Ahead of Saturday's Champions League final in Munich, GOAL picks out the top performers in each position during the 2024-25 campaign

It's been a vintage year for forwards in Europe. How do we know that? Well, for starters, not one of Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane has made the GOAL Team of the Season!

After the conclusion of league play across the continent's major championships, our panel of editors and writers sat down to pick their top 50 players of the 2024-25 campaign, based on individual statistics, team trophies and overall influence.

Using those results, we've put together an all-star selection by picking the highest-ranking player in each position, which meant several superstars missed out simply by virtue of the fact that they were competing with another top talent for the same spot in our 4-3-3 formation.

So, who got the nod ahead of Salah on the right wing? And who beat Kane and Mbappe to the No.9 role? GOAL reveals all below…

Getty ImagesGK: Gigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)

Gigi Donnarumma has had his ups and downs at Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian was even copping plenty of criticism during the first half of the season, and there's even talk that Luis Enrique will sanction Donnarumma's sale this summer.

However, the fact of the matter is that PSG simply wouldn't have reached Saturday's Champions League final without their giant goalkeeper, who has recaptured his magnificent Euro 2020 form in the knockout stages, turning in one heroic display after another.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)

It's a little strange that nobody is really talking up Achraf Hakim's prospects of winning the Ballon d'Or, given how integral he's been to PSG's sensational season. No defender across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues has won possession more times (273) than the Morocco international, while he also ranks first among his peers for direct goal involvements (20).

Put quite simply, Hakimi, who scored against both Arsenal and Aston Villa in the knockout stages of the Champions League, is one of the most complete footballers in the game today.

Getty Images SportCB: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

Arsenal's Champions League hopes were hit hard by the loss of Gabriel Magalhaes to injury. The Gunners managed to beat a ragged Real Madrid without their talismanic centre-back, but he was sorely missed in the semi-final clash with PSG.

This season, Gabriel once again proved himself a formidable opponent in the air, at both ends of the field (he scored five times in total), while his partnership with William Saliba is arguably the best in world football, so it's no coincidence that Mikel Arteta's men started to struggle at set-pieces immediately after the Brazilian was sidelined with a hamstring problem.

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Getty Images SportCB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

The rock upon which Liverpool's record-equalling 20th English title triumph was founded, Virgil van Dijk was a near-ever-present for Arne Slot's side and rarely put a foot wrong.

The giant Dutchman once again reigned supreme in the air, proved almost impossible to get around and his raking passes out to the flanks from deep inside his own half played a big role in the Reds' success. Despite being 33, Van Dijk, who also scored five times in all competitions, was rightly rewarded with a new contract after re-establishing himself as the most dominant centre-back in world football.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Guarani segue a todo vapor com a preparação para encarar o Sport nesta quinta-feira, na Ilha do Retiro.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

O técnico Mozart Santos já sabe que precisa fazer mudanças no time, já que Derlan e Lucão do Break estão suspensos.

Apesar da partida fora de casa, o Guarani precisa vencer se quiser escapar da zona de rebaixamento.

Confira a provável escalação: Kozlinski; Diogo Mateus (Lucas Ramon), Ernando, João Victor e Jamerson; Leandro Vilela, Rodrigo Andrade (Madison) e Isaque; Júlio César; Bruno José e Nicolas Careca.

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Bayern Munich are aiming to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window and have added a Liverpool star to their list of targets.

