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Real Madrid defeated Levante on Tuesday to extend their winning run in La Liga by a respectable 4-1 victory.

As Xabi Alonso’s side maintained their 100 percent record, Kylian Mbappe scored twice in six games to add to their seven league goals.

Franco Mastantuono and Vinicius Junior both hit the mark for the league leaders with excellent finishes.

Real Oviedo, the Spanish champions, will face second-placed Barcelona on Thursday, with Madrid five points clear.

Alonso’s performance in the win over Espanyol on Saturday made Vinicius unhappy, but the Brazilian winger started on the left and delivered.

Since finishing second in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings behind Rodri, Vinicius has struggled to maintain consistency.

After a strong game, he found his rhythm at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium and opened the scoring with a 28-minute lead.

Read more about Isak’s first goal for Liverpool in the League Cup victory over a scared Chelsea.

As the Los Blancos threatened, Valencia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a strong save to prevent Vinicius from hitting the post.

Vinicius fed a lavish effort into the far post with the help of Fede Valverde on the right of the box.

In the opening moments, Ivan Romero and Adrian de la Fuente were able to beat Levante, but they were forced to back, and Madrid won the game with a goal-scorching header from Vinicius.

Before half-time, Ryan finely stopped Vinicius from close range.

After Romero’s cross was deflected and volleyed into the air, Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong headed home with a close finish after being in excellent form at the start of the season.

Levante had a moment of hope, but Mbappe quickly oversaw that.

Unai Elgezabal awkwardly brought down the French superstar in the box, but Mbappe cheekily ducked the third-minute penalty down the middle.

The forward then rounded Ryan and scored his night’s second goal, which was assisted by Arda Guler.

After moving from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, Mbappe struggled in his first few months at Madrid before excelling in his final season.

In the third round of the League Cup, Alexander Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool, helping them to defeat Southampton 2-1, while Chelsea escaped a shock defeat to third-place Lincoln on Tuesday.

Isak made his third appearance for Liverpool since breaking the £125 million ($169 million) transfer deadline.

The 26-year-old failed to score in his 58-minute debut against Atletico Madrid and was substituted for the final 23 minutes of Saturday’s Merseyside derby victory over Everton.

In the 43rd minute, Isak mishandled a short pass that Federico Chiesa attempted before picking out the Sweden international.

Isak turned 26 on Sunday, making it a later birthday gift.

Isak, who had scored for Newcastle last season in their League Cup victory over Liverpool last year, was taken off at half-time as he recovers from pre-season training while negotiations for a move to another city.

Also read: Barca’s Gavi was ruled out for five months in &nbsp.

In the 76th minute, Shea Charles scored the winner through a close-range finish following a reckless header from Wataru Endo at Liverpool.

Hugo Ekitike saved Liverpool’s understudy from a penalty shoot-out when he finished off Chiesa’s pass in the 85th minute despite Arne Slot making 11 changes from the Everton game.

The French international was dismissed for a second bookable offense after taking off his shirt to celebrate.

With seven straight victories, including five in the Premier League and one in the Champions League against Atletico, Liverpool have had a flawless start to the season.

Chelsea Perceived

After making eight changes to Chelsea following their 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday, Chelsea were in danger of a humiliating exit.

Lincoln took the lead thanks to a 42-minute Blues blunder in their first encounter with Chelsea since 1911.

Ivan Varfolomeev intercepted Enzo Fernandez’careless pass inside his own penalty area before it reached the dawdling Malo Gusto.

Varfolomeev headed for Rob Street, where he tipped a judicious finish past Filip Jorgensen from 12 yards.

Chelsea had lost to Bayern Munich and United in their previous two games.

But Tyrique George’s half-volley, which fell in off the post, put them back on track three minutes into the second half.

After 50 minutes, Facundo Buonanotte danced through the Lincoln defense before slotting home to put Maresca’s men in front.

At Turf Moor, Burnley suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to third-place Cardiff.

Scott Parker, the manager of the Clarets, had to pay the price for the Clarets’ decision to switch teams after their last weekend encounter with Nottingham Forest.

Callum Robinson scored the visitors’ second five minutes after Joel Colwill headed home in the 30th minute.

Burnley’s blushes were not spared by Zian Flemming’s 56th-minute response.

With a 2-0 victory over Everton, Wolves ended the gloom in Molineux.

After losing all five of their top-flight matches, Vitor Pereira’s team is currently at the bottom of the Premier League.

With a tap-in in the 29th minute, Marshall Munetsi gave Wolves the lead.

In the 87th minute, Toluwalase Arokodare reclaimed Wolves’ second goal in the aftermath of their 3-2 defeat at Everton in the Premier League in August.

At Oakwell, Brighton defeated third-division Barnsley 6 0 to defeat Diego Gomez four goals.

Gavi, a Barcelona midfielder who had knee surgery, will miss up to five months, the club announced on Tuesday.

