World Soccer Talk: August 2019

Saturday, 31 August 2019

Where to find River Plate vs. Boca Juniors on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch River Plate vs. Boca Juniors in the Superliga Argentina, you’ve come to the right place, which you can also stream to your TV.

In previous years, it’s been difficult to find the game on US airwaves, but here’s all of the info you need below.

Match: River Plate vs. Boca Juniors

Kickoff: Sunday, 4pm ET

Looking to watch River Plate vs. Boca Juniors online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

Worldwide except South America, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: River Plate vs. Boca Juniors
What: Superliga Argentina
When: Game kicks off at 4pm ET / 1pm PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on TyC Sports, Fanatiz and fuboTV (free trial)

With Fanatiz, you can watch River Plate vs. Boca Juniors and tons of other games from South America. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone or tablet.

Soccer fans can subscribe to Fanatiz for only $9.99 per month, with a 7 day free-trial. But even better, Fanatiz is offering an exclusive deal to readers of World Soccer Talk where you can get 50% off Fanatiz for the first 3 months of service.

To get the 50% discount, visit the Fanatiz website (the offer is not available via the app) and then enter coupon code wstfz2 at checkout to get your savings.

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Where to find Villarreal vs. Real Madrid on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Villarreal vs. Real Madrid in LaLiga, you’ve come to the right place, which you can also stream to your TV.

With Comcast Xfinity and DIRECTV dropping beIN SPORTS, be sure you don’t miss out on the LaLiga season, which you can watch for free with a trial to Sling World Sports. More details below.

Match: Villarreal vs. Real Madrid

Kickoff: Sunday, 3pm ET

Looking to watch Villarreal vs. Real Madrid online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming:

Who: Villarreal vs. Real Madrid
What: LaLiga, gameweek 3
When: Game kicks off at 3pm ET / Noon PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, fuboTV, Fanatiz, Sling Latino and Sling World Sports (free trial)

With Sling World Sports, you get beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, Willow TV (for cricket), Outside TV and Nautical TV.

The Sling World Sports app is available on Windows 10, Chrome browser on Windows or Mac computers, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire tablet (running Android 4.4.2+), Amazon Cube, Roku players and Roku smart TVs, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Android TV, AirTV Player, ZTE, Channel Master, Apple iOS 8 (& higher) phones & tablets, Android 4.0.3 (and higher) phones & tablets and Xbox One.

Sling World Sports streams La Liga, Ligue 1, Turkish Super Lig, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and much more.

Soccer fans can subscribe to Sling World Sports for only $10 per month after a 7 day free-trial.

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Where to find Cagliari vs. Inter Milan on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Cagliari vs. Inter Milan in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Serie A match.

Cagliari vs. Inter Milan is available exclusively via ESPN+ but will not be on television. However, you can stream the game from ESPN+ to your TV set.

League: Serie A

Genre: Sports

Looking to watch Serie A matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Cagliari vs. Inter Milan
What: Serie A, gameweek 2
When: Game kicks off at 2:45pm ET / 11:45am PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on ESPN+

With ESPN+, you can watch Cagliari vs. Inter Milan and tons more Serie A games. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and XBOX One.

Now with ESPN+, you can stream Serie A, UEFA Nations League, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Copa America, US Open Cup, International Champions Cup, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, Eredivisie, Danish Superliga, Chinese Super League, Indian Super League, Australian A-League, Sweden’s Allsvenskan, MLS out-of-market games and USL.

ESPN+ is only $4.99/month.

In addition to all of the soccer coverage, ESPN+ also includes a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, NHL, select PGA TOUR golf, Top Rank Boxing and Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon to the US Open and Australian Open. Plus you get instant access to your favorite college sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, softball and more.

There’s also the daily ESPN FC show, 30 For 30 documentaries, exclusive access to studio programs and more.

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Where to find Lazio vs. Roma on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Lazio vs. Roma in Serie A, you’ve come to the right place, which you can also stream to your TV.

Be sure you don’t miss out on the Serie A season, which you can watch select games for free with a trial to Sling Orange. More details below.

Match: Lazio vs. Roma

Kickoff: Sunday, Noon ET

Looking to watch Lazio vs. Roma online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming:

Who: Lazio vs. Roma
What: Serie A, gameweek 2
When: Game kicks off at Noon ET / 9am PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling Orange, Hulu Live and AT&T TV Now (free trial)

With Sling Orange, you get A&E, Adult Swim, AMC, BBC America, Bloomberg, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, El Rey Network, ESPN, ESPN2 ESPN3, Flama, Food Network, Free Form, HGTV, History Channel, IFC, Lifetime, Local Now, Newsy, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Viceland.

