Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham is gradually making his mark after a slow start ahead of his return to England to face Manchester City on Wednesday.

Jobe joined Dortmund in the summer aged 19 for a reported fee of €30.5 million ($35 million) from Sunderland, among the most expensive transfers in Dortmund's history.

Jobe followed in the footsteps of his brother Jude, who moved to the Westfalenstadion five years earlier, aged 17.

Jude became one of the most sought-after players at Dortmund and is now a true superstar after moving to Real Madrid in 2023.

While Jobe has returned to England to play for the under-21s side he captains, Wednesday's match will be his first on English soil for his new club.

A big week in the #UCL 🍿 pic.twitter.com/cs69t0sLMu

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 3, 2025

Like City, Dortmund sit in the top eight, having won two and drawn one of their three Champions League games so far.

'ANXIETIES'

The younger Bellingham understood a move to Dortmund would provoke comparisons with Jude, but felt the club offered the best place for him to develop.

Like he did at Sunderland, the younger Bellingham has 'Jobe' on his jersey rather than his last name, due to his famous brother.

On arriving in Dortmund, Jobe admitted in pre-season comparisons with his older brother were on his mind.

"It's something you do think about. You have these anxieties, especially me as I'm only young," he told reporters, adding "I'm not perfect. I do think about these things."

With Jude's exploits in black and yellow fresh in the mind, Jobe took longer than many expected to find his feet in Germany.

A decent Club World Cup showing – Jobe started three games, scoring a goal and assisting another before missing a showdown with his brother due to a yellow card suspension – was followed by a more difficult time when the season started.

Jobe was hooked at halftime in his opening Bundesliga game. Jobe's father and agent Mark confronted Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl in the player tunnel after the match.

The incident forced Dortmund to publicly reiterate "the active area is and remains reserved for players, coaches and management, not families and advisors."

Jobe started his next league match but was then benched, only picking up minutes in the dying stages of matches and failing to record any goals or assists during his brief cameos.

In mid-October at Bayern Munich, Jobe made a high-profile error, failing to clear the ball off the goal-line, allowing Michael Olise to score what would eventually be the winner.

The setback seemed to spark the midfielder, however.

Three days later, Jobe started in the Champions League at Copenhagen, laying on two assists in a 4-2 win.

On Tuesday, Jobe helped create Dortmund's equaliser in a German Cup clash at Eintracht Frankfurt, which his side won on penalties.

And last Friday, the 20-year-old put his body on the line late to block a potential equaliser in the dying stages of a hard-fought 1-0 win at Augsburg.

A Dortmund source told German tabloid Bild on Monday Jobe was in line to start against City.

'A LOT OF QUALITY'

While the noise had grown louder around Jobe – perhaps also from inside the Bellingham family itself – Dortmund feel his development is not lagging, but actually ahead of schedule.

Speaking on Friday, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac praised the midfielder.

"You could see in our last game against Frankfurt what qualities he has. He's present. He's physical.

"I'm not concerned, on the contrary, I know what he can do.

"We're building him up slowly here and it's going even faster than what I had imagined myself, because the lad really has a lot of quality."

Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel echoed his coach's words, saying: "Jobe is doing great, he's been good in the last few games too.

"He's getting better week to week – outstanding."

Arsenal will be without Viktor Gyokeres for Tuesday's Champions League game at Slavia Prague after the Swedish striker picked up a muscle injury at the weekend, manager Mikel Arteta said on Monday.

Gyokeres scored the opener in Arsenal's 2-0 win at Burnley on Saturday, his fourth Premier League goal of the season, but did not emerge for the second half, and Arteta confirmed he would not feature in the match in Prague.

"He's definitely not available," Arteta told reporters.

"He hasn't trained today, and we need to do some more tests and scans in the next few days to understand the extent of the injury, but for this game he is not available."

Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal from Sporting in July for €55 million, has started 13 games this season for the club across the domestic league and the Champions League, and his absence is a worry for the manager.

"Concern because he hasn't had many muscular issues, and he had to leave the pitch, and he was feeling something," Arteta said.

"That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury, and we'll announce the moment we know more."

🚨Viktor Gyokeres hasn’t trained and hasn’t travelled today as Arsenal prepare to face Slavia Prague tomorrow.

The striker suffered a muscular injury against Burnley and is currently undergoing scans to determine the extent of the injury.

Mikel Arteta currently has no centre… pic.twitter.com/b48pJWZ6PV

— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) November 3, 2025

Gyokeres netted 39 league goals for Sporting last season, along with six in the Champions League and the Swede's injury comes just when he looked to be hitting his stride with Arsenal.

Saturday's goal was his first in the league since 13 September, and he also netted twice in the most recent Champions League game, a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

"Obviously he was very disappointed after the match with what he felt, but this is part of football," Arteta said.

"If you expect a linear line, everything going up, it's not going to happen, and if he's got something, he's going to have to deal with it, we will help him to do that.

"He was in a really good moment, in really good form, very important for the team. But for tomorrow, we don't have him, so that's it."

