Picks of the week: English clubs secured wins without conceding in the Uefa Champions League as Sinner and Gauff triumphed in the China Open. Elsewhere, Nigeria’s 23-man squad list for Afcon 2025 qualifiers against Libya was unveiled, while Ahmed Musa bagged a brace on his return to the NPFL as Bagnaia cut Jorge Martins’s lead in Japan.
From the powerhouses in the Premier League’s stunning display in European competitions to the thrills from tennis in the just concluded China Open and the wait for Super Eagles action in the Afcon 2025 qualifiers against Libya down to the tracks where Bagnaia closes the gap in the championship stands it was indeed an exciting time in the world of sports.
The matchday two of the Uefa Champions League and Europa League brought twist and standout performances, while the match day one for the Conference League brought a fresh dose of excitement.
It was all shades of brilliance in matchday two of the Champions League, especially for Premier League clubs participating in the competition. Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Liverpool picked up pivotal points drubbing the likes of PSG, Slovakia Bratislava, Bayern Munich and Bologna. Arsenal’s win against PSG was a statement victory, while Unai Emery’s success against Bayern in a repeat of the scoreline of the 1982 European Cup final was a perfect win for Villa. Aside from Bayern falling to a defeat, another surprise result came from Lille beating Real Madrid. Here are the results of match day two games.
In the Europa League, Ange Postecoglu’s Tottenham drove to a win against Ferencvaros, claiming a fifth successive win for the first time since March 2021 under Mourinho, whereas Manchester United ended winless after scoring three goals to secure just one point. On the other hand, in the Conference League, the reserve team of Chelseas did flex their muscles to win. Here are the results for both the Europa and Conference League.
In the Premier League’s last matches before the International break, nothing could separate Manchester United and Aston Villa as they played out a 0-0 draw with the hopes that at least a point could put out the fire on Erik Ten Hags name. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw with Chris Wood and Noni Madueke scoring for their sides, and Brighton came from two goals down to get a 3-2 victory against Tottenham.
In the women’s super league, Mancity picked up a comfortable 2-0 victory against West Ham with goals from Lauren Hemp and Mary Fowler. While Liverpool and Crystal Palace also secured three points on the road, and the game between Arsenal and Everton ended 0-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Here are some of the big results from match week three of the WSL.
Elsewhere, The NPFL matchday five was characterised by sixteen goals, seven home wins, and a draw with Remo Stars losing for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Kano Pillars enjoyed the prowess of Ahmed Musa, who scored a brace to lead them to a 2-0 victory against Sunshine Stars. Here are the full-time results.
Coach Austin Eguaveon named the 23-man squad for Nigeria’s 2025 Afcon qualifying double-header against Libya. Victor Osimhen is absent from the list due to injury, while in-form playmaker Chidera Ejuke gets a comeback after a long absence from the team. Here’s the full squad list.
Jannik Sinner, after winning his second Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, went into the finals of the China Open on a 15-match winning streak but eventually lost to Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 6-8 6-4 7-6 7-3 who claimed the China Open title in Beijing. In the women’s category, Coco Gauff got off to a perfect start with her new coaches Jean-Christophe Faurel and Matt Daly, as she won her first WTA tour title since January with a 6-1 6-3 straight-set victory in the China Open final against Karolina Muchova.
On the tracks, Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia followed up his win in the sprint race with a victory in the Japanese Grand Prix. Bagnaia overtook pole sitter Pedro Acosta on the opening lap and maintained the lead throughout and finished 1.189 seconds ahead of Jorge Martin, who came second with Marc Marquez finishing third.
