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UCL: Osimhen shines with double as Galatasaray down Bodø/Glimt

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen continued his blistering form with a standout performance on Wednesday night, scoring twice as Galatasaray cruised to a 3-1 win over Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League.

The Nigerian star, who had earlier during the day been shortlisted for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year award, produced a stunning display that proved his growing reputation as a big-game performer under manager Okan Buruk.

Record-breaking run in Europe

The brace extended Osimhen’s scoring streak to seven consecutive European matches, setting a new club record for Galatasaray.

Over that run, he has scored against Tottenham, AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kyiv, Ajax, Liverpool, and now Bodø/Glimt, taking his tally to nine goals in his last seven European outings.

Leading by example

Before being replaced by Mauro Icardi in the 73rd minute, Osimhen registered seven shots on target, missed five big chances, and was flagged offside twice.

Across all competitions this season, the 26-year-old has now tallied five goals in eight appearances.

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Chelsea’s teenagers make Champions League history in 5-1 rout of Ajax

Chelsea produced a dazzling performance at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, thrashing Ajax  5-1 to claim back-to-back Champions League victories and, in the process, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to have three teenage scorers in a single match.

Teenage trio light up Stamford Bridge

It was a night to remember for the Blues’ academy graduates. Marc Guiu, 19, opened the floodgates, briefly becoming Chelsea’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer after finishing clinically moments before Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor was sent off.

However, his record stood for only 33 minutes, as Estevao Willian, 18, converted the third of three first-half penalties to make it 4-1.

Enzo Fernandez and Wout Weghorst had earlier exchanged spot-kicks, while Moises Caicedo added a thunderous long-range strike amid a chaotic opening half.

The record-breaking moment was capped when substitute Tyrique George, introduced at half-time, struck just three minutes after coming on, making him the third teenager on the scoresheet.

Chelsea youth shine as Ajax collapse

Seventeen-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh also made history, coming off the bench to become the youngest player ever to feature for Chelsea in the Champions League, and the second youngest Englishman in the competition’s history, behind Jack Wilshere.

For Ajax, the night was one to forget. The five-time European champions imploded after Taylor’s reckless red-card challenge, with defensive lapses and repeated fouls compounding their misery.

Despite Weghorst briefly reducing the deficit after a foul by Tosin Adarabioyo, Ajax’s sloppiness continued as Youri Baas conceded yet another penalty, which Estevao confidently dispatched in first-half stoppage time.

Maresca’s men in command

Such was Chelsea’s control that manager Enzo Maresca rotated heavily after the break, resting key players Caicedo, Fernandez, and Adarabioyo, and using all five substitutions by the 65th minute.

The result leaves Ajax bottom of the 36-team Champions League table with three defeats from three, extending their winless run in all competitions to four games.

Chelsea, meanwhile, continue their European resurgence, recording two straight Champions League wins after their opening defeat to Bayern Munich.

The Blues now turn their attention to their next fixture, a trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag.

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UCL: Gyokeres ends goal drought as Arsenal thrash Atletico Madrid 4-0

Viktor Gyokeres rediscovered his scoring touch with a brilliant brace as Arsenal thumped Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Gunners delivered a statement performance at the Emirates, dominating from start to finish to maintain their European momentum.

Set-piece strength sets the tone

Arsenal took control early through yet another well-worked set piece. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes powered home a header to open the scoring before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead, leaving Atletico’s defence exposed.

Gyokeres back among the goals

After a six-game goal drought, Gyokeres finally broke his silence, striking twice to seal a one-sided victory for the Gunners.

Elsewhere in Europe

Manchester City edged Villarreal 2-0, with Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva on target.

Newcastle United continued their fine European form with a 3-0 win over Benfica, powered by Harvey Barnes’ brace.

Meanwhile, Barcelona ran riot with a 6-1 win over Olympiacos, thanks to Marcus Rashford’s double, while PSG and PSV enjoyed emphatic victories as well, scoring six and seven goals respectively on a night of high-scoring Champions League action.

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UCL: Fermin Lopez, Rashford fire Barcelona to 6-1 rout over Olympiacos

Fermin Lopez stole the show with a superb hat-trick as Barcelona demolished Olympiacos 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Marcus Rashford added two goals of his own as Hansi Flick’s men produced a ruthless second-half display at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

 

Early control and Fermin’s double brilliance

 

Barcelona took charge from the first whistle, carving Olympiacos open with slick movement and quick passing.