Arsenal have won all three Champions League games this season without conceding a goal while Slavia are still without a win in the league phase of the competition and are on two points.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says Bayern Munich know how to "hurt" Paris Saint-Germain as the Bavarians brace for their away clash with the Champions League title-holders on Tuesday.

PSG won the Champions League last year at Bayern's Allianz Arena home, thumping Inter Milan 5-0, but the Bavarian giants travel to the Parc des Princes in incredible form.

Bayern have won all 15 of their matches in all competitions so far this campaign, setting a record for the best-ever start in Europe's top-five leagues.

The 39-year-old captain said his side "don't have any fear" of the French champions, adding: "We love to play against PSG and we're playing to win."

Neuer, a two-time Champions League winner with Bayern, said the visitors have a clear plan to rattle PSG.

"We are both teams that like to have the ball, that's well-known, and perhaps we don't like to defend much," he said.

"There will certainly be opportunities to counter-attack. You have to be wide awake for that, and also try to have a good defensive structure against these strong and fast opponents.

"That's exactly how we want to hurt the Parisians."

Front-and-centre in Bayern's historic season has been the superb form of England captain Harry Kane.

Kane has 22 goals in Bayern's 15-game winning streak but has also been playing a greater creative role in the side, dropping deep to help out in build-up play.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told reporters Kane's "understanding of the role has evolved" this season.

"It's a bit of a mix of creating the conditions for him to do what he does really well, but ensuring he is where he needs to be to score goals," the Belgian said.

"Harry has a lot of experience and a good feeling for the game... Harry doesn't have a very different role to last year, but he's evolved in how he sees the role."

Bayern Munich will need to play a perfect game against holders Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday if they are to have any chance of protecting their record-breaking start to the season, coach Vincent Kompany said on Monday.

The German champions extended their record run in Europe's top five leagues with 15 wins from 15 games after a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

The previous best of 13 wins was held by AC Milan from 1992/3.

"I think you have to believe you can do it and then need a perfect game," Kompany told a press conference ahead of the match in the French capital.

"It's a classic answer. They are the winners of last season's Champions League and favourites this season. But we still have to believe in our chances."

Both Bayern and PSG have won all three of their Champions League matches so far and are level on goal difference. PSG are unbeaten in their last eight competitive matches.

Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who scored in PSG's win over Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup quarterfinals, is available for the match.

"With PSG it is the collective. It is not enough to concentrate on one player," Kompany said. "There is an individual aspect... but what makes this team so strong is they are working as a team in all phases of the game.

"The reality is we have similar conditions. It is not only about dominance but what the team communicated until now and we have communicated the same things and we have to see what will happen now. That is what people want to see."

"Whoever wins tomorrow will take a big step to get under the top eight (and qualify for the knockout stage)," Kompany said.

📌 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗨𝗣: All eyes on #PSGFCB 👀

Tomorrow night, a #UCL cracker awaits! 👊🔥 pic.twitter.com/FPpMdlVq6r

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) November 3, 2025

 

Trent Alexander-Arnold could face a rancorous reception when he returns to Anfield for Tuesday's Champions League game against Liverpool but the Real Madrid defender said no amount of hostility from fans could dampen his love for his boyhood club.

Liverpool-born Alexander-Arnold came up through the club's youth ranks and won two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with the Merseyside team.

His decision not to sign a new deal at the club prompted an angry response from many Liverpool supporters, who jeered him in a Premier League game against Arsenal in May after he said he wanted to experience a new challenge.

"I think whichever way I am received is the decision of the fans," Alexander-Arnold told Amazon Prime on Sunday. "I will always love the club. I will always be a fan of the club.

"No matter what, my feelings won't change towards Liverpool. I have got memories there that will last me a lifetime and no matter how I am received, that won't change."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot told reporters later that the 27-year-old could count on a warm welcome from him.

"I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me. I only have good memories from him as a player and as a human being," he said.

"I have memories of working with him that are only positive and memories of watching him when I'm in front of the TV and they are only positive. I can remember multiple great moments of him in a Liverpool shirt.

"Let's see if he is on the pitch and then how the fans react I've no clue but he gets a warm welcome from me, that's for sure."

Liverpool have struggled in recent weeks, suffering six defeats in their last eight games in all competitions, but Alexander-Arnold said no one at Real would underestimate the Premier League champions.

"It will be a very difficult game, the reception and atmosphere will contribute to that, but more so the football for me," he added.

"Although they haven't had the results of late, they're still a top footballing team, and nobody here thinks it's going to be an easy game."

Trent Alexander-Arnold's time at Liverpool was simply sensational 😮‍💨✨ pic.twitter.com/GeGbs1CguJ

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 3, 2025

 

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he will give Trent Alexander-Arnold a warm welcome when Real Madrid visit Anfield on Tuesday, even if the right-back receives a frosty reception from his formerly adoring fans.

The England international, a boyhood Reds fan, ran down his contract to join the Spanish giants in June for a nominal fee.