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• Bayern eyeing summer signings
• Want to bring in left winger
• Have list of transfer targets drawn up

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Bavarian giants reclaimed the Bundesliga title in the 2024-25 season but remain eager to strengthen their squad over the summer. Bayern had been keen on Florian Wirtz but look set to miss out on the Bayer Leverkusen star to Liverpool. Vincent Kompany's side have therefore now turned their attention to Dutch forward Cody Gakpo, according to reporter Christian Falk.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gakpo's versatility makes him an attractive proposition as he can play on the left or as a back-up to top scorer Harry Kane. According to Falk, Bayern are also looking at Rafael Leao and Karou Mitoma who are considered more "realistic targets" than Gakpo at present. Bayern would have to sell out around €50 million (£42m) to land Gakpo, per Sky Sport Germany.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gakpo scored 18 goals and bagged six assists in all competitions for Liverpool in the 2024-25 season.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT

  While Bayern continue to mull over their summer transfer plans, Gakpo is set to link up with the Netherlands squad for World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Malta in June.

Captain in the runs again as home side reach 241 for 5 either side of rain

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2023

Lewis Hill made a half-century on day one•Getty Images

Leicestershire just about had the upper hand on a rain-affected opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship against Glamorgan after skipper Lewis Hill and former captain Colin Ackermann had shared a 100-run partnership.Their third-wicket stand provided the main substance in a total of 241 for 5 as a continuation of the wet spring weather limited play to 66.2 overs.Hill followed his career-best unbeaten 162 against Derbyshire two weeks ago with a second 50-plus score of the season. The in-form Ackermann, after scores of 67, 72 and 114 in his three previous innings this season, added 45 to raise his tally for the season to 298.His fellow Netherlands international Timm van der Gugten, with 4 for 45, was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, taking two wickets before lunch and another two in the afternoon to keep the home side in check.Winless and bottom of the table last season, Leicestershire are keen to prove their extraordinary victory over Yorkshire in the opening round of the Division Two programme was no fluke. They were frustrated by the weather when they took on Derbyshire at the Uptonsteel County Ground two weeks ago, with two complete days washed out.Conditions were at least dry if cold at the start of this match, and Leicestershire could be pretty pleased with their morning’s work after Glamorgan skipper David Lloyd had won the toss and decided he would field first.As a unit, Loyd’s seam-bowling attack struggled to hit the right lengths on a mottled-looking pitch, with the notable exception of van der Gugten, who took wickets in his first and third overs after coming on at first change at the Bennett End, removing both openers.He struck with his third delivery to see off Sol Budinger, the left-hander, who had gathered 26 runs with typical urgency before van der Gugten came round the wicket to knock out his off stump. Rishi Patel, with whom Budinger put on 43 for the first wicket, soon followed, caught behind off a ball that climbed on him as he tried to force it through the off side.Yet Hill and Ackermann looked increasingly comfortable in guiding Leicestershire to 123 for 2 at lunch, after which Hill hit fours off Michael Neser and Lloyd to raise his boundary tally to eight in an 82-ball half-century.However, no sooner had the third-wicket pair taken their partnership to 100 than both were dismissed in consecutive overs by van der Gugten, whose appeal was upheld to the apparent surprise of the Leicestershire batter as Ackermann was pronounced leg before to a ball that was certainly angling towards the leg side.Finding some movement off the pitch, the Australia-born van der Gugten followed up by having Hill caught behind, the Leicestershire captain feeling he had to defend his stumps against a ball that nipped away to take the edge. From 152 for 2, the home side were 153 for 4 in the blink of an eye and van der Gugten had all four wickets.Peter Handscomb and Wiaan Mulder were not the worst pair to be charged with a rebuilding job but the South African, in need of a score to settle him in to the new campaign, found his luck out again, bowled by a delivery from Michael Neser that he felt he could safely leave only for it to swing in and then dart back sharply off the pitch to hit his off stump.At 168 for 5, Leicestershire could have lost their way but Australian Test wicketkeeper-batter Peter Handscomb was well supported by the ever-improving fledgling England player Rehan Ahmed, the teenage leg-pinning all-rounder, in making sure that did not happen.Either side of a two-hour stoppage for rain, the pair added an unbroken 73 for the sixth wicket, of which Ahmed has made 38, chancing a few youthfully extravagant shots but generally playing in a way that reflects his growing maturity.

