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Big Picture

If you had to pick two teams who you thought might be contesting the Ranji Trophy finals even five years ago, Vidarbha and Saurashtra wouldn’t have topped most people’s lists, and not just because they appear near the bottom when the teams are stacked alphabetically.Yet here they are. Both were in Group A, both topped the combined Groups A & B table with 29 points each. They had identical records, three wins and five draws. They arrived at the knockout stages like identical twins, but their paths to the final have diverged there. Vidarbha have sailed through, beating Uttarakhand and Kerala by an innings. Saurashtra fell behind in their quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh and then mounted a record chase. Then they fell behind against Karnataka and mounted another fourth-innings chase. There was no numerical record there, though it could have been the first time Cheteshwar Pujara was booed at and heckled in a stadium in India while hitting a match-winning century.Due to the nature of their paths though, both teams have arrived at the final full of confidence, and both have the knowledge that their batting and bowling are in good working order.The other similarities between the two are their structures. Both have a top order that’s in form and pedigreed. Both have left-arm spin-bowling allrounders as their fulcrum. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has 52 wickets and a batting average of 21.54, Aditya Sarwate has 44 wickets and a batting average of 30.50. Vidarbha might claim slightly superior bowling firepower because they have Umesh Yadav, but Saurashtra will point to Pujara as evidence of greater batting might.They even played each other in the last league match before the knockouts, in which Saurashtra took the first-innings lead in a draw that had only 21 wickets falling in four days.Rarely do you get a final that checks every box – the best teams in the competition, top stars available, and evenly matched.

Form guide

Vidarbha WWDWD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Saurashtra WWDDW

In the spotlight

While the spotlight for Saurashtra will be firmly trained on Pujara, their leading run-getter this season has been Sheldon Jackson. He has 838 from 10 games at an average of 52.37 and just like Pujara, he too scored an unbeaten half-century and a century in their two fourth-innings chases. Jackson has been a quiet performer for Saurashtra over several years, but another good outing in the final may just be the fuel he needs to get more opportunities at higher levels.Saurashtra will face defending champions Vidarbha in the final•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir Dev

A similar situation exists in the Vidarbha camp. The presence of Umesh Yadav will mean all eyes are on him, especially considering his devastating form. Wasim Jaffer’s second 1000-plus season means he’ll grab some attention as well but Vidarbha have also had captain Faiz Fazal to thank for their batting firepower. It was Fazal’s 75 on a spicy pitch in the semi-final that prevented Vidarbha from collapsing like Kerala had, and he’s almost unnoticeably gone to second-place on his team’s highest run-scorers’ list.

Team news

Saurashtra would want to keep a winning combination intact and the only change they could contemplate is dropping Arpit Vasavada, who showed a weakness against the short ball in the semi-final against Karnataka given Vidarbha have Umesh.Saurashtra (possible): 1 Harvik Desai, 2 Snell Patel (wk), 3 Vishwaraj Jadeja, 4 Cheteshwar Pujara, 5 Sheldon Jackson, 6 Arpit Vasavada, 7 Prerak Mankad, 8 Kamlesh Makvana, 9 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, 10 Jaydev Unadkat (capt), 11 Chetan Sakariya.Vidarbha will definitely be making at least one change, having picked a side that was tailor-made for a seam-friendly wicket against Kerala. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare is set to return to the XI, most likely at the expense of the young Yash Thakur. The 19-year-old showed promise in the semi-final with 4 for 28 in the second innings, but Vidarbha will need their best spin options for this game, and they have the pace front covered with Umesh and Rajneesh Gurbani.Vidarbha (possible): 1 Faiz Fazal (capt), 2 Sanjay Raghunath, 3 Wasim Jaffer, 4 Atharwa Taide, 5 Ganesh Satish, 6 Akshay Wadkar (wk), 7 Aditya Sarwate, 8 Mohit Kale, 9 Akshay Wakhare, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Rajneesh Gurbani

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to be a slow and low turner, which will last the full duration of the match, as has been the norm at the VCA Stadium in recent times.

