European Super Football

Barcelona 4 - 1 Girona Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona re-established a three-point lead at the top of La Liga with a comfortable victory over Girona.  Author - Ajay Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Ladislav Krejci's own goal had given Barcelona a deserved lead in the first half against their Catalan rivals. Girona, however, threatened to pull off an upset when Arnaut Danjuma equalized early in the second half against the run of play. Nevertheless, Poland forward Lewandowski put Barcelona back in front just after the hour mark with an improvised finish. He then scored his 25th league goal of the season following some excellent midfield play from substitute Frenkie de Jong. Ferran Torres rounded off the scoring late on with a low effort into the bottom corner. This was the perfect response from Barcelona, who watched their great foes Real Madrid fight back to beat Leganes and move level on points at the summit of the Spanish top flight on Saturday. They ...

Spain 3 - 3 Netherlands The match finished 5-5 on aggregate. Spain won 5-4 on penalties Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Estadio de Mestalla Spain had twice taken the lead in normal time, both courtesy of Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal. But Memphis Depay marked his 100th Netherlands cap with a penalty early in the second half, before debutant Ian Maatsen’s thunderous strike forced extra time. Yamal restored Spain’s lead with a stunning solo effort, curling a beauty into the far corner, but Xavi Simons hit back with another Dutch penalty after Simón had brought him down in the box. The shootout saw Lang rattle the crossbar before Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen kept out Yamal. However, Simón produced the crucial stop from Malen, allowing Pedri to send Spain through to a last-four clash with France. The victory extends Spain’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 matches, and they haven’t lost in the Nations League since a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in September 2022. A...

Netherlands v Spain Preview Spain, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions, head to Rotterdam for the first leg of their quarter-final clash against the Netherlands. Author - Ajay Feyenoord's stadium will host the match The winners of this two-legged tie will progress to the semi-finals in June, where they will face either Croatia or France. After being knocked out by England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals last summer, the Netherlands secured second place in League A Group 3 of the Nations League, picking up nine points from six matches (W2 D3 L1) in the latter half of last year. Since the competition's inception in 2018, the Dutch have twice come close to lifting the trophy—finishing as runners-up to Portugal in 2019 before losing the third-place playoff to Italy in 2023. READ MORE: What's the point of the UEFA Nations League Manager Ronald Koeman will be looking to shore up a defence that struggled during the group stage, conceding seven goals—the most of any team at...

Manchester United 4 - 1 Real Sociedad (Manchester United won 5-3 on aggregate) Bruno Fernandes delivered a captain’s performance at Old Trafford, scoring a hat-trick to guide Manchester United past 10-man Real Sociedad and into the Europa League quarter-finals, where they will face Lyon. Author - Olivia T Stadium - Old Trafford With their European hopes hanging by a thread and the Europa League representing their only realistic route back into continental competition next season, United could hardly have made a worse start. Mikel Oyarzabal put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot after Matthijs de Ligt brought him down inside the box. But the hosts responded swiftly, levelling just six minutes later when Fernandes kept his composure from 12 yards after Igor Zubeldia had fouled Rasmus Højlund as he surged towards goal. Remarkably, a third penalty of the night put United in front. Sociedad were left furious after Aritz Elustondo was penalised for a challenge on January signing Pa...

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...

Real Sociedad 1 - 1 Manchester United Joshua Zirkzee netted his first European goal for Manchester United, but his side had to settle for a draw against Real Sociedad, leaving their Europa League last-16 tie finely poised. Author - Liam C Stadium - Anoeta Stadium Zirkzee broke the deadlock 12 minutes into the second half, firing a low shot from the edge of the box that caught goalkeeper Alex Remiro off guard. However, Real Sociedad levelled the score through a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty, awarded after a VAR review spotted a handball by Bruno Fernandes. United will feel frustrated not to have taken a win after dominating for nearly an hour, with Andre Onana untested before Sociedad were awarded their penalty. Fernandes saw a goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Aritz Elustondo in the first half, while the United skipper also sent a free-kick narrowly wide. The equaliser seemed to unsettle United and Onana was forced into action, diving to his right to keep out Brais Méndez’s cur...

