Bayer Leverkusen, who are still rebuilding after a turbulent summer, face perhaps the toughest test in club football when they host European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

After the most successful period in the German club's 120-year-old history, which included an unbeaten league and cup double and a run to the Europa League final in 2023/24, Leverkusen lost coach Xabi Alonso and several first teamers in the summer.

Alonso's successor Erik ten Hag was sacked after just two league matches, with Dane Kasper Hjulmand since tasked with bedding in almost a starting XI of new arrivals.

Of those, France defender Loic Bade has quickly made an impression, already calling the shots in central defence.

In an interview with AFP, Paris-born Bade said that Leverkusen needed to be wary of the French giants, calling PSG "the best team in the world right now".

'HOMETOWN CLUB'

Bade, who came through the junior ranks at Paris FC and then Le Havre, overcame an unhappy loan stint at Nottingham Forest before moving to Sevilla and winning the Europa League.

He was called up to the France squad for the Paris Olympics in 2024, winning silver, and made his full international bow earlier this year.

At Leverkusen, Bade was tasked with replacing Germany centre-back Jonathan Tah, who moved to Bayern Munich.

"I'm playing against my hometown club," Bade said, adding that "of course, this match is a little bit close to my heart.

"I think they're the best in the world right now, even with the injuries they have."

With just a month between being on the losing side in the Club World Cup final and the season kicking off with the UEFA Super Cup, PSG have been hit by a wave of injuries.

Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves have all spent time on the sidelines, while Champions League final man-of-the-match Desire Doue returned in Friday's 3-3 draw with Strasbourg.

"Despite the absences, they have a very large squad and a great coach," said Bade.

Leverkusen are still finding their feet in the Champions League, having drawn two from two. The 2002 Champions League finalists came from behind twice to draw 2-2 at FC Copenhagen, and were then held to a 1-1 draw at home to PSV Eindhoven.

Leverkusen are yet to lose in seven games since Hjulmand took over, but face a tougher test against an albeit depleted PSG.

The European champions have started slowly in the league this season, dropping seven points in their opening eight games to sit in an unfamiliar second spot.

But the Parisians have won two from two in the Champions League, at home against Atalanta and away at Barcelona.

'A CONNECTOR'

Bade will be key if Leverkusen's defence are able to keep PSG's vaunted attack at bay.

The 25-year-old cuts a calm and collected figure in defence, but Leverkusen have also lauded his impact off the pitch.

Usually playing in a back three alongside Englishman Jarell Quansah and Edmond Tapsoba, from Burkina Faso – along with Spanish duo Lucas Vazquez and Alex Grimaldo on the flanks – Bade is the centrepiece.

In an interview with AFP and other media on Thursday, sporting director Simon Rolfes said "it's amazing how Loic has played, but it's amazing as well how he acts off the pitch – and that's very important for us this summer.

"He's a connector in the locker room. We have a lot of Spanish-speaking guys, French-speaking guys, English-speaking guys... if you're so international, it's important that you have connectors in the team."

Midfielder Exequiel Palacios, a World Cup winner with Argentina, lauded Bade for jumping ahead of the learning curve.

"With Bade, the truth is that since he arrived, he's become a very strong player who demonstrates his organisational skills in defence," Palacios told AFP and other media on Thursday.

"As a player and as a person, he continues to surprise. I'm really happy he's here at Leverkusen."

Julian Alvarez has established himself as Atletico Madrid's key player but the club still need to prove to the Argentina international they belong among Europe's elite and can fulfil his ambitions.

The Rojiblancos visit to last season's semifinalists Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday is a fine opportunity to test their mettle.

Diego Simeone's side are unbeaten in six games across all competitions since they fell to a last minute defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in September.

Virgil van Dijk's stoppage time winner left Atletico with a familiar sinking feeling and compounded what had been a poor start domestically, on the back of a trophyless 2024/25 campaign.

In the following days there was renewed speculation Barcelona were interested in signing the striker next summer as a replacement for veteran Robert Lewandowski.

"People always talk," said Alvarez, neither fanning the flames of the rumours nor completely quashing them.

Alvarez joined Atletico in a deal worth 85 million euros ($99 million) from Manchester City in the summer of 2024 and scored 29 times in a strong first season.

Antoine Griezmann's influence on the team receded and Alvarez took up the reins, particularly in the second half of the campaign.

The striker had a controversially disallowed penalty in the shoot-out against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 last season as Atletico were knocked out, precipitating the collapse of their season.

The club rebuilt this summer and although they took a while to find their rhythm, Alvarez has raised his game to a higher level.

The 25-year-old scored a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano to claim a 3-2 win for his side, before netting twice against Real Madrid in a 5-2 rout of Atletico's arch-rivals.

Alvarez also scored and created two more goals as Atletico thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in their second Champions League match to get back on track in Europe.

Before that run of matches Alvarez appeared frustrated with Simeone, who hooked him repeatedly before the end of matches.

Alvarez later said lip-readers had got it wrong and he had not criticised his coach.

However after Alvarez's outburst and the Barcelona links, Simeone realised keeping the striker happy was a top priority.

"Julian is an extraordinary player, he is committed to the team, he is committed to the club, he is giving his all, obviously, and we are delighted to have him with us," said the coach.

