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Juventus have sacked Igor Tudor

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A managerial change in Turin Juventus have dismissed manager Igor Tudor following Sunday’s defeat to Lazio. Author | Frank L Juventus fans v Dortmund The Croatian took over from Thiago Motta in March, but has struggled to turn the team’s fortunes around. Under his management, the side endured an eight-match winless run, leaving them eighth in Serie A. Sunday’s loss marked Juventus’ third consecutive defeat in all competitions. In a statement, the club said: "The club thanks Igor Tudor and his entire staff for their professionalism and dedication over the past few months and wishes them all the best for their future careers." Juventus confirmed that Massimiliano Brambilla will take charge for their Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday.  The Old Lady sit six points behind league leaders Napoli and have not won in their last five league fixtures. In the Champions League, they are 25th in their group, having drawn twice and lost once in their opening three games. A closer l...

Bellingham stars for Real Madrid in fiery El Clasico

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Real Madrid 2 - 1 Barcelona Jude Bellingham delivered a goal and an assist in La Liga for the first time this season as Real Madrid edged past Barcelona in a frantic El Clasico. Author | Jack L Stadium | Santiago BernabĂ©u Bellingham split Barcelona’s defence with a precise through ball for Kylian Mbappe to open the scoring midway through the first half. Bellingham then restored Madrid’s advantage with a close-range finish five minutes after Fermin Lopez had levelled. It was Bellingham’s fourth goal in five matches against Barcelona, helping Xabi Alonso’s side move five points clear at the top. The contest ended in disorder, with Pedri dismissed and tempers simmering on the sidelines. A closer look at a dramatic night Madrid lost all four meetings with their great rivals last season, but they set about attacking the visitors’ high defensive line from the outset. Vinicius Junior won an early penalty only for VAR to overturn the decision, ruling he had initiated the contact with Lami...

England beaten by spirited Brazil side

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England 1 - 2 Brazil  A spirited Brazil side left Manchester with a notable friendly victory despite playing much of the night with 10 players. Author | George B Stadium | Etihad Stadium Sarina Wiegman’s team, back on home soil for the first time since lifting the Euro 2025 trophy in July, were shorn of several key figures through injury and found themselves unsettled early on. Dudinha struck to give Brazil the lead before Bia Zaneratto swiftly added a second, leaving debutant goalkeeper Khiara Keating with little chance on either occasion in front of the ground she once called home. England’s prospects brightened when Brazil midfielder Angelina was dismissed for a pull-back on Ella Toone in the 21st minute, offering the hosts both time and opportunity to recover. Georgia Stanway reduced the deficit from the penalty spot soon after the interval, later rattling the crossbar as the Lionesses increased the pressure. Wiegman introduced changes that brought greater fluency, not ...

Celtic fight back to beat Sturm Graz

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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...

Another new era at Forest starts with a win

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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 ...

There was no 'new manager bounce' for Rangers

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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...

Villa slump to shock defeat against Go Ahead Eagles

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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...