طبيب منتخب مصر الأولمبي: خبر إصابة محمود صابر بـ كورونا له غرض آخر

أكد طارق سليمان، طبيب منتخب مصر الأولمبي، على جاهزية جميع اللاعبين، قبل مواجهة المغرب في مباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع في أولمبياد باريس.

وقال طبيب المنتخب، في تصريحات تلفزيونية لـ برنامج “الهدف”، على قناة “أون تايم سبورت 2″:”كل البعثة جيدة واللاعبون جاهزون نفسيًا وبدنيًا، بالرغم من الإجهاد والسفر من بلد لبلد”.

وتابع: “الأخبار التي ترددت عن إصابة محمود صابر ومحمد مغربي بـ كورونا؟ أتعجب من هذه الأخبار وما مصدرها ولمصلحة من، (كورونا إيه يا جماعة، لاعيبتنا زي الفل، وأساسا مفيش كورونا الأيام دي)”.

طالع..حكم مباراة مصر والمغرب في أولمبياد باريس 2024

وواصل:”أظن أن هذه الأخبار لها غرض نفسي، بالتحديد محمود صابر لأنه سبق وسجل هدفًا في مرمى المغرب، وسجل هدفًا أمام فرنسا”.

وأكمل:”زيزو حالته جيدة وإن شاء الله سيلعب، وأحييه لأن كان عنده إجهاد في العضلة ولعب 120 دقيقة، وساعدنا بعزيمته وإرادته أن يستكمل المباراة الأخيرة”.

وكان بطولات، قد كشف الحالة الطبية للثنائي زيزو وإبراهيم عادل، قبل مواجهة المغرب المقبلة.. طالع من هنا

ويلتقي منتخب مصر الأولمبي، اليوم الخميس، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً، بنظيره المغرب، في مدينة نانت الفرنسية.

Man Utd star who McTominay thought was "world-class" v Chelsea deserves praise

In a week that has been tarred by reported dressing room disgruntlement and the banning of media outlets from press conferences, Manchester United earned a massive 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

A brace from Scott McTominay spread across both halves put Mauricio Pochettino's side to the sword and clawed the Red Devils to within three points of treble-winners and bitter rivals Manchester City.

There were a number of excellent performers on the night for the English giants, not least the man who put two past an awkward-looking Robert Sanchez into the opposition's net. However, there was another star that stole the show during the game.

Manchester United's performance in numbers

Despite having less possession than the Blues, the 13-time Premier League champions battered Chelsea's goal, registering 28 shots which recorded a whopping 4.07 expected goals to the opposition's 1.4, according to FotMob.

0.78 of United's xG came from Bruno Fernandes' penalty miss early in the first half, but 3.29 non-penalty xG is still quite a stark figure and perhaps an indictment on Chelsea's defensive display.

In contrast, on Saturday, during the 1-0 defeat away at St. James' Park against Newcastle United, Erik ten Hag's side mustered a mere 0.48 xG which was eight-and-a-half times less than their final sum against Chelsea.

The victory now leaves United just three points off the top four, silencing critics of the Dutch manager, with former Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitting that the players were "playing for Ten Hag" during the game.

McTominay rightly earned plaudits after the match for his double, which puts him top of Man United's goalscoring charts this season with six goals. The Scotland international had seven shots in total throughout the match, with six coming from inside the penalty area. Additionally, 1.87 of United's 4.07 xG came from McTominay, as per FotMob.

However, there was an unsung hero for the Reds who was key behind the team's victory at the Theatre of Dreams.

Antony's performance in numbers

Antony has come in for a lot of criticism, particularly this season, having failed to score one goal or even bag an assist in any competition despite being the club's second-most-expensive signing of all-time behind Paul Pogba.

Nevertheless, his display at Old Trafford versus Chelsea was worthy of praise, with Statman Dave calling his performance "electric" in the first half.