Stats and trivia

• 5 – the number of teams who have won back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in all its history. They are Bombay/Mumbai, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan. Vidarbha will attempt to become the sixth team in that list.
• 52 – the number of wickets taken by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja this season, the highest of any bowler not from the Plate Group. Only Ashutosh Aman (68) and Gurinder Singh (53) are ahead of him.

Leeds United could be involved in a familiar tale at Elland Road as one of their players is being lined up for a loan exit in January, according to recent reports.

Leeds United's new era under Daniel Farke

Despite suffering relegation last term amid a backdrop of uncertainty at Elland Road, Leeds United have reacted superbly to life in the Sky Bet Championship as Daniel Farke continues to put his stamp on the Yorkshire-based outfit. Winning nine and drawing four of their opening 16 matches in the English second-tier, the Whites sit third in the league standings and have put themselves in contention for promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Nevertheless, Ipswich Town hold an eight-point advantage over Leeds United in the hunt for automatic access to the riches of the Premier League and Farke's men will need to put together an imperious run of form to catch the Tractor Boys. Part of the precariousness that surrounded Leeds United heading into 2023/24 was down to the sheer number of players that left the club in the summer, either on a loan basis or permanently.

In particular, some of the loan departures caused some debate among the Elland Road faithful, who weren't all keen to see some of their best assets leave the building not long after the club spent considerable money to acquire their services in the first place.

Now, the mood has changed due to Farke's sterling work in the transfer market, which has helped to adequately replace some of those who chose to seek refuge elsewhere. However, they could be about to embark on a familiar tale, according to a fresh report involving one of their players.

Lazio eye Wilfried Gnonto loan deal

According to Calcio Style, Lazio are keen on Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto and could look to enact an initial loan deal with a potential option to activate a buyout clause for the Italy international in the summer for a fee totalling around €15 million. The report states that Gnonto would be open to a move elsewhere and is looking around for alternative destinations as he seeks to perform at the highest level possible.

Once labelled "special" by former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch, Gnonto has endured a frustrating time of things this term for his current employers, registering one goal and a solitary assist in 11 appearances across all competitions (Gnonto statistics – Transfermarkt).

Despite this, the Verbania-born forward has managed to record an average of 1.1 shots taken and 1.4 completed dribbles per match in the English second-tier, demonstrating his potency in attack (Gnonto statistics – WhoScored).

Leeds will be keen to avoid being stuck in an awkward position regarding Gnonto's future, though it will be intriguing to see if he is still at Elland Road beyond January.

Amitabh Choudhary has accused Vinod Rai of overstepping his powers as chairman and overriding the views of Diana Edulji, the CoA’s other member

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2018

Amitabh Choudhary, the BCCI’s acting secretary, has asked the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to resolve the rift within it over the handling of the allegations of harassment against CEO Rahul Johri. The two members of the CoA, chairman Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji, had disagreed over the way ahead in the issue, and Choudhary has alleged that the procedure eventually followed was improper on several grounds.On Thursday night, the CoA sent out a press release announcing that a three-member independent inquiry committee would investigate the allegations against Johri. The release also detailed the disagreement between Rai, who felt an independent inquiry was necessary, and Edulji, who had wanted Johri to resign or have his contract terminated.In an email to the CoA, which ESPNcricinfo has accessed, Choudhary has accused the CoA of dealing with the allegations in a “cavalier manner” and questioned the “days of inaction” between Johri submitting his explanation to the CoA (October 20) and the setting up of the independent panel.Choudhary also accused Rai of overstepping his powers as chairman and overriding the views of Edulji, the CoA’s other member.”The Committee of Administrators was constituted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court as a four member body and one of the members of the said committee was made the chairman to convene its meetings and preside over them,” Choudhary’s email said. “The position of the Chairman was only that of first among equals and no additional or superior powers had or have been conferred upon the Chairman by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”Presently, the committee comprises two members and both members are equal in status for all purposes. That being so, the Learned Chairman has no power or authority to prevail over the views of the other esteemed member and take decisions unilaterally on behalf of the CoA or on behalf of the BCCI.”Given the divergence of views between Rai and Edulji, Choudhary said the only way forward was for the CoA to refer the issue to either the Supreme Court or the BCCI’s general body.Choudhary said there was no explanation in the CoA’s press release of how the inquiry committee was constituted and who chose its three members. Given that she disagreed with the need for an independent inquiry, Choudhary suggested Edulji could “hardly have had anything to do with” setting up the committee. This, Choudhary said, made the inquiry committee “further suspect”.Of the three members of the inquiry committee, two – Rakesh Sharma, a former judge of the Allahabad High Court, and PC Sharma, a former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation – are over 70 years old. This, Choudhary said, disqualified them from being part of such a committee, under the BCCI’s new constitution.”A committee stricken with such infirmities from its inception is hardly expected to dispense any real justice and is bound to be seen with great suspicion,” the email said. “The undersigned most humbly desires that a solution be immediately be found in view of the points noted above.”

