European Super Football

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sporting (Arsenal won 1-0 on aggregate) Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals after a tense goalless draw with Sporting. Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of Kai Havertz’s late strike in Portugal, Mikel Arteta’s side did enough to progress and book their spot in the last four. Watch | Pre match atmosphere Arsenal began on the front foot and saw plenty of the ball early on, but it was Sporting who created the clearer openings before the break. Francisco Trincao and Pedro Goncalves both threatened, while a misplaced pass from David Raya briefly invited danger. The closest moment arrived when Geny Catamo struck the post with a well-taken volley after being picked out by Maxi Araujo. There was an undercurrent of anxiety around the stadium as the contest wore on, with Arsenal protecting a narrow lead following their Premier League defeat by Bournemouth last weekend. Sporting continued to probe ...

Sporting 0 - 1 Arsenal  Kai Havertz struck in stoppage time to give Arsenal a slender advantage over Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final Author | DJ Stadium | Estádio José Alvalade Introduced after the interval, Havertz reacted quickest late on to guide the ball beyond Rui Silva and hand the Premier League leaders a narrow lead ahead of the return at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal arrived under scrutiny following successive defeats, their first such run of the season, and there were early signs of unease when Maxi Araújo rattled the crossbar after being released by an incisive pass from Ousmane Diomande. Watch | Highlights from Arsenal’s official YouTube account Despite controlling possession for long spells in the opening half, Arsenal struggled to fashion clear openings. Their best chance came in unusual fashion as Noni Madueke struck the bar directly from a corner. Sporting remained dangerous on the break They went close again when Araújo surged forward ...

Benfica 4 - 2 Real Madrid Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an extraordinary 98th-minute equaliser to propel José Mourinho’s Benfica into the Champions League play-offs after a remarkable victory. Author | Ed Stadium |  Estádio da Luz The defeat leaves the Spanish giants facing the play-off round themselves, having slipped from third to ninth following their loss at the Estádio da Luz. There remains a strong possibility the two sides will meet again, with Benfica also required to negotiate the additional knockout stage. For a long moment it appeared Benfica would be eliminated in the cruellest fashion, heading out on goals scored despite leading 3-2 deep into stoppage time. One final free-kick, however, offered a last lifeline. Trubin was sent forward and the Ukrainian goalkeeper timed his run impeccably, powering a header beyond Thibaut Courtois to ignite rapturous scenes in Lisbon. The win was Mourinho’s first against his former club and ensured Benfica progressed despite losing ...

Rangers 1 - 1 Braga Rangers claimed their first point of this Europa League campaign but will reflect on a wasted chance after a mistake from Nasser Djiga cost them victory in a draw with 10-man Braga. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox James Tavernier put the Scottish Premiership side in front from the penalty spot deep into first-half stoppage time, and their position strengthened when Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for appearing to move his head towards Nicolas Raskin. Yet Djiga’s misjudged header from a throw into the Rangers area dropped invitingly for Gabri Martinez, who swept in the equaliser and left Danny Rohl’s side without the win they badly needed. The result brings an end to their run of seven consecutive European defeats, but with daunting trips to Ferencvaros and Porto to come, either side of a home meeting with Ludogorets, their prospects of progressing remain slim with just one point from five matches. A further setback arrived in stoppage time when Mohamed Diomande w...

Ajax 0 - 2 Benfica Ajax’s bleak Champions League campaign took another turn as they fell to fellow strugglers Benfica, a result that leaves them rooted to the bottom of the league phase. Author | Ed Stadium | Johan Cruijff ArenA Their form in Europe has been wretched, with this defeat marking a fifth successive loss in the competition after ending last season with three straight reverses in the Europa League. Benfica arrived in Amsterdam on their own dismal run of six defeats but secured a first Champions League win under Jose Mourinho, striking early through Samuel Dahl’s emphatic drive after six minutes. Ajax created openings yet found Anatoliy Trubin in resolute form, the goalkeeper denying Davy Klaassen, Rayane Bounida and later Oscar Gloukh at his near post. Their resistance counted for little in the end as Benfica doubled their lead in stoppage time. Leandro Barreiro broke clear and hammered in a decisive second to lift the visitors’ hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. For...

Republic of Ireland 2 - 0 Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo was dismissed for the first time in his international career as Portugal squandered the chance to seal World Cup qualification in defeat to the Republic of Ireland. Author |  Lee Francis Stadium |  Aviva Stadium Troy Parrott struck twice before the break to give the hosts control, and the night unravelled further for Portugal when Ronaldo received a yellow card for catching Dara O'Shea with an elbow just after the hour. The caution was upgraded to a red after referee Glenn Nyberg consulted the pitch-side monitor on the advice of the VAR. It marked a bleak conclusion to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's evening, the first sending off of his 226 appearances for Portugal. A win would have booked Portugal's place at next year's finals with a match to spare, but Parrott's double kept Roberto Martinez's side in check and revived Ireland's hopes of progressing. Portugal remain favourites to top the group...