The tricky Brazilian created two chances for Man United on the night and even drew a foul from Enzo Fernandez within the opening ten minutes which led referee David Coote to point to the spot after a VAR check.

In addition, Antony played three balls into the final third as United bombarded Chelsea's box, while having 52 touches of the ball during the game, popping up with four shots at Sanchez and winning eight duels.

Antony replaced Marcus Rashford perhaps surprisingly in the starting lineup for Wednesday's home bout. The England international had merely 22 touches of the ball, played one pass into the final third and failed to register a single shot at goal during the dismal defeat at Newcastle on Saturday, meaning Antony's performance was certainly a welcome one by the home supporters. Goalscorer McTominay heaped praise on Antony after the game, labelling his display as "world-class".

While the wait goes on for a goal contribution from the Brazil international, the manager will be left pleased with his £82m winger who could keep Rashford out of the team for at least the next few games.

Journalist claims "excellent" Chelsea target would be "very keen" on move

Chelsea have quickly become one of the most unpredictable sides in the Premier League. Whilst they became the team to end Tottenham Hotspur's unbeaten start to the season with a 4-1 thrashing, before they earned points against both Arsenal and champions Manchester City in games they could have won, the Blues were eased past by Newcastle United and have suffered defeats against Brentford and Nottingham Forest this season. If any side have been the definition of inconsistent, it is Mauricio Pochettino's.

The Blues will be well aware of the issues that they face, however, and have reportedly already turned their attention towards future transfer windows, with one journalist delivering a positive verdict on one specific defensive target.

Chelsea transfer news

It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't in the headlines for their transfer activity, especially since the arrival of Todd Boehly and that looks set to only continue. During the summer transfer window, the Blues attempted to rebuild by bidding farewell to the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz to make room for incomings such as Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku. That rebuild is yet to have any success though, and the London giants have been left needing further reinforcements. They have at least been given a positive verdict on one target, however.

Speaking to the Simon Phillips Substack, one reporter claimed that Marc Guehi would be keen on a move to Chelsea: “Chelsea have sold a lot of home-grown talent already, they have to have a certain amount. Crystal Palace have been really clear that they want to do no business until after the Euros. That’s what their line is. Marc Guehi would be very keen to join in the first team and play for Chelsea. SO that’s something that’s definitely got legs. It’s one to watch out for.”

malick-thiaw-marc-guehi-tottenham-opinion

Guehi, of course, began his career as an academy graduate at Chelsea before finding his feet away from Stamford Bridge, meaning that a return now that he is an established Premier League player may feel somewhat fitting. It does look as though the Blues will have to wait until late next summer before any deal can potentially get done.

"Excellent" Guehi deserves big move

Not only is Guehi now an established Premier League defender, he is now an England international who looks increasingly likely to get a place on the plane for Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. Guehi's stats show that he is more than ready for a big move too.

Player

Tackles Won

Blocks

Interceptions

Clearances

Marc Guehi

10

14

12

59

Thiago Silva

7

12

12

48

Axel Disasi

2

10

4

33

It's no surprise, given how well Guehi has performed, that Southgate has had nothing but good things to say. The England boss told Channel 4: “Marc has been excellent. He has really in every game he has shown great composure. His defending has been good. He has taken what I have seen for his club into international and we all know that is not straight forward but he is really looking like a top player.”

Aaron breaks Odisha hearts; TN win finally

Uttarakhand make it five in five, Karnataka lodge protest against Saurashtra. More in our Ranji round-up

