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Former South Africa captain had served as Director of Cricket until March this year

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2022Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been appointed the lead of the country’s new franchise-based T20 league, which is scheduled to begin in January 2023. Smith has been put in charge of all aspects – “both cricketing and non-cricketing” – of the tournament, which is being viewed as crucial to the long-term sustainability of the game in South Africa.One of Smith’s first responsibilities, according to a Cricket South Africa (CSA) statement, is to confirm the participating franchises in the tournament. ESPNcricinfo reported on Tuesday that all six of the teams in CSA’s T20 league had been bought by owners of IPL franchises.”I’m extremely honoured to be entrusted with leading this exciting new venture,” Smith said. “I’m excited by the opportunity to deliver the new league which I believe will be an extremely competitive product, one that can bring the much-needed investment into the game and provide new opportunities for players around the world and more importantly to our SA home grown talent.Related

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“The response from stakeholders has been very positive thus far and we’ve made great progress in the initial stages. We’re determined to deliver a valuable, sustainable and appealing tournament for South African cricket.”This is Smith’s second administrative association with CSA after he worked as their Director of Cricket (DOC) from December 2019 to March 2022. Smith chose not to reapply for the role, and his tenure ended with an arbitration process during which he was found not guilty of engaging in racially prejudicial conduct over his hiring of former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher as the men’s national head coach over Enoch Nkwe; the non-selection of wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile during his playing days; and an alleged refusal to work with former CSA CEO Thabang Moroe, who is black.Smith was in the job during the Covid-19 pandemic and masterminded South Africa’s return to action with a three-team exhibition match in July 2020, when the controversy over how they were going to show support for anti-racism began. At first South Africa’s players indicated they were not going to take the knee, but then everyone involved in the match did. That set in motion the Social Justice and Nation Building commission, which culminated with disciplinary charges being brought against Boucher, and then dropped.Smith’s time as DOC coincided with a tense and racially-charged period for South African cricket, but also produced some of their best on-field results. The men currently top the World Test Championship points table while the women’s team has qualified for the semi-finals of successive ICC events.Smith’s relationship with the BCCI also ensured that CSA hosted a profitable series against India in the previous home summer, and the board hopes he will be able to produce a similarly successful T20 league.”I worked closely with Graeme during his role as DOC and believe he is the perfect candidate to lead this new chapter of South African cricket,” CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki said. “His expert understanding of the local and international cricketing environment will ensure the League delivers a thrilling product that will change the face of South African cricket for the better.”

England’s batters may have changed their approach, but skilled quicks maintain their edge

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Jul-2022How did India’s bowlers manage to avoid the blistering assault suffered by New Zealand during England’s 3-0 whitewash earlier this month? Thanks to their battery of 140kph/87mph-plus seamers, as well as a return to the same bowling plans that had delivered a 2-1 series lead in the first four Tests of the Pataudi Trophy last summer. That was the assessment of Mohammed Siraj, India’s leading wicket-taker in the match so far, whose four victims in England’s first innings included the prized scalp of Joe Root on Saturday.Using his ability to kick the ball off a good length at high speeds, Siraj forced an edge off Root on the second day to remove him for 31, then returned on Sunday afternoon to pick off England’s final three wickets in the space of his final four overs. Earlier, England’s captain Ben Stokes had paid the price for what Kumar Sangakkara on air described as “reckless batting” when he holed out to mid-off for 25, as India closed out an imposing lead of 132.They were made to work for their dominant position, however, with Jonny Bairstow once again blazing his way to a century, his third in successive Tests this summer. Siraj, however, said that the Indian bowlers had remained unruffled during his onslaught.”As bowlers, we had to just keep patience,” Siraj said at the close of play. “Bairstow is in form and he has been continuously playing attacking batting since the New Zealand series. So we were aware his confidence was high. Our simple plan was to stick to our basics and, no matter what he did for us, it was a matter of one ball – be it an inswinger or seaming in off the pitch.”In his spell immediately after lunch, Jasprit Bumrah – India’s stand-in captain – pegged Bairstow back with a mix of conventional Test bowling and some white-ball variations. He kept Bairstow rooted in his crease with good use of the yorker, and challenged him with slower balls alongside quicker deliveries pitched on a good length outside off stump. With the pressure cranked up, Bairstow duly nicked the first ball he faced when Shami entered the attack in Bumrah’s place, and departed for 106.”When we saw the New Zealand series, we realised that our every bowler is 140-plus and they [New Zealand bowlers] didn’t have that,” Siraj said. “We had that ability and also we also had played against England last year. So that was our plus point, as [we] were aware of their weak points and that is why we got the success.Related

