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The last showdown of Matchday 1 brings plenty of intrigue, as Tigres UANL and Chivas Guadalajara battle with crucial early-season stakes on the line. Tigres, currently in fifth with 14 points, are looking to climb into the top three with a win and solidify their place among the contenders. Chivas, riding the momentum of a statement victory over Club America …

Bodo/Glimt and Pafos each earned improbable draws away from home in their first Champions League matches on Wednesday. Two of this year’s European Cup debutants were in action at the same time in Wednesday’s early games, playing perhaps two of their kinder fixtures, with Bodo visiting Slavia Prague as Pafos faced Olympiacos. Bodo have greater European pedigree than Pafos, having …

Bayer Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes imagines going up against FC Copenhagen will be a special moment for new coach Kasper Hjulmand. Leverkusen appointed Hjulmand as Erik ten Hag’s successor earlier this month, with the former Denmark boss overseeing a 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in his opening Bundesliga match at the helm. Hjulmand’s focus now switches to a Champions League …

Chelsea suffered an early set-back on their return to the Champions League as Bayern Munich raced into a two-goal lead before Cole Palmer pulled one back at the Allianz Arena. A Trevor Chalobah own goal and Harry Kane penalty put the German champions in a commanding position approaching the half-hour mark, before Palmer finished sublimely to halve the deficit. On …

Tomorrow, Week Three of the NFL season kicks off when the Buffalo Bills look to improve to 3-0 on the campaign as they get set for a divisional matchup with the Miami Dolphins. With all 32 teams scheduled to play from Thursday to Monday night, let’s look at the five most interesting things to watch for during Week Three. This …

Week Two is now in the books, and we are left with more questions than answers regarding how this season will play out. We have identified seven hot takes from last week and will determine if they are overreactions or not. They certainly look like it through two weeks. But other teams are giving them a run for their money. …

Chelsea make their long-awaited return to the Champions League this evening, but it’s something of a baptism of fire with a trip to Munich to face the German champions. The Allianz Arena, however, conjures up fond memories for Blues fans. It was the backdrop for arguably the greatest night in the club’s history when they defeated Bayern to lift their …

Marcus Rashford is set to take the place of Lamine Yamal in the Barcelona line-up to face Newcastle United, but coach Hansi Flick needs “eight hours of rest” to decide on another selection issue for the Champions League clash. Barca will be without Yamal for their Champions League opener at St James’ Park due to a groin injury that also …

Liverpool give record signing Alexander Isak a starting role as Atletico Madrid come to Anfield in the Champions League. The Swede has not played club football this season after his protracted, big-money move from Newcastle but leads the line. Liverpool finished top of the newly-expanded league table last season and will be looking to reach further than the last 16 …

Eddie Howe is anticipating an incredible atmosphere at St James’ Park when Newcastle United host Barcelona in their Champions League opener. A meeting with the LaLiga champions represents a daunting start to Newcastle’s second Champions League campaign in three seasons, but it is also a fixture with great sentiment for the club. The Magpies famously beat Barcelona 3-2 in the …

Liverpool take on Atletico Madrid tonight, looking to open the league phase with a win in Europe’s elite club competition. The Merseysiders were beaten by PSG in last year’s Champions League and will be looking to go deep this time round after extending their 100 per cent record in the Premier League with a fortuitous 1-0 win at Burnley on …

Bayern Munich take on world champions Chelsea tonight hoping to make a positive start to their Champions League campaign. The Bundesliga leaders are among the favourites to win the European crown having not lifted the trophy for six years but won’t find it easy against a Chelsea side that continue to impress under Enzo Maresca. Bayern hammered Hamburg 5-0 at …

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is relishing the chance of facing Barcelona in their first match of their Champions League, a fixture he described as “historic”. The encounter at St. James’ Park will be the fifth meeting between the two clubs, with Newcastle winning the first match 3-2 back in September 1997 under Kenny Dalglish. Newcastle have, however, lost each …

Keith Andrews believes his Brentford side are “growing as a group” following their EFL Cup win over Aston Villa. After Harvey Elliott opened the scoring at Gtech Community Stadium, Aaron Hickey’s second-half equaliser forced penalties between the two Premier League sides. And the returning Mikkel Damsgaard struck the decisive spot-kick to seal a 4-2 victory in the shootout, sealing their …

It’s only Week 3, but Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be considered to be coaching for his job on Thursday Night Football. The Dolphins make the daunting trip to upstate New York to face their AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills having made a highly disappointing start to the season. With a humiliating loss to the Indianapolis Colts …