The Sling Orange app is available on Windows 10, Chrome browser on Windows or Mac computers, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire tablet (running Android 4.4.2+), Amazon Cube, Roku players and Roku smart TVs, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Android TV, AirTV Player, ZTE, Channel Master, Apple iOS 8 (& higher) phones & tablets, Android 4.0.3 (and higher) phones & tablets and Xbox One.

Sling Orange streams select games from Serie A, MLS, USMNT, USWNT, Euro 2020, USL and more.

Soccer fans can subscribe to Sling Orange for only $25 per month after a 7 day free-trial.

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Where to find Arsenal vs. Spurs on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Arsenal vs. Spurs on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place.

For viewers in the US, Arsenal vs. Spurs will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below).

Match: Arsenal vs. Spurs

Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30am ET

Looking to watch Arsenal vs. Spurs online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Arsenal vs. Spurs
What: Premier League, gameweek 4
When: Game kicks off at 11:30am ET / 7:30am PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV, Hulu Live, Sling Blue, AT&T TV Now and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

With fuboTV, you can watch Arsenal vs. Spurs and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast.

Now with fuboTV, you can stream NBCSN, FS1, FS2 as well as beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, NBC (in select cities), CNBC, USA, FOX (in select cities), FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports Net, RAI Italia, Telemundo, Univision, Univision Deportes, UniMas, Eleven Sports, CBS, CSN, RAI Italia and YES.

Plus fuboTV, the legal streaming service, also streams Serie A, La Liga, Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, Bundesliga, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and Euro 2020 qualifiers.

The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Android tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle.

Here are the steps to take to watch the Arsenal vs. Spurs game with your free fuboTV trial:

1. Click on this link for the fuboTV 7-day trial.

2. Click on the red ‘Start for free’ button (see screengrab below)

3. On the login page, enter your e-mail address to sign up (or you can use your Facebook or Google logins) (see screengrab below)

4. After entering your login details and signing up for the free trial, you’ll be taken to the fuboTV main screen (see screengrab below)

5. From here, you can either scroll down the page to see the TV listings which include the Arsenal vs. Spurs game (see screengrab below)

6. Or you can click on the ‘Guide’ button at the top to see all of the channels available to you, which will include NBCSN featuring Arsenal vs. Spurs (see screengrab below)

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

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Where to find Everton vs. Wolves on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Everton vs. Wolves on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place.

For viewers in the US, Everton vs. Wolves will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below).

Match: Everton vs. Wolves

Kickoff: Sunday, 9am ET

Looking to watch Everton vs. Wolves online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Everton vs. Wolves
What: Premier League, gameweek 4
When: Game kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV, Hulu Live, Sling Blue, AT&T TV Now and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

With fuboTV, you can watch Everton vs. Wolves and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast.

The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Android tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle.

Here are the steps to take to watch the Everton vs. Wolves game with your free fuboTV trial:

1. Click on this link for the fuboTV 7-day trial.

2. Click on the red ‘Start for free’ button (see screengrab below)

3. On the login page, enter your e-mail address to sign up (or you can use your Facebook or Google logins) (see screengrab below)

4. After entering your login details and signing up for the free trial, you’ll be taken to the fuboTV main screen (see screengrab below)

5. From here, you can either scroll down the page to see the TV listings which include the Everton vs. Wolves game (see screengrab below)

6. Or you can click on the ‘Guide’ button at the top to see all of the channels available to you, which will include NBCSN featuring Everton vs. Wolves (see screengrab below)

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

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Where to find Celtic vs. Rangers on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Celtic vs. Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, you’ve come to the right place, which you can also stream to your TV.

Be sure you don’t miss out on the Scottish Premiership season, which you can watch select games on B/R Live. More details below.

Match: Celtic vs. Rangers

Kickoff: Sunday, 7am ET

Looking to watch Celtic vs. Rangers online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming:

Who: Celtic vs. Rangers
What: Scottish Premiership, gameweek 4
When: Game kicks off at 7am ET / 4am PT; Sunday, September 1, 2019
Where: Live on B/R Live (aka Bleacher Report Live)

With a subscription to B/R Live, you can watch games from the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Scottish Premiership, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Challenge Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Belgian league, Polish Cup, Swedish Cup, Swiss Cup and more.

The B/R Live app is available on OS, web and Android devices, Roku and AppleTV.

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Ten-man Lyon slip up with home draw against Bordeaux

Paris (AFP) – Ten-man Lyon dropped points in Ligue 1 for the second straight match as Sylvinho’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at the Groupama Stadium by Bordeaux.

A busy transfer window and thumping victories in their opening two games of the season had raised hopes that Lyon could challenge reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain for the title.

But the midweek 1-0 loss to Montpellier was followed with another disappointing performance, as Jimmy Briand grabbed Bordeaux a point midway through the second half after Memphis Depay’s opener and Thiago Mendes’ sending off.

