مدرب أولمبياكوس يستفز مبابي ويضغط على ريال مدريد

تحدث خوسيه لويس مينديليبار، المدير الفني لفريق أولمبياكوس اليوناني عن المباراة المرتقبة أمام ريال مدريد، ولم يقلل من قدرات خصمه مؤكدًا في الوقت ذاته على إمكانية الفوز، وأبدى رأيه بشأن وضع تشابي ألونسو مدرب الفريق الملكي مع لاعبيه.

ويستقبل أولمبياكوس خصمه ريال مدريد غدًا الأربعاء، في إطار مباريات الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وتحدث مينديليبار في مؤتمر صحفي، نشرته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية.

وعن فرصة أولمبياكوس في الفوز، في ظل إصابات ريال مدريد، وما سيقوله للاعبيه لإقناعهم، رد: “ما تقولونه جميعًا شيء، وما نعتقده في داخلنا شيء آخر، وهما مختلفان تمامًا، إنها مباراة صعبة، ولا يهم أي فريق سيلعب من ريال مدريد، لأنهم جميعًا جيدون جدًا، ولن يمنحونا أي أفضلية؛ علينا الفوز بها بأنفسنا”.

وأضاف: “لا أعتقد أننا سنفاجئهم، كما لا أعتقد أنهم سيفاجئوننا، من هنا، علينا أن نكون أفضل، وإذا كان السبيل إلى ذلك هو أن نكون أول من يهاجم، فهذا أفضل، لكن ليس الفريق الذي يصل إلى هناك أكثر من مرة هو الفائز دائمًا، بل من يستغل فرصه على أكمل وجه”.

وواصل: “في كرة القدم، الأمر ليس مسألة حياة أو موت، إنه أمر مهم، وإذا خسرنا، فسيكون من الصعب جدًا التواجد ضمن أفضل 24 فريقًا، لكن دعونا نركز على المباراة، نتحدث عما نفعله في كل مباراة، ونؤكد أنه ضد هؤلاء الخصوم لا يمكنك ارتكاب أي أخطاء، لأنهم سيستغلونها، إذا تغلبوا علينا، فيجب أن يكون ذلك لأنهم أفضل، وليس لأننا نرتكب أخطاءً يستغلونها”.

وتجنب التعليق على فينيسيوس وغضبه لحظة استبداله في الكلاسيكو، وأفاد: “لا، لا (مبتسمًا) لقد مر وقت طويل منذ أن غضب من استبداله، لا أتذكر حتى!، لكن هذا ما يحدث في ريال مدريد وأي نادٍ كبير، بمجرد تحقيق نتيجتين سيئتين، تبدأ المشاكل بالظهور… حتى لو لم تكن موجودة! لكنها تبدأ بالظهور”.

وأوضح: “بهذا المعنى، اللاعبون وتشابي يدركون حقيقة الأمر، إنهم يُعانون، لكنهم في صدارة الدوري؛ لذا لا يُمكن أن يكون أداؤهم سيئًا لهذه الدرجة، تشابي يتمتع بعلاقات جيدة داخل النادي؛ ولن يُمانع في البقاء وبذل قصارى جهده، إنه مدرب رائع وقد أثبت جدارته، ليس لديّ ما أضيفه”.

وسُئل مينديليبار في المؤتمر الصحفي عن كيفية إيقاف مبابي، فأجاب ساخرًا: “إنه متوقف بالفعل، أليس كذلك؟ إذا لم يسجل في آخر ثلاث مباريات، فهو متوقف، أليس كذلك؟ إذًا فليستمر على هذا الحال”.

ودافع عن تشابي ألونسو في ظل الأجواء النقدية المحيطة بريال مدريد قائلاً: “هل يُشكك فيه أم تُشكك فيه؟” (يجيب الصحفي: “كلاهما”)ـ حسنًا، لقد قلت كل شيء، لا أملك أي نصيحة لأقدّمها له، فهو يعرف ما يفعل؛ إنه في وضع جيد داخل النادي ولن يواجه أي مشكلة في البقاء”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كاريراس يوضح تفاصيل العلاقة بين لاعبي ريال مدريد وألونسو.. ويؤكد: لا يستمتع أي فريق بمواجهتنا

وبشأن نتائجه السابقة ضد ريال مدريد وفوزه عليهم كمدرب، رد: “لقد خسرنا أكثر بكثير مما فزنا، لقد فزت مرتين، ولا أعرف كم مرة خسرت، 12، 16، إذا لعب ريال مدريد بشكل جيد، يكاد يكون من المستحيل التغلب عليهم، لديهم لاعبون رائعون، من بين الأفضل في العالم، عليك أن تحاول منعهم من اللعب بشكل جيد، وعليك أن تتجنب ارتكاب أي أخطاء”.