The 27-year-old played a huge role in the Reds' return to the top of English and European football under Jurgen Klopp and Slot, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

"I have great memories of the player and of the human being," said Slot, who won the Premier League during his only season working with Alexander-Arnold.

"I have memories working with him, which were only positive and I have memories when I was watching him in front of the television, which are only positive as well.

"I can remember multiple great moments of him wearing the Liverpool shirt."

The Dutchman told reporters on Monday: "He will get a warm welcome by me. Let's first wait and see if he's on the pitch tomorrow, and how our fans will react."

The England international was booed by Liverpool fans at times during his final few months at the club as his expected departure approached.

Liverpool have badly missed his presence in a difficult start to Slot's second season, with six defeats in their past eight games.

But the move to Spain is also yet to work out for Alexander-Arnold, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury and has found himself on the bench a number of times.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is expected to keep faith with Federico Valverde at right-back from the start of Tuesday's blockbuster Champions League clash.

Arne Slot confirmed Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak remain unavailable for tomorrow's clash with Real Madrid 💬

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 3, 2025

Just under a year ago Liverpool beat the 15-time European champions 2-0 at this stage of the competition.

However, Madrid arrive on Merseyside in far better form this time around, with French striker Kylian Mbappe in scintillating form.

Los Blancos are five points clear of Barcelona at the top of LaLiga and have a perfect record of three wins from three games in the league phase of the Champions League.

"They have always been a big force in this competition," said Slot. "A very good team, but we are a very good team as well."

Slot confirmed Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong are out injured, with only Isak in contention to return to face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ousmane Dembele, who scored in Paris St Germain's win over Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup quarterfinals, is available for Tuesday's Champions League clash between the French and German champions, PSG coach Luis Enrique said.

France striker Dembele, who had scored in stoppage time when a nine-man PSG beat Bayern 2-0 in July, left the field after feeling discomfort in his right thigh at Lorient last week, and only played 18 minutes in Saturday's Ligue 1 match against Nice.

"We do not take risks with any players. But Ousmane Dembele is fit, he has been in every training session for the last two weeks," Luis Enrique told reporters on Monday.

"He is improving his physical fitness and he will certainly play tomorrow. I do not know for how many minutes, but he will play because he is ready to compete."

Bayern have won every single match since their loss to European champions PSG. They have won 15 competitive matches in a row, including all nine in their Bundesliga campaign.

Both Bayern and PSG have won all three of their Champions League matches so far and are equal on goal difference.

PSG are unbeaten in their last eight competitive matches and the manager is confident of extending that streak at home against the Bavarians.

"We know how difficult it will be. We are ready and motivated to win," Luis Enrique said.

"I think there will be similar situations to what we saw in the United States last summer, with lots of intensity... in front of our supporters, with the atmosphere we created every game, we're confident that we can improve our performance level to try to overcome their pressure."

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield to face his former side Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday after a nearly immaculate start to life in the Spanish capital.

While Premier League giants Liverpool have just two wins in their last eight games, Alonso's Madrid are on a high, transformed from last season and improving weekly under the Basque manager.

The 15-time European champions beat Clasico rivals Barcelona last weekend in LaLiga and aim to flex their muscles in another high-calibre match against Arne Slot's Liverpool.

Their only defeat this season came in a 5-2 derby humiliation by Atletico Madrid and Alonso's side have progressed rapidly since.

Many Liverpool fans hoped the Spaniard would take the reins at Anfield when Jurgen Klopp announced he would leave the club at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Elegant on the ball, Alonso was the brains of Liverpool's midfield between 2004 and 2009. He was key to the 2005 Champions League triumph in Istanbul and won the FA Cup among other silverware before departing for Real Madrid.

Alonso stayed for an extra year at Bayer Leverkusen and instead stepped into Carlo Ancelotti's shoes after Madrid ended last season without a major trophy.

He has made a quick impact at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid winning 13 of their 14 matches this season.

Ancelotti found it hard to make his star-studded attack press opponents, but Alonso's side have been diligent. With greater intensity without the ball, Madrid are more sturdy.

"To win trophies you have to defend well, obtaining many clean sheets," said Alonso, as Madrid secured their seventh of the season in a 4-0 rout of Valencia on Saturday.

Spanish newspaper Marca wrote Madrid have "forged a new identity" and now "dominate, suffocate and subdue their opponents" – a far cry from the lethargy of Ancelotti's final season.

The Italian could not bring himself to drop Rodrygo Goes even though playing him with Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham made Madrid top heavy.

Now no team in Europe has more ball recoveries in the final third than Madrid.

Alonso has also shown his willingness to make tactical shifts during games and between matches, whereas Ancelotti's side were more predictible.

The coach decided his team will train before heading to Merseyside, so Liverpool get no hints to how he will approach the match.

"It's my decision (not to train at Anfield), we prefer to do it at home, in our space, so they don't put 200 cameras on us," said Alonso.

STARS RISING 

Alonso has also got the best out of his team's star players, with perhaps one exception.

Winger Vinicius showed his frustration with his coach publicly during the Clasico, substituted and storming off in a fit of histrionics.

