Diego Simeone was sent off after clashing with Liverpool fans during Atletico Madrid’s dramatic Champions League defeat at Anfield. The Argentine international later admitted he regretted the incident but blamed “insults” from behind the dugout. Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso also addressed the controversy, warning that fan abuse in football has been “getting out of hand.”
Luis Enrique may be enjoying success in Paris, but the pull of Barcelona remains strong. The Spanish coach, who guided Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League triumph last season, still dreams of returning to the Camp Nou one day. With two years left on his contract in France, though, a move may be far away.
Marcus Rashford struck twice in nine minutes to sink Newcastle and reignite his career on the Champions League stage with Barcelona. Anthony Gordon grabbed his first goal in the competition but instead chose to praise his fellow England international along with midfield duo Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, who ran the show in the 2-1 win at St James’ Park.
Barcelona have confirmed their highly anticipated Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain will not be played at the Camp Nou, with the iconic venue still not ready to host matches. Instead, the fixture will be staged at the stadium in Montjuic, extending the Blaugrana’s exile from their historic home.
Kevin De Bruyne’s emotional Etihad return lasted just 25 minutes as Napoli boss Antonio Conte sacrificed him following Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Manchester City. Conte admitted both he and De Bruyne were left “disappointed” after cutting short his appearance on a night City striker Erling Haaland made more history.
Ilkay Gundogan has lamented Galatasaray's mental fragility following their 5-1 Champions League thrashing by Eintracht Frankfurt. The ex-Manchester City star claimed his side were superior until the German team equalised, after which their "heads were hanging down". Gundogan admitted they "invited" Frankfurt to score and must improve as a group as they look to bounce back from the humiliation.
Phil Foden is back to his best at the perfect time for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola full of praise for the England star ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash with Arsenal. After a difficult 2024-25 season, Foden has rediscovered his spark in recent games, scoring against Manchester United on Sunday and assisting versus Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.
Harry Kane and Michael Olise inspired Bayern Munich to a statement 3-1 win over Chelsea in the Champions League, with the Englishman netting twice and the latter dazzling throughout. German legend Didi Hamann hailed Vincent Kompany’s side for “passing with flying colours” as Bayern’s attacking depth shone against the Blues’ faltering defence in Allianz Arena.
Eintracht Frankfurt marked their Champions League return with a thumping 5-1 win over Galatasaray, overturning an early Leroy Sane-inspired opener. Jonathan Burkardt struck twice on his debut in the competition, while young starlet Can Uzun and Ansgar Knauff also shone in a pulsating night at Deutsche Bank Park. Coach Dino Toppmoller urged his players to “enjoy” the triumph, calling it a reward for last season’s efforts.
Barcelona’s midfield brilliance stole the spotlight in their 2-1 Champions League win over Newcastle, with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong running the show. Jack Grealish labelled the pair “a joy to watch,” while Manchester United legend Paul Scholes called Pedri his “new favourite footballer.” Their dominance set the platform for Marcus Rashford’s decisive brace.
Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has fired back at Germany national coach Julian Nagelsmann over his comments about Leroy Sane. The national team boss has said Sane will have to perform beyond his usual expectations to make the squad after he joined the Turkish giants from Bayern Munich. Buruk, though, pointed to the recent loss to Slovakia as proof Germany aren't as good as Nagelsmann believes.
Marcus Rashford marked his first big Champions League night in Barcelona colours with a stunning brace against Newcastle at St. James’ Park. The forward became only the second Englishman to score for Barca in Europe, earning glowing praise from Hansi Flick, Ronald Araujo and Joan Garcia after firing the Catalan giants to a vital 2-1 win.
There are obviously two ways of looking at Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday evening. On the plus side, they scored another late winner. On the negative side, they needed another late winner.
Erling Haaland is being backed to rise above Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League goal stakes, making more history in the process. The prolific Manchester City striker has become the fastest man to 50 efforts in elite European competition, with Pep Guardiola expecting the Norway international to go on and set a new all-time benchmark.
Marcus Rashford admits it has been "difficult" for him to settle quickly at Barcelona, after completing a loan move from Manchester United, but he is up and running on the competitive goal front. That account was opened when netting a stunning brace for the Liga giants in their first fixture of the 2025-26 Champions League campaign away at Newcastle.
