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With a 1-0 victory over Juventus on Wednesday, record 15-time champion Real Madrid continued to be 100% successful in the Champions League with a goal from Juve.

After England international Bellingham scored from close range in the second half, Xabi Alonso’s Spanish giants mostly outplayed their visitors but were unable to increase their lead.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Italian giants Juventus, who are currently without a win in seven games across all competitions, battled hard but were unable to find an equalizer.

Madrid, who is one of five teams to have won all three of their opening league matches, including Paris Saint-Germain, was a perfect preparation for Sunday’s Clasico game against rivals Barcelona in La Liga.

After making his 300th appearance for the club, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, “I’m very happy with the win. It was a very tough game with chances at both ends and we had to sweat for it.”

It’s not easy when they defend with 11 men and want to go on the counter because they are Juve, not a small side.

In a tentative opening period, both teams made an effort to master each other, but eventually Alonso’s team took control.

Kylian Mbappe, a top-notch French superstar, received the ball from Brahim Diaz, who was unable to stop Michele Di Gregorio to slam his shot.

The striker whistled a superb dribble from the right into the box before cutting the ball back to Eder Militao on the edge of the box, who had just drained a perfect dribble.

In the first half, either team came as close as either side could, but after the break, the game resumed.

At the end of a quick break downfield, Courtois made a good save with his leg to deny Dusan Vlahovic.

After Vinicius Junior’s excellent work, Madrid took the lead, but they haven’t scored in the Champions League this season.

The Brazilian made a few yards for a shot that he curled against the post despite being surrounded by defenders in the area.

Bellingham, who was attacking midfield, showed his poacher’s instinct to react quickly and scored the rebound after 57 minutes.

After a slow start to the campaign following shoulder surgery in the summer to treat a long-term issue, the 22-year-old scored his first goal of the season in his seventh game.

READ MORE:   Arsenal’s Gyokeres “Hungry” To Build On Champions League Double

The “Best way possible” 

Mbappe, who had already scored in 11 of his previous matches for the club and nation, slipped as he shot, and Madrid sought a second goal with a low strike saved by Di Gregorio.

With a chance to get a draw, the Italian stopper made a stunning double save from Mbappe and Diaz.

As the clock struck zero, Raul Asencio slid in to block Lois Openda’s shot.

In an effort to extend his goalscoring streak, Mbappe needed one more effort from distance, but Di Gregorio was on par with him.

Igor Tudor’s Juve have lost all of their first three Champions League matches since Courtois was called back in stoppage time to stop Filip Kostic’s long-range strike.

Aurelien Tchouameni, a midfielder for Madrid, said, “We’ve kicked off this group phase in the best way possible.”

We faced a strong defense, which is not easy for us, but we were confident we would score.

Kenneth Taylor’s early red card allowed Chelsea to defeat the Dutch giants 5-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge.

Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo scored from the penalty spot before Enzo Fernandez and Estevao converted in the first half, paying off Enzo Maresca’s gamble by making ten changes.

After falling to Bayern Munich on opening night, Chelsea won the Champions League by two goals in the second half under the guidance of Tyrique George.

The Blues move up to 11th place in the table, while Ajax stays at the bottom of the standings for Champions League play.

READ MORE: Gyokeres’ Arsenal “Hungry” To Build On Champions League Double

In the Champions League this season, Ajax hasn’t scored or even scored since arriving in London.

Maresca clearly targeted Chelsea’s visit as one he could afford to rest a number of his key players because the club won the club world cup in July, which gave him the burden of an injury crisis.

Only Romeo Lavia, who had to score at half-time in the City Ground to win 3-0 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, was recalled.

However, that included Brazil’s wonder kid Estevao, Caicedo’s record signing, and Fernandez’s return from injury.

Inter Milan and Marseille had a strong lead in Ajax’s opening two games, but any chance of a turnaround came to an end with VAR intervening, who saw Taylor’s high challenge on Facundo Buonanotte convert from a yellow to a red card after 15 minutes.

After sending a man off in four of their last six games, Maresca’s side faced questions about Chelsea’s discipline during the pre-game press conference.

This time, the advantage was made significant.

Wesley Fofana’s header was headed home from the resulting free kick after Taylor was sent off.

Caicedo has now scored four goals for Chelsea this campaign despite making just three in the process since making the £115 million ($154 million) move from Brighton in 2023.

The Ecuadorian’s shot deflected in off Josip Sutalo, which was a good thing.

