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Bloemfontein Celtic will welcome Orlando Pirates in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Dr Molemela Stadium on Wednesday.

Phunya Sele Sele are coming off a morale-boosting 1-1 draw away to SuperSport United in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg match over the weekend.

However, Celtic are winless in the league this season having recorded a draw and a defeat and coach John Maduka will be keen to guide his side to a win over Pirates.

Siwelele will be taking on a Pirates side which is oozing with confidence after securing an emphatic 3-0 win over their archrivals Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 encounter.

Bucs will be without their coach Josef Zinnbauer and his assistant Fadlu Davids has been tasked with guiding the team to its maiden win of the season in the league having drawn their first two games in the competition.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV. 

Squads & Team News

Celtic could be without Jackson Mabokgwane with the former Pirates goalkeeper having been substituted against SuperSport after sustaining an injury. 

Maduka has a good replacement in Sipho Chaine, who replaced Mabokgwane and the 23-year-old caught the eye in the bio-bubble as the first-choice keeper.

Ndumiso Mabena is the dangerman for Phunya Sele Sele with the former Pirates striker having found the back of the net against SuperSport and he will be looking to haunt Bucs by leading Celtic to a win.

Meanwhile, Pirates have been sweating over the fitness of their key striker Frank Mhango, who missed the Soweto Derby clash against Chiefs due to an injury.

The Malawi international's absence was not felt by the team as his replacement Zakhele Lepasa was on the scoresheet with Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule scoring the other goals.

Davids will pin the team's hopes of securing a win over Celtic on Lorch after the Bafana Bafana international scored and grabbed an assist against Chiefs and he has the ability to inspire Pirates to a win.

Match Preview

Celtic are winless in their last three matches across all competitions having registered two draws and one defeat.

However, the Free State giants are enjoying a nine-match unbeaten run at home in the league - recording five draws and four wins.

While Pirates are undefeated in their last seven matches across all competitions having registered five wins and two draws.

The Soweto giants are also unbeaten in their last two away games in the league - recording one draw and one victory.

In head-to-head stats since 1985, Celtic and Pirates have clashed in 64 league matches.

Bucs have dominated this fixture recording 32 wins compared to 15 for Siwelele, while 17 matches have been drawn.

Last season, Pirates collected four points from Celtic as they recorded a 3-1 win at home in the first round clash before the two teams drew 0-0 in Bloemfontein in the second round.

Mathare United have completed the signing of defender Martin Werunga to strengthen their defensive department ahead of the new campaign.

The ‘Slum Boys’ have been busy in the latter stages of the transfer window, making signings to help them compete effectively in the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League which is scheduled to kick-off on November 20.

Subsequently, the Nairobi-based charges have confirmed the arrival of the defender from Nzoia Sugar on a one-year deal.

“More transfer news guys,” the club wrote on their official social media pages. “Martin Werunga has joined us from Nzoia Sugar, committing to the club for the next year.”

On Tuesday, the ‘Slum Boys’ confirmed the signing of three players - striker Eugene Wethuli from National Super League (NSL) side Nairobi Simba, Cersidy Okeyo from Sofapaka, and defender Moses Mburu from AFC Leopards.

On signing Wethuli the club confirmed: “Wethuli Eugene has joined us on a two-year deal from Nairobi Stima FC. He is a strong and agile centre-forward with an eye for the spectacular.

“[Welcome] Eugene.”

Two years ago, the forward injured his leg and went for surgery. After a successful operation, he rejoined National Super League (NSL) side Nairobi Stima. 

However, he was among the players released in February 2020 alongside Jacob Osano, Daniel Opondo, John Njoroge, Victor Amemo, Francis Oduor, and Joshua Mahero.

On signing Okeyo, Mathare United said: “Another one, you wanted a midfield enforcer, we've gone out of our way to get the engine. Cersidy Okeyo is now a Slum Boy after spells at Tusker, Gor Mahia, and Sofapaka.”

The Salim Ali-led team has also signed former Posta Rangers forward Danson Kago on a two-year deal.

With the transfer window being extended for another four days, Mathare United have promised more signings with defender David Ochieng’ likely to be unveiled soon.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed on Monday they had extended the transfer window which was scheduled to shut down on Monday midnight.