“The sending off of Thiago Mendes penalised us. It seemed to me that it was an exaggerated (fall),” said Sylvinho, who replaced Bruno Genesio as Lyon coach in May.

“I am sad about the result and the sending off.”

Depay fired the hosts into a 32nd-minute lead with a low, left-footed strike after racing away from the visiting defence and has now scored four league goals in as many games this season.

But the dismissal of Mendes, a close-season signing from Lille, for a second yellow card changed the match and Briand equalised in the 67th minute after a goalmouth scramble.

Rennes will put Ligue 1’s last 100 percent record on the line against Nice on Sunday, but only need a point to retake top spot from PSG, who beat Metz 2-0 on Friday.

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Calhanoglu on target as Milan squeeze past Brescia

Milan (AFP) – Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu claimed AC Milan’s first three points of the season scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over promoted Brescia in Saturday’s Lombardy derby in the San Siro.

The 25-year-old connected with a cross from Spanish winger Suso to head in after 12 minutes after Milan had lost their opener to Udinese last weekend.

New Milan coach Marco Giampaolo, who was named boss as part of a major backroom re-shuffle after last season which also saw former players Paolo Maldini and Zvonimir Boban given positions at the club, made three changes from the side that fell in Udine.

Poland forward Krzysztof Piatek, third in Serie A’s scorers chart last season with 22 goals, Lucas Paqueta and Fabio Borini all started on the bench for the side who have been banned from this season’s Europa League for financial fair play rules.

Former Milan forward Mario Balotelli is yet to make his debut for his hometown club Brescia as he serves a suspension for receiving a red card.

Algeria midfielder Ismael Bennacer got his first start and good work by Suso ensured Milan an early advantage.

Brescia had been boosted by a 1-0 win over Cagliari in their return to Serie A last week after eight seasons.

But Italian Dimitri Bisoli missed a chance to equalise, sending a shot over the bar with Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denying Ricardo Rodriguez’s deflected shot before the break.

Piatek come on for the last half an hour in place of Andre Silva, with Paqueta replacing Calhanoglu five minutes later.

The hosts came to life in the final ten minutes with Piatek missing a chance to get a second goal for Milan, then setting up Paqueta who also drew a blank.

Despite a less than convincing performance for new coach Giampaolo’s side, Milan avoided back-to-back defeats in their first two matches of the season in a decade.

Juventus take on Napoli later on Saturday in a clash between last season’s top two teams in Turin.

Maurizio Sarri will not be on the bench for the match against his former club as he recovers from pneumonia.

Napoli’s only win in the Allianz Stadium in their eight previous Serie A games there was under Sarri in April 2018.

Juventus beat Parma 1-0 last weekend, with Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli winning their opening game 4-3 against Fiorentina.

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Lucky 13 for Premier League leaders Liverpool at Burnley

Burnley (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Liverpool recorded a club record 13th consecutive Premier League win to move back to the top of the table with minimal fuss courtesy of a 3-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday.

Two goals in four first-half minutes swung the game decisively in the visitors’ favour as Chris Wood deflected Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross into his own net before Sadio Mane’s cool finish on the counter-attack doubled Liverpool’s advantage.

Roberto Firmino then rounded off the scoring 10 minutes from time as the Reds maintained their 100 percent start to the season after four games.

Victory takes the European champions back two points clear of Manchester City, who were also in dominant form to beat Brighton 4-0 earlier in the day.

Burnley were left to rue missing the first big chance of the match when Wood got in behind the Liverpool defence just three minutes in and turned Virgil van Dijk, but the New Zealander’s shot was just too close to Adrian, who palmed the ball to safety.

Liverpool went straight down the other end and were inches away from an early lead themselves when Mohamed Salah’s fiercely struck effort came back off the post.

The Egyptian then did not get the break of the ball as Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope’s clearance bounced off Salah and inches wide.

However, fortune did favour Jurgen Klopp’s men 12 minutes before half-time.

Alexander-Arnold was clearly looking to deliver a cross into the box, but the ball flicked off Wood and looped over Pope into the far corner.

Burnley then played a huge part in their own downfall moments later when Ben Mee gifted possession to Firmino inside the hosts’ half.

Firmino strode forward before releasing a perfect pass so Mane did not have to break his stride in finding the bottom corner.

Liverpool could ease off the gas after the break to record their first clean sheet of the season as Burnley rarely threatened to get back into the game.

Firmino became the first Brazilian to score 50 Premier League goals when he found the bottom corner from just outside the box.

However, there was one flash point that will not have pleased Klopp as Mane reacted angrily after being substituted moments after Salah choose to go for goal himself rather than squaring for his teammate, who appeared in a better position.

