European Super Football

Shocks, thrashings and more Let's have a look at the biggest talking points from the Premier League this weekend Author | Josh T Champions Arsenal start as they mean to go on First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the champions in control before captain Martin Odegaard added a third shortly after the restart to complete a straightforward opening-day win. Full match report here Arsenal were without new signing Bruno Guimaraes because of injury, but another summer arrival, Christos Tzolis, provided an early glimpse of what he can offer. The Greek winger cut in from the left and curled a shot over after five minutes. Newly promoted Hull City shock Manchester United  Michael Carrick insisted the club's opening-day defeat at Hull City will not change the overall direction the club are heading in. The defeat was only Carrick’s third in 21 games as head coach, but it was a disappointing start to the new campaign. Central defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored first...

Arsenal 3 - 0 Coventry City Arsenal began their Premier League title defence with a comfortable victory over newly promoted Coventry City Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Pre-match atmosphere Mikel Arteta ended the club's 22-year wait for a league title last season and, after a commanding performance against Frank Lampard's Sky Blues, his side offered an early reminder of why they are favourites to retain the crown. First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the champions in control before captain Martin Odegaard added a third shortly after the restart to complete a straightforward opening-day win. Arsenal were without new signing Bruno Guimaraes because of injury, but another summer arrival, Christos Tzolis, provided an early glimpse of what he can offer. The Greek winger cut in from the left and curled a shot over after five minutes. View from behind the goal Tzolis was involved again when Arsenal opened the scoring It was a familiar face who supplied the fi...

Celtic 3 - 0 LASK Celtic took a giant step towards the league phase of the Champions League as two stunning Camilo Duran strikes gave a commanding first-leg play-off lead. Author | Sean M Stadium | Celtic Park Duran hit fabulous efforts either side of half-time after a wonderful finish from Benjamin Nygren set the Scottish champions on their way. A closer analysis of what happened Pre match atmosphere The Champions League is all about big players producing big moments, and the goals from Nygren and Duran were of the very highest order. Duran already looks like an inspired signing. His pace, skill, finishing and willingness to work make him a player who appears perfectly at home on the biggest stage. The Colombian scored five goals in the Champions League last season for Qarabag and, if Celtic can finish the job against LASK, he looks capable of becoming a key weapon. Watch | Reaction from Celtic's star player on the night. Video from the club's YouTube channel. Celtic looked vu...

Premier League breakthrough stars | Shea Lacey The first in a series of articles where we analyse young players who might be making a huge impact in the Premier League this season Author | George B At Manchester United, much of the conversation around the academy has centred on JJ Gabriel, a player so precociously gifted that he can seem almost unnatural. But he is still only 15, meaning his involvement this season is likely to be limited to the occasional EFL Cup appearance. A few years further along the pathway, but still only 19, is Shea Lacey, who has put his early injury problems behind him and featured prominently during pre-season. Lacey is an exciting wide player, exactly the sort United supporters tend to take to, and he is already well known to Michael Carrick. The United head coach has watched him develop not only in his professional capacity, but also from a more personal perspective after following his son Jacey through the academy over the years. I watched Lacey against B...

Arsenal 3 - 0 Manchester City Premier League champions Arsenal produced a statement victory over rivals Manchester City to lift the 2026 Community Shield in Cardiff. Author | DJ Stadium  | Principality Stadium Kick-off at the 2026 Community Shield Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead after just 23 seconds when Myles Lewis-Skelly played in Riccardo Calafiori, who calmly slotted the ball past Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Arsenal doubled their advantage in the 28th minute when Kai Havertz headed home, with summer signing Christos Tzolis nodding Martin Odegaard’s cross back across goal for the German to finish. Three minutes into the second half, Tzolis found Odegaard inside the City penalty area. The Norwegian sent Donnarumma the wrong way with a superb dummy before placing the ball into the opposite corner. Arsenal players and families celebrate Victory over the FA Cup holders secured Arsenal’s second trophy in four months and their 18th Community Shield triumph ov...

