European Super Football

Chelsea 2 - 0 Servette  Christopher Nkunku’s penalty helped Enzo Maresca claim his first win as Chelsea manager, with the Blues securing a two-goal lead against Servette in the first leg of their Conference League play-off. A significantly rotated Chelsea side had been struggling to break down their Swiss opponents until Nkunku was brought down by goalkeeper Jeremy Frick early in the second half. The French forward, one of only two players to retain their place from the team that started the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City   calmly converted the penalty, marking the first goal of the Maresca era. Nkunku, a former Paris St-Germain player, celebrated in his signature style by inflating a blue balloon in front of the ecstatic Chelsea supporters. Chelsea nearly extended their lead shortly afterwards when Frick hesitated with the ball, allowing 18-year-old Marc Guiu to pounce. The Spanish youth international seemed poised to score, but he lost his composure, and Frick managed to recover a

FK Panevėžys 0 - The New Saints The New Saints took a firm grip on their Europa Conference League play-off with a 3-0 victory over Lithuanian side FK Panevėžys in Vilnius. We'll have reaction to this match coming soon. European Super Football ( https://t.co/3cLJ3IbFkJ ) https://t.co/NQPIJ1RA4A — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) August 23, 2024 After a closely contested first half, Danny Davies broke the deadlock shortly after the restart. A corner was flicked on twice, and the centre-back was perfectly positioned at the back post to head in from a tight angle. Dan Williams then doubled the Welsh side's advantage, picking up the ball wide on the right, weaving past two defenders, and gliding into the area before slotting the ball coolly into the far bottom corner. As the hosts pushed forward in search of a goal, substitute Ben Clark sealed the win with a strike in stoppage time, putting Saints firmly in control of the tie. UEFA Europa League and Conference League (

Viktoria Plzeň 1 - 0 Hearts After overcoming a shaky start and edging towards a commendable goalless draw in the Czech Republic, Hearts' hopes were dashed when Daniel Oyegoke accidentally turned a late cross into his own net. Plzen's Cadu delivered a dangerous ball into the box, which caught Oyegoke off guard. The Hearts defender could only watch in dismay as the ball struck his thigh and sailed into the corner of the net. It was a bitterly frustrating conclusion, especially as Hearts had grown into the match, standing toe-to-toe with their more seasoned Czech opponents , who were competing in Europe for the 15th consecutive season. Lawrence Shankland came close with two shots from the edge of the box just before half-time, and Kenneth Vargas missed two opportunities when a cooler head was needed. However, solid goalkeeping and resilient defending kept Hearts in the game and nearly secured them a vital draw. UEFA Europa League and Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogsp

Notts County 4 - 1 Grimsby Town Dan Crowley was the star of the show as Notts County secured their first League Two win of the season as they thrashed Grimsby. The Magpies captain delivered a perfectly placed cross, allowing Alassana Jatta to score his third goal in as many games, giving the home side an early lead. Crowley then slipped into the box unnoticed to double the advantage. Jodi Jones added to the tally with a beautifully chipped goal, but Grimsby pulled one back through Harvey Rodgers, who found the far corner. In the second half, Crowley’s deflected shot sealed the victory, as Notts County climbed to fourth place in the early League Two table , while Grimsby dropped to 16th. The tone of the evening was set early on when Grimsby goalkeeper Jordan Wright made a superb reaction save, denying Crowley’s low shot from opening the scoring. Last season, these two teams treated their fans to 15 goals across their League Two encounters, so it was probably inevitable that the net

It's time to explore the career of another football icon Andrés Iniesta is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time.  He was praised by fans and pundits alike for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball. Iniesta would spend most of his career at Barcelona, where he played a major role in the club's success along with his midfield partners Xavi and Sergio Busquets. One European Super Football contributor told us: "He was one of the greatest midfielders ever. I used to love watching him and I'm not even a Barcelona fan." Iniesta interviewed as a Barcelona player back in 2011. Picture from  Miguel Moro | Flickr A closer look at his career Iniesta started his professional career through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regula

