أعلن حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، التشكيل الرسمي لمواجهة الإمارات، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات كأس العرب 2025.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع الإمارات، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب المقامة في قطر.

وتنطلق المباراة، في تمام الساعة 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، وتنقل عبر قنوات “إم بي سي مصر 2 وقناة الكأس وقناة بي إن سبورت المفتوحة بالإضافة إلي قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية”.

ويلعب منتخب مصر المباراة، وهدفه تحقيق الفوز من أجل الاقتراب من التأهل إلى الدور القادم لمنافسات كأس العرب، بعدما كان قد تعادل في لقاء الجولة الأولى أمام الكويت.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر، حاليًا في المركز الثاني من المجموعة الثالثة برصيد نقطة، بينما يتصدر الترتيب منتخب الأردن برصيد 6 نقاط حاسمًا التأهل من المجموعة قبل لقاء الجولة الختامية.

ويقود هجوم الفراعنة ثلاثي هجومي، بقيادة مصطفي سعد ميسي ومعه ومروان حمدي وإسلام عيسي.

طالع | بدلاء منتخب مصر أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب 2025 تشكيل منتخب مصر اليوم أمام الإمارات

حراسة المرمي: محمد بسام.

خط الدفاع: أكرم توفيق – رجب نبيل – ياسين مرعي – يحيى زكريا.

خط الوسط: محمد النني – غنام محمد – عمرو السولية.

خط الهجوم: مصطفى سعد “ميسي” – مروان حمدي – إسلام عيسى.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos entra em campo na noite desta segunda-feira (3), às 20h, no Estádio do Café, em Londrina, para enfrentar o Botafogo-SP, pela oitava rodada da Série B do Brasileirão. Para esta partida, o volante João Schmidt está com o elenco, mas segue como dúvida.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Santos no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Peixe

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

O jogador realizou um tratamento intensivo no CT Rei Pelé na tentativa de retornar a campo o mais rápido possível e, apesar de ter trabalhado até durante a folga, não treinou com o restante do elenco e, portanto, sua presença entre os titulares é incerta.

A provável escalação do Peixe tem: Gabriel Brazão; JP Chermont, Gil, Joaquim e Escobar; Tomás Rincón, Diego Pituca e Giuliano; Weslley Patati, Otero e Willian Bigode.

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O Peixe tem 15 pontos e busca a vitória para reassumir a liderança da competição, assumida pelo Goiás que já entrou em campo nesta rodada e tem 17 pontos. O time de Carille tem cinco vitórias e duas derrotas até aqui. Além disso, marcou 15 gols e sofreu cinco.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFutebol NacionalSantosSérie B

Liverpool have been plugging away under Arne Slot’s management in recent weeks, looking to recover their title-winning form from last season.

And while the Reds have made a measure of progress after that abject Anfield defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, winning at West Ham before recovering to seal a draw against Sunderland, much more is needed.

Despite a summer of heavy spending, it’s clear that there are gaping holes in Slot’s squad, with the backline beyond fragile and the motley group of elite forwards lacking synergy and understanding.

Sporting director Richard Hughes will be rolling up his sleeves as the January transfer window inches closer.

Liverpool's winter transfer plans

Without a doubt, Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo’s names have been touted at the highest frequency this season, and it’s understood that Semenyo could be at the very top of the list after FSG decided against directly replacing Luis Diaz in August.

However, Semenyo’s £65m price tag and the growing interest from Premier League rivals such as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur suggests FSG would be wise to keep their book of options open.

And they have. According to Spanish sources, Barcelona have been left disgruntled in their bid to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig following rising interest from Liverpool and Spurs.

Leipzig value the 19-year-old winger at €90m (about £78m), and after holding talks with the Bundesliga outfit, Liverpool and Tottenham are primed to make official offers this winter.

Why Liverpool should sign Yan Diomande

Though Cody Gakpo has come under flak for his performances this season, he has still scored four goals and provided three assists across 12 Premier League starts.

