to the dusty pages of history this week.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
England – DWWDD
Australia – DLWWW

Watch out for …

Lord’s is a place for the captains to star. Andrew Strauss missed out twice in the first Test, scoring 30 and 17, and needs to inspire his batting team-mates after they all gave away reasonable starts last week. The home of cricket is also Strauss’s county ground for Middlesex, so he knows everything about the revered address. He has not scored a century here since 2006, but has reached triple figures three times on the way to averaging 58.17 in 11 matches.Ricky Ponting, who has made 27 runs in three Test innings at Lord’s, must stand up if his side is to maintain its intimidating batting intensity. In Cardiff Ponting breezed to 150, becoming one of four Australian century-makers, but the second Test will be played in different conditions and against a team that now remembers the last hour of batting, not the 181 overs of bowling.

Team news

Strauss wants to go with five bowlers – Ian Bell has been released from the squad – but his biggest worry is Flintoff’s injured knee. Flintoff is bowing out of Tests at the end of the series and will be desperate to play while Steve Harmison is acting as his cover. Graham Onions was in the squad in Cardiff but didn’t get a game, increasing his chances of appearing at Lord’s, where two spinners are not a viable option.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions.Stuart Clark will be talked about but don’t expect any changes to Australia’s XI. Ponting should confirm the side later on Wednesday and it would be a shock if any of the players who pushed England last week are omitted. Brett Lee remains out with a stomach problem.Australia (probable) 1 Simon Katich, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.

Pitch and conditions

Draws have been common recently at Lord’s, but all the bowlers will feel this pitch is a raging seamer compared to the block of cement offered in Cardiff. There was an attractive green tinge on the surface on Tuesday and even though the grass was cut shorter on Wednesday, there is sure to be some life in it for the fast men. The same strip was used in 2005, although nobody is expecting a repeat of the 17 wickets that dropped on the opening day. The forecast is for sunny intervals on Thursday, rain on Friday and some showers over the weekend.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have lost only one Test at Lord’s, in 1934, since the 1896 tour
• In 33 matches at headquarters Australia have won 14, drawn 14, and lost five
• England have been successful in 43 of 116 Tests at the ground, but have drawn six of their past seven encounters
• Don Bradman’s 254 in 1930 is the highest score at Lord’s in an Ashes contest, ahead of Wally Hammond’s 240 eight years later
• Hedley Verity’s 15 wickets in 1934 are the best here by an Englishman in an Ashes game. Bob Massie’s 16 for 137 in 1972 leads the overall list
• Ponting needs 65 runs to overtake Allan Border’s Australian record of 11,174 Test runs

Quotes

“If you have gone for 670 runs and taken only six wickets then it is probably not a great option to reduce your bowling attack. We are pretty happy with the five bowlers.”
“I’ve got to start from scratch again, like we all have to do, after we didn’t quite get the result we were after last week. It’s up to me to lead the way with the bat.”

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said that West Ham United would be one of the first teams to use the £1bn lending facility which could be available to Premier League clubs in the future.

The Lowdown: Pandemic hits hard

The global pandemic has hit hard across the world, and football is no exception.

Clubs across the world have lost millions due to loss of matchday revenue. David Sullivan has confirmed that the pandemic has cost West Ham £70m and the club are now £150m in debt (Hammers News). Given the problems that many clubs have faced, there have reports that a £1bn credit line could be available to ease cash flow issues (Financial Times).

The Latest: Maguire makes claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has made a claim with regard to GSB and the lending facility. He said:

“This would be appropriate for West Ham.

“There is reluctance from the owners to put money in. They are pursuing a different model to some other owners.

“If you contrast them to, say, Everton, the owners have extracted millions of pounds in interest charges.

“They are currently charging about 4.25 per cent interest. If the club could borrow at a cheaper rate from the Premier League fund, they would use it.

“Some owners in the Premier League have lent at zero per cent interest, but Gold and Sullivan are not among them.

“For those owners, utilisation of the fund would cost the club more, whereas for West Ham it would cost the club less.”

The Verdict: New owners on the card?

GSB are far from popular with many West Ham supporters (via The Evening Standard), and this news is unlikely to improve their relationship with the Irons’ fanbase. Many fans believe that the club should be run in a better way, and reports that the Hammers would be eager to take advantage of more loans are hardly indicative of them being run efficiently.

In recent weeks and months, it has emerged that PAI Capital are eager to buy the club from the current owners (via The Times), but so far their offers have been rejected. Many supporters will undoubtedly be eager to get rid of those now in charge, and if that comes to fruition, maybe this line of credit will not be needed for West Ham.

In other news, West Ham fans love this Declan Rice news.

Rangers managed to reclaim their spot at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they beat Hibernian 2-1 on Sunday.