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2018Aaron gives Odisha heartbreakOdisha had to endure a massive heartbreak in Ranchi, going down by two runs to Jharkhand for their second loss of the season. This was their narrowest loss in terms of runs in the competition. Subhranshu Senapati, the 21 year old, who is fast becoming their new batting lynchpin was the last man standing, unbeaten on 157 when Varun Aaron castled No. 11 Dhiraj Singh.Odisha were down and out at 193 for 9 in their chase of 260. The last-wicket pair added 64 to take them within touching distance. This loss dents Odisha’s chances of a knockouts berth, as they’re now placed sixth in Group C with 13 points in five matches. The top two sides in the group – Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – are on 28 and 24 points respectively.That Jharkhand gave themselves a shot at victory was thanks largely to a solid second-innings unbeaten 132 by former captain Saurabh Tiwary. The win puts Jharkhand within touching distance of the top two, with four matches still remaining.Uttarakhand all but through to knockoutsUttarakhand are well on their way to the quarter-finals in their debut season. Their fifth win on the trot took them 14 points clear of second-placed Meghalaya in the Plate Group. Mumbai have the biggest winning streak of eight matches in the tournament’s history, a feat they achieved between 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons. Fast bowler Deepak Dhapola, who finished with a match haul of 11 for 111, is now the leading wicket-taker of the season. His 37 wickets in four matches have come at a mind-boggling average of 9.89 and a strike rate of 23.6.Karnataka protest”I’m happy we made 91 in the second innings.”The irony wasn’t lost on anyone as Vinay Kumar gave his appraisal of the Rajkot surface where Karnataka were trounced by Saurashtra for their first loss this season. For the record, both sides were shot out for under 100 in the second innings, with the match finishing close to tea on the third day.A day after the match, the KSCA confirmed they had lodged an official complaint with the BCCI over the nature of the Rajkot surface, where the spinners picked up 38 of the 40 wickets. Both ends were abrasive, with plenty of cracks and indentations that had the ball shooting up, leaving both sides preferring to sometimes bring on their part-time spinners. Vinay and Abhimanyu Mithun, Karnataka’s pace duo, had minimal roles with the ball, while Saurashtra fielded an all-spin attack.This, Sudhakar Rao, the KSCA secretary, argued was the biggest hint that they’d laid out an underprepared surface.”The pitch was under-prepared. We had filed one complaint on the first day itself,” he said. Saurashtra didn’t have a medium pacer in their playing XI and they opened the bowling with spinners. It appears that the nature of the pitch was pre-planned. We don’t think a neutral curator was consulted. As a punishment, we want the touring team to be awarded full points.”Click here for all the Ranji Trophy scorecards from this roundTamil Nadu win, finallyIt’s increasingly becoming a trend they do not want to carry any further. After doing all the early running, Kerala slipped to their second straight loss this season, this time to Tamil Nadu at Chepauk. It was no coincidence that for a second straight outing, Jalaj Saxena, their talismanic allrounder, had a forgettable outing. This loss does not entirely rule them out of knockouts contention, but comes as a blow nonetheless. For Tamil Nadu, it was vital, for it keeps them in the hunt after wet weather denied them in the first two matches of the season.The hero was T Natarajan, the left-arm seamer, who picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season to give his side a 151-run victory. This was the first five-for by a Tamil Nadu fast bowler at home since J Kaushik’s feat during the 2011-12 season.Here’s the winning moment:

Gambhir signs offHaving spent a majority of his time during the second innings off the field, Gautam Gambhir was denied a final innings for Delhi on the final day of their fixture against Andhra. Delhi batted out a draw after pocketing a first innings lead. Later after the match, he took centre stage at a felicitation ceremony with both teams in attendance at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

A helping hand for Kylian Mbappe! How Ligue 1 are aiding PSG and Marseille ahead of their European semi-finals – explained

PSG & Marseille have been handed a boost by Ligue 1 authorities as their league fixtures have been rescheduled ahead of their European semifinals.

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PSG & Marseille competing for European gloryPSG set to face Dortmund, whereas Marseille will take on AtalantaLeague fixtures deferred to provide ample recovery timeWHAT HAPPENED?

