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Mumbai City had 65 per cent of the ball against NorthEast United in their first 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday. Excellent and expected right? Well, they also registered zero shots on target and lost the game 0-1. 

It was a much-awaited peep into Sergio Lobera's new-look Islanders and the team news did not disappoint. The starting lineup was designed to dominate the game and that's what it did. 

Both Adam Le Fondre and Bartholomew Ogbeche started upfront with Hugo Boumous in behind. Hernan Santana and Sarthak Golui formed the defence and Ahmed Jahouh seemed to have been instructed to do whatever he wants to do on the pitch - which was supposed to be a good thing for football lovers because he is such a delight to watch on the ball very often. 

Jahouh took control of the midfield right from the off. He turned up in all areas of the pitch, looking to receive the ball, turn, look for a teammate's run and find him. And then he lost his composure just before the break and Mumbai CIty's gameplan was ruined. 

If ISL creates a highlight reel of the first half between the two teams, it'd mostly be Jahouh receiving and producing passes. In the 43rd minute however, he lunged into a dangerous slide tackle on Khassa Camara near the centre circle and the punishment was deservedly a straight red card. It was a blow to a dominant Mumbai City. 

Not that both teams were creating plenty of clear-cut chances - there were next to none in the first half. But had Mumbai City continued to dominate with 11 men, it is not ridiculous to conclude that they would have been more likely to break the deadlock. But it wasn't to be. 

NorthEast United came out after the break and just turned out to be even more resilient than they already were. The midfield led by Camara and the defence led by Dylan Fox were very particular about denying Mumbai City space to operate. The likes of Mandar Rao Dessai and Hugo Bomous struggled to get free from an alert Ashutosh Mehta. Upfront, Luis Machado threatened with his runs and crosses. One such cross after the break found Fox in the box whose header hit the arm of Rowllin Borges. The result was a spot-kick. 

Kwesi Appiah made no mistake from 12 yards and registered a goal on his ISL debut. 

The fans who expected a strong comeback were disappointed as, even with the 41 minutes left for the game to end, City couldn't conjure a shot on target. They took 10 shots compared to Northeast's seven but none in the right direction. They also completed 552 passes compared to the winning team's 292. 

As is the case with Kerala Blasters under Kibu Vicuna, it is a matter of players settling in and adapting to a new setup. Nus' men had no such issues with their approach as they were happy to drop deep to defend and showed excellent organisation and discipline at the back to keep out a top-heavy Mumbai City.

Kevin De Bruyne claimed he is baffled by the current interpretation of the handball rule after Manchester City once again fell foul of VAR against Tottenham.

Spurs dug in for a 2-0 win thanks to goals in each half from Son Heung-min and substitute Giovani Lo Celso, moving them to the top of the Premier League table after a performance which delighted boss Jose Mourinho.

By contrast, Mourinho's old rival Pep Guardiola finds his side languishing in 10th with 12 points from eight matches, although they were entitled to be frustrated when a marginal handball call went against Gabriel Jesus when he set up Aymeric Laporte for what briefly looked to be a first-half equaliser.

Referee Mike Dean consulted the pitchside monitor, with the replay showing the ball brushed Jesus' bicep on the hem of his shirt sleeve.

The latest guidance on handball from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) stipulates the "T-shirt line" should be used to differentiate between where the shoulder ends and the arm begins in terms of legal and illegal playing of the ball.

"I don't know the rules anymore honestly," De Bruyne told Sky Sports, with the same combination of Laporte and Jesus denied by VAR when the sides drew 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium last season – a match that followed the remarkable drama of the sides' 2019 Champions League quarter-final.

"I thought if it's above the arm here [above the bottom of the sleeve] that it’s not handball anymore. Everybody knows that it hits him here. I don’t know the rules.

"If you will listen tomorrow or the day after they will come on whatever channel and the referee will say it's a good decision, so it really doesn't matter.

"I've been playing professional football for 12 years and in the first nine years there were no rule changes. Now there are a lot of rule changes.

"I don't know why. Football is a nice game. The people making the rule changes need to be in the game."

Another familiar aspect of City's performance was combining a dominance of possession with a lack of cutting edge in attack and defensive fragility.

The visitors had 22 shots, with half of those blocked, to Tottenham's four. Son's goal was Spurs' only attempt of the first half and City had accounted for 66.4 per cent of possession by full-time.

Guardiola highlighted Laporte's decision to charge out of the defensive line to challenge Harry Kane in the build-up to an opening goal when Rodri and Joao Cancelo also appeared culpable, but De Bruyne believes he and his attacking colleagues must take a significant share of the blame.

"I think we played well but we missed that cutting edge," he said.

"To keep Tottenham to about three or four chances, that's quite good. But if you're not sharp enough in front of goal, which is happening lately, it's not enough."

Jesus and fellow striker Sergio Aguero have spent time on the sidelines this season, with the latter on the bench in north London alongside Raheem Sterling, who suffered an injury while on England duty.

"Obviously it's been up and down with the players going in and out," De Bruyne added. "It's very difficult for players to come back from injury and be sharp. It's difficult to find consistency.

"I think the first two thirds of the pitch we played well, but the end needs to be sharper. That will come, hopefully sooner than later."

In many ways, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a spoilsport around the globe, impacting many an event across multiple sports. Numerous events were cancelled or delayed, like Wimbledon, Euro 2020 and even the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

It has even posed quite a few challenges to the preparations being made for events coming up in the near future, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which is set to kick off in two years' time. 

However, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the World Cup, has taken the challenges in its stride and have not allowed them to halt progress. 