وأشار: “فرقٌ مثل ريال مدريد أو نحن هنا، إذا لم نفز بمباراتين نواجه نفس الضغط، وعلينا أن نفوز كل يوم، نعلم ذلك، ولكن علينا التحلي بالهدوء اللازم للتعامل مع كل هذا، وريال مدريد كذلك، نحن في بداية الموسم، الشهر الثالث أو الرابع، والجزء الأصعب لم يأتِ بعد، لن يتوتروا، وعلينا أن نضغط عليهم حتى لا يتمكنوا من تقديم أداءٍ أفضل، نظريًا، لدينا فرصة أفضل للفوز عليهم، من الصعب جدًا مجاراتهم، لكننا نريد الاقتراب منهم أكثر فأكثر، وهذا يتحقق باللعب ضدهم، وبالتطور”.

وواصل الحديث عن ريال مدريد مؤكدًا: “فريق جيد جدًا، يضم لاعبين رائعين قادرين على إحداث أي ضرر، قد تتغير التشكيلة قليلًا، حيث أصبح بعض اللاعبين الأساسيين بدلاء أو يُستبدلون، لكن هذه أمورٌ على كل مدرب التعامل معها مع كثرة المباريات”.

وأتم: “هناك لاعبون لا يرون الأمر بهذه الطريقة، ليس فقط في ريال مدريد، بل في كل مكان، إنهم يرغبون دائمًا في اللعب، حتى لو كانوا منهكين، ولن يُخبروك بذلك، إنه أمرٌ يحتاج إلى إدارة، لكن من حيث أسلوب اللعب… لم يتغير كثيرًا، ربما لم يتسنَّ لتشايي الوقت الكافي بعدُ لإيجاد فريقه”.

Nottinghamshire fire title hopes with tense victory over Worcestershire

Three-wicket win keeps them in contention at top ahead of clash with champions Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025

Ben Slater played a key role in Notts’ successful chase•Mark Dunn

Nottinghamshire fended off a strong fightback by Worcestershire to complete a three-wicket win which keeps them at the heart of the race for the Rothesay County Championship title.Chasing a target of 136 at Visit Worcestershire New Road, Haseeb Hameed’s side dipped to 83 for 6 before the lower-middle order stood tall to take them to 136 for 7. After Ben Slater held the chase together early on with a resolute 36 off 94 balls, Liam Patterson-White (23) and Lyndon James (17 not out) held their nerve with crucial contributions when it mattered most.Ben Allison took 3 for 50 as the home side gave it everything but the defeat leaves Worcestershire almost certain to finish bottom of Division One. Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire’s win sets up a huge clash with reigning champions and Division One leaders Surrey at The Oval next week.Nottinghamshire resumed on the final morning on 40 for 1 and, to their delight, the rain that has haunted this match was replaced by gorgeous sunshine. Visit Worcestershire New Road looked as magnificent as ever as Slater and Freddie McCann walked to the crease.McCann was soon making the return journey after lifting a pull to deep square leg. When Khurram Shahzad, in a superb spell from the New Road End (8-5-8-1), trapped Joe Clarke lbw, a few Nottinghamshire nerves were jangling at 53 for 3.They were jangling even more after Allison took two wickets in ten balls. Jack Haynes drove to cover and Kyle Verreynne was late on a ball which arrowed in to knock out middle stump.Slater had resisted with skill and patience for 148 minutes but was lured into driving at a wide one from Tom Taylor and nicked it to supply the bowler’s 49th Championship wicket of the season. As runs dried up – three from the last seven overs before lunch – Nottinghamshire dined at 91 for 6.Lunch arrived at a good time for them. It drained the bowlers of momentum and four quickfire fours from Patterson-White straight after the interval put Nottinghamshire back on the front foot. Patterson-White edged Allison to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick with 22 needed from the last three wickets but James, completing his excellent all-round match, and Josh Tongue saw their side to a potentially priceless victory.

