“It’s pretty obvious to see that this is a really talented team that are all on the same page and heading in the same direction,” Ricky Ponting says

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20251:51

Moody: PBKS attack well suited to these conditions

Punjab Kings (PBKS) might have qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and topped it up by sealing a top-two spot, but for head coach Ricky Ponting, they “haven’t achieved anything yet” with the “big games” still to come.PBKS moved to the top of the points table with a clinical win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur and will now have two chances to make the final.”I’m obviously very pleased for the group,” Ponting said on the broadcast after the match. “It’s a lot of hard work that goes into being able to achieve something like this as a team. I think it’s pretty obvious to see that this is a really talented team that are all on the same page and heading in the same direction.”I mean, yeah, it’s a great achievement till now, but really, if you look back, we haven’t achieved anything yet. That’s the one thing I’ve been saying to the players since the moment we qualified.Related

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“The vision for me was always to finish in the top two, and we’ve got there now. It’s a really happy group and we’ve enjoyed our time in each other’s company for the last ten weeks, but we’ve got another week to go yet.”Ponting heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer, with whom he has worked previously at Delhi Capitals (DC). Ponting said that he was determined to acquire Iyer at the last IPL auction, and that was visible with PBKS splurging INR 26.75 crore on him.”I was pretty keen to work with him [Iyer] again,” Ponting said. “It was pretty obvious that how much money I was willing to spend on him at the auction. We had a great working relationship in Delhi, we made a final [IPL 2020] in Delhi under his captaincy.”I’ve known him as a person and as a player for a long time. He’s a quality person and when you’ve got quality people around your team, when you’re trying to make a difference and you’re trying to change culture, that’s what you need. If you spoke to the players individually, I think every single one of them would give Shreyas a great rap because he has spent a lot of time with them.”He’s pumped them up, he’s given them a pat on the back when they needed it, and he’s given them a kick in the pants when they’ve needed it as well, which is a sign of a really good and strong leader.”Iyer: ‘Ecstatic that everything is working’Iyer spoke about his camaraderie with Ponting. “He just gives me that freedom to go out there and express myself, especially being decisive on the field,” Iyer said. “I tell him that ‘you do the thinking outside, let me go and execute things on the field’. So yeah, all these things have culminated in a great way and I’m kind of ecstatic that everything is working.”Ricky has been fantastic with the player management. And for me, it’s important to gain the trust of each and every individual. And that happened initially by winning the matches. And the more interactions you have with the players, the more confidence they get.”2:22

Is this finally PBKS’ year?

Iyer was also effusive in his praise of Josh Inglis, for whom he sacrificed his No. 3 spot. The wicketkeeper-batter did not disappoint as he struck a vital 42-ball 73 against MI, setting the platform for PBKS’ run-chase alongside Priyansh Arya.”Our plan was that since he loves to play new ball, he was the only batsman we were chopping and changing right from the game he played,” Iyer said. “So I wanted him to play more deliveries as much as possible. And we know he can be destructive and he can change the momentum of the game. It worked like wonder for us.”Obviously, he’s a big-match player and we saw that today. So yeah, fantastic attitude and I hope that he keeps continuing with the same.”It’s been a sensational season so far for PBKS as they end the league stage with nine wins in 14 games. What’s changed this time?”I personally feel that every individual stepped up at the right time,” Iyer said. “Starting from game one, we’ve been in that mindset that we have to win irrespective of whatever situation we’ve been provided. When we’re down in the dumps, someone will put their hand up and say that, ‘okay, I’m going to win the game from here’.”That has been happening. Kudos to everyone for the contribution and also the support staff and management. They’ve been tremendous.”

