Lamine Yamal scored one and set up another as Barcelona came from behind to defeat Alaves 3-1 to rise to the top of La Liga on Saturday afternoon. Hansi Flick’s side bounced back from their Champions League defeat against Chelsea in midweek with a tight victory which saw them claim top spot ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to Girona on Sunday evening.

In just their second match back at the renovated Camp Nou, Barcelona found themselves 1-0 down inside the first minute when midfielder Marc Casado fluffed his clearance from a corner before keeping onside Alaves’ Pablo Ibanez, who tapped home from close range. However, the hosts were level when Yamal found the back of the net from Raphinha’s excellent cutback, before the Brazil star soon set up Dani Olmo to make it 2-1 in what was an end-to-end first half.

Dominating possession without creating too many chances in a stop-start second half, Barcelona soon turned to substitute Pedri, who made his return from a leg injury sustained in October's Clasico defeat against Real. And the 23-year-old quickly made his influence count, teeing up Yamal who almost found the top left corner with an ambitious effort from distance.

Performing admirably while camped in their own half, Alaves had a couple of rare opportunities to make it 2-2 when striker Lucas Boye’s low effort forced an important block from Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, before goalkeeper Joan Garcia made a super stop to deny substitute Jon Guridi. However, the Blaugrana made Eduardo Coudet's visitors’ pay late on when Olmo played a lovely give-and-go with Yamal before slotting home his second of the game.

With the comeback victory wrapped up, Flick's men moved two points clear of fierce rivals Real ahead of their game against 18th-placed Girona on Sunday.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Joan Garcia (7/10):

On the deck and in all sorts of trouble, the shot-stopper made an incredible recovery save as he rose to deny Alaves' Jonny Otto in the first half. The Spaniard then thwarted midfielder Guridi late on.

Eric Garcia (5/10):

The utility man found it difficult to contain Alaves winger Abderrahman Rebbach in the first half, before being replaced by Jules Kounde after the break.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10):

In a cool and composed performance, the youngster made a crucial interception as Alaves' Boye went close to making it 2-2 in the dying stages.

Gerard Martin (6/10):

Playing out of position at centre-back, the defender recovered from a shaky start by recording the pre-assist for Olmo's first-half effort.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Marauding forward at every opportunity, the influential left-back slipped in Raphinha in the lead up to Yamal's equaliser.

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Marc Bernal (5/10):

Looking to impress after struggling for minutes following his return from injury, the midfielder was quiet before being replaced at the interval.

Marc Casado (5/10):

The midfielder was at fault for Alaves' goal, failing to clear the corner before keeping midfielder Ibanez onside. He grew into the game, however, showing good composure on the ball.

Dani Olmo (8/10):

Operating as the No. 10, the midfielder crashed the box to convert Raphinha's lovely cross and complete Barcelona's first-half turnaround. And the Spain international made it 3-1 late on, sending the ball beyond Alaves goalkeeper and captain Antonio Sivera.

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Lamine Yamal (8/10):

Dribbling past Alaves left-back Victor Parada time and time again, the winger made it 1-1 with a tidy finish but he should have scored moments later, hitting the post after rounding Alaves' Sivera. In the final moments of the game, the wonderkid helped Barcelona wrap up the victory as he teed up Olmo with a crisp through ball.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

While goalscoring opportunities were few and far between, the striker was neat and tidy with his hold-up play, offering a platform for the likes of Yamal and Raphinha.

Raphinha (8/10):

In what was a terrific performance from the stand-in captain, the forward provided the two crosses which led to Yamal and Olmo's first-half goals. He then had a great chance to score himself but he was thwarted by Sivera one-on-one.

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Jules Kounde (6/10):

Brought on at half-time for Eric Garcia, the France international almost registered an assist but Olmo was unable to convert from his dangerous cross.

Andreas Christensen (N/A):

A late substitute, the centre-back was unable to make enough of an impact.

Pedri (7/10):

In his first appearance since last month's Clasico, the midfielder showed no signs of rustiness, setting up Yamal who went close with a long-range effort.