Real Madrid 3 - 1 Manchester City (Real Madrid won 6-3 on aggregate) This is Real Madrid’s competition. This is their time of year. Author - Beth Lee Stadium - Estadio Santiago Bernabéu The murmurs of admiration that rippled around the stadium as Carlo Ancelotti’s side took control carried a familiar sense of inevitability—one that should serve as a warning to any team hoping to deny them a record-extending 16th European crown. When Real slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in November, they looked sluggish and short of ideas—Vinícius Júnior was absent, and Kylian Mbappé was still settling in after his high-profile move to Madrid. Now, Mbappé looks every bit the world-class star they signed him to be. His first goal, a delicate lob over Ederson, oozed composure. His second was pure brilliance, leaving Joško Gvardiol bewildered with a dazzling piece of footwork. Click here for more Manchester City news and stories The hat-trick goal was the finishing touch on a masterful display...

Manchester City v Real Madrid Preview We explore what has the potential to be the match of the season. Author - Macca A clash between two of the biggest forces in English and Spanish football is nothing new. When Manchester City and Real Madrid meet in the UEFA Champions League, it will mark the fourth consecutive season they’ve faced off in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition. However, this time, it’s in unfamiliar territory—the playoffs. Under the tournament’s new format, only the top eight teams in the expanded league phase secured direct passage to the last 16, and both City and Real fell short. City scraped through in 22nd place after a comeback win at home to Club Brugge in their final group match, while Real had a rocky start, losing three of their first five games before recovering to finish 11th. For the fourth season in a row, one of these European giants will see their Champions League run cut short by the other. City’s performance in this playoff...

Sevilla 1 - 4 Barcelona Fermín López scores and sees red as Barcelona close gap on Real Madrid Author - Jack L Stadium - Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla 1 -4 Barcelona youtu.be/KuJLQ_W0joo?... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 10 February 2025 at 16:09 Barcelona moved within just two points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid after a superb victory over Sevilla, in a match that saw Fermín López score and then get sent off in a dramatic 15-minute spell. With the game level at half-time, López came off the bench and made an instant impact, heading into the bottom corner with his very first touch to put Barça ahead. However, his night quickly took a turn for the worse when he was shown a straight red card for a knee-high challenge on Djibril Sow, following a VAR review. Robert Lewandowski had earlier opened the scoring in the seventh minute, reacting quickly to poke home Iñigo Martínez’s header for his 19th goal of the season. But Sevilla hit ...

Girona 1 - 2 Arsenal  Arsenal staged a comeback, scoring twice in four minutes to overturn a deficit and secure their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a 2-1 victory over Girona. Author - Jack L Heading into the match, the Gunners were already on the verge of qualification, but much of the pre-game discussion centred around their reported interest in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. Girona threatened an upset when they took the lead in the 28th minute. Neto, making his Arsenal debut in goal due to David Raya’s injury, rushed out of his box, allowing Arnaut Danjuma to curl the ball into an empty net. Champions League: 2024/2025 Click here to find and discover more Arsenal news and stories from European Super Football Arsenal responded swiftly, levelling 10 minutes later through a Jorginho penalty after Thomas Partey was brought down in the area by Arnau Martinez. Just before half-time, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri produced a moment of brilliance, cutting in from ...

AC Milan 1 - 0 Girona Rafael Leão's first-half strike secured AC Milan a vital win over Girona, moving the Italian side closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16. Stadium - San Siro Author - Jack L The Portuguese forward expertly controlled Ismaël Bennacer's precise through ball, weaved his way into the box, and unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner – the only goal of the match. Girona thought they had equalised just before the hour mark when Bryan Gil fired in a stunning effort from the edge of the area, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Leão had a chance to double his tally in the 65th minute, but his curling effort drifted wide of Paulo Gazzaniga’s post. Milan now sit sixth in the table with 15 points, occupying one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the knockout stage. They face Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia next week. Meanwhile, Girona remain on three points and are out of contention for the play-off stage. A closer look ...