In a move that would see them get one over on their rivals, Liverpool are now reportedly working on hijacking Chelsea’s deal to sign an attacking reinforcement worth £40m this summer.

Liverpool plotting Chelsea hijack

After a week to forget, Liverpool’s problems have become clearer than ever under Arne Slot even as they remain on course to become dominant Premier League champions. The Dutchman watched on as his side suffered Champions League defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on penalties before they were shocked by Newcastle United at Wembley.

One common theme occurred in both defeats and that was Liverpool’s need for an attacking spark other than Mohamed Salah. When it hasn’t been the Egyptian in the last two games, the Reds have been unable to fall back on the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez – sparking serious questions over their No.9 role.

Several candidates to take hold of that role have already threatened to steal the headlines in recent weeks, with Alexander Isak’s name sitting top of that list. However, it’s not just the Swede who seemingly finds himself on Richard Hughes’ shortlist.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now working on a deal to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town after establishing contact with the former Manchester City striker in an attempt to steal in ahead of Chelsea.

Delap, valued at £40m, represents a far cheaper option than the likes of Isak and a player who has continued his personal rise despite Ipswich’s Premier League struggles.

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Those at Anfield will hope their status as champions-elect is enough to lure Delap into a move over Chelsea and others this summer in what would hand them a much-needed attacking improvement. There’s also every chance that any deal becomes far more feasible if Ipswich are relegated this season, as looks likely to be the case.

"Confident" Delap would be instant upgrade

Whilst Nunez, Jota and Diaz have struggled to benefit from the league’s best creator in Salah, Delap has dragged Ipswich’s attack forward at times despite often going without the rewards for doing just that. Swap roles with those aforementioned Liverpool stars and there’s every chance that the former Man City man would not leave chances to waste on stages such as Wembley and a shot at silverware.

Minutes

2,173

970

844

Goals

10

5

5

Assists

2

2

3

Expected Goals

8.2

5

6.1

The only striker of the three to outperform on expected goals in the Premier League this season, it’s clear that Delap is performing in the area that Jota and Nunez have so far failed in the current campaign.

Earning plenty of praise as a result, Alan Shearer said when asked about Delap in January: “He held the ball up, he ran in behind and when his team were under pressure he won free-kicks to ease that pressure. He was a nuisance to play against. I loved his aggression right from the off.

“He has got eight goals this season and Ipswich have only scored 20 themselves. That tells you how impressive he has been. You’ve got a really confident, young footballer who is only going to get better.”

Glasgow Rangers made the big decision to part ways with Belgian head coach Philippe Clement last month after a string of disappointing results.

The former Club Brugge boss was relieved of his duties after a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, but it could have come after the Light Blues were beaten 1-0 by second tier outfit Queen’s Park at Ibrox in the SFA Cup.

Clement’s team were 13 points behind Celtic in the title race at the time and had already been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, which may have made it a fairly simple decision for the board to make in the end.

However, they opted to go with an interim – Barry Ferguson – until the end of the season instead of attempting to find a long-term replacement for Clement before the summer.

Paraag Marathe, the president of 49ers Enterprises, and health insurance tycoon Andrew Cavenagh, who is executive chairman of ParetoHealth, are two key figures in a takeover that has reportedly been agreed in principle.

The appointment of a manager to lead Rangers into a new era may have been delayed until the summer to wait for the new ownership to come in, and they reportedly already have a vastly experienced boss in mind.

Rangers targeting Champions League winner

According to the Daily Record, Spanish manager Rafa Benitez is a target for the 49ers consortium as they eye a replacement for interim boss Ferguson ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The report claims that the prospective owners are considering a swoop for the former Liverpool and Everton tactician, who won the Champions League with the Reds in 2005.

Manager Focus

It states that Benitez has emerged as one of the early contenders to land the big job at Ibrox, but that he is one of a number of names on the shortlist.