Ferran Torres (6/10):

A second-half substitute, the former Manchester City man received little service despite Barcelona controlling possession.

Marcus Rashford (6/10):

Replacing Marc Bernal for the second half, the forward was fairly lively, twisting and teasing his way past Alaves' Otto.

Hansi Flick (6/10):

With the scoreline tight, the German was proactive with his substitutions, watching on as Pedri impressed following his return from injury.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” مواعيد مباريات كأس العالم 2026، دور المجموعات، والتي تنطلق في شهر يونيو المقبل.

وأجرى فيفا، قرعة كأس العالم أمس الجمعة، وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، المكسيك، وكندا، منافسات المونديال في نسخته الجديدة بوجود 48 فريقًا للمرة الأولى في تاريخ المسابقة.

ويتواجد منتخب إسبانيا في المجموعة الثامنة، رفقة منتخبات السعودية، كاب فيردي وأوروجواي.

طالع مواعيد مباريات كأس العالم 2026 مواعيد مباريات مجموعة إسبانيا في كأس العالم 2026 

الجولة الأولى

مباراة إسبانيا ضد كاب فيردي

تلعب المباراة يوم 15 يونيو 2026 في تمام الساعة 12 ظهرًا بتوقيت أمريكا (7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر)، في أتلانتا.

مباراة السعودية ضد أوروجواي

تلعب المباراة يوم 15 يونيو 2026 في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت أمريكا (1 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر فجر يوم 16 يونيو)، في ميامي.

الجولة الثانية

مباراة إسبانيا ضد السعودية

يوم 21 يونيو 2026 في تمام الساعة 12 ظهرًا بتوقيت أمريكا (7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر)، في أتلانتا.

مباراة أوروجواي ضد كاب فيردي

يوم 21 يونيو 2026 في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت أمريكا (1 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر فجر يوم 22 يونيو)، في ميامي.

الجولة الثالثة

مباراة كاب فيردي ضد السعودية

يوم 26 يونيو 2026، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت أمريكا (3 فجر يوم 27 يونيو بتوقيت مصر) في هيوستن.

مباراة أوروجواي ضد إسبانيا

يوم 26 يونيو 2026، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت أمريكا (3 فجر يوم 27 يونيو بتوقيت مصر) في جوالاداخارا.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a maior goleada aplicada pelo Flamengo em cima do Vasco Vasco , torcedores se mostraram revoltados com o placar de 6 a 1 deste domingo (2), no Maracanã, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. O Cruz-Maltino chegou a abrir o marcador com Vegetti, mas foi surpreendido pelo rival que virou rapidamente ainda no primeiro tempo. Pelo Rubro-Negro, marcaram Everton, Pedro, David Luiz, Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique e Gabriel. Veja algumas reações nas redes sociais.

continua após a publicidade

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Melhor o Vasco fechar as portas logo antes de passar mais vergonha durante o ano

— Léo sem Jardim (@leomenezes1898) June 2, 2024

Se um dia eu fui feliz nessa vida saiba que o Vasco tirou toda a minha felicidade e eu sempre estou assim: pic.twitter.com/Qcn25ohwNa

— Central do CR Vasco Da Gama (@central_gama) June 2, 2024

Pede pra sair @LucioFBarbosa, INCOMPETENTE. pic.twitter.com/uW14WguvGS

— ✠Estagiário do VASCO✠ (@EstagiarioVasco) June 2, 2024

O Vasco literalmente RESSUSCITOU todos os jogadores que estavam em baixa no Flamengo, literalmente TODOS.

Esse clube não pode acabar nunca, é o maior freguês de todos.

— vnᶜʳᶠ (@crfvnc) June 2, 2024

O foda é saber que o Gary Medel vai sair do Vasco, e Léo Pelé vai continuar como titular, é uma vergonha isso 🤬😪

— Rangel Felipe (@RangeelFelipe94) June 2, 2024

Vasco tá acumulando vergonha e quem toma no cu é quem realmente se importa com esse clube, a torcida!!

