The Australia captain could be in doubt, having missed two matches with a calf strain

S Sudarshanan29-Oct-20254:35

Krishnamurthy: ‘X-factor Shafali can put India ahead’

Big picture – How will Shafali-Mandhana bat?The stakes couldn’t be higher.Australia are here with a clean slate. They have been pushed back multiple times during this World Cup, and they’ve found a way back each time. Two of their batters, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner, have scored two centuries each. Two of their bowlers, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King, have taken more than ten wickets each. And apart from everything else that makes them such intimidating opponents, Australia have not lost an ODI knockout game since they lost to India in the the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup.Related

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India are riding a wave of emotion. They recovered from a three-game losing streak to sneak into the semi-finals. In their last full game, played at the same venue, they posted their record World Cup total. No team has pushed Australia harder than India in recent times. And they are now two wins away from doing what no India women’s team has ever done.Their key player Smriti Mandhana has scored 105, 58, 117, 125 and 80 in her last five ODIs against Australia. But she’ll start from 0 again, and this time she’ll have an adjustment to make, with her usual opening partner Pratika Rawal, with whom she added a record 212 against New Zealand, ruled out of the World Cup. Mandhana is all set to open with Shafali Verma, and the new combination could have an effect on how she bats.In ODIs involving Shafali, Mandhana averages 51.83 and strikes at 85.55. When these two opened together, Shafali was usually the early aggressor. Mandhana took on that role when Shafali went out of the side, however, as her numbers in matches involving Rawal suggest: an average of 62.65, a strike rate of 108.75. How will the new (old) opening combination bat on Thursday?For Australia, there is a fair bit of intrigue around Healy’s availability. A minor calf strain sidelined her ahead of the game against England, and she missed two matches subsequently. Australia would not want to be reminded of the T20 World Cup semi-final from last year; Healy missed the clash and South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win.The second semi-final, for which the cheapest tickets were priced at INR 150 (as opposed to INR 100 for the Guwahati semi-final), is a sell-out. You can expect all of Navi Mumbai to cram itself into the DY Patil Stadium. They could get to witness an epic.Shafali Verma waits for her turn at the nets•ICC/Getty Images

Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India WLLLWIn the spotlight – Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti SharmaPhoebe Litchfield loves playing India. She has one century and four fifties in just eight ODI innings against them, and averages 63.50. She has a wide range of sweeps that could potentially upset the rhythm of India’s spinners. After a pair of low scores against England and South Africa, Litchfield may feel she is due some runs too.Deepti Sharma has been India’s leading wicket-taker at this World Cup with 15 at 22.46. There will be a lot of focus on her during this game, because she has a fine record against Australia’s middle-order batters. She has dismissed Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner twice each in ODIs, while going at less than a run a ball against both, Ellyse Perry three times, and Tahlia McGrath five times in nine innings. Only Perry and Annabel Sutherland from the current side have managed to hit Deepti for a six in ODIs.Team news – Australia sweat on Healy’s availabilityWhile Healy batted and kept wicket during Tuesday’s training session, she opted out of optional training on Wednesday, with Georgia Voll batting in partnership with Litchfield. Head coach Shelley Nitschke said Australia would give Healy “as much time as she needs” and will take a call on her participation on Thursday. That aside, expect Sophie Molineux to come back into the spin attack for Georgia Wareham, who played against South Africa but did not get a chance to bowl.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan Schutt.Shafali is likely to swap straight into India’s XI in Rawal’s place at the top of the order. Richa Ghosh, who was rested against Bangladesh after injuring her finger during the match against New Zealand, did not look in any discomfort during her keeping drills and batted a fair bit on Tuesday. Sneh Rana and Kranti Gaud, both of whom were also rested against Bangladesh, could come back into the XI.India (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Renuka Singh.2:15

Australia coach Nitschke: Not underdogs, but also not favourites’