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Liverpool, Man City cruise as Man Utd, Chelsea flop again

London (AFP) – Liverpool maintained their 100 percent start to the Premier League season with a 3-0 win at Burnley to retake top spot from Manchester City, who earlier thrashed Brighton on Saturday.

But Manchester United and Chelsea lost further ground on the leaders in disappointing draws with Southampton and Sheffield United.

Liverpool have now won a club record 13 straight Premier League games stretching back to last season when they missed out on the title to City despite amassing 97 points.

Another titanic title race between the two looks on as Liverpool withstood an early Burnley assault before two goals in four first-half minutes took the game away from the Clarets.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross looped in off Chris Wood for a fortunate opener, but Burnley were masters of their own downfall for the second as Bee Mee presented the ball to Roberto Firmino and the Brazilian teed up Sadio Mane to slot home.

Firmino added Liverpool’s third himself 10 minutes from time.

City’s 4-0 victory came at a cost as influential centre-back Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off with a knee injury that looks set to rule him out for the forseeable future.

“He has gone to the hospital. Tomorrow we will know exactly what he has. I think he will be out for a while,” said City manager Pep Guardiola on Laporte’s injury.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring after just two minutes at the Etihad before Sergio Aguero made the game safe by blasting high into the net just before the break.

The Argentine produced another sublime finish to curl into the top corner for his second 10 minutes into the second-half before Bernardo Silva then rounded off the scoring.

– United slump continues –

How United must wish they had some of their local rivals’ firepower as Southampton clung on for a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s despite playing the last 17 minutes plus stoppage time a man down after Kevin Danso’s red card.

Daniel James had given the visitors the perfect start with his third goal in four appearances for United, but Jannik Vestergaard headed home an equaliser just before the hour mark.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have now failed to win in their last three games and won just one of their last 10 dating back to last season.

“We’ve been dominating, creating chances and just haven’t been clinical in front of goal to win the games,” said Solskjaer.

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Lampard takes social media to task after Zouma abuse

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard refused to single out individuals for blame after his Chelsea side let a two-goal lead slip to be held 2-2 by Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

But the former England and Chelsea midfielder was unsparing in his criticism of social media platforms on which his defender Kurt Zouma was the victim of racist abuse after his late own goal cost Chelsea two points.

“We have to look at social media and the platforms and give them some accountability, to actually have people registered who can be chased down for it,” Lampard said.

“I think it’s simple. Until we get to that, however horrible the conversation is, we are all going to get tired talking about it because if there’s no culpability then anyone can say anything to anyone.

“I don’t care if it’s racism, it could be homophobia, sexism -– if we allow it then it’s out there and it has to be dealt with.

“I think we have plans (to meet companies). Everyone knows where we want to go with it and not just with our players, any player.”

Lampard is still waiting for his first win at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager after his side blew a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Lampard’s faith in Tammy Abraham was again rewarded as his two opportunist strikes had Chelsea well on course for the three points at half-time.

– ‘It was a plus last week’ –

But the early matches of the season have raised more questions about Chelsea’s defence than their attack, and that was the case again.

United levelled with goals at either end of the second half from Callum Robinson and Zouma’s own goal.

Some had identified Zouma as the weak link after the 4-0 defeat away to Manchester United but here Lampard chose to keep Zouma and replace Andreas Christensen with Fikayo Tomori, 21, who played for him on loan at Derby County last season.

The result was Chelsea’s youngest-ever starting XI in a Premier League match.

But Lampard refused to blame the youth of his team or individuals.

“It’s not defence, it’s conceding as a team,” he said.

“There was a lack of concentration and mistakes at moments for the goals but you defend as a team as much as you attack as a team.

“We conceded because we switched off in a game we should be comfortably seeing out, and that is no disrespect to Sheffield United.

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Swansea go top of Championship with late win over Leeds

London (AFP) – Swansea edged Leeds 1-0 in their top-of-the-table Championship clash on Saturday to go two points clear in their best start to a league campaign in 40 years.

Wayne Routledge scored a minute from time in a match Leeds dominated at Elland Road but their weakness from last season came back to haunt them as they failed to take their chances.

Routledge struck after Leeds had failed to clear a corner several times to maintain manager Steve Cooper’s dream start to his spell, despite selling several key players in the close season.

Cooper, who coached the England Under-17 team to World Cup glory in 2017, appears to be rewarding the bold move by the board to hire him to replace Graham Potter after he left for Brighton.

Leeds are three points adrift of Swansea heading into the international break but are third in the table, one point behind surprise packages Charlton, managed by former Leeds midfielder Lee Bowyer.

Bowyer’s side, who he guided to promotion last term, remain unbeaten this season after recording their fourth win, beating Reading 2-0.