Fatma Al-Nuaimi, Executive Communications Director of the SC, explains that being resilient and adaptive has helped them stay on track to deliver the World Cup on time. The stringent measures the Government of Qatar and the SC took to control the pandemic did help keep the World Cup projects tick along. 

"Since we submitted the bid in 2010 the two things that we have learnt is to be resilient and be adaptive. We came through a lot of different challenges. When it comes to Covid-19, although it is very uncertain, we have come up with safety procedures for our workforce, as they are our top priority. We have been following the government protocols and have made sure that the work is not impacted," said Al-Nuaimi.

"When the pandemic hit, it made some changes to our plans this year. It did put some of the things on hold but we are trying to be adaptative and innovative to find new ways to communicate the progress and still excite the fans about this tournament.

"When the pandemic started we were distributing masks, hand sanitizers at all World Cup sites. We made sure to have isolation rooms at all official sites and the temperature was to be tested twice a day. Here in Doha, the pandemic has been largely controlled. We hope that in two years' time and with the news of 90 per cent vaccine trial success, things will, later on, turn out good," she added on a hopeful note. 

Ever since Qatar won the hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup, the SC officials have been in conversations with major sporting events around the world, trying to pick the best practices and learn from them. Now with Covid-19 making an unwelcome appearance, Al-Nuaimi revealed that SC officials have been in conversations with the Tokyo Olympics organisers among other events. 

The Tokyo Olympics is set to be held in 2021 now and will come right on the heels of the pandemic. In fact, it will be the first global event of that magnitude to be held after the pandemic struck. Al-Nuaimi explained that Qatar are in close conversations with those in Japan to learn and observe the challenges of holding a global event in such trying circumstances. 

"We made sure actually that for every major event, we always have coordination with different federations, football organizing committees to actually start learning and adapting a lot of the lessons they have learnt in hosting. From the London Olympics to Brazil or Russia World Cups (2014 and 2018), we always make sure that we have a delegation that would go and learn from their organization.

"For sure for next year, we would have a delegation in Japan (for Tokyo Olympics) to learn – whether if held with Covid-19 protocols or hopefully by then, if Covid is already gone and things will be back to normal. I think there will be a lot of lessons learnt and a lot of offering that we can take from Japan before us hosting the World Cup."

Qatar themselves have experience of hosting tournaments during the pandemic, with the country playing hosts to the 2020 AFC Champions League. The domestic football league, Qatar Stars League, has also restarted in a bubble. 

"There has been a lot of knowledge sharing during the pandemic like NFL (National Football League), AFC (Asian Football Confederation), Bundesliga and hosting a tournament during this period, bubble-to-bubble. J-League was one of the first to start in Asia once Covid-19 happened. We were the first in this region to kick-off with new health and safety procedures. By next year, there will be a lot of lessons learnt between both organizations," Al-Nuaimi said. 

'Deliver Amazing' is the tagline for 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the SC are fully committed to doing so and ensure the fans who travel for the event will have a unique experience. The eight planned venues are all quite close to each other, making for a compact World Cup where fans and players do not have to travel huge distances to go from one venue to another. Each of those venues have cutting-edge features like the Advanced Cooling Tech and more. 

Al-Nuaimi feels the fans are in for a unique, cultural experience in 2022. 

"We have four stadiums completed, three of them inaugurated. Two of them where the contractor has completed work and another one will be completed in 2021. In 2021, we will be celebrating a lot of stadium inaugurations and utilise every opportunity that we have to test the venues operationally and to make sure that they are ready. 

"What differentiates this World Cup is the compact nature of it.  Teams and fans will not have to travel much to see their favourite teams. The closest stadium is just five minutes away and the farthest is just one hour away. Fans can enjoy themselves in the desert, watch a football match and taste the Arabian food that we have here. We want to offer a unique cultural experience to the fans."

Erling Haaland declared Youssoufa Moukoko is "the biggest talent in the world right now" after he made his Borussia Dortmund debut on Saturday. 

Just one day after his 16th birthday, Moukoko was brought on against Hertha Berlin in the 85th minute with his side 5-2 up and became the Bundesliga's youngest ever player in the process. 

Haaland, who was replaced by Moukoko, is widely regarded as one of the game's brightest prospects and was recently awarded the Golden Boy award. 

The Norway star is adamant however that Moukoko has the potential to usurp him - noting that age is very much on the teenager's side. 

"I think he’s the biggest talent in the world right now. 16 years and one day, that’s quite amazing. He has a big career ahead of him," Haaland told ESPN. 

Asked about his own talent in comparison, he added: “I’m over 20 years, so I’m getting old now, so that’s how it is."

Moukoko has already represented Germany at U20 level and was playing for Dortmund's U17 side at the age of just 12. 

Dortmund manager Lucien Favre was short of players on Saturday and hopes Moukoko's first taste of senior football can spur him on to reach his full potential. 

“He’s trained with us now for 14 days. Seven or eight players were away on international duty. It was 5-2 and it was good for him to play his first Bundesliga game but of course he has to keep working," Favre said. 

"He’s very, very young. We have a lot of attacking players, a lot who haven’t played today.”

On the match itself, which Dortmund won 5-2 after trailing 1-0 at half-time, Favre added: “We have to keep playing this way, play the ball forward more, make more runs into the box and the team did that immediately in the second half.”

Favre's side are currently second in the Bundesliga after eight matches - just one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich, who were held to a 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday. 

Dortmund next face Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday night before backing up in the Bundesliga against FC Koln. 

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone could not hide the enthusiasm brought on by Saturday's 1-0 win over Barcelona, though he dismissed the idea that he can see similarities with his 2013-14 title-winning team.