Pitch and conditionsThe game will be played on the pitch on which Sri Lanka played Bangladesh. That track was devoid of grass and had a bright brown look to it. It is expected to be a high-scoring game. There has been rain in Navi Mumbai in the lead-up to the match, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday, but the forecast for matchday has cleared up somewhat. The match will go into a reserve day should it not finish on Thursday.Stats and trivia Mandhana and Shafali have opened together 25 times in ODIs, adding 893 runs at an average of 37.20 and a run rate of 5.38. Mandhana and Rawal, who have opened together 23 times, are India’s most successful opening pair in ODIs, having put on 1799 runs at 78.21 and 6.06. Alana King’s average of 34.63 and economy rate of 5.93 against India are her worst by a distance against any opposition in ODIs. Mandhana (160.00), Harleen Deol (116.66), Harmanpreet Kaur (114.58), Jemimah Rodrigues (113.23) and Deepti Sharma (105.40) have 100-plus strike rates against the legspinner. Australia are on a 15-match winning streak in ODI World Cups. They had also won 15 in a row across the 1997 and 2000 editions. Megan Schutt is one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for Australia in ODI World Cups. She has 39 now, on par with Lyn FullstonQuotes”Ash [Gardner] has been unbelievable. We all know what she’s capable of with the bat, but to take her game to the next level, and do that in a World Cup, has been fantastic. She’s someone who is very diligent in everything she does; she’s a hard worker. When she’s at her best, it’s about making sure that she’s enjoying the game and enjoying the environment and she’s getting in the contest.”
“I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch. [Semi-finals] are not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”

The seamers, in particular, have had to deal with a heavy workload, bowling 1105.2 overs in four Tests

Shubh Agarwal30-Jul-20252:08

How do India’s five regulars cope with the quick turnaround?

3 – Of the 26 five-match Test series played in the 21st century, only three times has play gone into day five in each of the five Test matches. The most recent such series was the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia, which Australia won 4-0. The other two instances were in the 2000s – South Africa’s tour of the West Indies in 2000-01 and England’s tour of South Africa in 2004-05. Notably, the first day of the fifth Test of the 2004-05 series was washed out.Five days of cricket in the upcoming Oval Test will make it only the fourth such series since the turn of the century.1566.3 – Number of overs bowled in this series, the third-highest in the first four Tests of a series since 2002, only 27 and 13 overs short of Australia’s tour of India in 2008-09 and India’s tour of Australia in 2014-15, respectively. In England, it is the highest.No series since 2002 has seen 2000 overs being bowled irrespective of the number of matches played. If the fifth Test between England and India reaches the final session on day five with a healthy over rate, then this could be the first series with over 2000 overs bowled. The record for most overs bowled in a series since 2002 is 1989.4 overs in England’s five-match Test series in India in the 2016-17 season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd391.3 – The ongoing England-India series averages 391.3 overs per Test, which is the fourth-highest for a series of four matches or more since 2002. Again, it is the highest overs per Test recorded in a series in England.4 – All the four Tests of the ongoing series have lasted more than 350 overs, the joint-second-most since 2002. A further 350 overs of cricket in the fifth Test at the Oval will level this series with Ashes 2017-18 for most matches lasting 350-overs in a series.In a similar vein, this series has had 12 innings lasting more than 80 overs, again the joint-second-most and only one behind England’s tour of India in 2016-17.12 – The number of times a team has scored 350 or more in this series across the 15 innings played. In only four matches, the series has topped the list for most 350-plus team totals, leaving behind some five-match series – the Ashes in 1928-29 and 1948 (ten 350-plus team totals each), India’s tour of the West Indies in 1970-71, South Africa’s tour of England in 2003 (nine each).ESPNcricinfo Ltd17 – The number of century partnerships in this series, the joint-most in a series since 2000, alongside the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2003-04. But the long spells between wickets have been more painful for the bowlers.There have been 15 partnerships in the series that have lasted more than 180 balls, that is 30 overs of play, approximately translating to the span of a session. It is the joint-fourth-most number of partnerships spanning over 180 balls (where the data is available since 2000).Hence, dismissing a set batter has been a laborious task. Eighteen of the 40 50-plus scores have been converted into hundreds. The 50 to 100 conversion rate in the series is 45%, second only to the 50% conversion rate in Australia’s tour of the West Indies in 1955 (among series with 35 or more 50-plus scores).1105.2 – Number of overs sent down by pacers in the series, bowling over a little more than 70% of the overs. It is the second-most bowled by fast bowlers in the first four Tests of the series since 2005. Only the Ashes series in 2017-18 had a greater bowling workload for pacers in the first four Tests (1133.2 overs).