The Brazilian made a public apology to the fans and the club, without mentioning his coach, although Alonso said the matter was resolved.

Vinicius impressed against Valencia despite missing a penalty, and Alonso's cautious handling may be the right way to keep the forward as a useful asset this season.

Mbappe is in sensational form, continuing his resurgence from the second half of last season.

The French forward missed a penalty last season at Anfield as Madrid fell to a 2-0 defeat. It was a low point as he struggled for confidence which Mbappe rebounded from.

Mbappe has 18 goals across all competitions already this season while adding pressing to his game at the behest of Alonso.

Another revitalised player is England international Jude Bellingham. With goals against Barcelona, Juventus and Valencia in the past fortnight, the midfielder is becoming key to Alonso's side.

Following shoulder surgery in the summer to fix a long-running problem, Alonso brought Bellingham back for his first start against Atletico as Los Blancos crumbled.

The coach recognised his error in rushing the Englishman back, and benched him for the next two games until he was ready to shine.

Alonso is also fashioning Turkish playmaker Arda Guler into a midfielder that can supplant the departures of stalwarts Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

The Spaniard wants to make his Anfield return an unhappy one for the hosts and prove his Madrid machine can compete for major silverware again as they continue to fit his mould.

Bayern Munich's trip to holders Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday is a test to determine where they stand among the European elite this season.

Bayern have won 15 from 15 matches in all competitions so far this campaign, setting a new record for the best start to a season in the top five European leagues.

The incredible start has Bayern dreaming of Champions League glory.

But taking on the European champions in their own back yard will provide the Bavarian giants with a clearer understanding of where they measure up.

Bayern have had an incredible start to the season, breaking a record set by AC Milan in 1992-93.

Bayern have only been behind for five minutes during their run, in Wednesday's 4-1 German Cup win over Cologne.

The Bavarians have beaten the teams placed second to fifth in the Bundesliga table domestically, as well as Club World Cup winners Chelsea.

Coach Vincent Kompany has Bayern firing across the park but the star of the show has undoubtedly been Harry Kane.

Far from resting on his laurels after finally lifting a trophy last season when Bayern won the Bundesliga, Kane has gone to another level.

The England captain has 22 goals in 15 games in all competitions, but his creative impact has been crucial with the injured Jamal Musiala out for six months.

Kompany has begun playing Kane as a number 10 and encouraging him to drop deep, sometimes as far as defensive midfield.

Even squad rotation has not stopped the Bayern machine from rolling on.

On Saturday, Kompany benched Kane, wingers Luis Diaz and Michael Olise along with central defender Dayot Upamecano for a match against Bayer Leverkusen, who Bayern had not beaten in the league since 2022.

The Bavarians were 3-0 up at halftime, with the reborn Serge Gnabry and improving Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson among the scorers.

"We've won 15 games, that's good. But it has to continue – it's not enough yet," Kompany told fans at Bayern's AGM on Sunday.

"I promise we will do everything to give you a successful season."

PSG DOMINATING IN EUROPE

Like Bayern, more often than not PSG can comfortably dispose of their domestic rivals and are judged by their European exploits.

Last season, PSG finally delivered on the continental stage, hitting form at just the right time.

The Parisians won their first Champions League title in June, thrashing Inter Milan at Bayern's Allianz Arena.

PSG are yet to hit their straps in Ligue 1 this season, but have saved their best performances for Europe.

With three games played – all victories – PSG sit atop the Champions League table, one place ahead of Bayern.

PSG won at Barcelona, thumped Atalanta and annihilated Leverkusen 7-2 away.

"Two top teams are meeting each other," said Bayern sporting director Max Eberl.

"We're going there, we're still unbeaten at the moment. We want to keep it that way."

Luciano Spalletti begins his Champions League salvage operation with Juventus on Tuesday night as the Italians face Sporting Lisbon in search of a first win in Europe this season.

Former Italy coach Spalletti got off to a winning start with his new team on Saturday with a 2-1 success at Cremonese in which his touch could already be seen after less than two days in charge.

Juve looked more threatening in the first half in Cremona than they had in most of their fixtures before Igor Tudor's sacking on Monday, and Spalletti managed to plug a yawning defensive gap by selecting Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in three-man defence.

It was the sort of unorthodox move which has the been the hallmark of Spalletti's long and eventful coaching career, right back to making Francesco Totti a "false nine" years before Pep Guardiola did the same with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

"It's the team that counts and not the individual. If you create a good rapport with everyone and they all feel the same way, then one day you wake up and feel like you've moved up a level,” Spalletti said on Saturday.

"You have to be brave, we are not in a situation where nobody is watching us. Either you play it the right way or you have to step aside."

Taking over Juventus is a chance for Spalletti, a hugely accomplished and influential coach, to rehabilitate his reputation after his nightmare period in charge of Italy which he called a "scar" after he was sacked in June.

And Juve fans are hoping that he can recreate the magic of his two years at Napoli, when he ended a 33-year wait for a Serie A title and earned himself the chance to coach the national team.