Wolves 2 - 2 Blackburn Rovers Returning Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray was denied a dream start to his second spell in charge as a late Raul Jimenez penalty earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a point in the Championship opener  Author | Peter Grainger Stadium | Molineux View from the stands Wolves, widely tipped to challenge for promotion, appeared on course for the expected three points when Marshall Munetsi powered them in front after 18 minutes. But Rovers drew level nine minutes later through Sean McLoughlin's first goal for the club, before completing the turnaround when Andri Gudjohnsen struck three minutes into the second half. Mowbray's side defended resolutely for much of the second period and even threatened to extend their lead, only for Ryan Alebiosu's clumsy handball to result in a penalty awarded by referee Farai Hallam. Both sets of fans watch on Second-half substitute Jimenez kept his composure after an almost comically long, stuttering run-up to send the sp...

PSG 2 - 1 Aston Villa  Paris St-Germain retained the Super Cup with a narrow victory over a spirited Aston Villa to make it back-to-back triumphs in the competition. Author | Peter Grainger  Stadium | Red Bull Arena Salzburg Desire Doue's 62nd-minute winner, after a VAR check for offside, settled the contest in Salzburg and secured another trophy for the Champions League holders. PSG had taken the lead in the 20th minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia thumped a fine finish into the net, but Villa hit back through Brian Madjo just before half-time. A new hero for Villa The 17-year-old striker marked his competitive debut in memorable fashion, becoming the youngest player to score in the Super Cup when he volleyed John McGinn's cross in at the back post. Madjo had already passed up two good opportunities, shooting wide before heading over, but made no mistake with his third chance to cap an eight-month battle to be allowed to play. The England Under-17 international joined Villa fro...

PSG v Aston Villa preview Two teams looking to make a statement in Salzburg Author | Peter Grainger Stadium | Stadion Salzburg The traditional European season curtain-raiser sees Luis Enrique's all-conquering Paris seek to become only the second team in the modern era to retain the Super Cup after Real Madrid managed it in 2016 and 2017.  The French champions overcame Tottenham on penalties in last season's edition in Udine, Italy Standing in the way of PSG are am Aston Villa side who will still be buoyant from defeating Freiburg in the Europa League final on a famous night for the club in Istanbul in May.  This was Villa’s first trophy since winning the League Cup in 1996. Fans are now looking at more trophies and the Super Cup would be a great place to start.  They have won the competition once before, beating Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate over two legs in the 1982/83 season. Previous encounters between the sides The only previous meetings between Paris and Villa produced ...

The first round of the EFL Cup saw domestic football return to England Let's have a look at some of the best moments from across the country on Saturday 8th August Author | Lewis Whatley The match reports below are from across the Super News Affiliate network. QPR 1 - 1 Millwall | Millwall won 2-0 on penalties A fantastic goalkeeping performance sees Millwall progress. Millwall keeper Lukas Jensen saved all four QPR penalties in the shootout as the Lions booked their place in the second round West Ham 3 - 1 Portsmouth West Ham have started preparation for life back in the Championship with a win over Portsmouth in the EFL Cup. They scored three goals in seven minutes as they came from behind to beat Pompey. This was the highest attendance ever at this stage of the competition. Stoke City 2 - 0 Oldham Athletic League Two Oldham made Championship side Stoke City work hard for this win to earn them progress to the next round. Wolves 3 - 0 Port Vale New Wolverhampton Wanderers manager ...

Vinicius Jr is expected to resume contract talks with Real Madrid this week Premier League champions Arsenal continuing to monitor the Brazil forward's situation closely. Author |  Jack L The Gunners have identified Vinicius as their preferred option on the left wing if uncertainty over his future at the Bernabeu continues. The prospect of one of world football's leading attackers moving to north London has inevitably fuelled speculation, but there remains significant doubt over whether he will be available this summer. Real Madrid and the player's representatives have been discussing a new deal for the past 18 months, with his current contract due to expire in 2027. Real Madrid aim to reach agreement Vinicius returned to Madrid on Monday for his first pre-season training session and medical assessment after representing Brazil at the World Cup. The winger is working under Jose Mourinho for the first time this week, and sources close to the Portuguese coach say he is eager ...