His stocks dipped with lean IPL and domestic form across 2024 and 2025, but he seems to have rediscovered his groove since his return to Delhi

Daya Sagar01-Sep-2025Nitish Rana marked his return to Delhi cricket with a statement performance in the crunch games of the Delhi Premier League (DPL), leading West Delhi Riders to the title. In the three playoff matches, he produced one century and one half-century, finishing unbeaten each time with scores of 134*, 45*, and 79*. It was a decisive response from a player who had been searching for form across the past two years and had started the tournament poorly. His unbeaten 134 off 55 balls in Qualifier 1, with eight fours and 15 sixes, was the defining knock of the tournament.”In big matches, it is very important for big players to perform because there is a lot of pressure in these games,” Rana said afterwards. “Big players know a little better how to handle pressure, and I place myself in that category of players who can steer the game under pressure situations.”As an experienced player, you know whether you are in good touch or not. I knew I was batting well, but the runs were not coming. I continuously backed myself. I knew I was only one big innings away, and luckily it came when the team needed it most. Now we are champions.”Related

• Abdul Samad expects new approach to take him where he hasn't gone before

• Nitish Rana set to return to Delhi in upcoming domestic season

• Delhi boys Rana and Rathi in ugly face off in DPL game

The Qualifier also featured an exchange of words with South Delhi Superstarz spinner Digvesh Rathi, which went viral online. Rana did not want to linger much on the episode. “It would be very unfair if I only share my side of the story and Rathi doesn’t get to say anything,” Rana said. “All I can say is that he started it and poked me, so I replied. I was born and raised in Delhi, and I have hot blood too. If someone pokes me, I am not the kind of person to stay quiet… He got disturbed in his line and length, and I responded with sixes.”The DPL title followed one of Rana’s toughest periods. In 2024, despite Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lifting the IPL trophy, injuries and team balance meant he featured in only two matches. His domestic returns were no better. For Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy that season, he was dropped after scoring just one fifty in six innings. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that followed, he averaged 13.88 with a strike rate of 114.43 across nine games, while in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he was left out after one game. In IPL 2025, playing for Rajasthan Royals, he scored two half-centuries but made six single-digit scores in 11 innings. Soon after, Rana returned to Delhi for the 2025-26 season, citing family reasons.Nitish Rana takes a selfie with his UP team-mates after a win•ESPNcricinfo LtdIt was not his first setback. In 2022-23, he scored only 71 runs at 17.75 in the Ranji Trophy and was dropped after three games, prompting a move from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh in search of opportunities. Looking back, Rana said: “I went to Uttar Pradesh because I thought maybe I would play better in a new place. But it didn’t work out that way. Now I have left those things behind and returned to the same Delhi dressing room where I learned to score runs. It’s not that I had to prove something, but personally, these DPL innings are very important for me.”Cricket is a game of experience. When you grind yourself, go through bad times, it becomes very important to try to learn from those situations. I too have had many bad patches, I have fought with myself, punished myself too. But I trust myself a lot. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. But all this is part of the game.”In the seven seasons from 2017 to 2023, Rana was one of a few batters to score at least 300 runs in every IPL. In 2021, during the Covid-19 period, he earned an India call-up, playing one ODI and two T20Is in Sri Lanka. Since then, the door to the national side has stayed closed, though he has remained a regular contributor in domestic cricket and has on occasion captained his Ranji and IPL teams.For now, he is not looking beyond the immediate. “There are a lot of things to think about,” Rana said. “I also want to make a comeback to the Indian team, but by thinking about it, I will only put pressure on myself. That’s why I don’t think too much now. I only focus on things that are in my control. Right now, my cricket is in my control, and I am only focusing on that.”