Los Colchoneros produced a solid display at the Wanda Metropolitano to defeat Ronald Koeman's misfiring Barca and go up to second in La Liga, only behind Real Sociedad – who have played a game more – by virtue of scoring two goals fewer.

That victory extended Atletico's unbeaten run to 24 games in La Liga and opened up a nine-point gap between themselves and Barca.

With defending champions Real Madrid also failing to inspire much confidence, having rarely impressed this season and been held by Villarreal earlier on Saturday, Atletico look like many people's favourite for the title.

Atletico have not won it since 2013-14, their first for 18 years at the time, but Simeone is keeping his feet on the ground.

When asked if he saw similarities with his previous title-winning team, Simeone told reporters: "No, I don't see them."

But Atletico's improvement from 2019-20 is not lost on the Argentinian, who added: "The most important things we value about the growth of footballers from last season to this one is being seen.

"We are working better on the pitch, we are being more complicit to share what the team needs and we see it.

"We need everyone. Felipe, who played much more continuously last season; Renan Lodi, who will surely be important; [Geoffrey] Kondogbia enters little by little; Saul [Niguez] is finding his best form; [Angel] Correa is showing extraordinary growth, not to mention Joao Felix or [Diego] Costa's enthusiasm when he came on.

"The group generates enthusiasm for me, because I see them wanting to look for important things, game by game."

The win saw Atletico end a run of 20 consecutive La Liga matches without a victory over Barcelona, while Simeone had not beaten them in 17 previous league meetings.

But, despite the momentousness of such a victory, Simeone remained reserved and dismissed its importance.

"Football is game by game," he said. "Sometimes we have to win and sometimes we have to lose, in the previous games [against Barca] we had always been close to winning, aside from in the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.

"Today we won, that does not change the plan of what is sought. I'm very happy with the team's effort."

Shubham Sarangi was one of the bright spots for Odisha FC last season in the Indian Super League (ISL), with his performances at right-back garnering praise. 

The versatile footballer who started his career as a striker was converted into a right-winger during 2018-19 season by then Odisha and erstwhile Delhi Dynamos manager Josep Gombau. Later that season though, impressed by his defending abilities, the Spaniard had changed his position and used him as a right full-back.

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Sarangi decided to commit his future to the club for three more years and the player explained that representing his native club is a motivation in itself which prompted him to sign the contract extension.

“Being a local player and getting the opportunity to represent your state at any level is great. It gives you that extra motivation. It makes you feel attached to the place and the people. The people in Odisha are extremely passionate about the game. The extra love and motivation of Odisha fans made me commit my future to the club,” Sarangi told Goal.

2020 has been a difficult year for everybody across the globe primarily due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Indian football had also come to a halt after the conclusion of the ISL 2019-20 season on March 17.

The young Odisha defender is glad that football will start again in the country and suggested that he is very eager to take to the field. 

“It has been a very long break due to the pandemic and many activities including football were put to a halt. We have been waiting for this time for long. I am very excited for the season and can’t wait to play football again.”

The 20-year-old suggested that the team is having a very fruitful pre-season training under new coach Stuart Baxter and he is hopeful that the addition of quality foreign players this season would help them to make it to the play-offs.

“The pre-season has been very good so far and the team gelling quite well. The coach has brought a new philosophy and we are trying to implement that. We are giving our best in each and every session and trying to improve as a team and do well in the upcoming season.

“We have a very good foreign contingent this season. I feel right from the backline to the attack, the squad is really good and balanced. Last season we had missed out on the play-offs narrowly. The main target of the team this season is to be in the play-offs. Individually my target is to provide as many assists as possible and create chances.”

Sarangi also mentioned that he is very keen to play under a reputed coach like Stuart Baxter and has been following the coach’s words diligently in the training sessions.

“He (Stuart Baxter) is a great coach. He has managed so many teams, has experience of working in South Africa and Japan. He has vast experience and as a player, you look forward to getting coached by such a personality.

“Since day one of training, we have been listening to every single instruction of his. Even when we were at our homes, he used to stay in touch with every player and conduct tactical classes. He has been wonderful and each and every player has the urge to prove themselves under him,” said the right-back.

Hyderabad FC's Rohit Danu is regarded as one of the youngsters with big potential. He has shown glimpses of brilliance during his stint with Indian Arrows in I-League and now he must replicate his form in the Indian Super League (ISL). 

His career has been punctuated with injuries and niggles and the youngster knows that to have an impact and improve as a player he must get more minutes on the pitch. He even missed the start of the 2019-20 season but came back strongly in January to reinvigorate Arrows' attack. Hyderabad was quick to rope him in the squad following his exploits with the AIFF (All India Football Federation) developmental team, and Danu is itching to prove his worth. 

"When I moved from Indian Arrows to Hyderabad FC, I was mentally prepared and motivated to face the challenges. I have always wanted to play to my full potential, for the team. To play regularly, to score goals, to create chances and help my team win is always on my mind.

"The ISL is a much more professional league when compared to the I-League. The style of play is also different and playing under a Spanish coach is helping me to improve a lot, as a player," stated the forward in a chat with Goal. 

Every youngster wants to hone his talent under the guidance of an experienced coach and in Hyderabad, he has the perfect mentor in Manuel Marquez. The Spaniard has been in the trade for close to two decades and has been at the helm of teams like Las Palmas and Espanyol Reserves. And Danu is trying to make the most of each training session under the 52-year-old. 