In a landmark move in the history of CPL, experienced allrounder Jason Holder will leave his home franchise Barbados Royals after 13 years, to join St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (STKNP) for the upcoming season. As part of the trades and transfers before the CPL draft next month, STKNP also acquired middle-order batter Alick Athanaze while trading middle-order basher Sherfane Rutherford to Royals.Holder had been with Royals since the inaugural CPL season in 2013. That period included lifting the trophy twice, in 2014 and 2019, the latter under Holder’s captaincy. He played 104 matches for Royals to take 97 wickets that included two four-fors, and also scored 1169 in 85 innings at a strike rate of 129.60.Rutherford, currently playing IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans (GT), will be turning out for his third CPL franchise, having represented STKNP for the last four seasons and Guyana Amazon Warriors from 2018 to 2020.Related

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• CPL 2025 to be played from August 14 to September 21

Athanaze has also turned out only for Royals so far, in 2023 and 2024. He made his international debut in 2023 before his CPL debut, and played 19 matches in all for Royals. He scored 344 runs in those outings, averaging 22.93 and striking at 106.83 with just one half-century.STKNP had finished last in 2024 with just one win from 10 games, while Royals had progressed to the playoffs and lost qualifier 2 to runners-up Amazon Warriors.CPL 2025 will be played from August 14 to September 21 with no clashes with West Indies’ international assignments. St Lucia Kings are the defending champions this time.

Ruben Amorim has urged Manchester United fans to calm their expectations of young goalkeeper Senne Lammens, after the 23-year-old shined on his Red Devils debut against Sunderland prior to the international break. The United head coach suggested that the Belgian has not yet earned comparisons with club legend shot-stoppers such as Peter Schmeichel, but that he showed "a lot of composure" and could start against Liverpool on Sunday.

Amorim praises Lammens but waves away Schmeichel comparisons

Speaking in his press conference on Friday ahead of Sunday’s crunch North West derby against Liverpool, Amorim stated how impressed he was with Lammens against Sunderland but suggested he is “not impossible” to drop ahead of the weekend.

Amorim reinforced how impressed he has been with Lammens but made sure to emphasise that he is not yet the finished article, and must continue to fight and earn his place in the team in the coming weeks. He played down comparisons with the legendary Schmeichel, who recently gave his verdict on United's new shot-stopper.

The former Royal Antwerp starlet was signed for an initial £18million (€21m/$24m) on deadline day but initially found himself forced to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench as Altay Bayindir was preferred by Amorim in goal.

But the Turkiye international has never greatly impressed, and it was believed that Lammens would ultimately be given the opportunity to take his place. That opportunity arrived against an in-form Black Cats side, and he did his job to a good standard as he made three saves on the way to a clean sheet on his Premier League debut in the cauldron which is Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'He is not Schmeichel yet' – Amorim on Lammens

“Nothing is impossible [regarding if Lammens is impossible to drop]. You have to prove during the week but, of course, he did a great job. It is possible that he is going to start the game. The first impression in this club is really important; to maintain the level is even more important and is really difficult.”

Responding to fans claiming Lammens is the ‘new Schmeichel’: “He’s not Schmeichel yet. He’s a young guy with talent. He showed a lot of composure, and the fans liked it. But again, that is in the past; we need to prove in the next game.”

Lammens has shown talent but has a long way to go, suggests Amorim

Amorim is completely reasonable to temper fans’ expectations following just one appearance by such a young goalkeeper. But his talent is evident, proven by his astounding statistics at Antwerp last season. A ridiculous total of 18.4 goals prevented stands out, as do his 77.4% save percentage and total of 173 saves in just the league alone. The player's brother recently spoke about some of the secrets of Lammens' game, claiming he became a goalkeeper to "avoid running and being substituted".

United certainly have a potential star on their hands, but the Portuguese would be smart to continue to ease him into the side to avoid too much pressure on his young shoulders straight away. 

As it is easy to forget how highly-rated Andre Onana was when he arrived at the club in 2023. But his time at Old Trafford went south fairly quickly as the pressure and the goalkeeping errors began to mount up, to the point where he was a shadow of his former Inter Milan and Ajax self.

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Man United gear up for crunch Liverpool clash

Ahead of the 100th match at Anfield between Liverpool and Man United, Amorim was reminded of the Red Devils’ trip there last season, which ended in a 2-2 draw: “Yeah, I remember it, we played well, it was a draw. I was really upset in the end of the game because we proved, on that day, that we can compete against any opponents. I know that it's special for our club. I know that they are fighting all the time for the titles, the number of titles. I know what it means to the fans, but again, it's one game that we need to prove again, that we are playing better. I think we are playing better. We need to do better in both boxes. So, it's one more game that we need to win.