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“In the first innings, the pitch was helpful to begin with, but after that it became flatter subsequently. So our only plan was to hit consistently in one area. Also, the more effort balls we could deliver, then it would be effective for the bowlers. If we took it easy, then we would end up leaking runs.”In successive Tests against New Zealand, the attacking approach of England’s batters helped them chase down three imposing 270-plus targets with ease. There’s little doubt that Stokes’ men will attempt the same when their latest fourth innings gets underway, probably sometime on Monday afternoon. Siraj, however, was undaunted, adding that he believes this pitch could favour India’s bowlers.”The ball is now keeping low,” he said, “so in the second innings it will definitely help us.”

Looking to repeat their transfer genius of the past, Brighton & Hove Albion have now reportedly opened talks to sign another South American youngster ahead of European giants Real Madrid.

Brighton transfer news

As arguably one of, if not the best, ran club in the Premier League, Brighton relish the transfer window and they could yet prove exactly why once again this month. For any side looking to become an established top flight side, those at The Amex have created the blueprint to follow by creating stars, selling them for huge profit and then welcoming replacements capable of enjoying a similar rise.

As a result, they once again find themselves on course for a top half finish in what would be a fantastic first season under Fabian Hurzeler – the youngest manager in Premier League history at just 31 years old.

Now, having previously welcomed Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Julio Enciso, the Seagulls look set to make a return to the South American market to land another young star.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Brighton have opened talks to sign Vitor Reis from Palmeiras in a deal that could cost as much as £25m. Despite interest from Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea, the Sussex side look set to act early enough to secure another impressive coup.

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Just 18 years old, Reis could yet prove to be an Enciso repeat, given that the midfielder also arrived at a young age and from his home country of Paraguay in the summer of 2022.

A central defender rather than a midfielder on this occasion, Brighton may have found their eventual replacement for ageing captain Lewis Dunk for years to come.

Brighton can land "heir to Thiago Silva" in Reis

At just 18 years old, Reis has found himself at the centre of some impressive praise, including from Ben Mattinson. The analyst even went as far as claiming that the defender is “Brazil’s heir to Thiago Silva” before describing his aerial ability as “strong” and dubbing the teenager a player with “ice-cold composure” back in October.

Real Madrid’s interest should paint quite the picture of just how highly Reis is rated across European football and, therefore, the significance of Brighton’s potential January swoop.

For the young central defender himself, meanwhile, Brighton represents an intelligent move. It’s a move that Mac Allister made – a player on course to become a Premier League champion at Liverpool these days.

It’s also a move that Caicedo completed before becoming one of the most expensive midfielders in football history by joining Chelsea in 2023. Now, it’s a path that Reis could follow to become the latest young South American to sign on the dotted line at The Amex.

A “powerful” Sunderland player will not only miss the weekend clash with Swansea City but could also be out for the next 13 matches, as confirmed by manager Regis Le Bris.

Latest Sunderland news

The Black Cats’ form has stalled a little in recent weeks, with only one win in their last six Championship matches, following such a blistering start to the season.

Le Bris’ fourth-place Sunderland side are back in league action on Saturday afternoon, making the trip to a Swansea team who are currently sitting ninth in the table. It promises to be another test of their promotion credentials, with further dropped points casting doubt over their hopes of reaching the Premier League automatically this season.

Kristjaan Speakman has spoken positively about the potential for January reinforcements, however, which could be needed to give the Black Cats the added quality that they crave: “We’ve just got to be really diligent in the moment, able to react and action things really quickly within the month of January. I’m really optimistic about what we can achieve.”

Injuries can have the potential to derail any team’s season, though, with Sunderland not without fitness issues this term, and now a fresh blow has emerged.

Injury blow for "powerful" Sunderland ace

Speaking on Thursday, Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland winger Tom Watson is expected to be out injured for around two months, meaning he could miss as many as 13 games leading up to the middle of February.

This is a huge blow for Watson and Sunderland, with the 18-year-old impressing so much for such a young player, scoring twice in six Championship starts so far this season.