Rashford narrowly missed with a volley inside five minutes, but the breakthrough came soon after when Fermin smashed home following an electrifying run from Lamine Yamal.

The 21-year-old midfielder doubled his tally before halftime, calmly finishing from a precise Dro Fernandez assist after sitting down his marker inside the box.

Olympiacos fight back cut short by red card

The visitors found a lifeline early in the second half when Ayoub El Kaabi scored from the spot after Eric Garcia’s handball.

 

But their momentum vanished when Santiago Hezze was controversially shown a second yellow card for minimal contact on Marc Casado, an incident that left Olympiacos furious.

 

Barcelona run riot after the break

With the Greek side down to ten men, Barca turned on the style. Rashford earned a penalty that Yamal confidently dispatched before the Manchester United loanee got on the scoresheet himself with a clinical strike inside the area.

Fermin completed his hat-trick, unleashing a fierce volley, before Rashford added a sixth from distance to cap off a dominant performance.

The comprehensive win provided Barcelona with a timely confidence boost ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico showdown with Real Madrid.

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Champions League: Mbappe Surpasses Ronaldo’s Record After Scoring Three Goals

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record after netting a hat-trick against Kairat in midweek.

The France captain opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 25th minute from the spot after team-mate Franco Mastantuono was fouled in the box.

The 26-year-old then doubled his tally in the second half and completed his hat-trick in the 73rd minute of the encounter.

Mbappe’s three goals against Kairat mean the former Paris Saint-Germain star has now joined an exclusive group of six players who have scored 60 goals or more in Champions League history.

However, the 26-year-old reached the 60-goal mark in fewer games than some players who have more goals in the competition, including Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mbappe needed only 89 games to reach the 60-goal milestone, while it took Ronaldo 98 games to reach the same number.

The former Monaco attacker, however, is only behind the likes of Messi and Robert Lewandowski, who achieved the 60-goal mark in 80 and 85 games, respectively.

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UCL: Man United loanee Hojlund bags brace as Napoli edge Sporting 2-1

Napoli claimed their first Champions League victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Sporting on Tuesday night, thanks to a brace from Rasmus Hojlund.

The Danish striker twice combined with Kevin De Bruyne to secure three crucial points for Antonio Conte’s side.

Hojlund strikes after De Bruyne assist

Sporting started brightly, dominating early possession and restricting Napoli’s movement in the opening exchanges.

But the home side gradually grew into the contest, and midway through the first half De Bruyne split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball for Hojlund, who calmly slotted past Rui Silva to make it 1-0.

The goal lifted Napoli, who created further chances before the break, while Sporting were fortunate not to concede a second before half-time.

Sporting fight back before late blow

The Portuguese visitors were handed a lifeline early in the second half when Matteo Politano was penalised for a foul inside the box.

Substitute Luis Suárez stepped up and converted the penalty to level the game at 1-1, leaving Napoli momentarily stunned.

Conte responded with changes, introducing Noa Lang and David Neres to inject fresh energy into the attack.

With ten minutes left, De Bruyne delivered again, this time from a corner, as Hojlund rose highest to head home his second of the night.

Despite Sporting’s late pressure, Napoli held their grounds to secure the win.

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Barcelona stunned as PSG snatch late Champions League win

Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season as Paris Saint-Germain secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory in their Champions League clash at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday night.

The Catalans took an early lead through Ferran Torres but failed to build on their dominance, allowing Luis Enrique’s depleted PSG side to fight back and claim all three points courtesy of a late strike from Gonçalo Ramos.

Barcelona start strong but fail to capitalise

Barcelona began on the front foot, with Lamine Yamal pulling the strings in attack.

After Torres squandered a golden opportunity from Yamal’s superb trivela pass, the forward quickly redeemed himself by tapping home Marcus Rashford’s cross to open the scoring.

However, PSG responded well and levelled before half-time. Nuno Mendes drove through midfield before setting up 18-year-old Senny Mayulu, who fired past Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-1 in the 39th minute.

Missed chances prove costly

The home side pushed to restore their advantage after the break and nearly did so when Dani Olmo’s close-range effort was cleared off the line by Achraf Hakimi.

Barcelona were left frustrated again as PSG created openings of their own, with Lee Kang-in hitting the post after a dazzling solo run.

