Three wickets on England debut helps restrict Bangladesh to 77, as batsmen overcome wobble to launch campaign

Andrew Miller12-Nov-2018England 64 for 3 (Jones 28*, Sciver 23) beat Bangladesh 76 for 9 (Ayasha 39, Gordon 3-16) by seven wickets (DLS method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s women overcame a top-order wobble, and another dramatic flurry of St Lucian rain late in their run-chase, to get their World T20 campaign up and running with a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Gros Islet.They were set a sub-par 77 after a hit-and-miss performance from Bangladesh, but England took their time to calibrate the appropriate response in tricky, tacky conditions, as Danni Wyatt was pinned lbw for a first-ball duck before Tammy Beaumont toe-ended a cut to point for 2.England’s situation could have been even more dicey at 16 for 3 in the fourth over had Amy Jones been caught by the wicketkeeper, Shamina Sultana, who instead suffered a nasty faceplant after diving at full tilt to intercept a top-edge to point.But, as Sultana was taken from the field nursing a bloody nose, England found a more measured gear to break the back of their run-chase. Jones settled in to anchor the innings in a 38-run stand for the third wicket with Nat Sciver, who made 23, and finished on 28 not out from 24 balls. England were 55 for 3 when the rain caused a lengthy late delay, and ended up reaching a revised target of 64 in just three balls after the resumption, thanks to a brace of boundaries and a winning single from the captain, Heather Knight.It was a slightly scrappy performance from England, the reigning 50-over World Champions, but having been deprived of any meaningful practice in the build-up to this game, and even resorting to improvised net sessions under the grandstand, they were ready to accept any victory going.Only 24 hours earlier, the ICC had seriously been considering relocating this group to Antigua to avoid further washouts, but in the event the start of play was delayed by just 15 minutes after a heroic mopping-up effort from the groundstaff.Knight won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the boundary ropes brought in to the minimum legal requirement of 55 metres as part of the authorities’ bid to get this leg of their tournament up and running.Natalie Sciver sweeps through the leg side•Getty Images

And Knight’s decision was quickly vindicated as Bangladesh were reduced to 5 for 2 in their first five overs. Anya Shrubsole found some wicked late inswing to bowl Sultana for an eight-ball duck, before Sciver – slipping into the new-ball role vacated by the injured Katherine Brunt – found Fargana Hoque’s outside edge to give Jones an early catch, diving to her right.But, having stacked their side with three left-arm spinners – including two of the three debutants in Linsey Smith and Kirstie Gordon – England quickly chose to take pace off the ball, and Bangladesh responded with a block-or-slog response through the endeavours of Ayasha Rahman who, quite remarkably, would be the only Bangladesh batsman to make a single run in the first nine overs of the innings.A mow for six over backward square leg off Shrubsole was followed by a violent slog through the line as Gordon’s fourth ball as an England cricketer was deposited back over her head. However, Ayasha’s blood appeared to be pumping a touch too much when she sold her partner a massive dummy – leaving Nigar Sultana run out for the third duck of the innings – and she even appeared to strain her hamstring in the process of aborting a quick single into the covers.Undeterred, Ayasha continued to plant her front foot in a batting-by-numbers fashion, swiping Ecclestone for a third six over midwicket before hauling Gordon for four through square leg to move to 39 out of Bangladesh’s 12-over total of 42. But four balls later, she chanced her arm once too often to pick out Wyatt at cow corner and Gordon, the former Scotland international, was off the mark for her new country.Gordon added two more scalps in her final over, including a maiden catch at long-off for England’s third new girl, Sophia Dunkley, to finish with an impressive 3 for 16 in four overs. Bangladesh kept battling to the bitter end, with Jahanara Alam smashing Sophie Eccleston for the fourth six of the innings, but their total of 76 for 9 never seemed like being enough, even allowing for the conditions, and for England’s rusty response.