— Samantha ✠ (@SamanthaDias9) June 2, 2024

o Flamengo esculachando o Vasco meu Deus que vergonha

— lala (@lalarnevess) June 2, 2024

o Vasco é uma vergonha.

— 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒂 (@batendopoeta) June 2, 2024

COMO QUE TU FALA PRA UMA CRIANÇA DE 10 ANOS PRA ELA TORCER PRO VASCO? COMO UM PAI QUER QUE O FILHO SEJA VASCAINO?

MANO, O VASCO NAO GANHA PORRA NENHUMA, VIVE PASSANDO VERGONHA, CAI CAI QUE AMA A SÉRIE B……..PORRA VAI TOMAR NO CUUUUUU QUE ODIOOOOOOOO

— Thaisinha (@thaisfreirr) June 2, 2024

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFlamengoFutebol NacionalVasco

After another legendary night in a marathon Game 3, Shohei Ohtani got the ball for the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series against the Blue Jays.

Most likely on little sleep, he tried to give L.A. a commanding lead in the Fall Classic, but Toronto had other plans. Once Ohtani saw walk after walk following a 4-for-4 start with two home runs and two doubles Monday, a big question presented itself for the rest of the series: Will Blue Jays manager John Schneider let his team pitch to the two-way superstar again?

Luckily for baseball fans, it seems that Toronto will throw some strikes to Ohtani as the electric series inches toward its conclusion. The Jays did a great job of getting past him in Game 4, squashing his incredible offensive power to even the World Series 2–2 with a 6–2 victory ahead of Wednesday's Game 5—L.A.'s last home game in the 2-3-2 series.

Here's how Ohtani fared both on the hill and at the plate Tuesday at Dodger Stadium:

Shohei Ohtani's pitching performance in World Series Game 4

The two-way superstar got his first start since his incredible performance with 10 strikeouts and three home runs to close out the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. Ohtani didn't top that performance in this Game 4, but how could he?

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, he wasn't able to keep the Blue Jays' offense at bay, allowing four earned runs in six innings on 93 pitches. He let up a two-run shot to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third inning, which was the first home run given up over his three postseason starts. Ohtani struck out six batters and let up one walk, giving up six hits before he handed the ball to Anthony Banda in the seventh inning.

Even though he wasn't able to leave L.A. with the lead, Ohtani is still having a strong postseason on the mound with 25 strikeouts in only 18 innings.

Did the Blue Jays pitch to Shohei Ohtani in Game 4?

Despite getting walked five times, four intentionally, in the 18-inning marathon Game 3, Toronto manager John Schneider decided to throw to Ohtani although he walked in his first plate appearance. Otherwise, he went 0-for-3 at the plate Tuesday with two strikeouts and a groundout. He hadn't struck out since Game 1 as he comes off a legendary performance Monday where he reached base an incredible nine times and hit two home runs.

We can't expect Ohtani to dazzle every night, that's not how baseball works. But, the living great has proved us wrong plenty of times before. Nevertheless, he came back down to earth in Game 4, which could be scary for the Blue Jays as they tie the series at two games apiece.

Ohtani remains tied with Corey Seager with eight postseason home runs for the most in a single playoff run in Dodgers history. We'll see if he can break the franchise record with at least two more games ahead of him as the World Series now turns into a best of three.

Things are quickly going from bad to worse for Chelsea at the moment.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Enzo Maresca’s side demolished Barcelona and drew with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Yet, their defeat at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday night was their second loss in three games and the third match in a row they were expected to win.

It really was a night to forget for Chelsea, and one that should see the manager make more than a few changes ahead of the weekend.

Chelsea's poor performers

Unfortunately for Maresca, there were plenty of Chelsea players who looked way off the pace in Bergamo on Tuesday night, with Enzo Fernández being particularly poor.

The Argentine international was tasked with playing in the ten again, and while he has had more than a few games in which he’s looked a threat there this season, this was not one of them.