Swansea City (A)

December 14th

Norwich City (H)

December 21st

Blackburn Rovers (A)

Boxing Day

Stoke City (A)

December 29th

Sheffield United (H)

New Year’s Day

Portsmouth (H)

January 5th

Stoke City (H) – FA Cup

January 11th

Burnley (A)

January 17th

Derby County (A

January 21st

Plymouth Argyle (H)

January 25th

Middlesbrough (A)

February 3rd

Watford (H)

February 8th

Luton Town (H)

February 12th

With Jack Clarke departing to Ipswich Town during the summer transfer window, he has really stepped up, with Le Bris heading praise on him, saying: “When you have a winger with the ability to run inside and outside and cross, it’s a gift for a coach and a team. He works well.

“The system is well designed for him. We can use him very quickly and play to his main strengths. He’s powerful, he can dribble, he can move inside and outside and he scored. He’s very strong, a very good winger in this league.”

While Watson isn’t necessarily one of the first names on Le Bris’ team sheet, he is still going to be a massive loss in the coming months, having done so well for a player so young.

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It means Sunderland immediately lose an attacking threat out wide, with the teenager shining in a left-sided role, and it could be an an extra excuse for the club to look for a new face in the January window.

Chelsea delivered yet another top-class performance, smashing Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and going level on points with Arsenal after 13 games played in the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca’s men held 64% possession against the Villans, creating two big chances, taking 17 shots in the game, and generating 1.61 xG. The goals were scored by Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer, as the Blues continued their rich vein of form.

There were some key performances all over the pitch for Chelsea, one of which was the performance of 23-year-old midfielder, Fernandez, who scored a goal in back-to-back weeks, continuing his fine streak of form since returning to the side.

Enzo Fernández's performance in numbers

Fernandez found himself out of the Premier League starting XI under Maresca for a few weeks, as he chose to prioritise physicality in central areas, starting Roméo Lavia alongside Moises Caicedo.

However, since his return to the starting XI, Fernandez has made himself undroppable, scoring goals in successive Premier League games, and providing five assists in his previous four outings.

Alongside his goal against Aston Villa, Fernandez also managed two key passes, two out of two successful dribbles, and won six of his 11 ground duels, making three tackles.

The excellence of Fernandez has made him one of the first names on the team sheet in recent weeks, but he isn’t the only one, as Marc Cucurella is making himself undroppable with his performances, and it was another excellent one against Villa.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Marc Cucurella's performance in numbers

The 26-year-old Spaniard has made 15 appearances so far this season in all competitions, contributing to three clean sheets in his 1,100 minutes played.

Cucurella brings leadership, tenacity and hunger to the Chelsea team, making it a nightmare for attacking players to face him, getting stuck in, winning his duels, and getting under the opposition’s skin.

Minutes

90

Touches

127

Accurate Passes

105/109

Long Balls

2/4

Ground Duels Won

4/7

Aerial Duels Won

1/1

Clearances

2

Tackles

4

Against Villa, the full-back had an enormous 127 touches – the most of anyone on the pitch – and made 105/109 passes (96% completion). His sturdy nature on the ball, mixed with his aggression off of it, made him pivotal in this game.

The Spanish defender won four out of his seven ground duels, won his only aerial duel in the game, and made four tackles, clamping down his side of the pitch with his 1v1 defending. That said, it was his attacking contribution that was most impressive, steamrolling Jaden Philogene before taking the ball on the overlap to supply Jackson’s goal.

Emery tried to switch things up after 66 minutes, throwing Leon Bailey on the right to run at Cucurella, but the Spain international continued to come out on top, playing a huge part in Chelsea’s clean sheet.

Many questioned the £60m fee Cucurella cost the club back in 2022, especially after his tough start to life in blue. But since the halfway point of last season, the 26-year-old has shown his quality and settled into a real role in this squad. Now, many fans would suggest that the price tag was a bargain for what he brings to the side.

