Six teams are still in contention for the IPL 2025 playoffs

S Rajesh17-May-20252:48

Cricinformed: The contrast in Capitals’ and Titans’ top-order

Royal Challengers Bangalore
After the abandoned game in Bengaluru, RCB need one more point to seal their place in the playoffs. With 17, they aren’t quite there yet as five teams can still finish on 17 or more points. That can happen if Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) but lose their last two games, to Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI). If MI beat DC, then RCB, MI, GT, DC and PBKS can all finish on 17 or more points with eight wins, in which case run rates will come into play.Punjab Kings
PBKS need one more win to be certain of qualification. At the moment, 17 points won’t guarantee a place in the top four as five teams can get to 17 or more, as explained above. However, PBKS can qualify with 17 as well but could need other results – especially in matches involving DC and MI – to go their way and net run-rate may come into play.Related

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DC face consistent GT with playoffs hopes on the line

PBKS resume push for playoffs; Samson set to return for knocked-out RR

Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans (GT) are just one win away from making the playoffs – 18 points will assure a team of a top-four finish. However, if they lose their three remaining games they could get knocked out as four teams can still finish on 17 or more points. Titans have a favourable itinerary too, with their last two games scheduled at home in Ahmedabad, where they have a formidable 4-1 record so far. Their net run rate is currently second only to Mumbai Indians (MI), which could help them with qualification or a top-two finish. If they beat DC on Sunday, then that result will confirm playoff spots for RCB, GT and PBKS, with MI, DC and LSG competing for the final spot.Gujarat Titans will play their last two games at home•BCCIMumbai Indians
Despite the loss to GT, MI are still in control of their destiny, as wins in their last two matches will ensure a place in the playoffs. For them to go through on 16 points, though, they’ll need help from other results, while defeats in their two remaining games will eliminate them. MI also have an excellent net run rate of 1.156, which could yet be crucial if qualification comes down to that.Delhi Capitals
LSG are struggling for momentum, having lost three in a row, and four of their last five. The best they can do now is win their three remaining matches, finish on 16 points, and hope that one or more of the in-form teams suffer a sudden reversal of fortunes. If they lose another match, though, they will be eliminated. Their terrible NRR of -0.469 doesn’t help their cause either.

