However, together with Atalanta as a whole, Lookman’s form has dropped off in 2025 and he has not managed a single assist this year, although he has still added eight goals.
Sports
Tight contests at UCL Day 2; Barcelona, United make it two from two
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.
Sports
Taiwo Awoniyi out of induced coma, begins recovery
Taiwo Awoniyi out of induced coma, begins recovery
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is out of an induced coma and recovering steadily following emergency surgery on an abdominal injury sustained in a frightening collision with the goalpost during Sunday’s clash against Leicester City.
The Nigerian forward underwent a procedure on Monday night, with doctors placing him in a medically induced coma to limit movement and regulate his heart rate. While the injury was not considered life-threatening, the precautionary measure was taken to aid his recovery.
According to Mail Online, the second stage of the procedure was completed on Wednesday, and Awoniyi is now awake and recuperating in hospital, surrounded by family.
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In the aftermath, Nottingham Forest issued a strongly worded statement defending club owner Evangelos Marinakis, who stormed onto the pitch after the match.
The club clarified that the severity of Awoniyi’s injury prompted his reaction and dismissed reports claiming he confronted manager Nuno Espírito Santo as “fake news.”
Taiwo Awoniyi out of induced coma, begins recovery
Sports
Liverpool eye Ademola Lookman in stunning swap deal
Liverpool eye Ademola Lookman in stunning swap deal
Liverpool are reportedly considering a sensational swap deal that would see Nigeria International Ademola Lookman and his Italian counterpart Federico Chiesa change clubs.
Italian media outlet, Quotidiano Sportivo, claimed that Chiesa is likely to leave Liverpool and return to Serie A after a miserable first season at Anfield. Despite picking up a Premier League winners’ medial, Chiesa barely featured at all – making just five league appearances totalling 41 minutes, all of them from the substitutes bench.
Incidentally, Liverpool are among the clubs who are big fans of Atalanta’s star Lookman, and the report further claimed that the Reds could consider a swap deal that sees the Nigerian move to Anfield in exchange for cash plus Chiesa.
The African Footballer of the Year is expected to leave Atalanta at the end of the season if the Italian club receives a suitable offer believed to be around €60 million.
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Lookman has been heavily linked with virtually every top team in Europe over the past months.
A return to the Premier League is believed to be the likeliest destination for the 27-year-old, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Newcastle all interested. Barcelona and PSG are also big fans.
Earlier this year, Lookman was crowned African Footballer of the Year and finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or race after a stunning 2024.
He scored a legendary hat trick for Atalanta in the 3-0 Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen last May. He hit 27 goal contributions for the season before taking that brilliant form into the 2024/2025 season.
In the first half of the season he was arguably the best player in Serie A, as Atalanta looked a good bet for the Scudetto.
Sports
Awoniyi in induced coma after surgery on abdominal injury
Awoniyi in induced coma after surgery on abdominal injury
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is in an induced coma after having the first phase of surgery on a serious abdominal injury.
The Nigeria international, 27, collided with the post in the 88th minute of the 2-2 draw against Leicester at the City Ground on Sunday as he attempted to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga.
He had surgery on Monday night and remains in hospital, with the rest of the procedure set to be completed on Wednesday.
In a statement earlier on Tuesday, Forest said Awoniyi was “recovering well” following the operation.
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After the incident on Sunday, he received treatment on the pitch and was able to continue but was visibly struggling when the match restarted.
Awoniyi, who joined Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022, had only been on the pitch for five minutes, having come on as a late substitute for Ibrahim Sangare.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis took to the field after the game to express his concern to manager Nuno Espirito Santo over how Awoniyi’s injury was handled.
Marinakis is being kept updated on the forward’s condition.
On Tuesday, Forest said that Awoniyi’s injury was “a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game and why a player’s health and wellbeing must always come first”.
Awoniyi in induced coma after surgery on abdominal injury
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