"I will step aside" – O'Neill says no talks with Celtic board over permanent role

Martin O’Neill has now confirmed that he will “step aside” when Celtic find their next manager and revealed that there has not been any talks with the club about taking a permanent role.

O’Neill insists he has no idea whether he will remain at the helm for Celtic’s next match against St Mirren amid reports that the Hoops have stepped up their search for a new permanent manager.

The 73-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the Scottish champions for the last four games since Brendan Rodgers resigned two and a half weeks ago.

It has been reported this week that the Celtic board have been interviewing candidates, with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerging as the new bookmakers’ favourite.

Other names mentioned includes Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town and Kjetil Knutsen. Whether the Hoops can lure either of those names away from their current positions at Portmand Road and Bodo/Glimt is the question that everyone’s asking.

Reports have claimed that Knutsen wants to at least complete his side’s Champions League campaign, which could end in January in the earliest scenario. Meanwhile, there have been no signs that McKenna will be leaving Ipswich anytime soon.

As Celtic’s search goes on, O’Neill has continued to roll back the years. In his four matches, the 73-year-old – assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – has overseen two Scottish Premiership victories, a Europa League defeat by Midtjylland and an extra-time win over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

Celtic now tracking Maeda replacement who Jamie Carragher called "special"

The Bhoys are in search of attacking quality.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

The final against St Mirren takes place on December 14 and there are some who would like to see the veteran remain in charge for the Hampden showdown in order to add to his trophy haul from his glittering first spell in charge in the early Noughties.

O'Neill insists no talks with Celtic board

To no surprise, O’Neill has been questioned a number of times about the Celtic job, but his answer remains the same. He will “step aside” as soon as the club no longer need him and, despite rumours, there have been no talks about the permanent job.

The 4-2-3-1 tactician has done a solid job so far and may yet get the chance to continue that job after the international break, but admitted that he’s not bothered whether he’s in charge for the Scottish Cup final in December, saying: “I am a romantic and have been a romantic all my life. I know the history of football and all of those particular things but that doesn’t bother me one jot.”

Celtic hold talks to sign "talented" manager who's like a young O'Neill

'This is a joke!' – Dominik Szoboszlai denies taunting Ireland players after Liverpool star becomes embroiled in social media storm during Hungary's World Cup qualifying loss

Dominik Szoboszlai has denied taunting Ireland players after the Liverpool midfielder became embroiled in a social media storm following Hungary's World Cup qualifying loss against Heimir Hallgrimsson's side. Ireland dramatically clinched a 3-2 victory in the dying moments as Troy Parrott completed his hat-trick to help his nation secure a spot in the play-offs.

Szoboszlai accused of mocking Irish fans

Liverpool star Szoboszlai was visibly distraught at full-time as Hungary twice gave up the lead to an Ireland side that refused to give in. Daniel Lukacs handed Hungary a third-minute advantage before Parrott scored an equaliser 12 minutes later. Barnabas Varga then made it 2-1 in the 37th minute as Hungary went in at the break with their noses in front.

Former Tottenham forward Parrott, however, had a different plan as he once again equalised in the 80th minute before scoring a last-gasp winner. With three points, Ireland finished second in their group behind Portugal and progressed to the qualifying play-offs, which will be played in March.

After Varga's goal, Szoboszlai was seen making a tear-wiping gesture. The video went viral on social media after the clash, as many believed the Reds midfielder attempted to mock the Irish fans. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSzoboszlai speaks out

However, the Hungary international has claimed his gesture was a joke between his Hungary team-mates. 

Speaking to , the 25-year-old said: "It is still difficult to accept what happened. Unfortunately, we have to live with it and move on. There is certainly a reason why this always happens to us. But we try to take the positives out of the most difficult times. We had a chance until the end; we believed that we could make the playoffs. This (the celebration) is a joke between my own teammates, András Schäfer, Barnabás Varga and Péter Szappanos. If it was meant for the Irish, I would tell them."

Ex-Premier League star's live TV gaffe

Former Ireland international Kevin Doyle, who represented the likes of Wolves and Reading in his playing days, was helping to cover the game for RTE Sports. At full-time, after Parrott scored the match-winning goal, the 42-year-old celebrated wildly inside the studio. RTE posted an edited version of his celebration, but the full scenes were captured off camera – with an uncut video making its way onto social media. 