"We have to take good care of him so that he stays with us for many years to come."

'I'D LOVE TO HAVE HIM'

Simeone said Alvarez, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, was Atletico's "best" player, in a rare break from his usual team-first approach.

Alvarez's performances have also drawn admiration from his former coach Pep Guardiola, who praised him last week.

"Julian had to compete with Erling (Haaland), which was something extraordinary for us. Now he's at one of the best teams in the world, Atletico Madrid, with a world-class coach and teammates, and he's performing incredibly well," said Man City boss Guardiola.

"Now I'd love to have him with me... but I understand (why he left)."

The striker won two Premier League titles and the Champions League during two impressive seasons at City.

Alvarez will not come up against many tougher defences than Mikel Arteta's Gunners at the Emirates.

Playmaker Alex Baena's return from injury is a boost for Atletico and Alvarez, who already showed signs of a good connection with the summer arrival on Saturday as Simeone's team edged Osasuna 1-0.

Baena had a goal disallowed for offside against Griezmann after a fine assist by Alvarez and it could be a fruitful combination in the future.

The key to keeping Alvarez happy, though, will be showing they can defeat teams of Arsenal's calibre on the way to silverware.

Uefa has turned down Eintracht Frankfurt's bid to relocate their Champions League clash with Napoli to a neutral venue after the German side's fans were banned from attending by local authorities, the Bundesliga club said on Friday.

The group-stage game will proceed as scheduled on 4 November without Frankfurt supporters after the Prefect of Naples issued an order prohibiting Napoli from selling approximately 2 500 tickets to travelling fans.

Frankfurt had submitted a request to Uefa, European soccer's governing body, to either move the game to a neutral venue or hold it behind closed doors, citing "safety and organisational deficiencies" at Napoli's stadium.

"The entirely different approaches from participating countries and national associations to high-risk matches... has now become a real problem for European fan culture and the integrity of European club competitions," the club's board member Philipp Reschke said in a statement.

"It's unacceptable that in most places, away fans are welcomed as a matter of course despite major challenges, while in others... away supporters are simply excluded by authorities in spite of identical circumstances and risks."

Frankfurt's complaints highlight a broader trend, with the club noting there have been 15 cases of official away fan bans in Uefa competitions since their supporters were first prohibited from Naples in 2023.

UEFA LOOKING INTO ADJUSTING REGULATIONS

The club added that Uefa had told them it is looking at changing the regulations in light of the rising number of bans, with Reschke saying the lack of away fans results in an "atmospheric and competitive disadvantage" on the pitch.

"Uefa regulations do not yet provide clubs who are unilaterally affected by official bans on away fans, or even the association itself, with any means of countering – or at least offsetting – this practice," Reschke added.

"Change will only be possible if the host clubs are given joint responsibility for official restrictions in future, and this way of dealing with security issues no longer unilaterally disadvantages visiting fans and visiting teams."

Reuters has contacted Uefa for comment.

Aston Villa said on Thursday that no away supporters would be allowed to attend their Europa League clash with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv on 6 November after police raised public safety concerns about potential protests.

However, on Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said fans of the Israeli side should not be barred from the match in Birmingham.

Uefa said on Thursday that it "wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment."

The governing body added that in all cases, "the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory".

Monaco defender Eric Dier, who injured his right hamstring during training on Thursday, is likely to miss next week’s reunion with former club Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, according to sources close to the club.

The 31-year-old centre-back, who faces further tests on his hamstring on Thursday evening, will definitely miss new coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s first game in charge at Angers in their Ligue 1 match on Saturday.

Dier spent 10 years in north London, making 365 appearances for Spurs including the 2019 Champions League final.

He left for Bayern Munich in 2024, going on to win the Bundesliga last season.

Dier’s absence is another blow for Monaco, who are already without Christian Mawissa, Vanderson, Denis Zakaria while Paul Pogba’s return is still in question.

Uefa on Thursday denied ongoing talks with Super League promoter A22 Sports Management but it admitted it had met the body, after the promoter told AFP it was "negotiating" with Uefa to create a new Champions League format.

"What A22 and the Super League clubs have done is to propose an agreement to Uefa that essentially consists of providing a free broadcasting platform and making very slight changes to the current competition format," said an A22 spokesperson.

In this version, a far cry from the initial semi-closed competition project that nearly tore apart European football in 2021, the 36 teams currently qualified for the Champions League would be divided into two groups of 18 clubs, with the highest-ranked teams then competing in the round of 32.

Uefa acknowledged several "public meetings" between its general secretary Theodore Theodoridis and A22 co-founder Anas Laghrari, but said they "produced no official results".

"There are no plans to change the Uefa Champions League format," Uefa said, having introduced a new format which came into effect from the 2024-25 season.

The developments come after Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who has long been at the forefront of the Super League project, expressed his desire for "an agreement with Uefa" to "pacify" European football.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi, the chair of the rebranded European Football Clubs (EFC, formerly European Club Association) welcomed Laporta's shift at the EFC meeting in Rome.

For Al-Khelaifi, Barca's rapprochement with the EFC and Uefa does not mean the end of the Super League project, because "it was already dead before".

"We don't need other competitions, we already have the best competitions," the Qatari added.

