LONDON: Harry Kane fired England into the Nations League semifinals as Gareth Southgate’s side scored twice in the last 12 minutes to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia on Sunday.
England were on the brink of relegation to the second tier of the competition after Andrej Kramaric gave Croatia the lead against the run of play in the second half at Wembley.
But Southgate’s vibrant young side pulled off a stirring escape act in the closing stages to gain a measure of revenge for their World Cup semifinal defeat against Croatia earlier this year.
Jesse Lingard came off the bench to poach England’s equalizer and captain Kane was on hand to turn in the winner with five minutes left.
England’s fightback took them to the top of Group A4, above Spain and relegated Croatia, and they can look forward to playing in the last four in June next year.
It was a cathartic moment for England, who have made a habit of suffering painful defeats against Croatia, with this year’s World Cup woe following the 2007 loss that cost them a place at Euro 2008.
More importantly, the performance provided further tangible proof that Southgate is building a team capable of challenging for the major prizes after years of under-achievement.
England’s appearance in the semifinals of the Nations League, which are set to be held in Portugal next June, offers another chance to reach their first major final since 1966.
Following the 3-2 Nations League win over Spain in Seville last month, this tournament has been a serious statement of intent from Southgate’s team and they will go into 2019 with great expectations.
From start to finish, England were the dominant force, although they were fortunate to escape when Ante Rebic shot over after Jordan Pickford fumbled Fabian Delph’s backpass.
Kane slipped a perfectly-weighted pass through to Raheem Sterling and the Manchester City winger’s blistering pace sent him clear of the Croatia defense.
With only Lovre Kalinic to beat, Sterling let Croatia off the hook as he directed a hesitant shot straight at the keeper.
England kept probing intelligently, with the speed of Sterling and Marcus Rashford providing their main threat.
Delph’s pass sparked a frantic sequence, forcing Kalinic to dash out of his area to head away from Sterling.
When Kalinic’s clearance fell to Kane, the England captain’s effort was headed off the line by Tin Jedvaj.
The rebound fell to Kane, but Kalinic, by now back in his goal, used his legs to foil the Tottenham striker with a last-ditch save.
It was more of the same at the start of the second half, but once again England couldn’t find the killer touch.
That profligacy looked as though it would prove fatal when Croatia snatched the lead after 56 minutes.
Kramaric was allowed time and space to turn in the area and the Hoffenheim forward took full advantage, clipping a shot that deflected off Eric Dier and looped over Pickford’s despairing dive.
Southgate responded by sending on Lingard and the change reaped an instant reward as England equalized in the 78th minute.
Joe Gomez’s long throw was flicked on by John Stones and Kane prodded past Kalinic, leaving Lingard with the simple task of tapping in from virtually on the goal-line.
England’s deserved winner arrived in the 85th minute.
Ben Chilwell curled over a teasing low free-kick and Kane timed his run to perfection, guiding his shot past Kalinic from close-range.
Kane’s first goal in eight games for England sparked a wild celebration from Southgate, who leapt into the air as he punched the air on the touchline.
Kane had joked with his fiancee this week that he would cry if England ever win a trophy, but he couldn’t guarantee he would weep when they get married.
Thanks to their thrilling comeback, England could bring a tear to Kane’s eyes in the Finals next year.
England avenge World Cup Croatia defeat to reach Nations League final four
England avenge World Cup Croatia defeat to reach Nations League final four
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2018/11/18/1372936-128335842.jpg?itok=DDRzZs_-)
- Kane’s first goal in eight games for England sparked a wild celebration from manager Southgate
- England were on the brink of relegation to the second tier of the competition after Andrej Kramaric gave Croatia the lead
‘Very special’ Parag powers Rajasthan Royals to IPL win over Delhi Capitals
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2024/03/28/4294841-356220458.jpg?itok=g3LqCfQM)
Rishabh Pant-led Delhi won the toss and chose to field first and maintained a stranglehold over the game until the second half of the Royals’ innings.
Rajasthan lost both their explosive openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (five) and Jos Buttler (11) early and even batting mainstay, captain Sanju Samson, failed to convert his start and fell for 15.
With the team reeling at 36-3 in the eighth over, Rajasthan promoted India’s spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who built a crucial 54-run partnership with Parag.
Ashwin scored 29 off 19 balls and took the team to 90 before he was dismissed in the 14th over by India teammate Axar Patel.
Parag, who has been criticized in previous IPL seasons for his rash shot selection, kept the scoreboard ticking until after the 17th over.
The 22-year-old put together another key partnership with Indian wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel (20).
Parag, who reached his 50 off 34 balls, cracked 25 runs with three fours and two sixes off the final over bowled by South African paceman Anrich Nortje.
He was ably supported by West Indian Shimron Hetmyer, who hit an unbeaten seven-ball 14 that propelled the team to an impressive 185-5.
Samson praised player of the match Parag.