The Daily Record quotes their own journalist Scott Burns, speaking on Hotline Live, as saying: “It was suggested to me on Saturday that Benitez was one of the options Rangers were looking at. When I say Rangers, I’m told it’s very much the incoming new owners who would be looking at the next manager and I know he has started to look at options.

“I was told that Rafa Benitez was one they were going to talk to. I spoke to a colleague who is very close to Rafa Benitez and his agent and they had said there had been no contact at all.”

This suggests that the 49ers are still very early on in the recruitment process, given that they are yet to speak to Benitez, and this means that there is plenty of time left for them to assess other candidates.

Why Rangers should forget about Rafa Benitez

Whilst the Spanish boss, given that he has worked for Real Madrid and Liverpool, would arrive at Ibrox as a big-name to kickstart a new era under the 49ers, he may not be an ideal fit for what Rangers need.

The Light Blues may need a manager who can install a dominant style of play that will allow them to compete with Celtic for the league title next season and beyond, whilst also progressing in cup competitions.

Benitez has not won a top-flight title since lifting the LaLiga trophy in 2004 with Valencia, and his last domestic cup win came in the Italian Cup with Napoli in 2012.

Since 2016, when he was appointed by Newcastle, the 64-year-old boss has failed to average more than 1.48 points won per game for any of the clubs that he has managed, including the Magpies, DL Pro, Everton, and Celta Vigo.

As you can see in the brilliant video by Tifo football above, Benitez has been a pragmatic manager in recent years, playing a conservative, and what could be described as defensive, style of play to suit the teams he has been in charge of, which is reflected in his low points-per-game returns.

Rangers, as a club that should want to dominate games and consistently win matches and trophies, should look for a head coach who can deploy a dominant style of play, which is why they can forget about Rafa by swooping for Russell Martin instead.

Why Rangers should appoint Russell Martin

Football Insider reported in January that the former Scotland international is one of a number of names on the club’s shortlist of potential options, and the 49ers should consider an approach for his services.

Firstly, Martin is currently out of work after being let go by Southampton and this means that Rangers would not have to shell out compensation money to take him from another club.

The 39-year-old tactician, who spent time on loan at Rangers in 2018, also fits what the Scottish giants should be looking for in terms of a dominant and progressive style of play.

As you can see in the video above, Martin did a fantastic job with MK Dons in League One at the start of his career, creating a front-footed and progressive team.

He eventually landed the Southampton job in the summer of 2023 and led the Saints to promotion to the Premier League, via the play-offs, before losing his job in the top-flight this season.

Depsite being sacked, Martin earned plaudits for the way that his team set-up. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claimed he will “learn a lot” from the Scottish manager’s tactics, whilst Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described Martin as a “hugely successful” coach whose teams are a “joy to watch”.

The former Rangers defender typically deploys an attacking 4-3-3 system and has the coaching ability to put out a team that can consistently create chances to win matches, when he has the players to do so.

23/24 Championship	Southampton	League rank
Pass accuracy	87.7%	1st
Passes into the penalty area	594	1st
Progressive passes	2556	1st
Shot-creating actions	1255	1st
xG	79.8	2nd
Points per game	1.89	4th
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Martin’s Southampton side were one of the most progressive, front-foot, teams in the Championship, which led to them earning promotion to the Premier League, and they earned more points per game than any of Benitez’s teams since 2016.

He was then tasked with managing in a completely different manner, as he had players at the lower end of the quality scale in the top-flight, and that did not suit his style of play – leading to his eventual dismissal earlier this season.

Rangers, however, consistently compete for titles and trophies, albeit with little success this term, and this means that Martin’s dominant and progressive style of play would be well-suited to the environment at Ibrox.

Therefore, the former Norwich City defender would be an ideal fit for the Gers and someone who could create an exciting style of play for the supporters to get behind, which may not be the case for Benitez when you consider how his career has panned out over the past decade or so.