Erling Haaland has become the quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals, after he scored the opener in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Napoli. The Norwegian reached the tally in just 49 games, easily surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid marksman reached his half-century in his first 62 appearances in the competition.
Bruno Fernandes was left stunned as Marcus Rashford scored a screamer against Newcastle. The English forward delivered a Champions League masterclass in Barcelona colours, leaving even his Manchester United teammates in awe. The on-loan forward silenced St James’ Park with two goals of pure class as the Spanish champions edged the Magpies in a dramatic European opener.
Barcelona’s return to their spiritual home has been pushed back yet again, with the club confirming that their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 will take place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuic. The Camp Nou, which has been undergoing a massive €1.5 billion facelift since June 2023, remains off-limits. Hopes of reopening in time for the new campaign have collapsed, leaving the Catalan giants scrambling for alternative venues.
Newcastle United promised so much on their return to the Champions League but Marcus Rashford's moments of magic secured Barcelona a hard-fought 2-1 win. Eddie Howe's team got their tactics spot on for the majority of the contest but the Catalan outfit had that extra bit of quality, despite Anthony Gordon's late consolation strike.
Marcus Rashford has belatedly arrived at Barcelona - and all it took was a return to England to spark the Manchester United misfit into life, with the forward netting a breathtaking brace in the Blaugrana's 2-1 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park.
Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli on Thursday. Despite dominating the ball in the early stages, the visitors quickly became content to sit in a low block, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit on the counter. After a long range effort from Tijani Reijnders stung the gloves of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to stop a Sam Beukema header from a Napoli corner.
Atletico Madrid and UEFA will reportedly launch an investigation into the heated clashes that overshadowed Liverpool's 3-2 Champions League win at Anfield. Atletico boss Diego Simeone was shown a red card following a heated exchange with a Reds fan on Wednesday night after Virgil van Dijk's late winner. Now, a probe will look into an Atletico employee appearing to spit into the crowd.
Barcelona are lining up a backup plan for their home fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in case Camp Nou is not ready on time to host their first Champions League home game. The Blaugrana have suffered several delays in their efforts to return to the renovated stadium, and are currently targeting the clash against Real Sociedad on September 28, just days before the French giants come to town.
Serhou Guirassy has apparently still not resolved the penalty dispute with Ramy Bensebaini. Although Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac recently emphasised that the penalty dispute between the duo in the 4-4 draw against Juventus in the Champions League had already been resolved, this does not seem to be the case after Dortmund squandered a two-goal advantage to share the points.
Atalanta coach Ivan Juric admitted that Paris Saint-Germain are operating at a far higher level than his side after their 4-0 defeat in the opening match of the Champions League. However, the Croatian defended his decision to adopt an aggressive approach, insisting that pushing higher up the pitch was the only way Atalanta stood a chance against the reigning champions.
Liverpool’s record signing Alexander Isak finally pulled on the Reds shirt for the first time, featuring in Wednesday night’s thrilling 3-2 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. The £125 million striker lasted just under an hour at Anfield, but his display left Arne Slot both encouraged and slightly taken aback by the Swede’s sharpness so soon after joining from Newcastle.
Chelsea’s return to the Champions League was undone by costly mistakes, as Cole Palmer admitted their own errors gifted Bayern Munich a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena. Harry Kane, once again tormenting his former Premier League rivals, scored twice as the Blues faltered in their league-stage opener. Palmer, who netted a superb strike himself, insisted the defeat was avoidable.
Serge Gnabry’s revival at Bayern Munich is gathering pace under Vincent Kompany with the German shining in a new role after last season’s struggles. His standout display against Chelsea highlighted his regained sharpness and influence, earning praise from Joshua Kimmich. With his contract running out and chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen also hailing his strong start, attention is now turning to his future.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League return could not have been scripted better, with Lucas Bergvall delivering a standout debut under the lights and earning plaudits from legends of the game. Ange Postecoglou’s groundwork from last season is now paying dividends, with the teenager stepping up on Europe’s biggest stage under new boss Thomas Frank.
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