“Wherever I go, people ask me about him. There is something very special he can give to Indian cricket,” he said.
Patel was the standout bowler for Delhi and finished with 1-21 in his four over spell.
Delhi started their chase well with Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and veteran David Warner.
Marsh was removed after a 12-ball 23 in the fourth over by South African quick Nandre Burger, who also removed Ricky Bhui (0) in the same over.
But that didn’t stop Warner, who took the team to 59-2 at the end of the powerplay.
He was removed in the 12th over after a well compiled 34-ball 49, falling to young India fast bowler Avesh Khan.
Delhi subsequently fell behind the run rate before a late innings counterattack by South African Tristan Stubbs who finished with an unbeaten 23-ball 44.
Avesh bowled a tight last over to seal a 12-run victory.
Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal finished his three overs with 2-19 while Burger had 2-29.
Losing captain Pant said that he was “definitely disappointed.”
Pant, who hopes to make a comeback to the Indian team after his long injury layoff ahead of the T20 World Cup this summer, made 28 off 26 balls.
“The best thing to do from here is to learn from it,” he added.
Pochettino taken aback by Chilwell’s starts for England after injury
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2024/03/28/4294786-1564049311.jpg?itok=Wjd36Pqc)
- Chilwell last started for Chelsea on March 2 against Brentford and has played just a few minutes for the London club since then
- Chelsea currently have nine players ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match with Burnley
LONDON: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday he was surprised Ben Chilwell started two games for England during the international break after the defender only recently returned from a knee injury.
Chilwell last started for Chelsea on March 2 against Brentford and has played just a few minutes for the London club since then, as a late substitute in the FA Cup against Leicester.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old featured for the whole of England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday, three days after spending 67 minutes on the field in a defeat by Brazil.
Chelsea currently have nine players ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match with Burnley at Stamford Bridge, with several others to be assessed following international duty, including Chilwell — who suffered a blow to his knee against Belgium.
“He didn’t play after Brentford, then he played only a few minutes against Leicester,” said Pochettino. “(Then) he started two games (for England).
“It’s a surprise for us. It’s bad luck because he got a dead leg in the last moment against Belgium. Now we need to assess if he can be available.”
Enzo Fernandez, who played twice for Argentina in the United States during the break, will also have his fitness monitored ahead of this weekend’s match.
Chelsea confirmed earlier this week that Romeo Lavia would be out for the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old midfielder who joined Chelsea from Southampton in pre-season for an initial £53 million (62 million euros), has managed just 32 minutes of first-team action this term following ankle and thigh problems.
“It’s a difficult situation for him,” said Pochettino. “He’s sad. He only played 30 minutes, for a new player at the club.
“When we signed him, he arrived with problems. He couldn’t train with us for the first months. Then when he was ready he suffered a problem in his feet.
“He recovered, he played 30 minutes then got injured in December. Then he didn’t have the possibility to train. It’s really sad news.”
But leading scorer Cole Palmer could face Burnley, with the 21-year-old having not featured in either of England’s recent games.
“I talked with him,” said Pochettino. “He’s a little bit disappointed because he couldn’t play with the national team.
“The first game he had a small problem,” the Argentinian added. “He thought maybe he’d play the second game. Now he’s OK, is training well. The plan is he will be available for Saturday.”
Chelsea are 11th in the table, with Burnley in the relegation zone.
Newcastle’s Tonali charged with alleged breaches of English betting rules
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2024/03/28/4294626-1137677420.jpg?itok=kiMMeNfS)
- Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023
- The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond
LONDON: Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct by England’s Football Association relating to 50 alleged incidents of betting on matches, the governing body announced Thursday.
Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023.
The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond.
In October last year, it was announced Tonali would miss the rest of the season for club and country after FIFA, football’s global governing body, ratified a 10-month ban by Italian authorities for breaching betting rules.
He will also miss Italy’s defense of their European Championship title in the June-July finals in Germany.
Tonali’s agent has previously said his client, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July for around £55 million ($69 million, 64 million euros), has a gambling addiction.
As well as the 10-month ban, Tonali was fined 20,000 euros and ordered to undergo an eight-month course of therapy to address his problems after reaching a plea bargain following an investigation into illegal betting conducted by the Italian prosecuting authorities and the Italian Football Federation.
Newcastle, reacting to Thursday’s announcement by the FA, said in a statement: “Newcastle United acknowledges a misconduct charge received by Sandro Tonali in respect of alleged breaches of FA betting rules.
“Sandro continues to fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club’s full support.
“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”
Bayern wait on Kane’s and Neuer’s fitness for ‘Klassiker’ against Dortmund
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2024/03/28/4294421-1053881365.jpg?itok=1BC38KTO)
- Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday
- Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week
DUESSELDORF, Germany: Bayern Munich’s slim title chances might depend on a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga “Klassiker.”