Home side bowled out in 24.3 overs, then blitzed in chase that only last 20.5

Firdose Moonda02-Sep-2025South Africa 137 for 3 (Markram 86) beat England 131 (Smith 54, Maharaj 4-22, Mulder 3-33) by seven wicketsEngland’s batters lasted more than 100 balls, but not much more. They were dismissed in 147 balls for their fourth-lowest total against South Africa in a display of batting that could best be described as fatigued, perhaps from a month of playing in the Hundred.By the time South Africa’s batters had faced 100 balls, the job was as good as done. Aiden Markram scored the fastest fifty by a South African opener, off 23 balls, and dominated an opening stand of 121 with Ryan Rickelton to take South Africa home and open the series with an emphatic win. They batted for 125 balls.The whole match lasted just 272 balls, perhaps as a nod to the difference in preparation for these two sides for this series to where there are on the road to 2027. While South Africa played a series Australia, England only had an optional training session as they rolled in straight from the Hundred. That may also mean England are just beginning their planning for the next World Cup, while South Africa see themselves as on the path as they seek to adopt a more fearless style of play. England often use that kind of language but their loose drives and soft chips were more reckless than brave against a well-drilled South African attack.Keshav Maharaj, recently elevated to No. 1 on the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings, was the most successful bowler and picked up the third four-for of his career. Wiaan Mulder scooped 3 for 33 to mark only the second time he has taken three wickets in an ODI. South Africa also took all their catching chances, seven in total, after a ragged showing in Australia, and made good on Temba Bavuma’s decision to bowl first.England started off in signature style as Jamie Smith closed out the first over with back-to-back drives off full Nandre Burger deliveries and Ben Duckett pushed one past Lungi Ngidi that went for four. But Burger also found swing and in his second over, Duckett was tempted to play at a good-length ball without moving his feet and nicked off to continue a tough run. Duckett only had one score over 20 in eight innings in the Hundred but concerns about his form seemed immaterial when Joe Root drove Burger for four with a high elbow off the second ball he faced and held the pose for good measure.Runs kept coming in boundaries as Root took two off Ngidi and Smith took advantage of width from Burger. However, Bavuma stuck with his frontline seamers and it paid off. Root prodded at an Ngidi ball and edged behind, Ryan Rickelton diving to his right to hold the ball in his glove but it popped out as he hit the ground. He was able to get both gloves to the rebound and claimed the catch, which was confirmed on replay.Harry Brook responded by tonking Ngidi’s first ball for four and Smith just kept swinging. Corbin Bosch was brought on in the ninth over but was guided past third and then through midwicket as Smith entered the 30s. England finished the Powerplay on 57 for 2, with 44 of those runs in boundaries.The Smith-Brook partnership grew to 38 and the pair were on top of South Africa’s seamers when a moment of misjudgement separated them. Brook hit Mulder into the covers and called for two but the second run wasn’t on, Tristan Stubbs swooped in and threw to Rickelton, who broke the stumps and England were 82 for 3. Still, with Smith batting well, they would not have had many concerns. Smith brought up his second ODI fifty, and second successive one, when he sent Maharaj through the covers for four off the 46th ball he faced.At the end of that over, Jos Buttler hit the ball to the boundary, where Tony de Zorzi dived to stop four and hurt his hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment, did not field again and was not required to bat.An incident like that could easily have shifted momentum England’s way but the opposite happened. In the next over, Smith flicked Mulder to fine leg, Bosch made good ground to his left and took an excellent one-handed catch and the collapse had begun. England lost seven wickets for 29 runs in 43 balls and almost all of them were avoidable.Jacob Bethell was lured into a drive by a floated up Maharaj delivery, got a thin edge and the ball was parried off Rickelton’s gloves to Markram at slip. He took the catch while almost blindsided by his own keeper. Will Jacks popped a simple return chance back to Maharaj; Buttler was leaden-footed when he drove and inside-edged Mulder to Rickelton and Jofra Archer nicked the next ball low to first slip, where Markram picked up another. Mulder was on a hat-trick but Maharaj cleaned up. He had Adil Rashid trapped in front of leg stump and removed debutant Sonny Baker’s middle stump to dismiss England inside 25 overs.Baker would be the first to attempt to defend their score. Given the opening over on debut, his second ball slid down leg and Markram helped it on its way for four. Baker then overcompensated and offered width as Markram cashed in on the off side. The first over went for 14 runs.Rickelton, who has struggled for rhythm from the Australia tour, could not find any early on in England either. He could not get Archer’s first four balls away and then edged the fifth one in the direction of first slip. Root claimed the catch as he seemed to think he got his fingers under the ball and while some replays agreed, others seemed to show the ball bouncing just in front. Rickelton was given not out. Archer finished the over by hitting him on the pads but England didn’t review. If they had, Hawk-Eye showed the ball would have been hitting leg stump and Rickelton would have been out for a duck.Instead, he watched as Markram continued to show Baker no mercy and took 20 off his second over, including two sixes. Rickelton’s opportunity finally came against Baker in his third over and he just about found his touch. He drove Baker for four, edged him short of slip and then flicked off the pads. Despite his first three overs costing 44 runs, Baker got a fourth over and still could not get it right. He overpitched, Markram drove for four, then down the ground and then over the covers to bring up his half-century off 23 balls, with 44 runs scored in boundaries.Baker’s four overs cost 56 runs and he was taken out of the attack before bring brought back in the 12th over and delivering a boundary-free six balls. His relief was short-lived. Baker’s next two overs cost 18 runs and his final analysis of 7-0-76-0 was the most expensive by an England player on debut.Markram had three figures in his sights but with 11 runs left to win was strongly caught by Smith at cover, who intercepted a ball that was destined for the boundary. Bavuma tried to finish it quickly but was caught at mid-off and Tristan Stubbs’ nightmare run continued as he was bowled for a duck to leave Rashid on a hat-trick. Across all formats, Stubbs has only scored one half-century in 35 innings this year. Dewald Brevis finished it off with a six as England lost for the third successive time to South Africa.