According to a statement from the FKF, signed by Head of Competitions Frank Ogolla, the window was extended to allow the conclusion of the play-offs which will determine which team will be promoted to the top-flight.

Novatus Dismas has officially left Tanzanian side Azam FC after he was unveiled by Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC's U19 team.

Dismas had been undergoing trials in Israel for the past three weeks and the club has officially confirmed he has signed a one-year contract but with an option to extend by two more years.

“Dismas, who played for Azam FC is a member of Tanzania’s U21 national side, impressed the youth academy’s coaching staff during an impressive week at the club and will join the U19’s,” Maccabi Tel-Aviv wrote on their official website.

Maccabi’s Performance Director, Patrick Van Leeuwen, who was following the player’s performance since he arrived in Israel for the trials told the club’s official website: “[Dismas] is a Tanzanian left-footed midfielder who was recommended to our scouting department and we invited him for trials at the start of the season.

“Sadly, we were unable to hand him a trial for several weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, however, we were able to see him properly and we are under the impression that he is a very interesting player who will be joining our structure at Maccabi.”

On leaving Azam for the trials, the Chamazi-based club explained on their social media pages: “Azam have reached an agreement with Maccabi Tel-Aviv for the services of winger Novatus [Dismas]. “Dismas is joining the team after undergoing a one-month trial in Israel where he impressed the club’s scouts.

“He becomes the second player to leave Azam in this window after Shaaban Chilunda also left to sign for Mouloudia d’Oujda of Morocco.

“Dismas, who was the young player of the year in the past season, was nurtured and brought up at Azam, the same as Chilunda before they all earned promotion to feature for the senior team in the Mainland Premier League.”

The statement continued: “As Azam, we will continue to nurture young talent and also expose them to the world so that the players can achieve their dreams of always playing in Europe.

“We wish [Dismas] all the best as he starts a new challenge in Israel and also thank him for the services he rendered to the club when he was turning out for us.”

Azam are currently sitting second on the 18-team Mainland Premier League table after Young Africans (Yanga SC) toppled them on Tuesday.

The term 'marquee' is now a forgotten word in Kochi. For the third season in a row, Kerala Blasters are set to begin a new football season without a high-profile foreign player in their squad. 

Recent years have seen the winds of change at Blasters right from top to bottom. Squads have been revamped over and over again, officials have come on board and resigned and there has been no consistency whatsoever in the team's approach every season. 

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Blasters, who have always been against sudden changes to foreign player rules by the ISL, brought on board six new foreign players and retained Spaniard Sergio Cidoncha. The others were either not part of the club's plan or unwilling to take a pay cut.

This year, the Kochi-based club who will play the entire season in Goa have opted to bring experienced overseas players who have shone in leagues abroad. The recruitment at Kerala focused on bringing tried and tested players like Cidoncha, Mario Arques and Bartholomew Ogbeche last season seems to have changed. The profile of the incoming players are markedly different this season.

Skinkys and I-League-winning head coach Kibu Vicuna have gone through several profiles of players India football fans are not familiar with. And the first to arrive was Argentinian Facundo Pereyra. 

Facundo Pereyra: A surprise package? 

The likes of Maximiliano Barreiro and Martin Perez Guedes have left their respective ISL teams which means Pereyra could be the only Argentinian player in ISL this season. Indian football has not been a highly successful playground for Argentines recently but Pereyra's profile will give Blasters hope. For starters, he can play as an attacking midfielder and take up the role of a striker. 

Pereyra started his career with his local club Club Atletico Estudiantes. He went on loan to Chilean club Palestino in 2009 but could not feature regularly for the club. He got his much-needed break at another Chilean destination when he made 34 league appearances for Audax Italiano in 2011. He also scored 15 goals during that season and this was when clubs began taking notes. 

Pereyra then moved to Mexico but could only net three goals for San Luis. But it was just a minor dip in form as the versatile footballer registered another 15-goal season at Gimnasia La Plata and helped the club earn promotion from the second division. He was fourth on the list of top scorers in the league that season. 

