European Super Football

Celtic 2 - 1 Sturm Graz Celtic mounted an impressive second-half surge to secure their first Europa League victory of the campaign and overcome 10-man Sturm Graz. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Celtic corner Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren struck in quick succession as Brendan Rodgers’ side finally found their rhythm, much to the delight of a relieved Celtic Park crowd. The Scottish champions entered the night under scrutiny, with only a single point from their opening two group fixtures and a league defeat by Dundee still fresh in the mind. Given testing away trips to Midtjylland and Feyenoord looming next month, the need for three points here felt crucial. Closer analysis of what happened in Glasgow Pre-match huddle There was early frustration, followed by Kelechi Iheanacho limping off within minutes. It did appear to be a worrying sign. Celtic’s energy and ambition were clear, but their end product remained elusive, even as they carved out a series of clear...

Nottingham Forest 2 - 0 Porto Sean Dyche enjoyed an ideal introduction as Nottingham Forest manager as penalties from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus secured a valuable Europa League victory. Author | Frank L Stadium | The City Ground The win delivered Forest’s first triumph since their Premier League opener in August, their first clean sheet since April and a promising debut result for Dyche following his arrival earlier in the week. It was also their first win in any European competition since the 1995/1996 season. The wider impact of this result Forest have been engulfed in turmoil during the early months of the campaign, with Ange Postecoglou dismissed on Saturday after only 39 days in charge , having succeeded Nuno Espirito Santo in the summer. There was no immediate serenity at a raucous City Ground, although Dyche quickly instilled a sense of belief and structure. Gibbs-White converted confidently from 12 yards after Jan Bednarek handled inside the area midway through ...

Brann 3 - 0 Rangers Danny Rohl’s introduction as Rangers head coach brought little respite to the beleaguered Scottish side. Author | Mark Lee  Stadium | Brann Stadion A sharp and composed Brann eased to victory and left Rangers rooted to the bottom of the 36-team league.  Emil Kornvig and Jacob Sorensen struck either side of the interval to take advantage of Rangers’ wastefulness, before a late finish from the lively Noah Holm deepened the gloom for the visitors in Bergen. Rohl arrived only three days earlier, so a rapid transformation was never likely, yet this outing served as a reminder of the ongoing problems that have haunted Rangers throughout a troubled campaign. There were early signs of hope  Rangers opened with urgency and purpose, pressing high and carving out an early opening as Youssef Chermiti could not make clean contact with a deft Joe Rothwell ball. Jack Butland was kept busy as the visitors drifted back into old habits, producing a series of sto...

Go Ahead Eagles 2 - 1 Aston Villa Emiliano Buendia missed a second-half penalty as Aston Villa slumped to a defeat against a spirited Go Ahead Eagles side. Author | Peter Grainger  Stadium | De Adelaarshorst The result leaves Villa seventh in the table, while the Dutch club rise to tenth, also on six points, ahead of Thursday evening’s later fixtures. Evann Guessand’s early finish looked to have set Unai Emery’s side on course to maintain their perfect record in the competition. But the hosts equalised just before half-time when Mathis Suray’s deflected shot beat Emiliano Martinez, before Mats Deijl put them ahead just after the hour with a neat lift over the Villa goalkeeper. Buendia then fired over from the spot late on after Dean James was penalised for handball, sparking wild celebrations inside the compact De Adelaarshorst stadium. It was a famous victory for the Eredivisie side, who qualified for Europe by winning the Dutch Cup last season, their first major trophy i...

Harry Kane’s best chance yet to claim football’s biggest individual honour Earlier this year, Harry Kane finally ended his long wait for silverware in the 15th season of his professional career, as Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions.  Author |  Peter Grainger The long-awaited triumph paved the way for the England striker to target even greater prizes for club, country and himself. Ballon d’Or ambitions reignited Despite being in the finest form of his career, Kane ranked only 13th at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards in September and has never finished higher than 10th in the prestigious vote. Yet since Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the world’s best player in Paris last month, Kane appears to have reached another level entirely. Now 32, he took his tally for the season to 20 goals in just 12 appearances across all competitions as Bayern swept aside Club Brugge 4-0 in the Champions League. Kane knows that if he maintains this relentless scoring r...

