Kylian Mbappe scored two and Real Madrid were solid defensively in a relatively uneventful 2-0 win over Villarreal. Los Blancos were far from brilliant, but they were effective, and grabbed two second-half goals to secure a victory that sent them top of La Liga for at least 24 hours, ahead of rivals Barcelona playing Oviedo on Sunday afternoon, with the chance to put themselves back at the summit.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to 13th-place Augsburg, their first league loss of the season and there was a spiteful sting in tail from their opponents, who took to social media to crow about their stunning victory. The victory narrowed Bayern’s lead at the top of the table as Harry Kane drew a rare blank, but was also in Augsburg media department’s targets.
The Sea Robbers were in action against Babina Noko in the South African top-flight football on Saturday at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. The Buccaneers have been in good form and were aiming to avenge the initial 1-0 defeat suffered. However, spoils were eventually shared as no team found the back of the net.
After resuming their Premier Soccer League campaign with a slim victory over Golden Arrows, Amakhosi turn their eyes on the continental competition. In two games in Group D, the Glamour Boys are third, and only a win away from home will help them boost their chances of reaching the knockout stage. However, the Zambian giants, although they are struggling this season, are expected to give them a challenge, especially since they will enjoy massive home support.
Virgil van Dijk attracted criticism after being at fault as Bournemouth opened the scoring during Liverpool's trip to the south coast on Saturday night. The Reds captain failed to clear a long ball into his team's penalty area, allowing Alex Scott to cross for Evanilson to put the Cherries ahead. The Dutchman has made some uncharacteristic errors during a difficult season for Arne Slot's side so far and this latest mistake brought him further under the microscope.
Liverpool's defensive frailties were their undoing once again after Arne Slot's side lost with the last kick of the match, beaten 3-2 in dramatic fashion by Bournemouth at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium. The Red were behind midway through the first-half after captain Virgil van Dijk failed to deal with a long pass into the box and the hosts' lead was doubled moments later. The Reds battled back into the match, but were sunk in the last second as Amine Adli stabbed the ball home to send the Cherries fans delirious.
The 21-year-old South African attacker has been a key player for the Knight of Ad-Dahna since his shock move in the off-season transfer window. He was in action on Saturday as the Commandos collected vital points in the Saudi top-tier. The club is hoping to finish in the top positions at the end of the ongoing campaign.
Thomas Frank was hit by chants of "sacked in the morning" from Tottenham fans after the Danish manager's side dropped more points in the Premier League in a 2-2 draw with Burnley. The former Brentford boss has been under immense pressure after a string of poor domestic performances throughout the 2025-26 season, despite sitting in the top eight of the Champions League. Spurs have only managed 28 points from 23 league games and have a seriously tough run of fixtures coming up in February.
Chelsea are among a number of Premier League clubs closely monitoring Paris Saint-Germain's teenage winger Ibrahim Mbaye, following his eye-catching performances at the recent Africa Cup of Nations. The 18-year-old has emerged as one of Europe's most exciting prospects, but PSG are determined to retain their rising star and are reportedly working on a new contract.
Trinity Rodman became the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world by staying in the NWSL. GOAL breaks down what that decision means - and the challenges that came with it.
Pep Guardiola went on an extraordinary tirade against Premier League referees after Manchester City were denied a penalty against Wolves due to an official overruling VAR. City earned a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo but Guardiola's mood changed when asked about referee Farai Hallam opting against giving his side a spot-kick in the first half.
The Sea Robbers failed to collect maximum points against Sekhukhune United at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, which saw them fail to get on top of the Premier Soccer League table. It is a slow start to the year, which was not anticipated by their faithful owing to their strong run in domestic competitions before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break.
Granit Xhaka was involved in an argument with a West Ham United supporter during Sunderland's 3-1 defeat at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cats captain was ruled out of the fixture due to an ankle injury and was sat among his team-mates while the row with the Hammers fan occurred. A break in play allowed referee Thomas Bramall to pause the game and put an end to the incident.
Liam Rosenior has given an update on suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk and says he hopes to speak with the Ukrainian soon. The 25-year-old has not played competitively since November 2024, having been charged with a violation of the English FA's anti-doping rules in June 2025 following a failed drug test. Mudryk's career has been stuck in limbo ever since having been placed under an indefinite provisional ban, which could eventually be upgraded to a four-year suspension.
Wrexham scored two goals deep into time added on to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 in a chaotic finish to the clash at Loftus Road. The Hoops looked good for the three points until goals from Josh Windass and Oliver Rathbone sealed a stunning comeback win for Phil Parkinson’s side who move up into sixth place in the Championship table and into the play-off spots.