"Manolo Marquez is an experienced Spanish coach and training under him is helping me to get stronger and better technically, as well as tactically. The way he guides is so commendable. He helps us learn new things on and off the field. He is very focused and is always helpful."

Danu also credited AIFF for the exposure trips that were arranged by the federation to lock horns against stronger opponents around the world. He believes that those tournaments helped him further realise his deficiencies and work on them to get better.

"I have to say, where I am today as a player, AIFF has helped me a lot and for this, I am always grateful to them. The exposure trips organised by AIFF helped us to see new things and learn from them. These trips help us to acquire vast knowledge and experience and allows us to focus more on the qualities we lack and identify the areas of our game we need to work on. So, these trips have been crucial to my development as a player," he said.  

The 18-year-old is comfortable with the ball and has a delicate first touch which gives him more time to think about his next move. He can also combine well in the attacking third and is versatile enough to play in any position in a front-three. But he still needs to work on his goal-scoring skills and be more clinical. 

"As a player, there are many areas where I have to work on. Especially on my attacking side, I have to work on my speed and be sharper. I also have to work on improving my finishing, and try to be more effective in front of goal." 

With more experience under his belt, Danu might master the art of scoring goals but he already has an enviable record. He scored against Aizawl to become the youngest ever goalscorer in the then top division of Indian football. 

In this season he must find his scoring boots if Hyderabad needs to better their performances from the previous season. They had a dismal debut campaign and were toothless in the scoring department which ultimately saw them finish last on the table. 

"My target for the upcoming season is obviously to help Hyderabad FC to a strong finish in the 2020-21 ISL campaign. I know that I have to fight for my place in the side because there is so much competition and quality in the squad."

The Nizams have got Aridane Santana, Joel Chianese and Francisco Sandaza in attack and if Danu steps up his game, the team might finally exorcise the ghosts of the past. 

Erling Haaland has revealed that he gave Lucien Favre a piece of his mind on Saturday - because he believed he could have added to his tally of four goals against Hertha Berlin. 

The Norwegian took centre-stage for his club as they breezed past the hosts in an impressive 5-2 comeback victory. 

Hertha went ahead after 33 minutes through Matheus Cunha, a goal that seemed to spark Dortmund - and especially Haaland - into action after a slow start in their first match back from the international break. 

Haaland went on to score a 15-minute hat-trick after the break, adding a fourth 79 minutes in after Raphael Guerreiro netted to join him on the scoresheet and seconds after Cunha briefly took the game back to 4-2 from the penalty spot with his second. 

That proved to be the striker's last action in the game as he made way for 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, who became the Bundesliga's youngest-ever player. 

But after the game, and with tongue firmly in cheek, Haaland insisted he had more to give - and told coach Favre as much.

"To be honest after the game, [Favre] asked me how many I scored. He asked me: Did you score three?” Haaland joked to ESPN. 

“I said: 'No, four. Only four because you subbed me out.'

"So I’m a bit mad at him right now but that’s how it is."

Favre later confirmed Haaland's version of events, while paying tribute to BVB for turning things round in spectacular fashion after a tough first 45 minutes. 

"It’s true because I am not just watching the goals, I am watching the passes too," the coach admitted to ESPN. 

“[I told the players at half-time] we have to keep playing this way, play the ball forward more, make more runs into the box and the team did that immediately in the second half.” 

Saturday's emphatic win took Dortmund within one point of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who were held 1-1 by Werder Bremen on the same day. 

Haaland, meanwhile, has drawn within one goal of current top scorer Robert Lewandowski, with the prolific pair boasting 10 and 11 goals respectively after just eight rounds of the 2020-21 season.

Hyderabad, at one point in time, was a hotbed of Indian football with several star footballers and coaches hailing from the City of Nizams. The 1950s and 60s witnessed the heydays of Hyderabad football but it fizzled out thereafter. 

The city’s football was revived last season when Hyderabad FC was formed and made their debut in the Indian Super League (ISL). One of the objectives was to bring back the glory days of football in the Southern city.

Unfortunately, for ‘The Nizams’, the results did not go their way. They finished at rock-bottom on the league table with just two wins in 18 matches and 10 points to show for. 

After a nightmare debut in the ISL, the team management decided to rebuild the side. They appointed former Bengaluru FC manager Albert Roca at the helm who came on board in January this year but took charge of the side only after the 2019-20 season concluded. Unfortunately, Roca decided to leave the club and join La Liga giants FC Barcelona as one of their fitness coaches under Ronald Koeman. 

The Spanish coach was replaced by his compatriot Manuel Marquez Roca who had the prior experience of managing La Liga side Las Palmas. The Nizams have made wholesale changes to their roster. Hyderabad FC parted ways with as many as 14 footballers from their first season, including six of their foreigners, and brought in 15 new faces to the squad.

They have signed nine new Indian players among whom the most notable inclusion has to be experienced Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul who left Jamshedpur FC after three seasons. The goalkeeping position was a major concern for the club last season. Their first choice custodian Kamaljit Singh who appeared in 12 out of the 18 matches, conceded 26 goals and failed to keep a single clean sheet. Paul’s inclusion is undoubtedly an improvement in the goalkeeping department.

Hyderabad have also brought in notable names in Halicharan Narzary and youngsters Rohit Danu and Akash Mishra. 

Foreigners play a key role and Hyderabad have brought in some promising players. Their midfield looks compact in the presence of Brazilian midfielder Joao Victor and Spaniard Lluis Sastre both of whom have experience of playing in La Liga.

In defence, they have brought in only one foreigner in Odei Onaindia. It must be noted that the team has opted to sign only six foreigners. 