Monaco 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario delivered an outstanding display to help his side earn a crucial point against Monaco. Author | Greg S Stadium | Stade Louis-II Spurs corner The Italian, who has faced criticism this season, was pivotal as Spurs scraped a draw at Stade Louis II following a largely uninspiring performance. Vicario made four impressive first-half saves, three from former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, before producing another stop to deny Maghnes Akliouche. Spurs were forced into a resilient defensive performance against a Monaco side that had previously drawn 2-2 with Manchester City. They came close themselves when Micky van de Ven headed just over before half-time.  After the break, Vicario continued to shine, repelling further efforts from Akliouche and Balogun, and producing the standout moment of the match by brilliantly blocking a Jordan Teze header from point-blank range. Former Liverpool midfielder Takumi Minamin...

Chelsea 5 - 1 Ajax Chelsea made history in the Champions League by becoming the first team to have three teenage scorers as they thrashed a woeful Ajax. Author | Lauren W Stadium | Stamford Bridge Marc Guiu, 19, opened the scoring and briefly became Chelsea’s youngest Champions League goalscorer, striking just over a minute into the match following the sending off of Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor. His record, however, lasted only 33 minutes before Estevao Willian, 18, netted Chelsea’s third goal from a penalty, adding to spot-kicks converted earlier by Enzo Fernandez and Wout Weghorst, as well as a long-range strike from Moises Caicedo in a frenetic first half. Chelsea made three changes at half-time, including forward Tyrique George, who scored within three minutes of coming on to become the third teenager on the scoresheet. Substitute midfielder Reggie Walsh, 17, also made history by becoming the youngest player to appear for the club in the Champions League and the second younges...

Frankfurt 1 - 5 Liverpool Hugo Ekitike scored against his former club as Liverpool emphatically ended their losing streak, coming from behind to thrash Eintracht Frankfurt. Author | Ed Stadium | Deutsche Bank Park After beginning the season with seven straight wins in all competitions, Liverpool had stumbled badly, suffering four successive defeats, including Sunday’s loss to Manchester United in the Premier League. Their troubles appeared set to continue when Rasmus Kristensen, the former Leeds defender, put Frankfurt ahead after a sluggish opening from the visitors. But Liverpool soon found their rhythm. Ekitike, starting alongside British-record signing Alexander Isak for the first time, levelled ten minutes before the break, latching on to Andy Robertson’s precise long pass and finishing calmly. Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool in front four minutes later from a corner, before Ibrahima Konaté made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time with another powerful header. Virgil van Dijk...

Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 7 PSG Holders Paris St-Germain delivered a devastating attacking performance to crush Bayer Leverkusen and maintain their perfect start in the Champions League. Author | Sophie T Stadium | BayArena Fantastic atmosphere from both sets of fans Desire Doue struck twice, with Willian Pacho and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also on target in a rampant first half that saw PSG lead 4-1 at the break. Nuno Mendes, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, and Vitinha added further gloss to the scoreline after the interval. Pacho opened the scoring after just seven minutes, meeting Mendes’ teasing in-swinging cross with a firm header. Leverkusen had a chance to level when Illia Zabarnyi fouled Claudio Echeverri in the area, but Alejandro Grimaldo struck the post from the spot. Moments later, captain Robert Andrich saw a yellow card upgraded to red after VAR spotted an elbow on Doue. PSG’s man advantage was short-lived. Zabarnyi was dismissed soon after for hauling down Christian K...

Barcelona 6 - 1 Olympiacos Fermin Lopez scored a hat-trick while Marcus Rashford extended his personal tally to four goals from three Champions League games as Barcelona dismantled Olympiacos. Author | Jack L Stadium | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Lopez’s two precise first-half finishes put Barcelona in command, before his third goal, a Lamine Yamal penalty and a Rashford double ended any brief Olympiacos revival. A closer look at what happened Lopez opened the scoring in the seventh minute, following Yamal’s through ball, finishing past the defenders on the goal-line after goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis blocked but could not hold onto the ball. The Spanish midfielder doubled Barcelona’s lead half an hour later, running onto Dro Fernandez’s pass into space, cutting inside and curling a left-footed strike into the corner. READ MORE |  Champions League news from the 25/26 season The second half began in unusual circumstances. Ayoub El Kaabi appeared to halve the deficit w...

