Jude Bellingham continues blistering goalscoring run as Real Madrid rout Osasuna
Jude Bellingham’s goalscoring hot streak continued with a brace as LaLiga leaders Real Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 at the Bernabeu.
The England midfielder opened the scoring with a ninth-minute finish and added another effort nine minutes into the second half to take him to 10 goals in as many games for Real since joining them from Borussia Dortmund over the summer.
Further finishes followed from Vincius Junior and Joselu, who then saw a penalty saved by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.
Girona leapfrogged Barcelona – who play at Granada on Sunday – into second, two points behind Real, with a 1-0 win at 10-man Cadiz.
After the hosts had Darwin Machis sent off in the 10th minute, Aleix Garcia netted a 59th-minute winner.
Valencia drew 1-1 at Mallorca thanks to Diego Lopez’s headed equaliser in first-half stoppage time after Daniel Rodriguez’s opener, while Sevilla fought back from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw at home against Rayo Vallecano, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring a stoppage-time leveller.
Oscar Valentin and Alvaro Garcia put Rayo in control inside 26 minutes before Djibril Sow halved the deficit and En-Nesyri’s last-gasp equaliser.
AC Milan moved to the top of Serie A with a 1-0 win at Genoa that saw Christian Pulisic score late on before both sides had their goalkeepers sent off in stoppage time.
After Pulisic broke the deadlock by firing home in the 87th minute, the Rossoneri were then reduced to 10 men in the eighth minute of time added on when Mike Maignan was shown a red card.
Pulisic’s fellow substitute Olivier Giroud took over from Maignan in goal, and saw the Milan crossbar get rattled moments later – before the drama continued with Genoa keeper Josep Martinez being shown a second yellow card.
With Giroud then making a save in the final few moments, Milan saw out the victory to take top spot, going two points clear of Inter Milan, who were held 2-2 at home by Bologna earlier in the day.
Inter looked well in control after early goals from Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martínez, but Bologna hit back with a Riccardo Orsolini penalty in the 19th minute, and Joshua Zirkzee then equalised seven minutes into the second half.
Juventus moved above champions Napoli into third with a 2-0 win at home against derby rivals Torino, Federico Gatti and Arkadiusz Milik getting on the scoresheet. Napoli play Fiorentina at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday evening.
Monaco lead Ligue 1 by a point after winning 3-1 at Reims – Ismail Jakobs, Folarin Balogun and Wissam Ben Yedder netting for the visitors before Teddy Teuma replied with a penalty.
The result took Monaco back above Nice, who had earlier moved to the top following a 1-0 win at Metz, with Hichem Boudaoui scoring the only goal in the 14th minute.
Stuttgart are the current table-toppers in the Bundesliga following their 3-1 come-from-behind win over Wolfsburg.
Replying to Yannick Gerhardt’s opener, Serhou Guirassy registered a second-half hat-trick, the first goal a penalty, to take him to 13 goals for the season in just seven games.
A point behind them are Borussia Dortmund, who beat Union Berlin 4-2 at Signal Iduna Park.
The hosts were behind at the break after Niclas Fullkrug’s opener was cancelled out by Robin Gosens and Leonardo Bonucci scored a penalty, before a second-half turnaround saw Nico Schlotterbeck, Julian Brandt and Julian Ryerson net for Dortmund.
RB Leipzig had a penalty saved in each half as they were held 0-0 at home by Bochum, Manuel Riemann denying Xavi Simons and then Emil Forsberg.
Hoffenheim moved into the top four with a 3-2 win at Werder Bremen sealed by Marius Bulter in the second minute of stoppage time – a minute after Jens Stage had equalised for the hosts.
Maximilian Beier’s early goal put Hoffenheim ahead in the eighth minute, but Romano Schmid equalised nine minutes later only for Grischa Promel to regain the first-half lead for the visitors.
Darmstadt won 2-1 at Augsburg thanks to goals from Tim Skarke and a Tobias Kempe penalty before Ermedin Demirovic netted a late consolation for the hosts.
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Barbados, Belize win League C groups to earn promotion
Barbados and Belize sealed promotion as League C resumed in the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League on Wednesday.
Saint Kitts and Nevis earned a victory to maintain its group lead to also improve to a 3-0-0 record. The victory assures the nation at least a spot in the Play-In round.
British Virgin Islands vs. Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis won 3-1 against the British Virgin Islands in Group C at Warner Park in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Malique Roberts scored the opening goal in the 25' with a header in the box to connect on a free kick service.
Gvaune Amory increased the lead for the Sugar Boyz in the 37' with a right-footed hit inside the penalty area, connecting on a pass over the top by Raheem Hanley.
Kristian Javier Samuel cut the deficit for the British Virgin Islands in the 46' with a right-footed hit from the top of the box.