Kevin Nisbet headed Hibs in front in the opening 10 minutes before Ryan Porteous was sent off in the 30th minute for a poor challenge on Joe Aribo.

The Gers were able to find the leveller in the 60th minute as Nathan Patterson put the ball on a plate for Kemar Roofe to nod home at the back post. Alfredo Morelos then won the match with his goal, assisted by Borna Barisic, in the 78th minute.

Roofe and Morelos may steal the headlines with their goals, but one player who was an unsung hero in the midfield was summer signing John Lundstram. He found a balance between defensive ballast and impressive play in possession to put in an all-around brilliant display.

Defensively, he was almost faultless for Rangers. Per SofaScore, he made four tackles, three interceptions and one block. He also won 62.5% of his duels on the pitch in the game, winning five of his eight 50/50 battles against Hibernian players.

This shows that he was able to snuff out Hibernian attacks with his defensive awareness and strength. He did not allow the opposition to pass by him easily, which allowed Rangers to dominate the game – contributing to the final result.

On the ball, he was composed and assured in possession to maintain the dominance. Per SofaScore, he had an eye-catching 118 touches of the ball – completing 99 of his 104 attempted passes (95%) and only giving the ball away six times from all of those touches.

Lundstram was efficient with his passing and did not give the ball away on a regular basis. Not only did this stop Hibernian from gaining the ball, but it also allowed Rangers to pile the pressure on the opposition goal and tire the midfield, which then created space for the Gers to work with.

Therefore, the midfield beast was Gerrard’s unsung hero in the match as he did the dirty work so that the forward players could shine in possession of the ball.

Hopefully, the summer arrival from Sheffield United will continue to perform to these standards and maintain his place in the starting XI to improve Gerrard’s side, which is – presumably – why he was brought to the club.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…

A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned Paul Tierney’s appointment as referee for the weekend showdown with Manchester City.

The Reds face their biggest game of the season so far on Sunday, taking on the defending champions in the Premier League at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are currently top of the table and one point clear of their rivals, highlighting the importance of the result this weekend.

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It could prove to be a pivotal day in the title race and the performance of the referee could have a huge bearing on the outcome.

It has been confirmed [via Anfield Watch on Twitter] that Tierney will take charge of proceedings in what is a high-profile occasion for him, while Stuart Attwell is on VAR duty.

Liverpool were undefeated in four league matches with him as referee last season – two wins and two draws – which bodes well. However, he controversially blew for half-time in the 0-0 draw against Manchester United in January just as Thiago had played Sadio Mane through on goal.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Tierney appointment

Despite the good record in games involving Tierney last term, these Reds fans took to Twitter to show their unhappiness at his appointment for Sunday’s showdown against City.

“At least have Michael Oliver on it”

Credit: @nathan_brauner1

“Manchester born & bred. First L inbound boys”

Credit: @georgegould97

“Can’t stand this fella”

Credit: @RoyalElectrica6

“Great”

Credit: @Bow7Timmy

“Horrible pairing but then again they all are”

Credit: @sazzam31

“Paul Tierney and Stuart Atwell. This isn’t going to go well”

Credit: @TheFNundy

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a James Pearce injury update. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur demanded £40million for Everton target Harry Winks, according to The Times’ Gary Jacobs. 

The lowdown

Winks started just nine Premier League matches for Spurs last season, and has only played 61 top-flight minutes so far this term (via WhoScored).

It’s a tricky period for a player Mauricio Pochettino once compared to Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

The 25-year-old has two years left to run on his £50,000-per-week contract at the North London club.

Winks has racked up ten England caps since his debut in October 2017, but has yet to make the squad for a major tournament (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

The report states that both Everton and Aston Villa were interested in signing the Englishman during the summer transfer window.

However, Spurs’ valuation deterred both clubs from making a move.

Had Everton agreed to pay £40million, it would have been their second biggest transfer outlay of all time.

The verdict

It was inevitable that Everton pulled out when that figure was floated. £40million is a frankly extortionate price tag for Winks, a player who despite his ability on the ball lacks the athleticism to thrive as a true box-to-box midfielder.

In all honesty, you could question whether, even for a quarter of that price, he truly improves Everton. This is a player who has stagnated in north London.

Rafael Benitez is probably better looking elsewhere if he’s intent on bolstering his midfield ranks.

In other news, a contract extension for this midfielder has been predicted.

MatériaMais Notícias

A necessidade de reforços do Botafogo é evidente, especialmente para o setor ofensivo. E um nome que está em pauta no clube de General Severiano é o do meia Leonardo Valencia, ex-Palestino-CHI, e que disputou a final da recém-encerrada Copa das Confederações, vencida pela Alemanha.