Title-holders Arsenal will kickstart their Women's Champions League defence when they host eight-time winners Lyon on Tuesday as the elite European club competition debuts its new format.

An 18-team league phase - in which all clubs play six matches, three at home and three away - has replaced the former 16-team group stage as the women's competition comes more into alignment with the men's version.

The top four in the standings qualify directly for the quarterfinals, while the teams finishing fifth to 12th will advance to a knockout play-off round.

With such high stakes, teams need to hit the ground running.

Reigning champions Arsenal could hardly have asked for a more difficult start to the new-look competition as they host French Premiere Ligue winners Lyon at Meadow Park in a repeat of last season's semi-final.

Arsenal emerged victorious from that two-legged tie 5-3 on aggregate, but come into this season's meeting on a poor run of form.

A 3-2 defeat at Women's Super League title rivals Manchester City on Saturday followed on from back-to-back draws against Manchester United and Aston Villa, leaving Renee Slegers's side fifth in the table.

The absence of injured captain Leah Williamson has exposed Arsenal's defensive frailties over their last three winless WSL outings.

"When we have momentum, capitalise, be ruthless and protect yourself really well for when the momentum shifts again," said Slegers after Saturday's defeat to Man City.

"I think that's definitely something we'll look at and that we want to do better. But heads up, looking forward to Lyon.

"We're going to do everything we can to recover from this one and show up in a really good Arsenal way on Tuesday."

Lyon, meanwhile, are rampant and sit top of their domestic league with a perfect four victories from four with 19 goals scored in the process.

HEADY START UNDER GIRALDEZ

Under new coach Jonatan Giraldez, the orchestrator of Barcelona's European dominance earlier in the 2020s, the early signs are that Lyon are going from strength to strength.

Ahead of their trip to Arsenal, they backed up a statement 6-1 win against last season's second-placed side, Paris Saint-Germain, by routing Lens 8-1 on Friday.

With an attack likely consisting of Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, as well as new star signing Jule Brand, the French side come into the clash with no shortage of high-quality forwards eager to get at Arsenal's backline.

Last season's runners-up, Barcelona, fell agonisingly short of winning a third consecutive Champions League in May but will be keen to put down a marker when they welcome German giants Bayern Munich also on Tuesday.

Many of the Barca squad will also be entering the Champions League this term with a score to settle following defeat in the showpiece match to Arsenal and a penalty shoot-out loss to England in the final of the Women's European Championship in July with Spain.

ONE SUCH PLAYER IS AITANA BONMATI.

Despite recently claiming a third consecutive Ballon d'Or, Bonmati will want to put last season behind her as she overcame a bout of viral meningitis in the summer, sandwiched between a Champions League final defeat and missing a penalty in the shoot-out of the Euros decider.

After scoring five goals in Barca's first three Liga F matches, the 27-year-old has failed to find the net since early September.

Bayern, undefeated and second in the Frauen-Bundesliga, will offer her the perfect high-profile occasion to respond to her critics.

Elsewhere on matchday one, English champions Chelsea visit Dutch side Twente and PSG travel to two-time winners Wolfsburg of Germany -- both on Wednesday.

Real Madrid host Roma, while Man United take on Norway's Valerenga and Juventus welcome Benfica.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insisted his team must learn how to defend better after conceding a last-gasp winner against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

The French side struck in the 90th minute through Goncalo Ramos to claim a 2-1 victory at the Olympic stadium in the league stage clash.

Barcelona's high defensive line was unpicked with Achraf Hakimi racing in and crossing for Ramos to finish, and Flick admitted PSG were operating on a higher level.

The Catalans were knocked out in the semifinals of last season's Champions League by Inter Milan as their defensive deficiencies were exposed, conceding seven goals across the two legs.

"With (the score at) 1-1 you have to defend better, have a better structure in the defence," Flick told reporters.

"We will learn this and we have to make it better next time against this quality of team."

HONEST FLICK

The German coach said PSG deserved to win the game and that his team were below their best and could not match the European champions on the night.

"There is no point in saying we are on the same level (but) I believe in my team – today wasn't our best day," continued Flick.

"We train to get better and better and this game today (will) help us a lot, also for the future. The whole team has to defend, the whole team has to attack...

"The philosophy that they (PSG) have, is fantastic. They have young players, they had high quality and speed on the ball, very, very good."

Flick said when his team were playing at their best they could match Luis Enrique's side.

"We could see today how the level of PSG is, I'm 100 per cent sure we can play like this," added the coach.

Mikel Arteta said his decision to give Martin Odegaard "total freedom" has helped the Arsenal captain after he starred in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Olympiacos.

Back in the starting line-up after a spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, Odegaard made up for lost time with an influential display against Olympiacos as Arsenal extended their perfect start to the Champions League.

The Norway midfielder was the catalyst for Gabriel Martinelli's 12th-minute opener before his deft ball into Bukayo Saka produced the Gunners' second goal in stoppage time.

"Martin has all the license in the world to go forward. To play with that freedom and that level of threat," Arteta said.

"Not only with the passes but the way he was taking the ball, carrying the ball, making runs, he was really dangerous.

"He should have scored a goal today. Great to have him back. He played some good minutes to help us win at Newcastle on Sunday as well."

Arsenal are at their best when Odegaard leads their pressing game high up the pitch, while sparking their attacks with his intelligent passing and movement.

