Álvaro Morata had three goals ruled out for offside as Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris, Chelsea, Dortmund and Sevilla all won.
Tight contests dominated the second night of Match Day 2 action, no more so than at Juventus where Álvaro Morata had three goals ruled out for offside as Barcelona edged victory.
Group E
Krasnodar 0-4 Chelsea
Chelsea survived a scare for their first win of the campaign, going ahead through Callum Hudson-Odoi’s first UEFA Champions League goal after Jorginho’s penalty hit the post. Yuri Gazinski rattled the crossbar but Timo Werner’s emphatic spot kick, Hakim Ziyech’s clinical finish and a close-range Christian Pulišić strike saw off Krasnodar.
Key stat: Chelsea are seven UEFA Champions League group stage matches unbeaten.
04/11: Sevilla vs Krasnodar, Chelsea vs Rennes
Sevilla 1-0 Rennes
The UEFA Europa League holders dominated from start to finish, but had to wait until 11 minutes after half-time for Luuk de Jong’s fine volley to force the breakthrough.
It ended the resistance of the excellent Alfred Gomis, and even when the Senegalese goalkeeper was beaten the woodwork intervened to deny Munir and Joan Jordán.
Key stat: Sevilla are undefeated in 13 European home games (W11 D2)
04/11: Sevilla vs Krasnodar, Chelsea vs Rennes.
Group F
Club Brugge 1-1 Lazio
Joaquín Correa gave depleted Lazio an early lead, but after Hans Vanaken converted from the spot before the interval the visitors were indebted to Pepe Reina for earning a point. They might have won themselves through Sergej Milinković-Savić but Simon Mignolet kept him out with a fine stop. Both teams move on to four points.
Key stat: Club Brugge have won only two of their last 20 UEFA Champions League matches
04/11: Club Brugge vs Dortmund, Zenit vs Lazio
Dortmund 2-0 Zenit
Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland left it late as the hosts claimed their first points in Group F. Dortmund were made to work as Zenit stood firm, but a lapse of concentration in the 78th minute allowed Sancho to score from the spot before Haaland rubber-stamped the win with a stoppage-time strike.
Key stat: Dortmund are yet to concede a goal at home in all competitions this season.
04/11: Club Brugge vs Dortmund, Zenit vs Lazio.
Group G
Ferencváros 2-2 Dynamo Kyiv
The Hungarian side completed a stunning comeback, thanks to fine efforts from Tokmac Nguen and, on 90 minutes, substitute Franck Boli.
Dynamo had led through Viktor Tsygankov’s penalty and Carlos de Pena’s close-range finish, but almost ended up with nothing as a volley from the hosts’ Ukrainian forward Oleksandr Zubkov flew just over.
Key stat: Dynamo Kyiv have drawn four of their last five UEFA Champions League away games.
04/11: Ferencváros vs Juventus, Barcelona vs Dynamo Kyiv.
Juventus 0-2 Barcelona
Ronald Koeman’s charges showed their intent from the off with Antoine Griezmann hitting the post inside two minutes, and went in front when Ousmane Dembélé’s deflected drive left Wojciech Szczęsny helpless.
Merih Demiral was dismissed late on, before the Blaugrana’s second victory in the section was capped off by Lionel Messi’s added-time penalty.
Key stat: Barça are 22 group stage matches unbeaten.
04/11: Ferencváros vs Juventus, Barcelona vs Dynamo Kyiv.
Group H
Başakşehir 0-2 Paris
Moise Kean’s second-half double secured Paris a hard-fought win in Istanbul. The visitors were largely second best until the 20-year-old headed in a 64th-minute opener.
Edin Višća went close several times and an injury to Neymar ended his involvement, but Kean’s well-taken second wrapped up the points.
Key stat: Aged 20 years and 243 days, Kean is the youngest Italian player to score on his first UEFA Champions League start.
04/11: Başakşehir vs Man. United, Leipzig vs Paris.
Man. United 5-0 Leipzig
Marcus Rashford came off the bench to net his first senior hat-trick as United romped to the top of Group H.
Mason Greenwood’s first UEFA Champions League goal elicited a half-time advantage, but it was Rashford’s treble – three calm right-footed finishes – and Anthony Martial’s penalty that added late gloss to an impressive all-round display.
Key stat: This was United’s biggest UEFA Champions League home win since a 7-1 defeat of Roma in the 2006/07 quarter-finals.
04/11: Başakşehir vs Man. United, Leipzig vs Paris.
Super Eagles seal AFCON 2025 spot, draw 1-1 against Benin
Victor Osimhen’s late header helped the Super Eagles of Nigeria secure a 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan, clinching their qualification for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Benin, playing their matches in Côte d’Ivoire, took an early lead in the 16th minute when Mohammed Tijani headed in a short corner.
The goal followed a period of sustained pressure from the Beninoise side on the Nigerian defence.
READ ALSO:
Benin nearly doubled their advantage shortly afterwards, but goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made a crucial save to keep Nigeria in the game.
Osimhen threatened as the first half progressed, with a powerful header that narrowly missed the target.
In the second half, Benin came close again, but a shot veered inches wide of the right post, sparing the Eagles further trouble.
With nine minutes remaining, Osimhen rose to the occasion, connecting with a precise cross from Moses Simon to level the score at 1-1.
With this result, the Super Eagles top Group D with 11 points from five matches, while Benin hold second place with seven points.
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.
This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.
READ ALSO:
Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.
Benin remains in contention for the second qualification spot and will face Nigeria in a crucial match tonight.
Libya is set to host Benin in the final Group D game on Monday.
Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul
Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.
Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.
That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”
READ ALSO:
Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.
“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”
Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.
“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
UK announces 45,000 seasonal worker visas for 2025
Court orders varsity to pay lecturer N40m compensation for wrongful dismissal
12-year-old Nigerian girl Eniola Shokunbi invents air filter to reduce spread of diseases in US schools
Top 5 crypto apps that work with Nigerian Bank accounts
Apomu king turns warmonger for PDP
You must be logged in to post a comment Login