O chileno foi algoz do rival Flamengo no ano passado, ao marcar um dos gols da eliminação do Rubro-Negro na Copa Sul-Americana. Por ora, nada formal foi executado pelo atleta, mas é fato que aaposentadoria de Montillo abriu mais uma brecha no elenco e na folha salarial alvinegros.

O meia vem de 25 gols em 41 partidas na última temporada (que, no Chile, terminou em maio). Especialmente entre setembro e março, teve grande destaque. Em janeiro, houve oferta da Universidade de Chile, mas recusada. Interessou também ao Vasco, mas a pedida do clube impediu o negócio.

O contrato com o Palestino terminou. Agora, o atleta de 26 anos procura novo clube, para o qual se transferiria sem custos. Ele já passou pela La U, Santiago Wanders, Unión La Calera e Melipilla, todos do Chile.

O Botafogo, por sua vez, luta por reforços para o setor ofensivo. Mas esbara nas pedidas salariais, e nas próprias dificuldades financeiras. Contudo, a última parcela da rescisão de Canales será paga este mês, e a saída de Joel também abriu espaço no orçamento do clube.

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حسم نادي يوفنتوس الإيطالي صفقة دفاعية جديدة فور رحيل الهولندي ماتياس دي ليخت إلى صفوف بايرن ميونخ الألماني، بحسب تقارير.

وأعلن يوفنتوس رحيل دي ليخت اليوم الثلاثاء إلى بايرن ميونخ حيث ودع الهولندي السيدة العجوز بعد ثلاث سنوات بقميص البيانكونيري، وسيوقع للعملاق البافاري حتى يونيو 2027.

وجليسون بريمر على وشك التوقيع ليوفنتوس بعد أن اتفقوا على صفقة إجمالية قدرها 50 مليون يورو مع تورينو.

كان قلب الدفاع البرازيلي البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا أحد أفضل المدافعين في الدوري الإيطالي الموسم الماضي، وبدا الانتقال إلى نادٍ كبير هذا الصيف واضحًا، على الرغم من أن الكثيرين توقعوا انضمامه إلى إنتر ميلان.

ركز النيراتزوري على أهداف أخرى بدلاً من ذلك وفشل في وضع اللمسات الأخيرة على صفقة بريمر، مما سمح ليوفنتوس بدخول المعركة بعد أن وافقوا على بيع دي ليخت إلى بايرن ميونيخ.

اقرأ أيضًا | دي ليخت مودعًا يوفنتوس: كان القتال بجانبكم شرفًا

كما هو مفصل من قبل “توتو ميركاتو” من المتوقع أن يعود بريمر إلى تورينو في وقت لاحق من هذا المساء للخضوع للفحص الطبي مع يوفنتوس غدًا.

بافتراض أن كل شيء يسير على ما يرام، فإنه سيضع القلم على الورق في عقد مدته خمس سنوات مع البيانكونيري، وسيدفع يوفنتوس لتورينو 41 مليون يورو بالإضافة إلى 9 ملايين يورو كإضافات للاعب.

يبدو أن اللاعب البرازيلي البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا هو البديل المثالي لدي ليخت وقد أدار يوفنتوس الموقف بشكل لا يصدق، في تناقض صارخ مع إنتر.

Herschelle Gibbs has received a vote of confidence from Glamorgan only weeks after he was dropped from the South Africa team

Cricinfo staff19-Nov-2008
Herschelle Gibbs: a vote of confidence from Glamorgan © Getty Images
Herschelle Gibbs has received a vote of confidence from Glamorgan only weeks after he was dropped from the South Africa team for breaking a curfew, after being signed up as their overseas player for July, August and September 2009.Gibbs, 34, played for the county in the Twenty20 Cup last summer, and replaces their outgoing overseas player, Jason Gillespie. “I’m really excited about returning to Glamorgan, joining the team for the Twenty20 Cup last season was a great experience,” he said. “I am looking forward to having more time to play with Glamorgan.”He has an option to extend his stay at the county, although with an IPL contract for May and the prospect of a recall to the international side for the World Twenty20 in June, he faces a busy few months. Nevertheless, having recently split from his wife and undergone a alcohol rehabilitation course, he’ll be reassured to know he is still in demand. He is currently playing for his club side, Cape Cobras, in South Africa’s SuperSport Series.Glamorgan’s cricket manager, Matthew Maynard, is convinced that his club have made an astute signing. “I am absolutely delighted about Herschelle returning to the club,” he told the BBC. “He made a great impression on the team in 2008 and he is an inspirational player to add to the squad.”Herschelle is a typical example of the cricketing experience that we are looking to sign to the club and I’m thrilled that he is joining us next season.”