With the football season reaching its climax and matches piling up, Ligue 1 has recognised the need to provide PSG and Marseille with ample recovery time ahead of their pivotal European encounters. The rescheduling of league fixtures is expected to afford the teams a longer preparation period, enhancing their chances of success on the continental stage.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The LFP Board of Directors convened on Friday to deliberate on the scheduling adjustments for PSG and Marseille, considering the clubs' participation in the semifinals of prestigious European competitions. The Reims versus Marseille and Nice against Paris Saint-Germain fixtures, originally slated for the 32nd matchday, will now take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 9:00pm.

Furthermore, recognising the ripple effect of rescheduling on other clubs, the LFP Board of Directors has taken proactive measures to accommodate Reims and Nice. The matches between Stade Brestois 29 and Reims, as well as Nice and Havre AC, originally scheduled for the 33rd matchday, have been brought forward to Friday, May 10, 2024.

To ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the league schedule, all other matches of the 33rd matchday of Ligue 1 Uber Eats will proceed as planned on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. This adjustment accounts for Marseille's involvement in the Europa League semifinal return leg, which precedes the league fixtures.

DID YOU KNOW?

After knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League quarterfinals with a 6-4 aggregate win, PSG are slated to take on Borussia Dortmund on May 1 in the first leg, followed by the crucial second leg on May 7. Mbappe & Co. will have a rest period of six days ahead of the match at the Parc des Princes which should help them. Similarly, Marseille will also have no domestic commitments between their two European legs which is another boost to their hopes of winning the competition.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

The rescheduling of fixtures underscores Ligue 1's proactive approach to bolstering the performance of French clubs in UEFA tournaments and elevating France's index ranking, a key strategic objective for the league. PSG will be back in action against Lyon on Sunday, while Marseille will face Toulouse on the same day.

Nottingham Forest could unleash a surprise to replace Taiwo Awoniyi

Nottingham Forest are a club that has spiralled down the Premier League table following a disastrous run of form.

The Reds made a promising start to the season after beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge while running the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United close.

However, that promising start has since turned into a nightmare with the Tricky Trees picking up just one win from their last nine matches; only bottom-dwellers Sheffield United and Burnley have accumulated fewer points during that period.

To make matters worse, top scorer Taiwo Awoniyi is facing a significant spell on the sidelines after undergoing groin surgery with Steve Cooper confirming last week that he could be out for several months.

The towering Nigerian, who has plundered 14 of their 54 goals in the top flight since his arrival from Union Berlin, is going to be a huge miss as the focal point in the front line.

Chris Wood deputised in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion and although he has the Premier League pedigree to be a worthy replacement, Cooper could now unleash academy star Ateef Konate into the first-team.

Ateef Konate's youth statistics

22-year-old, Konate has gradually risen through the youth ranks at the City Ground but is at an age now where he needs to be playing regular first-team football.

Despite being subjected to interest from several Championship clubs in January, he instead joined League One side Oxford United, where he only featured five times in the second half of the season.

Whilst it didn't work out in the third tier, an unproductive loan spell isn't the makings of a youngster's career and the Frenchman has proven that he's a clinical scorer in Forest's underage groups.

With a return of 19 goals and ten assists in 43 appearances for Cooper's U21 side, Konate has shown he's a cut above players his age and now has to replicate such form in the senior setup.

What Konate could bring to Nottingham Forest

Hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as "very impressive", the clinical striker has struck three goals in seven Premier League 2 appearances this term, including a brace last time out against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Clearly an exciting talent, he was praised as a "very talented individual" by one of his youth coaches, Dave Rogers, after swooping the Player of the Month award for his division last season.

He said: “He’s scored some fantastic goals for us, but he brings so much more to the team than just finding the back of the net.

"He’s a threat for the opposition whenever he plays, and he has also added a real desire and work ethic off the ball too which is an area of improvement we asked of him. We now hope he can continue to progress from here because he’s a very talented individual.”

As demonstrated by Man United unleashing 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo into the first-team, young players can often thrive when thrown into the deep end and perhaps Cooper could use that as inspiration to unearth the striker.