Bowyer is enjoying a happier time than his former Leeds team-mate Jonathan Woodgate, although the latter may have seen some encouraging signs in the manner in which his Middlesbrough outfit eked out a 2-2 draw with in-form Bristol City.

However, Boro have just six points from their opening six matches and are two points off the bottom three.

The drop zone include Huddersfield whose return to the second tier after being relegated from the Premier League is proving a nightmare.

They slumped to another defeat on Saturday with Luton coming from a goal down to win 2-1 and leave the Terriers with just a point and only above Stoke on better goal difference.

Fulham got the weekend action started on Friday with a 1-1 draw at Cardiff.

The match was most notable for Fulham midfielder Harry Arter being sent off in the second half for two bookable offences against his former club.

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Barcelona pegged back by Osasuna despite Fati heroics

Pamplona (Spain) (AFP) – Ansu Fati became the third youngest player to score in La Liga on Saturday but the 16-year-old could not rescue Barcelona from being held to a 2-2 draw away at newly-promoted Osasuna.

Fati equalised five minutes after coming on at half-time and Barca looked likely to complete the comeback when Arthur Melo, also on a substitute, made it two 13 minutes later at El Sadar Stadium.

Yet Roberto Torres, who had given Osasuna an early lead, delivered a twist by scoring a late second from the penalty spot after Gerard Pique handballed.

As Barcelona refuse to give up on their pursuit of Neymar before the transfer window closes on Monday, this was another reminder of the talent that already exists in their ranks.

Coach Ernesto Valverde appears ready to look to the future rather than the past, with Carles Perez, a 21-year-old product of La Masia, also providing two assists on his second consecutive start.

He should even have scored the winner but the concern will be that Barca needed Fati and Perez at all, even taking into account the injuries to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.

Antoine Griezmann put on a statement display in the win over Real Betis last weekend but he was quiet again here and it remains to be seen whether the club’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu feels negotiations for Neymar should now be pushed over the line.

Guillermo Amor, Barcelona’s director of institutional relations, told Movistar on Saturday the deal is not dead.

“The market closes soon but we still have a few days,” said Amor. “Nothing is done and we are waiting to see what can happen. Of course, something can happen at the last minute. We are calm.”

– Bad Barca –

Roberto Torres also came through the ranks at Osasuna and has more than 200 appearances for the club. His double means they are unbeaten from their first three games, having returned to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

Both teams stood for a minute’s silence before kick-off in a show of support for Luis Enrique, Barcelona’s former coach and player, whose daughter Xana died aged nine last week. Barca’s fans then chanted his name when the silence ended.

Barcelona started badly and got worse in the second half, the opening 45 minutes strewn with misplaced passes and lacking a single chance for the visitors.

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Perisic opens Bayern account in Mainz thrashing

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich new boy Ivan Perisic bagged his first goal for the Bundesliga champions as they romped to a 6-1 win over a hapless Mainz at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Bayern showcased their attacking brilliance throughout, with six different players getting on the scoresheet.

Robert Lewandowski scored his sixth of the season in just three games, while Benjamin Pavard, David Alaba, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies also scored.

Mainz took a shock early lead when Jean-Paul Boetius finished a superb sixth-minute counter attack, giving the visitors hope that they might be able to pick up their first point of the season.

However Pavard equalised for the hosts half-an-hour later through an expertly taken volley which recalled his stunning 2018 World Cup strike against Argentina.

Alaba gave Bayern the lead with a brilliantly taken free kick just before the break, and the rout was completed in the second half.

The win sees Bayern move up the table to equal second, behind leaders RB Leipzig whose 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday means they have won three out of three.

– First win for Schalke –

In Freiburg, Cologne’s Ellyes Skhiri scored the winner in second-half injury time to secure the visitors a 2-1 victory.

Freiburg hit the lead in the 40th minute through an own goal by Rafael Czichos, before Cologne fan favourite Anthony Modeste equalised in the 52nd minute.

Schalke picked up their first win of the season over a disappointing Hertha Berlin at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins Arena.

Berlin scored own goals either side of half time through Niklas Stark and Karim Rekik.

English defender Jonjoe Kenny added a third in the 86th minute to make it 3-0 –- the first goal by a Schalke player this season — to put the game beyond doubt.

Wolfsburg and Paderborn fought out a firey 1-1 draw at the Volkswagen Arena.

Newly-promoted Paderborn went ahead through Cauly Souza in the 12th minute, before Josip Brekalo equalised in the 56th minute.

At the BayArena, visitors Hoffenheim ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 100 per cent start to the season as the sides fought out a 0-0 draw.

The visitors had to endure a six-minute spell of injury time but held firm against a luckless Leverkusen attack.

While Leipzig’s win over Gladbach saw them secure outright first on the table, Dortmund have the chance to snatch it back when they take on Union Berlin later on Saturday.

