It really didn't look too hard for Shohei Ohtani on Saturday night, who went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in in the first game of the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first-ever MLB postseason game for Ohtani. The Dodgers won, 7-5, on their home field.
Ohtani, of course, has not played for a team that has qualified for the postseason to this point, despite winning two MVP awards with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.
After the game, Ohtani shared what he views as the "most difficult" part of a first postseason game while speaking about his fellow teammate's troubles.
Asked about Yoshinobu Yamamoto's struggles on the mound, Ohtani explained, "It's really hard to play loose in the first game of a playoff series. I'm sure Yoshinobu wasn't satisfied with his outing today."
In addition to it being the first game of the series, the Dodgers were coming off of five days' rest since they clinched a first-round bye in the National League.
While it's the first MLB playoff game for Ohtani, he did play deep in the postseason during his time in the Nippon Professional Baseball league.
O Santos goleou o Vasco, por 4 a 1, na Vila Belmiro, em jogo válido pela 25ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com gols de Marcos Leonardo, Rincón e Soteldo, o Peixe conseguiu o que queria para terminar a rodada fora da zona de rebaixamento.
+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui
Enquanto isso, o Cruz-maltino, que só foi às redes com Vegetti, caiu uma posição na tabela do Brasileirão e pode acabar a rodada dentro do Z-4.
+ Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro no Lance!
CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA
> CORREDOR DE FOGO, FAIXAS E FESTA!O jogo começou antes mesmo da bola rolar, com a recepção calorosa da torcida santista ao ônibus que levou a delegação à Vila Belmiro.
> PÊNALTI DE PELÉ!Após queda dentro da área de Marcos Leonardo, enquanto a torcida do Peixe gritava o nome do lendário camisa 10 do time da Vila Belmiro no décimo minuto da partida, o árbitro consultou o VAR e deu o pênalti para o Santos. O centroavante do time paulista assumiu a responsabilidade e deixou o Peixe na frente.
> TUDO IGUAL!Kevyson tentou arriscar de muito longe. A bola explodiu no ataque Cruz-maltino, iniciou um contra-ataque para Gabriel Pec, o atacante do Vasco disparou em velocidade, tocou para Vegetti no meio, que precisou tirar apenas do goleiro para empatar o marcador.
> GOLS FULMINANTES! Rincón e Marcos Leonardo fizeram os gols do Peixe nos acréscimos da primeira etapa. Essa letalidade do Peixe garantiu uma segunda etapa bem mais tranquila.
> TEMPO FECHADO!No começo da segunda etapa, jogadores do Santos e Vasco entraram em confusão após Soteldo gingar para cima da marcação vascaína. A briga generalizada se instaurou e o juiz da partida distribuiu cartões para as duas equipes.
COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO?
O jogo foi bem disputado nos minutos iniciais. Marcos Leonardo conseguiu um pênalti e, após consulta no VAR, converteu a penalidade. Pouco depois, a equipe carioca começou a dominar a partida. Com a falha de Kevyson, Pec puxou o contra-ataque, tocou para Vegetti e o 99 do Cruz-maltino empatou a partida. Contudo, o Santos dominou a parte final até fazer gols com Rincón e Marcos Leonardo.
E A ETAPA FINAL?
O segundo período da partida teve todos ingredientes possíveis. Gol anulado milimetricamente de Marcos Leonardo, confusão generalizada após dribles do Soteldo e, além disso, um gol do camisa 10 do Peixe para sacramentar o placar da partida.
OS NÚMEROS DO JOGO
O QUE VEM POR AÍ
As duas equipes só voltarão a campo no próximo fim de semana. O Vasco recebe no sábado (7), às 18h30, em São Januário. No domingo (8), o Santos terá um clássico pela frente, diante do Palmeiras, às 16h.