Ikyjah Williams accidentally hit the ball into his own net in the 90'+5, striking a deflection off a ball into the box from Romaine Sawyers for a third goal for Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The result seals a qualification to the Play-In round for Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Sugar Boyz can win the group without playing if the Cayman Islands fails to win against the British Virgin Islands on Saturday.
U.S. Virgin Islands vs. Barbados
Barbados won 5-nil against the U.S. Virgin Islands in Group A at the Wildey Astro Turf Stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Hadan Holligan struck the opening goal in the 42' with a right-footed finish to place Barbados in the lead before the end of the first half.
Niall Reid-Stephen extended the lead for Barbados in the 45'+2 with a conversion from a penalty kick opportunity.
Reid-Stephen scored on the other side of halftime, with a left-footed shot from outside the box in the 47', securing a brace in consecutive matches.
The Barbados scorer struck with his left again, from a free kick chance in the 65', to earn his hat-trick.
Omani Leacock scored inside the penalty area in the 90'+2 to put a bow on the victory for the Tridents.
Kishmar Primus made four saves as he collected his second clean sheet of the campaign.
The victory clinched the top of the group, and a return to League B, for Barbados.
Anguilla vs. Belize
Belize won 1-nil against Anguilla in Group B at FFB Stadium in Belmopan, Belize.
Orlando Velasquez broke the deadlock in the 56' with a strike inside the box, connecting on a pass from Krisean López.
The Belize defense, led by goalkeeper and captain Charles Tillett, earned its third clean sheet and have yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
With the victory, Belize assured itself a first-place finish in the group and promotion to League B.
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McClaren, Lowe cautious but confident as Boyz hunt Nicaragua scalp in Group B top-of-the-table showdown
While boasting the stronger squad on paper, senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Steve McClaren is by no means grandstanding against Nicaragua, as the two are set to lock horns in a defining Concacaf Nations League encounter.
With both teams unbeaten and locked on four points each in Group B of League A, a win for either at the Nicaragua National Stadium on Thursday, would put them one step closer to a quarterfinal berth and, more importantly, secure their spot in next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
Kickoff is at 9:00 pm Jamaica time.
Though confident that his squad possesses enough quality to secure the three points, McClaren is not underestimating their opponents, especially in hostile territory where the crowd’s fervor can serve as a crucial 12th man.
“We're coming here to win the game, but without doubt, we respect Nicaragua. I've watched a few of their games and they are a very good team, very comfortable in possession, and always competitive. Like us, they've collected four points, so they're going well in the Nations League, so we respect them,” McClaren said in a pre-game interview.
“If we have to play them on turf, we play them on turf. We have no excuses. Football is football, and they may be a little more used to it, but hopefully our quality will come out in the end. You’ve got to be prepared for anything and so we just need to be smart and stay disciplined,” he added.
Jamaica’s journey in the Nations League so far has been marked by flashes of brilliance and growing cohesion within the squad. The team’s strength lies in its potent attack, which is yet to really fire having only tallied two goals so far in this campaign.
Yet, as McClaren emphasized, talent alone won’t guarantee victory, especially against a Nicaraguan side that has defied expectations with its spirited performances.
“We know we're a very good team, and we know to be a very good team you have to be consistent and that's what we're hoping to achieve. We didn't beat Cuba, so we were inconsistent in that game; we had a good game against Honduras and we anticipate that this is going to be a very difficult game,” McClaren reasoned.
“I've told the players already, Nicaragua are a good team and, at home, a strong team. But we have no excuses, we must produce our quality, and that's why I'm here. The talent within the squad is so good; the potential is so big, and we have to realise it. Along the journey, there's going to be a lot of tests and tomorrow (Thursday) is going to be a big test for the team,” he noted.
Still, Nicaragua’s defence will face its toughest test yet against the Reggae Boyz front line, which features the likes of West Ham United’s Michail Antonio and former Everton man Demarai Gray, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia. Both players are capable of turning a game in an instant, but breaking down a compact and organized Nicaragua will require patience and precision.
McClaren’s approach is likely to be a blend of assertive attacking play and controlled buildup, with midfielders such as Leicester City’s Bobby Reid and possibly Tyreek Magee pulling the strings.
“But again, sometimes the surface has an effect on the game, but with the quality of players that we have and how focused we are going into this game, we have no excuses and we're just going to go in... it's a cup tie, and so it's going to be very difficult. So we just have to focus on the task at hand and not worry about the obstacles ahead,” the tactician declared.
Defensively, Damion Lowe, whose leadership and experience have been invaluable, and his partners will need to be on high alert to contain any counterattacking threats.
Like McClaren, he too is confident that with efficient execution, they should secure the win.
“I think we prepared well. The gaffer has, you know, put the game plan on the board and we just have to follow the instructions. I can't give too much away because then we would be giving you the game plan. But just know that the guys are excited, we're focused, and we're ready for the task at hand. Fully prepared, and we're going there to get three points,” Lowe stated.