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The weekend of European soccer brought plenty of drama, and GOAL US unpacks the main storylines from the Premier League, La Liga, and other top competitions in The Euro XI.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz following his underwhelming start to life at Liverpool after signing for the Reds in a deal worth £116 million. Wirtz came in for fresh criticism following Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, but Nagelsmann feels the team's strikers could help out by finishing some of the chances the German star creates.

Chelsea have been handed an injury blow ahead of their Women's Champions League clash against St Polten as first-choice goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of the match due to injury. Swiss international Livia Peng is set to take Hampton's place in the starting XI for the match in Austria as Sonia Bompastor's side aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the league phase.

Arsenal confirmed on Monday that young centre-back Katie Reid has been hit with a devastating injury blow and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Lionesses prospect is set to undergo surgery shortly after becoming the latest player to suffer a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a serious knee injury that continues to plague women's football.

Wayne Rooney has hailed Granit Xhaka as "probably the signing of the season" after the veteran midfielder's remarkable influence on Sunderland's stunning Premier League return. The 33-year-old Swiss star has been pivotal in the newly promoted side's rise to fourth place, guiding a young squad with leadership, consistency, and class since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will not link up with the Slovenia national team after sustaining a knee injury against Tottenham on Saturday in the Premier League. The Red Devils are confident that their big-money summer buy has avoided a serious injury, but Slovenia boss Matjaz Kek says his team have been kept in the dark about his fitness and would like an update from Ruben Amorim's side.

Liverpool have complained to the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) about the decision to rule out a goal by Virgil van Dijk during Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. The Reds have raised "serious concerns" after seeing Van Dijk's effort chalked off as Andy Robertson was ruled to be offside when he ducked out of the way of Van Dijk's header as it flew past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Atalanta have dismissed head coach Ivan Juric after a disastrous start to the Serie A season left them languishing in mid-table and far from the European places. The Croatian, appointed to succeed the legendary Gian Piero Gasperini in June, managed just two wins in 11 league games and failed to recreate the intensity, flair, and success that defined the Gasperini era in Bergamo.

The NWSL has reportedly awarded its 17th franchise to Atlanta, with Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment securing the expansion rights for a record $165 million fee, according to The Athletic. The team is set to begin play in 2028 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which also hosts Blank’s other professional teams - the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United FC.

Chelsea have discovered how much time Romeo Lavia will miss after losing the midfielder to yet another injury setback. Lavia was forced off after just four minutes of their Champions League draw against Qarabag, with manager Enzo Maresca subsequently admitting that the Blues are "ashamed" about the amount of time their big-money has spent on the sidelines since joining from Southampton in 2023.

Manchester United are optimistic that Benjamin Sesko will return to action soon, following the striker's withdrawal from international duty with Slovenia due to a knee injury sustained against Tottenham. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez has shocked fans by joining up with the Argentina squad for training despite not playing since February, in what the club views as a controlled step toward full fitness.

England beat Egypt 3-0 on Monday at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar to seal second place in their group and secure safe passage into the round of 32. Manchester City star Heskey was once again on song for the Young Lions, scoring twice goals, although he passed up the chance for a hat-trick in the second half when a penalty was comfortably saved by Egypt's goalkeeper.

Manchester United have been warned they could be stepping into "extremely dangerous" territory if they push ahead with a blockbuster £100 million ($132m) move for Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton. Former Red Devils striker Louis Saha believes the hype around young midfielders in today's transfer market can backfire, urging caution amid mounting links to the England international.

Chelsea and England talisman Cole Palmer has now successfully trademarked his infamous goal celebration even though he has previously admitted that he copied the idea from Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers. The trademark is only related to use of the celebration in commercial ventures, meaning other players can still use it on the pitch should they wish to do so.

England's Young Lions needed just 14 minutes to open the scoring against Egypt at the Under-17 World Cup on Monday in Qatar. Manchester City star Reigan Heskey broke the deadlock with an excellent solo goal to give his team a great start to the match. His strike continued some fine form for the forward who played a key role last time out against Haiti as England won for the first time at the tournament.