+ Clique aqui para ter mais detalhes sobre o jogo
FICHA TÉCNICA SANTOS 4 X 1 VASCO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 25ª RODADA
Local: Vila Belmiro, Santos (SP) Data e hora: 1º de outubro de 2023, às 16h (de Brasília) Arbitragem: Anderson Daronco (RS – Fifa) Assistentes: Rafael da Silva Alves (RS – Fifa) e Michel Stanislau (RS) VAR: Wagner Reway (PB – Fifa) Público e renda: 13.545 pessoas / R$ 580.037,50 Cartões amarelos: Dodô, Tomás Rincón, Soteldo, João Paulo e Dodi (Santos); Sebastián Ferreira (Vasco). Cartões vermelhos: Lucas Lima e Rodrigo Fernández (Santos); Medel (Vasco).
SANTOS
João Paulo; Joaquim, João Basso e Dodô (Messias); Lucas Braga, Tomás Rincón (Camacho), Jean Lucas (Nonato), Lucas Lima e Kevyson; Soteldo (Dodi) e Marcos Leonardo (Julio Furch). Técnico: Marcelo Fernandes (interino)
VASCO
Léo Jardim; Puma Rodríguez (Maicon), Medel, Léo e Lucas Piton; Zé Gabriel (Sebastián Ferreira), Paulinho, Praxedes (Payet); Marlon Gomes (Jair), Vegetti e Gabriel Pec (Alex Teixeira). Técnico: Ramón Díaz
* Gabriel Teles colaborou sob supervisão de Sidney Daguano
Australia appealed but umpires signalled ball was dead after it briefly became lodged behind pad flap
Andrew Miller12-Jun-20251:26
Bedingham: ‘Way I picked up the ball came across dodgy’
South Africa’s David Bedingham admitted he had “panicked big time” during a handled-the-ball incident on the second afternoon of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, one that briefly threatened to thrust Australia’s wicketkeeper Alex Carey into another spirit of cricket rumpus.Two years on from his contentious stumping of Jonny Bairstow during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Carey was once again at the centre of an unusual Australian appeal, as Bedingham – on 31 at the time, and in the final over before the lunch break – played off the back foot to Beau Webster, and inside-edged the ball into his pad-flap.Although the on-field umpires, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney, subsequently called the ball dead, Bedingham’s continued movements had briefly threatened to dislodge it from his pad-flap. With Carey swooping round from behind the stumps in a bid to gather it before it hit the turf, Bedingham responded by reaching down to his knee, and throwing the ball to the ground.Related
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“Yeah, I think I panicked big time,” Bedingham said at the close. “Because Carey was standing up, he was quite close. The umpires said, regardless, it was dead ball. But I think the way I picked up the ball and dropped it came across a bit dodgy.”Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, played down the moment in his post-match press conference, but acknowledged that he would likely have withdrawn the appeal had the umpires not signalled dead ball. Notably, he chose not to do this two years ago against England, when Carey capitalised on Bairstow’s habit of walking out of his crease after each delivery to throw down his stumps with an opportunistic under-arm shy.”I’m just glad they withdrew the appeal, because there [would be] more controversy and that type of stuff,” Bedingham said. “I’m glad nothing happened out of it, really. The slip cordon just told me, ‘don’t panic, just leave it…’ but in the moment, I think I panicked big-time.”The Bairstow dismissal caused a huge row, with Australia’s fielders coming in for abuse from MCC members within the Long Room as they left the field at the end of the session, and England’s captain Ben Stokes subsequently stating that he wouldn’t want to win a game in such a manner after Australia sealed a 43-run win later that afternoon.David Bedingham drops the ball from his pad just as Alex Carey comes forward to catch it•Getty Images
However, that moment, as with this latest incident, clearly fell within the remit of the laws of the game.According to Fraser Stewart, MCC’s head of cricket and the former laws manager, the eventual decision was “right for the game”, even if a strict interpretation of the Law 20.1.1 – which pertains to dead balls – might argue that the ball hadn’t been completely stationary at the moment of Bedingham’s intervention.According to the relevant laws, a ball becomes dead when: In a 2001 Test in Ahmedabad, England’s Michael Vaughan was given out handling the ball after placing his hand on the ball after it had already hit the turf, seemingly to prevent it from rolling back onto his stumps.Vaughan is the last of seven batters to be given out handled the ball in a Test match, because since 2017, that mode of dismissal has been subsumed into obstructing the field. In 2023-24, Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim fell in that manner after handling the ball against New Zealand in Mirpur.
