There has been a general acceptance across the opening weeks of the 2025/26 season that Liverpool have not quite clicked into gear yet.

Arne Slot’s side have struggled to control games and win comfortably, instead drawing upon their deep-rooted winning mentality to come up trumps in the late stages of fixtures.

But against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend, the Reds were on the receiving end of a last-minute winner, ending their flawless start. And in the Champions League on Tuesday night, in Istanbul, Liverpool were soundly beaten by Galatasaray.

Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been pillars of strength for so many years for the Anfield side, but these veteran talismans need some support. They need some younger Liverpool superstars to step up and accept some responsibility.

Liverpool's leaders need more support

Much has been made of Liverpool’s defensive fragility this season, but the blame cannot be attributed to the captain. Van Dijk has been as redoubtable as ever at the rear, but he’s been failed by unpolished full-backs and an error-stricken partner in Ibrahima Konate, who was woeful once again against Galatasaray.

Salah is 33 years old, and he practically hauled Liverpool’s frontline to the Premier League title last season, scoring 34 goals and supplying 23 more across all competitions.

Yes, he’s not been at his sharpest or liveliest this season, but he hasn’t exactly been helped out by a fully functioning frontline and a robust and active build-up system behind him.

The Egyptian King was benched for the midweek European clash, but this shift mattered little as Liverpool toiled away and lacked any sense of fluency.

There was one man whose poor performance perhaps went under the radar, but whose performance was the most detrimental of the lot.

Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation under Slot’s wing, but he suffered a truly wretched showing against Galatasaray.

Gravenberch's worst game under Slot

Gravenberch has been incredible since Slot replaced Klopp in the Liverpool dugout. The disparity in performance between the Dutchman’s first two terms in the Premier League bears testament to that.

Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League
Stats (* per game)	23/24	24/25
Matches (starts)	26 (12)	37 (37)
Goals	1	0
Assists	0	4
Touches*	28.8	66.5
Pass completion	83%	89%
Key passes*	0.6	0.7
Dribbles*	0.9	1.0
Ball recoveries*	2.8	5.2
Tackles + interceptions*	1.5	3.5
Total duels (won)*	2.8 (47%)	5.0 (57%)
Stats via Sofascore

Already the 23-year-old has scored two goals and assisted one more in the Premier League this term, making gains in advancements and beginning to add an invaluable dimension to his game.

It goes without saying that Gravenberch, the 24/25 Hublot Young Premier League Player of the Year, is crucial to the Slot machine operating at full capacity.

And so it’s no surprise that his poor showing in Turkey directly impeded Liverpool in their build-up play and their control – or lack thereof – in the centre of the park.

Indeed, courtesy of data from Sofascore, Gravenberch lost 85% of his duels on the evening (five out of six), and failed to make even a tackle or interception in spite of the hosts’ relentless press.

He was hooked shortly after the hour mark. While Slot will have had one eye on the strip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, it also begs the question as to whether the coach had seen enough and felt a tactical change was needed too.

Journalist Beth Lindop remarked only a few weeks ago that “he’s on par with Salah and Van Dijk as Liverpool’s most important players.”

This remains true, but perhaps shines a brighter light on his importance. If Gravenberch has an off-day, Liverpool are currently lacking the answers to overcome that ever-larger hurdle.

Not Isak: Liverpool star is their own version of Arsenal icon Thierry Henry

Liverpool have enjoyed incredible success with this talent in their mix.

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Angus Sinclair

Sep 29, 2025

Chelsea will be in the market come January to further their bid for silverware and could now be set to land a heavy discount on a target they have identified at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea set for defensive injury boost following Ornstein update

The Blues have been affected by their fair share of injury news lately, and their lack of depth in central defence was highlighted against Liverpool last weekend – a fixture that Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill missed due to various issues.

Josh Acheampong ended up starting in the pivotal victory over the Reds, though he had to be subbed off himself after picking up a knock during proceedings. David Ornstein doesn’t believe his misfortune is as serious as first feared.

He stated via The Athletic’s Youtube Channel, also offering an update on Benoit Badiashile:

Trevoh Chalobah, returning from suspension, will also be a boost for the Blues, who have an away Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest to contend with before quickfire home fixtures against Ajax and Sunderland.

