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O Brasil encara a Colômbia em Barranquilla nesta noite de quinta-feira (16) e o jogo será especial para dois jogadores do Palmeiras.

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Endrick e Richard Rios se encaram pela primeira vez por suas respectivas seleções e vão viver um momento diferente na amizade que a dupla construiu desde que o colombiano chegou no Palmeiras, em abril de 2023.

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O santo de Endrick e Rios bateu desde o início, e a joia alviverde foi desde sempre um dos grandes amigos do ex-Guarani dentro do elenco alviverde, tanto que sempre que um dos dois marcam gols, eles celebram juntos, independente se um estiver no banco de reservas ou não.

No banco de reservas das suas respectivas seleções, Endrick e Rios lutam por uma oportunidade para entrarem em campo neste duelo importante pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo.

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Raphael Veiga, outro jogador do Palmeiras que foi convocado por Fernando Diniz, também deve ficar como opção no banco de reservas diante da seleção de James Rodriguez.

+ Aníbal Moreno supre carência do Palmeiras, ajuda Zé Rafael e será ‘dor de cabeça’ para dupla

A bola rola para Colômbia e Brasil nesta quinta-feira (16), a partir das 21h (horário de Brasília) e o jogo terá transmissão da Rede Globo e do Sportv.

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Head coach says England will digest lessons after India’s “deserved” victory at The Oval

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Aug-20251:50

Miller: Bazball’s legacy in danger without wins

Brendon McCullum says he has identified areas where England must improve ahead of the Ashes after a thrilling series against India ended 2-2 courtesy of what the head coach believes was a deserved win for the tourists in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval.India completed their fightback from 2-1 down in a remarkable 56 minutes of play on the 25th and final day of this Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, securing a six-run win, their narrowest victory by runs.It meant England missed out on a first series win over India since 2018, which was also the last time they triumphed in a five-match series. They have yet to record a series win over India or Australia under McCullum and Ben Stokes’ leadership.Related

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How Woakes defied injury to front up in England's hour of need

With England next in action in September for white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland, there is time to decompress. McCullum, as over-arching coach since the start of the year, will be across both challenges. But his immediate focus, once the dust has settled, will be to pore over the last seven weeks to see what worked and what did not. Fine-tuning ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth come November will be his primary aim.”We’ll let this one sit, we’ll digest it,” McCullum said. “We’ll be able to pick out what has gone well then start to work out how we can keep improving so, when we do arrive out in Australia, we give ourselves a huge chance.”We’re in the middle now, halfway through what we knew was going to be an unbelievable 12 months of Test cricket. We know we’ve got some room to improve.”You’re always learning any time you get to see guys having to dig deep and go to places they’ve maybe not been before.”There’s lots to pick out as we give ourselves time for this to digest and work out areas we can look to improve for our next challenge. Ultimately, I’m really proud of the guys and their efforts. It’s been a combative series, it’s taken its toll with injuries, some of the best players have gone home injured.”To sit here at 2-2, yes, you’re disappointed but you’re proud of the efforts.”Brendon McCullum will oversee the England debrief after India fought back for a 2-2 draw•Getty ImagesThe scoreline mimics the 2023 home Ashes, and though England came from behind two years ago to secure a draw, there were parallels to this summer against India with some of the moments the hosts let slip.Dropped catches cost them in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford, which ended in a draw, and at the Kia Oval. But perhaps the most painful will be a collapse of 7 for 66 in pursuit of 374 after Joe Root and Harry Brook had taken England to 301 for 3 in the chase.McCullum was reticent to dwell on the missed opportunities, something he chalks up as the cost of playing a high-calibre team who were able to rally after those reprieves. He did concede the catching was particularly below par; England dropped six catches in India’s second innings of 396, which ended up costing them 152 runs.”We didn’t catch very well in this game but have caught really well over the last few years,” he said. “Sometimes dropped catches happen and one leads to another. If we had held our catches maybe we would have been stood on the other side of the result. That’s life, there’s so many little things in the game we could pick out and have huge impacts. We are a good fielding unit and had a bit of an average performance in this Test.”We threw everything at them. It was testament to how stoic they are as a team. We knew when they turned up in England it would be a very stern challenge and we’d have to play excellent cricket to get the result we wanted.”Ultimately I thought it was an absolutely unbelievable series to be part of. It had confrontation, it had stalemates, it had passion and it had some sub-par performances under pressure as well.”The way India were late on in this Test, Mohammed Siraj has the absolute heart of a lion to bowl 90mph in his 30th over of his fifth Test match. It’s quite an incredible effort.”As much as we got ourselves in a winning position this Test match, I feel like they deserved to win. They played better cricket.”

