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The Championship play-off final is now known as the richest game in football, with the third and final promotion spot to the Premier League on offer to the winners.

Win at Wembley in front of up to 90,000 fans, and you’ll bring in hundreds of millions through TV deals, sponsorships and additional revenue. Lose, and you’ll have to prepare for another season in the second tier.

Facing those prospects this year were Sheffield United and Sunderland, who finished 3rd and 4th in the Championship respectively.

The Blades were seeking an immediate return to the top flight and booked their place at Wembley with a comfortable 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Sunderland have had quite the journey since their last Premier League season, having dipped to the depths of League One and suffered Championship play-off heartache before making the final in dramatic circumstances courtesy of Dan Ballard’s extra-time header to see off Coventry City.

Ahead of this year’s showdown at Wembley Stadium, one that the Black Cats won in dramatic circumstances late on, we took a look back at 10 of the best Championship play-off finals of all time, ranking them based on the drama they provided.

Rank

Year

Match

1998

Charlton 4-4 Sunderland (7-6 on pens)

1993

Swindon 4-3 Leicester

1995

Bolton 4-3 Reading (aet)

2010

Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff

2011

Reading 2-4 Swansea

1989

Blackburn 3-4 Crystal Palace (agg.)

2012

Blackpool 1-2 West Ham

2002

Norwich 1-1 Birmingham (2-4 on pens)

2014

Derby 0-1 QPR

1996

Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester (aet)

10 1996 – Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester (aet) Claridge scores with last kick of the game

27th May 1996

Wembley Stadium

Roberts 14′ / Parker 76′ (pen), Claridge 120′

At the old Wembley Stadium, Leicester City, who finished 5th in the league, defeated Crystal Palace, who finished 3rd, with a dramatic late winner.

The Foxes were behind for most of the game but levelled things up from the penalty spot. Extra time looked like it would result in a penalty shootout, however, Steve Claridge struck in the 120th minute in what was all but the last kick of the game to seal promotion for Martin O’Neill’s side.

9 2014 – Derby 0-1 QPR Zamora wins it at the death for 10-man R's

24th May 2014

Wembley Stadium

Zamora 90′

Harry Redknapp led Queens Park Rangers to the Premier League in 2014 with a dramatic victory over Derby County. QPR midfielder and current Wolves boss Gary O’Neil received a red card on the hour mark, and it looked as if it would be the Rams who would earn promotion to the top flight.

However, Rob Green refused to be beaten in the Hoops net, and in the 90th minute, a mistake from Derby captain Richard Keogh resulted in the ball falling to Bobby Zamora, who produced a brilliant finish to send the R’s up.

The highest points tallies in Championship history

Leeds and Burnley recently made second-tier history.

ByCharlie Smith May 17, 2025 8 2002 – Norwich 1-1 Birmingham (2-4 on penalties) Penalty perfect for the Blues

12th May 2002

Millennium Stadium

Roberts 91′ / Horsfield 102′

Everyone loves a penalty shootout, and that is what we got between Norwich and Birmingham in 2002. The game actually didn’t burst into life until extra time, when Iwan Roberts put the Canaries in front. However, before the end of the first period of extra time, Geoff Horsfield levelled the scores and ensured promotion would be settled from 12 yards.

The Blues would be the ones celebrating at the end of the shootout, scoring all four of their spot kicks, with Philip Mulryne and Daryl Sutch missing for the Canaries.

7 2012 – Blackpool 1-2 West Ham Vaz Te the Hammers hero

19th May 2012

Wembley Stadium

Ince 48′ / Cole 34′, Vaz Te 87′

West Ham secured promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt under Sam Allardyce, doing it the hard way via the play-offs.

The Hammers came up against Blackpool and went ahead through Carlton Cole before Tom Ince drew the Tangerines level after the break. Both teams had glorious chances to win it in normal time, and eventually, Hammers forward Ricardo Vaz Te wrote his name into West Ham history by scoring with just three minutes remaining.

6 1989 – Blackburn 3-4 Crystal Palace Two-legged final produces Eagles comeback

31st May 1989

Ewood Park

Gayle 21′, 27′, Garner 90′ / McGoldrick 86′

3rd June 1989

Selhurst Park

Wright 17′, 117′, Madden 47′ (pen)

1989 was the last time the play-off final would be played across two legs, but it was certainly one to remember, involving Blackburn Rovers and Crystal Palace.