Semenyo would jockey with the Dutchman for a place on the left flank, but signing Diomande might actually be the more providential move for Liverpool as a whole, bringing back Diaz’s electric pace and energy while establishing a duality of option that could see both players thrive.

And anyway, Diomande might be a work in progress at the moment, but the teenager has the potential to become a superstar, with coach Harry Brook calling him an “explosive and well-rounded athlete” who will soon be “worth £100m plus”.

Antoine Semenyo vs Yan Diomande (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Semenyo

Diomande

Goals scored

0.36

0.36

Assists

0.20

0.21

Shots taken

2.73

2.08

Shot-creating actions

3.57

5.23

Touches (att pen)

4.87

7.16

Pass completion (%)

72.9

81.2

Progressive passes

3.48

3.44

Progressive carries

3.79

6.66

Successful take-ons

1.78

4.01

Ball recoveries

4.46

6.01

Tackles + interceptions

1.87

2.72

Data via FBref

Semenyo might be one of the Premier League’s most dangerous wide forwards, but the data certainly suggests that Diomande has what it takes to supersede him in the power rankings, should he move to Liverpool in 2026.

Already, he is more active and incisive across ball-carrying and -playing metrics, and in the Bundesliga this term, the two-sided winger has notched three goals and two assists from only eight starts, averaging 2.8 dribbles and winning 4.2 duels per fixture (as per Sofascore).

The Ghana international has been in red-hot form in the Premier League this season and he’s a big-game player besides, but he has gone more than two months without a goal contribution and there’s a compelling case to be made that Diomande could grow into a greater player.

Slot needs to consider the balance and fluency of his outfit as a whole, and this could be a deal to enhance that and then some, allowing the likes of Gakpo to continue to earn opportunities while adding depth and, more importantly, elite quality.

That is not to discredit Semenyo’s talent. The Cherries star is a fantastic, Prem-proven forward. It merely underlines the calibre of player Diomande may well become.

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Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Richarlison added to his impressive Premier League season so far with a goal against Brentford on Saturday.

The Brazilian marksman scored his sixth league goal of the campaign, in his ninth start, by tapping the ball into an empty net from Xavi Simons’ ball to the back post.

Richarlison, signed from Everton for £60m in 2022, is starting to show that he can be relied upon in the final third, but the same cannot be said of Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs eyeing new move for striker target

Now, the club are reportedly looking at a deal for another number nine who could come in as an instant upgrade on the PSG loanee next month.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are readying a new move to sign Crystal Palace centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Lilywhites are looking to take advantage of his stalling contract talks with the Eagles to swoop for him ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that Spurs made a “cheeky” offer to sign the France international to bolster their squad in the summer, and now they are lining up another attempt to bring him to North London.

Football Insider reveals that his contract discussions with Palace have reached a deadlock, which has opened the door for Thomas Frank and Fabio Paratici to swoop.

Why Spurs should sign Mateta

Spurs should push to sign Mateta from the Eagles because he would come in as an upgrade on Kolo Muani, who has been disappointing this season.

The Lilywhites signed the France international on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window, with no option or obligation to buy included.

Tottenham may be glad that they did not include an obligation to make the deal permanent because his form in the Premier League so far this season has not been good enough.

Kolo Muani has scored no goals, missed three ‘big chances’, and failed to assist any goals in eight appearances and six starts in the top-flight, per Sofascore, for Spurs, which shows that he has not offered enough in the final third.

Meanwhile, Mateta has scored nine goals in all competitions for Crystal Palace, per Sofascore, including a return of seven goals in 14 outings in the Premier League.

As well as offering more of a threat in front of goal than Kolo Muani, his international teammate also offers more to the team as a physical presence in the centre-forward position.

Appearances

15

8

Shots on target per game

1.5

0.1

Goals

7

0

Assists

0

0

Ground duel success rate

41%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

37%

Duels won per game

4.1

3.2

As you can see in the table above, Mateta is better in his physical duels, holding the ball up for the team and scrapping to keep possession, whilst also being a superior goalscorer.