Celtic are currently ranked 27th out of 36 teams in the league phase of the Europa League after they lost 3-1 to Danish side FC Midtjylland on Thursday night.

The Hoops endured a dismal opening 45 minutes of football, in which they gave up 15 shots against their goal, and went into the break 3-0 down to their hosts.

It was the first loss suffered by Martin O’Neill during his time as the interim head coach of the Scottish giants, after he won his first two games against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership and Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals.

On top of it being a disappointing performance and result, Celtic will also be frustrated to have lost Callum Osmand to a hamstring injury late on in the second half.

The teenage centre-forward, who won the penalty that Reo Hatate scored from, pulled up when chasing a ball over the top and is now facing a spell on the sidelines.

As well as being frustrated by Osmand’s injury, O’Neill will surely be frustrated by several of the performances that were on display from some of his players on Thursday night.

Celtic's worst performers against Midtjylland

Of the players who started the Europa League clash in Denmark, it is hard to argue against Anthony Ralston being the pick of the bunch when looking at the biggest underperformers.

The Scotland international was caught out for the first two goals as he was given the run-around by 19-year-old winger Mikel Gogorza, who beat him easily to cross for the opener and to score the second goal.

Ralston, as shown in the clip above, allowed the teenage forward to cut inside in the box to get his shot away with ease, as he was barely able to put any pressure on the shot.

The Scottish full-back was not the only player who struggled, though, as Football FanCast published an article explaining why Callum McGregor, who failed to win a single duel or tackle in midfield, was also among the worst performers.

Minutes

45

69

Shots

0

1

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Dribbles completed

0

0

Pass accuracy

73%

83%

Duels won

1/5

2/7

Johnny Kenny and Benjamin Nygren, as shown in the statistics above, also produced underwhelming performances as the starting centre-forward and attacking midfielder on Thursday night.

They were tasked with providing a threat at the top end of the pitch from the start of the match, but neither of them were able to register a single shot on target or key pass.

However, Nygren produced one goal and one assist and Kenny scored three goals in O’Neill’s first two matches in the dugout at Parkhead, which shows that they can offer far more than they did against the Danish side earlier this week.

Meanwhile, a player who came off the bench in the 3-1 loss in the Europa League may be on borrowed time in Glasgow, as he was even worse than both Nygren and Kenny.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Paulo Bernardo was brought onto the pitch for Arne Engels with 16 minutes left to play and his cameo against Midtjylland did little to suggest that he deserves more minutes on the pitch moving forward.

Why Paulo Bernardo may be on borrowed time at Celtic

The Portugal U21 international only played 74 minutes out of a possible 810 in the nine Scottish Premiership matches that Brendan Rodgers was in charge of at the start of the season, per Sofascore.

This shows that the former Benfica central midfielder did not get too many opportunities to shine under the Northern Irish head coach, which is why his resignation from the club appeared to be a fresh start for Bernardo.

Unfortunately, though, he was an unused substitute in the 4-0 win against Falkirk and was not selected to be part of the matchday squad for the clash with Rangers in the League Cup, before playing 16 minutes off the bench on Thursday night.

Midtjylland

16

Falkirk

0

Hearts

0

Sturm Graz

0

Motherwell

0

Braga

67

Hibernian

16

Red Star Belgrade

0

Partick Thistle

59

Kilmarnock

0

Bernardo has been a bit-part player for the Scottish giants this season, as shown by the statistics above, and has played fewer minutes in all competitions than McGregor, Engels, Hatate, Nygren, and Luke McCowan, who have all been preferred ahead of him in the middle of the park, per Transfermarkt.

The Portuguese whiz needed to make the most of his 16 minutes of action to impress on Thursday night, to prove that he deserves more game time, but his performance was even worse than Kenny and Nygren’s.

Minutes

16

Key passes

0

Passes completed

2/6 (33%)

Touches

7

Possession lost

5x

Ground duels won

0/2

Aerial duels won

0/3

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo lost the ball five times from seven touches of the ball in his time on the pitch, which is a dismal ratio that will not have pleased O’Neill watching on.