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Sarel Erwee scored his first Test century in his second match and shared in South Africa’s best opening partnership since December 2020 as the visitors defied the odds while batting first at the Hagley Oval. Dean Elgar became the first captain to win the toss and choose to put runs on the board at this venue, and only the fourth in the last 45 Tests hosted in New Zealand to make that decision. The move was particularly forthright after South Africa were bowled out for 95 and 111 in the first Test, but paid off as they scored more than they did in both innings combined.On a surface that was much less green than the first Test, New Zealand’s five-pronged pace attack did not find the same seam movement they did last week and appeared far less threatening. They stuck to their mostly short-of-a-length strategy and found swing through the air but South Africa’s more cautious and determined strategy served them well. The run-rate hovered under three an over and New Zealand sent down 31 maidens in their 90 overs. Pressure was never far away but South Africa found ways to cope.Elgar set the tone when he fronted up and survived against Tim Southee, who had several opportunities to snag him. He beat Elgar’s inside edge several times and then found it, in his fourth over, but the edge fell short of first slip. That was the first of three chances New Zealand created for Daryl Mitchell but all of them evaded him.Erwee started in much quieter fashion. He scored just five runs off the first 25 balls he faced before almost losing his leg stump to an inswinging yorker from Southee. His first convincing shot was a punch through square leg off Kyle Jamieson. It took him until the 16th over to draw level with Elgar in runs terms, on 17, but once he overtook the captain, he grew in confidence. He showed off a series of drives and brought up 50 off Colin de Grandhomme with a shot that went wide of point for four and took South Africa to lunch on 80 without loss. It was only the second time in 11 Tests at this ground that the batting team has gone to lunch without losing a wicket.The pair became the first visiting duo to share a century stand in the first innings of a Test in New Zealand since Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs in 2004 when Erwee drove Southee past mid-off for four. Though Southee was still swinging it, New Zealand must have wondered where a wicket would come from. Two overs later, Southee bowled Elgar with an inswinger that beat the outside edge and hit off stump, ending South Africa’s first away opening stand of over 100 since Adelaide 2012.That brought Aiden Markram, Elgar’s former opening partner who has been moved to No. 3 and effectively put on notice to score runs or ship out, to the crease. He provided a reminder of his form of old when he unfurled a cover drive off Southee but runs in general proved difficult for him to collect. It took him 47 balls to move past 10, and he offered a chance. Markam was on 6 when he edged a Neil Wagner delivery, but it fell short of Mitchell at first slip.Instead, in what may turn out to be a cruel twist of grooming his replacement, Markram provided a foil while Erwee worked his way to his century. He could have been out on 68, when Matt Henry found the outside edge but the chance fell short of first slip again. Erwee entered the nineties off the 160th ball he faced and spent 28 balls more getting to his century. He brought it up with a pull behind square off Wagner, three balls before tea, and celebrated with a punch in the air and an embrace from Markram, who would have had runs on his mind.Markram brought out the straight drive and the pull in the evening session and, as the ball got older, both he and Erwee appeared settled. But then, against the run of play, Markram got forward to block a Neil Wagner delivery and edged short of Southee and second slip. That was New Zealand’s fourth chance. In the next over, Markram’s concentration, which had lasted for two hours and 17 minutes, and 103 balls, wore out. He chased a wide Wagner ball and it carried – finally – to Mitchell at first slip to end his innings on 42. Markram now averages 12.63 from his last 11 Test innings.Two balls later, Erwee also played a loose stroke and nicked behind against Henry. New Zealand could have had Temba Bavuma two balls after that when he fended a delivery that took the shoulder of the bat but the chance went between third slip and gully. Next ball, Bavuma edged a delivery he had tried to pull out of playing, and the ball bounced in front of a diving Mitchell at first slip and went for four. Bavuma was on 14 when he edged Jamieson short of second slip but, with Rassie van der Dussen, he went on to take South Africa to the second new ball and the close.

