European Super Football

Belarus 0 - 2 Scotland Scotland claimed a straightforward but valuable win over Belarus to maintain their promising start to World Cup qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | ZTE-Aréna  Friday’s battling draw in Denmark had been hard won but risked being diminished had Steve Clarke ’s side slipped against the group’s lowest-ranked team. There was little danger of that once Che Adams struck the opener before forcing the own goal that sealed the points after the interval. Closer look at what happened With no atmosphere to feed off, the onus was on Scotland to create their own intensity. This had the potential to be a difficult match.  Clarke made four changes, one of them recalling Bournemouth’s Ben Gannon Doak. The 19-year-old was the player who most often quickened the pulse with his direct running, even if his final ball occasionally lacked precision. More established figures again carried the threat, with Scott McTominay heading John McGinn ’s cross into Adams’ path fo...

Denmark 0 - 0 Scotland Scotland began their bid to reach a first World Cup since 1998 with a valuable draw against Denmark in a feverish atmosphere. Author | Sean M Stadium | Parken Stadium Pre-match atmosphere Steve Clarke’s side, who were swept aside on their last visit four years ago, stood firm this time and even threatened to claim a famous victory in Copenhagen, something not achieved since 1975. Ryan Christie nodded narrowly wide and John McGinn spurned a good chance at the far post during a first half that exceeded expectations. After the interval Scott McTominay wriggled to the byline only for Kasper Schmeichel to save, while Lyndon Dykes delayed fatally when the goal beckoned. Denmark were restricted mostly to speculative efforts until the closing minutes, when Angus Gunn had to react sharply to Rasmus Højlund’s volley. Scotland ’s resilience was matched by a touch of fortune as substitute Max Johnston escaped with only a yellow card after handling to deny a clear opportunit...

Denmark v Scotland preview Could we be seeing the beginning of Steve Clarke's last dance as Scotland boss? Author | Alan White Stadium | Parken Scotland players celebrate a memorable win over Denmark in 2021 Scotland look in danger of stalling under Steve Clarke, who is still searching for a first World Cup qualification of this century. The March international break brought fresh disappointment as they were relegated from their Nations League group after a chastening defeat to Greece . The players building their careers and thriving in Italy Scotland have retained individual quality, with the likes of Scott McTominay central to their hopes. Like the former Manchester United midfielder, Billy Gilmour is also a league winner with Napoli , while Lewis Ferguson captains Bologna and lifted the Coppa Italia last season.  Teenager Lennon Miller has already traded Motherwell for Udinese after making his international debut earlier this year. Che Adams is starting his second season ...

Celtic have signed Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer Brendan Rodgers has backed the forward to make a significant impact after the Nigerian striker joined the club as a free agent just before the Europa League. Author | Sean M The 28-year-old has signed a one-year deal in Glasgow, only a day after agreeing to terminate his contract with Sevilla. His arrival comes amid mounting frustration from supporters over the club’s failure to bring in a forward on transfer deadline day. Iheanacho has not played any football since May. This was a late substitute appearance in Nigeria's friendly draw with Jamaica. Despite the backlash, Rodgers was confident his new signing would settle quickly. His pedigree is not in doubt. For Nigeria he has scored 15 times in 58 appearances, playing a part in their run to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2023. Tipped for stardom as a teenager, he was nominated for the Fifa Golden Boy award in 2016 and made his Manchester City debut at 18. He scored 2...

Legia Warsaw 3 - 3 Hibernian (Legia Warsaw won 5-4 on aggregate) Hibernian's Conference League dream was crushed in heartbreaking fashion as Legia Warsaw denied the Scottish side one of their great European results in an incredible six-goal play-off thriller. Author | Andy C Stadium | Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa A passionate home support watches on After the Edinburgh side, trailing 2-1 from the first leg, silenced a hostile home crowd in the Polish capital with a remarkable three-goal fightback to lead 3-1 on the night, Juergen Elitim 's 93rd-minute aggregate leveller took a breathtaking encounter to extra time. The Leith side tired and suffered complete heartache when Mileta Rajovic smashed past goalkeeper Jordan Smith eight minutes after the restart. A closer look at what happened Needing to recover a first-leg defeat against a club who reached the quarter-finals of this competition last season, Gray challenged Hibs to create a "special night" in Warsaw ....