In that, Doyle appeared to bellow in the direction of Szoboszlai: "Suck on that, you Liverpool c***!" He, however, quickly apologised to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann, who was also on punditry duty.

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AFPWhen will Ireland play in the World Cup play-offs?

Ireland will now take their place in the play-off draw, which will be held on Thursday, November 20. The semi-finals are set to start on March 26, 2026, with the finals taking place five days later.

There are 16 teams that are fighting for just four places at the World Cup finals in North America. Having kept themselves in the hunt for tickets, Ireland could be paired with the likes of Wales, Slovakia, Scotland, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo. 

Australia blow India away in record time

Stats highlights from Australia’s ten-wicket win against India in Adelaide

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Dec-20241:41

India bowlers ‘not relentless’ against Australia

8-0 Australia’s win-loss record in pink-ball Tests at the Adelaide Oval after their ten-wicket win against India. Their overall record in day-night Tests is 12-1.1031 Balls bowled in the second Test between Australia and India, the fewest in a completed Test between these two teams. The previous lowest was the Indore Test in 2023 that lasted only 1135 balls.

486 Balls batted by India in Adelaide, the fourth fewest they have faced in a men’s Test where they were bowled out twice. The fewest is 349 balls against England in Manchester in 1952.19 Number of ten-wicket defeats for India in Tests. Only England, 25, have suffered more such losses (25) than India. Australia, on the other hand, top the list for most ten-wicket wins – 32.ESPNcricinfo Ltd12 Five-wicket hauls for Pat Cummins in Tests since 2018, the most in this period. Nathan Lyon and Taijul Islam also have 12 five-fors since 2018, while Jasprit Bumrah has 11.4 Indians to top score in both innings of a men’s Test while batting at No. 7 or lower, including Nitish Kumar Reddy in Adelaide. The previous three instances came in matches against England – Chandu Borde at Eden Gardens in 1961, MS Dhoni in the 2011 Birmingham Test, and R Ashwin in 2018 at Lord’s.

2 Reddy is only the second Indian – and eighth overall – to top score in three of his first four innings. Sunil Gavaskar did it in his debut series against West Indies in 1971.30 Balls bowled by Nathan Lyon (6) and Mitchell Marsh (24) against India in the Adelaide Test – the third fewest bowled by Australians in a men’s Test since 1903, coming in as second change (Min: two innings).Mark Waugh and Greg Matthews bowled only 18 balls in total in the 1991 WACA Test against England, while Ray Bright bowled 24 balls against England in the 1981 Leeds Test.

Only once has Lyon bowled less than the one over he bowled in Adelaide – when he didn’t bowl at all against England in Hobart in 2022.

£3m Rangers flop is becoming their biggest waste of time since Cortes

Danny Röhl has made an encouraging start to life as Rangers manager, but there is still plenty of work to do.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 drubbing of Dundee makes it three Premiership victories out of three for the German, likely to maintain that perfect record when bottom-of-the-table Livingston visit Ibrox after the international break.

However, the Gers remain rock bottom of the Europa League table without a point to their name, beaten by both Sturm Graz and Roma under Röhl, while also dumped out of the League Cup in the semi-finals by Celtic, albeit Thelo Aasgaard’s red card at Hampden did not help their cause.

So, having inherited a complete mess, Röhl is still figuring out which plays he can rely on as well as who he wants to build around for the future.

Jack Butland, James Tavernier, John Souttar and Nicolas Raskin have quickly established themselves as key figures, with the new manager showing faith in expensive new striker Youssef Chermiti too.

However, other players are not seeing as much game time as they may have anticipated, so is one summer signing in danger of becoming the club’s latest Óscar Cortés?

Óscar Cortés: Rangers transfer bust

One of Rangers’ 14 summer signings, officially at least, Cortés was one, albeit he’d been with the club since 1 February 2024 on loan.

Despite making little impact in Glasgow, the Colombian’s move from Lens was made permanent for £4.5m, due to a pre-agreed obligation to buy.

At the time of his arrival, Rangers supporters were very excited, considering Cortés had starred at the 2023 U20 World Cup, scoring four goals and registering two assists for Colombia, awarded the tournament’s Bronze Ball.

Scout António Mango thereby labelled him an “insane talent”, while the Rangers Journal forecast that he would “provide pace, power and… goal contributions” to Rangers’ forward line, which certainly has not been the case thus far.