Arteta believes Odegaard's qualities are perfectly matched with the high octane pace provided on the flanks by Martinelli, Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

'NOT A LOT OF PLAYERS CAN DO IT'

"We have to play with our qualities and when we have a front three with that pace we have to do that 100 per cent," Arteta said.

"That creativity part is his nature. It doesn't bring any extra pressure to him. It is his best ability. Not a lot of players can do it. It is his nature.

"He has total freedom from me to explore and feel the movement in the spaces. He has certainly done that in the last few games."

With Madueke currently injured and Saka working his way back to full fitness after a hamstring problem, Arteta was able to turn to Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as his wingers.

That strength in depth – bolstered by a summer spending spree on new signings – was a far cry from the problems Arteta faced during the latter stages of last season, when injuries dented Arsenal's bids to win the Premier League and Champions League.

"With all respect last season I was looking and we had five academy players that had never played professional football in the Champions League last season. So yeah it makes a difference," Arteta said.

"Today I changed six players because I want everyone to feel involved and feel part of it. It was great.

"Physically we were dropping because we played a really intense match at Newcastle. The ones who came in lifted the level and helped us win today."

Arteta said the ability to keep key players like Saka fresh will be especially vital as his side chase their first English title since 2004 and a maiden Champions League crown.

"Especially with Bukayo, he came from a long-term injury, he played 46, 60 and 70 minutes in a short space of time, so it was more risky," he said.

"We decided to play Gabby instead. It is great to have someone like him coming in with a different profile. He performed really well."

Title-holders Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 with a last-minute goal in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City had to settle for a draw in Monaco despite Erling Haaland's double.

Elsewhere there were comfortable wins for Arsenal and Newcastle United, as Napoli and Borussia Dortmund were among the other teams to claim victories on the second matchday of the league phase.

The meeting at Montjuic of the Spanish champions and the reigning French and European champions was one of the most eagerly anticipated of the opening stages of this season's competition.

It lived up to its billing, despite Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele missing out injured for an understrength PSG, with Lamine Yamal showing flashes of his brilliance for the hosts.

Barcelona went ahead in the 19th minute as a well-worked move ended with Marcus Rashford setting up Ferran Torres to score.

Senny Mayulu equalised late in the first half for PSG, and Achraf Hakimi set up substitute Goncalo Ramos to net a 90th-minute winner as PSG made it two victories from two outings in this season's Champions League.

"It was a great game between two really good sides," PSG coach Luis Enrique told Canal Plus. "It shows the strength and mentality of our side that whoever is on the field we play like a real team."

MAN CITY HELD BY MONACO

Haaland scored twice in the first half to move to 52 career Champions League goals from 50 appearances, but 2023 tournament winners City were held 2-2 in Monaco.

Jordan Teze's stunning hit in between Haaland's strikes kept Monaco in the game until they won a late penalty as Nico Gonzalez was penalised following a VAR review for a high boot on Eric Dier.

Dier got up to convert from the spot and give Monaco their first point in the competition, denying City a second win from as many outings.

"I don't know if it was a penalty but it was given. So that's that," City coach Pep Guardiola told TNT Sports. "It is what it is. We have a point and we will take it."

Arsenal maintained their 100 per cent record with a 2-0 defeat of Olympiakos in London, with Gabriel Martinelli following in to score a 12th-minute opener after a Viktor Gyokeres attempt hit the post.

The Gunners sealed the points in stoppage time as substitute Bukayo Saka scored with a shot that squirmed under Greek goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis.

"Winning in the Champions League is always very complicated. It is yet another clean sheet for the boys in the competition, which is remarkable," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

NEWCASTLE, DORTMUND SCORE FOUR

Earlier Newcastle got their campaign up and running by cruising to a 4-0 victory over Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels.

Nick Woltemade diverted a Sandro Tonali shot into the net for the opener, his third goal in four starts for the club.

Anthony Gordon then scored two penalties, either side of halftime, before substitute Harvey Barnes wrapped up the success late on.

Dortmund were also impressive winners, as the beaten 2024 finalists tore into Athletic Bilbao, winning 4-1.

Daniel Svensson put them ahead in the first half and Carney Chukwuemeka made it two soon after the interval.

Gorka Guruzeta got one back for Athletic, but Serhou Guirassy and Julian Brandt sealed a fine win for the German club.

In southern Italy, Rasmus Hojlund bagged a brace as Napoli claimed their maiden European victory this season, beating Sporting 2-1. Luis Suarez had equalised for the Portuguese champions at one point in the second half with a penalty.

Juventus, who drew 4-4 with Dortmund in a thriller in their opening game, played out a 2-2 stalemate with Villarreal in Spain.

Georges Mikautadze gave the hosts the lead, only for Federico Gatti to equalise with an overhead kick before Chico Conceicao gave the Italians the advantage.

But Renato Veiga, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus from Chelsea, headed in to earn Villarreal a draw.

Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven drew 1-1 in Germany, with Christian Kofane giving the hosts the lead only for Ismael Saibari to equalise for the Dutch side.

Qarabag are the sensation of the competition so far, the club from Azerbaijan following a win over Benfica two weeks ago by beating FC Copenhagen 2-0 in Baku.