The left-arm wristspinner was back with a bang as UAE lost 8 for 10

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-20252:03

What are India’s expectations from Gill?

India began their Asia Cup title defence by making short work of UAE’s batting, bowling the hosts out for 57 in just 13.1 overs. UAE came into this match on the back of encouraging displays against Pakistan and Afghanistan in the tri-series they recently hosted, but all that promise came to nothing against the relentless quality of India’s bowling.Related

Gill and Abhishek begin new chapter in old bromance

UAE began well enough, all things considered, scoring 41 for 2 in their powerplay with openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem hitting six fours and a six between them. They fell apart thereafter, losing their last eight wickets for the addition of just ten runs.Jasprit Bumrah – India’s only specialist quick – and Varun Chakravarthy took the first two wickets, but the bulk of the damage thereafter came courtesy two bowlers who had looked less than certain to play in the lead-up to this match. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 4 for 7, including three wickets in his second over, and Shivam Dube ran through the lower order to bag 3 for 4, his best T20I figures.To their credit, UAE did not let the loss of two powerplay wickets curb their intent, but on this day they kept losing wickets to low-percentage shots. Rahul Chopra took on the large outfield at the Dubai International Stadium and the protected long-on boundary and holed out off Kuldeep. Waseem followed him to the dressing room three balls later, missing a sweep against a bowler whose stock ball, straightening into the right-hander from left-arm over, is stump-to-stump by design. Kuldeep finished the over with a trademark wrong’un to bowl the left-handed Harshit Kaushik through the gate, and UAE were already five down.India used six bowlers, and five of them ended up on the wickets column, with Bumrah – who bowled three overs in the powerplay, a rarity for him – Varun and Axar Patel taking one each. Dube, playing ahead of a second frontline quick to give India batting depth until No. 8, couldn’t help but take wickets with his medium-pace, even when India gave them back. No. 10 Junaid Siddique was given out stumped when Sanju Samson caught him wandering out of his crease, a la Jonny Bairstow, but India withdrew their appeal. Next ball, Junaid swung at a slower ball and skewed it to India captain Suryakumar Yadav, the man who had made that call.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the Yankees’ game against the Astros early Thursday after he came up gingerly when he tagged out Jose Altuve as he attempted to steal second base.

Chisholm's glove and Altuve's helmet appeared to make contact with the Yankees' second baseman's knee on the play. After the inning-ending throw out, Chisholm took a moment to gather himself before slightly limping off the field. He grabbed toward his left knee as he eventually jogged to the dugout. You can watch the full sequence below:

Chisholm stayed in the game and took his at-bat in the next inning, but he struck out on three pitches and left the game shortly thereafter.

The Yankees then announced that he was pulled from the game due to knee contusions in both knees per SNY.

According to Gary Phillips of the , the multiple knee contusions happened on different plays. It appears Chisholm aggravated his left knee on the play with Altuve, however it's currently unclear the other play where he suffered the contusion to his right knee.

On the season, Chisholm is slashing .243/.341/.501 with 28 home runs and 70 RBIs for the Yankees.

شارك النجم المصري محمد صلاح في تعادل ليفربول أمام سندرلاند بهدف لمثله، على ملعب أنفيلد في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.

وعلى الرغم من أن محمد صلاح قد بدأ المباراة على مقاعد البدلاء، لكن آرني سلوت استعان به منذ بداية الشوط الثاني بعد انتهاء الشوط الأول بالتعادل السلبي.

وجاء هدف سندرلاند الأول عن طريق المغربي الشاب شمس الدين طالبي في الدقيقة 67 بتسديدة رائعة من خارج منطقة الجزاء.