In just 21 appearances to date, 764 minutes, he has scored only one goal for the Gers, missing 58 matches entirely, the majority of which have been due to injury.

Thus, he was sent out on loan to Sporting Gijón on deadline day, but is yet to do very much in the Segunda División either, as his market value continues to diminish at a rapid rate.

So now, which current Rangers forward could follow a similar path if he continues to be under-utilised by Röhl?

Rangers star becoming Cortés repeat

They say that first impressions are the most important, and Oliver Antman certainly made a good one at Rangers.

The Finnish forward joined from Go Ahead Eagles for a reported fee of £3.5m, thrown straight into Champions League qualifying action.

Less than 24 hours after landing in Glasgow, Antman put in a man of the match performance as Rangers demolished Viktoria Plzeň 3-0, providing two assists and playing a starring role in, by some distance, the club’s best performance of the ill-fated Russell Martin era.

Considering the forward’s performances in the Netherlands last season, his signature was viewed as a major coup, as the table below documents.

Oliver Antman Eredivisie stats 24/25

Stats

Antman

Eredivisie rank

Goals

6

38th

Assists

15

1st

Expected assists

9.1

1st

Big chances created

16

1st

Shots

54

22nd

Key passes

50

10th

Big chances missed

11

7th

Goal-creating actions

19

4th

Progressive carries

96

10th

Stats via FBref & SofaScore

As the table documents, Antman was one of the most creative players in the Eredivisie last season, racking up 15 assists as well as ranking first for expected assists and big chances created.

This is made all the more impressive by the fact he was not playing for one of the Netherlands’ traditional powerhouses, his Go Ahead Eagles team ending up seventh, albeit they did win the KNVB Beker for the very first time, defeating AZ Alkmaar on penalties, with Antman starting the final victory at De Kuip.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout was certainly impressed, labelling him “creative” while, upon his arrival, sporting director Kevin Thelwell described him as an “exciting talent” who boasts “great technical ability”.

However, following that promising start to life at Rangers, Antman has not lived up to expectations, registering just a solitary assist since his blistering debut, yet to score for his new club.

Furthermore, since starting Röhl’s first match as manager against Brann, Antman has been an unused substitute on three occasions, coming off the bench against Celtic and Dundee, but making very little impact.

In the German’s 3-4-3 formation too, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, very much currently behind Chermiti, Danilo, Djeidi Gassama, Mikey Moore, all of whom have scored in recent matches, and others in the pecking order.

Antman is clearly a quality player, he’s already shown glimpses of this in a Rangers jersey, and unlike Cortés, availability is not a huge barrier to him featuring in matches.

Nevertheless, the Finn is seemingly currently not in Röhl’s plans, so a January loan is very much not out of the question, and he is in danger of becoming the latest big-money signing to disappear out of Ibrox without a trace.

Ferguson 2.0: Rangers' "best player" is now more important than Tavernier

Rangers’ “best player” who is reminiscent of Barry Ferguson has emerged under Danny Röhl and it is not captain James Tavernier.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 14, 2025

India go into Super Four unbeaten despite Oman's impressive display

After their batters got only around 20 overs of crease-time across their first two games against UAE and Pakistan, India batted first for the first time in the Asia Cup and posted 188 for 8 against Oman. All their batters got a hit in the middle except their captain Suryakumar Yadav, who did not come out to bat despite India losing eight wickets. Though Oman made a creditable impression with both ball and bat, they could not overcome India’s might and depth.Abhishek Sharma did Abhishek Sharma things, clattering 38 off 15 balls. He was the only India batter with a strike rate of over 200 on an Abu Dhabi pitch that offered grip and turn. Sanju Samson, who slotted in at No.3, was less fluent, but moved to a 41-ball fifty. Cameos from Tilak Varma (29 off 18), Axar Patel (26 off 13), and Harshit Rana (13* off 8) then pushed India up towards 190.India had rested their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and newly minted No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy, but Kuldeep Yadav befuddled Oman’s batters with his variations. Oman openers Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh struck up a 56-run partnership but by the time Kuldeep broke it in the ninth over, the asking rate had shot up to 12. Though Kaleem and No.3 Hammad Mirza made battling half-centuries, they could not find the higher gears that could have hurt India. In pursuit of 189, Oman finished with 167 for 4.Having applied so much scoreboard pressure on Oman, India could afford to experiment with their bowling too. Tilak and Abhishek were among eight bowlers India used on Friday.2:20