He played one season in the top division and scored nine goals before joining Greek club PAOK. He started 29 games and scored 12 league goals in his debut season. He also opened his account in the Europa League against Moldovian club Zimbru in a game which PAOK won 4-0. His only other goal in the competition came three years later for PAOK against Dinamo Tbilisi. 

Despite a decent start to his career at PAOK, Pereyra fell down the pecking order and had to go on loan to find first team minutes. An unhappy spell at Azerbaijan and unsuccessful spells at Argentina and Mexico followed. In a bid to rekindle his fading career, he even returned to Gimnasia during the first half of 2018 but could only get one goal in a total of five starts in the league during the 2017-18 season. 

In his last two seasons, Pereyra has scored17 goals in 45 appearances (Cypriot Cup and first division league). Although that is a decent tally for a versatile player like Pereyra, his final season at the club wasn't too impressive overall. 

Based on his recent displays, it would not be wise to consider him as a sure shot regular but if he settles in quickly and well, he could turn out to be a surprise threat.

Mumbai City FC, after a cultural reset of sorts in terms of their squad and playing style, looks to be one of the favourites for the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) title on paper.

They have revamped their foreign contingent, bringing in former FC Goa manager Sergio Lobera and a host of star players who shone at FC Goa in Hugo Boumous, Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall and more. 

They have, however, brought in three new faces to the ISL in Hernan Santana, Adam Le Fondre and Cy Goddard. Fulfilling the club's mandatory Asian player quota is Goddard who has Japanese citizenship. 

The 23-year-old operates as an attacking midfielder, mainly through the middle of the park. He is a technically strong, creative player who will provide competition for Boumous who operates in a similar role. 

Let's take a closer look at a player who was once termed a phenomenon during his youth career. 

Promising youth career and debut

Goddard, who was born in London, joined the academy of Tottenham Hotspur at a very young age and progressed through the ranks. His performances did catch quite a few eyes and soon he made a name for himself as a talent to watch out for. 

His rapid progress saw him represent the Spurs' U16, U18 and eventually break into the U21 team in 2015, at a tender age of 18. It was no surprise that he was tipped to break into the senior team within a few years. 

Naturally, he was given a youth contract by the North London club who saw him as one for the future. At one point, there was even interest in Goddard from German giants Borussia Dortmund who felt that the midfielder had plenty of similarities to Shinji Kagawa at that age. 

However, things would not go as planned for Goddard who ended up leaving Tottenham without making a single senior team appearance in 2017. Though the club did try to hold on to the talented player by offering him another contract extension, he decided to turn them down and leave before Tottenham's pre-season tour to the USA that summer. 

After almost a year without a club, Goddard signed for Serie B club Benevento in August 2018 on a three-year deal. 

He made his professional debut for Benevento in a 2-1 friendly win over AS Roma as a second-half substitute. He made just two competitive appearances for the Italian side, in Serie B, in the 2018-19 season. 

After struggling to make a mark at Benevento, Goddard moved to Cypriot top-tier club Pafos FC on loan in the 2019-20 season. After returning to Benevento from Pafos, Goddard ended up moving to Mumbai City. 

International football

Goddard has an English father and a Japanese mother. Though born in London, Goddard has opted to represent Japan internationally. He is yet to make it into the Samurais' senior team, however.

“Of course I have two nationalities,” he said back in 2015. “But it’s not that I feel more Japanese than English. I support both countries when they play at World Cups; it’s just that Japan’s way of playing suits my game better."

He has played for Japan's U16 and U17 teams in the past. 

Last stint

Goddard turned out for Cypriot top-tier outfit Pafos FC last. However, he did struggle for game time and played just 234 minutes, spread across six appearances. 

Though he could not score a goal, he did have an assist to his name from his time in Cyprus.

East Bengal’s newest foreign recruit Anthony Pilkington has played 75 matches in the Premier League for Norwich City and has scored 14 goals.

The Republic of Ireland has scored against 10 different opposition in the Premier League which includes giants like Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, but Pilkington considers the goal against Manchester United in the 2012-13 season as his most precious strike ever.

The goal came in the 60th minute of the match as Pilkington converted a sublime header from Javier Garrido’s cross beating Red Devils custodian Anders Lindegaard through the top corner.

