Analysis

The mercurial midfielder has no obvious role in the manager's system, and the Spaniard faces a challenge working him into his XI

Sunday's matchup between the two USMNT players paints a portrait of Tillman's rise, Reyna's fall under Mauricio Pochettino

GOAL US writers discuss the Champions League, which featured high-profile matches and last-second heroics

Palmeiras appear to have produced another prodigiously talented teenager. In the past three years alone, the Brazilians have sold four gifted academy graduates to European sides: Endrick, Luis Guilherme, Vitor Reis and Willian Estevao. Luiz Benedetti is almost certain to become the fifth.

Before Sir Jim Ratcliffe invested in Manchester United, he tried to buy Chelsea. Although he grew up on a council estate in Failsworth in north Manchester and attended games at Old Trafford with his father as a child, Ratcliife took a liking to Chelsea as an adult while living and working in affluent west London.

The South Korea captain has brought attacking quality to LAFC, as well as a willingness to be a face for the league

When it was revealed that Leah Williamson would miss the start of the new Women's Super League season, most assumed Lotte Wubben-Moy or Laia Codina would take her place in the heart of Arsenal's defence. Wubben-Moy came into the campaign fresh off the back of a new contract and a role in England's Euro 2025 triumph, while Codina's status as a key starter in Spain's World Cup win in 2023 tells you the level she can reach. And yet, both have been usurped by 18-year-old Katie Reid.

Barcelona's first stop on the long road to European glory takes them to Newcastle, where they will come up against a formidable opponent and equally formidable atmosphere at St James' Park without the talismanic Lamine Yamal. The injured 18-year-old has been ruled out, having found himself at the centre of a feud between club and country, but loanee Marcus Rashford will be determined to make an impact in his absence.

GOAL Convo: Robles on MLS NEXT rule changes, including three-period games, meant to American soccer forward

Weah has been inconsistent under Mauricio Pochettino, but the move to Marseille meant to create opportunities

EXCLUSIVE: GOAL sat down with the German-American rising stars to discuss their differing paths, shared USMNT ambitions

Diego Simeone freely admitted that he felt an overriding sense of relief after Atletico Madrid picked up their first win of the new Liga season on Saturday. As the Rojiblancos boss admitted after the 2-0 victory over Villarreal, "It wasn't just another day, after only two points from three matches."

The most tantalising fixture on matchday one of the new Champions League season comes from the Allianz Arena, where kings of Germany Bayern Munich play host to Club World Cup winners Chelsea. These two teams have history - this will be the Blues' first trip back to Bavaria since lifting their first European Cup there in 2012 - but there is an extremely contemporary entity now linking them.

"Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism," said Diego Maradona. When he played for Napoli in the more prosperous northern cities like Milan and Turin, he and his team-mates would be subjected to banners reading 'Welcome to Italy'; 'Napoli, cholera sufferers' or 'Vesuvius, wash them with fire'.

The former USMNT attacking midfielder enjoyed one of the more remarkable careers in American soccer history

Ordinarily, when Sam Kerr gets the ball inside the six yard box, she shoots. We're talking about one of the deadliest strikers on the planet, someone who has set records on three continents and scored more international goals than any player in Australia's history. But when she found herself in that position on Sunday, as Chelsea visited Aston Villa, it was the first time she had done so in 634 days. So while her uncharacteristic decision to pass was somewhat jarring, given how unfamiliar it looked, it was understandable.

Clear your calendar for Tuesday and Wednesday nights going forward - the Champions League is back as 36 of Europe's best teams prepare to do battle across the continent over the next nine months. Last season's tournament, complete with the brand-new league phase, turned into an epic, and the 2025-26 edition of the premier club competition on the planet promises to be no different.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

The attacking midfielder seemed primed for a fresh start at a new club, but the coach who brought him in is now gone

An underwhelming weekend loss to Charlotte FC highlighted flaws, raising questions about Miami's 2025 silverware credentials

Erling Haaland was back to his very best as the striker led Manchester City to a thumping derby win over Manchester United on Sunday. The Norwegian made yet more history, becoming the joint-top scorer in the fixture as well as the fastest player to reach 90 Premier League goals. And a beaming Pep Guardiola declared that Haaland was in the best form of his career.

The Blaugrana were meant to host Valencia in their refurbished home on Sunday, but they'll be playing at a 6,000-seater stadium instead

EXCLUSIVE: GOAL sat down with the midfielder to discuss his record move, challenges of Europe and his USMNT ambitions

The club have made their worst start to a season in 21 years and two daunting fixtures could make things even grimmer for the serial-winning coach

The two new arrivals from Bayer Leverkusen have had fitness issues whereas the Hungarian has hit the ground running this season

A lot has changed since the last round of action in England's top flight, meaning this weekend's fixtures are full of intrigue

Los Blancos may have spent big on the Bournemouth centre-back but he already looks like a bargain buy for Xabi Alonso

The precociously talented winger has the ability to lead the Red Devils back to the top - if they are lucky enough to keep hold of him

The Brazil international has yet to unlock his full potential at the Emirates Stadium, and could soon find himself on the fringes of the line up