A football legend that completed a controversial transfer Figo's journey to becoming a football icon was remarkable.  Author |  Chris Thomas With his immense skill, versatility, and unmatched determination, Figo etched his name in football history and left an indelible mark on the sport. In this article, we will delve into the career of this legendary footballer, also exploring one of the most controversial transfers of all time. Shining at Sporting  Figo's passion for football was evident from a young age. He joined the youth team of Sporting Lisbon, one of the renowned Portuguese clubs. His exceptional performances in the youth setup quickly caught the attention of scouts, and at just 16 years old, he made his debut for the senior team. The Sporting Lisbon days helped Figo hone his skills and build a strong foundation. His technique, dribbling ability, vision, and speed made him a prominent attacking midfielder. His breakthrough season in 1994-95, where he playe...

Juventus 1 - 1 Sporting Juventus’ search for a first Champions League victory of the season goes on after they were held to a draw by Sporting CP in Turin. Author | Jack L Stadium | Allianz Stadium Dusan Vlahovic levelled midway through the first half, cancelling out Maxi Araujo’s early strike, but Luciano Spalletti’s side were unable to build on their new manager’s bright start. Sporting, buoyed by two wins from their opening three group fixtures, struck first in the 12th minute when Araujo drilled a low shot in off the post. The visitors almost doubled their lead moments later, only for Trincao’s deflected effort to come back off the crossbar. Juventus eventually found some rhythm  Vlahovic forced a superb save from Rui Silva before finally finding the net with a precise finish from Khephren Thuram’s cross. It was the Serbian forward’s first goal from open play in 10 matches, a timely reminder of his quality as uncertainty over his future continues to linger. A third Champions ...

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 ...

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 ...

Portugal 1 - 0 Republic of Ireland Rúben Neves' stoppage-time header shattered Republic of Ireland’s resistance and sealed a dramatic World Cup qualifying victory for Portugal. Author | Lee Francis Stadium | Estádio José Alvalade View from the stands Neves climbed superbly to meet Francisco Trincão’s cross and glance it beyond Caoimhín Kelleher, rescuing Portugal and sparing Ronaldo’s embarrassment following his missed spot-kick. Ronaldo had seen his penalty saved by Kelleher 15 minutes from time after Dara O’Shea was penalised for handball when blocking Trincão’s goalbound effort. Before that and for much of the evening, it appeared that Ireland would hold firm and leave the Estádio da Luz with a hard-earned point, but Neves’ late intervention condemned them to a second successive defeat, following last month’s surprise loss to Armenia in Yerevan. Ronaldo has penalty saved A 2-0 victory for Hungary over Armenia in Group F’s other match leaves them five points behind leaders Portu...

Celtic 0 - 2 Braga Celtic suffered further European disappointment as goals in each half and a controversial disallowed equaliser earned Braga victory in what was a chaotic encounter. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Kick-off Kasper Schmeichel had an error-strewn game in goal and failed to keep out Ricardo Horta 's early long-range effort, which stunned the Celtic Park crowd into silence. The Dane then did well to keep out a late shot but was helpless when the ball bounced off Gabri Martinez in a botched clearance and rebounded into the net to seal all the points. After their Champions League qualification failure against Kairat Almaty , and an opening Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade , this continued Celtic's disappointing start to their European campaign. In fact, so sharp has been the drop-off since last season, that Brendan Rodgers ' side may struggle to qualify for the latter stages of the Europa League unless they can find their way again, and q...

Napoli 2 - 1 Sporting Rasmus Højlund scored twice to seal a win for Napoli where there were a number of familiar names facing off. Author | Paul L Stadium | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona On loan from Manchester United, the Denmark striker struck in each half, with Kevin De Bruyne supplying both assists as the pair combined to decisive effect against determined opposition. Luis Suárez pulled one back from the penalty spot to give Sporting hope and the visitors pressed for an equaliser in a frantic finale, but Napoli held firm to take the points. ⏹️ Full time! #NapoliSportingCP 2-1 💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/uD8KRXbWve — Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) October 1, 2025 A closer look at what happened Sporting made a lively start as Geovany Quenda and Iván Fresneda combined to deliver a dangerous cross, but Napoli’s defence cleared with Fotis Ioannidis poised to pounce. Napoli had lost just once in their previous 17 home fixtures in the Champions League and they soon a...

Chelsea 1 - 0 Benfica  A much-needed win for Chelsea as they picked up their first points of their Champions League campaign. Author |  Lauren W Stadium | Stamford Bridge  View from the stands José Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge ended in disappointment as Chelsea edged past his new club Benfica with a narrow Champions League win sealed by Richard Rios ’ first-half own goal.  The affection from the home crowd was evident, with Mourinho serenaded throughout and responding with waves to both ends of the ground, but the evening turned on a moment of misfortune when the Colombian midfielder diverted Alejandro Garnacho ’s driven cross beyond his own goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin . Chelsea, however, did little to convince despite the victory. Garnacho spurned chances on his second start and teenage substitute Estevão Willian forced only a late save from Trubin, while João Pedro ’s stoppage-time dismissal for a second booking made it three red cards in four matches ...