It was Palace who finished higher in the league but suffered a 3-1 first-leg defeat at Ewood Park. In the return fixture at Selhurst Park, goals from Ian Wright and David Madden ensured the final was level at 3-3 after 180 minutes, resulting in extra time.

Penalties appeared to be on the cards, but Wright scored his 33rd goal of the season with three minutes remaining to send Palace up.

5 2011 – Reading 2-4 Swansea Super Scott Sinclair for Swansea

30th May 2011

Wembley Stadium

Allen 49′ (og), Mills 57′ / Sinclair 21′ (pen), 22, 80 (pen), Dobbie 40′

Swansea City booked their place in the Premier League for the first time back in 2011, mainly thanks to Scott Sinclair’s brilliance at Wembley.

It looked as if Brendan Rodgers’ side had the tie wrapped up after a brace from Sinclair and a goal from Stephen Dobbie put them 3-0 up at half-time. However, the Royals threatened a comeback with two second-half goals before the hour, only for Sinclair to seal his hat-trick and Swansea’s place in the top flight from the spot late on.

4 2010 – Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff First-half madness at Wembley

22nd May 2010

Wembley Stadium

Adam 13′, Taylor-Fletcher 41′, Ormerod 45′ / Chopra 9′, Ledley 37′

If play-off finals finished at halftime, then the clash between Blackpool and Cardiff City in 2010 would comfortably top the list. It was Cardiff who went in front early on through striker Michael Chopra before Charlie Adam’s free-kick levelled things up for Ian Holloway’s side.

The Welsh side went in front again through Joe Ledley, but in the final five minutes of the opening 45, Blackpool scored twice through Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Brett Ormerod.

The second half was full of chances with Chopra hitting the post for Cardiff, but it was Ormerod’s effort that proved to be the winner.

3 1995 – Bolton 4-3 Reading (aet) Super-sub De Freitas the hero

29th May 1995

Wembley Stadium

Coyle 75′, De Freitas 86′, 118′, Paatelainen 105′ / Nogan 4′, Williams 12′, Quinn 119

It looked as if Reading would be the ones celebrating a routine 2-0 win at Wembley against Bolton in 1995, however, late goals from Owen Coyle and substitute Fabian de Freitas took the final to extra time.

The drama didn’t stop after 90 minutes, with Bolton then going in front through Mixu Paatelainen before De Freitas scored his second of the day in the 118th minute. There was still time for more goals, though, with Reading player-manager Jimmy Quinn getting on the scoresheet to set up a dramatic final few minutes.

2 1993 – Swindon 4-3 Leicester Bodin’s penalty derails Leicester comeback

31st May 1993

Wembley Stadium

Hoddle 42′, Maskell 47′, Taylor 53′, Bodin 84′ (pen) / Joachim 57′, Walsh 68′, Thompson 69′

It’s hard to believe that the 1993 play-off final between Swindon Town and Leicester City was still goalless after 40 minutes, knowing that it would result in a seven-goal thriller.

It was the Robins who scored three times in the space of 11 minutes either side of half-time, and they appeared to be cruising towards the Premier League. However, Leicester then scored three times in the space of 12 minutes to draw things level in a chaotic second half.

Extra time looked to be on the cards before Swindon substitute Steve White was fouled in the box, with left-back Paul Bodin scoring the winner late on.

1 1998 – Charlton 4-4 Sunderland (7-6 on penalties) The best play-off final ever?

25th May 1998

Wembley Stadium

Mendonca 23′, 71′, 109′, Rufus 85′ / Quinn 50′ 73′, Phillips 58′, Summerbee 99′

The 90s produced some classic play-off finals, but the best of the bunch and of all time is arguably Charlton’s penalty-shootout win over Sunderland.

The Addicks were in front at half-time before the final turned into chaos in the second half. Sunderland turned things around through Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips before Charlton drew level, and the Black Cats thought they were up again when Quinn netted his second of the game.

Richard Rufus took the game to extra-time with another equaliser for Charlton, but Sunderland once again went in front in extra time. Clive Mendonca was the hero of the day for the eventual winners after making it 4-4 with his third of the afternoon in extra-time before putting Charlton on their way in the shootout.

At 7-6 to Charlton in sudden death, Sunderland’s Michael Gray was the unfortunate player to have his spot kick saved from 12 yards by Sasa Ilic to spark wild scenes.