When Tosin Adarabioyo trod on Raul Moro’s foot and Wout Weghorst converted from the penalty spot, Ajax were briefly given a lifeline.

Before the break, Chelsea could only get two more spot kicks to end the game.

Fernandez dusted himself off to slot home, but Weghorst was punished for his conduct.

The first of what is likely to be many Champions League goals was then scored by Estevao.

The 18-year-old won the penalty and won it with confidence before beating Remko Pasveer.

Fernandez and Caicedo were the only ones who were withdrawn from the second half due to Maresca making four more adjustments.

With a precise low finish from Andrey Santos’ backheel in just three minutes, George made his mark off the bench.

Nigeria was eliminated from Group D at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a late goal from France. The Flamingos lost the cadet championship second time in a row.

Although the matches were uneven, a French girls’ strike in the 82nd minute gave them a 1-0 victory over the West Africans in Morocco.

Following Nigeria’s parry the ball safely, Fathallan Maissa scored the only goal for the French side. Nigeria was devastated as a result of the ball’s squirming through her hands.

READ MORE: [U-17 Women’s W/Cup] Canada defeats Nigeria 4-1 in the third-minute clash of the Flamingos.

Nigeria lost its first consecutive women’s world championship defeat in the Women’s U-17 World Cup.

Following Canada’s humiliating defeat on Sunday, which Coach Bankole Olowookere’s side lost 1-4. Nigeria had a sense of urgency when the French punished their lack of cutting edge late in the game.

If Samoa defeated the Flamingo in their next game on Saturday by a wide margin, they could still be one of the best losers.

That’s not all, either! If their goal of making it to the quarter-finals is realized, they will anticipate success in other games as well.

In a second Group D encounter, Canada defeated Samoa 6-0 to take the lead.

With six points, North Americans and France now have a chance to advance to the next round of the competition.

In a Champions League game on Wednesday, Galatasaray defeated Bod/Glimt 3-1 to claim a brace from Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. &nbsp,

Just three minutes into the match, The Super Eagle fired a right-footed ball past Mario Lemina into the bottom corner.

30 minutes later, Osimhen made a defensive error mistaken for Fredrik Björkan, who then increased the home team’s lead.

Osimhen, Salah, and Hakimi are on the list for the top CAF player of the year nominees, read more here.

For the first half, the game ended in that manner. Yunus Akgün scored three goals in the 60th minute when the second half resumed.

In the 74th minute of the tie, Andreas Helmersen scored a consolation goal for Bod/Glimt.

In a 2026 World Cup qualifier, Osimhen scored a hat-trick for the Super Eagles after scoring a 4-0 win over Benin Republic.

In addition, Marcus Rashford scored twice for Barcelona in a 6-1 victory over Olympiacos on Tuesday, earning a hat-trick and putting the Catalan giants back on course for the Champions League.

Lamine Yamal, a teen star, was also on target for Hansi Flick’s side, who had previously faced Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European match.

Ayoub El Kaabi scored a penalty saver for the Greek champions after Lopez double, but Santiago Hezze’s red card made it possible for the injured-hit Barcelona to record a high scoreline and place them temporarily in third place.

Victor Osimhen, the Super Eagles’ striker, has been chosen as one of the top contenders for the CAF Player of the Year award.

Mohamed Salah, the star forward for Egypt and Liverpool, and Achraf Hakimi, the defender for Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco, are also in the running.

Francine Anguissa, the Cameroon’s midfielder, Fiston Mayele, Fiston Mayele, Denis Bouanga, Serhou Guirassy, Oussama Lamlioui, Morocco, and the Senegalese duo Iliman Ndiaye and Pape Matar Sarr are other contenders.

On Thursday, the 2025 CAF Awards – Men’s Categories Committee announced the nominees.

READ MORE: Ajibade and Okoronkwo Nominated for CAF Women’s Player of the Year.

The award recognizes the continent’s top players, coaches, clubs, and national teams.

For the time being considered, 6 January to 15 October 2025, players and coaches have had a significant impact on the African and global game, according to a statement from CAF.

A panel of experts, which included CAF Technical &amp, Development Committee members, experienced coaches, CAF Legends, and selected media representatives, chose 10 nominees for each category based on their performance in all competitions, added the continent’s football governing body.

Stanley Nwabali, Nigeria’s top safe hands, was also nominated for the award for “goalkeeper of the year.”

For the top price, he will have Morocco’s Yassine Bonou, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Cameroon’s André Onana, and Senegalese Edouard Mendy to contend with.