Signing a defender is a major priority in January for Chelsea, and that has only been heightened by the fact that Colwill has torn his ACL, so there will be no shortage of rumours on that front between now and the window opening for business.

With that in mind, attention will soon turn to potential mid-season solutions, and the Blues may now have identified a centre-back who they feel can make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, should a deal materialise.

Chelsea could land heavy Castello Lukeba discount

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea could land a heavy discount in their attempts to sign RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, who has a release clause of just over £78 million.

Nevertheless, this stipulation is believed to be largely symbolic, and Leipzig are ‘ready to accept’ a potential bid in and around the £52 million mark.

BlueCo ready second approach for "fantastic player" after rejected £61m Chelsea offer

The west Londoners have already had a bid knocked back.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 10, 2025

Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Real Madrid are also keen on the France Under-21 international, who has also registered one assist in seven matches across all competitions this season.

In light of their injury problems and frustration at relying on the likes of Wesley Fofana to be available, a discounted move for Lukeba, who’s been called a “very unique” defender, may be a way to solve fitness issues that have plagued Stamford Bridge this term.

Predominantly left-sided, Lukeba has won 26 duels already this term and carried the ball out successfully six times, per Fotmob, illustrating his suitability to Enzo Maresca’s high-octane style of play.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can push a deal over the line amid serious interest from elsewhere in the French defender.

Things weren’t looking so great for Chelsea just a couple of weeks ago.

Enzo Maresca’s side were coming off their third loss on the bounce, and there was some frustration among the fans.

However, thanks to an incredible performance against Liverpool and a last-minute goal from Estevao, things at Stamford Bridge are starting to look up.

The Brazilian wonderkid is the man of the moment after that goal, and that, combined with some of his other exciting cameos, all point towards him being a first-team star come the end of the season.

Chelsea look like they’ve struck gold with the former Palmires gem, but had they been able to keep hold of another sensational talent who left for nothing, they’d have two Estevao-level prospects in the squad today.

The youth stars that got away for Chelsea

Cobham is a powerhouse of an academy, and one that has served Chelsea well over the years, whether by producing players for the first team or ones to be sold for big profit.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

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However, as with all big clubs, the Blues have also lost several youngsters who went on to be superstars, sometimes due to poor decisions and sometimes through no fault of their own.

Two players that unfortunately fall into the former category are, of course, Declan Rice and Michael Olise.

The Englishman was famously part of the academy side that featured Mason Mount. He was released in 2013 at the age of 14, joined West Ham United, and then moved to Arsenal in 2023, where he could potentially win the league.

Olise, on the other hand, left the club in 2016 in what was reportedly a “mutual decision,” and has since gone on to star for Reading, Crystal Palace, and now Bayern Munich.

A former Cobham gem who left despite the club’s best efforts was Jamal Musiala.

The German international joined the club’s academy system from Southampton in 2011 but moved to Bayern Munich in July 2019, which netted the West Londoners just £180k.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, something similar happened again last September for a player who could end up being as good as Estevao.

The homegrown Estevao Chelsea lost

Unfortunately, the homegrown Estevao Chelsea lost for nothing is none other than Liverpool’s latest wonderkid, Rio Ngumoha.

The 17-year-old joined the Reds’ academy set-up from the West Londoners in September of last year.

Unlike with Rice and Olise, for example, the club made every effort to keep him in the capital, but it just wasn’t enough, and he made his way to the North West for nothing.

However, while the Blues have not yet received anything for the youngster, they will eventually be paid; it’s just that, at the moment, the amount has not been decided upon by a tribunal.

Whatever it ends up being, though, the club would likely prefer the youngster, as he’s already looking like a homegrown Estevao.

Nguhoma’s career numbers

Team

Games

Goals + Assists

Liverpool U18s

10

3

Chelsea U18s

9

2

Liverpool U21s

9

2

Liverpool first team

6

1

Liverpool youth league

6

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in the game against Newcastle United, he came off the bench late on to score a last-minute winner that would have had a similar impact on the fans as the Brazilian’s did last weekend.

Moreover, the “phenomenal talent” as dubbed by his former youth coach, Saul Isaksson-Hurst, is looked upon as one of the game’s future stars.