Umpires required to disinfect match ball after saliva aberration on fourth morning

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2020Jofra Archer, whose unauthorised visit to his home in Brighton caused him to miss the second Test, has returned to light training during his period of self-isolation, after the West Indies camp approved a request from the ECB for him to leave his room for exercise during the match.Archer was fined around £15,000 and given a written warning after making an unauthorised trip to his home in Brighton between the games at the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford. He was also required to serve a five-day isolation period during which he will have two tests for Covid-19. Subject to those test results, he is expected to re-join the full squad on Tuesday.At just after 7am on Sunday, well before any other players started to prepare for the day’s play, Archer was permitted to go for a run on the Old Trafford outfield. He wore gloves and a mask with ECB medical staff watching on from a safe distance.Later on Sunday, he returned to the nets in similarly strict conditions. Adopting the same protocols used when England’s bowlers first returned to training, Archer used a box of six balls allocated for only his use and was required to retrieve them after each over. Again, his session was overseen by backroom staff at a safe distance.Earlier on the fourth day, the ICC’s new protocols governing the use of saliva on a cricket ball had to be put into practice, after an inadvertent transgression from Dom Sibley shortly before the lunch interval.ALSO READ: No saliva or artificial substances to shine ball – ICCWith Dom Bess at the top of his mark, preparing to bowl the penultimate over of the session, the on-field umpires, Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth came together to examine the ball after Sibley himself had admitted to the accidental use of saliva to polish the ball.Umpire Gough took out a disinfectant wipe from his pocket, and rubbed down the shiny side of the ball prior to handing it back to Bess, who had claimed the only wicket to fall in the morning session as West Indies went to lunch on 118 for 2, trailling England by 351 runs.According to the ICC’s revised playing conditions for this series, which is being played in a biosecure environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only sweat may be used to shine the ball. Saliva is considered a potential carrier of the virus, and so all players have been obliged to retrain their ingrained instincts, honed over many years of fielding.In acknowledgement of the unusual circumstances, the umpires have been encouraged to show initial leniency should they notice a team applying saliva on the ball, after which they will issue two official warnings before docking the offending team five runs.

Several U.S. men's national team stars dealt with the aftereffects of the international break, although one injury didn't impact a key striker.

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Pulisic scores for MilanSargent starts, Balogun comes off benchRobinson starts for FulhamGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Christian Pulisic was the Saturday's big winner, as he scored and assisted in Milan's 4-0 battering of Venezia. Gianluca Busio was, unfortunately, on the other side of that contest, playing 79 minutes for the newly-promoted side. Elsewhere in Italy, Tim Weah returned for Juve while Weston McKennie remained on the bench in a 0-0 draw with Empoli.

After missing the USMNT's draw with New Zealand during the international break, Josh Sargent was back in the starting XI for Norwich. Despite an ankle injury, Sargent went all 90 minutes for Norwich, who fell 1-0 to Swansea City.

He wasn't the only USMNT striker in action, though. Folarin Balogun came off the bench for Monaco as he remains in a battle for a starting spot with Breel Embolo. After starting both USMNT matches, he played 26 minutes in a 3-0 win over Auxerre.

Left out of the USMNT squad, Antonee Robinson took advantage of the extra week of rest, putting in a strong shift for Fulham in a 1-1 draw with West Ham.

In the Championship, both Coventry's Haji Wright and Leeds' Brenden Aaronson featured, the former off the bench in a 1-1 draw Watford and the latter in a 1-0 defeat to Burnley. Meanwhile, Aidan Morris also came off the bench in Middlesbrough's 1-1 draw with Preston North End.

Finally, Cameron Carter-Vickers started in Celtic's 2-0 win over Hearts while new signing Auston Trusty didn't feature after not playing in either USMNT friendly either.

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It was a rough week for the USMNT, but one ultimately defined by hope. The U.S. was poor in a 2-1 loss to Canada and then suffered through a frustrating 1-1 draw with New Zealand in their first two games post-Copa America. That was followed by several key players seeing limited or no action in this weekend's club action, including Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah.

However, the arrival of new U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino will change things, and the USMNT's top stars are now all on high alert with a new coach coming in. Everyone will need to impress the new coach, who will have his eyes on the entire player pool over the coming weeks.

DID YOU KNOW?

