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Forest cruise to comfortable first-leg win in Istanbul

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Fenerbahce 0 - 3 Nottingham Forest  Vitor Pereira could hardly have asked for a more convincing opening act as Nottingham Forest’s new boss. Author |  Kieran M Stadium | Chobani Stadyumu Fenerbahçe ŞükrĂĽ SaracoÄźlu Spor Kompleksi Forest were in control from the outset, dominating possession and tempo to secure the biggest away win in the club’s European history. The result leaves them well placed to reach the last 16, with either Midtjylland or Real Betis lying in wait when the return leg is played at the City Ground on 26 February. Forest’s performance was marked by ambition and confidence. The tone was set when Murillo, restored to the heart of the defence, surged forward from the back and drove a 20-yard shot beyond Ederson and into the bottom right corner. The first half was largely one-sided. A Fenerbahçe team featuring several players familiar to Premier League audiences struggled to keep hold of the ball or match Forest’s intensity. Their clearest moment came when Anders...

Galatasaray will take a three goal lead to Turin

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Galatasaray 5 - 2 Juventus  Galatasaray will head to Turin with a commanding lead after a breathless comeback victory over Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off. Author | Ed Stadium | RAMS Park The Istanbul side trailed 2-1 at the interval but responded with authority after the break, turning the tie on its head to move 3-2 ahead by the hour through strikes from Noa Lang and Davinson Sánchez. Juventus had earlier mounted an impressive revival of their own, Teun Koopmeiners scoring twice in a 17-minute first-half spell after Gabriel Sara had given the hosts an early lead. Any hopes of restoring control evaporated in the second half.  Juan Cabal, introduced at the interval, was dismissed just 21 minutes later for a second booking, leaving the visitors short-handed and increasingly vulnerable. Galatasaray sensed the opportunity and pressed relentlessly. Lang capitalised on slack defending to claim his second of the night before Sacha Boey str...

Harry Kane scores his 500th career goal

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Werder Bremen 0 - 3 Bayern Munich Harry Kane struck twice to bring up 500 career goals as Bayern Munich re-established a six-point lead at the summit of the Bundesliga with a composed win at Werder Bremen. Author | Ed Stadium | Weserstadion The England captain opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, converting his ninth penalty of the campaign after VAR adjudged Senne Lynen to have fouled Lennart Karl inside the area. Kane added a second three minutes later, guiding a crisp effort in off the post from the edge of the box. That finish marked a significant landmark for the 32-year-old It took Kane to 500 senior goals in 743 appearances for club and country, with a fifth of those coming from the spot. He has now scored 41 times in all competitions for Bayern this season, including 26 in the league, as they moved further clear of Borussia Dortmund, who had beaten Mainz 4-0 on Friday. The visitors were forced into a change at the interval when Manuel Neuer was withdrawn with a calf probl...

Did Sean Dyche deserve the sack by Nottingham Forest?

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After another manager sacking, have Nottingham Forest made the correct decision? When Dyche was shortlisted for the January manager of the month award just a week ago, he would not have imagined that he would soon be out of work. Author |  Kieran M Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach. We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the Club and we wish them the best of luck for the future. We will be making no further… pic.twitter.com/q6LPADIsDw — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 12, 2026 Defeat by Leeds United and a goalless draw at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers proved enough for Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to bring Dyche’s four month spell to an abrupt end. The former Burnley and Everton manager could reasonably feel he has been treated harshly. The nomination followed league victories over Brentford and West Ham United, a narrow defeat...

Thomas Frank sacked by Tottenham Hotspur

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Thomas Frank has been dismissed by Tottenham  The decision comes after fewer than eight months in charge, the decision coming in the wake of Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle. Author | Greg S The result left Spurs 16th in the Premier League, five points clear of the relegation zone, and extended a bleak sequence that has defined much of their campaign. They are without a win in eight league matches, their longest such run since October 2008. Across their past 17 fixtures they have managed only two victories, collecting 12 points from a possible 51. How Spurs have responded In a statement, Tottenham said they had been “determined to give Thomas the time and support needed to build for the future together”, but concluded that “recent results have made a change at this point necessary”. The story of a strange time for Spurs Frank was appointed in June following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou and signed a contract running until 2028. While performances in Europe offered enc...

Arsenal reach EFL Cup final

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Arsenal 1 - 0 Chelsea (Arsenal won 4-2 on aggregate) Arsenal moved to within one game of their first major trophy since 2020 Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Holding a 3-2 advantage from the first leg, Mikel Arteta’s side were made to wait until the seventh minute of added time to confirm their progress on a nervy night at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz, introduced from the bench, delivered the decisive moment, rounding Robert Sánchez before calmly rolling the ball into an empty net. Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League and remain alive in three cup competitions, will meet either Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley next month. The sense of occasion was unmistakable, even if the contest itself was often tight and attritional. How Arsenal and Arteta booked a trip down Wembley Way The hosts began on the front foot but found space hard to come by against a Chelsea side set up in a back five, with clear chances at a premium before the interval. Liam Rosenior attempted t...

Celtic's Europa League adventure will continue

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Celtic 4 - 2 Utrecht Celtic kept their Europa League hopes alive with a composed and ultimately comfortable victory over winless Utrecht  Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Goals from Benjamin Nygren and Arne Engels, either side of a Nick Viergever own goal, had Martin O’Neill’s side three up inside 19 minutes before Dani de Wit pulled one back for the visitors with their first effort of the night. Utrecht threatened to turn the contest on its head when Adrian Blake struck from distance to beat Kasper Schmeichel, but any lingering anxiety was eased four minutes later as Auston Trusty headed in from an Engels corner. Celtic, who finished 21st in the league phase, will now face either Stuttgart in the knockout play-off round. Utrecht’s European campaign ended with a solitary point. A closer analysis of what happened With qualification on the line, O’Neill urged his players to attack from the outset and they responded with a blistering start against the Dutch side. ...