Eddie Howe has stepped down as head coach of Newcastle United. The 48-year-old has left the club after almost five years in charge, following a disappointing 2025/2026 campaign. Author | Lewis Whatley Howe guided Newcastle to Champions League qualification on two occasions and ended the club’s 70-year wait for a domestic trophy by winning the Carabao Cup in 2024/25. Newcastle said the process of appointing a new head coach is already at an advanced stage, with German coach Matthias Jaissle understood to be the leading candidate for the role. Howe's coaches Jason Tindall, Graeme Jones, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone will also leave St James' Park, along with head of performance Dan Hodges. Newcastle United fan responds to Eddie Howe's departure on Super Local Sports News superlocalnews.blogspot.com/2026/07/edin... [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @supernews1.bsky.social ) 31 July 2026 at 21:01 A statement from Eddie Howe "After nearly five years of ...

Hibernian 4 - 1 Malisheva (Hibernian won 4-3 on aggregate) Hibernian swept aside Kosovan side Malisheva to overturn last week’s first-leg defeat in and book a Conference League third qualifying round tie against North Macedonia’s Shkendija. Author | Sean M Stadium | Easter Road After the disappointing performance and result in Pristina, head coach David Gray had demanded a response and got one from the outset on a warm summer evening in the Scottish capital. Three first-half goals from Owen Elding, Felix Passlack and Nathan Lowe put Hibs ahead on aggregate, with the hosts threatening to add more during a dominant 45 minutes in which Josh Mulligan and Martin Boyle both struck the woodwork. Hibs fans created a fantastic atmosphere Boyle added a fourth after the interval and, although Omer Bajraktari pulled one back to leave Malisheva within a goal of forcing extra time, the visitors could not create another clear opportunity. A closer analysis of what happened Elding opened the scoring i...

Hearts 0 - 2 Sturm Graz (Sturm Graz won 6-0 on aggregate) Hearts endured another painful night against Sturm Graz as their first Champions League campaign in two decades came to a swift and sobering end. Author | Peter Grainger  Stadium | Tynecastle Two second-half goals condemned Wouter Vrancken’s side to a 6-0 aggregate defeat against the slick Austrians in the second qualifying round, their heaviest loss over two legs in European competition. Hearts now drop into the Europa League third qualifying round, where they will face either St Gallen or Benfica. The two sides meet in the second leg on Thursday, with St Gallen holding a 2-1 advantage. It was a comfortable night for the Austrian side With Sturm already four goals ahead from the first meeting, Seedy Jatta appeared to extinguish any lingering hopes of a Hearts revival after 25 minutes in Edinburgh. The forward was left unmarked in the six-yard box and tapped beyond Alexander Schwolow, only for the effort to be ruled out for ...

A new era starts for the French national side Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as the new head coach of France. Author | Jack L Didier Deschamps, France’s longest-serving manager, brought his 14-year spell in charge to an end following the country’s semi-final defeat by Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Zidane, who helped France win the World Cup as a player in 1998, has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid for a second time in 2021. The 54-year-old, widely regarded as one of France’s greatest-ever players, will sign a contract taking him through the 2030 World Cup qualifying campaign. Zidane said his appointment was “a great source of pride” as he prepares to take charge of a France side that finished fourth at the World Cup. France v Senegal at 2026 FIFA World Cup A closer look at Zidane's managerial career so far After retiring from playing following the 2006 World Cup, Zidane did not move into management until 2014, when he took charge of R...

A potential rule change incoming? English football is set to trial measures aimed at eradicating the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season. Author | Josh T Interesting video from Sky Sports explaining the need to eradicate 'tactical timeouts' youtu.be/CDOmO9_SGf0?... [image or embed] — SuperNews ( @supernews12.bsky.social ) 29 July 2026 at 17:09 The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women’s Super League have agreed to the proposal, which is subject to approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Earlier this year, IFAB decided against changing the laws of the game and instead invited leagues to volunteer for trials. Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has since held discussions with the leagues over how best to address the issue. The agreed solution will require a team to remove an outfield player from the pitch whenever its goalkeeper receives treatment. If a referee signals ...