The attack looks to be one of their strong suits, thanks to the addition of former Girona forward Francisco Sandaza and Australian forward Joel Chianese. But the most notable addition to this team is undoubtedly Spanish striker Aridane Santana who has already made a name for himself in the league with Odisha FC last season.

Santana had an excellent run of form last season until he suffered an unfortunate injury in January and was ruled out of action for the rest of the season. In the 14 matches he played for Odisha, Santana scored nine goals and provided two assists.

With an experienced coach like Manuel Marquez Roca at the helm and with a mixture of youth and experience in the new-look squad, Hyderabad FC will hope to turn things around this time.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was left feeling concerned by the manner of Atletico Madrid's winning goal in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Wanda Metropolitano.

Barca travelled to Madrid having won only one of their previous five La Liga matches, a run of results that already had them playing catch-up in the table.

Defeat – their third in a little over a month – means they could end the weekend in the bottom half of the table, with the Blaugrana seemingly struggling to recover from a tumultuous pre-season off the pitch.

The solitary goal conceded against Atletico came at the end of the first half when Gerard Pique – who was later substituted with a nasty-looking knee injury – failed to cut out Angel Correa's pass, and Yannick Carrasco skipped past the stranded Marc-Andre ter Stegen before slotting into an empty net from 35 yards.

The whole situation left Koeman frustrated.

"It is worrying," he told Movistar . "For a big team, conceding a goal like this ... it can't be, because it's the 47th minute, we had the ball and then they score, 1-0.

"We controlled and we knew that it was difficult to create many chances. We had a pair and with the score 0-0, the game would have been totally different [if they had taken either chance].

"Like any coach, I am responsible for the team's results."

Although the campaign is still in its early stages, Atletico's win saw them go nine points clear of Barca.

Koeman recognised it as a significant gap to bridge and is demanding a streak of wins from his men in response.

"It's a pretty big difference, but there is a lot of the league left and a lot of games," he continued.

"We know that every match is complicated, but after this defeat we have to chain an important winning streak.

"I have seen a team that has fought until the last second to been able to level the game, so in this sense I am not worried."

Barca confirmed after the match that Pique had sustained a knee sprain" though further tests are required to determine the extent of the injury.

Vincent Aboubakar took his Cameroon form to Besiktas as he found the net in Saturday’s 3-2 triumph over Istanbul Basaksehir.

During the international break, the 28-year-old got three goals in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games as the Indomitable Lions completed a double over Mozambique.

He continued with his notable goalscoring run helping the Black Eagles shrug off their 3-1 defeat to Gaziantep FK their last time out.

With the first-half of the keenly contested affair heading for a goalless draw, captain Atiba Hutchinson tucked home a corner-kick from Brazilian midfielder Souza in the 44th minute.

On the stroke of half-time, Canadian forward Cyle Larin doubled the lead after beating goalkeeper Volkan Babacan from close range with Hutchinson providing the assist.

Aboubakar added the third goal in the 72nd minute from the penalty spot after Mehmet Topal had stopped his goal-bound effort with his arm. Before the Cameroonian converted the ensuing kick, Topal was given the marching orders for a second caution.

Basaksehir looked dead and buried after leaking three goals and having a man sent off, yet, they refused to go down without a fight.

Demba Ba’s replacement Fredrik Gulbrandsen pulled one back for the visitors in the 81st minute before completing his brace in the 90th minute. Even at that, he could not save his team from their fourth defeat of the 2020-21 campaign.

Aboubakar who now boasts of two goals in six Turkish elite division games this term was in action for Sergen Yalcin’s men from start to finish. Ghana’s Bernard Mensah who is on loan from Kayserispor was handed a starter’s role, nevertheless, he was replaced in the 69th minute by Serbian midfielder Adem Ljajic. Algeria’s Rachid Ghezzal also was substituted for Gokhan Tore while Congo DR international Fabrice N'Sakala was not listed for the five-goal thriller.

Ba was in action for 75 minutes for Istanbul Basaksehir while Cape Verde’s Carlos Ponck replaced Rafael with 10 minutes to play. Belgian left-back of Congolese descent Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo was also in action as Nigeria’s Azubuike Okechukwu continue to stay out on the side-line owing to injury worries.

Thanks to this result, Besiktas are seventh in the log with 13 points from eight games - same point as Basaksehir who have a superior goals difference.

Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed as a born champion by Andrea Pirlo after the superstar forward kept his goalscoring run going with a double in Juventus' 2-0 win over Cagliari.

The Portugal international scored twice in the space of four first-half minutes to take his tally for the season to eight goals in six appearances in all competitions.

In doing so, Ronaldo became the first Juve player to score in each of his first five Serie A outings in one season in the three-points-per-win era.

His match-winning brace came from five attempts and he also laid on three chances for his team-mates, earning praise from head coach Pirlo.

"He is a great professional, as we already knew," Pirlo told DAZN . "He is a real champion and sets the example for everyone around him, both in the matches and in training.

"The only advice I can give him is to keep going in the same way."

Juventus also had a Federico Bernardeschi goal ruled out for offside and tested opposition goalkeeper Alessio Cragno five times in Saturday's clash at the Allianz Stadium.

It was a dominant display from Juve, with nine of their players having at least 60 touches of the ball – only once in the last 15 years, against Bologna in 2018, have they done better.

The defending champions are second after winning four of their eight league outings under Pirlo, who is happy with the way his players are taking on his ideas.

"There's a lot of quality in this squad, but that alone is not enough," he said. "If we are going to dominate games then we have to work the ball quickly from side to side.

"The players enjoy this style of football. When we have possession we have to pin the opposition back.