وتعادل ليفربول بعد مجهود فردي وتسديدة رائعة من فلوريان فيرتز، لتصطدم الكرة بلاعب سندرلاند نوردي موكيلي في الدقيقة 81 وتسكن شباك الفريق الضيف.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | ماذا قدم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وسندرلاند بـ الدوري الإنجليزي؟

وعبر منصة “إكس” تفاعل العديد من جماهير ليفربول مع أداء النجم المصري محمد صلاح والذي شارك منذ بداية الشوط الثاني:

“سلوت احتاج صلاح لإنقاذ وظيفته”

Now he needs Salah to save his job lol. — A.B.L (@aalk89372) December 3, 2025

“اطردوا سلوت الآن”

Sack Slot now please — Ebube_brown🍅 (@Ebube_brown) December 3, 2025

“عندما لا يبدو 7 أو 8 لاعبين في حالتهم، فالمشكلة تكون في النظام”

Maybe he should have played better lately? No one is bigger than the team. — Robin W (@RobinS66BS) December 3, 2025

“المدرب هو المشكلة”

This is a coach problem — hidden name (@brokinsolz) December 3, 2025

“لا شك أنه لا يزال أفضل لاعب في الفريق بفارق كبير جداً”

Undoubtedly still the best player in the squad by a VERY large margin — Stillde Bred (@YoMomsMeatyLips) December 3, 2025

“صلاح ليس المشكلة، لا أحد يتراجع من مستوى عالمي لمستوى متوسط في غضون أشهر، هذه مشكلة جماعية وليست فردية”.

Btw Salah isn’t the problem. No one drops from world-class to average in a matter of months. This is a team problem, not an individual one. — Nuna (@NaiiLFC) December 3, 2025

“يجب أن يذهب إلى السعودية”

He should go to Saudi pic.twitter.com/QLtHI66TAl — Locket Mokete (@LockeyMango) December 3, 2025

“عليكم جميعاً أن تضغوا مصلحة الفريق فوق كل اعتبار، صلاح يأتي ويرحل، أنا ممتن لمحمد صلاح، الرجل الذي منح ليفربول الحياة، لم يكن هناك فرق يذكر حتى عندما دخل الشوط الثاني”

You all should put the team first , salah will come and go .I’m grateful to MO the man gave Liverpool life

Even when he entered second half , little or no difference — plato_ovu (@plato_ovu) December 3, 2025

“ربما كان عليه أن يلعب بشكل أفضل مؤخراً؟ لا أحد أكبر من الفريق”

Maybe he should have played better lately? No one is bigger than the team. — Robin W (@RobinS66BS) December 3, 2025

” سيذهب إلى كأس الأمم الإفريقية ونحن بحاجة لفريق فعال بدونه”

Brother he’s going to afcon and we need a functioning team without him — PsVEagle (@PsVEagle) December 3, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

E o Glorioso venceu a primeira na Libertadores! E com grande estilo, tá? No segundo gol, Luiz Henrique TIROU o goleiro da jogada e bateu mansinho pra ampliar o placar. Contratação mais cara da história do clube, o jogador levou os torcedores do Glorioso à loucura nas redes sociais. Confira!

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

O jogo

O Botafogo venceu Universitário, do Peru, por 3 a 1, nesta quarta-feira (24), pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. Superior durante toda a partida, o Glorioso marcou com Eduardo (2) e Luiz Henrique. O gol dos peruanos foi marcado por Olivares, já no apagar das luzes. Antes distante, o sonho da classificação para as oitavas está vivo!

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO X UNIVERSITÁRIO
3ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS DA LIBERTADORES
🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 24 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ);
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN e Star +;
🟨 Árbitro: Jesús Valenzuela (VEN);
🚩 Assistentes: Jorge Urrego (VEN) e Alberto Ponte (VEN);
🖥️ VAR: Juan Soto (VEN).

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
Gatito Fernández; Mateo Ponte (Damián Suárez), Lucas Halter, Bastos, Hugo; Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas, Savarino, Jeffinho; Júnior Santos, Tiquinho Soares.

UNIVERSITÁRIO-PER (Técnico: Fabián Bustos)
Britos; Corzo, Riveros, Di Benedetto; Rodrigo Ureña, Martín Pérez, Jario Concha; Andy Polo, Portocarrero; Alex Valera e Edison Flores.

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Tudo sobre

BotafogoLibertadores

Luka Modric admits he took "a step down" by joining AC Milan after his spell at Real Madrid came to an end, but the midfielder insists he made the "right" decision by accepting the Serie A side's offer. Still going strong at 40 years old, the midfielder is aware his longevity has been "incredible" as he explained why he abandoned his plan to retire in Madrid.