Benfica 4 - 5 Barcelona Barcelona overcame two separate two-goal deficits to secure a breathtaking victory over Benfica. Author - Peter Grainger The match at Estádio da Luz started disastrously for the visitors as Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis netted a stunning 30-minute hat-trick. The first came from a well-placed cross by full-back Álvaro Carreras, while two further goals were gifted by errors from Barcelona's Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Robert Lewandowski, however, kept Barca in contention with a first-half penalty after Alejandro Balde was fouled. Barcelona fought back after the break, with Raphinha and Lewandowski scoring either side of an unfortunate Ronald Araújo own goal to leave the score at 4-3. But the drama was far from over. Eric García equalised with a late header, and just when it seemed the game would end in a draw, Raphinha capitalised on a rapid counter-attack in the 96th minute. The Brazilian slotted past Anatoliy Trubin, leaving the home fans stun...

Valencia 1 - 2 Real Madrid Jude Bellingham experienced a rollercoaster evening, missing a penalty but scoring a dramatic 95th-minute winner as 10-man Real Madrid snatched a thrilling victory over Valencia to reclaim the top spot in La Liga. Author - Josh T Stadium - Estadio de Mestalla It was Carlos Corberán’s first game in charge of Valencia since his appointment last week , and the former West Bromwich Albion manager looked set to enjoy a dream start as his new side edged towards a memorable win—until the late drama unfolded. At a lively Mestalla Stadium, Valencia took the lead in the first half when Hugo Duro tapped in from close range after Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could only parry Javi Guerra’s powerful effort. Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to level the score in the 55th minute when Kylian Mbappé was fouled inside the box. However, Bellingham’s penalty struck the inside of the post and stayed out. The visitors’ night looked like it was getting worse when...

Update on Christmas Day We can confirm that La Liga strugglers Valencia have appointed West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan as their new head coach. Valencia paid a release clause, believed to be between three and four million to allow him to leave Championship club Albion. Read below for an idea on how this story developed and why they were interested in the first place.  --‐--------------- Will Carlos Corberán be leaving the Midlands for Spain? Valencia, struggling in La Liga, have officially approached West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberán Author - Jack L The West Brom manager spoke with the club's YouTube account recently While discussions between the clubs are ongoing, no agreement has yet been reached. The Spanish club are reportedly ready to activate the 41-year-old's release clause at Albion, believed to be in the region of £3-4 million.  This follows Valencia’s decision to part ways with head coach Rubén Baraja on Monday after a dismal run of jus...

Real Madrid 3 - 0 Pachuca Real Madrid have claimed the first-ever FIFA Intercontinental Cup with a commanding victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the final. Author - Jack L Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring at Lusail Stadium, the same venue where he netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final two years ago. Second-half goals from Rodrygo and Vinícius Jr sealed the win for Los Blancos. Mbappé put Madrid ahead just before half-time, calmly slotting home from close range after Vinícius rounded Pachuca goalkeeper Carlos Moreno. Rodrygo doubled the lead seven minutes after the break with a stunning curling strike from the edge of the area. The goal was upheld following a VAR check, as referee Jesús Valenzuela ruled that Jude Bellingham, positioned in an offside spot, hadn’t interfered with play. Click here to discover Real Madrid news and stories from European Super Football Pachuca’s captain, Salomón Rondón, tested Thibaut Courtois with a long-range free-kick, and the former West Brom an...