Club Brugge 6 - 0 Rangers (Club Brugge won 9-1 on aggregate) Russell Martin’s Rangers crashed out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion, suffering a record-equalling six-goal defeat against Club Brugge to seal a heavy aggregate loss. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Jan Breydelstadion Pre match atmosphere Before kick-off Martin insisted Rangers were “calm” despite a stuttering start to the season, but supporters are unlikely to share that sentiment with Celtic due at Ibrox  on Sunday. A closer look at a terrible first 45 minutes An error-strewn opening eight minutes in Belgium encapsulated Martin’s difficult start as manager, with Rangers five goals down by the interval. The defence crumbled as  Nicolo Tresoldi ’s diving header found the net and Max Aarons was dismissed three minutes later for dragging down  Christos Tzolis  after a simple ball sliced through the back line. Captain Hans Vanaken headed in from a corner before the hosts scor...

Kairat 0 - 0 Celtic (The match finished 0-0 on aggregate) Kairat won 3-2 on penalties Celtic’s Champions League hopes came to a shuddering halt in Kazakhstan as Brendan Rodgers’ side crashed out on penalties to Kairat Almaty, failing to score across 210 minutes of football. Author | Sean M Stadium | Ortalyq stadıon Substitute Adam Idah saw his opening spot-kick saved, while goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov denied Luke McCowan and, crucially, Daizen Maeda to seal a 3-2 shootout win. It was a historic night for Kairat , who reached the group stage for the first time in their history. Maeda had earlier wasted Celtic ’s best chance, blazing over from close range five minutes from the end of normal time after latching on to a Callum McGregor through ball. McCowan also came close in extra time with a fierce strike that was pushed away. A closer look at what happened The prelude to this tie had been dominated by criticism of Celtic’s lacklustre first-leg display and the absence of meani...

Aberdeen 2 - 2 FCSB Dante Polvara and Ester Sokler came off the bench to breathe life into Aberdeen’s Europa League ambitions, rescuing a draw against 10-man FCSB after trailing by two goals. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Pittodrie Pre match atmosphere Defensive errors threatened to undo the Scottish Cup winners in the play-off first leg at Pittodrie, even after the Romanian champions were reduced to 10 men for almost an hour. Jack Milne and Gavin Molloy collided under a high ball, allowing Daniel Birligea to break the deadlock while both sides were still at full strength. Just after the interval, Molloy and substitute Mats Knoester failed to clear their lines and Birligea capitalised again, squaring for Darius Olaru to double the lead. That lapse undermined the advantage Aberdeen might have gained from Juri Cisotti ’s dismissal shortly before half-time for a rash challenge on Nicolas Milanovic . READ MORE |  Europa League 25/26 season But Polvara ’s introduction shifted the m...

Celtic 0 - 0 Kairat Celtic’s Champions League prospects remain finely poised after they were held to a goalless draw in Glasgow by a spirited Kairat side. Author | Sean M Stadium | Celtic Park The £40m prize now depends on navigating a testing return leg, with Brendan Rodgers ’ team facing a decisive trip to Almaty on Tuesday. The Scottish champions must contend not only with a long journey of more than 3,500 miles but also the challenge of performing in unfamiliar conditions close to the Chinese border . It might have been worse for Rodgers’ side, who were relieved to see an early Kairat strike ruled out for offside. Their nerves were tested again when Edmilson’s long-range effort, following a mistake from Cameron Carter-Vickers , drifted narrowly over the bar. Celtic were almost undone by an own goal late on, with some desperate defending required to keep Kairat from snatching a winner. READ MORE | Live text commentary from Super Local Sports News An early setback came when ri...