According to one analyst, he is “one of the best young wingers in Europe”. At the same time, Ben Mattinson has praised him for being a “technical dribbler with an explosive burst of acceleration,” which makes him “dangerous in 1v1s” and sounds a lot like the Blues’ new young superstar.

Ultimately, it is still early in both their careers, so it’s hard to be completely sure how they will fare going forward. However, as things stand, it looks like Ngumoha could be a genuine rival to Estevao in the coming years.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers have cashed in on a plethora of star players in recent years, dealing with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs to bring in large sums of cash.

Here is a look at Wolves’ 20 most expensive departures from Molineux, with a detailed look at the top 10.

Wolves' most expensive signings of all time

Football FanCast takes a detailed look at Wolves’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

1

Matheus Cunha

£62.5m

Man Utd

2025

2

Matheus Nunes

£53m

Man City

2023

3

Pedro Neto

£51.3m

Chelsea

2024

4

Ruben Neves

£47m

Al Hilal

2023

=5

Max Kilman

£40m

West Ham

2024

=5

Diogo Jota

£40m

Liverpool

2020

7

Rayan Ait-Nouri

£31m

Man City

2025

8

Morgan Gibbs-White

£25m

Nottingham Forest

2016

9

Nathan Collins

£23m

Brentford

2023

10

Fabio Silva

£19.5m

Borussia Dortmund

2025

11

Helder Costa

£16m

Leeds

2020

12

Matt Doherty

£14.7m

Tottenham

2020

13

Rafa Mir

£13.7m

Sevilla

2021

14

Leander Dendoncker

£13m

Aston Villa

2022

=15

Benik Afobe

£12m

Stoke

2019

=15

Steven Fletcher

£12m

Sunderland

2012

=17

Ivan Cavaleiro

£10m

Fulham

2020

=17

Benik Afobe

£10m

Bournemouth

2016

19

Rui Patricio

£9.8m

Roma

2021

20

Matt Jarvis

£9m

West Ham

2012

Here is a detailed look at Wolves' 10 record departures… 10 Fabio Silva £19.5m to Borussia Dortmund, 2025

Wolves actually broke their transfer record at the time to sign Fabio Silva from FC Porto as a teenager, with the forward costing the club more than £35m.

Unfortunately for the Old Gold and Silva, things never clicked in the Midlands, with Silva being loaned out to four different clubs before Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund came in with a permanent £19.5m deal in 2025.

9 Nathan Collins £23m to Brentford, 2023

Nathan Collins’ time at Molineux was short-lived, only spending one full season with Wolves before being sold to Brentford in 2023.

The Republic of Ireland international joined the Bees for what was a club-record £23m, which resulted in Wolves making a £3m profit.

8 Morgan Gibbs-White £25m to Nottingham Forest, 2022

Attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White came through the Wolves academy and spent a number of years in the senior side at Molineux before his move to Nottingham Forest in 2022.

The Reds paid an initial £25m for Gibbs-White, although a further £17.5m could be paid in performance and appearance-related add-ons.

7 Rayan Ait-Nouri £31m to Man City, 2025

Rayan Ait-Nouri went from strength to strength during his five-year stay at Molineux, making his move permanent from French side Angers in 2021 following a successful loan spell.

The left-back made more than 150 appearances for Wolves and got the eye of Pep Guardiola and Man City in 2025, who paid just over £30m to sign the Algerian.

6 Diogo Jota £40m to Liverpool, 2020

It’s scary to think that Diogo Jota played for Wolves in the Championship and was a key member of the side that won promotion in 2018.

The Portugal international’s initial loan move to Molineux became permanent while still in the second tier, and after three years in the Midlands, Liverpool came calling in 2020 and paid £40m for the attacker. Tragically, the forward died in a car crash in 2025.

5 Max Kilman £40m to West Ham, 2024

Centre-back Max Kilman reunited with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui in 2024 when he moved to West Ham in a £40m transfer.

Things didn’t work out for Lopetegui, who was sacked by the Hammers, while Kilman, who spent six seasons at Molineux, signed a seven-year contract with West Ham.

4 Ruben Neves £47m to Al-Hilal, 2023

Ruben Neves swapped the Champions League for the Championship when signing for Wolves in 2017, and he would go on to make more than 250 appearances for the Old Gold.

Regularly linked with moves away from Molineux, Neves eventually swapped the Midlands for Saudi Arabia, with Al-Hilal paying £47m for the Portugal international in 2023.