All eyes will be on the Champions League after this weekend, which will see multiple key Americans playing on the biggest stage. McKennie, Weah and Juventus are set to take on PSV and their American contingent, while Pulisic's Milan hosts Liverpool in one of the week's marquee matches.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR USMNT STARS?

Luca de la Torre, Mark McKenzie, Caleb Wiley and Tanner Tessmann are among the American players that will be in action on Sunday for their respective clubs.

Hosts 23 without loss in second innings, still trailing Gloucestershire by 42 runs

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2020A five-wicket haul by David Payne put Glamorgan into rescue mode ahead of the final day of their Bob Willis Trophy match against Gloucestershire in Cardiff.Glamorgan, in their second innings after bowling Gloucestershire out for 181 in their first, will resume on 23 for 0, a deficit of 42 runs, on Tuesday.Payne, Gloucestershire’s left-arm seamer, again proved a nemesis when he produced a superb spell in the morning session to dismiss the home team for a modest first-innings total of 116 in 59.3 overs.The 29-year-old Payne, who ended with figures of 17-7-31-5, took four of the five wickets to fall after Glamorgan had resumed on 80 for 5, has a formidable record against the neighbours across the Severn Bridge, having taken 58 wickets in nine years against them in all formats.He was well supported by the other seamers, notably Josh Shaw, the former Yorkshire paceman who ended with 3 for 13 from his 9.3 overs.Dan Douthwaite was the only Glamorgan batsman to withstand the visitors’ accurate attack, and after defending well, opened up towards the end of the innings to score an unbeaten 30.Gloucestershire also struggled at the start of their innings, losing Chis Dent in the second over, when he feathered a catch to the wicketkeeper, although he clearly felt the ball had struck his arm as he trudged back to the pavilion.His opening partner Ben Charlesworth, experienced a torrid time against the new ball and after padding up to numerous deliveries that were close to the off stump, the tactic brought about his downfall, when he padded up to Graham Wagg and was out leg before – after facing 67 balls for his eight runs.Graham van Buuren, meanwhile, played every ball on its merit and shared a useful partnership with Tom Lace, who was making his Gloucestershire debut after signing from Middlesex. They put on 43, before van Buuren, who had scored 32, was bowled playing inside a delivery from Timm van der Gugten.With the visitors’ score on 89 for 3, a heavy shower curtailed play, and an early tea was taken with Lace on 37 and George Hankins 3.Gloucestershire lost a fourth wicket soon after the lengthy interval, when Hankins was caught at second slip by Nick Selman off Wagg, who had returned to the attack in place of van der Gugten, who had left the field with a dislocated finger.Lace and Ryan Higgins had begun to look comfortable and on course to lead their side to a first-innings lead when Wagg struck again to remove the former, caught low down by keeper Cooke, with the scores level.Gareth Roderick departed soon afterwards, caught behind swinging wildly to a wide Douthwaite delivery outside off-stump.Rotating the three pace bowlers in van der Gugten’s absence, Glamorgan turned to Marchant de Lange, who duly delivered to remove George Scott when he edged behind to a rising delivery.Higgins, amid flurry of heaves off spinner Kieran Bull, was caught at deep square leg by de Lange as the visitors lost their eighth wicket on 173, and their ninth on 181, when Shaw was held low down at slip by Selman off de Lange.The innings concluded when Payne was caught by Bull from his own bowling, the visitors all out for 181, a lead of 65.Glamorgan had 14 overs to face in the final session, and openers Selman and Charlie Hemphrey guided them to the close.

West Ham United appear to be keen on backing new manager Julen Lopetegui in the transfer market and are now in talks to sign an exciting £30m attacker dubbed the "next Kylian Mbappe".

West Ham transfer rumours

Talking after officially joining the Hammers earlier this month, Lopetegui said that he will try to put his own stamp on things at the London Stadium.

“I feel very happy, first of all, to be able to be part of the future of this big Club. We will try to put our stamp on the Club. I feel that we have a fantastic platform. I think the last few years have been very good years to have this base, of course, but my ambition as a coach is always to be better and better, to achieve more and bigger aims and to encourage and improve the players, the team, and to compete because football is about this – to compete. We are very ambitious about this.

“I am where I want to be. I am here because I want to be here and for us it was a fantastic day when we closed our agreement here because our commitment is 100 per cent to be here. We had other opportunities but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too, so we are really happy about this."