Rangers must regret selling £6m star who the 49ers have already signed once

Rangers once sold a star who was described as their own “mini Patrick Vieira”.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 5, 2025

The 49ers must, now, forget about any potential swoop for Benitez this summer and, instead, pursue a deal to bring Martin to Glasgow for next season and beyond.

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have no option but to win each of their last three games to finish on 14 points, and then hope that several other results fall in place for them to qualify. One way for that to happen is if Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians win most of their games, leaving the other teams on 12 or 13 points. Then Capitals can qualify even without net run-rate coming into play.However, a defeat on Saturday will eliminate them from the tournament.

Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings have one extra win compared to Capitals in as many games. That means they can still go up to 16 points, which could be enough for direct qualification without getting caught up in NRR complications. However, depending on how other results go, they could miss out despite getting to 16.If they lose to Capitals, Kings will have to win their last two, finish on 14, and then hope that several other results go their way to help them qualify. That could happen if Titans and Super Kings win most of their matches, leaving other teams on 14 to battle it out for two spots. That means Kings will have to focus on their victory margins as well, given they currently have a very negative NRR.

أعلن نادي ليفربول رسميًا عن سادس اللاعبين الراحلين عن صفوف الريدز خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية ضمن خطة إعادة هيكلة واسعة.

وأكد ليفربول عبر موقعه الرسمي أن ديفيز، هارفي ديفيز البالغ من العمر 20 عامًا، انتقل إلى كراولي تاون على سبيل الإعارة لموسم 2025-2026، بعد تجديد عقده مع النادي قبل مغادرته.

اقرأ أيضًا | لست مرتاحًا لها.. ستيف نيكول: صفقة ليفربول الجديدة ستؤثر على محمد صلاح

ويأتي رحيل ديفيز بعد سلسلة من اللاعبين الراحلين هذا الصيف، حيث سبقه كل من ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، كاويمين كيليهير، نات فيليبس، ياكوب أوجرينسكي، ودومينيك كورنيس.

Harvey Davies has signed a new contract with Liverpool FC and joined Crawley Town on loan for the 2025-26 season 🔴

Congratulations and good luck, Harvey 👊 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 26, 2025

ويمضي ديفيز على خطى زملائه الشبان بحثًا عن فرصة للمشاركة أساسيًا، حيث يأمل في اكتساب المزيد من الخبرة مع كراولي، بعد تجربة ناجحة الموسم الماضي مع كرو ألكساندرا.

الحارس الإنجليزي ارتدى قميص ليفربول منذ سن التاسعة، وسبق له التواجد مع الفريق الأول في 18 مناسبة، أبرزها مشاركته ضمن قائمة دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد لايبزيج عام 2021.

وتُعد هذه الإعارة خطوة منطقية ضمن خطة ليفربول لتطوير مواهبه الشابة، بينما يواصل النادي تخطيطه للموسم الجديد تحت قيادة المدرب، آرني سلوت.

The dates and venues for the 2023 Asia Cup have finally been officially confirmed, with the tournament set to take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka between August 31 and September 17. A detailed schedule, however, has not yet been released.The tournament was originally meant to be held entirely in Pakistan but a hybrid model became necessary after the BCCI said India would not travel to Pakistan. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, in the hybrid model approved by the Asian Cricket Council, four of the 13 matches will be played in Pakistan and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka.This will be the first time since 2008 that matches of a multi-nation tournament will be staged in Pakistan. “I am elated that our hybrid version for the ACC Asia Cup 2023 has been accepted,” Najam Sethi, chair of the PCB management committee, said. “This means the PCB will remain as the event host and stage matches in Pakistan with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue, which was required due to the Indian cricket team’s inability to travel to Pakistan.”Our passionate fans would have loved to see the India cricket team in action in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, but we understand the BCCI’s position. Like the PCB, the BCCI also requires government approval and clearance before crossing borders.”I now look forward to continuing our discussions and deliberations with the ACC and Sri Lanka Cricket to iron out a few minor operational and logistical details so that we can launch our event planning and preparations.”The 2023 edition will have India, Pakistan and Nepal in one group, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in another group, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two from the Super Four stage will then face off in the final. Matches will be played in the 50-over format as preparation for the ODI World Cup in India in October-November.The hybrid model was proposed as a solution due to India refusing to tour Pakistan owing to strained political relations between the two countries. The PCB, as appointed hosts, were keen to ensure that at least part of the tournament was played in Pakistan. The UAE was in the running as a neutral venue but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather there in September.Sri Lanka are the defending champions, though the 2022 event was played in the 20-over format. The last 50-over Asia Cup was played in 2018 in the UAE, where India beat Bangladesh in a thrilling final.