Chelsea have become a prime destination for young players to choose to continue their development, and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly eyeing another exciting gem at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's youth recruitment strategy

Undoubtedly, Chelsea have taken a major heel-turn in their approach to the market over the last couple of years and are now a club synonymous with acquiring young talent and developing players in the hope that the Blues will have a side capable of competing at the top end of English football for the long term.

In the summer, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Oguchukwu, Deivid Washington, Angelo and Diego Moreira were all brought to Stamford Bridge, with all players mentioned being of the age of 22 or under; however, the Blues' recruitment strategy has yielded mixed results on the pitch.

Sitting 11th in the Premier League table, Chelsea have taken 12 points from their opening ten fixtures and still look to be a way off competing for continental qualification despite some encouraging signs from their young squad, which retains an average age of just 23.8 years old, according to Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Blues booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday by sweeping aside Blackburn Rovers on home soil courtesy of goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.

Cited by BBC Sport, Chelsea boss Pochettino has emphasised his belief that his side can win the competition, stating in his post-match press conference: "We need to think that it is an important competition for us. We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition."

Young players have become a crucial part of Pochettino's philosophy in SW6 and it now appears that the Argentinian coach has another prodigious talent in his sights following latest reports.

Chelsea's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Newcastle United (A)

St James' Park

Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Manchester United (A)

Old Trafford

Chelsea eyeing Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi

According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi and have watched his progress over the last few months. Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are also courting the starlet in light of his emergence in the Irish top flight. La Liga giants Real Madrid are also keen on the 17-year-old, who could be available for as little as £250,000.

Despite Razi being believed to desire a move to England over Spain, any side from the United Kingdom willing to swoop for the youngster would need to wait until his 18th birthday to sanction a deal, in light of new rules involving Irish players moving across the water that have surfaced since Brexit.

Razi, who has been labelled as an "exciting prospect" by former St Johnstone defender Graham Gartland, has made six senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers since making his breakthrough at first-team level. However, he has yet to get himself on the scoresheet or register an assist (Razi statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, the Republic of Ireland Under-17 international is now a hot topic among some of Europe's heavyweight clubs and Chelsea and clearly has a high ceiling to be drawing such intense interest.

MatériaMais Notícias

A situação do Fortaleza é delicada. Com apenas uma vitória nos últimos dez jogos, a equipe deixou de sonhar com vaga na Libertadores e Copa Sul-Americana e começa a se preocupar com a briga para continuar na elite nacional.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Na visão do zagueiro/lateral Gabriel Dias, o momento é de equilíbrio para buscar a melhora dentro das quatro linhas e voltar a ganhar.

‘Equilíbrio se conquista jogo a jogo. A gente vinha sendo segunda melhor defesa do campeonato, embora a gente fizesse poucos gols, mas é equilíbrio que a gente vem buscando, para que possamos melhorar em todos os aspectos, pensando coletivo’, disse na coletiva e imprensa.

+Hulk, Diego Costa… Veja bons atacantes que estão buscando novo time para 2021

Com 31 pontos conquistados, três a mais que a zona de rebaixamento, o Fortaleza aparece na 14ª colocação. No retorno do Brasileirão, o Leão encara o Sport, fora de casa.

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Ben Stokes was forced to retire hurt after sustaining a blow while batting during England’s warm-up match in Colombo.Stokes was struck when attempting to pull a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara. Through the shot too early, Stokes was hit just above the left elbow and, while he continued to bat for another few minutes, then decided to walk off and seek treatment.He received treatment in the England dressing room and hoped to resume batting later in the day. There were no initial plans to send him for a scan.England are already set to be without their first-choice wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for the first Test in Galle which starts on Tuesday.Bairstow sustained an ankle injury during the ODI series and has played no part in the two-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board side, though he was able to take a limited part in training on Wednesday. It remains likely that Jos Buttler will take the gloves from Bairstow though Ben Foakes could also be picked.There are no like-for-like replacements for Stokes. Likely to bat at No. 5 and perform the role of third seamer, his loss would leave England struggling to balance the side.There were mixed fortunes for other players involved in the warm-up. While Joe Root settled in with an untroubled half-century and RoryBurns impressed in scoring 47, Keaton Jennings and Joe Denly were less convincing. Jennings played-on for 13 as he attempted to run one down to third man, while Denly’s struggles were ended when he missed a full, straight delivery. He had earlier endured some nervous moments against the spinners and been involved in a run-out with Burns.