3 Pedro Neto £51.3m to Chelsea, 2024

Another Portuguese star who lit up Molineux was winger Pedro Neto. He had his injury issues, though, making 135 appearances in five full seasons.

Chelsea weren’t put off by Neto’s injury history and spent more than £50m on the attacker in 2024, with the wide forward penning a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

2 Matheus Nunes £53m to Man City, 2023

Matheus Nunes was Wolves’ most expensive departure for two years following his £53m move to Manchester City in 2023.

The midfielder starred in his only campaign at Molineux after joining from Sporting CP, so much so that those at the Etihad improved their initial offer and secured Nunes to a five-year deal.

1 Matheus Cunha £62.5m to Man Utd

Another Matheus tops the list in forward Matheus Cunha, who also headed to Manchester, this time to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were on the search for a new marquee attacker, and following Cunha’s excellent campaigns at Molineux, decided to trigger his £62.5m release clause. The Brazilian left the Midlands after scoring 33 goals in 92 games.

Cristiano Ronaldo fired an ominous warning to his rivals by insisting he is “hungry for more” after scoring his 950th career goal in Al-Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al-Hazm. The Portugal superstar achieved the dizzying landmark as he added to compatriot Joao Felix’s earlier strike to help Jorge Jesus’ men remain perfect in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.

Ronaldo edges closer to 1,000-goal mark in Al-Nassr's latest win

Ronaldo moved ever closer to scoring an incredible 1,000 career goals after finding the back of the net against Al-Hazm at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Buraidah. The 40-year-old netted his sixth strike in as many games as Al-Nassr maintained their 100 per cent start to the 2025-26 league season. Jesus’ side sit top of the Saudi Pro League on 18 points, three ahead of second-placed Al-Taawoun and eight clear of defending champions Al-Ittihad.

AdvertisementPortugal superstar sends ominous message to future opponents

And following his latest heroics in front of goal, Portugal captain Ronaldo took to social media to send a message to his future opponents, saying he has no intentions of slowing down for both club and country.

After the full-time whistle sounded on Saturday, Ronaldo wrote on Instagram: “Happy to help the team win and to hit 950 goals! Always hungry for more!”

Getty Images SportEx-Real Madrid man defying family's retirement wish in bid for history

Already the most prolific goalscorer in men’s football history, Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to reach the incredible milestone of 1,000 career goals. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner revealed earlier this month that he is keen to achieve more history in the sport, despite his family’s pleas for him to retire.

After being awarded the inaugural Prestige Award at the Portugal Football Globe Awards on 7 October, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward said: “I want to keep playing for a few years, not many, I have to be honest. I want to thank all my team-mates, for having learned from all of them – and even from this younger generation as well. For me, it's a privilege to be with you.

”People, especially my family, say, 'It's time for you to stop. You've done everything. Why do you want to score a thousand goals?' But I don't think so. I think I'm still producing good things, I'm helping my club and the national team, and why not keep going? I'm sure that when it's over, I'll leave feeling fulfilled, because I gave it my all. I know I don't have many more years, but I try to enjoy the few I have to the fullest.

“If it were 20 years ago, I would say I wanted to 'eat the world.’ Now I don't see things that way. Age allows you to think differently. I have a philosophy of living day by day. Things go by so quickly, things change, and you can't make long-term plans. Right now, I make short-term plans because it gives me more energy that way. It gives me more of a will to live. That's what I try to do: enjoy each day, training session by training session, game by game. The rest will soon be seen.”

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Ronaldo aiming to get closer to milestone in Al-Nassr's busy schedule

Ronaldo will be aiming to get closer to his 1,000-goal target when he locks horns with his former Real team-mate Karim Benzema in Al-Nassr’s clash with Al-Ittihad in the last 16 of the King Cup of Champions on Tuesday. The match marks the start of a busy schedule for Ronaldo and his team-mates as they take on Al-Fayha just four days later in the league, before entertaining Indian outfit Goa in the AFC Cup on 5 November. Al-Nassr round off their hectic run of games when they travel to Neom on 8 November ahead of the international break.

West Ham United are facing the grim prospect of Premier League relegation and the financial fallout could be catastrophic. An expert has warned that dropping to the Championship would cost the club up to £120 million ($160m) in lost revenue from television rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships, compounding growing unrest among fans amid the club's worst league start in decades.