In what could end in a major blow for rivals Manchester United, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on a transfer target that Ruben Amorim is desperate to sign.
Slot defends Wirtz andLiverpool spending
Despite getting off to a solid start in their Premier League title defence, Arne Slot has been forced to defend big-money signing Florian Wirtz. The German is taking longer than some expected to find his feet at Anfield and the patience of those in the Premier League is far thinner than those in the Bundesliga.
However, the Liverpool boss was quick to remind reporters that the former Bayer Leverkusen star isn’t the only one to struggle when it comes to goals and assists.
Aside from the frustrating criticism, it’s good news for Liverpool that their results have remained the same even without Wirtz at his best. It begs the question of just how ruthless they’ll be once he’s up to speed in England’s top flight.
Slot also defended Liverpool’s spending as a whole, arguing that his side also generated impressive funds through player sales. He told reporters: “No club never sells and only buys. We didn’t have a big squad last season and [this summer] we did sell and bring players in. That is such an exception in English football.”
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Those sales may yet allow those at Anfield to spend once more in 2026, and that should concern Manchester United amid reports that Liverpool are eyeing one of their “key” targets next year.
Liverpool keeping tabs on Baleba
As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Liverpool are now keeping tabs on Carlos Baleba, who remains a “key” Man United target and someone that Amorim is desperate to sign next summer. The Red Devils were, of course, priced out of a move by Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, but Liverpool are unlikely to face issues meeting the midfielder’s likely £100m price tag.
Jones told TeamTalk: “Manchester United were the first club to make a move for Baleba in the summer and they still see him as a key target for their long-term rebuild under Amorim.
“There was intent behind that approach, wanting to show the player and club how serious they are. But the concern is that Liverpool’s admiration could turn into something more concrete.
“They’ve already shown this year they’re not afraid to splash out big money on the right player, and if they decided to push for Baleba, United would suddenly find themselves in an unwanted situation. No one wants to go head-to-head with Liverpool – on or off the pitch.”
A move for the Brighton star would also make a lot of sense for Liverpool. Now that Slot operates with a double pivot at the heart of midfield, there’s not many Premier League partnerships that would be able to outperform Ryan Gravenberch and Baleba.
AB de Villiers feels Patidar’s biggest challenge will be “insecurity, stepping into the big boots of captains like Faf and Kohli”
Shashank Kishore18-Mar-20252:39
Captaincy a test for both Patidar and RCB
Virat Kohli has thrown his weight behind new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, whom he thinks will “lead you guys for a long time.” Patidar, one of RCB’s three retentions ahead of last November’s mega-auction, was unveiled as Faf du Plessis’ successor last month.”He [Patidar] is an amazing talent,” Kohli said at RCB Unbox, an event to unveil the team’s 2025 roster in Bengaluru on Monday. “He is a great player, we all know that, but he has got a great head on his shoulders, and he will do a great job for this amazing franchise and take the team forward. He has got everything that’s required.”Patidar, who was initially spoken to for the role after IPL 2024, is a new captain. As a precursor to his RCB job, Patidar was handed the captaincy at Madhya Pradesh, and he led the team to the final of the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy late last year. Patidar’s own contribution during the campaign was stellar – 428 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 186.08. His 27 sixes were the second-most in the tournament.Related
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Patidar, who walked onto the dais amid deafening noise spoke of drawing inspiration from the superstars of the past. “Legends like Virat , AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle have played for RCB. I grew up watching them. From the start, I have loved the franchise a lot. I am happy that I got a new role to lead one of the biggest teams in T20 cricket.”De Villiers, whom Patidar had the opportunity to play with during his maiden season in 2021 as an uncapped player, believes captaincy could be a double-edged sword for the 31-year-old. He also hopes Patidar will be able to develop his own style, and not try and emulate past captains like Kohli or du Plessis.”Patidar’s biggest challenge will be insecurity, stepping into the big boots of captains like Faf and Virat,” de Villiers said during a media session organised by . “Having Virat around and constantly almost doubting yourself – ‘Am I doing the right thing? What would Virat do?’ So that I think will be his biggest obstacle. Use the experience of Virat, use the experience of [head coach] Andy Flower, but always stay true to who you are.”