West Ham United's love affair with strikers has turned sour and is a relationship that needs rekindling if they are to challenge towards the Premier League's top six.

For too long, the Hammers have misfired in the striker department, bringing in the likes of Sebastien Haller and Gianluca Scamacca for big money, selling them for a devastating loss and never attempting to replace them.

David Moyes has instead relied on the presence of Michail Antonio, but he has shown on countless occasions that he doesn't have the tools in his locker to fix their prominent lack of firepower.

The Jamaican has only scored twice in ten top-flight appearances this term and alarmingly, has never eclipsed the ten-goal mark in a Premier League campaign before.

With the 33-year-old on the decline, Moyes is in the market for a lethal finisher and Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez certainly fits that bill.

West Ham transfer news – Santiago Gimenez

West Ham are among a long list of clubs interested in prising the highly-rated Feyenoord frontman to the London stadium.

The Hammers entered preliminary talks with the Dutch club in the summer, as per the Daily Mirror, when they were searching for a Scamacca replacement, however, the Mexican hotshot opted to extend his contract in Rotterdam until 2027.

The report states that Gimenez was one of several names recommended to the club by technical director Tim Steidten before the Irons instead pursued moves for Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri and Corinthians attacker Yuri Alberto.

Although West Ham were the first to cast their rod into the pond in an attempt to fish Gimenez out of Rotterdam, there is a reason why many of Europe's elite have now been alerted towards his talents.

The 22-year-old has struck 15 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this season, including a brace on his Champions League debut against Lazio.

According to 90min, Feyenoord have protected their prized possession by slapping a whopping €100m (£87m) asking price onto the striker following his incredible start to the season, making a deal even harder for the club to negotiate.

Santiago Gimenez's style of play

An incredibly potent finisher, who is currently outscoring the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, Gimenez has taken the world by storm with his goal-scoring exploits, with that famed trio having netted 13, 12 and 14 goals, respectively, so far this term across all fronts.

In the Eredivisie, he's producing monstrous numbers, including 1.36 non-penalty goals per 90, 4.3 shots, 8.48 touches in the attacking penalty box and 3.28 shot-creating actions, as per FBref.

When comparing those metrics across leagues similar to the Dutch top flight, he ranks in the top 1% of forwards in the past year for non-penalty goals, shots per 90 and touches in the attacking penalty area, demonstrating his prowess as a predatory striker.

He certainly boasts the prolific to leave his mark in east London, hailed for his "insane" shooting skills by journalist Antonio Mango having plundered 38 goals in 57 appearances for his current club.

Whilst his current rate of scoring this term exceeds two of the planet's most distinguished finishers in Kane and Haaland, exceptional goal-scoring isn't the only weapon in his armoury.

The 22-cap Mexican international is a physical presence who can provide Moyes with the first-rate link-up play to drop deeper, receive possession of the ball and send Jarrod Bowen on his way down the right flank.

Gimenez has showcased the above attributes by ranking in the top 7% for carries into the penalty area, the top 10% for expected assists and the top 30% for progressive passes received.

Lauded as a "machine" by football talent Jacek Kulig, the 5 foot 11 phenom possesses the power in his ball carrying and the vision to become the complete forward that West Ham desire, providing an added dimension in the attacking third and ultimately getting the best out of Bowen.

If Moyes can convince the board to part ways with the lofty fee, Gimenez can lead the line for years to come and form an indispensable partnership with the Englishman.

To describe Manchester United's season as a disappointment so far this year would be quite an understatement.

