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Tottenham hung on to a rather uninspired 0-0 draw away to Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday, but stellar goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario wasn’t their only shining light in France.

Vicario saves Tottenham with 10/10 display in European stalemate

Without doubt, Spurs’ number one, who’s come under fire recently for his handling of crosses into the box, was Thomas Frank’s saviour against the Ligue 1 side.

Monaco ended the 90 minutes with a whopping 21 shots on goal and threatened to break the deadlock constantly, and if not for Vicario’s heroics in the Lilywhites goal, Spurs would’ve almost certainly tasted their first European defeat of the campaign.

The home side had chance after chance to win the game, and ex-Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun will still be wondering how he didn’t notch at least one strike in the first-half alone.

Monaco 0-0 Tottenham – Champions League

Monaco

Team Stats

Tottenham

21

Shots

10

9

Shots on target

4

50%

Possession

50%

399

Passes

328

91%

Pass accuracy

89%

13

Fouls

12

0

Yellow cards

1

0

Red cards

0

1

Offsides

1

5

Corners

4

Alas, Monaco’s nine attempts on target were all saved by Vicario, with the Italian undoubtedly enjoying one of his best games for the club during what was a night to forget overall for the north Londoners.

Spurs were without captain Cristian Romero – one of 10 players unavailable – and Frank again shuffled his pack with £52 million playmaker Xavi Simons only on the bench and Archie Gray surprisingly recalled at left-back.

Gray was quickly involved, blocking an effort by the excellent Maghnes Akliouche before Vicario saved from Balogun, and Tottenham’s makeshift full-back then intercepted Ansu Fati’s pass after a dangerous run.

The visitors threatened for the first time after 20 minutes when Wilson Odobert clipped a ball in for stand-in captain Micky van de Ven, but he could only head over under pressure.

It was then Vicario’s turn to step up as he clawed away a dangerous cross by Akliouche before Balogun peeled off van de Ven, but the Spurs goalkeeper raced out to block bravely.

Seconds later, Odobert slipped in Richarlison, who had a left-footed shot thwarted by Mohammed Salisu.

However, Tottenham were indebted to Vicario again in the 36th minute. Balogun again found space and was picked out by Mamadou Coulibaly, but the Italian keeper brilliantly parried away Balogun’s curled shot from 12 yards.

It remained goalless at the break after Kevin Danso sent over a corner by Kudus – not long after, he headed straight at Philipp Kohn, but he was subsequently penalised for a foul.

Akliouche put Joao Palhinha on his backside at the start of the second half only to scuff his effort straight at Vicario before Odobert cut inside and had a shot deflected over by Kehrer.

Monaco remained on top and Vicario pushed wide a shot by substitute Aleksandr Golovin before he scrambled across his goal and looked mightily relived when Kehrer headed past the post from a Fati cross.

Vicario’s next heroics came in the 75th minute when Caio Henrique’s cross found Jordan Teze and yet his close-range header was superbly blocked by Spurs’ busy goalkeeper.

Takumi Minamino squandered another golden opportunity with seven minutes left when he blazed over from Balogun’s cut-back. When Spurs did finally fashion a chance late on, substitute Brennan Johnson’s effort was blocked by Christian Mawissa, and it finished goalless.

Media praise Wilson Odobert after "best game" for Tottenham against Monaco

While Vicario has grabbed all the headlines with Tottenham’s creativity letting them down yet again, members of the media did lavish Odobert after his fine performance at the Stade Louis II.

The 20-year-old, who was unfortunately forced off through injury midway through the second period, looked like Spurs’ brightest attacking player and created more chances in the first-half than all of his teammates combined.

Odobert earned plaudits as a result of his direct and forward-thinking play in the first period, with the former Burnley star threatening down Spurs’ left-hand side and injecting some much-needed pace into the game at times.

Podcasters Seb Martin, Ben Bowman and Jonny Blain were among the media figures to point this out, while journalists Matt Verri and Jack Pitt-Brooke also found time to praise the Frenchman.

Reporter Mitch Fretton joined in on the act as well, claiming Odobert looked “absolutely excellent” against Monaco, but regrettably for Frank’s side, Vicario and the forward’s performances were as good as it got.

Now, Frank is sweating on the fitness of Odobert, praying that the attacker’s injury isn’t a serious one.

He had just started repaying the Tottenham manager’s faith after four successive starts in all competitions, so a lengthy lay-off would be unbelievable bad luck.