Former Inter and Belgium defender Zinho Vanheusden has announced his retirement from professional football aged just 26, with the centre-back releasing a heartbreaking statement confirming his surprise decision. Vanheusden plied his trade in Italy, Belgium and Netherlands before heading to Spain this summer as he signed for third-tier club Marbella, but has now called time on his career.

A promising talent in Inter's youth system

After spending seven years in Standard Liege's youth academy, Vanheusden was scouted by Inter youth coaches and was brought to the club's academy in 2015. At 16, the defender was considered as one of the brightest prospects in Europe and was expected to shine for the Serie A giants' senior side in the future.

However, his progress halted at Inter due to a series of injuries as he never got to play for their senior side. He was on Inter's book, though, until 2025 as he played for clubs like Standard Liege, Genoa and AZ on a series of loan spells. Finally, in the summer of 2025, he exited Inter to join third-tier Spanish club Marbella to revive his career. 

At the start of the season, he made seven appearances for the club before a third anterior cruciate ligament tear of his career forced him to announce his retirement at the tender age of 26. Vanheusden also represented Belgium at the youth level and made his senior professional debut in 2020 against Ivory Coast in an international friendly which ended in a 1-1 draw. It was his first and only international cap.

AdvertisementAFPVanheusden released heartbreaking statement

On Instagram, the 26-year-old wrote: "Today I am making a decision I never thought I would have to make at this age. After 22 years of soccer — from my fourth year until now — my life as a professional soccer player is coming to an end. Football made me who I am today. It gave me a life I never dared to dream of as a child. From supporting my favourite club for years as a child with my dad at Sclessin, to then playing a hundred games for it myself, to scoring for the Ultras and even getting the honour of being a captain here. It didn’t stop there… I got the opportunity to make my national debut and to play in Serie A. All things that seemed unreal when I started.

"Besides all that beautiful, the last few years were tough. Much heavier than I ever seemed. Injuries, operations, injections, medication… I gave everything to go back, but it got harder every time. I was constantly searching for my level, overplayed through pain too often and lived after every workout or game uncertain about how my body would react the next day. I kept fighting to be the player I wanted to be, but every time a new fight came. In my heart I will always want to be a footballer, but my body has been saying enough for a while now. And that’s why — out of respect for myself, for my health and for my responsibility as a father — I am making this decision. As surreal as it feels writing this. But I want to be able to walk in my life without pain, play with my son and enjoy life with my family… I don’t know what it will be like to get up without football, but I’m going to find out now."

Ex-Inter star named after famous Brazilian footballer

Zinho's father Johan Vanheusden, in 2017, revealed that he had named his son after famous Brazilian footballer Zinho, who starred for the Selecao in their 1994 World Cup win.

Speaking to , Johan had said: "The 'h' in Zinho is actually pronounced like a 'j,'" said Johan Vanheusden. "Like in Portuguese. Our son is named after the Brazilian footballer Zinho. I thought he was fantastic at the '94 World Cup'. Five years later, in 1999, the name for a son was quickly chosen."

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AFPWhat will Vanheusden do next?

The 26-year-old will now work hard to regain full fitness and recover from the fresh setback. The former defender does not have clarity at the moment about his future, but like other retired footballers, he might try and get into management to remain in touch with the game, which he dearly loves.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has backed Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha to win the Ballon d'Or, while praising his side's display in a 5-3 Champions League defeat to the French giants. Spurs twice led the defending champions in Paris but Luis Enrique's team stormed back with a stunning second-half display. The Danish manager tipped his hat to the north London team and also the world-class Portuguese.

• Tottenham respond after Arsenal drubbing

  The anti-Frank rhetoric from some Tottenham fans reached fever point on Sunday as they were thrashed 4-1 by bitter rivals Arsenal in the Premier League. The drubbing was, naturally, difficult to take but the manner of the defeat was particularly galling for some supporters, who were frustrated with Frank's defensive tactics and lack of intent. But they looked like their old selves in the French capital with a performance of grit and character. Ultimately, they shipped five goals and came away with nothing on Wednesday night but Frank saw plenty of positives from the win. He also thinks Vitinha, who scored a hat-trick and came third in this year's Ballon d'Or, is the best midfielder in the world.