The ex-Benfica man also lost 100% of his five duels for the Hoops, whilst Nygren and Kenny at least won a duel each, as he failed to provide any physicality in midfield.

Bernardo, who was awarded a 4/10 player rating by 67HailHail, struggled in and out of possession in his 16 minutes off the bench, which could leave O’Neill wondering whether to reward him with any minutes against Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Sunday.

The 23-year-old flop, who played 28 matches in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, may be on borrowed time in Glasgow unless he can turn things around and earn himself a regular place in the XI before January.

0 tackles, 0 duels won: Celtic man was just as bad as Ralston v Midtjylland

Celtic’s season reached a new nadir with defeat in Denmark on Thursday night.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 7, 2025

If it gets to the January transfer window and the midfielder is still a bit-part player who is rarely getting minutes on the pitch, a decision may have to be made on his future at the club.

A destructive innings from Ross Whiteley inspired Derbyshire Falcons to a crushing 127 run victory over Notts Outlaws in the Metro Bank Group A One-Day Cup match at Derby.Whiteley hit eight fours and four sixes in a 52-ball 80 to propel the Falcons to 341 for 8 at the Central Co-op County Ground, their highest List A score against the visitors.After Caleb Jewell’s 60 established a platform, Amrit Basra scored 72 from 54 balls, his maiden List A fifty, which helped lead a recovery from 161 for 5 before Whiteley and Zak Chappell launched a savage onslaught. Chappell smashed a 26-ball 47 as the seventh wicket pair plundered 100 from 46 deliveries with 72 coming off the last six overs.Only Brett Hutton with 1 for 40 from his 10 overs escaped relatively unscathed and despite 58 from former Derbyshire opener Ben Slater, the Outlaws came up well short on 214 with Ben Aitchison taking 4 for 34.Jewell gave a taste of what was to come by driving James Hayes for three fours in his second over. But Hutton again showed his nous and experience in a typically tight opening spell that brought the wicket of Harry Came who sliced a big drive to deep backward point in the ninth over.Jewell and Yousaf Bin Naeem added 56 before over-ambition proved their downfall in the space of four overs. Bin Naeem pulled Lyndon James for six but when he tried to repeat the shot was caught behind and Jewell got a bottom edge trying to pull a ball that was too close to him.A stunning one-handed diving catch by Tom Moores removed Brooke Guest and when Martin Andersson missed a slog sweep at Joe Pocklington, the Falcons were wobbling. But the promise of Basra combined with the proven one-day quality of Whiteley to revive their fortunes.Basra impressed in the opening match at Cheltenham and he played with confidence from the start, pulling Hayes for six and driving James for another maximum. The pair added 72 from 54 balls before Basra sliced Rob Lord to third man but Whiteley and Chappell demolished the bowling in a display of brutal hitting.Lord’s last six balls went for 31, the most scored by Derbyshire from a single over in a List A game, with the Outlaws helpless to stem the tide of runs until Whiteley skied Daniel Sams to cover.By then, the damage was done and the Outlaws pursuit of a distant target became even tougher when Haseeb Hameed edged Aitchison to first slip in the fourth over. Slater and Jack Haynes found the ropes with regularity until Haynes edged a pull at Chappell and with the asking rate steadily climbing, Sam Seecharan skied Andersson to long-off.James sliced to third man and when Slater and Moores went in the space of four overs, the game was up for the Outlaws.

It’s still early on in Thomas Frank’s tenure, but there are a lot of problems at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

Now, they are certainly harder to break down under the Dane and sit much higher in the Premier League than they did under Ange Postecoglou.

However, the North Londoners are one of the worst teams to watch in the league and were utterly hopeless in the derby against Chelsea, a game in which they amassed an expected goals figure of just 0.05.

One of Frank’s most significant issues at the moment is that summer signing Xavi Simons isn’t firing, so it’s fans should be excited about reports linking them to an attacker who could help get the Dutchman back to his mercurial best.

Spurs target attacking reinforcements

In stark contrast to last season, Spurs are simply not scoring enough goals this year, with their return of 17 being the same as Manchester United, who not long ago were in yet another crisis.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Moreover, across all competitions, their top goalscorer is Micky Van de Ven, with five.