From finishing third, challenging the top two in moments and winning the League Cup last season to falling apart in the Champions League, looking abysmal in the Premier League and going out in the League Cup at the first opportunity- things haven't gone to plan this year.

Now, there are obviously a multitude of reasons for this total loss of form – more than we can go into – but one of the biggest reasons is simply their inability to put the ball in the back.

So far this season, Erik ten Hag's men have scored just 16 Premier League goals, which is more than just five sides in the league, and one man who is particularly guilty of this failing is Marcus Rashford.

However, could transfer target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia be the man to help bring back the Englishman's goalscoring form?

Manchester United News – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

According to a report from 90min last month, Manchester United are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing Napoli's and Georgia star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2024.

The publication revealed that United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester City all sent scouts to watch Georgia play Spain last month, and while some other players of interest were taking part, the Serie A winner was the centre of attention.

The 22-year-old is currently contracted to the club until 2027 but is said to be negotiating a 12-month extension to his deal as the Neapolitan side look to ward off the European giants that have begun circling above.

When speaking about the dynamic winger's future earlier this year, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis seemed to downplay any potential departure, saying: "Do you want to stop it? He already signed for five years last summer."

However, the Napoli president has made a name for himself for being, shall we say, eccentric, and so everything he says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Should the Red Devils opt to sign Kvaratskhelia, they can expect to pay a transfer fee in the region of €100m, or about £87m, and while that is undeniably expensive, he could prove to be worth every penny should he unlock the attacking threat of Rashford as well.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could create space for Marcus Rashford

When it comes to United's attackers this season, none of them have covered themselves in glory. Alejandro Garnacho has found some form of late, scoring goals against Everton and Galatasaray, but overall, those entrusted to score the team's goals have not fulfilled their roles.

This problem is perhaps made all the more apparent by the fact that Scott McTominay is currently the club's joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season – that'll be a pub quiz question in years to come.

So, how does Kvaratskhelia compare to the competition at Old Trafford? Well, in essentially every attacking statistic that matters, the "Georgian Magician" is miles ahead.

He has scored as many goals as the rest have combined, registered three times as many assists, creates considerably more for his teammates and, most importantly, consistently and successfully takes on opposing defenders, creating space for his teammates to exploit.

Kvaratskhelia

4

3

7.7

1.25

5.18

3.08

Rashford

2

1

5.5

0.67

4.08

2.17

Martial

1

0

1.4

0.68

1.60

0.45

Garnacho

1

0

2.0

0.79

3.98

1.90

Antony

0

0

2.0

0.52

3.64

1.21

Hojlund

0

0

2.8

0.53

1.99

1.07

With his 3.08 successful take-ons per 90, he is taking on the opposing fullback more than twice as much as Antony, almost three times more than Rasmus Hojlund and six times more than Anthony Martial.

Were the "unstoppable" winger – as he was dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – to take the starting spot on the left flank and Rashford keep his place on the right – where he has been starting in recent weeks – the space opened up by the 22-year-old dynamo could be easily and frequently exploited by Rashford, giving him the platform to rediscover his electrifying form of last year where he found the net 30 times.

This ability to create mayhem with his direct dribbling was noted by Jürgen Klopp last season before Liverpool played – and lost – against Napoli in the Champions League:

“When he has the advantage of the first movement then he is already gone. You have to try to be there in the moment when the ball arrives, but if you cannot do that then you need to be protected because he has speed, he is cheeky, he goes inside, he can go outside, that makes it always really difficult. A good player.”

It will be an expensive deal to complete, but should United have the opportunity to sign Kvaratskhelia, they should take it – for their own sake and Rashford's.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo terá um desfalque importante para o duelo contra o Internacional, nesta quarta-feira (20), pela 31ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no Morumbi. O zagueiro Arboleda recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo no empate em 1 a 1 contra o Athletico-PR, neste domingo (17), pela 30ª rodada da competição nacional, na Arena da Baixada, em Curitiba.