At the captaincy announcement last month, Flower had underlined three qualities he felt made them pick Patidar as captain.”The first one is there’s a calmness and a simplicity to Rajat that I think will stand him in really good stead as a leader and a captain, particularly in the IPL,” Flower had said. “The calm, simple demeanour that inherently lives within Rajat is going to serve him really well in the hurly-burly of that tournament.”The second thing I’d say about him, he’s inherently quite a quiet guy, but observing him, he cares about the people around him, he cares about the people that he plays with, that he shares a dressing room with. And I think that’s a quality that means that he will instantly have the respect and care from other people. As a leader, those qualities are important. In that people will follow you and get behind you.”And then the third thing that stands out for me about him is that he’s got a stubbornness and a strength and a steeliness about him. I’ve seen it myself when I’m trying to coach him in the nets and he won’t listen to me, but you see it in the way that he plays. You see the bravery with which he takes on the game and I think that quality within him will be really important for him through the ups and downs.”
Paige Scholfield, the first name out of the hat in Wednesday’s Women’s Hundred draft, has been selected across formats for England A’s upcoming tour of Australia, as the women’s set-up looks to bounce back from a humiliating Ashes whitewash earlier this year.Scholfield, 29, was retained by her Hundred team, Oval Invincibles, on a £65,000 deal on Wednesday evening, after Birmingham Phoenix attempted to recruit her to Edgbaston for the 2025 competition. Now she is headed to Australia as part of a development squad featuring just four players who featured in the 16-0 points defeat in the senior tour in January.Scholfield herself would have been a fifth member of that party, but she suffered an ankle injury on England’s preceding tour of South Africa in November, which caused her to fly home before she could add to her current tally of three ODI and two T20I caps.Now she is joining Alice Capsey, Danielle Gibson, Bess Heath and Freya Kemp as the senior members of the England A party, which is due to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off four-day game against Australia A from April 12-15, exactly mirroring the itinerary in which England were beaten in the Ashes. Capsey and Gibson are currently on duty at the WPL in India, and so will miss the T20I leg which begins at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval on March 26.Scholfield will be joined by players from the England Women Pace Programme, including her Surrey teammates Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Jones (T20 and 50-over) and Alexa Stonehouse, who is selected across all formats. No captains have yet been named for the three formats.The majority of the group have been undergoing warm-weather training at a training camp in Abu Dhabi, and will depart for Sydney on March 17.Jon Lewis, England Women A head coach, said: “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth. We are aware of the challenge ahead.”There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians.”Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “We have a good mix of experience across the three squads with all players striving to perform and push for selection into the senior team. The experience they will gain through highly competitive matches within a multi-format schedule will be really exciting, and hopefully invaluable for them in accelerating their development. A tour to Australia is what so many young cricketers dream of, and we wish them well.”England Women A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)
O Palmeiras recebe o Bolívar-BOL, nesta quinta-feira (29), no Allianz Parque, no jogo que fecha a fase de grupos da Libertadores 2023.
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+ Veja tabela e classificação da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui
Além de poder garantir a melhor campanha da primeira fase da Libertadores, o Verdão joga para alcançar algumas marcas interessantes na competição continental:
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+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Verdão na Liberta por apenas R$1,00!
+ Até 50% OFF em produtos do Verdão para os torcedores fanáticos!
1 – Decidir no Allianz Parque até a final
Caso vença o Bolívar, o Palmeiras garante a melhor campanha e também poderá decidir todos os jogos de mata-mata ao lado do seu torcedor.