Abdellah Zoubir and Emmanuel Addai got their goals and Qarabag are one of six teams on six points, along with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter Milan and Arsenal.

PSV Eindhoven fought back quickly after conceding a sloppy goal to hold German hosts Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Calamitous defending from the Dutch visitors allowed teenager Christian Kofane to pinch a 65th-minute goal at the Bay Arena, but PSV were quick to pull level, with Ismael Saibari thundering home a 72nd-minute equaliser.

It was a second draw for Leverkusen in the group phase, after being held at Copenhagen, while PSV picked up their first point following a surprise home loss to Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise in their opening fixture last month.

A defensive mix-up in their own penalty area saw captain Jerdy Schouten play a dangerous back pass to centre-back Armando Obispo, who failed to control it and offered the 19-year-old Kofane an opportunity to dispossess him and score from close range on his first Champions League start.

'DISAPPOINTMENT'

But the lead lasted all of seven minutes before Guus Til’s pull-back pass found Saibari in space and he did not hesitate as he unleashed a thunderbolt from close range to make it 1-1.

"There's disappointment, because I think we could have done better," Saibari said. "We kept coming out from under pressure, especially in the second half. Leverkusen also played well, so I think the 1-1 draw was a fair result."

PSV had the ball in Leverkusen’s net after four minutes when veteran Croatian international Ivan Perisic rose at the back post to head home Dennis Man’s cross, but a VAR check found Perisic was marginally offside and the goal was overturned.

It was an early signal that the Dutch champions would prove a handful, although it was Leverkusen who then dominated matters in the first half, with Alejandro Grimaldo rattling the woodwork from a tight angle in the 11th minute and Ernest Poku causing havoc down the left flank.

Grimaldo’s free-kick near the end of the opening half had PSV scrambling to defend, with Yarek Gasiorowski getting a glancing touch to take it away from Leverkusen’s attackers.

At the other end, the 36-year-old Perisic demonstrated his danger on the wing with a strong run to try to finish off a counter-attack opportunity, but he could not control his effort and sent it wide at halftime.

The second half was again full of endeavour but little in the way of clear chances right until the end of the game, when Leverkusen captain Grimaldo had an opportunity to win the match for his team but saw his shot saved by PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

Leverkusen’s next Champions League assignment is at home to holders Paris Saint-Germain on 21 October, the same night that PSV host Napoli.

Villarreal snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Renato Veiga's last-minute header denying the Italian side their first win.

Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal ahead in the 18th minute, finishing coolly into the far corner after Nicolas Pepe put him through inside the area. The hosts continued to threaten with Alfonso Pedraza and Tajon Buchanan, but Juventus keeper Mattia Perin denied both before the break.

Juventus rallied in the second half, equalising through Federico Gatti's acrobatic overhead kick in the 49th minute, before Francisco Conceicao gave them the lead seven minutes later, pouncing on a defensive error by Dani Parejo to slot home.

"The team understood what we needed to improve at the end of the first half," Conceicao said.

"We have to train a little better. We improved in the second half but couldn't get the win. But it must be said that we played a strong team."

Villarreal refused to give in, and Veiga, who spent half of last season at Juventus, rose highest to head in a corner from close range in the 90th minute, securing the hosts' first point of the campaign.

The Spaniards next play at Real Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday.

"I'm a bit pissed off because of that play and my loose ball," Parejo said.

"In any case, I'm very proud of the team's comeback. Now let's think about Madrid, a beautiful and special team that has only lost one game, and we are also in good form."

Juventus remain unbeaten across all competitions and will next host AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

Eric Dier's late penalty handed Monaco a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday as an Erling Haaland double was not enough to give Pep Guardiola's side the victory.

The Norwegian striker netted twice in the first half for City either side of a Jordan Teze stunner, taking his tally for the season to 11 goals in eight games in all competitions.

It looked as though the 2023 European champions would leave the principality with a second win in as many outings in this season's league phase, but they were denied by a 90th-minute spot-kick.

Nico Gonzalez was penalised for a high boot on Dier inside the area at a Monaco free-kick, with Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano eventually pointing to the spot after a long VAR check.

Dier stepped up to send Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way from the penalty, as Monaco claimed a first point in this season's Champions League and City moved onto four points from two outings following their win against Napoli last time out.

Haaland reached a half-century of goals in Europe's elite club competition when he scored in the 2-0 defeat of the Italian champions, and a double strike at the Stade Louis II leaves him on 52 from 50 career Champions League appearances.

The Norwegian scored twice late on in last Saturday's 5-1 Premier League defeat of Burnley, and he got the breakthrough quarter of an hour into this encounter.

Josko Gvardiol lifted a ball over the top of the Monaco defence into the box, and Haaland escaped the attention of his marker before meeting the pass with a lob over home goalkeeper Philipp Koehn.

This was the first meeting of the teams since a memorable last-16 tie in 2017, won on away goals by the principality side after it ended 6-6 on aggregate.

POGBA WATCHES ON

That Monaco team included a teenage Kylian Mbappe and also Bernardo Silva, who was wearing the captain's armband for City this time.

The home team drew level from their first shot of the match in the 18th minute, with Krepin Diatta cutting the ball back to the edge of the box for Teze, the Dutchman taking a touch before lashing in a brilliant right-foot shot from 20 metres high into the net past Donnarumma.