Journalist Rory Smith said the striker is “like original Ronaldo” last year, as he started tucking in his shirt to give himself the classic centre-forward look, which is still the case in the present day, and his goalscoring record backs up such a comparison.

The 28-year-old marksman scored 17 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign and 19 goals in the 2023/24 season, per Sofascore, proving why, in the words of Como scout Ben Mattinson, he is “one of the best strikers in the Premier League.”

He is a prolific scorer, like the legendary Brazilian who scored 318 club career goals (Transfermarkt), who rocks the classic tucked-in shirt with style and substance, which could make him a real fan favourite in North London.

With Kolo Muani struggling for form in the Premier League and due to return to PSG at the end of the season, signing a proven Premier League star in the prime of his career could be a brilliant move by Paratici to provide Richarlison with competition in the number nine position.

So, if a January deal is viable, Spurs should push to get a deal done for the French powerhouse, who has the quality to be a difference-maker with the goal threat that he can offer in the second half of the season and beyond.

Spurs star now a doubt for Prague after limping out of the stadium on Saturday

Spurs have been handed an injury blow.

ByMatt Dawson 5 days ago

Steven Smith will enter the Ashes averaging more than 100 for the summer, after his half-century couldn’t save New South Wales from a 300-run Sheffield Shield defeat to Victoria who made it four wins from four.On a dramatic third day at the SCG where both Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott left the ground for hamstring scans, NSW were all out for 125 chasing 425 for victory.Related

• Starc fires up after search for rhythm but Handscomb hits 'special' hundred

• Hazlewood cleared of injury, Abbott out of first Test after hamstring scans

• Webster bags eight for the match but Tasmania lose to South Australia

Hazlewood has since been cleared for the first Test but Abbott is out of contention, with their issues just nine days out from Ashes opener in Perth overshadowing NSW’s woes.But by the end of Wednesday, NSW had still been convincingly beaten inside three days, after being bowled out twice in a combined 89.3 overs for the match.Sam Elliott picked up three wickets for Victoria to go with his maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings, while Fergus O’Neill bowled well for his 2 for 22.But what can’t be denied is the form Smith will enter next week’s first Test in, as he prepares to captain Australia in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins.Smith’s unbeaten 56 on Wednesday means he now has scores of 118, 57 and 56 not out to start the summer for NSW after returning from an extended holiday in America.While he flourished with the drive in the first innings on Tuesday, the bulk of his runs came square of the wicket and behind it as he played a lone hand on Wednesday.There was still one big six down the ground off Todd Murphy, when he lifted the fingerspinner over long off.But while Smith again looked in good shape, Sam Konstas’s 27 in the fourth innings made him the only other NSW batter to pass 20 in the match. On a pitch with plenty of variable bounce, six batters were either bowled or trapped lbwEarlier, Abbott took three wickets in six balls before suffering his injury at the end of a five-over spell. The seamer bowled Todd Murphy and Peter Handscomb in the same over, before Oliver Peake edged a ball back onto his own stumps in Abbott’s next over.Hazlewood also had Sam Harper caught on the pull shot, before reporting some tightness to Smith and leaving the field for scans.”Coming into this game, we knew it was going to be a big challenge,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said.  “It’s almost one of those games where you’re playing against a bit of a superstar team. If you lose, that’s okay. It could be a good health check to see where you are.”But to come out and play with such a dominant performance, I think it gives our changing room such a lift.”

Playing for England wasn’t always a goal but she soon realised “pace, swing and bounce” were her true calling

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2025For Lauren Bell, cricket just happened. Naturally athletic and competitive, she dabbled in multiple sports for the fun of it while growing up. A lot of football and a little bit of cricket. Playing for England wasn’t always a goal. It just happened.”If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with the shin pads on,” Bell tells ESPNcricinfo in Guwahati. “My grandad always brought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden doing football. Like kids spend their time doing different things, what I found fun was playing sports.”Bell played for Reading FC from when she was eight. She also played cricket at the time, and her parents took her to training for both sports. It was in 2017, after the second edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), that Southern Vipers offered 16-year-old Bell a contract for their winter training programme and to then play for them in the summer. Training was on Saturday mornings, the same time as her football games.”My parents were like, you need to choose because we can’t physically get to these two places,” Bell says. “That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”Related