However, while scoring has been a problem for the North Londoners, there is a massive caveat: the number of players out injured, including Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski.

Fortunately, it appears as if the club are looking to address this lack of available firepower in the January window.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Spurs are interested in Porto striker Samu Omorodion.

The report has revealed that, alongside Chelsea, the North Londoners are leading the race for the Spanish striker and could make a move for him as soon as January.

However, with a release clause of €100m, which is approximately £88m, it could be a complicated deal to get over the line.

With that said, given his record, it would be a deal worth working on, especially as he could help Simons rediscover his form.

Why Samu would be a dream for Simons

While it sounds simplistic, the most significant reason Samu would not only be an excellent signing for Simons but also for Spurs is his goalscoring ability.

For example, despite being his first year with a new club, the Spanish marksman managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 27 goals and three assists in 45 appearances, which translates to an average of a goal or assist every 1.50 games.

This season has seen the 21-year-old score nine goals and provide one assist in just 12 appearances, two of which have come in the Europa League.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.20 games, which would be impressive for a seasoned professional, let alone someone so young.

Now, were Simons to play alongside, or just behind someone, talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “one of Europe’s most prolific players,” then there it would be reasonable to expect his assist tally to soar.

Appearances

45

12

Goals

27

9

Assists

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

0.83

However, it’s not just the output that would make Samu a perfect teammate for the Dutchman, but also his physicality.

Standing at 6 feet 4, the Melilla-born poacher is also incredibly strong and could help compensate for the lack of physicality that the former RB Leipzig ace has.

Moreover, this strength could help him hold up the ball for the North Londoners, in turn allowing the likes of Simons and Kudus to run beyond and cause chaos.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Spurs should do all they can to sign Samu, as not only could he get Simons firing, but he could also rejuvenate the entire front line.

Spurs can fix Simons problem by unleashing "one of England's best talents"

The young talent could one day be an even bigger star for Thomas Frank and Spurs than Simons.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 4, 2025

يستعد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، لإجراء مراسم قرعة الملحق الأوروبي المؤهل إلى بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026.

وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك، نهائيات كأس العالم الصيف المقبل، بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا.

وتمتلك قارة أوروبا 16 مقعدًا في كأس العالم، حيث تأهل 12 منتخبًا بشكل مباشر، ويتبقى 4 مقاعد ستُحسم عن طريق الملحق.

طالع.. مباشر | قرعة الملحق الأوروبي المؤهل لـ كأس العالم 2026.. بعد قليل

ويشارك في الملحق الأوروبي 12 منتخبًا أنهوا مرحلة التصفيات في المركز الثاني في مجموعاتهم، إلى جانب 4 منتخبات عن طريق تصنيفهم في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وتنقسم المنتخبات الـ16 إلى 4 مسارات، كل مسار يضم 4 منتخبات، بنظام نصف النهائي والنهائي، ويتأهل الفائز من كل مسار إلى كأس العالم.

وحسب قواعد فيفا، تلتقي منتخبات الوعاء الأول مع الرابع، والثاني مع الثالث.

وتقُام مباريات نصف النهائي للمسارات الأربعة يوم الخميس 26 مارس، في حين أن نهائي كل مسار سيكون يوم الثلاثاء 31 من الشهر نفسه. المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى الملحق الأوروبي لكأس العالم 2026

ألبانيا.

أيرلندا.

أوكرانيا.

إيطاليا.

التشيك.

سلوفاكيا.

بولندا.

تركيا.

ويلز.

البوسنة والهرسك.

كوسوفو.

الدنمارك.

السويد (عن طريق دوري الأمم الأوروبية).

رومانيا (عن طريق دوري الأمم الأوروبية).

أيرلندا الشمالية (عن طريق دوري الأمم الأوروبية).

مقدونيا الشمالية (عن طريق دوري الأمم الأوروبية). تصنيف الملحق الأوروبي لكأس العالم 2026

الوعاء الأول: إيطاليا، تركيا، أوكرانيا، الدنمارك.

الوعاء الثاني: ويلز، سلوفاكيا، بولندا، التشيك.

الوعاء الثالث: أيرلندا، ألبانيا، البوسنة والهرسك، كوسوفو.