Monaco had Paul Pogba watching from the stands as the former Manchester United midfield star continues to build up fitness with the hope of soon making his debut after signing in the close season.

Without him they had an inexperienced midfield and were struggling to keep the visitors at bay, with City retaking the lead a minute before the interval when Haaland headed in a cross by Nico O'Reilly.

It seemed that would be enough for Guardiola's men to take all three points, but the contentious late penalty award gave England international Dier the opportunity to rescue a share of the spoils for Monaco.

Serhou Guirassy scored a goal and set up another as Borussia Dortmund beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at home on Wednesday for their first Champions League win of the season.

Karim Adeyemi supplied Daniel Svensson's opener before the half-hour mark and Carney Chukwuemeka added Dortmund's second early in the second half, his first goal since signing from Chelsea in the summer.

Dortmund promised more stability after starting their European campaign with a wild 4-4 draw at Juventus but invited Bilbao into the match, handing Gorka Guruzeta a goal with a defensive mix-up on the hour.

Dortmund looked shaky but Guirassy calmed their nerves, getting a boot to a Marcel Sabitzer shot to restore their two-goal lead with nine minutes remaining.

Julian Brandt then added a fourth for the hosts to wrap up the match in stoppage time.

Making their first Champions League appearance since 2014-15 and just their third overall, Bilbao missed the creativity of the injured Nico Williams.

The loss was their fifth in six games without the Spain winger, having scored just twice in that time.

Despite an unbeaten start to the season, coach Niko Kovac made good on his pre-match promise to rotate the side and get more minutes into the legs of his bench players.

Jobe Bellingham started his first match since August while Chukwuemeka made his full debut in the starting line-up.

Dortmund's lack of fluidity was evident early, particularly for Bellingham, who struggled to find his passing range.

The in-form Adeyemi created Dortmund's opener, burning down the right flank and threading a pass across the face of goal for Svensson to tap home.

The goal sparked Dortmund into life but their decision making was poor. Niklas Suele, making his first appearance of the season, opted for a long-range effort rather than passing to the unmarked Guirassy inside the box.

Chukwuemeka doubled Dortmund's lead on the 50 minutes, blasting in at the near post after being put into space by Guirassy.

Dortmund looked on course for a routine win but invited Bilbao back into the match with a clumsy defensive error. Suele failed to clear a ball in the box which fell to Guruzeta, who scored with ease.

The goal put the fright into Dortmund who struggled to get out of their own half.

Bilbao had a handful of half-chances to draw level and a goal ruled out for offside but Guirassy would put the hosts on track again, deflecting Sabitzer's shot into the goal for his sixth goal in seven games this season.

Brandt provided further gloss to the scoreline at the death.

Gabriel Martinelli extended Arsenal's perfect start in the Champions League as the Brazilian forward inspired a 2-0 victory against Olympiakos on Wednesday.

After winning 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao in their Champions League opener, Arsenal dispatched the Greek champions at the Emirates Stadium to maintain their 100 per cent record in the league phase.

Martinelli netted in the first half and Bukayo Saka wrapped up the points in the closing moments.

The north Londoners weren't at their best but still managed to grind out a seventh win from nine games in all competitions this season.

Mikel Arteta's men improved their impressive home record in the Champions League with a 10th clean sheet in their last 13 matches in the competition.

The Gunners are back in action on Saturday against West Ham as they aim to close the two-point gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Olympiakos' visit was a welcome trip down memory lane for Arteta, who was up against one of his childhood coaches in Jose Luis Mendilibar.

Aged 14, Arteta was in the Athletic Bilbao youth system where Mendilibar, now in charge of Olympiakos, was his coach.

Arteta still cites the lessons learned from his football education in Spain as pillars of his philosophy at Arsenal and the pupil put that wisdom to good use against his mentor.

England trio Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze were all dropped to the bench by Arteta as Martin Odegaard returned to the starting line-up after a shoulder injury.

SUBLIME ODEGAARD

Arteta's squad rotation produced the desired effect and Arsenal should have taken the lead inside 90 seconds.

Myles Lewis-Skelly ran unchallenged towards the Olympiakos penalty area and across to the unmarked Martinelli, who headed wide from six yards.

Martinelli made amends for his miss in the 12th minute.

Odegaard unfurled a pin-point pass that sliced through the Olympiakos defence towards Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres shrugged off his marker and smashed a fierce strike that cannoned back off the post to Martinelli, who slotted home from close range.

Odegaard had come off the bench to inspire the comeback for a 2-1 win at Newcastle on Sunday and the sublime ball that started the move underlined the Norway midfielder's importance to the Gunners.

Martinelli's third goal this season was no more than Arsenal deserved for a vibrant start but they were fortunate to remain ahead moments later.

Former Wolves winger Daniel Podence eluded the Arsenal rearguard for a volley that forced a superb save from David Raya.

Odegaard teed up Gyokeres for another dangerous raid but the striker's shot whistled over.

Picked out by Odegaard, Leandro Trossard had a chance to double the lead after the interval, but the Arsenal forward's attempt to loft his shot over Konstantinos Tzolakis from close range was repelled by the Olympiakos keeper.