There has already been movement ahead of the summer transfer window officially being opened, with a verbal agreement in place to sign Brazil international defender Fabricio Bruno from Flamengo in a deal that could be worth around £11.5m.

There could be soon personal issues with Bruno, though, with Wolves defender Max Kilman also linked with reuniting with Lopetegui. It isn’t just at the back where additions are wanted, though, with Fabrizio Romano sharing a promising West Ham update on Palmeiras attacker Luis Guilherme.

West Ham in £30m Luis Guilherme talks

According to the transfer expert, West Ham are in talks to sign Guilherme in a deal that could be worth £30m.

Guilherme, primarily a right-winger who can play on the left or in an attacking midfield role, has been catching the eye in Brazil over the last few years, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig highlighting his pace, acceleration, passing, vision, creativity, technique, ball control, agility and dribbling as very strong attributes.

The 18-year-old was even dubbed the "next Kylian Mbappe" by Football Insider back in February when it was claimed that Liverpool were looking to win the race for his services this summer.

Therefore, if West Ham secure a deal for Guilherme over the coming weeks, it could prove to be a major coup for the Irons, both in the short term and for years to come.

Chelsea duo Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto continue to undergo rehabilitation as they look to return to action.

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Gusto and Lavia spotted at Chelsea trainingLavia last played against ServetteGusto missed the Bournemouth clashWHAT HAPPENED?

Lavia, who has made just three appearances since joining the Blues from Southampton last August, was last seen in action for the club against Servette in the Europa Conference League qualifying round. However, he subsequently missed the club's next four matches across all competitions as manager Enzo Maresca had confirmed last month that the midfielder suffered a hamstring injury.

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Gusto, on the other hand, appeared in the club's first three Premier League games before missing their last league encounter against Bournemouth due to a muscle injury. On Tuesday, both players were spotted at the training pitch as they continued their rehabilitation process.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The official statement from the club on the players' condition read, "There was further good news as Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia continued their rehabilitation with another modified session as they continue their recovery from injury."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The West London side, who have managed to collect seven points from their first four league games, will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on West Ham at the London Stadium.

Real Madrid's clash with Atletico Madrid was paused because of chaos in the stands, as multiple items were thrown onto the pitch

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Madrid derby suspended 20 minutesFans react after Real take leadAtletico players appeal for calmFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The referee paused the Madrid derby midway through the second half after Atletico fans began throwing items onto the pitch. Real took the lead through Eder Militao in the 64th minute, and items were thrown from behind Thibaut Courtois' goal, before Atletico players, including captain Koke, and manager Diego Simeone appealed for calm.

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Real's players were seemingly happy to keep playing, but the referee, in line with La Liga's protocols, decided to take the players off. Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was seen clearing items from his area, including a lighter that he handed to officials.

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Both Simeone and Koke tried to calm their fans down, heading behind Courtois' goal to speak with them directly. After a break in play of around 20 minutes, the game was finally resumed.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Real are next in action against LOSC in the Champions League on Wednesday. Atletico play Benfica on the same night, in the same competition.

Sikandar Raza says the coach challenged the side by saying they had “a lot in common with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls”