“There have been a few memorable matches in my career. Obviously, I have played against a lot of top teams back home. But the most memorable match has to be when we (Norwich City) beat Manchester United before they went on to win the league. They had all the superstars playing like Paul Scholes, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney and yet we beat them 1-0. I’ll definitely say that was memorable,” reminisced Pilkington during a chat with Goal.

The 32-year-old further mentioned that scoring a goal in a winning cause against the eventual champions of that season was a great feeling. 

“I am not really known for my header so I just closed my eyes and placed it in the top corner. Obviously scoring a goal against the eventual champions, a team as big as Manchester United worldwide, it was a really proud moment for me and my family.”

Born and brought up in Blackburn, Pilkington idolised English football legend Alan Shearer who used to play for Blackburn Rovers from 1992-96. He was also mesmerized by Alan Shearer’s performance in the 1995-96 season where he had won the Golden Boot and had guided the team to a Premier League triumph.

“There are so many good players but my hero growing up was Alan Shearer. I am from Blackburn and he played for Blackburn Rovers. They won the Premier League in 1995-96 season and he was my hero at that time,” said the East Bengal player.

While representing the Northern Ireland national team, the winger had played against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in an international friendly and had also faced Sweden during the 2014 World qualifiers, a game which featured Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

But Pilkington decided to choose Luis Suarez as the best ever player he has played against in terms of impact. The Uruguayan was an absolute nightmare for Norwich between 2012 and 2014 and had scored three hat-tricks against the Canaries.

“The best player I played against in actual terms of how he played against us on the pitch every time we played them, I will probably say is Luis Suarez,” said Pilkington. “He was unbelievable. He scored three hat-tricks in three games against us. He was brilliant.”

He also suggested that facing Ronaldo was also special for him but as he did not feature much in that match, he picked Suarez over the Portuguese.

“Playing against (Cristiano) Ronaldo, obviously he is one of the best players to ever play the game. I only played against him for a few minutes. The actual best player I have seen in a whole match has to be Suarez. He was brilliant for Liverpool at that time, all amazing players. I am very lucky to play against them,” said Pilkington.

Ryan Sessegnon has become the latest footballer to cop racist abuse on social media with Tottenham and Hoffenheim throwing their support behind the winger.

The 20-year-old, who is on loan at Hoffenheim from Spurs this season, shared messages of abuse sent to him on his own Instagram story.

Sessegnon was subjected to profanity in the messages and was called a 'slave' by the fellow Instagram user, who has since deleted their account.

The England under-21 international displayed the abuse on his story with the caption: "Honestly unbelievable. The craziest thing is I'm not even surprised anymore. Disgusting."

Both Tottenham and Hoffenheim used their own social media accounts to denounce the incident, with the Premier League club declaring the racist comments as 'repulsive'.

"Everyone at the club is with you @RyanSessegnon," the tweet from Tottenham's official account read.

"We are proud of the rich ethnic diversity that exists across our communities, fans, staff and players.

"We are driven by inclusion and equality for all and nobody should have to endure such repulsive abuse."

Sessegnon's current club Hoffenheim tweeted yesterday: "Today, our player @RyanSessegnon was the target of horrific online racist abuse.

"#TSG stands for tolerance, integration and respect. We reject all forms of racism, discrimination and exclusion and say #NoToRacism!" 

The left-sided talent, who can play both full-back and winger, has made five appearances for Hoffenheim in all competitions this season, and featured in all 90 minutes during their recent clash against Union Berlin on Monday.

Sessegnon joined Spurs from Fulham for the 2019-20 season but struggled to break into the first team, only managing 12 appearances and one goal throughout the entire campaign.

His breakout season occurred in 2017-18 when he scored 15 goals in the Championship for the Cottagers, including a hat-trick as a 17-year-old.

He ultimately helped Fulham to achieve promotion and went on to enjoy a solid debut campaign in the Premier League with the club in 2018-19, making 38 appearances in all competitions.

Dynamo Kiev head coach Mircea Lucescu does not believe Barcelona are at the level to win the Champions League.