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• AFP
  

  'They have one Ballon d'or winner'

  He told reporters, via Football London: "I'm pleased with the performance. It was the reaction I wanted from the players, from the team. We've been working very hard on that, the players, the staff, me, to make sure that we responded well and bounced back because that's crucial after a bad performance. Today I saw more identity of the team I want to create, we want to create. Much more character, personality, aggressiveness. Three words you need to have in any team no matter how you want to do, how you want to play, whatever formation, whatever. Today we saw it, that I'm pleased with. 

  "Of course, I think it was performance that was up there where we could get something out of the game, a draw or a win. So that's a little frustrating thing that we conceded some goals. Of course, one with a little bit of margin from Vitinha, not top corner but top, top corner. And then, of course, goal three and four. Those are the ones we definitely need to avoid if we want to get something out of here, but something to build on. Strikers scoring two goals. The whole team, I think, all performed well. Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, positive. When we played against a decent team where they have one Ballon d'Or winner and I think the next one is playing in midfield. Vitinha. Wow, what a player."

  Frank added to TNT Sports: "Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world. He will be the next Ballon d'Or winner."

• Tottenham staying positive

  With this defeat, Tottenham have now conceded four or more goals in back-to-back games in all competitions for the first time since May 2003 under Glenn Hoddle. Moreover, Spurs let in five goals away from home in a major European competition for the very first time. Despite that, midfielder Archie Gray had a glass-half-full attitude.

  He told TNT Sports: "We played against a top opponent tonight, they are probably the best team in Europe at the moment. There were some good moments we can take into Fulham. We scored some goals, there are things we can work on, but they are a top, top team, and there are moments you will suffer against them. They are the best team in Europe, and they are relentless in every aspect of their game, and they have that individual class. They are a top team, and there are things we can learn from."

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  What comes next for Tottenham?

  While Tottenham can take some positives out of this match, that belief and optimism will evaporate if they are unable to beat lowly Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday night. Spurs have slipped to ninth in the table but if results go their way, they could climb as high as fourth. On the flip side, if they don't win, they could drop into the bottom half of the table.

أعلن إبراهيم حسن، مدير منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، عن موعد وملعب المباراة الودية ضد نيجيريا التي تقام ضمن الاستعدادات الأخيرة للفراعنة قبل كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

ويخوض منتخب مصر، معسكرًا مغلقًا بداية من اليوم 7 ديسمبر، استعدادًا لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا القادمة بالمغرب.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، وأسفرت القرعة عن تواجده في المجموعة الثانية مع زيمبابوي وأنجولا وجنوب إفريقيا.

و⁠يبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 ويختتم دور المجموعات بمواجهة أنجولا يوم 29. موعد مباراة مصر ونيجيريا الودية قبل كأس أمم إفريقيا

وقال حسن خلال تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لاتحاد الكرة المصري: “مباراة نيجيريا الودية، ستتم إقامتها يوم 16 ديسمبر الحالي بدلاً من 14 من الشهر نفسه، بعد طلب منتخب نيجيريا تأجيل المباراة لمدة 48 ساعة”.

طالع | سيناريوهات تأهل منتخب مصر إلى دور الـ8 من كأس العرب

وأضاف حسن أن ودية نيجيريا ستتم إقامتها باستاد القاهرة في الثامنة مساءً، في إطار الاستعداد لبطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية 2025، التي ستقام في المغرب.

ومن المقرر إقامة بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 في المغرب، خلال الفترة من 21 ديسمبر 2025 إلى 18 يناير 2026، بمشاركة 24 منتخبًا.

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto decided to spend a portion of his Monday doing what he does best: pitching—the simulated version of him, anyway.