Another day, another Chelsea transfer story Chelsea have secured the signing of Portuguese forward João Félix from Atlético Madrid for an estimated £45 million, with England midfielder Conor Gallagher heading in the opposite direction for around £33 million. Félix, 24, has committed to a seven-year contract, marking his return to Stamford Bridge after a loan spell in 2023 where he netted four goals in 20 appearances for the West London club. Meanwhile, Gallagher has penned a five-year deal with the Spanish top-flight side. The 24-year-old joined Chelsea as a youngster, making 90 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals. With just one year left on his contract, Chelsea were keen to sell Gallagher this summer rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next year. Gallagher's transfer to Spain was delayed due to the collapse of Chelsea’s negotiations to sign Atlético striker Samu Omorodion. However, Félix’s move has now provided Atlético with the funds needed to finalise the

Raheem Sterling to Juventus? He is currently a target of interest for Juventus, with speculation increasing over his future. Sterling was given the weekend off after not being included in their squad to face Manchester City. It’s understood that Juventus would need to reduce their current wage bill before making a concrete move for Raheem Sterling, with forward Federico Chiesa among the players who might be shown the door. There’s also the question of whether Sterling would be willing to relocate his young family, who are reportedly well-settled in London, for a move to Italy. Premier League: 2024/2025 season news and stories  Latest news from Serie A  However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Chelsea are eager to part ways with the player they signed from Manchester City in 2022 for £47.5 million. Chelsea are open to letting Sterling go before the transfer deadline, a decision that would help them save on his reported £325,000-per-week wages. The fact Chelsea reportedly

Leicester City 1  - 1 Tottenham Hotspur The ever-reliable Jamie Vardy made a memorable return to the Premier League, scoring a goal that helped newly promoted Leicester City secure a draw against Tottenham at the King Power Stadium. At 37 years old, Vardy found the back of the net with Leicester’s first shot on target, heading in a cross from Abdul Fatawu from close range just before the hour mark. Vardy’s goal levelled the match after Pedro Porro had given Spurs the lead in a first half where they completely dominated and should have been out of sight before Vardy’s crucial intervention. Vardy manages to outshine Solanke  All attention had been on Tottenham's new £65 million striker, as Spurs aimed to prove they had the firepower to challenge for a top-four spot. However, it was a 37-year-old veteran who ended up stealing the show. Dominic Solanke is the player Spurs are counting on to fill the void left by Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich last year. Although he couldn’t ma

Mallorca 1 -  1 Real Madrid Kylian Mbappé made his La Liga debut as reigning champions Real Madrid were held to a draw by Mallorca on the opening day of the season. The French captain had already made a strong start at his new club, scoring in Wednesday's 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta. However, the summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain was unable to find the net in his first domestic league appearance. Rodrygo put Carlo Ancelotti's side ahead with a superb goal, finishing off a clever backheel from Vinícius Júnior. More news from across Spain Latest stories from Real Madrid But Mallorca responded when Vedat Muriqi headed in Dani Rodríguez's cross to equalise. Madrid's defender, Ferland Mendy, was sent off in the final moments of injury time after a reckless challenge on Muriqi. Mbappé, PSG's all-time top scorer and a six-time Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner , had several opportunities for Madrid. He narrowly missed the target with one effort and forced g

Chelsea 0 - 2 Manchester City Erling Haaland scored on his 100th Manchester City appearance as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title with a win over Chelsea.  As always, thank you for your fantastic support. See you Thursday. 💙 #CFC | #CHEMCI pic.twitter.com/7CQ3fp0Ovj — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2024 The Norwegian forward opened the scoring on 18 minutes with a dinked finish over Robert Sanchez. Former Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic made the game safe late on with a curling shot from just outside the penalty area. It was ultimately far too comfortable for the Champions. Chelsea had spells of possession but never looked as though they had the clinical edge to score. As has become far too common recently, issues off the pitch have started to dominate the headlines at Stamford Bridge. Macca, a Manchester City fan, told us: "Chelsea are an absolute circus. I think our fans don't appreciate how well the club is being run compared to the

Ipswich Town 0 - 2 Liverpool Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah found the back of the net as Arne Slot's tenure as Liverpool head coach kicked off with a hard-earned victory against newly promoted Ipswich Town in a lively atmosphere at Portman Road. Portuguese forward Jota capitalised on a well-executed Liverpool attack that saw Salah and the impressive Trent Alexander-Arnold combine. Just after the hour mark, Jota calmly slotted Salah’s low cross past Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton. Liverpool doubled their lead just five minutes later when Salah converted a pass from Dominik Szoboszlai, marking his ninth opening-day goal—a new Premier League record. A closer look at what happened Playing their first top-flight match in 22 years, Ipswich put up a strong fight in the first half, coming closest to scoring with Jacob Greaves' downward header and Omari Hutchinson's low drive. However, Liverpool emerged much stronger after the break and nearly took the lead early in the seco

Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona A win over Valencia kicked off Barcelona's La Liga campaign under new manager Hansi Flick. Former Germany boss Flick's team had to come from behind after Hugo Duro scored from a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The first half started slowly, but Duro opened the scoring in the 44th minute, sparking the match into life. Duro had a chance cleared off the line, but Robert Lewandowski then equalized from a Lamine Yamal pass. Valencia had a strong first half, but Barcelona showed their superiority in the second half, taking the lead through veteran striker Lewandowski's penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was fouled in the box. Yamal was a constant threat with his dribbling on the wings, causing problems for Valencia. Despite Valencia's strong counter-attacks and Barcelona's midfield errors, Flick's team ultimately proved to be of a higher class, managing the game well and neutralizing Valencia's threats to secure a

Burnley 5 - 0 Cardiff City Burnley maintained their perfect start to the Championship season with a commanding 5-0 victory over Cardiff City, capitalising on a series of errors by the Bluebirds. The match got off to a disastrous start for Cardiff when a routine backpass slipped under goalkeeper Ethan Horvath’s foot, resulting in an own goal that gifted Burnley the lead after just nine minutes. Things went from bad to worse as Dimitrios Goutas's poor defending allowed Jay Rodriguez the space to cross, leading to Luca Koleosho smashing in a second goal. Cardiff’s hopes of a second-half comeback were quickly dashed when a precise pass from Vitinho split their defence wide open, allowing Josh Brownhill to race through and score. EFL: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Championship: Wednesday thrash Plymouth (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Cardiff City latest news and stories Burnley didn’t let up, adding two spectacular late goals as Zeki Amdouni and Johann Berg Gudmundsso

Aston Villa and Newcastle both won their opening-day fixtures. Let's explore what happened West Ham United 1 - 2 Aston Villa Substitute Jhon Duran clinched a late victory for Aston Villa as they kicked off their Premier League season with a win at West Ham. Duran seized onto Jacob Ramsey's pass and coolly tucked the ball into the bottom corner with just 11 minutes left, shortly after rumours circulated that the Hammers had made two unsuccessful bids for the striker. Amadou Onana marked his Villa debut in style, heading home Youri Tielemans' corner after just four minutes when the Belgian midfielder was left unmarked in the box. West Ham levelled the score before half-time when Matty Cash was deemed to have fouled Tomas Soucek during a tussle in the box. Lucas Paqueta converted the penalty, sending Emiliano Martinez the wrong way with a stuttered run-up as he slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. However, Duran ultimately had the final word, ensuring Villa's

Arsenal 2 - 0 Wolves Arsenal began their Premier League campaign with a straightforward win against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Gunners in the first half, heading in from Bukayo Saka’s cross from the right. After the break, Saka added a second with a powerful left-footed strike into the right corner, capitalising on a quickly taken free-kick that caught the visitors off guard. A closer look at the match Although Arsenal weren't at their best, they were always in control and fully deserved the victory against determined opposition. Wolves debutant Jorgen Strand Larsen had a good chance in the first half, but his header was well saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Substitute Matheus Cunha had an opportunity to equalise, but Raya comfortably dealt with his weak effort as Wolves pressed for a goal. Despite their efforts, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil will have few complaints about the result, as his team struggled to create clear chances

Everton 0 - 3 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton's young manager, Fabian Hurzeler, made an impressive start to his Premier League career, delivering a victory that left Everton's final season at Goodison Park off to a dismal start. Everton, who have called Goodison Park home since 1892, will be relocating to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock at the beginning of next season. Everton fans created a fantastic atmosphere before the match. At just 31, Hurzeler became the Premier League's youngest-ever permanent manager, and his Brighton team showed no mercy towards their opponents. The first half was fiercely contested, with tackles flying in from both sides. Everton's Jack Harrison had an early goal disallowed for offside, while Brighton's Joao Pedro struck the post with a powerful low shot. Brighton took the lead through Kaoru Mitoma's simple finish at the back post, following excellent work from debutant Yankuba Minteh, who had been linked with a move to E