• Sciver-Brunt ton, Ecclestone four-for help England brush aside Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka focus on the present as England challenge looms

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• Beaumont: England ready for hard graft in Colombo

• Young ones to watch: Kranti Goud, Georgia Voll and Lauren Bell prepare to light up World Cup

Bell is about six feet tall, nicknamed ‘The Shard’. She bowls at good pace and has a mean inswinger. However, she used to lose her footing and fall to her left during her bowling action, which gave her a bit of back pain. Last year, she worked hard to remodel her action, and she can now swing the ball both ways.”I don’t think I was really aware that being this tall is a massive advantage for me,” Bell says. “When I was a kid, I was so much taller than everyone. So obviously as a fast bowler, that’s going to bring its advantages. But I never thought, ‘oh, I’m tall, I’m going to do this’. It just all fell into place.”As I became a professional, I actually started to learn my craft. Before then, you worked on your talent and you’ve already been coached, but you don’t learn about the intricacies of fast bowling and bowling action. Only since I’ve started learning about my skill set and I guess the intricacies of my action, have I learned that obviously my height and the balance I can get in the extra bounce and how I play differently to other seamers. It’s obviously a big advantage for me or it makes me different to other girls and fast bowlers in the game.”Once she understood the advantage her height gave her, she worked hard on improving her speed and controlling swing.”I take the new ball and swinging the ball is a big skill of mine and one of my biggest advantages,” Bell says. “My coaches and I always talk about the three massive things – pace, bounce and movement. If you’ve got them, then you’re going to be a really hard bowler to face. With my height, I can get bounce and if I keep working on my strength, I can increase my pace. I’ve got the ability to swing the ball and hopefully I’ll keep progressing to moving the ball both ways. Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening.”Lauren Bell: ‘Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening’•Getty ImagesIt is not just her bowling that differentiates Bell from most other cricketers. She likes to make a statement with her hairstyle, which has inspired many young players to wear their hair in plaits like she does, and wants to see women cricketers embrace their “girly” side.”I’ve always liked doing my hair,” Bell says. “I remember vividly when I first played with plaits in my hair. I played in a [T20] World Cup with plaits and then played in the Hundred in England and I was meeting these girls and they were obviously there for the cricket. But so many of them had matching hair, like they had their hair in plaits. I was meeting the mums, who were like, ‘I have to do this hairstyle for my daughter every day now’. Stuff like that is part of the reason that I love playing and having the platform to inspire these young girls.”I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket. You don’t have to be like a certain type of personnel. When I was growing up, it was like a boy sport, which has changed over time. This is one thing that I’m passionate about and I care about, and doesn’t affect my cricket in any way. If anything, it reaches an audience that someone else might not reach.”Bell is a graduate in sociology and criminology. She completed her degree before her England debut but worked on her dissertation while being involved in the Women’s Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup as a standby.”When I was at school, my parents were really keen for me to go to Bradfield College and do really well at my A levels and study really hard,” she says. “I always wanted to do whatever my sister did and she went to uni, so that was always going to happen. My A levels were good and then I went to Loughborough.”I chose Loughborough with the cricket in mind as well because it made training easier. But when I started at Loughborough, I wasn’t a professional cricketer. I wanted to just study something I enjoyed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but after uni, if I wasn’t a cricketer, I just wanted to study something that I thought I enjoyed.”

