Right then, I’ll call it an evening there after all those GOALS! GOALS! GOALS! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Spurs are still going if you fancy it:
FULL-TIME: Roma 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Europa League: Roma are denied all three points after that late equaliser from Paredes.
Updated
FULL-TIME: Lyon 2-0 Olympiakos
Europa League: Two second-half goals secure a win for the French side.
Updated
FULL-TIME: Ajax 4-0 Besiktas
Europa League: A comprehensive victory for Jordan Henderson and co.
Updated
GOAL! Roma 1-1 Athletic Bilbao (Paredes 85)
Europa League: A late leveller in Rome! It’s an effective set-piece, a free-kick towards the far post headed into the middle by Unai Núñez; Aitor Paredes finds the net with a header of his own.
Updated
Match report: Arsenal 4-0 Häcken
Women’s Champions League: Suzanne Wrack has the story from Meadow Park.
Updated
Match report: Manchester City 3-0 Paris FC
Women’s Champions League: Garry in Paris works as a Netflix show, right? (Yes, I’m firmly aware this game wasn’t played in Paris.) Anywho, here’s Tom Garry’s report.
Updated
GOAL! Ajax 4-0 Besiktas (Godts 73)
Europa League: Mika Godts has plenty of time and space to slot into a gaping net after a cutback from the right. The 19-year-old has two, Ajax four.
GOAL! Lyon 2-0 Olympiakos (Benrahma 71)
Europa League: It’s a Barclaysmen goal. Wilfried Zaha, out on the left wing, pokes a deft pass into the path of Saïd Benrahma, who completes the move.
Updated
GOAL! Lyon 1-0 Olympiakos (Cherki 65)
Europa League: Rayan Cherki breaks the deadlock, wiggling away on the right side of the area to make room for a thumping hit, on target from a tight angle.
FULL-TIME: Arsenal 4-0 Häcken (agg: 4-1)
Women’s Champions League: It ends up being very comfortable. Arsenal advance to the group stages, brushing away any memories of that first-leg defeat to Häcken.
Updated
GOAL! Ajax 3-0 Besiktas (Taylor 55)
Europa League: Ajax’s domination continues. They work it around the edge of the box before Kenneth Taylor’s left foot slams in the hit from inside the D.
FULL-TIME: Celtic 2-0 Vorskla Poltava (agg: 3-0)
Women’s Champions League: A huge result for Celtic – they’re through to the group stages of this competition for the very first time.
✨ Champions League, here we come! ✨
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 26, 2024
For the first time EVER, we have qualified for the @UWCL Group Stage 🤩#CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/1yP2lFK8ur
GOAL! Ajax 2-0 Besiktas (Godts 51)
Europa League: The lead doubles for the Dutch, a very fine counterattack completed by Mika Godts after Bertrand Traoré slides a pass in from the right.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Häcken (Maanum 78)
Women’s Champions League: They’re on their way to the main show.
Updated
Europa League: I see that some football’s finally broken out at Spurs.
Europa League: “Roma v Athletic Bilbao has been high-tempo and fund, though it hasn’t been blessed with many clear chances,” writes Kári Tulinius. “The one shot on target was the header by Dovbyk, who was needlessly played onside by Vivian, who’s been uncharacteristically poor.” It’s half-time in that one, with Roma 1-0 up.
FULL-TIME: Manchester City 3-0 Paris FC (agg: 8-0)
Women’s Champions League: Manchester City advance to the group stages … though we kinda knew it was happening before this game even started.
Through to the #UWCL Group Stage! 🤩🙌 pic.twitter.com/5lVsWxqnJQ
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) September 26, 2024
Updated
FULL-TIME: Real Madrid 3-1 Sporting CP (agg: 5-2)
Women’s Champions League: Alba Redondo adds another just before the full-time whistle for Real Madrid, completing their turnaround after Sporting took the lead.
Match report: Malmö 0-2 Rangers
Europa League: The full story from Rangers’ enjoyable evening.