"Sometimes, things change really fast but, if you see the history of both clubs, you can feel that sometimes you have one club that is winning, winning, winning, the other club is having a bad moment. That happened with Liverpool, when Manchester United was winning everything, and that happened with United, when Liverpool was winning everything. So, we just have to acknowledge that, to be really honest with the fans. But we can win any game, so if we think about just winning the next game, that is the most important thing. We can win the next game. If we are going to fight to be at the same level as Liverpool in the future, that is the idea. I don't know how long it is going to take.”

Speaking on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast, he looked forward to India’s contest against England’s batters

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2025Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, is keen to get his hands on the Dukes ball and play in swinging conditions during India’s upcoming tour of England, which starts with a warm-up game from June 13 to 16 followed by the first Test in Leeds from June 20 to 24.”Playing in England is always a different challenge,” Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the YouTube channel. “I always love bowling with the Dukes ball.”But I don’t know how much the Dukes ball is doing right now because there’s always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions. And then when the ball becomes soft, there’s always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England.”This will be Bumrah’s third bilateral Test series in England – he also played the World Test Championship final there, against New Zealand. His previous eight away Tests against England have brought him 37 wickets at an average of 23.78. He is the most experienced member of an India pace pack that also includes Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh; he felt all of them have the ability to run through oppositions, especially when they bat aggressively like England do.LA 2028 a target

“Now, I’ve heard there’s Olympics in cricket coming as well, so that is something I’m really looking forward to. Who would have thought cricket would become an Olympic sport? So, yeah, that’s something that excites me”

“They’re playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don’t really understand it too much,” Bumrah said. “But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day, anybody could run through and get wickets.”The five Tests in England will be played over 46 days from June 20 to August 4, in Leeds, Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester and The Oval. Bumrah is unlikely to feature in all five Tests, though, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar having indicated that his worload may need to be closely managed.Related

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With India set for a packed next nine months, which include a T20 World Cup in February 2026, Bumrah said he would play all three formats but pick and choose his games to keep his body fresh.”Obviously, it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament.”You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don’t set goals or look at numbers. Whenever I have [set goals], I’ve never been able to fulfil them.”I just try and enjoy because that’s why I started [playing] this sport. Take one day at a time and collect memories because, at the end of the [career in] sport, that’s all I’ll remember.”

Manchester United star Diogo Dalot has responded to viral fan Frank Ilett – known as TheUnitedStrand – who vowed not to get a haircut until the Red Devils win five games in a row. After United’s back-to-back victories over Sunderland and Liverpool, the Portugal full-back playfully admitted the team hopes to “give him that haircut” with three more consecutive victories needed.

• Man Utd fan's 'five-win challenge' nearing end?

  Dalot has weighed in on the now-famous challenge taken up by long-time United supporter Ilett, who promised not to cut his hair until the Red Devils won five matches on the bounce. The fan’s pledge, made in October 2024, went viral as United continued to struggle for consistency under then-new manager Ruben Amorim. Before this week, the team had failed to string together even two league wins.

  However, a recent upturn in form has reignited Ilett’s hopes of a long-overdue haircut. Amorim’s side followed up a 2-0 home victory over Sunderland before the international break with a dramatic 2-1 win away to Liverpool — their first back-to-back Premier League triumphs under the Portuguese boss. The result, sealed by a late Harry Maguire header, set social media buzzing with fans joking that Ilett might finally see the inside of a barber’s shop.

  Following the win, United’s official TikTok account joined in the fun, replying to one of Ilett’s viral videos with the message: “We have an encouraging update.”

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Dalot hopes Ilett gets haircut soon

  Speaking to after the match, Dalot couldn’t hide his amusement when asked about Ilett’s unusual vow. “Let’s see! Hope we can give him that haircut!” the Portuguese full-back said with a smile.

  Dalot then turned his focus to maintaining consistency after a mixed start to the season. “But we have to go game by game. Obviously, we know this is a very difficult league, we have tough games and, of course, we have to go after that consistency that we have lacked because we have already shown in the past that we can compete against any team in the world.”