Modric still a key component at 40

Modric bailed on his initial plan to end his playing career at Madrid by joining Milan in the summer. Having since turned 40, the midfielder has thoroughly impressed in Serie A, earning immense praise from his team-mates and many former heroes of the Italian game. The six-time Champions League winner has one goal and two assists to his name for the Rossoneri so far, immediately taking on an integral role as Massimiliano Allegri's side target the Serie A title. His performances have already sparked rumours of another transfer, but the ex-Tottenham star has opened up on his attraction to the San Siro club and his joy at wearing the red and black shirt.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportVeteran midfielder explains AC Milan move

As per the Croatian, it was Milan's reputation that prompted him to sign a one-year deal at the club. He explained to : "After Real, I've always said it, wherever you go it's a step down. There is no doubt about this and all players can confirm it. But I think I arrived at a club that is very close to Real Madrid in terms of reputation and history: for me it is the most ideal situation that could have happened to me. Especially because I love Milan and as a child I grew up with Italian football. Milan was the club I adored the most. When Milan's option presented itself, it was the right one for me."

Speaking on his experience in the city and at the club, he claimed, "The city is wonderful. People welcomed me phenomenally, both inside and outside the club. The teammates, the coach, the fans, everything is really high-level. You can see that Milan is a great historic club, one of the biggest in the world. You can feel it at every step, so I'm really happy and I'm enjoying all of this."

Modric admits leaving Madrid was difficult

Modric won 28 trophies during his 13-year tenure at the Spanish capital, and that includes six Champions League titles and four La Liga accolades. However, departing from the club was tough for him, as he mentioned: "Honestly, it wasn't easy, because I spent 13 years, almost half of my life, practically in a club, in a city. It was one of the best times of my life. I arrived in Madrid perhaps relatively late, at 27, but at the right time. I was ready for that step. The four years in England helped me a lot. And everything I experienced and achieved in Madrid afterwards seems unreal to me.

"Apart from the trophies and victories, staying 13 years in such a club… I arrived at 27 and I stayed almost until 40 and it is something incredible! Because you know what kind of club Madrid is, you know that they don't tolerate mediocrity, and to stay at that level, in a club like that, for so many years, with all the successes I've experienced there, it's something incredible. In my previous way of thinking, I believed that I would be satisfied if I ended my career at 35. But my professional curriculum has long since exceeded that limit, and I do not hide my gratitude: I am still, thank God, at that level and it is something incredible!"

He added: "I've always said it and it wasn't platitudes, flattering the fans or the club – my big wish was to retire in Madrid. But simply, everything has a beginning and an end."

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Getty Images SportWhen will Modric play again?

Sitting second on the Serie A table, Modric's Milan will take on Lazio on Saturday at San Siro with the aim of leapfrogging Roma into first place, temporarily at least. Modric, who enjoyed a full 90 minutes in the Rossoneri's 1-0 win over arch-rivals Inter, is expected to start once again this weekend. 

Closing in on his arrival, Kim Hellberg has already reportedly made the decision to overhaul Middlesbrough’s backroom staff and hand interim manager Adi Viveash a new role at the club.

The Swedish manager has already caused plenty of controversy around the Championship after he rejected Swansea City in favour of Boro in a late twist, and is now set to arrive in Teesside with the task of picking up where Rob Edwards left off.

Having reportedly paid £250k to secure his services, Boro will be hoping to see Hellberg get off to the perfect start, but to say he doesn’t have an easy start would be an understatement.

With Viveash set to remain in charge against Oxford United this Saturday, Hellberg’s first game in charge is likely to come against Championship leaders Coventry City. If nothing changes between now and that game, then Middlesbrough will be able to go within a point of the league leaders with victory on their manager’s debut.

It will be interesting to see how the 37-year-old sets his side up for that game. His preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, which Boro played so often under Edwards and will now look to use to their advantage under a new manager. This should at least help ease any period of adjustment for all involved.

The Swede isn’t wasting any time before implementing other changes, however. Reports are now claiming that he’s already made an immediate staff overhaul involving interim boss Viveash.

Hellberg makes instant Viveash decision at Middlesbrough

According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Hellberg has already appointed David Selini as his assistant manager and made the decision to keep Viveash on as a technical coach as part of a staff overhaul. The young coach has instantly got to work to make changes in an attempt to hit the ground running in Riverside.