"We've been trying this pressing game since the first game but have not had much time to work on it. It is about winning back the ball as quickly as possible to keep the pressure."

Arthur completed more passes (101) than any player on the pitch, with an unrivalled 57 of those in the opposition half.

In the week that he scored his first goal for Brazil, Pirlo hailed the former Barcelona midfielder for the way he has quickly adjusted to his new surroundings.

"He is the player we expected. He came from a different league and needed a period of adaptation," he said. 

"Now he is better and is a very important player for our games if we are to avoid the opposition press."

Cagliari had a goal of their own ruled out when Ragnar Klavan headed home in the second half but they failed to register a single attempt on target in Turin.

They had previously won four of their last five games in all competitions but Eusebio Di Francesco conceded his side could have no complaints with the result.

"We came with a plan to press Juventus but their superior quality forced us back," he said. "They kept forcing us deep and they was always going to lead to a goal.

"We created more in the second half. We used players with little experience and sometimes that tells."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was relieved to see his Manchester United charges struggle past West Bromwich Albion in a game the manager admitted saw them far from their best. 

Bruno Fernandes' second-half penalty proved the difference between the two sides at Old Trafford on Saturday, the Portugal midfielder stepping up to net his sixth goal of the Premier League season after the decision was consulted by VAR. 

The 1-0 win moves the Red Devils up to ninth place in the standings, building on their impressive victory over Everton in the final match before the international break.

Saturday's showing was far less eye-catching, but Solskjaer was pleased to take all three points from the match.  

"It’s definitely not a step forward," the Norwegian admitted to reporters after the final whistle.

"Performance-wise we played really well against Everton, that’s a performance I was really happy with. But this one was way below par but we got the first win at home.

"Sometimes three points is more important than the performance. We know we need to get points and move up the table and we have to play better.

"The first game after the international break is never easy, there's not much time to prepare the game.

"We know we can play better than this and certainly could have made it comfortable if we had taken chances early on and toward the end.

"When you don’t do that there’s’ always an edge. It's important to get the win but we didn’t have the composure or quality to get the second goal that would have made it more comfortable."

With three assists to his name as well Fernandes has been directly involved in nine of the 13 goals United have mustered in this season's Premier League, and Solskjaer had high praise for his midfield lynchpin - particularly when it comes to converting from the spot.

"It says everything,  it should be said if you play for Manchester United you should never be afraid of taking a penalty," he added.

"We want players who want to take the responsibility good and bad and if some of the penalty takers would change their mind after missing I would be disappointed. I know he would want to take it again."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer concedes his side were 'lucky' that West Brom had a penalty decision overturned in their 1-0 win at Old Trafford. 

After a goalless first 45 minutes, Slaven Bilic's side were awarded a spot-kick early in the second half after referee David Coote ruled that Bruno Fernandes had fouled Conor Gallagher in the box. 

VAR however intervened with the decision eventually changed after Coote reviewed the incident on the sideline. Replays suggested Fernandes did make some contact with the ball before collecting Gallagher. 

The Red Devils made the most of the call and were themselves awarded a penalty 10 minutes later which Fernandes tucked away at the second time of asking after his first attempt was saved only for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to be caught coming of his line. 

Solskjaer admitted his side were lucky West Brom's penalty was chalked off, noting that he believed a similar call in an earlier Premier League game was wrong. 

"I looked at a penalty this afternoon, Villa-Brighton and there's contact on the ball and then the man," Solskjaer told BT Sport.

"In my head it might be a penalty. Maybe here we're a tad lucky but none of them are given. Maybe the rules are different to how I interpret them."

Unsurprisingly, West Brom manager Bilic was a lot more scathing in his assessment of the decision to overturn a penalty for his side, who are yet to win in the Premier League this season. 

"I'm very disappointed with the decision. I felt like 'small West Brom'. All those crucial decisions went against us. I've watched it a few times and it's a clear penalty. I don't understand why he overturned it," Bilic said.

"We played well. We had a few chances to score. We were there. I told the guys I'm disappointed, I think we deserved something.

"We deserved to go in front in the second half. I told them to stay positive and stay and fight and train and we'll win games."

On United's penalty, Bilic added: "It's a handball. It's a bit unlucky but it's handball. Before that it was a clear foul on Conor Gallagher. Instead of 1-0 for us, it's 1-0 for them. When you play against Manchester United away it's a huge difference."

Barcelona have picked up just 11 points from their first eight La Liga games this season - their worst tally since 1991-92. 

Ronald Koeman's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid on Saturday with Yannick Carrasco scoring the winner in first-half injury time. 

The result was the first time Diego Simeone has defeated Barcelona in La Liga with Atletico ending a 20-game winless run against the Catalans in the Spanish top-flight. 

Simeone's men have now also gone 24 games without defeat in La Liga and currently sit second in the competition on goal difference but with a game in hand. 

Barcelona meanwhile remain stuck in 10th, nine points adrift of Atletico, and have won just one of their last five La Liga games. That poor run has seen Koeman's side accrue a meagre 11 points with the club not tallying so few at this point of the competition in nearly three decades.

Despite that worrying statistic, the last time Barcelona started so poorly in 1991-91, they did go on to be crowned champions as they finished one point ahead of Real Madrid. 

Koeman will hope to see his men bounce back in the Champions League on Tuesday night against Dynamo Kiev with the Catalans winning all three of their group games in the competition to date. 

Following that clash, Barca return to La Liga action at home against Osasuna and will need to start winning matches if they hope to turn their poor league form around before it's too late. 

"We knew this could happen to us, we have to keep improving," Pedri said after the Atletico defeat. "La Liga is still long and I think we can compete."