Villarreal 0 - 2 Manchester City Erling Haaland found the net for a 12th consecutive game to extend his incredible scoring streak and help City end their winless away run in the Champions League Author | Macca Stadium | Estadio de la Cerámica Haaland's blistering form has brought 24 goals in 14 games for club and country this season, and here it helped City claim three points on the road in Europe for the first time in over a year. The Norwegian's goal to open the scoring was that of a striker with deadly instincts, darting ahead of marker Juan Foyth and converting with a first-time finish from Rico Lewis' low cross. City had opportunities from the off - Haaland headed wide inside two minutes and Jeremy Doku tested Luiz Junior within the first few seconds with a low strike that the home goalkeeper batted away. READ MORE |  Arsenal maintain perfect start in Champions League READ MORE |  Newcastle United impress in win over Benfica Pep Guardiola's side dominated the f...

Newcastle United 3 - 0 Benfica Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon inspired Newcastle United to a convincing Champions League win over José Mourinho’s Benfica. Author |  Anthony Gates Stadium |  St James' Park Pre match atmosphere Gordon, left unmarked at the far post, gave Newcastle the lead in the first half, calmly steering Jacob Murphy’s cross beyond goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. It was his fourth goal in just three Champions League outings and provided the platform for Eddie Howe’s side to press on after the interval. Barnes extended the advantage with a superb breakaway goal after Nick Pope launched a remarkable 65-yard throw down the right. Antonio Silva misjudged the bounce, allowing Barnes to sprint through and finish off the inside of the post. The winger added his second late on, linking neatly with Gordon before slotting through Trubin’s legs to complete the victory. Gordon celebrates Benfica had their chances earlier in the contest, with Dodi Lukebakio twice going ...

Arsenal 4 - 0 Atlético Madrid Arsenal scored four times in a dazzling 14-minute spell to sweep aside Atletico Madrid  Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium The home side began with intent, as Eberechi Eze’s deflected shot clipped the crossbar, while Julian Alvarez almost punished David Raya from long range after the goalkeeper ventured out of position. For much of the first half, the contest was tight and tactical, with few clear chances at either end. Gabriel Magalhaes broke the deadlock on 57 minutes, rising to head in Declan Rice’s precise free-kick and spark a remarkable surge. Gabriel Martinelli added a second with a curling finish after a driving run from Myles Lewis-Skelly, before Viktor Gyokeres bundled home to end his seven-game goal drought. The Swedish striker struck again moments later, turning in Gabriel’s knockdown from another Arsenal corner. The result leaves Mikel Arteta’s team with three wins from three and still yet to concede in this season’s competition, a c...

Matchday three in the Champions League is here... For those teams with 100% records, a win this week puts them on them well and truly on the path to automatic qualification to the last 16. Author |  Peter Grainger This preview will focus on the five English sides competing in this season's competition and their opposition. Mourinho and Benfica head to Newcastle Newcastle United host Benfica at St James’ Park, aiming to follow up their win over Union SG with another step toward the Champions League knockout stage.  Eddie Howe’s team lost their opener to Barcelona but responded strongly in Belgium, and a second win would move them closer to qualification. Benfica travel to Tyneside still searching for their first points of their Champions League campaign after back-to-back defeats, including a 3-2 home loss to Qarabag that cost Bruno Lage his job. Can Benfica utilise Mourinho's experience at this level? City hope to end unwanted Champions League  run against Villar...

Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Sean Dyche as their new head coach. The 54-year-old has signed a deal running until the summer of 2027, becoming Forest’s third permanent manager of the season. Author |  Kieran M Dyche replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed just 17 minutes after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. Postecoglou’s tenure lasted only 39 days, during which he failed to win any of his eight matches in charge, drawing two and losing six. He had replaced Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked after just three games at the start of the campaign. Forest sit 18th in the Premier League table, with only one win from their opening eight fixtures in what has been a turbulent start to the season. READ MORE |  Nottingham Forest sack Ange Postecoglou Dyche’s first match in charge will come on Thursday in the Europa League at home to Porto, before his side travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday. The recruitment process was overseen by Fores...