  The 25-year-old Portugal international added: “We get to the big games, we get to have good performances. Now it’s trying to make it happen every game. We now have the next game at home and that’s what’s important to us.” His comments struck a balance between humour and determination, underlining the squad’s desire to build on a promising run.

• Ilett’s challenge invited abuse last month at Old Trafford

  Ilett, a lifelong United supporter, first made headlines last year when he declared he would not get a haircut until the club won five games in a row. In January, Ilett nearly reached his goal when United won three in succession, only for a defeat to Crystal Palace to end the streak and with it, his hopes of a haircut. Despite that setback, he remained committed to the challenge, insisting it was meant to “spread positivity” among fans during difficult times. His lighthearted defiance even continued through an unfortunate altercation at Old Trafford last month when he was confronted by a fellow supporter during a Chelsea match – an incident he later described as “weird but isolated”.

  Now, with United seemingly turning a corner under Amorim, Ilett’s patience could finally pay off. Their recent wins have revived optimism around Old Trafford, as players like Maguire and Dalot have stepped up amid renewed defensive stability and spirit. While a long way remains before five straight victories are achieved, Ilett’s growing hair has become a quirky rallying point for fans yearning for consistency — and perhaps even a new lucky charm for the team’s fortunes.

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• Instagram/X
  

  Ilett wants a Man Utd player to give him the haircut:

  The Red Devils host Brighton on Saturday, followed by tricky away fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur a week later. Three wins from those matches would extend their streak to five and fulfil Ilett’s promise over a year after it began. Ilett has already joked that “the perfect ending would be one of the players to cut it at Old Trafford”.

  However, for Amorim and his players, the focus remains firmly on performances. After months of inconsistency, back-to-back victories have given supporters and players alike a sense of renewed purpose.

MatériaMais Notícias

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يستضيف فريق ريال مدريد خصمه فالنسيا، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم موسم 2025/26، وذلك مساء يوم السبت.

تأتي مباراة فريقي ريال مدريد وفالنسيا في خضم لقاءات الجولة الحادية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني لهذا الموسم، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

ويمتلك ريال مدريد 27 نقطة في صدارة الدوري الإسباني، في حين أن فالنسيا يحتل المركز الثامن عشر في جدول البطولة برصيد 9 نقاط.

وشهدت قائمة ريال مدريد المستدعاة لخوض مباراة فالنسيا اليوم عودة الظهير ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد بعد تعافيه من الإصابة.

تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام فالنسيا في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف أرنولد وفينيسيوس تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام فالنسيا في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: فيدي فالفيردي، ميليتاو، دين هويسن، ألفارو كاريراس.

خط الوسط: أردا جولر، تشواميني.

خط الوسط الهجومي: كامافينجا، جود بيلينجهام، كيليان مبابي.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور.

ويمكنك متابعة مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من خلال مركز المباريات من هنا.

تحدث الدنماركي ييس توروب، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن تعادل الفريق أمام المصري، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتعادل النادي الأهلي مع المصري، سلبيًا، في إطار مواجهات الجولة 13 من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري.

وقال توروب خلال تصريحات في المؤتمر الصحفي بعد المباراة: “في كرة القدم أهم شيء تسجيل الأهداف وهو ما لم نفعله أمام المصري،أتحمل المسؤولية عن ذلك”.

وأضاف: “خلقنا 5 فرص محققة خلال اللقاء، ولكن الأهداف هي الأهم في كرة القدم، للمباراة الثانية نخلق فرصًا عديدة ولا نستطيع تحويلها إلى أهداف”.

طالع.. فيديو | زيزو يهدر ركلة جزاء والأهلي يواصل نزيف النقاط بتعادل محبط مع المصري في الدوري

وتابع: “كمدير فني، دوري هو إخراج أفضل ما لدى اللاعبين ووصولنا إلى المرمى يعني جودة اللاعبين ولكن هناك أزمة ثقة بالنفس سوف نعمل على علاجها”.

وعن إهدار زيزو ركلة الجزاء، قال: “أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب جيد وقدم المطلوب منه خلال اللقاء، ولكن كان هناك عدم توفيق”.