In the Catalans' favour is the fact reigning champions and fierce rivals Real Madrid have also made a stuttering start in the league with Zinedine Zidane's side held to a 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Saturday.

Los Blancos are currently fourth in La Liga, six points ahead of Barcelona, but have played one extra game to date. 

Real Sociedad are the early pacesetters in Spain's first division with the club losing just one of their first nine games in the competition. 

Jurgen Klopp insists he is not interested in replacing Joachim Low as Germany coach – but says he would consider the job once his time at Liverpool was at an end.

Speculation has been rife that Low could face the sack following a disappointing run of results, which reached a nadir with the 6-0 Nations League thrashing at the hands of Spain earlier this month.

Klopp, naturally, would be the public’s choice to take over, but the 53-year-old has always played down the idea. 

And asked once again whether he would consider the role, the Reds boss offered a diplomatic response.

Klopp told reporters: “Wow, I thought that is one of the questions I answered most often in my life! 

“In the future, maybe. Now? No. I have no time, I have a job – a pretty intense job by the way!

“I’m not sure if anyone asked for me or whatever, but if they don’t know, I have a job at Liverpool. And even though the weather is bad again, I like it! 

“I’m responsible for a lot of things here, so I will not go and search for another challenge. I have enough challenges after waking up in the morning!”

Klopp was also asked about the news that Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension at Manchester City, which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2023.

Klopp’s deal at Liverpool runs until 2024, meaning the two great rivals will continue to battle in the coming seasons – though the German believes the Premier League is now far from a two-horse race.

“Pep signed a new contract because of me?” Klopp joked. “I love it! 

“I’m happy Pep signed a new contract, but I’m a little bit afraid that it will not be Guardiola against Klopp or something like that for the next few years.

“It looks like Frank [Lampard] and Chelsea are building a proper team, Man United will not stay [where they are] without trying, and Arsenal will do the same. 

“Tottenham look really dangerous this year, Leicester is obviously really good, and 100 per cent Wolves will not settle. I watch a lot of football, and I see the steps they make. That’s a threat for all of us.

“But I’m happy that Pep stays with me for longer.”

Marc-Andre ter Stegen's extraordinary error gifted Atletico Madrid the decisive goal as they defeated Barcelona 1-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Saturday's hard-fought contest was settled by a remarkable Yannick Carrasco strike in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, ending Atleti's 20-match winless run against Barca in LaLiga.

Ter Stegen – making just his third Blaugrana appearance in all competitions since returning from a knee injury – rashly set off in pursuit of the ball near the halfway line and was beaten by Carrasco, who kept his cool to find the net.

It was a setback Barca could not recover from as they succumbed to a third league defeat of the season to remain 10th, also losing Gerard Pique to a knee injury as Ronald Koeman's teething problems show no sign of easing.

The visitors had held their own in a lively start that saw Antoine Griezmann stab his volley just over before Ter Stegen dived away to his right to make a smart save from Saul Niguez's 20-yard drive.

Marcos Llorente came closest to an early breakthrough but blasted against the crossbar.

Jordi Alba interrupted a subsequent lull in proceedings with a sublime pass between Kieran Trippier's legs to send Lionel Messi through, yet he shot too close to Jan Oblak from a tight angle.

A nutmeg at the other end proved far more costly on the stroke of half-time, however, as Carrasco nudged the ball beyond Ter Stegen, who had inexplicably charged 40 yards from his goal to leave the Atletico winger with a straightforward finish into an empty net.

Clement Lenglet should have nodded Barca level 11 minutes after the restart but instead directed his header straight at a grateful Oblak and then saw centre-back partner Pique land awkwardly under a challenge, requiring assistance to depart down the tunnel.

And Diego Simeone's men subsequently came on strong again, pushing Barca back the other way to see out a precious victory.
 

What does it mean? Simeone's side the real contenders

For a little over 10 minutes, this was an open, exciting affair with chances at either end. But Atletico, masters of the scrappy win, slowed the pace of the game expertly and seized on a rare Ter Stegen error in clinical fashion.

Koeman needs some respite, but Simeone's side were never likely to relent, surely believing this strange year could be theirs. Atletico are second, level on points with leaders Real Sociedad, as Barca sit nine points off the pace already.

Trippier handles Alba task

Had Messi taken his first-half chance from an exquisite Alba pass, the nutmeg on Trippier would have been replayed over and over again. As it was, the Atletico right-back recovered superbly to win the battle down that flank.

The England international was involved at both ends of the field. He sent in four crosses, two of them finding team-mates, and created one chance, while winning four of his six duels and making one tackle, three clearances and two interceptions.

Barca's sweeper exposed

Ter Stegen is a rival to Manuel Neuer at international level but has long been established as Barca's number one. Neither Germany goalkeeper will reflect fondly on this week, though, as the Blaugrana ace followed up his watching brief in the 6-0 defeat to Spain by enduring a nightmare of his own.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man, like Neuer, can take risks at times with his sweeping style, and this was one occasion where he paid the price. Carrasco became the eighth player to dribble past Ter Stegen in his LaLiga career as he committed an error leading to a goal for the ninth time.

Key Opta Facts

- Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona in LaLiga for the first time since February 2010 (2-1).

- Barcelona have just 11 points after eight LaLiga games this season (W3 D2 L3), their worst start at this stage since 1991-92, when they won the title.

- Atletico have just conceded two goals in eight LaLiga games this season (W6 D2 L0), their best start in terms of goals conceded at this stage since 1995-96, when they won the double of LaLiga and Copa del Rey.