Although Olympiakos had scored just once in their previous six Champions League matches, they carried a threat in patches and were only denied an equaliser by a tight offside decision that ruled out Chiquinho's finish.

Tzolakis made a brilliant double save to stop Odegaard before Saka came off the bench to put a flattering gloss on the scoreline in stoppage time.

Odegaard found Saka for a shot that was powerful but should have been dealt with Tzolakis, who allowed it to squirm through his legs into the net.

Rasmus Hojlund gave Napoli their first points in this season's Champions League with a brace in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in Naples.

Denmark striker Hojlund netted in each half to give Serie A champions Napoli a big win in front of relieved fans at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Both of the 22-year-old's strikes came via Kevin De Bruyne, whose magic boots conjured up both assists, denying Sporting who levelled in the 62nd minute through a Luis Suarez penalty.

De Bruyne was key to Napoli taking the lead in the 36th minute as he burst from in front of his own area before beautifully sliding through Hojlund, who calmly slotted past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva.

And he was supplier again with 11 minutes remaining with a teasing, inswinging cross from the left flank which allowed Hojlund to nip in front of Silva and head home the winning goal.

The home fans exploded with joy at Hojlund's third goal since arriving from Manchester United, as the hosts looked lost once Colombia forward Suarez stroked his spot-kick past Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

But De Bruyne was on hand to create the winner, a good sign for supporters after the Belgian star showed clear signs of irritation towards coach Antonio Conte when he was substituted in Sunday's 2-1 defeat at AC Milan.

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain stunned Barcelona with a 90th-minute Goncalo Ramos winner to claim a 2-1 away victory in the league stage on Wednesday.

Ferran Torres sent hosts Barcelona ahead with a cool finish but Senny Mayulu fired a depleted PSG level before halftime.

Ramos came off the bench and struck in the final minute at the Olympic stadium as the reigning European champions made it two wins from two in this season's league phase.

It was an even and thoroughly entertaining bout between two of the competition's favourites at the Olympic stadium which was eventually settled by Ramos' late strike, as PSG exploited Barca's high defensive line.

Hansi Flick selected Torres over veteran striker Robert Lewandowski and also benched Ronald Araujo for Eric Garcia, after the Uruguayan's red card against PSG in 2024.

PSG coach Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, was lacking several key players and his team held on at times but eventually got the better of last season's semifinalists.

Barcelona and PSG have not been on the best of terms over the past decade, with the Catalans recording one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the game in 2017 with a 6-1 win over the Parisians.

STARS MISSING FOR PSG

PSG snatching Neymar and going on to sign all-time Barca great Lionel Messi worsened relations, although Luis Enrique's approach and a spate of injuries left the visitors shorn of star names on their return to Catalonia.

Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and his usual attacking partners Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all missed out, but PSG midfielders Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz were fit to start despite doubts leading up to the game.

From kick-off Barca starlet Lamine Yamal was out to prove a point. After finishing as runner-up behind Dembele, the teenager started stating his case for next year's award.

Yamal pirouetted away from two defenders and dodged Nuno Mendes as a statement of intent, starting an enthralling battle with PSG's left-back.

The defender shut him down for Portugal in the Nations League in the summer and managed to dispossess the winger in the box a few minutes later to strike back in their individual tussle.

Yamal created the first clear chance with a sensational pass using the outside of his boot to send Torres through.

The Spaniard rounded goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier but Illia Zabarnyi slid in to block his goal-bound effort.

Barcelona took the lead in the 19th minute after Yamal and Pedri combined quickly and Torres slotted home from Marcus Rashford's quick first-time pass.

On loan from Manchester United, Rashford has created goals in each of his last four Barcelona appearances.

After half an hour PSG started to grow into the game and forced Wojciech Szczesny into his first save, tipping Achraf Hakimi's free-kick around the post.

MARAUDING MENDES

Mendes gave Yamal a taste of his own medicine by blazing away from the youngster and downfield, cutting through Barcelona players, only to be felled by a desperate Frenkie de Jong.

It showed the defender's pace was the best way to hurt Barca and Mendes repeated the trick to set up the equaliser.

Mendes ripped into Barca territory and Pau Cubarsi misjudged a lunge to try and cut out his pass for 19-year-old striker Mayulu, who beat Szczesny from just inside the area in the 38th minute.

Bradley Barcola fired narrowly over and then forced Szczesny into a solid save either side of the interval as the European champions clicked into a higher gear.

PSG were fortunate Mendes was not issued a second yellow for felling Yamal in full flow on the edge of the box as the pendulum swung back the other way.

Dani Olmo's shot was cleared off the line by Hakimi and PSG's Kang-in Lee curled against the post as the clock ticked down in an even second half.

Eventually Ramos grabbed three points for PSG as he stayed onside to collect Hakimi's pass, after the Moroccan got in behind Barca's defence, and tap home.

Qarabag made it two wins out of two in the Champions League with a 2-0 home victory over Copenhagen on Tuesday, a week after their 3-2 triumph at Benfica.

The Azerbaijani side opened the scoring when Pedro Bicalho struck the post from the outside the box in the 28th minute and captain Abdellah Zoubir reacted quickest to slot home the rebound from close range.

Qarabag struck again in the 83rd minute with an excellent individual goal from substitute Emmanuel Addai, who sealed the win with a low drive from outside the box after being set up by Nariman Akhundzada to spark celebrations in Baku.