Rangers 1 - 3 Club Brugge  Rangers’ hopes of reaching the Champions League group stage were left in tatters after a shambolic opening spell allowed Club Brugge to seize control Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox Russell Martin ’s side were torn apart in the first 20 minutes, conceding three goals that exposed defensive flaws which have lingered since the start of the season.  For a head coach still under scrutiny from supporters, the lure of Champions League revenue looked like a potential lifeline, yet the night only brought further questions about his team’s resilience. Romeo Vermant opened the scoring after three minutes, pouncing on Nasser Djiga ’s failure to deal with a routine ball before lobbing Jack Butland from distance. Jorne Spileers doubled the advantage soon after, unmarked from a corner, and Brandon Mechele ’s fierce drive made it three before the match had even reached the 20-minute mark. Ibrox, initially stunned into silence, turned to anger as Rangers s...

Hibernian 2 - 3 Partizan Belgrade (Hibernian won 4-3 on aggregate) Hibernian survived a major scare against 10-man Partizan Belgrade as Chris Cadden’s extra-time strike sealed an aggregate win and a place in the Conference League play-off round. Author | Sean M Stadium |  Easter Road Hibs players and fans celebrate After rotating his squad at the weekend, David Gray reverted to a more familiar starting eleven, with Jamie McGrath the only change from the first leg in Serbia. The Irish midfielder failed a late fitness test, handing Josh Campbell a place in the side. Easter Road crackled with energy at kick-off, the stands packed as Martin Boyle led out the team to a raucous reception. A closer look at what happened on the match Partizan wiped out the advantage with two goals in the first half, both the result of errors from goalkeeper Jordan Smith . He failed to hold Milan Vukotic ’s long-range strike, then allowed Jovan Milosevic ’s tame shot to slip under him. Kieron Bowie r...

Viktoria Plzeň 2 - 1 Rangers (Rangers won 4-2 on aggregate) Rangers reached the Champions League play-off stage after surviving a testing night against Viktoria Plzen Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Doosan Aréna Post match in Plzen Lyall Cameron’s second-half equaliser proved the key moment for Russell Martin’s side, who fell behind early and later conceded again during a fraught evening in which Plzen squandered a host of opportunities. Having overcome a tough test against Panathinaikos in the previous round, Rangers’ three-goal advantage from the first leg always looked sufficient to see them through. Yet against opponents seemingly a step down in quality from the Greeks, this encounter turned out to be a far greater challenge than anticipated.  One Rangers fan told us: "It's better to be lucky than good."  They'll almost certainly require a combination of the two if they are to progress to the lucrative League Phase of the Champions League and potentially bring i...

Rapid Vienna 2 - 2 Dundee United  Dundee United kept their Uefa Conference League hopes alive with gutsy display. Author | Alan White Stadium | Allianz Stadion View from the stands in Vienna They twice came back from behind to secure an impressive draw in the Austrian capital. Summer signings Max Watters and Zac Sapsford found the net as United stood firm against one of last season’s quarter-finalists. Already hampered by injuries, they suffered another setback when Isaac Pappoe was forced off early, and endured sustained pressure from the hosts in a raucous Allianz Stadion. Yet they rose to the occasion and will return to Tannadice with a play-off place still very much within reach. A closer look at what happened After a disciplined start, Dundee United fell behind when Petter Nosakhare Dahl drifted past Vicko Sevelj to meet a whipped Bendeguz Bolla cross and sidefoot Rapid into the lead. United refused to be rattled and responded with determination, Sapsford driving down the...

Partizan Belgrade 0 - 2 Hibernian Martin Boyle surged beyond the 100-goal milestone with a double in Hibernian’s impressive Conference League qualifying victory over 10-man Partizan Belgrade. Author | Andy C Stadium | Stadion Partizana View from the Hibernian end Manager David Gray had urged his players to relish the hostile surroundings in the first leg of their third-round tie, and they responded with a fearless European performance, led by stand-in captain Boyle . Partizan , fielding a youthful side containing eight players aged 22 or under, remain Serbia ’s second-strongest team and were backed by an intense home support. Yet Hibs began brightly and capitalised on Vukasin Durdevic ’s dismissal for a second bookable offence when Boyle converted at the back post for his 100th goal for the club. READ MORE |  Conference League 25/26 season Gray may have been concerned by missed opportunities as the hosts battled gamely despite their numerical disadvantage, but Boyle eased an...