Manchester City strolled to their first Premier League victory of 2026 as Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo fired Pep Guardiola's side to a 2-0 win at home to Wolves. Erling Haaland was the most eye-catching absentee from the starting XI as Guardiola made six changes from the side who were battered 3-1 by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, while Marc Guehi made an impressive debut.
Amakhosi landed in Ndola and are ready to take on their continental rivals in a game that carries high stakes for both sides. Amakhosi and Team ya Ziko are both winless after two games, and to increase their probability of reaching the knockout stage, points from this game will matter most. The Zambian outfit have already declared they are ready to inflict pain on Amakhosi, who travelled without key players.
Bayern Munich fell to a shock Bundesliga defeat on Saturday afternoon as they were beaten 2-1 by relegation-threatened Augsburg. Hiroki Ito had headed the German giants into a first-half lead, but Bayern were sloppy throughout the contest and fell behind after goals from Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo. Vincent Kompany's side could now see their lead at the top of table cut down if nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund beat Union Berlin.
Prior to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break, the Sea Robbers were the most in-form team domestically. Under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, the Buccaneers had won the MTN8, Carling Knockout and the Carling Black Label Cup while their rivals struggled to deliver. The main challenge is to sustain their run in the second half of the season.
Football fans and TV lovers were treated to the sight of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry sitting alongside superstar actor Jason Sudeikis, creator and star of the hit show Ted Lasso, at Stamford Bridge for the highly anticipated Women's Super League clash between Chelsea Women and Arsenal Women. The celebrity duo watched on as the visiting Gunners secured a crucial 2-0 victory over their London rivals.
The reason behind Chelsea's continued lack of a front-of-shirt sponsor has been revealed, with the Blues still playing in plain jerseys as they search for a new backer. The Premier League giants' last long-term sponsorship deal was with telecommunications company Three and that came to an end upon the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign. They have since bared the names of Infinite Athlete and DAMAC on their shirts, though both partnerships were short-lived.
After two seasons with the Moroccan giants, the 32-year-old attacker has moved to a new club. The ex-Bucs star was signed by Rhulani Mokwena, whose stint with the former CAF Champions League winners was turbulent, and the tactician left after a season. After Mokwena and Cassius Mailula's departure, Lorch has also left, leaving Wydad with no South African talent.
Diego Simeone has hit back at criticism aimed at Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker moved to Atletico 18 months' ago, joining from Manchester City for £81.8m. Alvarez enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in Spain, scoring 17 times and laying on an additional four assists for Los Colchoneros. However, the 2022 World Cup winner is enduring a testing second season.
Pep Guardiola has dropped Erling Haaland from the starting line-up for Manchester City's Premier League game against Wolves amid a run of eight games without scoring from open play. Haaland had started all 22 of City's previous league games, scoring 20 goals. But he last hit the net against Brighton from the penalty spot in early January and has not scored in open play since December.
Arsenal were imperious at Chelsea in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off as second-half goals from Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey saw the Gunners claim a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge. They moved to within one point of their capital rivals in the Women's Super League table as Renee Slegers' side returned to north London with a huge three points in tow.
Chelsea were handed a major blow to their hopes of retaining the Women's Super League title as they were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge by London rivals Arsenal on Saturday. The visiting Gunners struck twice in the second half through Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey, with the Blues failing to come up with a response. They are now in danger of the current gap to leaders Manchester City increasing to nine points by the end of the weekend.
After starting the year on a bright note with a 2-0 Premier Soccer League victory over Orbit College, the Brazilians then stumbled and dropped points at home in their continental fixture against the Sudanese giants. That piles more pressure on their Portuguese coach whose job appears to be on the line.
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has sent a 'proud' message to son Kai after the 16-year-old made his Old Trafford debut on Friday night. The younger Rooney came off the bench during United Under-18s' FA Cup fourth round win over Derby with his mother and father watching on in the stands. Darren Fletcher's side had to work hard to claim victory on home turf, however.
Jason McAteer has revealed how his long-running feud with former Republic of Ireland team-mate Roy Keane was put to bed in a cafe last year. The pair shared a number of battles in the Premier League during the late 1990s and 2000s, with Keane's Manchester United often getting the better of McAteer, who played for Liverpool before a later stint with Sunderland. Now, the latter has revealed how their disagreement came to a surprising end thanks to the help of Jamie Carragher.
Manchester United have conceded that midfield target Elliot Anderson favours a summer switch to rivals Manchester City. The Nottingham Forest star has caught the attention of the Premier League pair having shone for the Tricky Trees this season. Forest are adamant that Anderson won't leave the City Ground in January and are expected to demand £100 million ($136m) to cash in on their prized asset later this year.