On the ball, the former Benfica star was consistently making the wrong decisions, and off of it, he looked so lethargic that one analyst asked if “someone put weights in Enzo’s boots?”

Minutes

67′

Expected Goals

0.01

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.42

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

24/33 (73%)

Lost Possession

15

Dribbles

0

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

By the time he was taken off in the 67th minute, he had completed just 24 of his 33 attempted passes, which is nowhere near good enough for someone in his position.

Moving a little deeper, it was also an uncharacteristically poor performance from the club’s record signing, Moises Caicedo.

Due to his three-match ban only applying to the Premier League, the manager decided to bring the Ecuadorian international back into the team, but he looked way off the pace.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion gem didn’t make a game-costing mistake, but he also felt like more of a passenger, failing to play a single key pass, losing the ball eight times, not taking a shot, committing two fouls and losing four ground duels.

Finally, Wesley Fofana and Robert Sanchez were also disappointing on the night.

The former seemed to completely lose Gianluca Scamacca for the hosts’ equalising goal, and then the former should have done better for Charles De Ketelaere’s winning strike.

Now, all these players were poor, but there is an argument for them keeping their places in the team for the game on the weekend, which cannot be said for the next player.

The Chelsea dud who should be dropped

Jamie Gittens was supposed to be a technically impressive, dynamic attacker who’d come in and make a real impact out wide for Chelsea, but so far, he’s been anything but.

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Now, there is still time for him to come good in West London, but Tuesday night was another disappointing display from the former Borussia Dortmund star.

Maresca gave the Englishman plenty of game time, but he just couldn’t make an impact on the game, with or without the ball.

In fact, his one notable moment in the match was a shot in the second half that was comfortably saved. Other than that, he was utterly anonymous.

That might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Bobby Vincent, who gave the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘drifted out of the game.’

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.03

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.23

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

16/18 (89%)

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

4 (2)

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

Unsurprisingly, the winger’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

For example, in his 94 minutes of action, the Reading-born ace registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.26, played a single key pass, took 33 touches – 21 fewer than Sanchez -, lost the ball nine times, lost seven of his ten duels and failed in 50% of his dribbles.

If this were a one-off, just a bad day at the office for the Englishman, then there would be an argument to keep him in the team to get back on his feet at the weekend.

However, the summer signing has had more poor performances than good so far this season, and therefore, Maresca should drop him from the lineup ahead of the Everton game.

Watch out Delap: Chelsea set sights on "one of Europe's most in-form CFs"

The free-scoring forward could spell the end of Liam Delap at Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

After beating Barcelona and drawing with Arsenal, Chelsea’s good week of results came grinding to a halt away to Leeds United.

Enzo Maresca’s side were defeated 3-1 at Elland Road, with two strikes in the first half and a late goal enough to sink them.

They did, of course, get on the scoresheet themselves. Pedro Neto was the man who found the back of the net, converting a Jamie Gittens cross at the back post just after half-time.

However, it proved to be too little, with Chelsea putting in a lacklustre performance overall.

It was a night to forget for the West Londoners, and in particular, Tosin Adarabioyo.

Tosin’s struggles vs. Leeds

At 2-1 down with 15 minutes or so to go, Chelsea were still in the game. However, it was an error from Tosin which gifted the home side the chance to score their third and seal an impressive victory.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the man who tapped home from two yards out. It came after Tosin played a risky backpass to Robert Sanchez, putting the Spaniard under immediate pressure in his six-yard box.

Leeds pounced, won the ball back, and it was a simple tap-in for their number nine.

The former Manchester City academy player has been a bit-part player under Maresca this term. Tosin has only played 13 games across all competitions, amassing 872 minutes. That is the equivalent of just nine full 90-minute games.

It will be interesting to see what his role is going forward after an error like that. Former Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel said in the summer that Tosin is “not a Chelsea standard defender.”

Well, after an error like that, it is easy to see why Mikel is of that opinion.

There is a defender waiting in the wings who Maresca could unleash to effectively end Tosin’s time at Stamford Bridge.