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Youthful Chelsea suffer growing pains against Sheffield United

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard is still waiting for his first win at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager after his side blew a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Lampard’s faith in Tammy Abraham was again rewarded as his two opportunist strikes had Chelsea well on course for the three points at half-time.

But the early matches of the season have raised more questions about Chelsea’s defence than their attack, and that was the case again as the hosts collapsed after the break.

United levelled with goals at either end of the second-half from Callum Robinson and an own goal by Kurt Zouma.

Some had identified Zouma as the weak link after the 4-0 defeat away to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, but Lampard chose to retain the Frenchman and replace Andreas Christensen with Fikayo Tomori, who played for him on loan at Derby County last season, in naming Chelsea’s youngest-ever starting XI for a Premier League match.

The Blues’ youthful endeavour outweighed their inexperience in the first-half.

In the 19th minute Christian Pulisic fed Cesar Azpilicueta on the right. The right back’s cross was perfectly flighted for Abraham, but United goalkeeper Dean Henderson should have collected his header. Instead he lost the ball as Pulisic challenged and Abraham returned it into the empty net.

United’s overlapping centre-back play has caught the eye on their return to the top flight and almost brought an equaliser as Chris Basham spun past Emerson and crossed to the far post where Robinson dived to head inches wide.

It was an expensive miss. Two minutes before half-time, defenders John Egan and Jack O’Connell both went for the same high ball towards Abraham and O’Connell’s poor touch fell kindly for the striker to net his second despite Henderson getting a hand to his shot.

A 2-0 half-time lead at home would have been game over for the Chelsea sides Lampard played in during his prime years, but his determination to give the club’s academy graduates their chance means there will be more days of growing pains ahead.

Chelsea were caught cold in the opening seconds of the second half when United left-back Enda Stevens burrowed down the left and his low cross found Robinson unmarked to hit his first Blades goal past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Abraham was close to his hat-trick when he met Azpilicueta’s cross with a half-volley from six yards, but Henderson reacted quickly to turn the shot aside with his right hand.

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Laporte injury casts cloud over City victory

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – A Sergio Aguero double helped Manchester City maintain an unbeaten Premier League run dating back to January, in a 4-0 victory over Brighton on Saturday.

However, City manager Pep Guardiola’s satisfaction was tempered by a worrying injury to influential defender Aymeric Laporte.

City’s record goalscorer Aguero was on the mark either side of half-time, to take his season’s tally to six goals in four games, as his side continued their run of near total dominance over teams outside the established ‘Big Six’ of the Premier League.

This marked the second of nine such fixtures City face before taking on Liverpool, seen as the biggest threat to their bid for a third successive title, in November.

The potential long-term loss of Laporte, who was in obvious distress after injuring his knee, could prove significant.

City took just 69 seconds to establish their dominance with a goal that suggested Guardiola’s mastery of clubs outside their five greatest rivals would continue against Brighton.

His previous 58 games against the 14 clubs who make up the ‘other’ teams in the top flight had seen Guardiola win 50, draw five and collect 155 points from an available 174.

When Kevin De Bruyne fired City ahead, finishing clinically from 10 yards after Oleksandr Zinchenko had sent away David Silva who pulled the ball back intelligently for the Belgian, yet another such victory seemed inevitable.

It might have been a far more comfortable afternoon for Guardiola if City had been able to convert some of their numerous first half chances into a second goal before Aguero finally added a second on 40 minutes.

Laporte suffered his knee injury after 33 minutes when the defender, whom Guardiola described as the best left-sided centre-half in Europe just this week, slid in to foul Adam Webster.

Laporte, called into Didier Deschamps squad this week and hoping to win his first cap for France, twisted his knee awkwardly in halting Webster’s run and required lengthy treatment before being stretchered off and replaced by Fernandinho.

At least Guardiola had the consolation of seeing City double their lead before the half-time whistle after De Bruyne’s square ball found Aguero at the end of a flowing passing move.

The Argentinian striker showed great composure in a crowded Brighton area, making space for himself before depositing an unstoppable shot past Mathew Ryan and into the roof the visitors’ goal.

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Man City go top as Man Utd, Chelsea flop again

London (AFP) – Manchester City cruised to the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win over Brighton on Saturday as Manchester United and Chelsea lost further ground in disappointing draws with Southampton and Sheffield United.

Leicester moved up to third as the Foxes unbeaten start to the season continued in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth thanks to two goals from Jamie Vardy, while victories for Crystal Palace and West Ham take them into a share of fourth.

City win comes at a cost

Liverpool can move back above City should they continue the only 100 percent start left in the Premier League later at Burnley, but City were never in danger of dropping points at the Etihad as Kevin de Bruyne tapped home David Silva’s cut-back after just two minutes.