Now 66, Spalletti has always been an odd character even within the volatile confines of Italian football, and his spiky personality has caused run-ins with key players.

REBUILDING REPUTATIONS 

He famously fell out with Totti during his second spell at Roma nearly a decade ago, when he was frequently criticised by media, fans and Totti himself for not playing an ageing icon nearing retirement.

And in his next job at Inter Milan he had a months-long public spat with star striker Mauro Icardi, during which the Argentine's model wife (and agent) Wanda Nara would routinely harangue Spalletti during her regular appearances on a football chat show.

Reports of Spalletti clashing with his players also dogged his time as Italy boss, and he cannot afford another training ground bust-up in what could be his last big job.

"What's important is establishing relationships with the players, that's what I've always done," said Spalletti after Saturday's win.

"Let's hope I manage to do that here seeing as I didn't with the national team."

Spalletti has a near blank slate to work with as Juve have just two points from their first three Champions League matches and sit 25th, inside the elimination zone.

But he had to do without star player Kenan Yildiz and starting centre-back Lloyd Kelly at Cremonese, with neither player certain of being fit for Tuesday night.

Turkey playmaker Yildiz has a knee niggle which caused him to be left out of Saturday's match while Kelly has hurt his back, adding to the list of injured Juve defenders which already included Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer.

That crisis was what pushed Spalletti to move Koopmeiners to defence, while the goalscoring performances from Filip Kostic and Andrea Cambiaso on Saturday suggest he may have a trick or two up his sleeve in his bid to revive Italian football's Old Lady.

Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is the sole candidate for the 2028 Champions League final while Wembley and the renovated Camp Nou are both vying for the 2029 final, UEFA said on Friday.

Munich was the only city that stepped forward for the 2028 final after hosting it in 2025 when Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

Munich also hosted the elite European club final in 1979, 1993 and 1997 in the Olympic Stadium and 2012 and 2025 at the Allianz Arena.

This season the final is scheduled for the Puskas Arena in Budapest while the Metropolitano in Madrid hosts in 2027.

UEFA will decide between London and Barcelona for the 2029 final in September 2026.

Hugo Ekitike scored against his old club as Liverpool got back on track with a 5-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday while Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were among the night's other winners.

The Anfield side came into their trip to Germany reeling after a run of four consecutive defeats which included a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in their last Champions League outing.

They bounced back in style by coming from behind to hammer Eintracht, who suffered a second straight 5-1 defeat in Europe – having started their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win.

Rasmus Kristensen gave the hosts the lead but Ekitike broke away to equalise against the team he left in July in a £79 million deal.

Virgil van Dijk headed the visitors in front at a corner on 39 minutes and Ibrahima Konate made it 3-1 before the interval in almost identical fashion.

Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added further goals in the second half as Liverpool moved up to 10th in the 36-team league phase standings.

"I don't know if it's a statement but it is a win and something to build on," Van Dijk told broadcaster TNT Sports.

Van Dijk 🤳🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/7G3nFaMgHi

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 22, 2025

KANE SCORES AGAIN

Chelsea won by the same scoreline against Ajax at Stamford Bridge, in a match which featured an early red card and three first-half penalties.

Kenneth Taylor was sent off for the Dutch visitors before Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo scored for the Premier League side.

Wout Weghorst pulled one back from the spot for Ajax but Enzo Fernandez and Estevao both converted penalties before halftime for Chelsea.

Tyrique George rounded off the scoring in the second half as for the first time in Champions League history three teenagers scored for the same team.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#CFC | #UCL pic.twitter.com/yJiBTheqOl

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 22, 2025

"We trust a lot of young players," said Maresca after the goals for Guiu, Estevao and George. "That is the strategy of the club, but not only the ones that we buy. Also the ones from the academy."

Chelsea have now won their last two European outings since beginning their campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Bayern.

Ajax, meanwhile, are bottom of the standings as one of only two teams without a point after three games – the other is Jose Mourinho's Benfica.

The Premier League clubs get the biggest wins in Wednesday's #UCL action 🇪🇺⚽#SSUCL pic.twitter.com/4Fm5kLKloe

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 22, 2025

Bayern are one of five teams with the maximum nine points as Harry Kane scored his 20th goal in 12 club appearances this season in a 4-0 cruise against Club Brugge at the Allianz Arena.

Lennart Karl, 17, got the opener before Kane, Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson also hit the target for the Bundesliga champions.

Brilliant Champions League night at the Allianz. Congrats Lennart Karl on a night to remember! Gotta keep this momentum going 🙌 pic.twitter.com/2oKn7dl0Mk

— Harry Kane (@HKane) October 22, 2025

Madrid also have nine points following a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu as England captain Kane's compatriot Jude Bellingham scored for the first time this season.

The goal came just before the hour mark, with Bellingham converting the rebound after Vinicius hit the upright. Juventus have now gone seven games without a win.

NEW SCREENSAVER UNLOCKED pic.twitter.com/6f7mA0dLa7

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 22, 2025

"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, but it was an important win against a big team," Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Movistar.