The board is still grappling with the logistical challenges of its biggest-ever season, and that has forced some women’s and age-group matches to be pushed back

Sidharth Monga31-Oct-2018On the eve of the start of the Ranji Trophy, the state units have received a letter from the BCCI asking them to adjust the logistics and travel arrangements of their teams in three different events because of the unavailability of umpires and match officials for those days.In a press conference in August, called to apprise the media of the BCCI’s readiness to stage India’s biggest-ever domestic season, Saba Karim, the GM of cricket operations, had said the BCCI was still recruiting more umpires keeping in mind the increased number of matches this season, but he had also promised the quality of the personnel would not be compromised.With newer teams entering the fray in accordance with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations – there are 37 teams in the Ranji Trophy this season, up from 28 last season – Karim said the BCCI was going from organising 900 matches a year to over 2000. As on August 31, the BCCI still needed about 15 more umpires and 12 match referees, not to mention more scorers and video analysts.Karim told ESPNcricinfo that the BCCI had filled up those vacancies but during the heaviest part of the season it didn’t find the right permutations and combinations. “Once we drew out the fixtures, we asked the umpires and match officials for their availability,” Karim said. “It just so happened that the officials we have available don’t fulfil the neutrality qualification or they are not the right grade. We have sufficient umpires and match officials to conduct the whole season now after these adjustments.”The third round and the knockouts of the Cooch Behar Trophy and the Under-19 four-day competition have been pushed back by almost a month each. The knockouts of the senior women’s one-day tournament have been postponed by two days.”In view of the unavailability of umpires during the month of December 2018, matches have been rescheduled as per the schedule below.” Karim wrote in a letter to all the state units, the office bearers, the CoA, the CEO and the CFO of the BCCI. “You are requested to make logistic arrangements accordingly.”

Kyle Walker had to be subbed off after just 20 minutes against Brazil as he picked up a suspected hamstring injury and couldn't continue.

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• Walker limped off during Brazil clash
• Picked up a supposed hamstring injury
• Blow for Man City ahead of Arsenal clash

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  City full-back Walker was substituted after just 20 minutes during England's friendly against Brazil on Saturday at Wembley. Walker initially tried to run off the injury but he failed to continue for long. He was eventually forced to leave the pitch with a suspected hamstring problem as Aston Villa man Ezri Konsa replaced him.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Walker's injury comes as a huge blow for the Cityzens who are all set to take on Arsenal in a crucial Premier League fixture on March 31 once the international break is over. It is a must-win clash for Pep Guardiola's side, who are trailing league leaders Arsenal by a point.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The 33-year-old defender continues to remain an important member of the City squad. He has appeared in 38 games across all competitions for his club this season and provided three assists.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WALKER?

  All eyes will be on Gareth Southgate after the match for an update on the England defender's condition and the gravity of his injury. It remains to be seen if he will recovery before the Three Lions' second friendly clash against Belgium on March 26.

Glasgow Rangers secured a confidence boosting victory in midweek, scoring four against Livingston as they secured their passage into the semi-finals of the League Cup

It means that Michael Beale has led the Gers to four wins in their four games since the international break, scoring eight goals and conceding none and this will hopefully be the catalyst which will allow the Light Blues to go on a solid run.

Aberdeen are the visitors to Ibrox this afternoon, and they also secured their place in the semi-finals of the cup in midweek and will be hoping to throw a spanner in the works and claim an unlikely win.