Mohammad Isam and Deivarayan Muthu12-Sep-2020Head coach Brendon McCullum impressed upon the Trinbago Knight Riders the way to build a T20 dynasty by showing them clips from the , the mini documentary series about how Michael Jordan ensured the Chicago Bulls won six NBA titles in the 1990s. The Knight Riders went on to win all their 12 matches in CPL 2020, including a dominating eight-wicket win in the final against the St Lucia Zouks.This was the Knight Riders’ fourth CPL title in the last six editions, and as McCullum rightly envisioned, this indeed is becoming a dynasty. Both Dwayne and Darren Bravo have been involved in all four triumphs. Anderson Phillip, Colin Munro and Khary Pierre have won it thrice, while Amir Jangoo, Fawad Ahmed, Ali Khan and Sunil Narine are among those who have been on the winning side twice.McCullum and Nikita Miller have won it twice as a player and now as head coach and spin-bowling coach respectively, while Kevon Cooper has won it thrice as a player and now as the seam-bowling coach.ALSO READ: Decoding Trinbago Knight Riders’ CPL 2020 dominanceThe continuity within the squad has certainly helped them ease to a fourth title, but the additions of Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons in 2019 and then Pravin Tambe and Sikandar Raza this year have also made a difference. Pollard was adjudged Player of the Tournament, while Simmons was the Player of the Final. The 48-year-old Tambe bowled economically in his three appearances while Raza finished with seven wickets at an average of 15.71.According to Raza, McCullum laid down a new marker for the Knight Riders from the very beginning. “It started with one game at a time,” Raza told ESPNcricinfo. “We won the first one. We put our focus on the second one. Baz [McCullum] challenged all of us. He wanted to create a dynasty out of this TKR team by telling us that this team has a lot in common with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.”He showed us clips of the . He wanted to challenge us to write some sort of history, something that hasn’t been achieved before. The idea came from Baz. We all bought into this. One game led to another, and another, and we won twelve out of twelve.”Raza rated the Knight Riders right up there among the best T20 sides in the world, thanks to the presence of some of the biggest names in franchise cricket. He also said that McCullum gave him a clear role in the team, which helped him prepare accordingly.”Among all the T20 sides I have been part of, I would most certainly rate this TKR side as the best one going around. It was exciting hitting the nets with Polly [Pollard] and Bravo. These guys will just tee off. I will even add Sunny [Narine] , Lendl and Darren Bravo. These guys hit a long ball as well.”It was important to have that chat with Baz, to basically have an understanding of my role, what’s expected and train accordingly. Once you have these chats and the role is clear, then training becomes a lot clearer. The takeaway was basically how best I can improve my game with what I have. Polly, Bravo, Lendl and Colin Munro were great guys to talk to.”Getty ImagesRaza’s wickets of left-handers Kyle Mayers and Corey Anderson in the game against the Barbados Tridents came in the slog overs, while his figures of 3 for 15 against the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots were his best performance in the competition.”With the TKR, one thing that I understood was that it’s the culture we have,” he said. “We didn’t care if we were bowling the first or the last over. Once you are asked to get the job done, you do it the best you can. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t work, it’s okay. You will come back and be asked to do a better job. If you sulk, it will have a ripple effect on your batting and fielding.”So if you are asked to bowl in the later stages… we have worked hard, we are clear in our plans and we try to execute our skills the best way we can. I thought every over I bowled in the Caribbean was a death over, so there wasn’t much of a change. I had to bowl my best balls, that’s all.”Raza said that the prolonged preparatory phase also gave him a chance to work on his new variations, including an arm-ball that swings in the air. “If you are not evolving as a cricketer consistently, I think you are missing out. So, yes, I have developed a ball that swings in the air. I bowled a couple of variations on my last Bangladesh tour as well, which I felt were okay but they were still raw.”We had a lot of training time here and we bowled a lot with Nikita Miller. We bounced off the idea with the back-of-the-hand and the leggie going the other way. Hopefully, I will manage to bowl those deliveries next time I play for Zimbabwe or in one of those leagues.”Raza, though, could have missed out on being part of the Knight Riders had it not been for their CEO Venky Mysore’s intervention. Raza’s arrival to Trinidad had become a bit of concern due to limited flight options, and he had to go through six transits to reach his destination.”Harare to Trinidad was a long journey but the credit goes to Venky sir. There was a time when it looked like I wasn’t going to make it to the CPL. They basically asked the TKR to sign a replacement, but Venky sir said ‘No, no, no, we will get our boy’.”To tell you the truth, he made sure I get there. The journey was Harare-Addis Ababa-Dubai-Amsterdam-Paris-Fort de France-Martinique-Barbados-TKR. As much as it was tough, now that I look back, it was all worth it.”

Having already signed Oscar Cortes, Rangers now reportedly have a "concrete" interest in signing another young winger who could only add to the firepower in Philippe Clement's squad.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers have enjoyed a busy summer so far, welcoming both Jefte and Cortes to begin a summer overhaul following the departures of John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Jon McLaughlin and others.

Clement expressed his delight at welcoming Cortes back after an initial loan spell last season, telling the official Rangers website:

"I am really pleased to have Oscar coming back. He was a big asset to the squad when he came to the club and he showed the qualities that attracted him to us. Oscar suffered a setback, but he has worked tirelessly during his recovery and I am sure all of the fans are looking forward to seeing him again next season.”

Rangers very likely to sign "terrific" player for free; talks already held

This comes as a boost to Philippe Clement.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 5, 2024

Now, the Belgian could welcome another young winger. According to Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, Rangers have a "concrete" interest in signing Yusuf Kabadayi this summer. The Gers are joined by Lecce and St Pauli in their interest in the Bayern Munich gem but will hope to eventually win the race to add to Clement's attack.