تصدى عمر عبد العزيز حارس مرمى منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، لركلة جزاء من لاعب منتخب إنجلترا، في المباراة التي تجمع بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات دور المجموعات بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا. 

ويواجه منتخب مصر، نظيره منتخب إنجلترا، في الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، على ملعب إسباير زون بالدوحة. 

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعادل في الجولة الماضية مع منتخب فنزويلا بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا. 

طالع.. فيديو | ريجان هيسكي يسجل هدف إنجلترا الثاني أمام مصر

وأهدر منتخب إنجلترا ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 65 من عمر الشوط الثاني، بعد تألق عمر عبد العزيز حارس مرمى الفراعنة ليتصدى لها على مرتين من ريجان ريسكي لاعب المنتخب الإنجليزي

وتشير النتيجة إلى تقدم منتخب إنجلترا على منتخب مصر بهدفين دون رد، أحرزهما ريجان ريسكي لاعب المنتخب الإنجليزي في الدقيقتين 14 ، و54 على الترتيب. 

يذكر أن منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، يقع في المجموعة الخامسة رفقة منتخبات فنزويلا وهايتي وإنجلترا. ركلة جزاء منتخب إنجلترا أمام منتخب مصر المهدرة 

Despite his solid performance, he was unhappy not finishing the game off

Firdose Moonda14-Jul-2025

File photo – Rubin Hermann top scored with 45 on his T20I debut•SA20

Most batters would be satisfied with top-scoring in their first international match, especially if their team went on to win the game. Rubin Hermann, who made 45 in South Africa’s winning chase of 142 against Zimbabwe, was not.”I was a bit more irritated that I left 12 runs on the table before I could actually shake hands with the guys and say I’ll pull the stumps out and end this game,” Hermann said at the post-match conference. That was effectively my role – just to be there at the end. So I was disappointed I couldn’t do that but maybe I am just nitpicking. Probably anyone would have taken that. But I want to be a guy to win games for South Africa, and I should have been there at the end.”Related

A tri-series of transitions for SA, NZ and Zimbabwe

Linde, Brevis and debutant Hermann star as SA beat Zimbabwe in tri-series opener

More irritated because he was actually asked if he was disappointed that he didn’t get a half-century in his maiden outing but, as has been the theme for South Africa on this tour, the landmark didn’t matter as much as collective cause. “It’s disappointing to fall five runs short of a milestone but that’s just an added bonus,” Hermann said. “It’s not a focus of mine to maybe have personal achievements in that regard.”His words echo those of stand-in Test captain Wiaan Mulder, who last week declared South Africa’s innings closed on 626 for 5 in the second Test. He was on 367*, 34 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s world-record as the player with the highest individual Test score. Afterwards, Mulder explained that he felt the record should be, “left to the legends,” and he stuck to that line even when he revealed that Lara himself later told him he should have gone on to better Lara’s score of 400. Mulder’s broader explanation was about putting the team’s goals before his own and that seems to be the South African way under Shukri Conrad, who has taken over all formats.Hermann said he has “fit into the environment quite easily,” and understands exactly what is expected of him. “It’s a holistic picture coming from the Proteas all the way down to domestic cricketers, which made the step up a lot better, because I knew what I did to get me here was what they’re looking for,” he said. “It’s not a situation where you have to go and impress anyone, you just have to be yourself because they’ve selected you for you and because you fit the brand they want to play.”In Hermann, who finished fifth on the overall SA20 run-scorers’ list earlier this year, where he played for the Paarl Royals, South Africa are looking for an attacking top-order player who also has the ability to rebuild an innings. Hermann found himself doing that on occasion for the Royals, especially in situations where Lhuan-dre Pretorius did not come off and once Joe Root had left the campaign. His experience in that tournament helped him when he found himself called on with South Africa 17 for 2 against Zimbabwe and in need of stabilising.”I was quite fortunately, or unfortunately possibly, in that role quite a lot in SA20, so I’m quite comfortable playing that role. I really do enjoy the pressure situations where we have to take control of the game again, and I was glad I could do it again today,” he said. “I know if I just give myself a chance, I’ll catch up with my strike rates in any game.”Hermann had 17 runs from the first 20 balls he faced, which included a four and a six, but then went on to take a hat-trick of fours off Wellington Masakadza. He had 30 from 25 balls and finished on 45 from 37 balls, a strike-rate of 121.62. By the time he was dismissed, South Africa were two shots away from victory, which speaks to the way in which he changed the complexion of the innings. Instead of seeing himself as being under scrutiny to perform, he analysed the situation as an opportunity to show what he can do.”It’s an absolute pleasure and privilege. I don’t see any tournament or any innings I play now as pressure. Obviously there’s expectation, but expectation and pressure are two different things,” he said. “There’s always expectation to perform and obviously it’s just more highlighted here. “I’ve had a longer journey than most. I’m very thankful because it built certain characteristics in my game and maybe some mental resilience that will stand me in good stead. This is the first step. I hope there’s another couple more steps to go and I can have a decently long career playing for South Africa.”At 28, Hermann has been active in the South African domestic system for the last eight years and has played for three different teams – Northerns (and the Titans), Mpumalanga and North West. He had his breakthrough season with the Paarl Royals, where he averaged 41.62 and is now among the national plans as South Africa build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup.