The Chelsea star ready to overtake Tosin

Chelsea’s depth at centre-back took a hit in August when Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The full extent of Maresca’s squad at centre-back has been tested this season, including Tosin.

One man who has impressed and could leapfrog the 28-year-old in the pecking order is academy graduate Josh Acheampong. At 19 years of age, he has been described as the “future of Chelsea” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Acheampong has certainly had his minutes managed by the Italian. He’s played nine times, but has impressed on each of those occasions, playing more than an hour four times in the Premier League.

He even got his first senior goal away to Nottingham Forest in the 3-0 win at the City Ground in October.

One of the standout attributes in Acheampong’s game is his ability on the ball. Kulig noted that he has “excellent technical capacity and range of passing,” which would serve him well in a Chelsea side that likes to dominate the ball.

In the Premier League this season, they average 58.7% possession, the third highest in the top flight.

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Indeed, his underlying numbers reinforce the fact that Acheampong is such a good ball-playing defender.

The England under-21 star ranks in the top 9% of centre-backs in Europe for average passes completed per game, with 67.34.

Acheampong vs European centre-backs
Stat (per 90)	Record	Percentile
Passes completed	67.34	91st
Pass accuracy	90.8%	80th
Carries	61.91	99th
Tackles won	1.09	76th
Interceptions	1.24	71st
Stats from FBref

Chelsea’s whole club philosophy at the moment is about investing in youth and looking towards the future.

Being a Cobham graduate, Acheampong certainly puts a big tick in that box and has already shown his quality at first-team level.

Tosin’s bad form could well be enough for Maresca to ditch him from the starting lineup. With injuries being an issue and such a need to rotate the squad, it might provide Acheampong with the perfect opportunity to stake his claim and lock down a permanent starting spot.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

By
Robbie Walls

Dec 4, 2025

It might not have been pretty, but Liverpool have that winning feeling again, having ended their recent rut with a deserved 1-0 win away at Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

There few highs, but also – more importantly – few lows at San Siro for Arne Slot’s side, with the reigning Premier League champions looking far more comfortable than they did just days earlier amid the chaos at Elland Road.

Perhaps that speaks to the gulf in quality that has opened up between the Champions League and England’s top flight, although, regardless, seeing off last season’s losing finalists is no mean feat. Slot needed that.

Having been vindicated in his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah for the trip to Italy, the title-winning Dutchman’s ruthless streak might well be beginning to pay off.

The issue is, the Egyptian isn’t the only problem still to be solved, with more members of last season’s glorious side still looking way off the pace.

Liverpool's worst performers against Inter in numbers

Now, this isn’t to try and pop the balloon following what was a much-needed victory for Slot and co, although the former Feyenoord boss himself would admit that his side were far from perfect on the night.

Indeed, a string of absences – and not just that of Salah – saw the Reds lineup with something of a new-look forward line, albeit with it taking a controversial Dominik Szoboszlai spot-kick to eventually settle the affair.

All eyes were on the pairing of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – with the night marking just their second start together all season – yet, perhaps as to be expected, there was little in the way of fluency or dynamism, even with the visitors posing the greater threat during the first half, in particular.

Isak, in particular, endured yet another frustrating outing to continue his Merseyside woes, with the £125m Swede regularly failing to make things stick through the middle, losing the ball on eight occasions from just 25 touches, as per Sofascore, prior to being withdrawn on the 68-minute mark.

While the price tag may suggest otherwise, the 25-year-old shouldn’t necessarily be the only avenue for concern, with it also proving a difficult outing for Joe Gomez at right-back.

Accurate passes

Jones (67)

Duels won

Mkhitaryan (8)

Aerial duels won

Van Dijk (3)

Successful dribbles

Ekitike (5)

Touches

Bastoni (94)

Key passes

Akanji (3)

Possession lost

Dimarco (17)

The Englishman was safe and steady, although he provided little attacking flair, having lost the ball 11 times himself, while failing to provide a single successful cross or key pass, having won just a solitary duel all night.

The Anfield side looked far more progressive and threatening with substitute Conor Bradley unleashed down that side, with the hope being that the Northern Ireland star can remain injury-free heading into a hectic festive period.