Still just 20 years old, Kabadayi spent last season on loan in the 2.Bundesliga at Schalke and could now step up to the top flight, be that in Italy, Germany or Scotland.

"Great" Kabadayi can form Cortes partnership

A left-winger, who can also play through the middle and on the right-hand side, Kabadayi could form a partnership with Cortes with a move to Rangers this summer. Given how young both players are too, the ceiling could be fairly endless if Clement gets things right. The Belgian has clearly set his sights on more than just next season, given the focus on young players.

After he managed five goals in all competitions last season, Schalke will likely be disappointed to have been outpriced of a move for Kabadayi, who was at the centre of former sporting director Andre Hechelmann's praise when he arrived.

Hechelmann told the official club website: “We are pleased that our efforts to sign Yusuf have been rewarded and that he could fulfill his wish of joining us. As a talented youth international with lots of quality and a great attitude, he will fit perfectly with our philosophy."

That attitude and quality could now benefit Rangers rather than the German club, as the Gers begin to circle around yet another young talent this summer.

New head coach Sonia Bompastor marked her first UWCL game in charge of the English champions with a narrow but important victory.

Chelsea could be forgiven for thinking it wasn't going to be their night on Tuesday. Injury, suspension and illness all left the Blues' bench looking light and lacking a goalkeeper, after Lionesses star Hannah Hampton had to pull out of Sonia Bompastor's starting XI in the warm-up. But once things got underway at Stamford Bridge, that luck started to even out as the hosts kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 win over Real Madrid.

There were just two minutes on the clock when Chelsea got a slice of fortune, the kind that had evaded them in the build-up to the game, as Sjoeke Nusken's header took a heavy deflection off Sheila Garcia and left her goalkeeper, Misa Rodriguez, with absolutely no chance. Before the half-hour mark, Guro Reiten coolly converted from the spot to double that lead and leave the visitors wondering what had hit them. They'd done little wrong and yet they were 2-0 down.

Alba Redondo was able to halve that deficit before the break, capitalising on some sloppy Chelsea defending, but the Blues re-established the two-goal cushion quickly after half time when Misa was beaten by another deflected header, this one from Mayra Ramirez. From there, it was all relatively comfortable until Real Madrid introduced Colombia sensation Linda Caicedo and she got another back for the visitors late on. But the hosts held on and were able to kickstart the group stage with a win.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Zecira Musovic (6/10):

Did especially well considering she was thrown into the XI at short notice.

Lucy Bronze (6/10):

Struck a nice balance of attack and defence, while admirably sticking to the task of marking Caicedo late on.

Millie Bright (4/10):

Got in Musovic's way for Redondo's strike and then was all mixed up for Caicedo's effort.

Nathalie Bjorn (5/10):

Too reactive when Chelsea were put under pressure at the back.

Sandy Baltimore (7/10):

Showed a fantastic attitude towards the left-back role, when many forwards wouldn't have. A bright spark in attack and was committed defensively.

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Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

There was a slice of fortune about her goal but she took up a good position.

Wieke Kaptein (6/10):

Battled hard in the middle of the park to win the ball back plenty, though was sloppy for Real Madrid's first goal.

Lauren James (7/10):

Was always trying to make things happen and got stuck in, too. Great cross for Ramirez's goal.

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Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (6/10):

Had some really lively moments in attack, though was beaten too easily by Carmona in the build-up to Redondo's goal.

Mayra Ramirez (6/10):

Tried to get as involved as much as she could, despite little service, and capitalised on the best cross that came her way.

Guro Reiten (6/10):

Cool as ice with her penalty.

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Subs & Manager

Maika Hamano (5/10):

Brought plenty of energy to the pitch but couldn't make a significant impact.

Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Provided an important outlet as Chelsea saw the game out.

Ashley Lawrence (6/10):

Made a couple of important defensive interventions after her introduction.

Oriane Jean-Francois (N/A):

Made her Chelsea debut in the closing stages.

Maelys Mpome (N/A):

Another debutante late on.

Sonia Bompastor (7/10):

It was a risk to play Baltimore at left-back, rather than one of the more natural options on her bench, and it paid dividends as the France star put in a fantastic performance. Was smart with her substitutions when things got nervy late on.