• AFP
  

  West Ham facing battle to avoid the drop

  The situation at West Ham has reached crisis point, with results and morale spiralling in the wrong direction. The Hammers’ dismal run – four points from eight matches and five consecutive home defeats – has left them rooted near the bottom of the Premier League table. It marks their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1988-89, a season that ended in relegation.

  Their 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Monday was particularly sobering. It was the first time in club history that West Ham have lost their opening four home games of a league season and only the second time they’ve suffered five straight top-flight home defeats – the last occurring almost a century ago in 1931. Their latest loss deepened discontent among supporters, who staged boycotts and protests against the club’s ownership.

  Nuno Espirito Santo, the club’s fourth manager in 16 months, has failed to spark a revival since taking over. The former Nottingham Forest boss admitted after the Brentford game that his team were "very far" from having an identity, conceding that "we have a problem". His side’s lack of fight, creativity, and defensive discipline has left them looking bereft of confidence ahead of crucial clashes with Leeds and Burnley – both of whom are direct relegation rivals.

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• Hammers warned over financial implications of relegation

  Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has painted a bleak picture of what relegation would mean for West Ham’s finances. "Relegation would be a pretty big hit for West Ham,” he told the . "They made £270m in 2024, over half of that was television money. That would drop by something in the region of £120m."

  Maguire also warned that the club’s commercial and matchday revenues would take a substantial blow. "They would struggle to sell 60,000 tickets each week, especially if they don’t have a great season. They’d have substantial reductions in commercial revenue as well," he explained.

  The expert added that the club’s financial structure could further complicate recovery efforts. "My concern would be, while they don’t have any borrowings, the elephant in the room is that West Ham owe £191m in instalments for players they have already signed," Maguire noted. "That has got to come out of future cash. That would put pressure on the owners, who presumably would have to go down the borrowing route."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Unrest behind the scenes at London Stadium

  Relegation would trigger a cascade of financial repercussions beyond the immediate loss of revenue. Most of West Ham’s senior players are understood to have relegation wage clauses, which would automatically reduce salaries but still strain the budget. The club would almost certainly have to sell its most valuable assets – including Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta – to balance the books.

  There are also ownership implications. The late David Gold’s family, who own a 25% stake, have been exploring a partial sale, but relegation would drastically reduce the valuation of those shares. Potential investors would be reluctant to buy into a Championship club facing reduced income and instability. Such uncertainty could delay much-needed structural reform behind the scenes, particularly in recruitment and squad management.

  Fan frustration has already reached boiling point. The supporters’ group Hammers United claim more than 20,000 season-ticket holders boycotted the Brentford game, and further demonstrations are planned, including a sit-in protest after the next home fixture against Newcastle. The relationship between the fanbase and ownership – particularly co-owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady – has deteriorated to new lows amid accusations of mismanagement and poor communication.

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• Fellow relegation battlers up next

  On the pitch, the Hammers’ immediate focus must be survival, but their upcoming fixtures offer little comfort. Trips to Leeds and a home clash against Burnley loom large as season-defining encounters. Failure to secure victories in those games could see the club further adrift, intensifying pressure on Nuno to deliver results amid growing fan hostility.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos é o clube da Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro que mais demitiu técnicos neste ano. Com a queda de três treinadores, todas trocas no Alvinegro Praiano aconteceram durante a disputa da competição nacional.

A chegada do quarto técnico do Peixe no Brasileirão marca o alto número de saídas no comando do time do litoral paulista. Por exemplo, Paulo Turra saiu do Peixe com apenas sete partidas disputadas, e Aguirre, último comandante do Peixe, conseguiu realizar só cinco confrontos.

+ Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

Ao se “desfazer” do terceiro treinador nesta temporada, o Santos deixa o Corinthians, que já mandou dois técnicos embora no ano, e se iguala ao Coritiba, que também deu adeus para três técnicos.

No pouco tempo de cargo, Diego Aguirre não conseguiu mover o time da atual posição na tabela, fez o time marcar 2 gols e sofrer 12. Esses fatores marcaram a pior passagem de um treinador pelo Peixe em aproveitamento, que conseguiu apenas 20% dos pontos disponíveis.