MatériaMais Notícias

Autor do gol que selou o empate do Corinthians no empate no último lance com o América-MG, Giuliano admitiu que a equipe estava nervosa dentro de campo após sair perdendo em casa, mas valorizou o ponto conquistado dadas as circunstâncias apresentadas pelo Coelho em Itaquera, que jogou com linha de cinco na defesa e dificultou a vida do Timão.

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– Estava esperando essa oportunidade, entrei algumas vezes na área e a bola estava passando perto. Na última bola do jogo, consegui completar o cruzamento do Gil e fazer o gol que nos dá um ponto. Não era o resultado que a gente queria, mas dos males o menor, conseguimos o empate no finalzinho em um jogo extremamente difícil, contra o último colocado, mas dentro de campo isso não se refletiu. Uma equipe que jogou fechada, defendeu muito, a gente teve mais volume, controle, mas quando sai atrás no placar começa a acelerar as jogadas, comete erros, faz com que a equipe fique nervosa. A gente teve dificuldades para criar mais situações, mas no fim conseguimos o empate, um ponto – disse Giuliano ao Sportv.

Questionado sobre o rendimento do Corinthians, que convive desde o início do Brasileirão com a ameaça do rebaixamento, Giuliano reconheceu o mau momento do Timão, mas o meia vê margem de crescimento na reta final da temporada.

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– É um momento desconfortável na tabela, não conseguimos ter uma sequência de bons jogos e resultados. Ano muito difícil para nós, hoje tivemos dificuldades pelo adversário que se defendeu em linha de cinco, no segundo tempo eles estiveram praticamente com nove jogadores dentro da área. Faltou capricho na parte final, nos cruzamentos, mas é um caminho que estamos percorrendo. Não é fácil, jogar no Corinthians tem um peso grande, seguimos trabalhando, pois quarta tem outro jogo – concluiu Giuliano

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O Corinthians volta a campo pelo Brasileirão na quarta-feira (25), quando enfrenta o Cuiabá, fora de casa. O Timão possui 33 pontos e está três acima do Vasco, primeiro time dentro da zona do rebaixamento.

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يستعد منتخب السعودية تحت 17 عامًا، لمواجهة نظيره نيوزيلندا، ضمن منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، في الدوحة. 

وكان منتخب السعودية تحت 17 عامًا، قد خسر في الجولة الماضية أمام النمسا بهدف دون رد، بينما منتخب نيوزيلندا قد خسر من مالي بثلاثية نظيفة. 

ويقع منتخب السعودية تحت 17 عامًا في المجموعة الـ12 من مجموعات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، رفقة منتخبات مالي والنمسا ونيوزيلندا. 

طالع.. موعد مباراة مصر القادمة في كأس العالم تحت 17 عاما بعد التعادل مع فنزويلا

ويحتل منتخب السعودية تحت 17 عامًا، المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب المجموعة بدون أي رصيد من النقاط، بعد الخسارة في الجولة الماضية أمام النمسا.  موعد مباراة السعودية ونيوزيلندا اليوم في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا

ومن المقرر أن يواجه منتخب السعودية نظيره منتخب نيوزيلندا، في تمام الساعة السادسة إلا ربع بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة إلا ربع بتوقيت السعودية، على ملعب اسباير زون بالدوحة.  القناة الناقلة لمباراة السعودية ونيوزيلندا في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا 

وسوف تذاع مباراة منتخب السعودية تحت 17 عامًا ومنتخب نيوزيلندا على قناة beinsporthd، الراعي الحصري لبطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Jordan Cox makes 132, Matt Critchley 123 as Essex reach 475 for 9 before bad light, rain steal 28 overs