Another Melbourne Renegades batting collapse allowed Sydney Sixers to cruise through for a big BBL victory in Geelong. After posting 6 for 150, the Sixers’ quicks landed early blows and were always in control on their way to a 45-run win on Tuesday. Ben Dwarshuis benefited from the Renegades’ woes, finishing with the outstanding bowling figures of 5 for 26 from his four overs.After electing to bat, Sixers lost early wickets including Josh Phillippe for a duck third ball but found a powerful 40 from opener Jack Edwards, the youngster hitting three fours and a six in the strong knock.Captain Moises Henriques made an enterprising 49, his four fours and a six and Dan Christian’s 22 proving pivotal in an average total..Former Australia T20 representative Cameron Boyce took 2 for 15 from his four overs in his first BBL game in two years, having missed last season with a serious health complaint and the beginning of this one with a calf injury. Boyce had Daniel Hughes caught on the boundary by Nic Maddinson, who flicked the ball up before stepping on the rope and completing the catch on his return to the field.Edwards was also caught on the boundary off Boyce’s bowling for 40, with Henriques deciding to up the ante in the power surge overs hitting Kane Richardson for consecutive fours.Sixers reached the 100-run mark in the 15th over and Henriques and Christian further accelerated, adding 53 for the fourth wicket.Sixers landed an early double-blow in the chase, with openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Aaron Finch both out lbw to Jackson Bird and Sean Abbott respectively in the opening two overs, leaving the Renegades 2 for 11.A vital partnership formed between Shaun Marsh and Maddinson and they pushed on to 2 for 41 before young spinner Todd Murphy had the latter stumped for 9 for his first BBL wicket.But from 3 for 65, Renegades fell apart losing a quick 3 for 8, including the vital wicket of Marsh who chopped one onto his stumps for 39. Sixers cleaned up the tail and bowled them out for 105 with Abbott also chipping in.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City future is still up in the air. The Spanish manager, who has been with City since 2016, is now in the final year of his contract and has yet to pen an extension.

City’s board have made it clear to the 53-year-old that they are keen for him to stay at the Etihad, and, according to TEAMtalk, are willing to offer him a unique one-year rolling contract to make that a reality. The club are optimistic that by giving Guardiola more power over his future, they can convince him to stay for at least another year.

That being said, however, City aren’t banking on Guardiola staying. According to The Athletic, the club have been actively lining up potential replacements for the Spaniard should he leave, with Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim and Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso among those mentioned.

De Zerbi is also a target

According to GiveMeSport, former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is also a potential candidate to replace Guardiola. De Zerbi was in charge of Brighton for two seasons between 2022 and 2024, guiding the Seagulls to a club record sixth placed Premier League finish in his debut campaign. At the end of his second season at the Amex Stadium, however, the Italian was surprisingly let go by the club. The exact reason why was not apparent until last month, when Brighton Chairman Tony Bloom told all to The Athletic.

Bloom told the publication that the Brighton board and De Zerbi were unable to see eye-to-eye on how the club’s transfer business is managed, which sees its transfer and scouting department have the final say on all ins-and-outs.

“Roberto had thoughts on certain players, but that is not the way we as a club work. The club will decide on the players potentially to bring into the club, in conjunction with the head coach”, Bloom explained.

“It’s not a situation, the way we work, that the head coach says, ‘I like this player and that player’, and that’s what we do,” he added. “If a head coach has some ideas, that comes in as part of the process, but a head coach really liking a player has got to fit many characteristics, it has got to fit with the data analysis we do.”

Bloom said that because of their differing opinions, things between De Zerbi and Brighton were “never going to work out long-term.”

De Zerbi at Marseille

After leaving Brighton, De Zerbi joined Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille this summer. Since taking over as coach, he’s lost just one of his seven games in charge and has been lauded, as he was at Brighton, for his high-intensity, exciting, and intelligent style of football.

His brief spell in France, however, has already been as controversial as it has been impressive, mainly due to De Zerbi insisting the club sign striker Mason Greenwood, who was outlawed by Manchester United after he was accused by his ex-girlfriend of domestic abuse.

United prohibited Greenwood from ever playing for them again as a result of the case, though they did let his contract run down by way of loaning him to La Liga side Getafe before selling him to Marseille for a fee of £26.7 million.

Despite the move being criticised by the mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, De Zerbi told L’Equipe that Greenwood was the “first player he called” after landing the Marseille job.

“I said that when a player becomes my player, I am the first to pin him to the wall when he makes a mistake,” he said. “But towards the outside, I will always defend him as I would defend my son.”

Vincent Kompany defended Bayern Munich's performance after they were forced to share the spoils against Bayer Leverkusen.

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Bayern held to a 0-0 draw by LeverkusenWere toothless in attack and had just two shotsKompany claimed that his men "deserved to win"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern battled to a goalless draw against Leverkusen on Saturday, preserving their eight-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga despite struggling against their closest rivals. The hosts applied relentless pressure throughout the contest, coming agonisingly close to scoring twice in the first half. Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella both struck the crossbar, but despite their dominance they could not find a breakthrough against Bayern’s resolute defence.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

For the first time since Bundesliga records began, Bayern failed to register a single shot in the entire first half. The visitors found themselves pinned back for large periods, struggling to generate attacking momentum against a determined Leverkusen side. Late in the match, Florian Wirtz had a golden opportunity to clinch victory for the hosts, but his effort was squandered, ensuring Bayern escaped with a point.