“I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket.”Lauren Bell

With Covid-19 impacting cricket in 2020 and 2021, her first two years at university were relatively easier, in that she did not have to juggle cricket and course work. But her third year was a challenge, when she was picked for England A’s tour of Australia just before the Women’s Ashes.”It was hard, especially on tour when you’re touring such amazing countries like New Zealand and you have a dissertation to write. It’s tricky to turn down the social part and the exploring. It was the first time I’d been to Australia and New Zealand. So you want to obviously see it, but I also knew that I needed to get this dissertation written and I needed to study and keep up with my lectures. Because of Covid, everything was online and I managed to get through. I had a lot of support and few extensions on deadlines. I’m glad I did it and graduated, but it was tricky.”Since her debut in July 2022, no England fast bowler has taken more wickets in women’s ODIs than Bell’s 40. Kate Cross was close with 39 but she was left out of the World Cup squad, elevating Bell as the leader of the pace attack. In England’s first two games at the 2025 World Cup, Bell took 1 for 24 in four overs against South Africa and 1 for 28 in seven overs against Bangladesh, on slightly sticky surfaces in Guwahati.”It is responsibility; it’s how I really thrive,” she says. “When Heather [Knight] was captain and now Nat [Sciver-Brunt] is the captain, I think the more responsibility I’m given and the more clarity I have on the importance of my role, the more I thrive. I really enjoy taking those opportunities, being the bowler to make an impact or leading the seam attack. It gets the best out of me. I really enjoy it and every time I get a chance to do it, it’s great.”As England travel to Colombo to play Sri Lanka on what could be a slow surface, the once-football-crazy Bell will have another opportunity to show off her new-ball skills. England will hope that just happens.

Mexico now know their path for the 2026 World Cup. El Tri will open the tournament at the Estadio Azteca against South Africa (61), marking the first time an opening match from a previous edition has been repeated. South Korea (22) and the winner of a European playoff round out a Group A that also spares Javier Aguirre’s squad from several higher-profile opponents.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Group stage opponents: South Korea, South Africa and TBD

  Aguirre and the Mexican delegation that traveled to Washington, D.C., can feel relieved with the Group A draw they received for the long-awaited home World Cup. The Pot 2 pairing worked in their favor: Mexico avoided heavyweights such as Colombia and Uruguay. Instead, El Tri will face South Korea – still a difficult opponent, but far more manageable than those top contenders.

  Mexico will open the tournament against South Africa, No. 61 in the FIFA rankings – a significantly easier matchup than Norway, who were also in Pot 3. Their final group-stage game at Estadio Azteca will be against the winner of a playoff between Denmark, North Macedonia, Ireland and the Czech Republic, a spot that will be decided in March.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Must-watch TV: South Africa

  The opening match between Mexico and South Africa will undoubtedly draw global attention, even if it’s arguably the most manageable opponent will face in the group stage. Despite the pressure that comes with playing in a World Cup opener, Mexico should be expected to start the tournament with a victory.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Dangerous matchup: South Korea

  Against South Korea, Mexico will face their toughest match of the group stage. It’s the second game on the schedule and will be played in Guadalajara. If fail to pick up a victory in the tournament opener, the clash with the Asian side will largely shape the trajectory of their World Cup campaign.

  The two teams already met during the September FIFA window, a match that ended in a 2–2 draw after Mexico salvaged a point in the final minutes thanks to a late goal from Santiago Giménez.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Key opposition player: Son Heung-min

  The biggest threat on the Group A will be South Korean and LAFC star Son Heung-min, which says plenty about how fortunate Mexico were in the draw. Despite leaving European football for MLS this year, Son remains a world-class force. Should Denmark emerge from the playoff bracket, Mexico could also meet Christian Eriksen — but even then, they would have avoided several far more dangerous stars from other national teams.

Both teams picked four seam options with Nortje returning for his first international game since last year’s T20 World Cup final