الوعاء الرابع: السويد، رومانيا، مقدونيا الشمالية، أيرلندا الشمالية. موعد قرعة الملحق الأوروبي لكأس العالم 2026

تنطلق مراسم قرعة الملحق العالمي في تمام الساعة 2 ظهرًا بتوقيت القاهرة، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، ويعقبها الملحق الأوروبي. القناة الناقلة لقرعة الملحق الأوروبي لكأس العالم 2026

تُذاع عبر قناة بي إن سبورتس الإخبارية المفتوحة.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has moved swiftly to shut down claims that he urged Endrick to leave Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window, insisting he never told the young striker that a loan move was necessary to secure a place with the Selecao at the 2026 World Cup. The 19-year-old sensation is on the brink of sealing a January loan switch to Lyon as Los Blancos have reportedly thrashed out a deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

A dream move that hasn’t taken off

When Real Madrid secured Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 for a monumental deal worth up to €60 million, much was expected from the prodigy. However, he has struggled to find his rhythm in the Spanish top-flight. His debut season showed sparks of brilliance as he scored seven goals in 37 appearances. It was enough to convince Madrid that they had unearthed a gem, but his second campaign has been a completely different story. A hamstring injury derailed his pre-season and forced him to miss both the Club World Cup and the start of Madrid’s league campaign. By the time he recovered, Xabi Alonso had put him behind Gonzalo Garcia in the pecking order. He has racked up 11 minutes of La Liga action this campaign, in a 4-0 win over Valencia. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAncelotti shuts down rumours

Speaking to , Ancelotti struck a firm tone. 

"He's a very important player because he's one of the talents to have come out of Brazilian football," he said. "We're evaluating him. But it's not true that I said Endrick should leave Real Madrid to go to the World Cup. That's a matter between Real Madrid and the player. He needs to talk to the club and make the best decision for himself and for Real Madrid."

According to , Real Madrid have accepted Lyon’s proposal in principle after weeks of negotiations. The French side, led by Paulo Fonseca, edged out late interest from Manchester United and Aston Villa. The Red Devils tried to swoop in after Benjamin Sesko’s injury, but Endrick had already been convinced Lyon was the right move. The young Brazilian sees Lyon as a safe place where he can start every week, regain sharpness, and rebuild his confidence.

"It’s important for Endrick to start playing again," said the Italian coach in an interview with . “I spoke with him at the start of the season. He was injured, but now he’s fine. He needs to think with his team about what’s best, talk with the club, and decide what suits him."

Madrid wanted Endrick to stay in Spain

Madrid were initially leaning toward a La Liga loan, which would have helped him adapt and maintain continuity within Spanish football. There was also the matter of his upcoming Spanish passport, which is just six months away, and that made staying in Spain attractive. Endrick, however, pushed hard for France. He wanted a clean slate to start afresh and, most importantly, guaranteed minutes, which Lyon can provide him. Alonso had asked him to show patience and wait for his opportunity to shine in the Spanish capital, but the forward had other ideas. 

"Of course, I’d like him to have played already," the Real Madrid coach admitted. "But the situations in our recent matches have been very tight since Endrick returned. I hope he can get those minutes soon. He’s training well, he’s ready, but the right moment has to come."

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Getty Images SportEndrick looking for a fresh start in France

It has been reported that Endrick's entourage is already looking for a house in Lyon. This could well mean that personal terms have been agreed and only the formalities remain. The French outfit have been toothless in attack, with Czech forward Pavel Sulc having emerged as the highest scorer with five goals. Fonseca hopes that the addition of Endrick will add more firepower in attack and solve their goalscoring issues. The Brazilian will be hungry to prove himself to Ancelotti as a World Cup berth is on the lines.

Searching for a much-needed centre-back, Liverpool are now reportedly prepared to take a key step towards their attempt to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.

Their chase to sign the Bundesliga defender comes as no surprise. Arne Slot was left with little choice but to play Andy Robertson centre-back in an attempt to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate against Crystal Palace. The season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni left the Reds with just three senior centre-backs and only compiled their current misery.

Things could have been so different had they signed Marc Guehi, of course, but those at Anfield now face a battle to land his signature for free next summer. Missing out on the Crystal Palace star a year on from coming within hours of securing his arrival would be an undeniable blow.

Six defeats in seven games have exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems so soon after missing out on Guehi in the summer and they must find a solution in 2026.