Ramos delivers late blow

PSG’s persistence paid off in the final moments. Substitute Gonçalo Ramos struck in the 90th minute to complete the turnaround and hand the reigning champions a vital away victory.

Barcelona will be disappointed at squandering their lead, particularly against a PSG side missing key players including Marquinhos, Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé.

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UCL: Osimhen strike sinks Liverpool in Istanbul

Victor Osimhen was the difference on a thunderous Champions League night as Galatasaray handed Liverpool their second successive defeat.

The Nigerian forward struck from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after Dominik Szoboszlai fouled Baris Alper Yilmaz, punishing the Premier League champions in front of a deafening RAMS Park crowd.

The goal came seconds after Davinson Sanchez had denied Cody Gakpo with a clearance off the line, swinging the tide firmly Galatasaray’s way.

Slot’s gamble backfires as Reds toil

Liverpool coach Arne Slot chose to start without Mohamed Salah, hoping to spark a reaction after the weekend loss at Crystal Palace.

But the decision misfired, with Salah and Alexander Isak only introduced after the hour mark to little effect.

Alisson kept Liverpool in the contest with several big saves, including one from Osimhen, before limping off injured.

A late chance to level disappeared when Ibrahima Konate’s penalty claim was overturned by VAR, silencing brief celebrations.

Reds exposed under pressure

Liverpool once again looked fragile at the back, their expensively assembled attack failing to leave a mark.

Florian Wirtz was anonymous, while Hugo Ekitike added to the problems by departing injured.

The result leaves Slot’s side facing early questions in Europe despite sitting top of the Premier League.

They face Chelsea next in the Premier League this weekend.

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UCL: Chelsea edge Benfica as Mourinho suffers Stamford Bridge return defeat

Chelsea secured their first Champions League win of the season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of a calamitous own goal from Richard Rios.

The result eased pressure on head coach Enzo Maresca, whose side had lost three of their last four matches.

Rios own goal separates the sides

The decisive moment came in the first half when Pedro Neto’s cross found Alejandro Garnacho who returned the ball into the box only for Rios to turn it into his own net.

It was a rare highlight in an otherwise tense contest, with Chelsea once again struggling for fluency in attack.

Benfica, managed by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, threatened early as Dodi Lukebakio hit the post and later forced Robert Sanchez into a save.

Mourinho, making an emotional return to west London, was booked in the second half after protesting a free-kick decision.

Chelsea still unconvincing despite win

Maresca fielded a makeshift lineup due to injuries, starting 18-year-old Tyrique George in attack and handing Facundo Buonanotte a surprise start.

Despite flashes from Neto and Garnacho, Chelsea failed to create clear chances after the interval, while Benfica pushed for an equaliser.

The Blues ended the night with 10 men after substitute Joao Pedro received a second yellow card late on, continuing a troubling run of red cards in recent weeks.

For Mourinho, it was another frustrating night at Stamford Bridge, extending his record as an opposing manager at the ground to just one win in eight attempts.

For Chelsea, the three points provide relief but also underline the work Maresca faces in steadying an inconsistent side.

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UCL: Mbappé bags hat-trick as Real Madrid thrash Kairat Almaty 5-0

Real Madrid bounced back from their derby defeat to Atletico with a 5-0 thumping of Kairat Almaty in their Champions League league phase fixture at the Ortalyq Stadion.

Mbappé hat-trick leads the charge

The hosts nearly stunned Madrid in the opening seconds, but Thibaut Courtois denied a close-range header.

Madrid then took control, earning the breakthrough when Franco Mastantuono was fouled by teenage goalkeeper Sherhan Kalmurza. Kylian Mbappé converted the penalty with ease.

The Frenchman doubled the lead early in the second half with a delicate chip over Kalmurza, before completing his hat-trick in the 73rd minute after good work from Rodrygo and Arda Güler. It marked Mbappé’s fourth Champions League treble.

Camavinga and Díaz complete the rout

Eduardo Camavinga marked his return from injury with a well-taken header for Madrid’s fourth goal, while Brahim Díaz added a fifth in stoppage time, finishing off a pass from Gonzalo García.

The emphatic victory keeps Madrid’s Champions League campaign on track and restores confidence after their derby setback.

Xabi Alonso’s men now prepare to face Villarreal next in La Liga.

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