Beale will likely make a few changes to his starting XI in order to freshen his team up.

What’s the Rangers team news vs Aberdeen?

Beale spoke to the media and gave an injury update on a few of his players, including Kemar Roofe.

He said:

"Yeah he's away for a scan, so no news on that one at the minute. He didn't train today with the rest of the team.

"Until we get the news back from the scan we don't really know what we're dealing with. Obviously, it's disappointing for Kemar because he came back into the team and did so well until the other night. Let's hope it is nothing too serious and that he'll be available in the short term rather than the long term.”

Beale also added:

"Raskin is back with the rehab team. Dowell is back out in very light training.”

This means there will be some rotation across the front three.

One player the manager must keep faith in is Ben Davies, who has shone recently.

Will Ben Davies start vs Aberdeen?

Following the win over Real Betis in the Europa League last week, Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane praised Davies for his display, saying: “Ben Davies and Connor Goldson were both excellent. Delighted for BD who's been on the end of some OTT criticism at times.”

The £27k-per-week brute did look like he was heading for the exit door during the dying embers of the transfer window, but he stayed, and the decision is looking like a good one.

Across his two Premiership appearances so far this term, the centre-back has an average Sofascore rating of 7.3 while also winning eight total duels per game – a success rate of 70% – and recovering 6.5 balls per game, showcasing his talents alongside Goldson at the heart of the defence.

Their partnership was forged during the second half of last season, and it looks as though this extended run over the previous four matches has allowed it to blossom at precisely the right time.

Keeping a clean sheet against an Aberdeen team with plenty to prove will be tough, but the confidence is surely flowing through the players after a nice winning run and this should carry them to another three points.

Davies must be unleashed next to Goldson yet again and if they play like they have done since the start of the month, they will keep their fifth clean sheet in as many matches.

Another century from Mayank Agarwal set up India A’s match-winning 309 for 6, as the Lions lost for the first time in the tri-series

Jon Culley at Grace Road26-Jun-2018

ScorecardEngland Lions were beaten for the first time in the tri-series after India A, whom they had beaten comfortably at Derby last week, emphatically turned the tables in the wilting heat at Grace Road.Chasing a total that they would have fancied themselves to reach on what was essentially a good batting surface, the Lions made a miserable start by losing their top three batsmen in the first eight overs and never recovered.It means that they must beat West Indies A at Northampton on Thursday if they are to be sure of their place in the final at The Oval on Monday, although they would still qualify even if beaten, having won both their opening two matches, if India beat West Indies on Friday.’Enjoying batting here’ – Agarwal

India’s century-maker Mayank Agarwal said he had been troubled by a muscle strain in his lower right side, for which he needed treatment on the field, but did not expect it to rule him out of playing should India qualify for next Monday’s final.
“I had a little issue but it is okay,” he said. “I will be assessed by the team doctor but I don’t expect it to be a problem. I was very pleased with my innings, it’s good to get back-to-back hundreds. That’s three here now – I’ve enjoyed batting here.
“England outplayed us last week but we have been playing good cricket since we have been here, in the warm-up games too, and it is good to be rewarded with back-to-back wins because everybody is putting in the effort, putting in the performances at crucial times.”