Updated
GOAL! Celtic 2-0 Vorskla Poltava (McGregor 62)
Women’s Champions League: Shannon McGregor gets her head on the cross from the right to double Celtic’s lead and make it 3-0 on aggregate.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Häcken (Mead 50)
Women’s Champions League: Arsenal can breathe a little easier, now leading 3-1 on aggregate. Beth Mead is the goalscorer, lashing a volley into the net.
Updated
GOAL! Roma 1-0 Athletic Bilbao (Dovbyk 32)
Europa League: We’re up and running in Rome. Angeliño, advancing into space on the left, sends in a delicious cross and the big man, Artem Dovbyk, heads in.
Updated
GOAL! Ajax 1-0 Besiktas (Fitz-Jim 31)
Europa League: Kian Fitz-Jim is on hand to get the final touch inside the area after some impressive work down the left-hand side from Kenneth Taylor. Jordan Henderson (remember him?) is in action.
Updated
GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Vorskla Poltava (Lawton 52)
Women’s Champions League: Emma Lawton heads in to get Celtic up and running in the second leg, their aggregate lead now 2-0. A first appearance in the group stages awaits.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 Paris FC (Shaw pen 65)
Women’s Champions League: Khadija Shaw has her second of the match and City have their eighth of the tie as the procession continues.
Updated
Women’s Champions League: Amid the flurry of action I failed to report on Real Madrid’s second goal against Sporting, which has given the Spanish side a 4-2 lead on aggregate. Sandie Toletti was the goalscorer, Caroline Weir setting it up with a neat pass into the area.
Updated
Women’s Champions League: Gordon from Aberdeen has got his focus on this one:
“HT Celtic W 0-0 Vorskla. Celtic have toiled in the first half here, struggling against the aggressive Vorskla side, and the home side have created only one chance, which they wasted. Celtic were even looking to waste time at the end of the half. Tight game.”
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Häcken (Caldentey 40)
Women’s Champions League: They’ve turned it around. It’s a scrappy goal, the ball falling perfectly for Mariona Caldentey in the box, her shot deflecting off a defender and looping over the keeper into the net. Arsenal now lead 2-1 on aggregate.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Häcken (Walti 23)
Women’s Champions League: Arsenal are back in this tie. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, they’ve got the early goal they were craving through Lia Walti, her left foot smashing home from outside the box.
Updated
FULL-TIME: PSG 1-2 Juventus (2-5 on aggregate)
Women’s Champions League: Mary Earps’ side could not deliver an audacious comeback. I missed mentioning Juventus’ second, delivered by Barbara Bonansea, to kill the tie. The Italian team advance to the group stages of the Champions League.
FULL-TIME: Fenerbahce 2-1 Union Saint-Gilloise
Europa League: It ends up being 10 on 10, but Fenerbahce hold on after a nervy couple of minutes to take the victory.
Updated
FULL-TIME: Malmö 0-2 Rangers
Europa League: Joy for the Scots in Sweden.
Updated
GOAL! Fenerbahce 2-1 Union Saint-Gilloise (Sykes 90+3)
Europa League: Some late drama in this one, with Ross Sykes slotting in on the rebound after a strike from range hits the post. And it comes just a minute after the visitors missed a penalty! Bright Osayi-Samuel got a second yellow for a rash challenge in the area – Franjo Ivanovic had his spotkick saved.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Paris FC (Shaw 31)
Women’s Champions League: The carnage continues. City now lead 7-0 on aggregate thanks to Khadija Shaw. Chloe Kelly gets on the end of a through ball on the left-hand side and squares the ball to Shaw for a simple finish.
Updated
GOAL! Fenerbahce 2-0 Union Saint-Gilloise (Burgess OG 82)
Europa League: Union, down to 10 men after a Kevin Mac Allister red card for making his family disappear, concede their second. Bright Osayi-Samuel’s shot is saved by the keeper but bounces back off the defender Christian Burgess and into the net.