A punição foi recebida aos 30 segundos da etapa final, quando o defensor obstruiu uma passagem em velocidade do adversário e matou uma boa investida ao ataque do Furacão.

> Veja a classificação do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

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Após a partida, o técnico Fernando Diniz naturalizou a situação e afirmou que a melhor opção será escolhida para suprir a ausência do equatoriano contra o Colorado.

– A gente tem jogadores para substituir o Arboleda. Faz parte. Vamos escolher a melhor opção – disse o treinador em entrevista coletiva virtual ao fim da partida.

Diego Costa e Léo são os dois principais postulantes a vaga na zaga contra o Inter e certamente serão avaliados pela comissão técnica nos próximos treinamentos.

Na derrota são paulina por 4 a 2 diante do Red Bull Bragantino, no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, pela 28ª rodada do Brasileirão, no dia 6 de janeiro, Arboleda ficou apenas no banco de reservas. O Departamento de Comunicação do São Paulo alegou que, por conta de um alguns desconfortos musculares, o zagueiro foi preservado para o jogo seguinte, que seria o clássico contra o Santos, no Morumbi, pela 29ª rodada da competição, realizado no dia 10 de janeiro. Na ocasião, Fernando Diniz optou por formar a zaga com Bruno Alves e Diego Costa, substituído por Léo no intervalo.

Neste meio de semana, São Paulo e Internacional fazem o jogo mais importante da 31ª rodada do Brasileirão, já que o Tricolor é o líder do campeonato e os gaúchos são vice.

Tottenham are now believed to be the main contenders to sign a "very quick" player who's absolutely adored by his club's fanbase.

Lange making Spurs transfer plans

New sporting director Johan Lange and his arrival at N17 will be very intriguing to follow, as the new transfer chief is tasked with upgrading Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou's squad in 2024. Working under Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, the former Aston Villa employee comes in as a direct replacement for Fabio Paratici after his 30-month worldwide ban from football.

While the Italian still apparently advises Tottenham on a consultancy basis, Lange is now set to play a big role in giving Postecoglou exactly what he wants in terms of transfers.

The Lilywhites are said to be prioritising the addition of a new left-sided centre-back after Micky van de Ven's injury, with the Dutchman's absence seriously exposing Spurs' lack of depth in that position. Elsewhere, Postecoglou is believed to want a left-wing alternative to Dejan Kulusevski, leading to links with Al-Ittihad winger and former Celtic star Jota.

Tottenham now favourites to sign Iling-Junior

Sticking to the left wing, another transfer target has emerged for Spurs with reports out of Italy sharing details about their interest in Juventus starlet Samuel Iling-Junior. The former Chelsea academy man has made four appearances off the bench for Massimiliano Allegri's side, playing 12 Serie A matches in total last term as well.

His cameos for the Old Lady have apparently done enough to impress Spurs, who have him on their transfer target list for Postecoglou.

A report by Italian newspaper Il Bianconero has some positive news in this regard, as it is now claimed the north Londoners are "first and foremost" in the race to sign Iling-Junior.

Indeed, Spurs have entered pole position for Iling-Junior and are the main contenders for his signature, with Juve said to value him at a pretty affordable £13 million. In a further boost for Postecoglou and Lange, Juve could even be open to negotiating a loan deal. Both Spurs and Allegri's side already seem to have a strong working relationship, having successfully negotiated the transfers of Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in the summer of 2022.

Iling-Junior likened to Rafael Leao

The 20-year-old, according to Eurosport journalist Michele Neri, is similar to AC Milan star Rafael Leao in terms of playing style. Juve's fans also went "crazy" for Iling-Junior after a performance last season, with the club's supporters remaining big admirers.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” Neri explained to TNT Sports.

“He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.

“In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. The fans went crazy for him after the Benfica game where he played 20 minutes and really shone, providing an assist to Milik.

“But then, due to injuries, he was not used more consistently by Allegri. However the fans appreciated him anyway."

Former England striker and current Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has revealed how much the criticism of one "world-class" Liverpool player irritates him.