Couple that with the fact Wood has only scored three goals this term, there's every reason to believe that taking a risk on Konate could pay off in the long run, even if it is just regular minutes off the bench to begin with.

In truth, a replacement for Awoniyi needs to be found as a matter of urgency, with Cooper set to save the club millions by looking to the academy set-up for a worthy solution.

'I was buying meat for a braai' – How Anrich Nortje scorched his way to an IPL deal

South Africa’s little-known IPL pick has built a big reputation with his exploits in the Mzansi League

Liam Brickhill21-Dec-2018

Anrich Nortje ripped through Heat with a four-wicket burst•Mzansi Super League

There were a couple of familiar names in the South African contingent of the IPL auction in December: Colin Ingram is an increasingly sought-after T20 freelancer, while Heinrich Klaasen is also no stranger to the IPL, and Hardus Viljoen is a County regular. But not as many will have heard of the fourth South African picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this week.Anrich Nortje, a 25-year-old fast bowler from Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, turned enough heads in three Mzansi Super League games to pop up on the IPL radar. Playing for the Cape Town Blitz, Nortje caught the attention of KKR coach Jacques Kallis, himself a Cape Town local, scoring a INR 20 lakh (R400,000) contract, despite currently being sidelined by minor surgery on his ankle.”I didn’t really expect to get picked up, but I thought, well, definitely give it a shot. When I get on the shortlist I was quite happy. I was in Struisbaai, [a picturesque coastal town of a few thousand people] in the Western Cape, just in a shopping centre when someone phoned me and I heard,” Nortje explained. “I was busy getting meat for a braai that night.”While he has been a cricketer – and bowled fast – since childhood, Nortje’s recent rise has been rapid. Having made his first class debut in 2013, and his franchise debut in 2016, in the 2017-18 season he averaged a modest 35 with the ball in the four-day domestic competition for Warriors but, he says, he “changed one or two things during the winter, and just sort of clicked”.Nortje was selected for South Africa A’s tour of India in August, playing in two matches and dismissing Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari – for 148 – in the second unofficial Test against India A. The tour meant Nortje went into the 2018-19 domestic season match-fit and bowling with rhythm, and in five first class games for Warriors he picked up 24 wickets at 21.04, including figures of 5 for 51 and 6 for 66 in back-to-back games against Knights.”It started with getting selected for SA A, and then just bowling straight through the winter. I had a lot of cricket, a lot of prep, a lot of bowling. It’s been very busy and very exciting. Getting selected for the MSL was also a great thing. It got people looking my way a little bit. It would have been nice to play a little more, but it was still a great opportunity.”Even before the Mzansi Super League kicked off, word of Nortje’s pace started to get around. “Just watching Nortje bowling, he bowled at the speed of lightning, that was pretty scary,” said Dawid Malan after one of the warm-ups. While those games obviously weren’t televised, it was reported that Nortje touched 150km/h. “He’s got raw pace,” his team-mate Dale Steyn summed it up, simply. Blitz coach Ashwell Prince went as far as saying: “I have no doubt he will go on to play successfully at Test match level.””I was also a little bit surprised to see the speeds,” admitted Nortje. “I did change one or two things and I could feel it’s a little bit quicker, and there’s a little bit more power at the crease. But to see the pace was nice.””I definitely think there was one four-day game at Centurion, that I could definitely feel it was quicker. Quicker than what I bowled at MSL. But that was just one spell that I bowled. This season, compared to previous seasons, has definitely been the quickest.”In that Centurion game, Nortje collected the wickets of Aiden Markram and Farhaan Behardien on his way to 4 for 67. He knocked over big names in the MSL as well, dismissing Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma (first ball) on his way to 4 for 32 against Durban Heat, and then cut through Jozi Stars with 3 for 30. While he was just doing what he had been doing domestically all season, this was televised. The exposure clearly helped.”Without that [Mzansi], I wouldn’t have been picked up. It was my first big T20 tournament, I’d like to get more exposure from here on, and IPL would definitely help that.”Nortje credited the various coaches and trainers who have helped to shape his career thus far, including age-group coach Andre du Plessis, provincial coach Piet Botha, his Warriors fitness trainer and Warriors coach Rivash Gobind, who “sort of just freed us up, the whole team. Those guys really had an influence on me getting to where I am at this stage”.While Nortje’s MSL adventure was cut short by bone fragments in his left ankle that required surgery and put him out of cricket until the new year, with an IPL contract and plenty of buzz around him, he’s actually in a pretty good place right now.”I’m just excited to be playing [in the IPL]. If I can get a game, that would probably be the most exciting thing for me. It doesn’t really bother me who I’m bowling to or whatever. I just want to play and just do my thing.”Playing for the Proteas is an obvious goal for Nortje, but even before that he will have a chance to bowl at some of the best players in the world at the IPL. Including, perhaps, the greatest of them all.”Bowling to Virat? Wow, I don’t know,” he laughs. “He’s an unbelievable player. I’ll have to assess it on the day, assess the wicket, and just go according to the plan of what the coach and the team wants.””I’d definitely like to play for the Proteas. I’d play any time, any format, it doesn’t matter what it is. I just want to get into the green and gold and play for South Africa.”