“Gavi has undergone an arthroscopy to repair a medial meniscus injury that was sutured to keep the meniscus in place. According to Barcelona, recovery time is thought to be between four and five months.

The Spanish international, age 21, tore the same knee ligament in 2023.

READ ALSO: Guardiola and Man City have “Recovered Many Things.”

Gavi hasn’t played since August, with Barcelona initially hoping conservative treatment would solve the issue without having to have surgery.

Real Sociedad will host Barca on Sunday, followed by a game against Real Oviedo on Thursday in La Liga, before hosting Paris Saint-Germain the following week in the Champions League.

One of the most well-known officials of his time, former test umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 92, according to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Between 1973 and 1996, Bird participated in 66 Tests, as well as 69 men’s one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals.

Bird, “one of cricket’s most beloved figures,” was declared unharmed at home by his hometown of Yorkshire, where he lived.

The club stated that “Dickie Bird had a distinguished career as an international umpire, making him the most well-known and well-known official in the history of the game.”

Yorkshire claimed that he had “developed into a national treasure” who was “known for his eccentricities and warmth as well as his outstanding umpiring skills.”

He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy, according to the statement.

Djokovic Will Play At Shanghai Masters In October, read more.

Although he started his career in Yorkshire and Leicestershire as a batter, Bird established himself as an international umpire while sporting his signature white cap.

Before his final Test, England and India players gave him an honor guard at Lord’s.

In 2014, Bird was appointed Yorkshire president after selling more than a million copies of his autobiography.

The Yorkshire and England batting legend Geoffrey Boycott and Bird have a long-lasting friendship since they were both young players at Barnsley Cricket Club in the 1950s.

The 84-year-old described Bird’s eccentricity as being “Grey” despite his protestations.

My name is not Gerald, it is Geoffrey, according to Boycott, who wrote in the Telegraph. It was irrelevant to tell him, because he would then say, “OK, put the gloves on for me, Gerald.”

“Dickie was a character that was always entertaining. He was loved, admired, and respected. A fond farewell will be spoken for him.

One of the Best

Before their League Cup game against Brighton on Tuesday, Barnsley, Bird’s hometown football team, announced they would hold a minute’s applause in honor of the umpire.

David Gower, the ex-english captain, praised Bird as “one of the best umpires ever taking the field.”

You just knew Dickie was in the place he loved best, Gower said, “He certainly set himself high standards as an umpire, but that smile on his face at all times, whether he’s giving you out or not out, whatever he was doing out in the middle.”

He simply had a very good umpire job. He was humorous in the best way. He had the ability to get along with everyone in his own slightly eccentric and cliched way.

Former England captain Graham Gooch fondly recalls Bird’s habit of getting involved in unusual circumstances while playing.

The Shanghai Masters competition’s organizers announced on Tuesday that former world no. 1 Novak Djokovic will compete there next month.

The organizers announced on social media that “He’s back… Our 4-time champ will return to Shanghai this year” just before the competition’s opening day on October 1.

Since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals earlier in September, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has not played in a formal game.

The 38-year-old remained ambiguous about his schedule for the season’s end, having played fewer tournaments in 2025 than in previous years, despite that loss.

Also read: Dembele, Yamal, Donnarumma: The 2025 Ballon d’Or’s Biggest Winners

The world no. 4 had made a commitment to playing the 250-event from November 2 through November 8, which would have replaced the Belgrade tournament this year.

His participation in the two biggest tournaments scheduled after Shanghai, the Paris Masters (October 27 through November 2), and the ATP Finals in Turin (November 9 through November 16) has not yet been confirmed.

According to various reports citing sources close to the deal, Atletico Madrid’s owners are currently in advanced talks to sell a majority stake in the Spanish football team to US private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

When contacted by AFP, both Atletico and the American company both declined to confirm the reports.

At a sports and business event on Tuesday, which was partially hosted by Expansion, Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin stated, “You have to keep investing significant money in players and infrastructure to get good results and keep the fans happy.”

“We are open to a new investor entering the ownership group,” the statement states. “That investment has to come from outside.”

According to Spanish newspaper Expansion, Apollo plans to purchase some of the shares from the four current partners.

READ ALSO: Guardiola and Man City Have “Recovered Many Things” (Rosa).

The current owners are Gil Marin, Enrique Cerezo, Ares Management, and Quantum Pacific.

CEO Gil Marin controls 27.81 percent of Atletico, while Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer controls 27.39 percent.

Gil Marin owns 50.82 percent of Holdco’s shares, while Cerezo owns 15.22 percent and Ares Management owns 33.96 percent.

According to Expansion, Apollo values Atletico at 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion).

Apollo, who is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has over $800 billion in assets, is reportedly thinking about executing the deal through a $5 billion sports investment fund.

Atletico, who won La Liga last in 2021, are currently 12th in the standings at the start of the season.