Group G leaders and La Liga giants Barcelona will host Ukrainian visitors Dynamo at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Barca equalled their worst tally of La Liga points after six games since the Spanish competition reverted to three points for a win – Ronald Koeman's side drew 1-1 with Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, meaning they have just eight points so far in the early stages of the 2020-21 campaign.

That is the same total as Barca managed at the start of the 2002-03 campaign when another Dutchman, Louis van Gaal, was in charge. 

Barca were also humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League quarter-final and, speaking on the eve of the match, Lucescu told reporters: "After the game against Bayern Munich it was understandable that Barcelona were looking to make changes.

"They have a squad with very talented players, but they need time to learn the mechanisms.

"I don't think Barcelona are at the level to win the Champions League at the moment. Bayern Munich, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain have more options.

"In any case, they have a footballer in Lionel Messi, who can be very important. A new coach needs a minimum of six months and in spring they will be another team. Barcelona are a team that are better off playing the Champions League than La Liga, because in the domestic competition the rest of the rivals know them very well."

Lucescu's Dynamo have one point from two games to be third in Group G, five points adrift of unbeaten leaders Barca.

Barca are undefeated in their previous 22 games in the group stage of the Champions League, while they could win five group outings in a row for the first time since October 2017.

Lionel Messi has scored 20 goals in his last 24 appearances for Barca in the Champions League, while he last netted in his first three games of a single campaign in the competition back in 2018-19.

Dynamo are winless in their past 14 games against Spanish opponents in European competition, with their last victory coming back in March 1999 in the European Cup quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid.

Jerome Boateng insisted Bayern Munich's players were behind David Alaba amid uncertainty over the defender's future.

Alaba, 28, looks set to leave the European and Bundesliga champions after failing to agree to a new contract, with his current deal expiring at season's end.

Still, the defender played 90 minutes as Bayern thrashed Salzburg 6-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Boateng said the players backed Alaba, who arrived at Bayern as a youth player in 2008.  

"Of course it's an issue, but not as big as it is done. He focuses on the essentials," he told Sky. 

"It's not an easy situation for him, that is clear. But he played another great game today. We as a team are absolutely behind him."

Speaking prior to the Salzburg match, Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic admitted he assumes Alaba will leave the club as he is unable to see a successful resolution to his contract saga.

"I can tell you what happened. We negotiated and made David an offer. He refused it. Ten days ago we sat down again and submitted another offer – with a deadline," Salihamidzic told Sky.

"We informed David and his agent that we would withdraw the offer when the deadline expired. We did that. I spoke to his agent again on Saturday and tried to talk to David again on Sunday because I wanted to know what was going on, but not much happened.

"I don't know anymore how we will find a way back together. We made an offer and it was rejected. Now we have to assume that David will leave us."

Bayern initially came from behind against Salzburg and the Group A clash was level when Masaya Okugawa equalised for the Austrian giants in the 66th minute.

But Bayern scored four times in 13 minutes, beginning with Boateng in the 79th and completed by Lucas Hernandez in additional time.

The result extended Bayern's unbeaten away run in the Champions League to 15 matches. Only Manchester United (16 between 2007 and 2010) have produced a longer run.

"It was the difficult game we expected," Boateng said. "Salzburg played very well.

"In the end we showed that we really wanted to win. What sets us apart is that we never give up. We went a step further. Salzburg were a bit tired, we took advantage of that."

Bayern improved to three wins from as many games in Group A, sitting five points clear of Atletico Madrid.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone rued the lack of a clinical final touch but found much to enjoy as his team were held 1-1 by Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League.

Atletico's performance at RZD Arena arguably did not get the reward it deserved, given the Spanish visitors led the shot count 14-4 and had 64.9 per cent of possession on Tuesday.

But after Jose Gimenez's excellent 18th-minute header was cancelled out by an Anton Miranchuk penalty seven minutes later, Atletico were unable to find another goal despite having a host of opportunities.

Simeone's Atletico hit the crossbar twice, had a goal disallowed, and Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme was outstanding, the captain leading his Russian team by example.

Atletico's overall performance delighted boss Simeone, who has twice led Atletico to Champions League finals.

"I leave with a very good image of the team," Simeone said.