Updated
GOAL! Malmö 0-2 Rangers (McCausland 76)
Europa League: That’ll be the three points, surely, after some excellent work from Ross McCausland. A long punt forward sees the ball drop outside the Malmö box; McCausland drifts centrally from the right, chests the ball down, takes another touch to set up the left-foot strike from the edge of the area. It’s a lovely finish.
Updated
Women’s Champions League: "Looking forward to seeing if Celtic can become the first Scottish women’s team to qualify for the CL group stage,” writes Gordon from Aberdeen. “They have been fortunate with the draw - their Ukrainian opposition are unable to host a leg - but it would still be a great achievement, having won the Scottish title for the first time last season.
“In a similar Scottish vein, I notice that Caroline Weir is back and starting for Real Madrid Women tonight.”
Celtic have just kicked-off their bid for history against Vorskla Poltava. The Scottish side won the first leg 1-0.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Paris FC (Kelly 2)
Women’s Champions League: An early goal at the Joie Stadium, too, with Chloe Kelly making it 6-0 on aggregate to Manchester City.
Updated
GOALS! Real Madrid 1-1 Sporting CP (Capeta 5, Toletti 7)
Women’s Champions League: We’re off to a rollicking start in this one, Sporting levelling the tie on aggregate through Ana Capeta before a goal from Madrid’s Sandie Toletti just two minutes later. Real Madrid lead 3-2 on aggregate.
GOAL! PSG 1-1 Juventus (Leuchter 54 pen)
Women’s Champions League: Can PSG still do this? Romée Leuchter scores from the spot to level things up on the night – Juventus lead 4-2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid v Sporting CP teams
Women’s Champions League: Real won the first leg 2-1, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Melanie Leupolz, formerly of Chelsea.
📋 ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadridfem) September 26, 2024
✅ Our starting XI!
🆚 @FutFemSCP#UWCL pic.twitter.com/6rGHpWpVrx
O 1️⃣1️⃣ inicial das Leoas frente ao @realmadridfem 💪 VAMOS!!!#RMCFSCP #UWCL pic.twitter.com/4bu4nG8AUr
— Sporting CP Futebol Feminino (@FutFemSCP) September 26, 2024
Manchester City v Paris FC teams
Women’s Champions League: On to the 7pm kick-offs we go. Manchester City have this one already sewn up, having won the first leg 5-0.
Tonight's #UWCL squad! 🩵
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) September 26, 2024
XI | Keating, Layzell, Aleixandri, Greenwood (C), Fowler, Kelly, Kennedy, Park, Blindkilde Brown, Shaw, Hasegawa
SUBS | Yamashita, Startup, Miedema, Coombs, Hemp, Casparij, Fujino, Prior, Murphy, Thomas, O'Carroll#ManCity pic.twitter.com/aKTfIiwRxH
🌟𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 !
— Paris FC Féminines (@PFC_feminines) September 26, 2024
Nos 1️⃣1️⃣ Parisiennes qui débuteront ce match retour 💙
🔵⚪️ #CertifiéParis | #MCIPFC pic.twitter.com/BdcYmCGw91
Half-time scores
Here’s how we’re looking in the 5.45pm (BST) kick-offs:
Women’s Champions League qualifying:
PSG 0-1 Juventus (agg: 1-4)
Europa League:
Fenerbahce 1-0 Union Saint-Gilloise
Malmö 0-1 Rangers
Updated
Europa League: A huge chance wasted by Rangers, with five minutes left in the first half. Bajrami plays in Vaclav Cerny, Malmö completely cut open, but the right-winger blazes wide when facing off one-on-one with the keeper. It remains 1-0 to Rangers.
GOAL! Fenerbahce 1-0 Union Saint-Gilloise (Soyuncu 26)
Europa League: The Leicester old boy strikes. Soyuncu is up in the six-yard box from a corner and is quick to the bouncing ball to hook it into the net. José Mourinho sips on his water bottle.
Updated
Europa League: Malmö have the ball in the back of the net … but the flag goes up. Isaac Kiese Thelin was the goalscorer, with a lovely first-time finish in the box after receiving from a free-kick … but he was offside by a fair whack. It remains 1-0 to Rangers.