Abhinav Mukund: This is how Abhishek should always bat

Abhishek’s opening salvo

Left-arm seamer Shah Faisal dealt India an early blow when he castled Shubman Gill for 5 with a sharp inswinger in the second over. However, that didn’t stop Abhishek from lining up Oman’s bowlers in the powerplay.Abhishek claimed 38 of the 60 runs India had scored in the first six overs. Left-arm fingerspinner Shakeel Ahmed got away with the first ball he bowled to Abhishek, but the batter took him for two fours and a six in the third over. Shakeel tried to drag the ball away from Abhishek’s reach with his sharp angle from left-arm around, but the left-handed opener still found a counter.Oman’s seamers then took pace off, but nobody can take Abhishek’s power away. When Mohammad Nadeem bowled a slower ball into the pitch, Abhishek forayed down the track and scythed it over point. Then, when Jiten Ramanandi dug a 104kph delivery into the pitch, Abhishek pumped it for a straight six.He got a reprieve on 21 when he tickled Nadeem down the leg side, but Vinayak Shukla, the Oman keeper, shelled the catch and umpire Raveendra Wilalasiri eventually deemed it as a wide ball. Abhishek added 17 to his tally before nicking another one behind, Shukla making no mistake this time.2:07

Jaffer: Wasn’t a fluent innings from Samson

Samson’s stop-start innings

After having chalked up two DNBs, Samson had a slow start – he was on 13 off 14 balls at one point – but a six and a four off Madhya-Pradesh-born wristspinner Samay Shrivatsava got him out of first gear. Samson proceeded to crash Zikria Islam for a straight six in the tenth over, but slowed down once again thereafter.Having got to 42 off 32 balls, he took a further nine balls to bring up his half-century. Then, when he looked to turn up the tempo, he holed out to deep midwicket for 56 off 45 balls in the 18th over.India cobbled together 21 off the last three overs and managed to find the boundary just once during this period – off the last ball of the innings when Harshit scythed Faisal for six over point.2:00

Jaffer: Inspired performances from Kaleem and Hammad

Oman’s spirited chase

After bagging the wickets of Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, Kaleem, who will turn 44 in November, stood up to India’s bowlers. He was cagey during the powerplay – he scored only 15 off 13 balls during the period – but then laid into Dube’s medium-pace, taking him for 18 off nine balls.Kaleem’s knock ended on 64 when Hardik held onto a screamer at the long-leg boundary off Harshit, putting a smile on fielding coach T Dilip’s face. Mirza also showed his batting chops with a half-century of his own, giving Oman hope for the T20 World Cup Asia & East-Asia-Pacific Regional Qualifier, a tournament they will host next month, even if they bowed out of their maiden Asia Cup with no wins in three matches.For India, Arshdeep Singh, who was playing his first game of the tournament, picked up his 100th T20I wicket when he had Shukla holing out in the final over. Arshdeep became the first India bowler to the landmark and closed out the game for them, with Bumrah and Varun applauding the effort from the sidelines.

Alex Bregman Blasts Home Run in First At-Bat Back in Houston

Alex Bregman returned to Houston with a boom.

The longtime Astros third baseman is back in his old home on Monday night with his new team. Now with the Red Sox, he is in Houston for the first time as a visiting player. He made the most of his return.

Fans at Daikin Park gave Bregman a nice ovation before his first at-bat, before he took a 1–1 sweeper from Cristian Javier and deposited it in the left field seats for a two-run home run. That gave Boston a 2–0 lead early.

Video is below.

Bregman looked right at home hitting in his old park.

The three-time All-Star signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox this offseason, and the investment has paid off for Boston. In 73 games this season, Bregman is slashing .301/.382/.543 with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs. His .925 OPS is the highest he has posted since 2019.

The 31-year-old can opt out of his contract after the 2025 season, and if he keeps playing like this, he may hit the open market again this winter.

Inside the Numbers of Nick Kurtz's Incredible Second-Half Surge

Nick Kurtz is making the hardest thing in sports look far too easy.

The Athletics’ rookie first baseman has been teeing off on major league pitching since the All-Star break, leading MLB hitters in most statistical categories in the second half while looking like a future MVP. While he was always a hyped prospect, the lefty has far surpassed expectations this season.