"The Lokomotiv goalkeeper had a great performance, he took very important balls. We were very good against a team who defend very well and counter-attack very well, as was seen against Bayern and Salzburg.

"It's a pity we did not have the forcefulness on goal but I think this is the way to go to win games."

Atletico played an entertaining game, catching the eye as they went forward and created a stack of chances, with Luis Suarez and Joao Felix both going close.

Koke's header and Angel Correa's 20-yard strike hit the Lokomotiv bar, but a winning goal would not come.

Suarez put the ball in the net after Koke rattled the Lokomotiv goal frame, but he had stepped offside.

Atletico attempted 27 crosses in the game from open play, with right-back Kieran Trippier responsible for eight of those.

The England defender got forward regularly and had his delivery been a touch more accurate at times, Atletico may have cashed in.

Captain Koke agreed with his coach that Atletico went about the game in the right way.

"It was a game where we were unlucky. We cannot regret it, we have to keep going," Koke said via Marca.

"The team made a great effort to try to take the three points, but it wasn't to be. We had chances: the bar, the goalkeeper, the disallowed goal ... we just have to continue, we are doing a great job."

Atletico are unbeaten after six games in LaLiga this season, and they have come back strongly in the Champions League after a 4-0 defeat to titleholders Bayern Munich in their opening Group A game.

Victory over Salzburg in their second group game could easily have been followed by another three points on Tuesday.

"We have to improve some things, but the team is strong and well," Koke said. "We all compete which is the main thing. Results will come."

Bayern Munich must assume that David Alaba will leave the club with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic unable to see a successful resolution to his contract saga.

Austria international Alaba's deal is due to expire at the end of June and he said on Monday he was "disappointed and hurt" by the way the club had treated him.

Bayern revealed at the weekend they had taken a proposal for an extension off the table after the defender failed to provide an answer by an October 31 deadline.

Alaba insisted he had not been given enough time to make a decision and had only found out about the offer being withdrawn via the media.

Speaking prior to the 6-2 win over Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, Salihamidzic appeared to confirm that Alaba will soon be leaving the club.

"I can tell you what happened. We negotiated and made David an offer. He refused it. Ten days ago we sat down again and submitted another offer – with a deadline," Salihamidzic told Sky.

"We informed David and his agent that we would withdraw the offer when the deadline expired. We did that. I spoke to his agent again on Saturday and tried to talk to David again on Sunday because I wanted to know what was going on, but not much happened.

"I don't know anymore how we will find a way back together. We made an offer and it was rejected. Now we have to assume that David will leave us.

"At some point we wanted to have planning security and know how things would go from here. Then we all made that decision as a club. With Jerome Boateng, Lucas Hernandez, Niklas Sule, Benjamin Pavard – we are well-stocked in this position."

Alaba played the full 90 minutes as Bayern made it three wins from three in Champions League Group A.

Mergim Berisha put Salzburg ahead but a Robert Lewandowski penalty and an own goal from Rasmus Kristensen sent the Bavarian giants into half-time ahead.

Masaya Okugawa equalised for Jesse Marsch's side but Boateng, Leroy Sane, Lewandowski and Hernandez all scored in a 13-minute flurry to end the match with a resounding victory.

Asked about Salihamidzic's remarks about Alaba, head coach Hansi Flick said: "It is important to me that we have calm in the team and in our environment.

"We have a very, very important game against [Borussia] Dortmund on Saturday. I am not interested in anything else. I won't say anything more about it. I didn't see Hasan's interview, so I don't want to comment on it."

Zinedine Zidane has "no doubt" Sergio Ramos will stay on at Real Madrid after the long-serving defender reached another milestone figure with his 100th goal for the club.

The Spain international put Madrid two goals up against Inter in their eventual 3-2 win over the Italian side in Tuesday's entertaining Champions League clash.

Ramos' landmark header came on the same day he had been linked with a move to Juventus but Zidane is adamant his captain is going nowhere.

"I have no doubt that he will stay," Zidane said at his post-match news conference. "He is our leader and of course we love him forever."

Ramos joined Madrid from Sevilla in 2005 and made his 500th LaLiga appearances in last weekend's 4-1 win over Huesca.