Given that this talented India side has been in impressive form these last two days at Leicester, you would expect that to happen. They saw off the West Indians with almost 12 overs to spare here on Monday and defeated England by a comfortable margin, even after leaving out Deepak Chahar, who had taken five wickets in that game.They did not, however, leave out Mayank Agarwal, their other key man on Monday, and how wise they were. Despite needing treatment for a back injury during the innings and subsequently being unable to field, the opener made his second century in consecutive days.It was as impressive a performance by India A as it was a disappointing one by the Lions, who had left the field relatively pleased with themselves at the end of their opponents’ innings.India A had been 100 without loss after 15 overs, and may actually have felt they ought to have built more handsomely on such a start.The precociously talented Shubman Gill contributed 72 in an opening stand of 165 with Agarwal but the Lions fought back well, with Worcestershire’s Ed Barnard impressing on his senior representative debut, Matt Fisher taking his first Lions wickets and the spinners, Liam Dawson and Matt Parkinson, playing a key role in frustrating the India batsmen in the middle phase of the innings, even if neither took a wicket.Parkinson, the 21-year-old Lancashire legspinner, had shown impressive character, taking a mauling in his opening three-over spell, which cost 28 runs after both openers went after him, but conceding only 35 more in seven overs after Steven Mullaney brought him back in the 32nd over and stuck with him.Barnard, who was added to the squad after the opening two matches in the tri-series following an injury to Craig Overton, was the best of the four seamers used, producing probably the delivery of the innings, finding extra bounce to have Gill caught at short third man having shaped to cut.But England’s innings was never able to gather any momentum after a fine opening spell by Shardul Thakur had accounted for both openers and Sam Hain, whose unbeaten 145 at Derby was the foundation of the Lions’ win over West Indies A, was unable to get past 1 before having two stumps uprooted by Chahar’s replacement, Prasidh Krishna.The biggest source of frustration in the England dressing room will be that most of their batsmen played themselves in but that Dawson’s 38 was their highest score, and that the top three apart they were mostly the architects of their own demise.It had been good watching, though, especially for the schoolchildren, mainly wearing India replica shirts, who had a special day out. Gill, aged 18 and the leading batsman in India’s victorious Under-19 World Cup team, is not long out of school himself yet is clearly a top-class player in the making, while Agarwal’s frustrating wait for international recognition at the top level must surely end soon.The 27-year-old ended the Indian domestic season with 2,141 runs, a record aggregate for an individual batsman across all formats. His first-class average was 105.45 and his 723 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was the most by any Indian player in a List A tournament, topping Sachin Tendulkar’s 673 at the 2003 World Cup.

The Italian was asked to explain his claim made after Saturday’s win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge but shut down multiple questions about whom he was targeting.

Maresca shuts down questions about lack of support

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final away to Cardiff, he became visibly impatient with requests for him to make sense of remarks that have fuelled intense speculation he was taking aim at the club’s owners and sporting directors.

“I already spoke about that and I don’t have anything to add,” he said.

“It’s Cardiff tomorrow please. I think I was quite clear, no more than that.

“I respect your (the media’s) opinion. I respect people’s opinion. But again I don’t have anything to add. My focus is on tomorrow’s game where we can achieve a third semi-final in 18 months since I joined the club.

“We are in an era where everyone can say what they think. I respect people’s opinion. I don’t have anything to add. My focus is just on tomorrow.”

He also reiterated he was not talking about the club’s fans when he referred to a lack of support, delivering a short and sweet 14-word response to suggestions he had taken issue with the fans.

Asked whether he remained committed to the job, he said: “Absolutely yes.

“I can speak Italian, Spanish very well and French well, and English more or less.

“I think when I want to say something I am quite clear. I already spoke after the game, I don’t need to add more.

“You can try in Italian, Spanish, French so you are all aware. It’s finished. It was after the game. Now it’s focus on Cardiff.”

Cardiff manager Barry-Murphy can't wait for Chelsea clash

Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy is relishing a reunion with Maresca and an attempt to deliver a Carabao Cup shock against Chelsea.

Barry-Murphy is a familiar face for several Chelsea players having worked with Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Liam Delap during his time in the Manchester City academy, Robert Sanchez in his role as Rochdale manager, and Facundo Buonanotte when a first-team coach at Leicester last season.

The 47-year-old Irishman also knows Maresca well from his time at City and says the Italian had a “big influence” when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022-23 season.

“He’s always been there for me and I’ve always felt his support,” said Barry-Murphy, who was in charge of City’s Elite Development Squad and Academy from 2021 to 2024.

“He had a big influence on the first-team squad when I was there. I always think with a manager of the calibre of Pep it can be hard to show what he showed.

“But he added bits of information or coaching points that helped the players, and the (fact) they relied on him so much was an insight into what he’s doing now.

“I have full admiration for him, but once you come to the games he’d be fully aware that we all try our best to compete.”

Manchester United will be hoping to move on from their 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League as they face Burnley in the Premier League this evening.