Real Madrid 1 - 2 Chelsea Substitute Catarina Macario scored twice from the spot as Chelsea overturned a deficit to defeat Real Madrid and secure their place in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals as Group B winners. Author - Peter Grainger Real Madrid appeared poised to claim top spot after Scotland forward Caroline Weir’s early strike, which deflected off Lucy Bronze , found its way past Hannah Hampton despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it. Facing her first potential loss since taking charge of the Blues in the summer, Sonia Bompastor made a decisive half-time substitution, bringing on US international Catarina Macario for the ineffective Mayra Ramirez. Macario made an immediate impact. After seeing one effort ruled out for offside and narrowly missing the target with another, she earned and converted her first penalty in the 51st minute after being brought down by Olga Carmona. Carmona, who famously scored the winner in Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the 2023...

Rayo Vallecano 3 - 3 Real Madrid Jude Bellingham continued his remarkable scoring streak, netting in his sixth consecutive La Liga game, but Real Madrid missed the chance to go top of the table after a gripping 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano. Author - Jack L You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the Real Madrid YouTube account. The England midfielder brought Madrid level just before half-time, expertly heading Rodrygo's delicate chip into the far corner for his seventh goal of the season. Carlo Ancelotti’s side, missing the injured Kylian Mbappé, endured a shaky start at the Estadio de Vallecas. They fell behind after just five minutes when Unai Lopez nodded Jorge de Frutos’ cross past Thibaut Courtois. The hosts doubled their lead nine minutes before the break through Abdul Mumin’s towering header. Federico Valverde sparked Madrid’s fightback with a stunning long-range strike, and moments later, Bellingham levelled the scoreline. The 2...

Girona 0 - 1 Liverpool Liverpool are on the brink of securing their place in the Champions League last 16 after Mohamed Salah's penalty sealed a win against Girona. Author - William G from GMCR Football Liverpool maintain perfect Champions League record in 24/25 More reaction here - https://t.co/SoSZpMS13p https://t.co/95Hp43Tq62 — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 12, 2024 The decisive moment in the match came in the second half when Donny van de Beek, formerly of Manchester United and Everton , clipped Luis Díaz's heel in the box, handing Liverpool a spot-kick. Salah made no mistake, coolly converting from 12 yards and wrong-footing Girona's goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, to notch his 46th Champions League goal. At the other end, Alisson Becker, back in the Liverpool team, pulled off several excellent saves to preserve the Reds' unbeaten run in this season's competition. With this victory, Liverpool maintain their perfect record and top th...

Mallorca 1 - 5 Barcelona Raphinha inspired Barcelona to a resounding win over Mallorca, ending their three-game winless streak in style. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the FC Barcelona YouTube account. The Brazilian star scored twice in the second half, helping Hansi Flick’s side extend their lead at the top of La Liga to four points over Real Madrid. With the match finely poised at 1-1 at half-time, Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, calmly converting a penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box. The teenage sensation then delivered a stunning assist 18 minutes later, using the outside of his foot to set up his captain, who slotted home his 11th league goal of the campaign. Barcelona sealed the emphatic victory with late goals from substitutes Frenkie de Jong and Pau Victor, who scored twice in quick succession to cap off a dominant second half. It was the perfect resp...

Barcelona 1 - 2 Las Palmas I found myself in Barcelona for the weekend and witnessed a La Liga shock. Author -  Liam Chadwick The word to describe Barca’s first-half performance was wasteful. From the very beginning, the home team spoiled several promising attacks due to poor decision-making and execution up front, often opting for the wrong pass or missing easy opportunities to put their forwards in prime goal-scoring positions. Very few anticipated the upcoming drama after that dull 45 minutes. The Barcelona manager brought on Lamine Yamal at halftime to try and find a spark for the home side.  Before Yamal could make an impact on the game, the hosts found themselves trailing. Las Palmas executed a fantastic build-up from a goal-kick, successfully breaking through Barça's high press. They located Sandro Ramírez, who was all alone on the right wing, and the forward unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner, scoring against his former club just four minutes into the...