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Campeão pelo clube e com outras passagens no comando do time profissional, Marcelo Fernandes busca impressionar como treinador interino frente ao Bahia, na próxima segunda-feira (18), às 20 horas (de Brasília).

Seamer Codi Yusuf will also be playing his first Test when South Africa face Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday

Firdose Moonda27-Jun-2025At 22 years old, Dewald Brevis has already experienced the highs of being in the spotlight as a burgeoning superstar, the lows of being labelled not good enough, and the feeling that comes with a fresh start.Brevis was relatively fresh off the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, where he was the leading run-scorer and Shukri Conrad was the coach, when he was picked in South Africa’s T20I squad for a series against Australia in 2023. It was seen as the fast-tracking of a prodigious talent, who may even have parachuted into that year’s ODI World Cup squad. But Brevis was dismissed playing aggressive shots for scores of 5 and 0 in the first two matches against Australia and was dropped for the third game. That was the end of the experiment, and Brevis was not considered for the national side again, until now.”That moment being there, and then being left out for a few years, that was quite tough. But I was young as well,” Brevis said from Bulawayo, where he is set to make his Test debut against Zimbabwe on Saturday. “I’m grateful for how I handled that, and the people I had around me. It made me much more hungry for the game and to perform. I knew what I had to do and I put in the work and I kept believing.Related

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“To be able to return and it being in the Test side, that’s very special. For me, it’s the pinnacle format. You can play all the leagues, you can play T20 and 50-over cricket, but there’s something about Test cricket. That’s really the ultimate.”One of the ways Brevis dealt with things was by accepting that he would have to do the hard yards in the domestic system, away from the glare of expectation. Since 2023-24, in two seasons of the first-class competition, Brevis averaged over 44, quietly collected four hundreds, and proved himself patient enough to play the long game – literally and figuratively.At the same time, Brevis has also shown what he is capable of in the shorter formats – emphatically. He smashed 162 off 57 balls in a T20 against Knights in 2022. He was the third-highest run-scorer in the One-day Challenge in 2023-24, and the second-highest in 2024-25. He was the title-winning finisher at the SA20 earlier this year, scored two fifties in six innings at the IPL, and also got a deal with Hampshire for the T20 Blast.

“In order to bat longer, you have to take it ball by ball and not change the way you play a ball. So I’m not going to change anything”Dewald Brevis ahead of his Test debut

Now Brevis hopes to combine what he has learnt on the largely forgotten fields of the first-class game and the spotlight of T20 leagues to make good the potential he showed three years ago, also under Conrad.”I just want to be the same guy that plays all formats. I’m not really trying to make any big changes,” he said. “It’s all about watching the ball and just being true to myself. The key fact is we all know you have to bat longer. In order to bat longer, you have to take it ball by ball and not change the way you play a ball. So I’m not going to change anything.”Brevis will debut alongside Lhuan-dre Pretorius, another prodigy who was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, and Codi Yusuf, who is at the other end of the spectrum. At 27, Yusuf could be considered a late bloomer who started as a batter and then started bowling spin, until a net session changed his mind.”In high school, one of the guys hit me out of the nets,” he said. “I went to fetch the ball, and I said, ‘Guys, I’m gonna run in and just bowl pace.’ I ran in, bowled pace and hit the guy. I was like, ‘I’m not going to bowl another ball of spin from this day onwards’, and that’s how it happened.”This county season, Codi Yusuf took 17 wickets at 20.94 in four matches for Durham•Getty ImagesYusuf’s career meandered through the semi-professional ranks at Mpumalanga before he moved to Lions. Over the last two seasons, he has been their leading seamer in the first-class competition. Yusuf finished ninth on the wicket-takers’ list in 2023-24 and joint-fifth last summer, along with Lutho Sipamla. The benefits of working with bowling coach Allan Donald were clear to see.”He doesn’t do a lot of technical stuff with me, but he definitely helps the way I think about the game and approach it,” Yusuf said. “This past season, I’ve taken on a little bit more of a leading role. I play with my heart, and try to work as hard as I can and be ready for the opportunity when it comes.”In the last few months, several opportunities have come for Yusuf. He enjoyed a stint in first-class cricket for Durham, for whom he took 17 wickets in four matches at 20.94. “Bowling with the Dukes ball in English conditions is quite different to bowling in South Africa,” he said. “I took a lot of learnings out of that.”He also met one of his heroes, Ben Stokes and, by coincidence, will wear the same number as him – 55 – on his national shirt. “I just gave a few numbers, and I’m quite happy it’s 55,” he said. “I look up to Ben Stokes, and I see he’s number 55 as well. So I’m happy about that.”