Erik ten Hag badly needs a league victory, having secured just six points from 15 domestically and the pressure is beginning to pile up on the former Ajax boss.

The Turf Moor side have only won one point so far upon their return to the top flight and the tie represents an ideal opportunity for United to stop the rot and gain a morale-boosting win.

What is the Manchester United team news vs Burnley?

Ten Hag has been missing a variety of first-team players due to injury recently, however a few look set to be in contention for this evening's tie, while Harry Maguire will be assessed.

Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "As you say, Harry Maguire, but we will see again after training.

"But Varane will train, we will see, Amrabat will train, we will see and Mount as well. But they didn't play for short or longer-term. Varane, obviously, was the shortest out."

Mason Mount has played just two games for United, and while not exactly lighting up Old Trafford as yet, the Englishman could offer something different for the Dutchman tonight.

According to FBref, when Mount is compared to fellow midfielders, he ranks in the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (2.54) and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.52), indicating that he could offer a positive attacking threat if unleashed in the correct position.

Ten Hag must also unleash another player from the starting XI and it's no coincidence United have lost their previous three matches without him – Raphael Varane.

Will Raphael Varane start for Manchester United vs Burnley?

The Frenchman has been missing since the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, but he had impressed in the opening two matches of the season for United.

The £340k-per-week gem has an average Sofascore rating of 7.1 from his three Premier League starts so far this term, holding an impressive 92% pass success rate, winning 100% of his aerial duels and has recovered seven balls per game, indicating that he has been on of their finest defenders.

He was even lauded by journalist Samuel Luckhurst as a "leader" upon his arrival at the club, with that importance to the side showcased by the fact that United have conceded ten goals in the three full matches that Varane has missed in the last few weeks and the quicker Ten Hag can rely on him back in the starting XI, the better.

Hopefully the 30-year-old is able to take part in this evening's match as a win for the Red Devils would go a long way to restoring some confidence at Old Trafford and give the Dutchman a boost.

As for Mount, with both Antony and Jadon Sancho currently sidelined the former Chelsea man could slot in on the right flank if required, while the hope will be that he can also represent a solution to United's "long-term problem" in midfield, as described by The Athletic's Mark Critchley.

Another defeat could be devastating for Ten Hag and with tougher tasks ahead in the coming weeks, all three points is imperative.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de não ter sido utilizado em três partidas consecutivas, Gustavo Scarpa sequer foi relacionado para o jogo diante do Bolívar, que acabou em goleada para o Palmeiras por 5 a 0. Titular em apenas duas das treze oportunidades que recebeu, o meio-campista vai se distanciando dos planos de Vanderlei Luxemburgo e, consequentemente, do Verdão.

Em entrevista coletiva concedida depois da partida que garantiu a classificação às oitavas de final da Libertadores da América, Luxa foi questionado a respeito da ausência de Gustavo, mas preferiu não responder.

– Essa é uma pergunta para outro dia. Quero falar do jogo. Uma vitória convincente, que os jogadores tiveram uma grande atuação – despistou.

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De acordo com informações de veículos midiáticos do Rio de Janeiro, o Vasco está interessado na contratação, por empréstimo, do meia. Ainda que o interesse carioca não tenha sido confirmado, o NOSSO PALESTRA/LANCE!soube, por meio de uma fonte ligada à família do atleta, que ele gosta de jogar no Palmeiras, mas se incomoda com a falta de oportunidades.

No começo deste ano, Scarpa, que foi artilheiro do Verdão ao lado de Dudu, recebeu sondagens do Almería, da Espanha, e outros clubes. O atleta chegou a treinar separado enquanto a negociação se desenvolvia, porém, logo reintegrou o elenco.

Além disso, a mudança de posicionamento promovida por Luxemburgo também pode explicar porque o meio-campista caiu tanto de rendimento em relação ao ano passado.

Ao analisar o mapa de calor do jogador em 2019, enxerga-se que Scarpa tinha mais liberdade dentro de campo. Apesar da sua preferência por atuar no lado direito do campo, o camisa 14 também flutuava na lateral oposta. Característica essa que potencializa não só o seu desempenho, mas também o leque de jogadas do Palmeiras.

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