European Super Football

Netherlands 1 - 1 Hungary Virgil van Dijk was sent off as the Netherlands secured a Nations League draw in Hungary. Author - William G The home side took the lead with Roland Sallai’s well-placed volley in the first half. However, Liverpool defender Van Dijk saw red after picking up two yellow cards within just three minutes. The first came for dissent, and the second followed after he fouled Kevin Csoboth on the wing. It was Van Dijk’s first red card for the Netherlands, in what was his 77th international appearance.  Despite being down to 10 men, the Dutch quickly equalised, with Denzel Dumfries heading in from Cody Gakpo’s free-kick. UEFA Nations League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) What do you think of the international break? (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Before his sending-off, Van Dijk had completed an impressive 145 out of 152 passes, nearly matching Hungary’s entire team, who managed 173 passes in total. Following the dismissal, the Netherlands confirmed on Saturday

England 1 - 2 Greece England's interim manager, Lee Carsley, saw his attacking gamble backfire spectacularly as they suffered a shock defeat to Greece in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley. Jude Bellingham appeared to have salvaged a point for England with an 87th-minute goal, following Vangelis Pavlidis' cool strike that had given Greece a well-earned lead just four minutes into the second half. However, Greece responded swiftly and deservedly snatched victory as Pavlidis struck again deep into stoppage time, capping off a humbling night for both England and Carsley. Click here for more UEFA Nations League news and stories The Big Discussion: What do you think of the international break?  A closer look at what happened With captain Harry Kane sidelined through injury, Carsley opted not to field a recognised striker, deploying Bellingham in a false nine role while supporting him with Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer. The outcome was a disjointed and

The relationship between English football fans and international football can be mixed.  Some see it as a refreshing change, offering a chance to follow their national team and watch players from different clubs come together to represent their country.  Author - Liam C Others view it as an unwelcome interruption to what they care about most, causing frustration and even outright disdain. In many ways, it’s a love-hate relationship that has become a regular feature of the footballing calendar. More disruption Some fans of the big Premier League clubs might be annoyed that this current break is the 2nd one in an already-packed schedule. Some teams such as Nottingham Forest have started to build momentum. A break for these fans could feel like a real mood-killer. That same level of passion doesn’t always translate to the international stage, especially outside major tournaments.  Another major point of contention has been the risk of injuries. A couple of injuries at this stage of th

Kai Havertz benefits from Mikel Arteta’s evolving Arsenal side The German forward us leading the line for the Gunners and is now working well with Bukayo Saka. Let's explore the impact that he's having at the moment. As long as Bukayo Saka maintains his remarkable consistency, he’ll remain the standout star at Arsenal. The academy-grown winger notched his sixth and seventh assists of the season during the Gunners’ comeback victory against relegation-threatened Southampton on Saturday afternoon, also netting his second league goal of the campaign. Saka ranks among the Premier League’s top 10 players for shots, key passes and dribbles this season, showcasing the full extent of his attacking prowess. As Arsenal chase their first league title in over two decades, Saka is undoubtedly the main man. However, it would be wrong to say Arsenal are a one-man team. At 23, Saka is clearly Mikel Arteta’s crown jewel, but he is surrounded by other equally brilliant talents. Premier League

England v Greece 2001 With England playing Greece in an upcoming UEFA Nations League match, we thought we should take you back to a dramatic encounter between the two nations.  It was one of David Beckham's finest performances for his country. At times, the soon-to-be former Man United number 7 was almost playing Greece alone. No player worked harder to make sure England qualified for the 2002 World Cup. The wider context Sven Goran Eriksson 's England side were trailing the Greeks 2-1 deep into injury time and they looked destined for a potentially difficult play-off against Ukraine. David Beckham was having none of that. He had failed to score from five previous free kicks, and secured qualification for Japan and Korea with a dramatic goal in stoppage time.  Despite a bad start, this turned out to be a pretty memorable qualifying campaign for England. Only a few weeks earlier, they thrashed Germany 5-1. This is considered the best England performance of the modern era.