The NWSL has seen remarkable growth in its second season on ESPN platforms, with viewership reaching record levels. According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel, the league’s average viewership for the 2025 regular season rose 61 percent compared to the previous year, while Spanish-language broadcasts grew by an impressive 109 percent from the 2024 average audience.

Global superstar Dua Lipa brought star power to Argentina's biggest footballing rivalry as she watched Boca Juniors defeat River Plate 2-0 in the Superclasico at La Bombonera. The 30-year-old singer, in Buenos Aires for her Radical Optimism world tour, turned heads in Argentina's iconic blue and white-striped national team jersey — the colours synonymous with Lionel Messi.

Tyler Adams has been ruled out of the USMNT's November friendlies due to injury, dealing a blow to manager Mauricio Pochettino’s plans. The Columbus Crew’s Sean Zawadzki was also withdrawn through injury. In their absence, LAFC midfielder Timmy Tillman has been called up, joining a reshuffled roster for the upcoming matches.

Brazilian superstar Neymar has been heavily criticised for his latest performance for Santos in a 3-2 defeat to Flamengo. Spanish newspaper Diario AS labelled the former Barcelona and PSG star "slow" and "a disgrace" and warned he faces a real battle to make Carlo Ancelotti's final Brazil squad for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Joao Neves' claims the Lyon players 'forgot' to mark him as the 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder cinched a header to drive Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-2 win in stoppage time, sealing his side’s return to the top of Ligue 1. But the win came amid chaos, with Nicolas Tagliafico’s red card moments earlier leaving Lyon furious and reigniting debate over refereeing consistency in France.

Manchester United are weighing up a move for Stuttgart and Germany international midfielder Angelo Stiller, who could be available for a fee in the region of €60 million ($53m). Stiller is one of a six-man shortlist of midfielders prepared by the Red Devils, as Ruben Amorim seems desperate to sign a new player for the central midfield role to strengthen the position.

Atletico Madrid have officially confirmed the sale of a majority stake in the club to global sports investment company Apollo Sports Capital (ASC). The landmark deal will see ASC become the majority shareholder, injecting new capital to bolster the club's financial stability, sporting competitiveness and ambitious infrastructure projects, including the development of the City of Sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo claims to not be overly fussed about winning the World Cup, with his GOAT status already secure, but former Premier League rival Clinton Morrison has exclusively told GOAL that the Portuguese is lying and will want to match Lionel Messi. CR7 will get another shot at savouring glory in 2026, as part of his ongoing efforts to reach 1,000 career goals.

Piers Morgan loves to massage Cristiano Ronaldo's ego. The outspoken British journalist is an insatiable status hunter, and reeled in his biggest fish some time ago with endless public declarations of admiration, eventually building a bromance that has earned him exclusive access to a footballing icon. But it is not one built on the foundation of truth.

Bayern Munich legend and former CEO Oliver Kahn has opined on Vincent Kompany's decision to field Manuel Neuer in their Bundesliga match against Union Berlin last week. This comes after the German goalkeeper's mistake cost the side their 16th straight win from the start of the campaign, forcing them to play out a 2-2 draw, their first of the season.

Jose Mourinho has reportedly left Fenerbahce with an eye-watering bill after spending 15 months of his tenure with the Turkish giants living in a luxury hotel. The self-anointed ‘Special One’ took up residence in the Istanbul Four Seasons, rather than find himself a property in the city. He was unceremoniously sacked after failing to qualify for the 2025-26 Champions League.

After days of silence, French rapper Orelsan has finally addressed his feud with Kylian Mbappe, following the Real Madrid star’s furious response to a lyric mocking his failed ownership of Caen. The rapper, who said he’d “rather think than react impulsively,” has decided to remain calm instead of charging into a confrontation, even as the feud keeps attracting more interest.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been warned that he has missed out on a 'chance of a lifetime' by a Premier League legend after his failed Manchester United transfer. Martinez was closely linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer window but the club eventually signed young Belgian custodian Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp instead, leaving the Argentina international to continue at Villa.

In a surprising turn of events, Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are reportedly exploring a way to bring Jadon Sancho back to the club. Currently on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, the winger has struggled to get up and running again after a miserable couple of years, but Dortmund are reportedly interested in a January transfer.