Their batters have been ruling the roost in the IPL, but will come up against significantly tougher conditions

Vishal Dikshit15-May-20235:43

Krunal vs Axar vs Jadeja – the left-arm spinners debate

Big picture: Will Mumbai Indians go hard against LSG’s spinners?From the high-scoring highway of Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians now fly to the dusty turner of Lucknow; in terms of run rates this IPL, it’s a journey from the fastest scoring ground straight to the slowest.The most interesting aspect of that journey is that Mumbai have been chasing down one 200-plus total after another, and on Tuesday they will play on a pitch that is much slower, tougher to score on, and turns much more, and they will have to adjust to the alien conditions right when the playoff race is getting hotter. Mumbai and Lucknow Super Giants are neck and neck at third and fourth places, only separated by a point, and whoever loses on Tuesday will have to depend on other results to qualify.How the Mumbai batters counter LSG spinners will be key. For example, Ishan Kishan has been dismissed for a combined five times in the IPL while facing 23 balls from the duo of Amit Mishra and Ravi Bishnoi. Will Mumbai still go ahead with their crash-bang approach or will they reconsider their strategy a little?Another question for Mumbai will be whether they bring in a third spinner in the XI to accompany Piyush Chawla and Kumar Kartikeya.Super Giants, meanwhile, don’t have a great record to boast of in Lucknow. They have won just two of the five completed games on their home ground, and the last of those came more than a month ago. What bodes well for them, though, is that their batting is really coming together and the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis will want to go big again to match Mumbai’s hard-hitting prowess.Form guideLucknow Super Giants WLLWL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Mumbai Indians WWLWWMumbai Indians and LSG haven’t played each other yet this year. LSG won both the games in 2022•BCCIImpact Player strategySuper Giants can sub Mishra and Ayush Badoni for each other depending on whether they bat or bowl first.Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Krunal Pandya (capt), 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 , 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Mohsin Khan, 11 K Gowtham, 12 Mumbai could bring in offspinner Hrithik Shokeen to target LSG’s left-hand batters. Their impact strategy could be to sub Tilak Varma or Suryakumar Yadav for one of the frontline bowlers.Mumbai Indians (probable XII): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 , 4 Tilak Varma/Vishnu Vinod, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Tim David, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 , 12 Hrithik ShokeenThe big questionStats that matter Kishan has faced only eight balls from Mishra in the IPL and been dismissed on three of those Mishra has also dismissed Rohit the most number of times in the IPL (seven, joint with Sunil Narine), while conceding only 87 runs off 91 balls. Krunal Pandya has a great match-up against Chawla: 36 runs off 16 balls while getting dismissed only once While Stoinis has smashed 125 runs off 52 balls from Chris Jordan without being dismissed yetin all T20s, the fast bowler has fared much better against Quinton de Kock, to dismiss him four times in 33 balls while conceding 45 runs in all T20s.Pitch and conditionsThe black-soil surface in Lucknow which assists spinners might be the only way to stop Mumbai from scoring 200, but even 150-odd is a winning score here batting first. Teams batting first and second have won three games each on this ground, which means the toss may not play a very crucial role unless there’s dew later in the evening.