Chelsea 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest Chris Wood and Noni Madueke scored as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest played out a tactical and feisty draw at Stamford Bridge. Forest took the lead when 32-year-old striker Wood scored past Robert Sanchez in the 49th minute, following a well-executed set-piece involving James Ward-Prowse and Nikola Milenkovic. Forest were in dreamland but it didn't last. Chelsea responded quickly.  Madueke equalised eight minutes later after cutting in on his left foot and shooting, having had the beating of left-back Alex Moreno. Premier League: 2024/2025 season (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Injuries and suspensions to follow Midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was forced to leave the pitch with an injury in the second half, casting serious doubt over his chances of playing for England this month. He limped off slowly, clearly in pain and visibly frustrated. Referee Chris Kavanagh showed Forest’s James Ward-Prowse a second yellow card, sending him off for deliberate

Bristol City 1 - 1 Cardiff City Luke McNally's powerful header earned Bristol City a hard-fought point in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Cardiff in the Severnside derby. Cardiff's Anwar El Ghazi came close to scoring in the first half, hitting the post from close range in what was otherwise a period dominated by Bristol City. However, it was Cardiff who took the lead after the break, with Ollie Tanner producing a moment of magic—beating two defenders and smashing the ball into the top corner after Bristol City carelessly lost possession. Cardiff had chances to extend their lead but were wasteful, and they paid the price when McNally headed in the equaliser on 73 minutes. This came after Fally Mayulu hit the post, and Cardiff struggled to clear the resulting pressure fully. A draw seemed a fair outcome, though it did little to boost either side’s momentum ahead of the international break. Both teams have had underwhelming seasons, with Bristol City sitting 17th in the Champio

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur Brighton staged a stunning comeback, overturning a two-goal deficit to secure a thrilling victory over Tottenham in a gripping Premier League clash on the south coast. Spurs appeared to be cruising towards a sixth consecutive win in all competitions, having taken a well-earned 2-0 lead by the 37th minute. Brennan Johnson broke the deadlock with his sixth goal in six games, timing his run perfectly to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s through ball before calmly slotting it past Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen. Verbruggen was then left frustrated as he failed to prevent James Maddison’s curled effort from nestling in the net, despite getting both hands to the low shot, doubling Spurs’ advantage. However, Brighton came out after the interval looking like a different team. They quickly clawed one back early in the second half when Destiny Udogie struggled to clear Kaoru Mitoma's cross, allowing Yankuba Minteh to pounce and score his f

Ross County 1 - 2 Celtic Celtic shook off their midweek Champions League setback to continue their flawless Premiership run, clinching a late victory in Dingwall.  Alistair Johnston and Nicolas Kuhn both found the net in the second half, sealing the win for the reigning champions. Brendan Rodgers' team remains unbeaten domestically this season, having won every match so far, as they head into the October international break in top form. A closer look at what happened For the first 70 minutes,  Celtic struggled to make an impact  against a well-organised Ross County. Their defensive solidity, discipline, and ability to take advantage of Celtic's lapses were exemplified by Ronan Hale’s first-half penalty. Michee Efete's cross struck Liam Scales' arm, and after a brief check on the monitor, referee Kevin Clancy awarded the penalty. Hale's initial shot was weak and comfortably saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but the goalkeeper was judged to have moved too early. Given a

Aston Villa 0 - 0 Manchester United Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that the hard-fought draw at Aston Villa eases some of the intense pressure surrounding his role. In contrast to recent performances, United showed signs of the resilience that had been sorely lacking during the home defeat to Tottenham and the defensive frailty witnessed against Porto in the Europa League. Ten Hag called upon experienced defenders Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans to bring stability to the backline, though Maguire was forced off with an injury just before half-time. Marcus Rashford twice tested Villa’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, while United captain Bruno Fernandes came closest to scoring with a second-half free-kick that rattled the crossbar in front of the Holte End. Substitute Antony also drew an impressive acrobatic save from Martinez with a long-range effort. Meanwhile, United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, had a relatively quiet evening but made an excellent save to deny a power

Manchester City 3 - 2 Fulham Mateo Kovacic netted twice as Manchester City battled past a resilient Fulham to secure their first Premier League victory in three matches. City started strongly, but Raul Jimenez’s brilliant backheel set up Andreas Pereira for a close-range finish, putting Fulham ahead against the run of play. Adama Traore had two golden opportunities on either side of Pereira's goal, but he was denied by Ederson in a one-on-one and later blazed a shot over the bar from inside the box. Kovacic made sure to capitalise on Fulham's missed chances. His first came from a half-cleared corner, a shot that took a deflection on its way in. His second, early in the second half, was a much cleaner strike from the edge of the box. Click here for more news and stories from Manchester City Premier League: 2024/2025 season (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) There was nearly a dramatic twist when Traore outpaced Kyle Walker, only to be thwarted again by Ederson. City, however,