Yamamoto was crowned World Series MVP on Saturday night after his stellar October performances, from his historic complete game in Game 2 to his clutch close-out in the final key innings of Game 7. After winning baseball's biggest prize, the Japanese star prepared for the team's World Series parade on Monday while his teammate, Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, had some fun with a Yamamoto simulator in batting practice.

In an Instagram Story shared by Sasaki, the Yamamoto simulator was seen pitching to Sasaki in a practice facility before Monday's championship parade. It seemed like there was some sort of contest going on, as what was presumably Sasaki's other Dodgers teammates could be heard egging on the Yamamoto machine.

"Strike him out! Strike out Roki!" one person said.

The Yamamoto simulator proceeded to do just that, and Sasaki took the loss in stride, captioning the video, "Yoshi is nasty."

Watch that funny moment below:

Yamamoto is just getting his Dodgers' career started, but after two title-winning seasons in L.A., he's already made his indelible mark in MLB history. Coming of this year's Fall Classic, the 27-year-old became the first player to win three games in a World Series since 2001, and just the fourth ever to record a win in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.

Clearly, he's not finished yet, and neither is fellow Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The World Series will return to Toronto after the Blue Jays won Game 4 on Tuesday night 6–2 to even the series vs. the Dodgers 2–2.

While the Blue Jays have been in Los Angeles the past two days, Toronto fans still packed Rogers Centre with thousands of fans sitting in the stadium for watch parties. And those fans in Toronto were definitely happier on Tuesday night with the win rather than on Monday night after the nearly seven-hour, 18-inning long Game 3 that resulted in a Dodgers win.

Videos captured the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night after the Blue Jays recorded the final out in the bottom of the ninth. It's safe to say the stadium went absolutely nuts. Take a look of the 30,000 fans erupting in cheers as their team secured the Game 4 victory.

It'll be electric to see what the Rogers Centre is like come Friday when the series returns to Toronto for Game 6. In the meantime, the Blue Jays still have one more game in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Bahia fechou a temporada com incríveis 80 jogos e objetivos parcialmente cumpridos. Em ano desgastante, o Tricolor colecionou momentos históricos, levantou troféus e também teve frustrações, tudo isso com a base do elenco que foi mantida do ano passado, mas com muitas caras novas. Para passar a limpa em 2025, o Lance! preparou um raio-x com os números da equipe e principais destaques.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBahiaRafael Ratão volta ao Bahia após empréstimo para o Japão e segue com futuro indefinidoBahia09/12/2025BahiaTorcida do Bahia elege Everton Ribeiro como craque e avalia campanha na Série ABahia09/12/2025

✅Clique aqui para seguir o canal do Esquadrão no WhatsApp e ficar por dentro de tudo!

Neste ano, o Bahia entrou em campo por seis competições diferentes: Campeonato Baiano, Copa do Nordeste, Sul-Americana, Libertadores, Copa do Brasil e Brasileirão. Nas duas primeiras o time conseguiu ir longe ao conquistar o título, mas nas quatro últimas os comandados de Rogério Ceni amargaram frustrações.

Veja abaixo os números do Bahia em cada competição:

➡️Bahia fecha temporada histórica com recordes na Arena Fonte Nova

Os destaques do Tricolor

Vários nomes do Bahia chamaram a atenção durante o ano. Para os torcedores que acompanham o Lance! o craque do time no Brasileirão foi o maestro Everton Ribeiro, mas ao longo da temporada outros atletas também se destacaram, como é o caso dos zagueiros Ramos Mingo e David Duarte, do goleiro Ronaldo, do meia Jean Lucas e do lateral Luciano Juba, esses dois últimos, inclusive, chegaram a ser convocados para a seleção brasileira.

continua após a publicidade

Mas o artilheiro do time em 2025 não foi nenhum dos citados. Em ano de recordes na carreira, Willian José fez sua temporada com mais jogos (61), mais gols (20) e mais assistências (sete). Já o “Fumacinha” Ademir foi o maior garçom da equipe, com 14 passes para gols.