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Jul-2025

Matt Critchley turns the ball leg side•PA Photos/Getty Images

Essex 475 for 9 (Cox 132, Critchley 123) lead Sussex 204 by 271 runsHundreds by Jordan Cox and Matt Critchley strengthened Essex’s position on the second day against Sussex at Hove.Cox made 132 and Critchley 123 as Essex reached 475 for 9 before bad light and rain took 28 overs off the day’s allocation after tea.Sussex haven’t lost a home game in the Rothesay County Championship since May 2022 but will be hard pressed to maintain that record after Essex stretched their lead to 271.That was largely down to Cox and Critchley, who put on 184 in 43 overs in the first half of the day.Cox made 139 not out last week against Hampshire in the Vitality Blast and showed similar form against the red ball here, hitting 23 fours in his tenth first-class century – the second fifty of which came off 53 balls.Sussex’s seam attack struggled in the absence of the rested Ollie Robinson, and with the Kookaburra ball offering little assistance skipper John Simpson soon adopted a containment strategy by rotating his attack in short spells in search of a breakthrough.But with a temptingly short boundary on the pavilion side it was hard to contain Cox and Critchley, who offered one half-chance on 27 when Gurinder Sandhu got one hand on the ball at long on but couldn’t cling onto a very difficult opportunity.Cox reached his century by reverse-sweeping Jack Carson to the boundary as 149 runs came before lunch. Sussex desperately needed to break through with the second new ball and they did so when it was five overs old. Cox launched into a full-blooded drive at Sandhu and second slip James Coles parried the edge into the air and Tom Alsop dived full length at first slip to take the catch.Critchley also lodged his tenth first-class hundred of his career, which he reached in the 89th over when he ran a delivery from Ari Karvelas down to third. As well as 12 fours he also hit five leg-side sixes in 175 balls.He departed after a smart piece of work by Fynn Hudson-Prentice at mid-on who ran him out with a direct hit after Critchley had been called through for a quick single by Michael Pepper.When Noah Thain had his middle stump plucked out of the ground by Sandhu with the next ball there was brief respite for Sussex.Rain and thunderstorms arrived at tea and when the players returned at 5.50pm Pepper (44) got a thin edge to the fourth ball after the resumption from Hudson-Prentice, who then had Khaleel Ahmed caught on the boundary before bad light forced an early close with Essex in control.

MatériaMais Notícias

ABC e Mirassol se enfrentam na terça-feira (10) pela 32ª rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. O jogo acontecerá às 21h30 (de Brasília), no estádio Frasqueirão.

RelacionadasNotíciasSérie B: como foram os últimos jogos entre ABC e Mirassol?Notícias09/10/2023DicasABC x Mirassol: odds, estatísticas e informações do jogo da 32ª rodada da Série BDicas09/10/2023Futebol NacionalEm noite inspirada de goleiro, Chapecoense e ABC empatam e seguem na zona de rebaixamento da Série BFutebol Nacional05/10/2023

O ABC está em último lugar na tabela da competição, com apenas 20 pontos somados. A equipe enxerga a partida como uma oportunidade de se afastar da lanterna.

Enquanto isso, o Mirassol está na oitava colocação, com 49 pontos somados. A expectativa é chegar mais perto ainda do G4 e tentar o acesso para a série A da competição.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

FICHA TÉCNICA
ABC x MIRASSOL
SÉRIE B

Data e horário: 10 de outubro de 2023, às 21h30
Local: Frasqueirão, em Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

New Rangers manager Danny Rohl would no doubt love to make new signings in the January transfer window, but will he get his wish?

Rohl bullish ahead of Kilmarnock clash

It hasn’t been a happy start to life at Ibrox for Rohl, whose Gers side lost 3-0 away to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night, in his first game in charge.

Despite this, the German is still in positive spirits heading into Sunday’s crucial Scottish Premiership clash at home to Kilmarnock, telling reporters that there is plenty of “potential” in his team.

“I see a lot of potential, what we have to improve. I think this is very important to understand, and this is what I told my players as well. I want to see that every individual player tried everything to make this step forward, and this is my job. I took this job over to develop them and improve them, and we have to do it as individuals but also as a group, and there are a lot of things we can do.

“I think it’s hard work what we have to do, when I look to the next opponent we will have again a big team, but it’s about the turnaround, and for me the next game is the important one, and this is now on Sunday. As I said at the beginning, for me at the moment to have a long-term view makes no sense.