There will be a new head coach at Rangers after a chaotic few weeks at Ibrox. Rangers have brought an end to their lengthy search for a new head coach by appointing Danny Rohl, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager. Author |  Mark Lee We can today confirm the appointment of Danny Röhl as men’s first-team head coach. Full Details ⬇️ — Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) October 20, 2025 Russell Martin was dismissed after 17 games on 5 October, with Rangers subsequently holding unproductive talks with former manager Steven Gerrard, Rohl and ex-Ibrox defender Kevin Muscat. Negotiations with Muscat, who is close to winning the Chinese Super League with Shanghai Port, broke down, reopening the door for Rohl. He has now signed an initial two-and-a-half-year contract. Why has it taken so long? Rohl managed Sheffield Wednesday from October 2023 until July 2025, having previously held coaching roles with RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and the German national team. Gerrard ...

What were the biggest talking points? There was another managerial sacking... Author |  Olivia T Arsenal finished the weekend top of the league and starting to look they could be favourites to win the title.  Nottingham Forest 0 - 3 Chelsea A comfortable afternoon for Chelsea which resulted in the sacking of Ange Postlecoglou. Josh Acheampong and winger Pedro Neto struck soon after half-time. Captain Reece James later completed the scoring to secure a 3-0 victory for Chelsea. The only downside for the away side came when Malo Gusto was sent off for a second yellow card in a hectic last few moments of the match. Manchester City 2 - 0 Everton Erling Haaland struck twice to extend his extraordinary scoring run and lift Manchester City to second in the Premier League with a hard-fought win over Everton. Crystal Palace 3 - 3 Bournemouth The game of the season so far? Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a hat-trick as Crystal Palace came from two goals down to draw with Bournemouth in a...

That headline is the question that Liverpool fans have been asking since the start of the campaign. After cruising to the Premier League title last season, Liverpool strengthened their squad with some of Europe’s most sought-after talent. Author |  William G Arne Slot’s side spent around £416.2m during the summer, more than any other club, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike among the headline arrivals at Anfield. The season had started relatively well despite relying on some later winners in their first few matches. However, it has started to go wrong. Despite sitting third in the table, Liverpool head into Sunday’s meeting with Manchester United on the back of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, prompting fresh scrutiny of Slot’s team. READ MORE |   Head to Super Local Sports News for more reaction to Liverpool's clash with Man United While new signings often need time to settle, the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid appear...

There have been protests against the decision to have La Liga matches outside the country Players in La Liga stood still for the opening 15 seconds of matches on Saturday in protest against the league’s decision to stage a fixture in Miami. Author |  Jack L The demonstrations came during high-profile games involving Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, who hosted Girona and Osasuna respectively, and followed the example set by Oviedo and Espanyol on Friday evening. Identical protests took place in Sevilla’s meeting with Mallorca and Villarreal’s clash with Real Betis. As during the Oviedo v Espanyol game, television coverage of Barcelona’s fixture avoided showing the action on the pitch during the protest, instead cutting to shots of the stadium exterior. In other matches, cameras focused tightly on the centre circle rather than offering a wide view of the players standing motionless. The protests stem from the Spanish football federation’s decision in August to approve Villarreal’s ...

It has been a very bad day for Nottingham Forest  Manager Ange Postecoglou has been dismissed by the club after their 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground. Author | Kieran M The Australian’s departure, just 39 days after his appointment on 9 September, marks the shortest managerial reign in Premier League history. Postecoglou failed to record a victory during his eight matches in charge, overseeing two draws and six defeats in all competitions. Forest managed only a single point from his five league games, leaving them 17th in the table and one point clear of the relegation zone. READ MORE | Live text commentary of Forest's 3-0 defeat against Chelsea Postecoglou’s departure leaves Nottingham Forest seeking their third manager of the season, following the dismissal of Nuno Espírito Santo just three games into the campaign. Fulham’s Marco Silva is thought to be among the leading contenders to take over, while former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche is also under co...