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2025India went back to losing the toss under a new captain in the first T20I against South Africa, after winning the toss in the series decider in the ODIs. As expected, Aiden Markram chose to chase with dew expected to play a role in the night. Suryakumar Yadav wasn’t too fussed, expecting having to bowl with the wet ball.India welcomed back Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya to the XI after injury-forced breaks. “The body feels perfectly fine physically, I spent some time at the COE [BCCI’s Centre of Excellence],” Gill said. “Perfectly fine physically and mentally feeling ready. I had a disc bulge in my neck which was hitting the nerves. When I went there [to bat in the Kolkata Test], I had a bit of a spasm before the start of play in the morning. And when I played the game, I got a bulge which hit the nerve and had to go the hospital for a couple of days but recovered well after that.”Japsrit Bumrah, who was rested for the ODIs, also returned to the XI for the first T20I, along with the format’s specialists – Suryakumar, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, Jitesh Sharma. India decided they needed two quicks in the XI, which meant Kuldeep Yadav was left out. They went for Arshdeep Singh ahead of Harshit Rana as the second fast bowler, which meant India had batting depth till No. 8 and not No. 9. Axar Patel, left out for the ODIs, was listed at No. 8. Varun, Arshdeep and Bumrah were nine, ten and eleven.South Africa welcomed back Anrich Nortje, David Miller and Donovan Ferreira into the XI. Lutho Sipamla and Lungi Ngidi were the other two fast bowlers to go with Nortje and Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj the lone frontline spinner.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 8 Axar Patel, 9 Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Jasprit BumrahSouth Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lutho Sipamla, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has explained the thinking behind leaving the Lionesses duo of Ella Toone and Jess Park on the bench for Wednesday's Champions League defeat to eight-time winners Lyon. Although already assured of a play-off berth, the Red Devils needed a positive result to improve their seeding and to push for automatic qualification. Skinner's starting XI raised plenty of questions before his side were given a 3-0 thumping.

Park, Toone & Skinner's eyebrow-raising team selection

It wasn't just the absences of Park, in excellent form, and Toone, leading the Women's Super League for assists this season, that left many perplexed. Skinner also named Dominique Janssen, a strong performer at centre-back, to his bench and Julia Zigiotti Olme, who has been excellent since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer. It was a gamble that didn't pay-off either, with United not really in the game until Skinner brought on all of Park, Toone and Zigiotti at half time. Even then, there wasn't enough time for the Red Devils to turn things around, with them dealt a 3-0 loss.

AdvertisementAFPExplained: Why Man Utd benched Park, Toone & more for Lyon clash

"You can lose a game against Lyon on set pieces, on physicality, so we had to have balance," Skinner said, explaining his team selection. "We needed to match them physically from the first half, and then always adapt it and change it second half. I felt that, first half, we physically were matching them, especially from set pieces, but we probably didn't get enough pressure on them in moments, so I adapted it half time, got a little bit more ball possession."

Asked what the reactions of players like Toone, Park and Zigiotti was when they were told they weren't starting this big game, Skinner replied: "When they had the reasons and rationale explained, they understood. They don't want to not play but I always explain the reasons. I don't leave any players blind to what the decisions are. That's my job, to make tough decisions."

When asked about Skinner's emphasis on Lyon's physicality, Jonatan Giraldez, head coach of the French giants, said: "For sure, we have top players, technical players, tactical players and also physical players but I don't think that only the physicality has been key. I think as a team, we have done a very good job today."

Busy January coming? Man Utd in need of extra depth

It wasn't just about what Skinner felt was necessary for this particular match-up, either. United don't have the biggest squad, with many of those on the bench on Wednesday having played a lot of minutes as a result. As such, there was also a touch of loading factored into his selection against Lyon.

"We've got four games in 10 days, so we've got to be able to rotate," he added. "I won't have anyone go, 'Oh, well, you don't rotate', and then you do rotate, and it's not right. You've got to. There's got to be a plan ahead of all of the games."

Skinner has been keen to point out that his squad needs reinforcements in January, after a summer transfer window in which fewer were brought in that he would've liked. "It's nothing to do with the quality in my squad right now. It needs support and it needs numbers of quality," he said on Wednesday, emphasising the need for more depth to compete on four fronts. "I don't want to diminish anything from my squad. I love [the players] and what they do. It's not about replacing them, but it's about trying to grow the team."

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Getty Images SportWho will Man Utd face in the Women's Champions League play-offs?

While United have already secured a spot in the Champions League league phase play-offs, an automatic qualification spot remains up for grabs, though it is harder for the Red Devils to secure after this defeat. Skinner's side travel to Juventus next week hoping for a win that could sneak them into the top four, but they will need results to go their way elsewhere as well.