Benfica 2 - 3 Qarabag Qarabag staged a remarkable comeback in Lisbon to become the first Azerbaijani side to win a match in the Champions League proper. Author | Ed Stadium | Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica Making their first appearance in Europe’s elite competition in eight years, Gurban Gurbanov’s team fell two goals behind inside 16 minutes after strikes from Enzo Barrenechea and Vangelis Pavlidis put Benfica firmly in control. Leandro Andrade reduced the deficit on the half-hour with a fine finish before Kady Borges went close, clipping the post. Three minutes after the restart, the visitors stunned the Estadio da Luz when Marko Jankovic split the defence with a precise pass and Camilo Duran, on his Champions League debut, found the far corner. READ MORE |  Juventus and Dortmund play out a classic in Turin READ MORE |  Mbappe penalties rescue Real Madrid The decisive moment came five minutes from time. Substitute Oleksii Kashchuk collected the ball with his back to g...

Football never really went away over the summer, but it's well and truly back! The Club World Cup only concluded on 13 July in the United States, but Europe's major domestic competitions are already preparing to get under way again. Author | Jamie P The Dutch Eredivisie kicks off on 8 August, with the Premier League returning a week later. By the end of the month, the Portuguese Primeira Liga , Spain’s La Liga , France’s Ligue 1 , Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A will all be back in full swing. Here is a look at some of the key talking points ahead of the new season from across the different leagues Eredivisie PSV are tipped to lead the way after bolstering an already strong squad with the signing of Ruben van Bommel , son of former international Mark. They looked confident in a recent pre-season win over Athletic Bilbao . Ajax will also attract plenty of attention under new head coach John Heitinga . The former Liverpool assistant has brought goalkeeper Vítězs...

Portugal 2 - 2 Spain (Portugal won 5-3 on penalties) A dramatic night in Munich has two of the favourites for next year's World Cup faced off.  Author | Jack L Stadium | Allianz Arena Portugal defeated Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure their second UEFA Nations League title, following a pulsating 2-2 draw in Munich. Cristiano Ronaldo levelled the scores in the second half after a back-and-forth contest that saw both sides squander leads. Although substituted before extra time, the Portugal captain was overcome with emotion on the sidelines after Ruben Neves struck the decisive penalty and Diogo Costa saved from Álvaro Morata. Spain, the 2023 champions, took the lead midway through the first half when Martín Zubimendi pounced on a loose ball to finish from close range. But Portugal responded quickly as Nuno Mendes drilled a powerful shot past Unai Simón to equalise just five minutes later. La Roja regained the advantage before the break through Mikel Oyarzabal, whos...

Germany 1 - 2 Portugal  Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 137th international goal as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany and book their place in the Nations League final. Author | Ed Stadium | Allianz Arena The 40-year-old forward turned in Nuno Mendes’ low cross in the 68th minute to seal a dramatic 2–1 win in Munich, setting up a final against either France or Spain. Ronaldo’s winner came just moments after Francisco Conceição had drawn Portugal level, cancelling out Florian Wirtz’s opener for the hosts early in the second half. Portugal, who lifted the inaugural Nations League title in 2019, looked in trouble after falling behind to Wirtz’s well-taken goal. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, on the verge of a £109m move to Liverpool, finished smartly after running onto a lofted pass from Joshua Kimmich, who was making his 100th international appearance. READ MORE | Nations League news and stories READ MORE | News from across Germany The Portuguese bench reacted angrily to th...

Barcelona 3 - 1 Benfica (Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate) Lamine Yamal stole the show once again as Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a composed victory over Benfica. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys The teenager produced a moment of brilliance to set up Raphinha for the opener before outdoing himself with a stunning strike to restore Barcelona’s lead on the night and extend their aggregate advantage to 3-1. Nicolás Otamendi’s towering header had briefly given Benfica hope after cancelling out Raphinha’s opener, but Yamal’s magic proved decisive. Raphinha then sealed the win with a clinical finish into the bottom corner. There was a moment of confusion over the Brazilian’s second goal, as it appeared play had been pulled back for an Otamendi foul on the edge of the area. But after a VAR review, the goal was given and Otamendi’s yellow card was rescinded. Barca v Benfica highlights from TNT Sports youtu.be/jlshweWf...

Sporting 1 - 1 Bologna Sporting CP scraped through to the Champions League knockout stages with a 1-1 draw at home against Bologna, who had already been eliminated. Author - Peter Grainger The Portuguese league leaders had endured a tough run in Europe, losing three consecutive matches after winning three of their first four. All three defeats came following the departure of manager Rúben Amorim to Manchester United. Bologna nearly took an early lead when Sam Beukema’s header struck the bar from a corner. However, they didn’t have to wait long, as Tommaso Pobega turned in Beukema’s flicked header to put the Italian side in front. Click here to discover more Champions League news and stories from European Super Football . Sporting pressed for an equaliser in the second half and eventually found one when Conrad Harder slotted home João Simões’ cut-back from close range. With results elsewhere going in their favour, a draw was enough to see Sporting through to the play-off round, wher...