SPURS DRAW WITH MONACO

Tottenham Hotspur became the only one of England's six representatives to fail to win this midweek as they were held to a 0-0 draw away to Monaco.

In Lisbon, Portuguese champions Sporting came from behind to defeat Marseille 2-1 in a game which hinged on a red card in first-half stoppage time.

Igor Paixao's stunner put Marseille ahead, but Emerson Palmieri was dismissed for a second yellow for diving after a decision to award him a penalty was overturned.

Sporting used the extra man to equalise in the second half through Geny Catamo before Alisson Santos got their winner.

Nigeria superstar Victor Osimhen netted twice as Galatasaray beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in Istanbul, with Yunus Akgun scoring their other goal before Andreas Helmersen pulled one back.

Athletic Bilbao beat Qarabag of Azerbaijan 3-1 at San Mames, coming from behind after Leandro Andrade had given the visitors a first-minute lead. Gorka Guruzeta bagged a brace for the Basque side either side of a Robert Navarro goal.

Atalanta and Slavia Prague drew 0-0 in the night's other game.

Here's how things stand after three matches in the #UCL 🔢#SSUCL pic.twitter.com/8iojZ0xE3r

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 22, 2025

The next round of Champions League action in a fortnight will include clashes between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern, and Liverpool and Real.

Athletic Bilbao conceded an opening-minute goal but came back to beat Qarabag 3-1 at home on Wednesday, earning their first points of this season's Champions League against the Azerbaijani side which had won their opening two games.

Bilbao had lost to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund while Qarabag had beaten both Benfica and Copenhagen, and after a nightmare start at the San Mames stadium, a Gorka Guruzeta double helped the Basque side kickstart their European campaign.

The visitors went in front after 48 seconds, the quickest Champions League goal this season, after Bilbao defenders Aymeric Laporte and Aitor Paredes failed to deal with a throw-in and Leandro Andrade nipped in to fire past Unai Simon.

Bilbao hit back five minutes before the break when a long ball over the top from Mikel Jauregizar sent Guruzeta racing into the box to smash his low shot under keeper Mateusz Kochalski.

Athletic continued to create chances after the interval, Kochalski denying Guruzeta, and a ball to the back post bounced off the chest of Paredes and over the Qarabag bar, before substitute Robert Navarro scored 20 minutes from time.

Navarro, who had been on the pitch five minutes after replacing Nico Williams, hit a stunning strike from the edge of the area which found the far top corner, and Guruzeta wrapped up the win two minutes from time with a shot from distance.

Bilbao are away to Newcastle United on 5 November, with Qarabag hosting Chelsea the same day.

Galatasaray made the most of a litany of errors by Norwegian visitors Bodo/Glimt as they cruised to a 3-1 home win in the Champions League on Wednesday, with striker Victor Osimhen netting twice for the Turkish side in the first half.

Osimhen wasted no time giving the home side an early lead, sweeping a sumptuous first-time finish past Nikita Haikin in the third minute as the Norwegian side was quickly punished for giving the ball away cheaply in midfield.

Osimhen doubled his tally in the 33rd minute after another error. Under pressure as he ran infield, Bodo left-back Fredrik Bjorkan inexplicably passed the ball straight to Osimhen in a central position, and the forward gratefully tucked the ball away.

Bodo created some decent chances of their own but were made to pay again on the hour mark as centre-back Haitam Aleesami was robbed just outside his penalty area by Osimhen, and Yunus Akgun was able to score at the second attempt to make it 3-0.

Osimhen had plenty of opportunities to complete his hat-trick but he was thwarted by keeper Haikin, and Bodo substitute Andreas Helmersen was able to head home a close-range consolation goal in the 76th minute as his side finished strongly.

With seven games kicking off later on Wednesday, the win leaves Galatasaray on six points from three games, while Bodo/Glimt have two points ahead of their home clash with Monaco of France in two weeks.

Galatasaray are next away at Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.

Atalanta were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Slavia Prague in their Champions League meeting on Wednesday in a game of spurned chances and saves from both keepers.

The hosts move on to four points after losing 4-0 away to champions Paris St Germain before beating Club Brugge 2-1, while Slavia are on two points having opened with a 2-2 draw at home to Bodo/Glimt followed by a 3-0 defeat at Inter Milan.

Atalanta created two early chances in quick succession, with defender Odilon Kossounou racing through on goal but sending his shot straight at Slavia keeper Jakub Markovic, who then parried away Charles De Ketelaere's strike from distance.

Markovic later made a point-blank save from Nikola Krstovic's close-range effort and at the other end, Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi made an excellent stop to deny David Moses on the stroke of halftime.

Carnesecchi saved a Lukas Provod free kick while Kamaldeen Sulemana came off the bench for the hosts but failed to net when through one-on-one with the keeper.

Another Atalanta substitute, Gianluca Scamacca, had a late chance saved by Markovic and both sides will feel they did enough to earn the win but had to settle for a share of the spoils. Atalanta are away to Olympique de Marseille next while Slavia host Arsenal.

Monaco’s poor start to their Champions League campaign continued when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Tottenham Hotspur in new coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s first game in charge in the competition.