Of his 100 goals, 55 have come via his head and the skipper admits he took pride in scoring from a set-piece against Inter.

"We knew from what [Samir] Handanovic said that they had been studying our corner deliveries with Toni [Kroos] finding me," he told Movistar after the game.

"But the more we can continue to surprise our rivals, the better. They know what they are doing, they have a very defined philosophy and they made the most of that. 

"It's a good result, and three points in a group that had started to look complicated for us."

Asked about his achievement of reaching three figures for goals in Madrid colours, Ramos said: "It's not bad, and it is nice that it is recognised.

"It's not a figure which defenders usually get to. Hopefully there'll be many more."

Ramos' header came eight minutes after Karim Benzema had profited from an Achraf Hakimi error to open the scoring for Madrid at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Inter recovered through goals from Lautaro Martinez and Ivan Perisic but Rodrygo regained Madrid's lead in the 80th minute after being set up by fellow substitute Vinicius Junior.

Madrid had more of the possession (55 per cent) and managed seven shots on target to Inter's three, and Zidane believes the right team won in the end.

"There was always going to be tension because we were playing a strong rival," he said. "We have suffered but we must congratulate the players because they deserved it. 

"We started very well, pressing up as we wanted. We made it 2-0 but then had difficulty keeping up with the ball. Then the second half was very close, but that is normal.

"The team has an impressive character and they want to show that they can do. We are going to have difficulties in all the games because I watch a lot of games and I don't see any of them win the games easily."

Madrid have conceded two or more goals in five consecutive Champions League games for just the second time, having previously done so in 2001, and Zidane admits it is now about finding the right balance between attack and defence.

"It is true – there is always a balance to have," he said. "We played a side who are also good on the counter, but how long ago was it that they said we do not score such goals?

"We have to keep working because it is not easy to do the two things together."

Madrid are third in Group B, behind Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk, after moving onto four points from three games.

Bayern Munich became the first team in Champions League history to score four goals in the last 15 minutes of a game after emphatically seeing off Salzburg 6-2.

Champions League holders Bayern made history thanks to goals from Jerome Boateng, Leroy Sane, Robert Lewandowski and Lucas Hernandez during the final 11 minutes on Tuesday.

Bayern bounced back from Mergim Berisha's fourth-minute opener in Salzburg, where the German visitors fell behind for the first time in 11 Champions League matches.

Lewandowski's 21st-minute penalty and Rasmus Kristensen's own goal gave Hansi Flick's Bayern a 2-1 lead on the stroke of half-time.

Austrian champions Salzburg restored parity via Masaya Okugawa in the 66th minute before Bayern finished strongly to maintain their 100 per cent start in Group A.

Bayern - who stretched their unbeaten away streak in the Champions League to 15 games, only Manchester United (16 between 2007 and 2010) having achieved a longer such run - top the group by five points, ahead of Atletico Madrid.

A win for the German giants in their next Champions League match against Salzburg at Allianz Arena on November 25 will secure qualification for the knockout stage.

Bayern started the group stage with a thumping 4-0 home win against Atletico last month, with Kingsley Coman grabbing a brace, while Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso also got on the scoresheet.

Their second match on the road in Russia against Lokomotiv Moscow wasn't as straightforward, with the home side cancelling out Goretzka's opener before Joshua Kimmich scored the winner with 11 minutes on the clock.

Bayern's defence of their Bundesliga title has also got off to a flying start with the Bavarians currently sitting first in the standings by goal difference over Dortmund.

They have scored an incredible 24 goals in their six league matches so far, which is 11 more than the next best tally from Dortmund.

After starting the league campaign with an 8-0 rout of Schalke, Bayern suffered a shock 4-1 loss against Hoffenheim before embarking on a four-game win streak.

A 4-3 win against Hertha Berlin started the run, before they swept aside Arminia Bielefeld 4-1 and Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0.

In their most recent league match, Bayern suffered a late scare when Cologne pulled a goal back before holding on for a 2-1 win.

John Stones had an "almost perfect" performance as he made his first start for Manchester City in over a month, according to Pep Guardiola.

Stones partnered Nathan Ake in the centre of defence as City beat Olympiacos 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium to make it three wins from three Champions League group games this season.