Liverpool in Premier League title race

The Reds earned one of their most important and thrilling victories of the season so far on Sunday afternoon, winning 4-3 at home to Fulham in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's side were trailing heading into the dying minutes at Anfield, but Wataru Endo equalised with a long-range curler, before Trent Alexander-Arnold sent the home crowd wild with a brilliant winning strike.

It was the latest example of what a huge influence the 25-year-old is having this season, as he matures as a player after being made vice-captain by Klopp during the summer. It follows his vital equaliser at Manchester City the previous weekend, and he continues to grow into his hybrid right-back role.

Despite Alexander-Arnold's vast footballing ability, there always seems to be a determination from some to overly focus on the Liverpool star's supposed weak defending, with endless criticism coming his way in recent years, in particular.

Gary Lineker defends Trent Alexander-Arnold

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards [via Rousing The Kop], Lineker explained how much the negativity towards Alexander-Arnold's defending annoys him.

"It irritates me a little bit when people say he’s not very good at defending and every slight error or any goal that goes in on that side of the pitch against Liverpool.

"People have a pop at him but I think the positives of his forward play and his passing, I think he is certainly the best passer of the ball in the English game at the moment. And probably in a much bigger area than that, maybe even Europe. His range of passing, outside the foot, inside the foot, long passes and short passes and crosses, of course."

Liverpool fans will love to hear this support for Alexander-Arnold from Lineker, who does appear to be the target of a witch-hunt at times, given the level of focus on his defending – something that the Reds hero has called "lazy" in the recent past.

Meanwhile, many of his contemporaries seem to get away with plenty in comparison, with little made of Aaron Wan-Bissaka switching off to allow Anthony Gordon to score in Newcastle United's win over Manchester United over the weekend, for example, or Kyle Walker letting Raheem Sterling get in front of him and score in Manchester City's 4-4 draw with Chelsea last month.

Related Liverpool star who lost possession 18x almost cost them alongside Kelleher

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Granted, there are times when Alexander-Arnold's defending can be disappointing, with a little more aggression and focus sometimes required in that area of his game, but the positives outweigh the negatives by a huge amount, with Barcelona legend Dani Alves describing him as a "world-class" player, which speaks volumes. Alexander-Arnold is a special footballer who should be a mainstay of Liverpool and England's team for years to come, and it's nice to see Lineker defending him.

Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has urged Benfica star Joao Neves to reject a transfer to Old Trafford.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Neves has been linked with Man Utd
• Ten Hag reportedly wants new midfielder
• Matic thinks it's too early to move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 19-year-old is enjoying a stellar season at Benfica, who currently sit second in Liga Portugal, behind rivals Sporting CP. Despite being contracted until 2028, Neves is being linked with some of Europe's top clubs, including the Red Devils, with Erik ten Hag keen to close the gap to the Premier League's top three over the summer. But Serbian hero Matic has called on the youngster to stay put for now.

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• WHAT NEMANJA MATIC SAID

  Lyon midfielder Matic, speaking to O Jogo, said: "I think it’s too early for him to take that step of leaving. If I were him, he’d stay at Benfica for a few more years to play in the Champions League and to mature more. I’m sure his time will come, so there’s no need to rush. Joao is already at a great club at the moment. I’m sure his future at Benfica will be very good. I think it’s too early to leave, but of course, in the end, it’s always his decision."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It speaks volumes that Matic is telling one of the hottest talents in the world to reject a move to one of England's most successful clubs. It was only a year ago that Enzo Fernandez jumped at the chance to leave Benfica for Chelsea, but he has not hit the heights expected of such a highly-rated player. Neves may look at the Argentina international's move and decide to heed Matic's warning about jumping ship at the first opportunity.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOAO NEVES?

  Neves will be focused on his football ahead of the summer transfer window although Benfica's chances of catching Sporting are slim. The Eagles can only beat the teams in front of them and hope to make up the seven-point gap in the remaining five matches.