Victory came at a cost for Pep Guardiola’s men as Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off with a knee injury that looks certain to rule him out of winning a first cap for France in upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

City may come to regret not buying a replacement for departed captain Vincent Kompany at centre-back as holding midfielder Fernandinho had to deputise at the heart of the defence for the final 52 minutes.

However, Aguero soon made the game safe by blasting high into the net just before the break and produced another sublime finish to curl into the top corner for his second 10 minutes into the second-half.

Substitute Bernardo Silva then rounded off the scoring for the champions.

United slump continues

How United must wish they had some of their local rivals firepower as Southampton clung on for a 1-1 draw at St. Mary’s despite playing the last 17 minutes plus stoppage time a man down after Kevin Danso’s red card.

Daniel James had given the visitors the perfect start with his third goal in four appearances for United, but Jannik Vestergaard headed home an equaliser just before the hour mark.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have now failed to win in their last three games and won just one of their last 10 dating back to last season.

“We’ve been dominating, creating chances and just haven’t been clinical in front of goal to win the games,” said Solskjaer.

“It’s not a dip in form, (but) it’s a dip in results definitely.”

Blades blunt Chelsea

After scoring his first Chelsea goals away to Norwich last weekend, Tammy Abraham thought he had given the Blues all three points at home to newly-promoted Sheffield United by scoring twice more before the break.

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Injured Laporte a major doubt for France

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off in the first-half of the Premier League champions’ clash with Brighton on Saturday, making him a major doubt for France’s upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Laporte was finally rewarded for his fantastic form over the past year for City with a first call-up to the French squad since March 2017 for the double header against Albania and Andorra next month.

The 25-year-old is yet to be capped at international level and had previously been courted to switch his allegiance to Spain, having come through Athletic Bilbao’s academy.

Laporte had treatment to his knee before being carried off after bringing down Brighton’s Adam Webster.

Should he be ruled out for a lengthy period of time, his presence will be desperately missed by Pep Guardiola’s men, who did not sign a centre-back in the summer to compensate for former captain Vincent Kompany’s departure to take charge of Anderlecht.

Guardiola was forced to field holding midfielder Fernandinho at centre-back for the second-half at home to the Seagulls.

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Icardi treated correctly, insists Inter’s Conte

Milan (AFP) – Antonio Conte insisted Saturday aggrieved Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has been treated correctly by the Serie A giants with new Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez set to make his debut against Cagliari.

Icardi has started legal action against Inter, demanding to return to full training and 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in compensation.

“Icardi? Everything was done as correctly as possible,” said Conte, who replaced Luciano Spalletti as boss ahead of the new season.

“There are no disturbances in the changing room, we’ve been talking about this affair for eight months and I don’t want to get into it.

“We have to be focused on this season, but instead I see that others remain the protagonists rather than those who are playing.”

The Argentinian — who was stripped of the captaincy last season amid a long contract dispute — has been told he is no longer part of the club’s plans under new coach Conte.

The 26-year-old has continued to train with the first team, but is not allowed to take part in full tactical sessions.

Icardi was the joint top-scorer in the 2017-18 Serie A campaign with 29 goals, but managed just 11 last term having spent 53 days on the sidelines after being replaced as skipper by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Inter Milan endured a topsy-turvy Serie A campaign last season, only securing fourth place and Champions League qualification on the final day.

Spalletti left his role in May, with former Juventus, Italy and Chelsea boss Conte taking over and remodelling the team.

Inter beat Lecce 4-0 in their season opener and head to Cagliari on Sunday, with new Manchester United signing Alexis Sanchez set to make his first appearance.

Conte said Sanchez was determined to impress after two difficult seasons in the Premier League side.

“He’s a really good forward, both in terms of his finishing and the assists he provides,” said Conte.

“He’s an important player, I’m sure he’ll integrate well into the team and his numbers speak for themselves.

“He his really enthusiastic and wants to do well here.”

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Solskjaer bemoans missed chances as Man Utd held by 10-man Southampton

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side are lacking a clinical touch in front of goal after they were held 1-1 by 10-man Southampton at St. Mary’s on Saturday.

United have now dropped points for the third time in the first four Premier League games of the campaign and have won just one of their last 10 matches stretching back to the end of last season.

Daniel James’s fine start to his United career continued with his third goal in four games to give the visitors an early lead.

But despite spending £130 million ($158 million) on improving their defence with the signings of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United are still susceptible at the back and Jannik Vestergaard powered home Southampton’s equaliser after half-time.

The hosts then had Kevin Danso sent-off for a second bookable offence, but United could not make the extra man count despite relentless late pressure.

“We started off well, got the game exactly where we wanted and that’s when you need to finish the game off and score the second and the third,” said Solskjaer.

“There are so many spaces on the pitch because they have to press and we weren’t clinical enough, we create loads of chances and the last bit is missing.”