Man Utd star with fewer touches than Onana was frustrating again v Luton

Manchester United returned to winning ways as they secured a 1-0 victory over Luton Town in the Premier League this afternoon.

Erik ten Hag will be relieved to see his side head into the international break having secured all three points, but there are still plenty of problems at Old Trafford and an expected win against the Hatters won’t change that. While the Red Devils dominated possession throughout the tie, they couldn’t finish Luton off and missed several big chances during the match.

Defender Victor Lindelof was the unexpected match winner, scoring the only goal in the first half, but there were several poor performances, most notably Rasmus Hojlund.

Rasmus Hojlund’s game in numbers vs Luton Town

The Danish striker entered the game having scored another Champions League double, taking his total in Europe to five goals this term, yet oddly, he had yet to score in the Premier League. His drought didn’t end today either, as the youngster wasted two big chances during the match, including what looked like a simple tap in.

Hojlund took just 18 touches before he was substituted in the 79th minute, fewer than Andre Onana in goal, while he completed just five of his eight passes, indicating how isolated he was up front.

The former Atalanta frontman also struggled in one on one battles this afternoon as he failed to win a single duel, losing all three along with losing possession eight times in total, and despite shining on the continent, it appears as though he still has a lot to learn in the top flight.

Rasmus Hojlund’s season in numbers

There is no doubt the 20-year-old will eventually find his feet at United, and he would get on better if he was given better service during matches. His form in the Champions League is promising and among the United squad in the competition, Hojlund not only ranks first for overall Sofascore rating (7.55), but also first for goals and assists (five), shots on target per game (1.5) and fifth for key passes per game (0.8), demonstrating he has what it takes to shine in Europe’s premier club competition.

For whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to translate this form onto the domestic scene, and he drops down to seventh across the squad for shots on target per game (0.5) and ninth for key passes per game (0.9) and this is something Ten Hag will be working on to improve.

Rasmus Hojlund

His first league goal surely will be just around the corner, yet missing two glaring opportunities against Luton wont exactly help his confidence. Perhaps the international break comes at the right time and with Denmark playing Slovenia and Northern Ireland over the next nine days, it gives Hojlund a chance to add to his seven goals across just ten matches for his country.

It wouldn’t do his confidence any harm and the young talent may just arrive back in Manchester ready to break his Premier League drought and push United up the league table in the process.