“We have games every three days and that means we have to win, and for this I will help my players, my group, my coaches, and then we go forward.”

Rohl will want to bring in players to suit his style of play as soon as possible, and previous reports have suggested Cavenagh will back Rangers with money to spend in the winter window.

Rangers January transfer kitty revealed

According to Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke, that is not the case. He claims Rohl is unlikely to have money to spend at Rangers in January due to the backing that 49ers Enterprises gave Russell Martin in the summer, despite the fact 49ers Enterprises would “love” to splash out.

“The 49ers group at Rangers would love to back Danny Rohl, but they did have a big summer. Let’s not forget about that. They had a £20million net spend and brought in a number of new signings for Russell Martin and a lot of them failed to impress.

“So I don’t think there’s a lot of money left in the transfer coffers for Danny Rohl. And I’m sure he’s well aware of that. I don’t think he’d be expecting huge transfer funds to be made available for him January.”

This won’t be music to the ears of Rangers supporters, who will be desperate to see Rohl backed as much as possible early in his reign. That said, it is important that the Gers don’t spend recklessly, especially while Kevin Thelwell is at the helm, given the former Everton chief has shown himself to be poor in terms of recruitment.

Related Keith Jackson shares what he’s "heard" from Rangers on Thelwell’s Ibrox position

Does the sporting director have a future at Ibrox?

Posts ByHenry Jackson Oct 24, 2025

It is up to the current players to improve dramatically, rather than the manager simply always taking the blame, and their new boss will hopefully get far more out of them than Martin did.

Over time, we have seen some iconic central defenders come and go, with Italy especially having the knack of producing some of the greatest centre-backs football has ever witnessed.

From Paolo Maldini to Franco Baresi, Gli Azzurri have had some of the best, but who ranks at the top as the premier centre-back?

Related The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Here is a look at 20 of the greatest central defenders in footballing history, factoring in their longevity, consistency at the highest level, while also highlighting team and personal accolades.

20 Greatest Centre-Backs of All Time

Rank

Name

Country

1

Franz Beckenbauer

Germany

2

Franco Baresi

Italy

3

Bobby Moore

England

4

Paolo Maldini

Italy

5

Gaetano Scirea

Italy

6

Daniel Passarella

Argentina

7

Sergio Ramos

Spain

8

John Terry

England

9

Alessandro Nesta

Italy

10

Fabio Cannavaro

Italy

11

Carles Puyol

Spain

12

Virgil van Dijk

Netherlands

13

Marcel Desailly

France

14

​​​Lilian Thuram

France

15

Ronald Koeman

Netherlands

16

Jaap Stam

Netherlands

17

Rio Ferdinand

England

18

Thiago Silva

Brazil

19

Giorgio Chiellini

Italy

20

Fernando Hierro

Spain

20 Fernando Hierro

Starting the countdown is Fernando Hierro, who made more than 600 appearances for Real Madrid during a 14-year stint at the Bernabeu.

Even capable of playing in a defensive midfield role if required, Hierro had unbelievable ability on the ball for a centre-back, something which helped him play in the Premier League at the age of 39. The Spaniard won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with Madrid.

19 Giorgio Chiellini

One of numerous Italians on the list is Giorgio Chiellini, who retired in 2023 at the age of 39 after a glittering 23-year career.

A no-nonsense defender with his aggressive, physical, and tenacious approach, Chiellini proved that an old-fashioned defender can still star in the modern game.

He spent 18 years with Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles and the European Championships with Italy.

18 Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva is one of those defenders who got better with age, starring in Italy, France and England with AC Milan, PSG and Chelsea.

A Champions League winner, Silva was an exceptional reader of the game and made defending at the highest level look incredible easy, while also having brilliant passing vision.

Nicknamed the ‘monster’ due to his imposing playing style, Silva possesses much more quality than just his physical ability.

17 Rio Ferdinand

Compared to Pele by a youth coach at just 11 years of age, Rio Ferdinand transformed into one of England’s best ever centre-backs across a 19-year career.

Quick and agile in his prime, Ferdinand was an extremely composed centre-back and great reader of the game.

Inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, he won six top flight titles with Man Utd, while also captaining Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to Champions League glory in 2008.

16 Jaap Stam

Another iconic Red Devils centre-back was Jaap Stam, however, his stay at Man Utd was much shorter and his exit was a decision Ferguson regretted the most in his career.

A powerful defender in the air and quick across the grass, Stam was named as the Dutch Player of the Year in 1997 and also won the Champions League at Old Trafford.