United are currently ninth in the UWCL standings, which would leave them unseeded in the play-offs. As it stands, they could be playing Wolfsburg or Arsenal, though that is all likely to change after next week's final games. Creep into the top eight, however, and the Red Devils could get a much more favourable draw, with the likes of Paris FC, OH Leuven and an Atletico Madrid side they beat earlier in the league phase all in the mix.

The positive is that this is just the club's first stage in the Women's Champions League proper and they will be getting out of the league phase. Who they will face in that next round will all be determined next week.

“Eventually the pressure kept on building in the second innings and we couldn’t capitalise,” says India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-20253:22

Philander: Bavuma ‘a wonderful inspiration’

“I am not a stats man, I am a win man,” Simon Harmer said when asked by Murali Kartik in the post-match presentation about his returns: his 8 for 51 is the best by a South Africa spinner in a Test in India and second only to Dale Steyn’s 10 for 108 back in 2010.The other South Africans at Eden Gardens could say the same. They started the third day staring at a crisis. They fought their way out of it with the bat, led by Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch, and then had Marco Jansen first and then Harmer running through the opposition.All India had in front of them was a target of 124. They only got 93.Related

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“A game like this, you can’t dwell into it too much, because… we should have been able to chase this score, but eventually the pressure kept on building in the second innings and we couldn’t capitalise,” Rishabh Pant, standing in as captain in Shubman Gill’s absence, said. “Definitely there was help in the wicket, a [target] of 120 can be tricky on these kinds of surfaces, but at the same time, as a team we should be able to soak in the pressure.”He pointed to the morning session when South Africa, resuming on 93 for 7, added 60 more runs. “That was the turning point,” Pant said. “Temba and Bosch had a brilliant partnership in the morning and that got them back in the game and that hurt us too much at the end of the game.”Bavuma isn’t the sort to talk big, so he kept it simple.”It was about awareness. Second innings, I didn’t change too much. Fortunately I have played in India before, so I kind of understand the little bit of adjustment that you need to make, and luck also plays a part,” he said of his innings of 55 not out, the only half-century in a game where no innings touched 200.

“Very exciting. We want to be a part of these games and be on the right side of the result. We tried to hold on to our nerves as much as we could. It was tough for us and we needed the bowlers to exploit what was there and the guys did that beautifully”Temba Bavuma

“The captaincy, you are only as good as the players. That I give it to them. Batting, I am just comfortable with myself. And technique: not to worry about trigger and all those types of things. I stand as still as I can, watch the ball. I have a decent understanding of my game. I have come here to India wanting to do well. Not the greatest of records when it comes to these conditions. There’s a bit of that exuberance from my side to see myself doing well in these conditions and implement all the little things that I’m trying here, and keep contributing for the team.”The partnership with Bosch, I think with Marco as well at the end of the day [yesterday], just gave a little bit of impetus. The wicket played a bit better this morning, wasn’t as extreme. We tried to stay in the game as much as we could. It is not all the time that you score 120-125 and that’s a winning score. I think it was a case of staying in the game and keep believing.”Contribute he did, and then turned to his bowlers.3:40

Did India let South Africa off the hook in the morning?

“Very exciting. We want to be a part of these games and be on the right side of the result. We tried to hold on to our nerves as much as we could,” Bavuma said. “It was tough for us and we needed the bowlers to exploit what was there and the guys did that beautifully. We were able to change our bowlers frequently and that worked for us.”If Harmer is to be believed, the conditions got a bit tougher for him on the third day.”Today, I felt it probably got a little bit flatter as the ball got softer. It wasn’t exploding as much. I was asking myself some really hard questions,” he said. “Nice to contribute. I have been here before and it was a dark place, losing [three out of four Tests in 2015]. So to get here, to be behind the eight-ball again, and for the team to fight the way they did, shows where this group is and what they are capable of and the belief that they have.”I knew I needed to bowl well. I think it was the same when we were batting – it felt like we were one partnership away from getting ourselves into the game. It was the same with ball in hand. We knew we were one partnership away from getting really close. I just needed to try and put as many balls in the right areas and trust that the wicket would do its bit.”