It’s a new role that Viveash has more than earned. The Boro coach stepped up for the club when Edwards departed, leading them to a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City and there’s no doubt his presence will help to welcome Hellberg to the job.

Meanwhile, Selini is also an interesting appointment. The Hammarby assistant has only worked with Hellberg for over a year, but is now set to join him in the Championship at just 31 years old.

In Hellberg and his assistant, Selini, Boro have placed their trust in a young management team and must now hope that their gamble ends in the pay out of promotion.

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against PSG in the Champions League last night was the second time in a matter of months in which Thomas Frank’s men have been bettered by the French side.

The UEFA Super Cup final back in August was the Dane’s first competitive match in charge of the Lilywhites, but he was unable to get one over Luis Enrique’s side.

Such a result once again appeared at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, with the host’s 5-3 win inflicting the club’s first loss of the current European campaign.

Both fixtures could have fallen in Spurs’ favour, especially after taking the lead in both contests, but ultimately the defensive frailties have cost Frank’s men in each of the meetings.

The inability to keep one player out in Paris last night ultimately contributed to their downfall, with one opposition star constantly tormenting Frank’s men in the defeat.

Vitinha’s stats against Spurs in the Champions League

PSG’s success in the Champions League last season was no doubt down to the quality side Enrique has built over recent years, with Vitinha central to the Parisians’ European triumph.

The Portuguese international has continued his phenomenal form in the current campaign, as seen by his performance against Spurs on Wednesday night.

He featured for the entirety of the contest at the Parc des Princes, scoring a hat-trick during the triumph – achieving such a feat for the first time in his professional career.

The 25-year-old’s first strike was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch, with the midfielder firing Quentin Ndjantou’s perfectly weighted pass into the top corner via the crossbar.

His underlying stats from the contest also reflect his impressive display, with Vitinha completing 87 passes – the most of any player – whilst also completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

Such a performance led to Spurs boss Frank heaping huge praise on the midfielder, labelling him as the “best midfielder in the world” and that he’ll be the “next Ballon d’Or winner”.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s answer to Vitinha

After the North London Derby defeat against Arsenal, it was imperative that manager Frank switched up his midfield department for the Champions League clash.

The Dane started with a two-man pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur at the Emirates, with such a partnership far too negative – which no doubt contributed to the 4-1 hammering.

For the defeat against PSG, the 52-year-old opted for a younger base of the side, with Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall just two of the youngsters who featured in the middle of the park.

The duo were unable to produce a winning display, but they did offer a reason to be positive despite falling to a third consecutive defeat under Frank’s guidance.

However, the shining light in the middle of the park was certainly Archie Gray, with the 19-year-old taking full advantage of the rare start handed his direction.

The Englishman joined in a £40m deal from Leeds United last summer but has often had to bide his time for a regular run of first-team appearances since Frank’s arrival.

Yesterday was just his fourth start of the 2025/26 campaign, but he did manage to thrive, even against the defending European champions last night.

Gray featured for 76 minutes before being withdrawn, even linking up excellently with Bergavll in the first half as the Lilywhites took a one-goal lead.

He also won 100% of the tackles he attempted, whilst making two clearances and two recoveries – in what was an exceptional defensive performance at the Parc des Princes.

Minutes played

76

Touches

20

Passes completed

7

Passes into final third

2

Tackles won

100%

Clearances made

2

Recoveries made

2

Aerials won

100%

Other stats, such as 100% aerials won and two passes into the final third, also showcase his all-round quality – backing up Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s a “future £100m” star.

However, if he is to reach such levels and become the club’s very own Vitinha, it’s crucial that Frank hands him the needed game time to help him continue his development.

The player will no doubt be immensely proud of such a showing in Paris, with his efforts no doubt giving the manager a selection headache against Fulham this weekend.

As bad as Romero: Frank must instantly drop 5/10 Spurs flop after PSG

Thomas Frank will have some huge calls to make on some players after Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

McKenna’s numbers as Ipswich manager

Stat

McKenna

Games managed

188

Wins

88

Draws

50

Losses

50

Goals scored

340

Goals conceded

239

Points accumulated

314

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025