Other honors include club of the year, interclub player of the year, coach of the year, young player of the year, national team of the year, and club of the year.

 , see full list below.

MAN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• Andre Frank Zambo-Anguissa (Cameroon/Napoli)
• Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt)
• Denis Bouanga (Gabon/Los Angeles FC)
• Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund/Guinea)
• Moroccan/Paris Saint-Germain Achraf Hakimi
• Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
• Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray/Nigeria)
• Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton)
• Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur/Senegal)
  

MAN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• Andre Onana (Cameroon/Trabzonspor), btw,
• Vozinha (Cape Verde/Chaves)
• Ahmed El Shenawy (Pyramids/Egypt)
• Munir Mohamedi (RS Berkane/Morocco)
• Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal)
• Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United/Nigeria)
• Algerian Ambassador Edouard Mendy
• Marc Diouf (Tengueth/Senegal)
• Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
• Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien/Tunisia)

MAN’S INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Ismael Belkacemi (Al Ahli Tripoli/Algeria)
• Blati Toure (Pyramids FC/Burkinabe)
• Issoufou Dayo (RS Berkane/Burkinabe)
• Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
• Ahmed Samy (Pyramids/Egypt)
• Emam Ashour (Al Ahly/Egypt)
• Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids/Egypt)
• Mohamed Hrimat (Morocco/AS FAR)
• Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/Morocco)
• Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
• Shomari Kapombe (Simba/Tanzania)

MAN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• Bubista (Cape Verde)
• Egyptian Hossam Hassan
• Pyramids’ Krunoslav Jurcic
• Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
• Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar CHAN)
• Moine Chaabani (RS Berkane)
• Moroccan CHAN Tarik Sektioui
• Mohamed Ouahbi ( Morocco U-20)
• Moroccan Walid Regragui
• Pape Thiaw (Senegal)

MEN’S YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• Asharaf Tapsoba (Real du Faso/Burkinabe)
• Alynho Haidara (Cote d’Ivoire/Mainz 05 Jacqueville)
• (DR Congo/Sunderland) Noah Sadiki
• Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco/Ajax)
• Houssam Essadak (Morocco/US Touarga)
• Othmane Maamma (Morocco/Watford)
• Daniel Bameyi (Primorje/Nigeria)
• Momoh Kamara (Minnesota United/Sierra Leone)
• Mbekezeli Mbokazi (South Africa/Orlando Pirates)
• Tylon Smith (Queens Park Rangers/South Africa)

MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• Algeria 
• Cape Verde
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Morocco U-20
• Morocco
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Tunisia

MEN’S CLUB OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

• CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
• CS Constantine (Algeria)
• ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
• Egyptian pyramids
• Moroccan RS Berkane
• South African Mamelodi Sundowns
• South African Pirates of Orlando
• South Africa’s Stellenbosch
• Al Hilal (Sudan)
• Simba (Tanzania)

Following Tuesday’s impressive performance against Atletico Madrid, Viktor Gyokeres says he is eager to respond to manager Mikel Arteta’s request to bring his goal-scoring momentum into the Premier League.

In Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Atletico in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium, attacker Gyokeres scored twice to end a seven-game losing streak with a goal.

Following his £58 million ($77 million) transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 goals in 102 appearances, the 27-year-old scored five goals for the Gunners.

With Arsenal back in domestic action against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday, Gunners boss Arteta vowed to keep the goals coming.

Gyokeres claimed, “I’m more hungry now.” You always want to contribute with work rates and other things, but it’s a little special when you also score goals. Therefore, I have a strong desire to do that.

The spirit of the group and the spirit of the group are very special and unique.

When you deliver these performances in victories, it instills confidence in the team. Although the belief must always exist, it does so naturally. We simply want this to continue.

As many clean sheets have Arsenal managed to collect in their three European games so far this season.

In their first 12 games, they have conceded just three goals, just one of which came from open play, to champions Liverpool and Newcastle at home and Manchester City at home.

David Raya, the goalkeeper for Arsenal, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals.

It will make games easier to win if we keep clean sheets. Being extremely strong and not giving away too many chances is really, really important for the entire team.

“The depth of the squad is incredible. Numerous players can play two, three, or four positions, which is a good thing.

The manager has a variety of options when it comes to playing as a striker (versus Atletico), and he is using it to his advantage.

Everyone is in favor of that, and it gives us an extra level in both in training and in games because if we don’t practice, we can lose our seats.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will lead Manchester City by three points heading into this weekend’s group of matches.

Liverpool are a further point in the opposite direction.