Coming out of Wake Forest, Kurtz was a consensus top-five prospect in the 2024 MLB draft class, and the A's snagged him with the fourth pick and signed him for $7 million, which was $1.37 million under slot. It has turned out to be a massive bargain, and the savings allowed them to go over-slot to select and sign former LSU stars Tommy White and Gage Jump with their next two picks.

After a brief minor league career that lasted 33 games, Kurtz made his big league debut on April 23. He had eight hits in his first nine games but didn't show much of the power that has always been his calling card. Then the 22-year-old got hot, and he hasn't stopped punishing baseballs to overtake injured teammate Jacob Wilson as the American League Rookie of the Year favorite.

Below is a breakdown of the gaudy numbers Kurts has put up this season, with a focus on just how productive he’s been in the second half.

Nick Kurtz’s Sensational Second Half, by the Numbers

2.6 — fWAR since the All-Star break, best in baseball.

.423 — Batting average since the break, best in baseball.

.528 —On-base percentage since the break, best in baseball.

.808 — Slugging percentage since the break, best in baseball.

.550 — wOBA since the break, best in baseball.

.538 — Batting average on balls in play since the break, best in baseball.

260 — wRC+ since the break, best in — I can stop typing that at this point, right?

46 — Points between Kurtz and the second-best hitter in baseball by wRC+ since the All-Star break. Teammate Shea Langeliers (214) is next up. That means Kurtz has been a 46% better hitter than in baseball since the break, and 160% better than the average MLB hitter.

33 — Total career minor league games played by Kurtz.

86 — Number of major league games played so far.

.490 — Kurtz's OPS in April; he slashed .250/.240/.250 with no home runs and three RBIs in 24 at-bats.

1.092 — Kurtz's OPS since May 1; he's slashing .311/.417/.675 with 25 home runs and 64 RBIs in those 79 games.

1.367 — Kurtz's OPS in late/close situations this season. He's slashing .345/.500/.897, making him one of the most clutch players in baseball.

4 — Home runs by Kurtz on July 25, becoming the 20th player and first rookie in MLB history to go deep four times in one game. He went 6-for-6 that night with eight RBIs and tied an MLB record with six runs scored.

19 — Total bases in that game, tied with Shawn Green as the most in a single game in MLB history.

3.9 — Kurtz's fWAR on the season, best among MLB rookies by almost a full point. Brewers outfielder Isaac Collins is second at 2.9. Kurtz's All-Star teammate Jacob Wilson is far behind at 2.4.

181 — Kurtz's wRC+ on the season, which is second in baseball among players with at least 200 plate appearances. He trails only Aaron Judge (199) and is eight points clear of Shohei Ohtani (174).

Kurtz Stands Atop an Auspicious 2024 Draft Class—for Now

Kurtz was drafted on July 14 and made his MLB debut 283 days later. A year to the day after being selected, he already had 17 big league home runs and an OPS of .892. And he isn't the only player from his draft class already playing well in the majors.

The 2024 draft was college-heavy at the top, and several of the players selected have breezed through the minor leagues. First-rounders Kurtz, Chase Burns, Jac Caglianone, Christian Moore and Cam Smith have already debuted, while Angels reliever Ryan Johnson made the team out of spring training but has since been sent back down to the minors and is being stretched into a starter.

The draft class stands out as one that’s already having a major impact on the league, and with Kurtz leading the way, has arguably already produced not only the American League’s best rookie, but its best left-handed hitter.

فيديو | حامد حمدان يسجل وفلسطين تخطف تعادلًا مثيرًا من تونس في كأس العرب

حسم التعادل الإيجابي بهدفين لكل فريق مباراة منتخب فلطسين أمام نظيره تونس، والتي جمعتهما اليوم الخميس، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

والتقى منتخب فلسطين مع تونس، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الأولى وافتتح منتخب تونس أهداف اللقاء في الدقيقة السادسة عشر عن طريق عمر العيوني، قبل أن يحرز فراس شواط الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 51.

وفي الدقيقة 61 قلص حامد حمدان الفارق بتسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح فلسطين في الدقيقة 61 قبل أن يتعادل زيد القنبر في الدقيقة 85 لصالح الفدائي.

ورفع منتخب فلسطين رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة الأولى بينما تونس في المركز الثالث بنقطة واحدة. أهداف مباراة تونس وفلسطين اليوم في كأس العرب

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