Slot will surely wish to bring the academy graduate into the starting lineup on a regular basis, although one man who could fall out of the reckoning is last season’s star, Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool's new Joe Allen & Lucas Leiva

Central to what made Slot’s side so impressive last term was the midfield unit, with the Dutchman reinvigorating Ryan Gravenberch in that deep-lying role, while also finally getting a tune out of Szoboszlai in an advanced, attacking berth.

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It was also, however, another fine campaign for that man Mac Allister, with the 2023 summer arrival from Brighton having cemented his status as “one of the best signings” that the club had made in the FSG era, in the view of DaveOCKOP.

The World Cup winner was the key, the glue keeping it together in the centre of the park, having also showcased his attacking flair with 13 goals and assists in all competitions.

From that knack for delivering clutch moments, the Argentine has frustratingly tailed off this time around, with his effort against Real Madrid earlier this season having been his only goal to date in 2025/26.

With just two assists also added into the mix, the 26-year-old is morphing into Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen territory at present, representing a solid but unspectacular option at the heart of the midfield.

Indeed, neither man was particularly adept at making the difference in a creative sense, with Allen scoring just seven goals in 132 games during his time at Anfield, while cult figure Leiva also netted just seven times himself, albeit from 346 total games.

To compare Mac Allister to such a limited pairing might appear hyperbolic, although again on Tuesday night, he was distinctly lacking any spark or flair, having failed to provide a single key pass, nor attempt a single shot or dribble.

He did win six of his seven ground duels, while losing the ball just five times, but again, there was that risk-averse feel to his performance, echoing those sorry days of Allen and Leiva lining up in the Brendan Rodgers and early Jurgen Klopp era.

As already stated, Mac Allister’s prior work ensures he remains one of FSG’s “best signings”, not least considering his bargain £35m fee, although like many of his teammates, the former Seagulls star simply doesn’t look like the player of 2024/25.

As bad as Isak vs Inter: Liverpool mainstay must now be axed by Slot

Liverpool secured a significant victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

The Victoria seamer has an outstanding domestic record and he believes his chances of higher honours don’t have to be all about pace

Alex Malcolm03-Oct-2025It is a question of when, not if, Australia’s Test attack will go through a significant transition and by every metric, Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill should be perfectly placed to be part of the next phase. Every metric that is, except one.The 24-year-old can lay claim to being the best seamer in Sheffield Shield cricket for the past two seasons. His first-class record is stunning – 134 wickets at 20.37 from 34 matches, striking at 48.4 and conceding just 2.52 runs per over. He’s twice been picked for Australia A, including on the recent tour of India which shows the national selectors’ respect for what he has accomplished with Victoria.But on the eve of the new Shield season, a week after England named an Ashes touring squad with potentially their fastest-ever battery of quicks, it is very clear what metric O’Neill is perceived to be missing.Related

• Nottinghamshire re-sign Fergus O'Neill for 2026 and 2027 Championship

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• Australia's pace depth: Who's in the Ashes mix if Cummins and co run aground?

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O’Neill is aware of it and he’s not trying to rail against it. He knows what his strengths are but he also has a great example to follow in Victoria team-mate Scott Boland, who has shown the path of how to go from a dominant domestic bowler to a high-class Test performer without the exceptional pace that some perceive is needed.”I think for me, the air speed thing is a little bit of a myth, not completely, but I feel like Scotty, whatever he is bowling on the gun, it feels 10kph faster,” O’Neill told ESPNcricinfo.”He’s obviously still certainly fast enough, but they speak about energy on the ball and how the ball hits the bat, and I feel like, for me, I need to make sure that I still have that, and I have that for my whole spell.”Then there’s little things you need to add in here, like a little up in speed ball I’ve been trying to work in or a surprise bouncer.”It’s probably something that I haven’t really done the last two or three years. I’ve just kind of come in and bowled the ball up at the stumps and tried to seam it around, and fortunately the wickets have been in my favour.