أضاف لاعب منتخب مصر، عمر كمال، هدف الفراعنة الرابع أمام هايتي، في المباراة المقامة حاليًا بين المنتخبين، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للناشئين، لتصبح النتيجة 4-1.

ويواجه منتخب مصر نظيره هايتي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولي من عمر مباريات بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا المقامة في قطر.

وسجل عمر كمال، هدف مصر الرابع أمام هايتي، في الدقيقة 73 من عمر اللقاء، برأسية من داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد كرة عرضية مرسلة من ركلة ركنية من الجانب الأيسر. هدف مصر الرابع أمام هايتي.. عمر كمال

طالع.. فيديو | حمزة عبد الكريم يسجل هدف منتخب مصر الثالث أمام هايتي

وكان منتخب مصر تقدم بثلاثة أهداف عن طريق حمزة عبد الكريم وبلال عطية وعبد العزيز الزوغبي، بينما أحرز لمنتحب هايتي، نيكولاي أوليفر بيير.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا المقامة في دولة قطر، خلال الفترة من 3 إلى 27 نوفمبر 2025.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر، في المجموعة الخامسة من بطولة كأس العالم للناشئين مع منتخبات إنجلترا وفنزويلا وهايتي.

The Braves will look to keep pace in the NL playoff picture while keeping another team out of it in the Giants.

The Giants had a successful trip to Los Angeles against the vaunted Dodgers, can the team keep it going against the Braves? The team will hope that rookie Hayden Birdsong can improve on his shaky first outing, but I'm banking on some optimism in his shaky start.

Keep reading to find out why I'm backing the Giants as big underdogs in Atlanta.

Giants vs. Braves Odds, Run Line and Total 

Run Line

• Giants: -1.5 (-118)
• Braves: +1.5 (-102)

Moneyline

• Giants: +168
• Braves: -200

Total: 8.5 (Over 100/Under -122)

Giants vs. Braves Probable Pitchers

• Giants: Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
• Braves: Raynaldo Lopez (6-2, 1.70 ERA)

Giants vs. Braves How to Watch

• Date: Monday, July 1
• Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
• Venue: Truist Park
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports South, NBC Sports-Bay Area
• Giants Record: 41-44
• Braves Record: 46-36

Giants vs. Braves Key Players to Watch

San Francisco Giants

Heliot Ramos: Ramos appears to finally have a place to stay in the big leagues after going back and forth between the minor leagues in the prior two seasons. Ramos hit .304 in the month of June across 27 starts with eight home runs and 24 RBI’s, giving some life to the Giants mediocre lineup. 

Atlanta Braves

Marcell Ozuna: Enjoying a career year, the 33-year-old Ozuna is in shouting distance of a triple crown bid. He is hitting .300 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI’s as he has done his best to mitigate the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. in the middle of the Atlanta lineup. While the Braves offense has fallen off as a whole, Ozuna has produced at a high level, which has helped keep Atlanta firmly in the postseason mix. 

Giants vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

San Francisco will start Hayden Birdsong for the second time. While he struggled in his first start, he showcased some serious velocity (85th percentile fastball velocity) and generated swings and misses. 

Against a free-swinging Braves team, Birdsong may be in line to put together a strong start with low expectations. Meanwhile, I’m interested in fading Reynaldo Lopez, who has a 1.70 ERA but an xERA of 3.98. 

Lopez has been outperforming expectations all season long, but I expect regression to settle in as the season goes on. He still has an above average walk rate of more than three batters per nine innings and has been limited to about five innings per start this season. 

With shaky control, Lopez will put a ton of pressure on a below average Braves bullpen, and I’ll side with the Giants group of relievers to do a better job backing up Birdsong and outperform this price.

Lastly, the Giants have been doing better than the Braves at the plate. San Francisco placed 12th in OPS last month while Atlanta was 17th in the same metric. 

I’ll take the big underdog in San Francisco.