Estatísticas de jogadores:

Artilheiro do Bahia em 2025: Willian José, com 20 gols;
Maior garçom: Ademir, com 14 assistências;
Atletas com mais jogos: Luciano Juba e Cauly, ambos com 63;
Atleta que mais jogou: Ramos Mingo, com 4952 minutos em campo.

continua após a publicidadeNúmeros de Rogério Ceni

O técnico Rogério Ceni completou dois anos de Bahia em 2025 e teve momentos importantes para sua maturação como treinador da equipe, com títulos, classificações importantes e frustrações. Ao todo, Ceni comandou o time por 77 partidas (as outras três foram com Leonardo Galbes, técnico do sub-20), com 41 vitórias, 17 empates e 19 derrotas (60,6% de aproveitamento).

Já de contrato renovado até o fim de 2027, Ceni agora espera o dia 5 de janeiro para iniciar a pré-temporada no CT Evaristo de Macedo.

Tudo sobre

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Phil Parkinson was hugely disappointed with Wrexham’s performance in a 2-0 defeat at Hull City, with an “honest chat” taking place behind the scenes. The Red Dragons saw a nine-match unbeaten run in Championship competition come to a shuddering halt when paying a visit to East Yorkshire. Parkinson is now demanding an immediate response from his players.

• Spent big: Reynolds and Mac chasing the dream

  Wrexham spent big in the summer transfer window as Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac helped to make the funds available for more marquee additions. A slow start was made to the 2025-26 campaign, but the Welsh outfit have found their feet in the second tier of English football.

  They had moved to within touching distance of the play-offs spots, but have now slipped to 14th place in the tightest of divisions. They remain only four points adrift of the top six, but saw collective standards slip at MKM Stadium.

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  Pull no punches: Parkinson assesses defeat at Hull

  Parkinson told reporters afterwards, with Wrexham paying the price for a particularly poor first-half display: “We just weren't at the levels tonight and I've got to look at that – my part in it, all the staff will, and the players themselves. But we'll do that together. The lads have given us a lot but tonight we were below the level, and we'll come out ready for action at the weekend.”

  Parkinson added on dressing room chat that saw the Red Dragons’ coaching staff pull no punches: “We've just had an honest chat with the lads. We just weren't where we needed to be tonight and we've got to be honest about that.

  “It's very rare in my whole time at Wrexham to have a 45 minutes that was so unlike us. Tonight the first 45 minutes was certainly one of those performances, but against a good side as well. Give them credit, they were excellent.

  “We will look to respond, of course. That's what football's all about. We'll be a bit flat tomorrow because we don't like losing. Nobody does in football, but we'll work together as a group, and we'll look to put up a good performance on the weekend.”

• Confident camp: Hyam expects immediate improvement

  Wrexham defender Dom Hyam is confident that Wrexham’s efforts so far this season mean a much-improved performance will be delivered when Watford pay a visit to SToK Racecourse on Saturday.

  He said: “We've been on a really good run, we've got to add some perspective as well, we've come up from the division below and we've done well up until this point. Don't get me wrong, we're still bitterly disappointed with that tonight but it's a good opportunity to get it right on Saturday. That's the beauty of the league, we've got a game in three days' time. We know there's a big opportunity on Saturday in front of our home supporters to put things right.

  “It's not doom and gloom by any means. It's very raw, that performance wasn't great on a lot of levels, but there's a lot to be positive about still. We'll take our medicine and make sure we're right again.”

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  Ultimate goal: Wrexham aiming for the Premier League

  While Wrexham were nine Championship games unbeaten heading into their meeting with Hull, they had been held in five of those fixtures. Inability to turn draws into wins has prevented them from clambering into the play-off places and daring to dream of securing a record-extending fourth successive promotion.

  That remains the ultimate goal for all concerned, with Reynolds and Mac having never shied away from the fact that they want to bring top-flight football to North Wales. Greater consistency is, however, going to be required when it comes to picking up maximum points.

  It could be that the Red Dragons dip back into the transfer market for more new recruits during the January window. They have four games to take in through to the end of the calendar year – with three of those being played out on home soil, while a trip to Swansea for a derby date with Welsh rivals will be taken in on December 19.