Copenhagen, who were held to a draw by Bayer Leverkusen in their opener, host Borussia Dortmund on 21 October before Qarabag visit Spain's Athletic Bilbao the following day.

Anthony Gordon scored a pair of penalties as Newcastle eased to a 4-0 win away to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday to pick up their first points in the Champions League.

Nick Woltemade flicked in Sandro Tonali's shot to give Newcastle the lead in Brussels before Gordon converted twice from the spot on a comfortable night for Eddie Howe's men.

Harvey Barnes came off the bench to add a fourth as Newcastle responded well to a stinging Premier League defeat by Arsenal on Sunday and an opening loss in Europe to Barcelona two weeks ago.

Newcastle's two most expensive summer signings Woltemade and Anthony Elanga started alongside Gordon for the first time with the club looking to move on from the acrimonious departure of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

Woltemade struck his third goal since arriving from Stuttgart for a club-record £69 million ($92 million) fee, getting a touch on Tonali's volley to wrong-foot home goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen and give Newcastle the lead on 17 minutes.

Elanga earned a penalty shortly before half-time after he was clattered by Fedde Leysen, with Gordon tucking it away to double Newcastle's advantage at Anderlecht's stadium, Union's temporary home as their own does not meet UEFA standards.

Sweden international Elanga tested Scherpen straight after the interval before Union enjoyed their best spell. Nick Pope saved well from Adem Zorgane and Ousseynou Niang moments after Anan Khalaili steered narrowly wide for the Belgian champions.

Newcastle were awarded a second penalty following a VAR review for a handball by Kamiel Van de Perre, and Gordon made no mistake with another clinical spot-kick just past the hour.

Union, who beat PSV Eindhoven 3-1 on their Champions League debut last month, saw their 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to a jarring end as Barnes wrapped up a convincing Newcastle victory by rounding off a breathless counter-attack 10 minutes from time.

Liverpool started the season with seven straight wins as they threatened to sweep all before them but consecutive defeats underscore pressing issues that Arne Slot must address.

The Reds travelled to Galatasaray on Tuesday eager to bounce back from their defeat at Crystal Palace at the weekend, which ended their perfect record in the Premier League.

But a first-half penalty from Victor Osimhen put the home side ahead and Liverpool were unable to reply despite dominating possession and having 16 shots in Istanbul.

There is no reason for Slot to panic – Liverpool are still two points clear at the top of the Premier League and won their opening game in the Champions League league phase.

But a series of dramatic late winners have masked unconvincing performances since an expensive rebuild of the squad that strolled to the Premier League title last season, Slot's first as manager of the club since replacing Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool uncharacteristically splashed out nearly £450 million ($606 million) on new signings as the club sought to build from a position of strength.

Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million to sprinkle creative magic but the German has yet to score a goal or even register an assist in the Premier League or Champions League.

Club record signing Alexander Isak, who joined for £125 million, is still short of full fitness after his protracted transfer from Newcastle.

Hugo Ekitike is arguably the only one of the new signings to make his mark so far, scoring three Premier League goals, but he was absent against Crystal Palace after being sent off in Liverpool's League Cup win against Southampton.

Much of the focus has been on Wirtz, who arrived at Anfield with a reputation as one of the most promising talents in world football.

But ex-England captain Wayne Rooney has questioned where the German fits in, saying on his show on the BBC that he "damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play".

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also believes the balance of the team is not right and says Wirtz needs to be taken out of the firing line.

"He's just not at the races at all," he told CBS Sports. "He's a young boy coming into a new league – he has got plenty of time to go as a Liverpool player.

"But right now I think he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season and then go from there and build some confidence, build some defensive solidity.

"Because right now it is a mess. It's not the losses, it is not the defeats. This has been coming from day one."

Compounding the problems in attack, Mohamed Salah's form has dipped after a stellar campaign last season. The Egyptian was left out of the starting line-up in Turkey.

DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS

Liverpool also look vulnerable in defence, with French centre-back Ibrahima Konate coming in for heavy criticism over his performance against Palace.

The club are light on options in central defence alongside captain Virgil van Dijk, having missed out on signing Palace's Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day.

Defeat in Istanbul. #UCL pic.twitter.com/0fANZU8DLV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 30, 2025

Slot was given an extra headache when newly-signed Italian defender Giovanni Leoni, 18, suffered a knee injury on his debut last week that will sideline him for up to a year, while Joe Gomez has been a peripheral figure so far.

Liverpool are also getting used to a new pair of full-backs after years of sterling service from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Slot has brought in Jeremie Frimpong for the departed Alexander-Arnold at right-back and has preferred new signing Milos Kerkez to veteran left-back Andy Robertson.

Frimpong was criticised by the Dutch boss for his positioning in the late loss at Selhurst Park and was used as a winger in Turkey.

To make matters worse for Slot, influential goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss Saturday's tricky trip to Chelsea after picking up an injury in Istanbul while Ekitike is being assessed after limping off.

Van Dijk ssid "there shouldn't be panic" and it would be absurd to suggest Liverpool are in crisis after such a short blip.

But Slot certainly has food for thought as he faces his first major challenge on the pitch since he arrived at Anfield.