Updated
GOAL! PSG 0-1 Juventus (Cantore 2)
Women’s Champions League: Juventus make their aggregate lead 4-1, with Sofia Cantore slotting in after a game of pinball in the PSG box from a corner.
Updated
GOAL! Malmö 0-1 Rangers (Bajrami 1)
Europa League: Not even a minute on the clock! It’s a backpass gone wrong from Malmö, which Cyriel Dessers gets on the end of. He goes around the keeper, somehow misses the open goal, but the ball comes off the post for Nedim Bajrami to slot in.
Updated
Europa League: Another familiar name in the Malmö line-up is Pontus Jansson, once of Leeds before joining Brentford. He pairs up with Rösler in the heart of defence.
Europa League: “Check out Malmö number 19 Rösler, it is the son of old Man City legend Uwe,” writes Oyvind Kristiansen. Colin Rösler is the one to watch then. He spent a few years at Manchester City himself, coming through the age-groups before getting his pro start at NAC Breda in 2019.
Europa League: In case you haven’t clocked it, this new-look competition has adopted the 36-team league format that has been employed in the Champions League.
The Supercomputer – not keen on taking over the world just yet – has been busy running through who’ll win the whole thing. Rangers and Malmö fans, look away.
Fenerbahce v Union Saint-Gilloise teams
Europa League: Of course José has a pic on Fenerbahce’s team sheet. They’ve got some serious Europa heritage thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri, signed from Sevilla – who usually run this show – in the summer.
The starting XI vs. Union SG 👇#UEL #FBvUSG pic.twitter.com/UK2KFBrBNW
— Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) September 26, 2024
The XI to kick off our European season. ✨ pic.twitter.com/zLlfcKrNqO
— Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (@UnionStGilloise) September 26, 2024
PSG v Juventus teams
Women’s Champions League: England’s Mary Earps is in the PSG XI for their encounter against Juventus, her side having lost the first leg 3-1.
📑 Le 𝟏𝟏 𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐞́𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 pour ce match face à la Juventus! ⚔️
— PSG Féminines (@PSG_Feminines) September 26, 2024
A suivre sur PSG TV Premium ! ➡️ https://t.co/l5AlLdLIPo#PSGJUV | #UWCL pic.twitter.com/lCncNYGUt8
Juventus: Peyraud-Magnin, Lenzini, Calligaris, Cascarino, Bergamaschi, Caruso (c), Bennison, Krumbiegel, Cantore, Girelli, Beccari
Malmö v Rangers teams
Europa League: Dutch defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo makes his first start for Rangers, who are third in the league after five games.
📄 Här är höstens första startelva i @EuropaLeague.
— Malmö FF (@Malmo_FF) September 26, 2024
Framåt, Malmö! #MFFRFC pic.twitter.com/7AQ9rMhTS1
🆕 Tonight’s #RangersFC team to face Malmö FF.#UEL | @EuropaLeague pic.twitter.com/t1xcjC63rS
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 26, 2024
Updated
Preamble
Hello, hello and welcome to tonight’s European show. We’ve got Women’s Champions League qualifying to keep tabs on, as well as some edgy Europa League action – yes, that’s right, we know you’re only here to hear about Ajax’s Wout Weghorst meeting his old teammates at Besiktas.
The key plotline for the evening – from an English perspective – is the position Arsenal find themselves in. One-nil down from their first leg against Häcken in the Women’s Champions League, they need victory by two goals at home to advance to the group stages (yes, I’ve done the maths).
These are the ones I’ll be keeping a closer eye on tonight:
Women’s Champions League qualifying (all times BST):
PSG v Juventus – 5.45pm
Manchester City v Paris FC – 7pm
Real Madrid v Sporting – 7pm
Celtic v Vorskla Poltava – 7.15pm
Arsenal v Häcken – 7.30pm
Europa League:
Fenerbahce v Union SG – 5.45pm
Malmö v Rangers – 5.45pm
Ajax v Besiktas – 8pm
Roma v Athletic Bilbao – 8pm
Lyon v Olympiakos – 8pm
Updated