- Atletico are unbeaten in their last 24 LaLiga games (W15 D9), their longest run without defeat in the competition and the longest current such streak across the top five European leagues.

What's next?

Champions League action resumes in midweek with Atletico at home to Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday, the day after Barca visit Dynamo Kiev.

Bruno Fernandes scored his seventh goal of the season with a retaken penalty as Manchester United claimed a controversial first Premier League home win since July with a 1-0 defeat of West Brom.

United have endured their worse home start in the top flight for 48 years, but finally secured three points at a ground that used to be such a fortress at the fifth attempt.

They needed some fortune to end a six-match run without a home victory that stretched back to last season, though, as referee David Coote overturned his decision to award struggling Albion a penalty at the start of the second half.

Fernandes breathed a sigh of relief after he was adjudged to have brought down Conor Gallagher and the midfielder was a lucky man soon after when he was given a second chance to score from the spot.

Sam Johnstone tipped away Fernandes's first attempt after Darnell Furlong was harshly penalised for handball, but came off his line too soon, and the United talisman did not pass up another opportunity to open the scoring.

Johnstone made the first of several brilliant stops against his former club from an early Anthony Martial header and then produced a superb reflex save low to his left to thwart the United forward.

The Baggies had a first sight of goal when Karlan Grant's shot was tipped wide by David de Gea before Martial was denied a penalty when the France international felt he was tugged back by Matheus Pereira.

Albion thought they had a golden opportunity to take the lead just after the break and Coute's pitchside change of heart - which preceded an excellent De Gea stop from Conor Townsend - was not the end of the VAR drama.

Johnstone was shown to be too quick off the mark and Fernandes made no mistake second time around.

Substitute Callum Robinson struck the bar just after coming on and Johnstone produced another sharp save to prevent Marcus Rashford from doubling United's lead.

The Baggies' wait for a win goes on, while United - who were without Paul Pogba due to a knock - are up to ninth.

What does it mean? Relief for United, Albion unfortunate

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will know the Red Devils must show more of a spark at home if they are to continue to climb the table, but back-to-back top-flight wins have eased the pressure on the United boss.

Slaven Bilic will rue Albion's misfortune and wonder why the decision to award Gallagher a penalty was changed when it appeared there was contact from Fernandes, with his side still languishing in the relegation zone.

Fernandes invaluable with Pogba absent

The absence of Pogba in the squad will lead to further speculation over the France midfielder's future, despite Solskjaer stating he had picked up a knock.

Fernandes gave yet another demonstration that he is very much United's main man, with his vision, ability to drift into space and pick a pass making him the most likely to cut open a well organised Albion side.

The playmaker made six key passes, with no other United player producing more than one. Fernandes also had four shots as he stepped up again when an otherwise all-too predictable Red Devils side needed him.

Martial misfires again.

There was more frustration for Martial, who has not scored a Premier League goal this season.

Martial has failed to find the back of the net in five top-flight matches in the 2020-21 campaign, although he came across an inspired Johnstone on Saturday evening, registering four shots - two of which were on target.

Key Opta facts
- United ended a run of six consecutive home league games without victory (D3 L3) since beating Bournemouth 5-2.
- West Brom have failed to win any of their opening nine games to a league season (D3 L6) for the first time since 1985-86.
- Fernandes’ opener was United's first home league goal in 324 minutes of football, since his second-minute penalty in the 6-1 defeat to Spurs in October.
- Since the start of last season, 16 per cent of United's Premier League goals have been penalties (13/79), the highest ratio of any team to have played in both seasons.

What's next?
United go in search of revenge when they face Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Albion take on fellow strugglers Sheffield United at The Hawthorns next Saturday.

A disappointing afternoon for Barcelona was compounded by potentially serious injury to Gerard Pique, who was forced off following a freak collision with Atletico Madrid star Angel Correa. 

Needing a positive result at the Wanda Metropolitano to kick-start their spluttering Liga campaign in 2020-21, Barca instead fell behind just before half-time due to a horrendous mistake from Marc Andres ter Stegen. 

The Germany goalkeeper was caught far from his net and rounded by Yannick Carrasco, who was left with an easy finish into the open net to put Atleti in the ascendance. 

Worse was to come for the Catalans after the break, when Pique hobbled out of the game in evident pain. 

The central defender found himself in Correa's path when the winger was felled by Jordi Alba, and as he tumbled he did so directly on top of Pique. 

Pique's knee took the full brunt of the Argentine's weight, and concern around the Barca team was clear as he received treatment on the Wanda Metropolitano turf. 

The Spain international was eventually able to take to his feet aided by two Blaugrana assistants but could barely put any weight down on the affected area, which at first glance appeared to be his right knee. 

He proceeded to hobble to the sideline, where Sergino Dest was waiting to take his place. 

Back on the pitch Barca's malaise continued, rarely threatened to turn round a game that finished 1-0 to the Colchonero and leaves the Catalans marooned in mid-table, with just one Liga victory in their last six outings.

Barca must now hope that Pique merely suffered from the impact of Correa's fall, for which the Atletico player was absolutely blameless, and that he has not suffered lasting damage which could keep him out of action in a key period of the season for Ronald Koeman's charges. 

The Catalans are back in action in the Champions League on Tuesday when they visit Dynamo Kyiv, the first of three consecutive midweek Group G prior to December's visit to Ferencvaros and hosting of Juventus. 

In La Liga, meanwhile, Koeman's men will return to the field next Sunday at home to Osasuna, as they seek to finally turn around a run of horrendous league form that has made them outsiders to regain the title from Real Madrid by the end of the season.