2 – Gol 100 pela Libertadores no Allianz Parque
Melhor ataque da atual edição da competição continental, o Palmeiras precisa de mais uma bola na rede para alcançar a marca de 100 gols em noites de Libertadores no Allianz Parque. São 99 tentos em 36 partidas (média de 2,75 por jogo), com 27 vitórias, 5 empates e apenas 4 derrotas, com 23 gols sofridos
+ Palmeiras x Bolívar: onde assistir, prováveis times e desfalques
3 – Invencibilidade de 12 jogos no Allianz Parque em Libertadores!
Com nove vitórias e três empates, o Verdão não sabe o que é perder em noite de Libertadores nos seus domínios desde 2021, quando foi derrotado para o Defensa y Justicia, por 4 a 3.
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4 – 100% contra Bolivianos como mandante!
O Palmeiras jamais perdeu pontos para equipes bolivianas atuando como mandante na Libertadores ou qualquer outro torneio continental. Até aqui são nove jogos e nove vitórias do Verdão.
5 – Acabar com a série de derrotas e seca de gols
Desde novembro de 2021 que o Palmeiras não sabe o que é perder três jogos seguidos. Foi antes do histórico jogo diante do Flamengo, em Montevidéu, que o Verdão acabou com uma série incômoda de três derrotas seguidas (Fluminense, São Paulo e Fortaleza), todas pelo Brasileirão. Também foi exatamente no mesmo período que o Verdão de Abel ficou dois jogos sem balançar a rede!
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+ Mercado da Bola: confira o vai e vem de jogadores no futebol brasileiro
Hoje tem e só a vitória interessa para o alviverde imponente!
Rafael chegou ao São Paulo no início desta temporada e é o único jogador do elenco que foi titular em todos os jogos até o momento. Seu destaque na vitória da equipe contra o América-MG, por 3 a 0, exemplificou em números o porquê da sua titularidade. Durante o confronto, o defensor teve seu melhor desempenho desde quando chegou ao clube.
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Contra o Coelho, foram oito defesas – sendo o maior número de bolas defendidas desde quando chegou ao Tricolor. Além disso, cinco destas, foramdefesas em chutes na área – sendo outro recorde pela equipe. Estes dados são levantamentos do perfil oficial ‘SPFC Estatísticas’.
ATUAÇÕES: Rafael tem noite de “paredão” e salva São Paulo na estreia de Dorival
Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro e simule os próximos jogos
Diferente do último ano, quando um rodízio entre os goleiros da equipe era praticamente rotina, Rafael mudou esta rota. Inclusive, na estreia de Dorival Júnior, além do titular, somente Jandrei foi escalado para ser reserva – ressaltando que, com Ceni, sempre haviam duas opções no banco.
O perfil oficial do São Paulo publicou neste domingo (23) os bastidores da primeira vitória do Tricolor paulista na competição. Rafael falou sobre o desempenho e afirmou tratar o Tricolor como ‘o projeto da sua vida’.
Ao término do confronto no Morumbi, algo quase inédito desde a aposentadoria de Rogério Ceni aconteceu: um goleiro teve o nome gritado. Mesmo com os gols de Luciano, Calleri e Marcos Paulo, os quase 40 mil torcedores presentes entoaram um coro gritando o nome de Rafael. O jogador também comentou sobre este carinho por parte dos torcedores.
-Foi um dia muito especial, é difícil falar sobre a alegria. O São Paulo é o projeto da minha vida. Sentir o carinho da torcida foi especial demais e meu intuito aqui é sempre levar alegria para eles – disse o goleiro.
Agora, o São Paulo volta a campo nesta terça-feira (25), contra o Ituano. A partida será essencial para definir o futuro do Tricolor na Copa do Brasil, já que vem de um empate sem gols. É mais uma chance para Rafael se provar.
They might not be partaking in pre-season at the moment, but it would be fair to say that the mood around Chelsea at the moment is a positive one.