We've always found a way to win – McMillan

New Zealand have trounced West Indies 2-0, squeezed past England 1-0, snatched a series away from Pakistan 2-1 in the UAE, and now the series against Sri Lanka comes down to one Test in Christchurch. With the chance to go 4-0 in terms of Test series in the last year, this is the opportunity to move up one spot to third in the Test rankings – reward for long-term excellence in the format, despite a frustratingly light Test schedule.”[Four consecutive series] wins would mean a lot to the side, in terms of consistency of winning against some very good opposition,” batting coach Craig McMillan said. “Quite often, when you’re talking about international sport, and cricket in particular, you’re talking about consistency. We’re very proud of our home record, and that’s the challenge for us now. This is a one-off Test, and the series is on the line.”The victory in the UAE had been especially important – New Zealand becoming the first non-Asian side since 2013 to win a Test against Pakistan there, and the first non-Asian side ever to win a series. “We’ve been challenged in a lot of areas in a lot of different conditions,” McMillan said. “This side has always found a way. They’re just finding a way to win, to perform well, which is all you can ask as a coach – that you adapt, that you have good gameplans, and you go out and just worry about executing. The challenge for us is just to do that for another five days.”In order to stretch their winning record, however, New Zealand’s batsmen will have to negotiate what are likely to be very seam-friendly conditions, on one of the most lively decks in the country. The first session of the match shapes as a vital one, McMillan said.”You know what you’re going to get at Hagley – it has pace and bounce. It’s something as a side we’re always looking for. It suits the bowlers and suits the batsmen.”History says you win the toss and you generally bowl at Hagley. There’s been plenty of times when we’ve won the toss and we’ve had to bat first. It’s about getting your head around it and adapting to the conditions. Quite often, that first session is crucial – especially if the sun is out and there’s a bit of wind about, it can be a pretty good batting track later in the day. It will be challenging for that first session.”Whether New Zealand bat first or not, opener Jeet Raval’s performances may be under the microscope. Raval has been a frequent contributor to the New Zealand cause, but is yet to cross fifty in 10 innings this year. Twenty-five innings into his Test career, he’s also yet to make a triple-figure score.”One of the messages to Jeet is that he’s actually batting very well at the moment,” McMillan said. “He’s made some errors, and errors can be very fatal at the Test level. The key for him is trying to eliminate those. In terms of some of his decision-making up to the point he’s got out, that’s some of the best I’ve seen him bat. He’s got a lot of confidence from that.”

Emma Hayes sounds warning to Chelsea after Blues secure historic win over Barcelona in Women's Champions League

Emma Hayes has warned her Chelsea team not to get carried away after they won 1-0 at Barcelona in the first leg of their Women's Champions League tie.

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  • Chelsea beat Barcelona 1-0
  • Have slender lead in semi-final
  • Hayes warned it's "just half-time"
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Erin Cuthbert's first-half strike secured a narrow win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for the Blues in the semi-final tie. It is the first time Barcelona have lost a match at home in over five years and the first in two years in which they have failed to find the net.

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    Hayes stressed that her team's job is not complete yet as they will have to protect their 1-0 aggregate lead when they welcome the Spanish giants to Stamford Bridge for the return fixture. The Blues boss warned that their opponents can play much better than they did in Saturday's match.

  • WHAT HAYES SAID

    Hayes said on : "It's just half time. Nobody should get carried away with that. To be honest with you, I'm disappointed we didn't get the second goal, so I'm a little frustrated. It's a difficult place to come, they carried out the game plan, the thing I'd asked them to do. So, from that perspective, I'm happy."

    She added: "It's a tough place here. A lot of teams come here and go one or two down very early on so you have to ride that. They have unbelievable players, they're world class in everything they do, you have to expect they're going to create chances, but I think for the most part we limited them.

    "I think I know how to come away from home and get a result. We have not performed against Barcelona at home. We have underperformed when we have played at home. I think Barcelona have another level in them and I think that's clear. Maybe they don't feel like they were at their best today."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

    Chelsea will welcome Barcelona to London for the second leg of the semi-final on April 27. The Blues will hope to reach the Women's Champions League final for the second time in their history and win it for the first before Hayes departs to take over as USWNT boss.

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