A legendary footballer and a legendary man This is our tribute  Author | Anthony Gates Kevin Keegan, who has died at the age of 75, was one of football's most charismatic and influential figures, enjoying a remarkable career that took him from global playing star to one of the game's leading managers. Although some will remember him for his difficult spell as England manager, he will be far more fondly recalled as a world-class footballer with Liverpool and Hamburg, as England captain, and for his later playing years at Southampton and Newcastle United. It was on Tyneside, however, where he became one of the club's most adored figures. Watch | A wholesome video posted by Newcastle United   Keegan helped revive Newcastle's fortunes as a player before inspiring the club again from the dugout. He guided them back to the top flight and built a thrilling side that challenged for the biggest prizes, even if the ultimate success proved just beyond their reach. His time at Newc...

Sturm Graz 4 - 0 Hearts Wouter Vrancken's reign as Hearts head coach began in the worst fashion as his side slumped to a damaging defeat in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier. Author | Ben A Stadium | Stadion Graz-Liebenau After missing out on the Scottish title in the closing moments of last season, the Edinburgh club were making their first appearance in the competition since 2006, but the occasion quickly unravelled. Sturm Graz took the lead after just four minutes when Jon Gorenc Stankovic rose highest to head home from a long throw. Hearts responded positively for a spell, however. Pierre Landry Kabore and Alexandros Kyziridis both squandered excellent opportunities, moments that proved increasingly costly as the match wore on. Watch | Highlights from Premier Sports Early in the second half, Sturm doubled their advantage from a corner as defender Jeyland Mitchell was left unmarked to tap home after poor defending at the set-piece. Three soon became four as Heart...

After his 187th and final match in charge, a record-extending 27th at the World Cup finals... Didier Deschamps brought an end to his long and successful spell as France manager. Author | Jack L The man who guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 looked set on finishing in style, naming both Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise from the start. The pair arrived as the tournament's leading scorer and top assist provider respectively, and the match certainly lived up to expectations. Instead, Deschamps' reign ended with France's first competitive defeat against England since 1982, despite a vastly improved display after the interval following a first half that threatened to become a humiliation. France created chances almost at will during spells of the contest, but England goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a series of impressive saves to deny Rayan Cherki, Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Olise also squandered two clear opportunities, ending the tournament without finding the net. Aft...

Thomas Tuchel previously said England's mentality was something you could bottle and sell.  What remains beyond their reach, however, is the ability to deliver in the biggest moments. Author | Ben A The England head coach made the above remarks after the World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway, despite being openly critical of his side's display in the 2-1 win. He later went further, suggesting that "it's maybe not in our DNA... to control the game and ball". The dramatic late collapse that saw England surrender their lead against Argentina in the semi-final, denying them a first men's World Cup final since lifting the trophy at Wembley in 1966, inevitably revived familiar questions about their ability to get over the line. This latest setback joins a growing list of painful near misses Successive defeats in European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia have reinforced the perception that England continue to fall just short...

It was billed as a meeting between the World Cup's most potent attack and the tournament's most resilient defence. By the final whistle, there was little doubt which side had come out on top. Author | Jack L France have lit up the competition with their attacking flair, while Spain have attracted less attention, their patient control perhaps proving less eye-catching. Any lingering doubts about their credentials, however, should now have been firmly put to rest. Spain's Euro 2024 triumph was built around the exhilarating wing play of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. Injuries have restricted both players' influence during this tournament, with just one goal between them, although Yamal's impact has steadily increased as the competition has gone on. Now Spain are into only their second World Cup final and have the chance to follow in the footsteps of the celebrated 2010 side that lifted the trophy in South Africa. Against France, Rodri produced a commanding display in ...