While the fans are still basking in Enzo Maresca’s side’s Club World Cup triumph, the board continue to make moves in the transfer window.
The Blues have already welcomed in a host of talented attacking players like Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Chelsea forward Joao Pedro
Yet, there is still seemingly more work to do, with Jorrel Hato the next player to come through the doors at Stamford Bridge, although if reports are to be believed, the club could risk spoiling some of their good work by making a Jadon Sancho-esque signing.
Chelsea target Sancho repeat
As things stand, it’s looking almost certain that the next player to join Chelsea will be Hato.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The young Ajax defender is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football, with 111 appearances to his name already.
His transfer has already been given the “here we go” treatment by Farbrizio Romano, who has also revealed that the final fee for him is around €40m, which is about £35m.
When it’s finally announced, it’ll be a massively exciting move, but there could be another transfer just on the horizon that doesn’t go down quite as well with fans.
At least that is according to journalist Alex Crook, who confirmed that Chelsea are still incredibly interested in Alejandro Garnacho.
In fact, he has revealed that the Blues are now “pushing for” the Manchester United ace this summer.
In terms of how much the Argentinian could end up costing the West Londoners, plenty of reports from earlier this summer have claimed that an offer of around £40m could be enough to get this deal done.
Garnacho might be a talented player, but this feels like a deal Chelsea do not need to do, especially as it could be another Sancho situation.
Why Garnacho could be another Sancho
Now then, it has to be said that Garnacho is clearly a talented prospect, as, even with United in their current state, a player doesn’t make 58 appearances in a season without having something about them.
Manchester United's AlejandroGarnachoreacts
However, before moving to Old Trafford, there was even more reason to think Sancho was going to be one of the future stars of English football, as in his final campaign with Borussia Dortmund, he racked up a sensational tally of 16 goals and 20 assists in just 38 games for the German giants.
Flash forward to today, and the former wonderkid has a pretty dire tally of 12 goals and six assists in 83 games for the Red Devils and a slightly better, but still poor, record of five goals and ten assists in 41 games for the Blues from last season.
Moreover, it’s not just that the 25-year-old underperformed on the pitch, but he also caused trouble off of it, getting into a public spat with former boss Erik ten Hag at the start of the 23/24 season, which ultimately saw him frozen out of the team for some time.
We’ve already seen that Garnacho has the same ability to cause trouble off the pitch as well, falling out in a rather spectacular way with Ruben Amorim at the end of last season, so much so that reports came out suggesting the manager told him he’d have to pray another side came in for him.
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho
Now, on the rare occasion, a club might put up with someone who could disrupt the dressing room if they can have a massive impact on the pitch, but for all the talent the “electric” ace has, as dubbed by Statman Dave, he’s not got enough of it to be worth the trouble.
For example, in his 58 appearances last season, the Madrid-born dynamo only scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to a rather underwhelming average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games.
Appearances
58
Minutes
3568′
Goals
11
Assists
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.36
Minutes per Goal Involvements
169.90′
That’s certainly not a bad rate of return, but it’s not a game-changing one either, nor is it one that would make up for the potentially destabilising behaviour that might come with it.
Ultimately, Garnacho is a good player, but that is about as much as we can say at the moment, and therefore, Chelsea should avoid bringing him to Stamford Bridge this summer, as he wouldn’t be worth the fee that could end up being a Sancho repeat.
More exciting than Hato: Chelsea close to agreement for "phenomenal" CF
The talented gem could be a superstar for Chelsea.
Despite the heavy spending Liverpool have completed this summer, Arne Slot’s backline looks rather light.
Aside from the 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, the latter of whom is being courted by Real Madrid, the Reds are short on centre-backs, having sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m in June.
But the Premier League champions are in fantastic shape after adding genuine firepower to their ranks. And that’s without even addressing the potential arrival of Alexander Isak.
But. The fact remains. Liverpool’s defensive line is rather light. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have both signed and are terrific talents, but centre-backs they are not.