What certainly doesn’t help is the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman is yet to sign a new deal and is on course to leave Anfield as a free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be into the final year of his deal at the same time – sparking a potential crisis for the Reds.

Preparations are seemingly underway for such a scenario, with names such as Dayot Upamecano recently mentioned as reported targets, but replacing both Konate and Van Dijk would almost be an impossible task.

One player who holds similar attributes to Van Dijk, however, is Schlotterbeck. The Dortmund defender has caught Liverpool’s eye and Michael Edwards is now ready to take a key step towards his signature.

Liverpool preparing to match Schlotterbeck demand

As reported by Bild in Germany and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now prepared to match Schlotterbeck’s wage demands.

Liverpool learn true price for Ezri Konsa as PSR forces Aston Villa's hand

The Reds desperately need another central defender.

1

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Tom Cunningham

Oct 30, 2025

The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected Dortmund’s €8m-a-year (£7m) contract offer and wants to earn in the region of €14m-a-year (£13m) instead, which would be up from his current €5m-a-year (£4m) deal.

That’s something that the German club are yet to match, but something that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are ready to hand the defender.

Money talks on the European stage and Liverpool will hope that proves true in the summer as Schlotterbeck continues to impress.

League stats P90 25/26	Schlotterbeck	Van Dijk
Minutes	450	810
Progressive Passes	7	6.22
Successful Aerial Duels	1.60	5.11
Ball Recoveries	5.60	2.33

Whilst there will be concerns over Schlotterbeck’s struggles in the air, his passing range more than makes up for that. Completing seven progressive passes per-90 so far this season, the Dortmund star would solve Liverpool’s build-up problem almost instantly.

Described as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Liverpool should go all out for Schlotterbeck in 2025. Not only is he good enough to replace Konate, but he could even become their Van Dijk heir in the coming years.

Why Arne Slot was left stunned in Liverpool press conference before Aston Villa

Just two days after looking positively wooden while running around the bases, Giancarlo Stanton, who has been much-maligned for his lack of speed, made a difference with his legs in the New York Yankees' 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Stanton, who belted the 12th postseason home run of his career and collected an RBI double, also stole a base in the top of the sixth inning. Such occurrences for Stanton have been as rare as solar eclipses, as his most recent theft on the basepaths came in August of 2020.

Stanton admitted that the dugout reactions to his stolen base were "probably better than the homer." And indeed, Stanton's swipe led to some pretty funny reactions from his Yankees teammates.

When asked about the stolen base, a smiling Aaron Judge, no speedster himself on the bases, acknowledged that he liked that moment best from Wednesday's win.

"That [the stolen base] was my favorite part," Judge said. "I liked the homer but showing a little wheels out there too to get in scoring position for [Anthony] Volpe was definitely big time."

Were the Yankees expecting a stole base from Stanton? Third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who swiped 40 bags this season, certainly wasn't.

"No," A wide-eyed Chisholm said. "Definitely didn't. It was a surprise to all of us but hey, I'm happy he did it."

Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who just two days earlier had said that Stanton's lack of speed was "something we've kind of got to live with", let out a chuckle when asked about Stanton's stolen base during his media session.

Stanton's speed may not be a consistent asset for the Yankees, but his power certainly is. The slugger has belted 12 home runs in his first 30 postseason games, the third-most long balls in a player's first 30 career playoff games in MLB history.

But Stanton is not focused on the homers or the stolen base. Heading into Thursday's Game 4, he has his eyes on the prize.

"We need to wrap it [The series] up tomorrow," Stanton said. "No wiggle room. We gotta get it done."

The New York Yankees have found their first baseman for 2025.

The franchise has agreed to terms with veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year, $12.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Goldschmidt, who has played the last six seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals, hit a career-worst .245 last season with 22 home runs and 65 RBI in 154 games. The 37-year-old has been incredibly durable during his career, and will provide a solid first base glove that the Yankees hope will also turn into a reliable bat.

Goldschmidt, who is a career .289 hitter and has made seven All-Star teams, will be hoping for a bounce back himself if he wants to continue playing beyond the 2025 season.

Next season will be Goldschmidt's 15th as a major leaguer, and his voyage to New York will see him relied upon to replace some of the pop lost in the middle of the order with Juan Soto signing with the New York Mets.