There has been some interesting nominations for the Ballon d’Or Scott McTominay has been shortlisted for the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Scot to be nominated for the award since Ally McCoist in 1987. Author | Josh D The 28-year-old midfielder joined Napoli from Manchester United last summer in a £25m deal and played a central role in their Serie A title triumph. He scored 12 goals in 34 league appearances and was named Serie A’s player of the year . His inclusion among the 30 nominees caps a remarkable rise for the Lanarkshire-born player, who left his boyhood club after a decade at Old Trafford in search of more regular first-team football. The winner will be revealed on 22 September. Conte turns McTominay into a superstar Scott McTominay has thrived since joining Napoli , but his resurgence can be traced back to a key tactical change introduced by Antonio Conte. During his time at Manchester United, McTominay was typically used as a defensive midfielder, of...

Rangers 3-0 Viktoria Plzen Rangers took a huge towards progression to the Champions League play-offs after a comfortable win over Viktoria Plzen. Name | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox A closer look at what happened  There were a few surprised looks when captain James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin were among four players left out for this tie. Cyriel Dessers was handed his first start of the season and played a key role in setting up summer arrival Djeidi Gassama to open the scoring, the forward continuing his fine run of form in Europe. New signing Oliver Antman, who joined only on Tuesday, slotted seamlessly into the attack alongside Dessers and Gassama. The trio showed a fluidity that had been lacking, with Gassama linking superbly with his new team-mate before Antman was brought down in the box by Matej Vydra. READ MORE | Champions League match reports from the 2025/2026 season Dessers stepped up to convert the penalty just before half-time, and the lead was extended early in the s...

Hibernian 1 - 2 Midtjylland (Midtjylland won 3-2 on aggregate) Hibernian suffered European heartache as Junior Brumado's sensational goal for Midtjylland in the last moments of extra-time knocked them out of Europa League qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | Easter Road A bumper crowd inside Easter Road were silenced by the piece of brilliance from the Brazilian, whose winner came as the game looked destined for a penalty shootout. The second-round tie was finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg, and it took until four minutes into extra-time in Edinburgh before Dario Osorio's powerful strike from distance opened the scoring in the second. Rocky Bushiri responded to draw Hibs level as bedlam ensued in the stands, but Brumado would have the final say with a magical finish. Hibernian now drop into Conference League qualifying where they will face Partizan Belgrade next week. More analysis of what happened After holding their own in Denmark against seasoned European camp...

Panathinaikos 1 - 1 Rangers (Rangers won 3-1 on aggregate) Not the best performance for Rangers but they got the job done Author | Alan White Stadium | Olympiako Stadio Spyros Louis Rangers are now guaranteed Europa League football and will face Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic in a third round Champions League qualifier. A closer look at what happened in Athens As was the case during the first half at Ibrox, Rangers looked exposed and were fortunate to survive a barrage of Panathinaikos pressure in a charged Athens atmosphere. Anastasios Bakasetas set the tone with an early effort from the edge of the area, narrowly missing the target. What followed was a sustained spell of dominance from the hosts. Jack Butland, outstanding throughout, produced a sharp save to deny Fotis Ioannidis at his near post, before stopping a powerful close-range header from the same player. READ MORE | Who's excited for another Champions League season? READ MORE | News from across Scotland on Supe...

How's your team looking? For those that didn't compete in the Club World Cup, some of Europe's biggest sides have started their pre season campaigns Author | Josh D Match reports from the last few days The stories are from across the Super News network. Arsenal 1 - 0 AC Milan   | Report by London Sports News Bukayo Saka ’s second-half goal was enough to secure victory for Arsenal in their opening match of their Asia Tour , as Mikel Arteta ’s side edged out Milan in Singapore . The England international converted from close range after meeting Jakub Kiwior ’s well-weighted cross, in a match that also featured debuts for three of Arsenal’s summer signings . Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Everton | Report by Super Local Sports News Everton continued their preparations for the new season with a narrow defeat to Blackburn Rovers . On an overcast day at Ewood Park , Dion De Neve ’s composed early finish proved the difference.  Hansa Rostock 3–1 Aston Villa | Report by Super Loca...