Solskjaer insisted on Friday he is happy to rely on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to carry the goalscoring burden this season with no replacement signed for the departed Romelu Lukaku or Alexis Sanchez, who have both joined Inter Milan.

With Martial sidelined by a thigh injury, there was even more responsibility on Rashford’s shoulders, but it was James who impressed most to again show signs his £15 million move from Swansea will be a bargain.

The Welsh winger was allowed too much room by the Saints defence to cut inside onto his favoured right foot and rifled a shot into the top corner.

However, Solskjaer’s men failed to build on that advantage, with Rashford guilty of two missed chances before Southampton levelled just before the hour mark.

Just like for the opening goal in last weekend’s shock 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, Victor Lindelof was too easily beaten in the air as Vestergaard powered home his first goal for Southampton from Danso’s cross.

Danso almost undid his good work, 17 minutes from time recklessly diving in on Scott McTominay to earn a second yellow card and give United the upper hand in the closing stages.

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Faltering Man Utd held by 10-man Southampton

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United dropped points for the third time in the first four Premier League games of the season as they were held 1-1 by 10-man Southampton at St. Mary’s.

Daniel James’s fine form since a £15 million move from Swansea continued as he fired United into the lead on 10 minutes.

But the defensive problems that blighted the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first season in charge are still to be resolved by the Norwegian and Jannik Vestergaard headed home Southampton’s equaliser after half-time.

Southampton’s Kevin Danso was then sent-off for a second bookable offence, but United could not make the extra man count despite relentless late pressure.

United have just five points from their opening four games after being held 1-1 at Wolves and suffering a shock 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace last weekend.

The visitors were penned into their own half for the first 10 minutes, but with practically their first attack went in front, thanks to the in-form James.

The Welsh winger is sure to get plenty of minutes in his first season in the English top-flight thanks to the departure of Alexis Sanchez on loan to Inter Milan this week. James has already scored as many Premier League goals for United in four games as the Chilean did in 18 months at Old Trafford.

James was allowed room by the Saints defence to cut inside onto his favoured right foot and rifle his third goal in four appearances into the top corner.

The visitors seemed liberated by going in front and could have built on their advantage as Marcus Rashford headed horribly wide and James just failed to reach a dangerous cross from the England international.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted on Friday that he is happy for Rashford and Anthony Martial, who missed the trip to St. Mary’s with a thigh injury, to carry the goalscoring burden this season with no replacement signed for the departed Romelu Lukaku or Sanchez.

However, Rashford failed to find the finishing touch to an otherwise purposeful performance. He again could not squeeze the ball beyond Angus Gunn early in the second-half.

United have invested heavily to improve a defence that conceded 54 Premier League goals last season with the signings of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the world’s most expensive defender Harry Maguire.

Yet, Solskjaer’s men remain vulnerable at the back and were exposed in the air twice in quick succession as Southampton levelled just before the hour mark.

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Zidane happy with Madrid squad, says Perez relationship strong

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane insists his relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is strong and he is happy with his squad ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Madrid have spent around 300 million euros this summer but Zidane has not selected a single new signing in his first starting line-ups for the first two games of the season.

Zidane hoped the club would sign Paul Pogba, but Manchester United would not sell, and sell Gareth Bale, but the Welshman remains determined to see out his contract, which expires in 2022.

“The decisions that are up to me are on the pitch,” said Zidane in a press conference on Saturday, ahead of Sunday’s league game away at Villarreal.

“My relationship with Florentino Perez has always been very good, he will always be the president that brought me here and I will never forget that.

“Sometimes it is better to clarify things and I say the relationship is good, I don’t care what anyone says. The important thing is my day-to-day work and that I have the chance to coach this great team.”

Madrid have brought in Eden Hazard from Chelsea but the Belgian has a thigh injury and will not return until after the international break. Hazard began training alone on Friday.

Real have also signed Eder Militao, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy, with Zidane refusing to rule out further additions before the window shuts.

Neymar’s future at Paris Saint-Germain remains uncertain while Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and Ajax’s Donny van de Beek are also believed to be targets.

“Until Monday at midnight, everything can happen, one surprise, two surprises, but the match is tomorrow,” Zidane said.

“I am proud of the players I have, for me they are the best players. Even when you say you want to make some changes, the important thing is when the season starts, you are happy and I am happy.

“I cannot complain about the squad that I have. If I complain, I can change jobs.”

Keylor Navas has fallen behind Thibaut Courtois in the race to be Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper and is expected to join PSG.

“It could happen,” Zidane said. “Keylor will be with us for the game against Villarreal and until the window closes, anything can happen.”

Madrid started the season with an encouraging away win at Celta Vigo but were held to a draw at home to Real Valladolid last weekend.

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