And with Joe Gomez forced into leaving Liverpool’s pre-season tour in Asia due to injury, the need for more defensive depth has been accentuated.
Liverpool lining up Gomez replacement
In Gomez, Liverpool’s longest-serving first-team player, Slot has an invaluable asset. He is fiercely versatile, remarkably so, having won the 2019/20 Premier League title as Van Dijk’s central partner, having played plenty at right-back and sometimes on the left too.
Centre-back
117
–
2
Right-back
102
–
6
Left-back
33
–
2
Defensive midfield
2
–
–
But the 28-year-old has picked up a minor Achilles injury, meaning he might not be fit for the start of the season, having last featured for Liverpool in December due to sustaining a hamstring twinge.
Given that Gomez has been linked with a transfer away on several occasions over the past year too, it might not be unwise to push ahead and try and sign a long-term replacement.
Liverpool have been touted with a move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season, but there are no guarantees that they will get that one over the line, especially with Tottenham Hotspur showing a vested interest of their own.
As such, FSG have drawn up an alternative pick, and that man is Giovanni Leoni.
As per InterNews, the Parma centre-half, who is only 18, has been the subject of enquiries from Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham, though Inter Milan remain in the driving seat after their sustained efforts to sign him.
The talented defender may yet attract further suitors, so the time to act is now, and the Reds are said to be readying their bid. It’s mooted that he would cost something in the region of €35m (£30m).
Why Liverpool should sign Giovanni Leoni
It wouldn’t be the first time Liverpool have signed a young prospect from Serie A and nurtured them into a superstar. Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah are both defining features of this illustrious era on Merseyside, although both arrived as refined players.
Philippe Coutinho, however, was but a hatchling on the senior stage. Liverpool signed the Brazilian midfielder from Inter Milan for just £8.5m in January 2013, and he went on to score 54 goals and provide 44 assists across 201 matches before signing for Barcelona in an obscene £142m package in January 2018.
So began the glory days. You know how it goes.
Former Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho was a one-of-a-kind playmaker, so silky and special, but when he was first welcomed to Anfield as a 20-year-old, the promise was scattered and hazy. He required a hefty amount of fine-tuning.
Don’t worry, we haven’t lost our marbles. This is not advocacy of Leoni slotting into that number ten role, placing surgical passes through to the forwards with the finesse of a maestro in their pomp. This, instead, shines a light on Liverpool’s success in identifying and signing up-and-coming talents from the Italian game.
Napoli's Romelu Lukaku in action with Parma's GiovanniLeoni
And with sporting director Richard Hughes boasting a connection with the Italian scene, fluent in the language and well versed in the footballing culture, having begun his days as a professional with Atalanta in Serie A and spent time as an Italian football analyst, he’s likely on the money when drawing a conclusion that Leoni is a talent worth chasing.
And anyway, he’s not alone in his admiration. The suitors are piling up, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has said that he is “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe.”
His breakout season in the Serie A attests to that.
Matches (starts)
17 (14)
Goals
1
Assists
0
Touches*
46.9
Pass completion
89%
Key passes*
0.1
Ball recoveries*
2.0
Dribbles*
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
1.7
Clearances*
3.6
Duels (won)*
2.5 (61%)
Errors made
1
Leoni can, yes, be defined already by his all-encompassing grasp of the defensive game, as well as his dominance in defensive situations. The fact that he won 61% of his duels in the league last season suggests as such.
It’s a rather promising base, in any case. The scope for improvement is vast and exciting.
Just look at Coutinho. Liverpool remember him as a shining light through testing times, a magician who played a fundamental role in his golden era at Anfield.
But he was only a prospect when he first alighted in Liverpool, having scored once and started thrice in Italy across the half-season that preceded his transfer.
He soon found his footing. And Leoni could too. The young Italian defender would serve as Van Dijk and Konate’s understudy, and Gomez’s too, should the English star bounce back from his present injury.
It’s clear that Liverpool need to sign a centre-back, and in Leoni, they might just land themselves a star in the making.
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