وأتم: “الفريق يتحسن وينقصنا ترجمة الفرص إلى أهداف، وسنحاول علاجها في المباريات القادمة”.

وبعد تعادل الأهلي اليوم أمام المصري، يحتل المارد الأحمر المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 23 نقطة، من 12 مباراة.

Had Liverpool found another stoppage-time goal at the weekend, they would have beaten Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and extended their flawless streak in the Premier League, six wins from six, 18 points from 18.

But Arne Slot’s side cannot subsist on a diet of last-gasp joy across the span of the campaign, and they got a taste of their own medicine as Eddie Nketiah struck late to condemn the Reds to their first defeat of the year.

In some ways, Liverpool’s never-quit attitude has papered over a few cracks in Slot’s squad across the early weeks of the 2025/26 season, with tactical imbalances clear after a summer of significant spending and upheaval.

Florian Wirtz, for example, has flattered to deceive since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, but FSG are calm and confident, retaining full belief that the German playmaker, 22, will come good.

Liverpool have also added two of the most exciting strikers in the business to their ranks. Indeed, in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, the Merseysiders have goalscoring options capable of firing the club toward more illustrious success after last year’s Premier League triumph.

Isak & Ekitike are Liverpool's future

Isak might be the record-breaking man, but the events of the summer transfer window have meant that the former Newcastle United striker has integrated late at Liverpool.

Ekitike, ostensibly the 26-year-old’s understudy, has started his Liverpool career with lightning speed, scoring five goals and registering one assist across eight matches, six of which were starts.

Much has been made of how Slot can appease the pair, who will both want to start regularly across the campaign, but he has hinted that they could play alongside against each other, and given the many shoots of Liverpool’s season, having a wealth of attacking options is hardly a bad thing.

One thing’s clear, FSG have landed a pair of elite attackers, with both having been likened to a former Premier League great in Thierry Henry.

TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves acknowledged in August that there is a likeness between Ekitike and his retired countryman, who also shifted between left-flanked and central striking berths.

And Isak has long been tagged as a similar sort of player to the Arsenal legend, with former footballer Nedum Onuoha saying the marksman is “vibes of Thierry Henry”, BBC pundit Alan Shearer also calling him “the complete striker”.

Goals

0.64

0.53

Assists

0.18

0.24

Shots taken

3.18

3.64

Shot-creating actions

3.04

3.06

Progressive passes

3.22

1.90

Progressive carries

2.72

2.74

Successful take-ons

1.43

1.66

Ball recoveries

1.97

2.40

Tackles + interceptions

0.54

0.87

Aerials won

0.82

1.92

Two fantastic forwards, but Liverpool actually already had their own version of Henry, and they still do at that.

Liverpool's own version of Thierry Henry

Mohamed Salah started off poorly in the Premier League, arriving at Chelsea from Basel as a young and unpolished prospect with a clear quality on the ball and impressive athleticism besides. He didn’t manage to pull it all together, though, and left for Italy to forge his path.

And forge his path he has. The 33-year-old made an impression in the Serie A and joined Klopp’s Liverpool for £34m, now recognised globally as one of the greatest players of his generation, the poster boy of this illustrious modern era at Anfield and hailed as a “superstar” by Sky Sports’ Gary Neville.

With 188 goals scored in the Premier League, Salah is fourth in the all-time standings and looking to rise higher still. Last season, he put to bed any doubts that he is a divisional great, scoring 29 goals and supplying 18 assists as the Reds sealed their first Premier League title since 2019/20.

Time was last season when Salah almost appeared a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or, so impressive was his start to the term. But he petered out across the second half of the campaign and was anonymous as Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

In this way, the iconic forward shares with Henry a certain grievance over having been snubbed for the award, coming in at fourth during last week’s ceremony in Paris, with the one-time Les Bleus star missing out to Pavel Nedvěd in 2003 despite an extraordinary campaign with the Gunners, scoring 32 goals and supplying 24 assists across all competitions in 2002/03.

Inarguably two of the greatest players in English football history, both could make a compelling case for the crown.

For Salah, he will have brushed off any frustration over being snubbed, having, after all, been the talisman in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph.