WHAT KOMPANY SAID

Despite his side’s struggles, Kompany remained positive, insisting Bayern’s ability to grind out a result was proof of their championship mentality.

"We are now eight points ahead, we got one point. We fought in this game," he told . "We can take the result with us. In the first half of the season, we played very dominantly. We actually deserved to win. Today was another fight, but ultimately we took the point and we look forward."

He added: "If a team deserves to go deep against us, then we showed that we can do that. Of course, you always imagine an ideal game and of course it wasn't, but the lads still fought and ran a lot. We've already scored a lot of goals this season, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case today. But the offence supported our defence. Basically, this game also showed that the right teams are at the top."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

Sitting eight points behind Bayern before kick-off, Leverkusen knew a victory was essential to keep their title defence alive. However, the draw means they remain at a significant disadvantage with 14 matches left in the campaign. Bayern will now shift their focus to the Champions League, as they prepare to host Celtic in the second leg of their last-16 play-off before welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt in their next Bundesliga fixture.

يرى محللو شبكة “TNT Sports” الرباعي ريو فرديناند، آلي مكويست، جو كول وبيتر كراوتش، أن محمد صلاح جناح ليفربول هو المرشح الأبرز للفوز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية هذا العام، ولكن ذلك يتوقف على نجاحه في قيادة فريقه لتحقيق لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويُعد النجم المصري أحد أهم الأعمدة في تألق ليفربول تحت قيادة المدرب آرني سلوت هذا الموسم، إذ تجاوز حاجز الـ50 مساهمة تهديفية في مختلف البطولات، وهو ما ساهم بشكل كبير في صدارة الريدز لجدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي.

أما على المستوى القاري، فقد قدم محمد صلاح أداءً مميزًا في مجموعة دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث سجل ثلاثة أهداف وصنع أربع تمريرات حاسمة في سبع مباريات.

اقرأ أيضًا | بسبب محمد صلاح.. كاراجر يتراجع ويعتذر عن تصريحاته: آرائي تثير الجدل أحيانًا

وخلال حلقة خاصة من برنامج “اتفق أو لا تتفق – نسخة دوري أبطال أوروبا” على شبكة “TNT Sports”، أجمع المحللون على أن محمد صلاح يستحق التتويج بالكرة الذهبية في حال قاد ليفربول إلى منصة التتويج في ميونخ (ملعب نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا) مع نهاية شهر مايو.

وعلق آلي مكويست أسطورة أسكتلندا: “ما يقدمه محمد صلاح هذا الموسم لا يصدق، لقد كان مذهلًا في الماضي، لكنه الآن في مستوى آخر تمامًا”.

من جانبه، قال ريو فرديناند مدافع مانشستر يونايتد السابق: “في اللحظة الحالية، لا أرى أي لاعب آخر قادر على منافسته، لكن كما نعرف، مع تقدم الأدوار الإقصائية في دوري أبطال أوروبا، قد يظهر نجم جديد يغير المعادلة”.

أما جو كول جناح تشيلسي السابق، فأكد: “الأمر يتوقف على لحظات الحسم في المباريات الكبيرة، يمكن أن يكون محمد صلاح ضمن المرشحين، كما يمكن أن يدخل عثمان ديمبلي في الصورة إذا تألق مع باريس سان جيرمان، أو حتى كيليان مبابي مع ريال مدريد”.

وأضاف: “اللاعب الذي يحافظ على مستواه ويظهر بأفضل أداء في نصف النهائي والنهائي سيكون الأقرب للفوز بالجائزة، إذا توج ليفربول باللقب، فأنا متأكد من أن محمد صلاح سيكون له دور مهم في ذلك، ولهذا أتفق تمامًا مع ترشيحه”.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة قوية أمام باريس سان جيرمان في ذهاب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا مساء اليوم، الأربعاء، وفي حال تأهله، سيصطدم بالفائز من مواجهة أستون فيلا وكلوب بروج في ربع النهائي.