15 Ronald Koeman

Continuing the Netherlands theme takes us to Ronald Koeman, who is the greatest goalscoring central defender the game has seen.

Incredibly, Koeman scored more than 250 goals during his career, impressing with his long-range shooting, free kick ability and reliability as a penalty taker.

A European Cup winner with PSV and Barcelona, Koeman, who sometimes played in midfield, was even the Champions League top scorer in 1994, and his defensive attributes were also world-class.

14 ​​​Lilian Thuram

​​​Lilian Thuram saved his only two France goals for the biggest stage, a World Cup semi final win over Croatia in 1998.

Known as an incredibly athletic defender in his prime, Thuram, who can also be considered one of football’s greatest ever right-backs, also starred centrally during a 17-year career which saw him star for Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona.

Thuram won the World Cup and Euros and was named France’s Player of the Year in 1997.

13 Marcel Desailly

Nicknamed The Rock, Marcel Desailly starred for France across 11 years, helping his country win the World Cup in 1998 and then the Euros in 2000 alongside Thuram.

He was named in the team of the tournaments for both of those triumphs, and at club level, Desailly starred for Nantes, AC Milan and Chelsea.

A versatile centre-back who led by example, Desailly improved any side he went into and arguably went under the radar during his career.

12 Virgil van Dijk

Arguably the best centre-back in world football since his move to Liverpool in 2018, Virgil van Dijk has helped transform the Reds into winners again.

Van Dijk has it all and makes defending look incredibly easy at the highest level. Physical presence, speed, ability on the ball, world-class attackers have struggled to get past the Dutchman on a regular basis.

One of the most expensive centre-backs in history, Van Dijk has been worth every penny of the £75m Liverpool spent.

11 Carles Puyol

A Barcelona and Spain legend, Carles Puyol won everything for club and country and was a part of the most dominant sides the game has ever seen.

Under Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp, Puyol captained Barcelona to La Liga and Champions League glory, while with Spain, he won the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup.

He was named UEFA’s Defender of the Year in 2006 and in the World XI Team of the 21st Century.

Defending champions now have a keen interest in Tuesday’s match between Superchargers and Originals

ECB Media25-Aug-2025

A fine all-round display saw victory achieved with 38 balls to spare•Getty Images

With progress to the next stage in play at a sun-kissed Kia Oval and The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday looming on the horizon, London Spirit completed a brilliant derby demolition by eight wickets.Spirit needed to win this, their final game, and hope Manchester Originals lose to Northern Superchargers tomorrow to avoid progress coming down to net run-rate. But having romped home with so much to spare, their qualification now looks almost assured.Put in to bat, Invincibles started steadily if not spectacularly, Meg Lanning and Paige Scholfield ambling to 23 off the Powerplay before a brace of boundaries by Lanning (19 from 20) from Sarah Glenn and a huge six from Scholfield off Issy Wong got the home side moving.Charlie Dean then made the breakthough, having Lanning caught and bowled while conceding just three from her first ten. Scholfield (22 from 21) followed soon after as Spirit took all the pace off the ball. At halfway Invincibles were an underwhelming 56 for 2.After one straight six, Alice Capsey (11 from 9) holed out, and Spirit spinners kept a lid on things, Marizanne Kapp (32 from 25) the only batter to break the shackles before her innings was ended by a stunning one-handed catch from Dean, who then bowled the last five to finish with an exceptional 2 for 12 from her 20 balls, the same figures as Eva Gray, as Invincibles ended on 108 for 8.With a run rate-boosting win in mind, Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne came out hard, Chathli in particular taking the attack to her former team with the Powerplay bringing a season-high 47 without loss, her own contribution being 35 off 16.The two continued past Spirit’s highest opening partnership of the season – and ended up with the team’s highest for any wicket – Chathli going to a 26-ball half century with a majestic straight six. An eight-wicket win came soon after, with 38 balls left unused. Redmayne departed with just three needed, having made an excellent 42 off 30, and Chathli followed one run later for 53 off 29, but it was much too little, much too late for Invincibles.Talking about her wonder catch, Meerkat Match Hero Charlie Dean said: “I should have been on the ring! But I managed to time my jump and hung on.”That was an impressive victory. We went out wanting to bounce back and to win by a margin like that… we did not discuss too much about NRR but the way we went about that, it was fantastic. Kira has been brilliant. At the top of the order, trying to punch first”We have a rest day and hope for the best. We have done everything to put ourselves in the best position to qualify so it’s fingers crossed.”