But it must still sting, and with Henry and the Egyptian being ranked against each other so many times, this is seemingly something they will share when Salah eventually joins the Frenchman in retirement.

Set to soon pass the torch, the veteran will no doubt feel that the 2024/25 campaign marked his best chance to win the Ballon d’Or. It wasn’t to be, with the Egyptian no doubt frustrated that he didn’t even reach the podium after what will go down as one of the greatest season-long efforts in English history.

Salah might be approaching the final stretch of his legendary Premier League career without a Ballon d’Or title to his name, but he will still go down as an all-timer, having played an instrumental role in putting Liverpool back on their perch over the past eight-and-a-half years.

Likewise, Henry never got his mitts on the pinnacle individual accolade, but fans of the two persuasions will be sure to agree that both were good enough to have claimed the prize.

Not Isak or Ekitike: Liverpool struck gold on star worth more than Salah

This unsung Liverpool hero continues to prove a fantastic signing for the club.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 26, 2025

Liverpool have been ‘found out’. At least, that’s what some of the discourse around the Premier League champions’ wobbly start to the season would tell you.

Curiously, for all the noise around Liverpool’s struggles, they sit just one point behind first-place Arsenal after losing back-to-back matches in the division. Their bitter defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League need not be more than an outlier.

But there’s no question that Arne Slot and FSG have work to do. The Reds lack fluency and verve, and after a record-breaking summer of spending, concerns are justified.

But, conversely, teething problems are not abnormal and nor are they an indicator of the players’ chances of long-term success at Anfield.

But improvements, nonetheless, are needed going forward.

Liverpool's new-look frontline

Liverpool were beaten at Stamford Bridge before the October international break. Cody Gakpo cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s thumping first-half strike, but Slot’s side lacked coherence and confidence in the closing stages and were caught out at the flickering embers by young Estevao Willian.

Tactically, the problems run through the squad, but the frontline still haven’t performed to their usual, expected standard, and the toils of Mohamed Salah serve as the bleak representation of that.

Thus far, £69m striker Hugo Ekitike is the only one who can hold his head high, with Florian Wirtz in particular coming under scrutiny for his struggles since completing a record £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, since trumped by new teammate Alexander Isak.

Hugo Ekitike

10

5 (1)

Mohamed Salah

10

3 (3)

Federico Chiesa

6

2 (2)

Cody Gakpo

10

2 (2)

Alexander Isak

6

1 (1)

Florian Wirtz

9

0 (1)

Rio Ngumoha

5

1 (0)

With so much upheaval having taken place, there’s a sense of ruefulness across the fanbase concerning the deal to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich before the penultimate year of his contract.

The reality is not so simple, but it’s frustrating to watch the 28-year-old do so well in Germany nonetheless.

Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Replacing Sadio Mane down the left flank at Liverpool was always going to be a tall order, but Diaz gave it a good go across his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside.

Arriving from Porto in January 2022, the Colombian international. He won the Premier League, two Carabao Cups and the FA Cup during his time in England.

Last season, having posted 17 goals and eight assists across the 2024/25 campaign, Diaz was instrumental for Slot, filling in at centre-forward as well as his natural left-sided attacking role.

Now plying his craft for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Diaz has started off this new chapter in fine fashion, scoring six goals and assisting four more across all competitions so far. Terrific on the ball and scarily dynamic in attack, former Barcelona boss Xavi has hailed him as a “world-class footballer” with “blistering speed”.

Ten goal involvements far eclipse that of Slot’s Liverpool crop, and while the Premier League typically proves more difficult than other divisions to unleash prolific performances on opponents with such consistency, it’s still evidence that Liverpool perhaps jumped the gun with his sale.

Liverpool’s vision is a bold one, and sporting director Richard Hughes has certainly recruited first-team stars this summer with the potential to see the club dominate for many years to come.

But Diaz was an immense performer last season, ebbing and flowing in front of goal but always playing with focus and tenacity. He won the Premier League.

Given the early-season issues Slot has faced, you wonder whether he might miss the Colombian’s electric presence, zipping around the final third.

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1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 11, 2025