The Ligue 1 side, who have two points from three games, had the clearest chances but Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario proved decisive between the posts.

Tottenham, who conceded more than 20 shots in a one-sided encounter, are 15th in the 36-team table on five points while Monaco sit in 27th place, in the elimination zone.

We take a point back to North London. pic.twitter.com/IZDH3xezUW

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 22, 2025

Monaco next face Bodo/Glimt away while Spurs will entertain Copenhagen.

The hosts started strongly at Stade Louis-II, pressing high and threatening through Maghnes Akliouche and Mamadou Coulibaly.

Folarin Balogun had the first clear chance after 10 minutes, breaking free on the right before Vicario blocked his shot. Akliouche then forced another save with a curling effort from the left.

Vicario, who made eight saves on the night, continued to keep Tottenham afloat after the break.

First, the Italian frustrated Aleksandr Golovin, diving sharply to his left to parry the Russian midfielder’s right-footed curling shot that was bound for the far corner in the 67th minute.

Eight minutes later, he denied Dutch defender Jordan Teze, whose powerful close-range header from a Caio Henrique cross was pushed away as the Spurs keeper’s reflexes once again preserved their clean sheet in the face of persistent Monaco pressure.

"Not the best performance from us, so a lot to learn from this game because the level in the Champions League is very high," said Vicario.

"It's a point that we have to take. Of course, it's a tough point because we had to battle tonight, we had to suffer a lot."

Vic reflects on our goalless draw in Monaco 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/o8ZBEDhYuo

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 22, 2025

Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos came off the bench in the second half to inspire hosts Sporting to a late 2-1 comeback win over Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ligue 1 leaders Marseille, who were on a five-match winning run across all competitions, dropped to 18th in the table with three points, while Sporting climbed to 11th on six points with their second win in the competition.

A late win for Sporting CP in Lisbon 🟢⚪#UCL pic.twitter.com/YqtHCIgNYf

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 22, 2025

The hosts sought to apply pressure from the outset but Igor Paixao put Marseille ahead in the 14th minute, collecting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cross-field pass on the left before cutting inside his marker and curling a fine shot into the far corner for his third goal in as many Champions League games this season.

Marseille looked set to double their lead just before halftime when they were awarded a penalty for an apparent foul on Emerson Palmieri. However, after a VAR review the decision was overturned, and in a dramatic twist the Brazilian was shown a second yellow card for simulation.

With their numerical advantage, Sporting pushed forward as Marseille sat deeper to protect their lead.

Geovany Quenda's pace repeatedly troubled the visitors, the 18-year-old forcing Geronimo Rulli to push his shot onto the post before the goalkeeper denied Joao Simoes with his legs.

The pressure finally paid off in the 69th minute as Catamo came off the bench and drew Sporting level with a crisp low strike, the equaliser standing after a VAR review overturned an initial offside call.

Santos sealed the comeback in the 86th minute, cutting in from the left and firing a deflected shot into the top corner.

How to celebrate a goal by @11alissonsantos 🏄‍♂️ #SCPOM #UCL pic.twitter.com/QgMKX0MZwS

— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) October 22, 2025

Sporting's Maximiliano Araujo was shown a red card in stoppage time, but VAR downgraded it to yellow, allowing the hosts to clinch the win with all 11 players on the pitch.

Bayern Munich outclassed visitors Club Brugge 4-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday with three goals in the first 34 minutes to maintain their flawless start to the season and make it three wins from three matches in the competition.

The German champions have now won all 12 matches across all competitions this season while also staking an early claim for a Champions League knockout stage spot with a maximum nine points.

A new German record 💫

12 wins from 12 in all competitions this season. pic.twitter.com/YeWZFZMMVu

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2025

First half goals from 17-year-old Lennart Karl, who became the youngest German scorer in the competition, Harry Kane and Luis Diaz in the 34th minute sealed the game before substitute Nicolas Jackson added another in the 79th.

Bayern next travel to defending champions Paris St Germain on November 4 while Brugge, sitting on three points from three matches, host Barcelona a day later.

The Bavarians were the clear favourites and Karl's sensational solo effort and powerful shot in the fifth minute put them early in the driving seat as the record-breaking teenager celebrated a memorable first start in the Champions League.

England captain Kane then tapped in at the far post after a perfectly-timed cutback from Konrad Laimer in the 14th to confirm his sensational scoring form and take his tally to 20 goals in 12 matches across all competitions with Bayern this season.

This is faster to 20 goals than Argentine great Lionel Messi or Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo have ever managed from the start of a season in their club careers.

The Belgians never got a chance to get back in the game, and Diaz found enough space to cut into the box and fire an unstoppable shot to make it 3-0 and put the game to bed in the 34th.

The Bavarians, who lead the Bundesliga title race with seven wins from seven matches, could have added to their tally, missing half a dozen golden chances and twice hitting the woodwork, as the Belgians struggled with the hosts' fierce tempo.

Kane should have scored a second goal in the 58th when he had only the keeper to beat but his attempted chip was plucked out of the air by Nordin Jackers, as the hosts wasted chance after chance.