Dortmund isn’t the real threat though. With Bayer Leverkusen still soaring 10 points clear with just eight games to go, dropping any more points could be fatal to Bayern’s chances of a dramatic comeback in defense of the title.
Bayern might have to do without top scorer Harry Kane and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after injuries meant both were unable to play for their national teams.
Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday after he hurt his ankle in a collision with a goalpost in Bayern’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt on March 16, when he scored his personal-best 31st goal of the season. Bayern said Kane trained on Thursday, too, without elaborating.
Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week, meaning Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen took over in goal for friendly wins over France and the Netherlands ahead of hosting Euro 2024. Neuer managed what Bayern described as an individual workout Wednesday, his 38th birthday, and the same Thursday.
Even if Kane and Neuer aren’t fit for Saturday evening’s clash with Dortmund, Bayern might power through anyway. After all, Bayern had fitness concerns over their defense for the last Klassiker in November and still surged to a 4-0 win.
The problem with the Klassiker — in theory the German league’s showpiece game — isn’t just that Bayern are second and Dortmund a distant fourth. It’s also that so few recent Klassikers have been genuinely competitive contests.
Bayern have scored 23 goals in their last seven games against Dortmund in all competitions and haven’t lost since 2019 in a German Super Cup game.
The last time Dortmund won in the Bundesliga at Bayern’s Allianz Arena was all the way back in 2014, when the coaches were Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, and future Bayern great Robert Lewandowski was still a Dortmund player.
“They always save their best for us, so we have to be ready,” coach Edin Terzic said Thursday. He has some tough decisions to make on his lineup.
On-loan Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho is set to return after missing Dortmund’s last game, and striker Sebastien Haller could play for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations after an ankle problem. However, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is suspended, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is doubtful with a stomach bug, and left back Ramy Bensebaini was injured on international duty with Algeria.
The international break may also prove extra motivation for some Dortmund players who are out of Germany’s plans after forward Niclas Füllkrug was the only player at the club called up by coach Julian Nagelsmann. Teammates such as Julian Brandt, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck were left out.
Bayern could be 13 points adrift of the lead before the Klassiker even kicks off, given that Leverkusen hosts Hoffenheim earlier Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s team are still unbeaten in a scarcely believable 38 games in all competitions this season. A first ever Bundesliga title is on the horizon.
Unless Dortmund can beat Bayern, they will miss the chance to put pressure on third-placed Stuttgart, which host Heidenheim on Sunday. Leipzig are fifth and could leapfrog Dortmund with a win over Mainz on Saturday.
Sharfuddoula becomes first Bangladeshi on ICC elite umpire panel
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/styles/n_670_395/public/main-image/2024/03/28/4294321-713946221.jpg?itok=eWjEFbY_)
- Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid had been on the international panel since 2006
- Panel is responsible for officiating in majority of men’s Tests, one-day internationals
DHAKA: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid said on Thursday it was a “great honor” to be named the first Bangladeshi to join the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of umpires.
Sharfuddoula, 47, who last year became the first umpire from Bangladesh to take charge of a World Cup match, had been on the international panel since 2006.
“It is a great honor to be named on the ICC Elite Panel,” Sharfuddoula said in an ICC statement.
“To be the first from my country on the panel makes it extra special and I look forward to justifying the faith shown in me.”
The elite umpire panel is responsible for officiating in the majority of men’s Tests and one-day internationals, with the match referee panel also overseeing Twenty20 internationals as well.
Former off-spinner Sharfuddoula was forced to end his first-class career after just one season in 2001 due to a back injury, and joined the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as its cricket operations manager.
He quit the BCB job to become an umpire and has so far overseen 10 Tests, 63 one-day internationals, and 44 Twenty20 internationals.
ICC chief Geoff Allardice called it “a well-deserved reward for many years of consistent performances.”
On the panel, Sharfuddoula joins three umpires from England — Michael Gough, Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough — as well as Australians Paul Reiffel and Rodney Tucker.
Also on the panel are Kumar Dharmasena from Sri Lanka, Christopher Gaffaney from New Zealand, Adrian Holdstock from South Africa, Nitin Menon from India, Ahsan Raza from Pakistan and Joel Wilson from the West Indies.
The ICC also said England’s Chris Broad had stepped down from its elite panel of match referees.
Broad, who has been on the panel since 2003, has refereed 123 Tests, 361 ODIs, and 135 Twenty20 Internationals.
No explanation was given for Broad’s omission, other than a reduction in numbers, with Thursday’s announcement marking the end of the former England batsman’s 21 years on the elite match referee panel.
The 66-year-old presided over 123 Tests, 361 ODIs and 135 T20s. He also found fame with as the father of England pace-bowling great Stuart Broad.
The ICC’s elite panel of match referees is now made up of six members: David Boon of Australia, Jeff Crowe of New Zealand, Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka, Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe, Richie Richardson of the West Indies, and Javagal Srinath of India.