Jackson, who had an effort cleared on the line minutes earlier, made amends in the 79th, tapping in to complete a quick break and cap a dominant performance by the hosts.

Liverpool broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Hugo Ekitike scoring for the English champions against his former club.

After Ekitike levelled for Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all grabbed goals, the latter two assisted by Florian Wirtz on his return to Germany.

Tonight's goalscorers 🎯 pic.twitter.com/csmcrDizyB

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 22, 2025

Liverpool came into Wednesday's match staring down the barrel of their worst losing run in 73 years dating back to 1953-54, when they were relegated from the top flight.

Arne Slot benched the out-of-form Mohamed Salah and Liverpool conceded first for the fifth straight game when Rasmus Kristensen scored on the counter.

The Reds soon kicked into gear however, scoring three goals inside 10 minutes to take a 3-1 lead at halftime.

Wirtz, who had no goals or assists in the Premier League or Champions League since his big-money arrival at Anfield, laid on second-half goals for Gakpo and Szoboszlai to put the match to bed.

While Wirtz broke his goal contribution duck, Alexander Isak again failed to fire and was subbed off at halftime for Federico Chiesa.

The win will do Liverpool's confidence the world of good but Arne Slot's side will face bigger tests than Frankfurt, who have now conceded 23 goals in their past six games.

With 26 minutes gone, Nathaniel Brown picked Wirtz's pocket before Frankfurt thundered up the field, Mario Goetze finding Kristensen who swapped to his preferred right foot and hammered home the opener.

Frankfurt were pushing for a second on 35 minutes when Andy Robertson won possession and played a superb long-range pass from deep to the breaking Ekitike.

The former Frankfurt forward collected the pass, advanced goalwards and slid it under Michael Zetterer, before raising his palms to apologise to the home fans.

The goal came against the run of play but sent a jolt through Liverpool.

The Reds were two up just four minutes later when Van Dijk powered past his helpless marker, the slight winger Ansgar Knauff, to head in a Cody Gakpo corner.

One minute before the interval, Van Dijk's centre-back partner Konate repeated the trick, again powering past Knauff to head in a corner.

Wirtz had a mixed opening half but looked more assured when Liverpool got on the front foot.

The Germany midfielder laid on goals for Gakpo and Szoboszlai inside four second-half minutes to put Liverpool on track for a big win.

A win on MD3 🙌 #UCL pic.twitter.com/NoAncnbtJN

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 22, 2025

Chelsea took full advantage of an early red card for Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor to thrash the Dutch giants 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Enzo Maresca's gamble in making 10 changes paid off as Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo struck before Enzo Fernandez and Estevao converted from the penalty spot in the first half.

Tyrique George rounded off the scoring in the second half as Chelsea made it back-to-back Champions League wins after an opening night defeat at Bayern Munich.

𝐓𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 ⚡

The Chelsea youngster is off the bench and onto the scoresheet 🎯

📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/q6fpgeSX72

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 22, 2025

The Blues climb to 11th in the table, while Ajax remain rooted to the bottom of the Champions League standings.

Ajax arrived in London without a point or even a goal so far in this season's Champions League.

With Chelsea bearing the brunt of an injury crisis on the back of winning the Club World Cup in July, Maresca clearly targeted the visit of the four-time European champions as one he could afford to rest a number of his key players for.

Only Romeo Lavia, who came off at halftime at the City Ground, was retained from the side that won 3-0 at Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

However, that included the return of Fernandez from injury, the club's record signing in Caicedo and Brazilian wonder kid Estevao.

Ajax were soundly beaten by Inter Milan and Marseille in their opening two games and saw any hope of an upturn in fortunes disappear once VAR intervened to see Taylor's high challenge on Facundo Buonanotte upgraded from a yellow to a red card on 15 minutes.

Ajax lose their captain to a direct red card ©️🔴

📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/QLJSCf42GW

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 22, 2025

Maresca had to face questions on Chelsea's discipline in the pre-match press conference after his side had a man sent off in four of their last six games.

This time, they made the numerical advantage count.

From the resulting free-kick after Taylor's dismissal, Guiu turned home Wesley Fofana's header back across the box.

Caicedo had just three Chelsea goals since his £115 million move from Brighton in 2023 prior to this season, but now has four already this campaign.

The Ecuadorian had some good fortune as his shot deflected in off Josip Sutalo.

Ajax were briefly offered a lifeline when Tosin Adarabioyo trod on the foot of Raul Moro and Wout Weghorst converted from the penalty spot.

However, there were two more spot-kicks before the break to allow Chelsea to kill the game off.

Weghorst was penalised for a trip on Fernandez, who dusted himself off to slot home.

Estevao then fired in the first of what are likely to be many Champions League goals.

The 18-year-old won the penalty and confidently dispatched it high past Remko Pasveer.

Maresca made four more changes to start the second half with Fernandez and Caicedo among those withdrawn.

George took just three minutes to make his mark off the bench with a precise low finish from Andrey Santos's backheel.