Guardiola's men restricted the Greek champions to a solitary shot on target on a night when goals from Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo helped City earn a comfortable three points, and Stones' display on his full return to the side delighted his coach.

"Last season we did not have enough players for competitions when we had a nightmare with injuries," Guardiola told BT Sport.

"It was really good, especially Nathan for the beginning and from John. He's back at his level with an incredible performance – almost perfect – and it is not easy when you are a long time without playing.

"I am so delighted for his mentality, he played really good."

Guardiola also welcomed the return of Jesus, who made only his second City appearance of the season when he came on as a second-half substitute.

The 23-year-old Brazil international scored within 12 minutes of his introduction to double City's lead – an intervention Guardiola picked out as the key moment of the game.

"[We were] exceptional first half, unfortunately we could not finish with more goals because we played really well," said Guardiola.

"In the second half we struggled for some moments but when we scored the second one the game was over. We struggled a bit to find the second goal but finally with an incredible goal from Gabriel and then from Joao, we finished the game.

"In general it's good news for him and for us that Gabriel is back. It was a real solid performance, especially in the first half, and the reason why we struggled a little bit is because we could not score the second one."

Looking ahead to his side's clash with Premier League champions Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Guardiola added: "Now it's good, we have finally four or five days to recover well and prepare for Liverpool and the international break, and focus on the Premier League."

FC Porto defeated Olympique Marseille 3-0 in Tuesday’s Champions League game with Moussa Marega finding the net.

The striker’s early strike propelled Sergio Conceicao’s team to a commanding home triumph over the French team at the Estadio do Dragao.

Porto showed their desire to pick all maximum points at stake by taking a fourth minute lead through Marega, who poked the ball into an empty net thanks to a sublime assist from Jesus Corona.

The 29-year-old last scored for Conceicao’s side came in the 3-1 defeat of Serie A giants Roma on March 6, 2019. Interestingly, the Dragons have won all seven of their Champions League games in which the Malian has scored for the Portuguese side.

Five minutes later, the visitors were presented with a golden chance to equalise after on loan Chelsea defender of Senegalese descent Malang Sarr fouled Florian Thauvin in the area. Dimitri Payet played the ensuing kick over the cross bar despite sending goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin the wrong way.

In the 25th minute, Corona was fouled in Marseille’s goal area prompting Spanish referee Antonio Lahoz to award a penalty which was converted by Sergio Oliveira.

Andre Villas-Boas’ men came out stronger in the second-half, however, they lacked the cutting edge in the final third.

Luis Diaz made it three for Porto in the 69th minute after been released by Corona who dribbled past three defenders.

Nigeria international Zaidu Sanusi and Congo DR’s Chancel Mbemba put up an impressive shift as they were too strong for the French team’s attacking forays.

Portugal’s Romario Baro was brought in as a replacement for Marega with 10 minutes left to play. For the Phocaeans, Cameroonian goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu was an unused substitute.

Thanks to this result, the Portuguese topflight side are second in Group C having accrued six points from three games - three points below leaders Manchester City.

Before travelling to Stade Velodrome on November 25, they take on Portimonense and Fabril Barreiro in the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal respectively.

Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Ferran Torres after the young striker's "brilliant" goal put Manchester City on course for Champions League victory over Olympiacos on Tuesday. 

Torres, 20, moved to Etihad Stadium from Valencia during the summer transfer window. 

Subsequent injuries to Sergio Aguero meant the youngster has been thrown in at the deep end in City's attack, and he started alongside Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling up front in Tuesday's key Group C clash. 

He did not disappoint, scoring the opener after just 12 minutes to put City ahead, while late strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo sealed a 3-0 win which maintains the club's 100 per cent start to the competition in 2020-21. 

Torres is still waiting for his maiden Premier League goal after four appearances to date, but Pep believes the new signing is on the right track and only improving with every match.

"He played really well again, brilliant goal, moved really well with and without the ball, he’s growing, he’s already scored a lot of goals and we are happy with his performance," he told reporters of the ex-Valencia player, while also stating his delight at seeing Jesus back in the team after injury and back amongst the goals. 

"It was important of course, the fact he’s back is so important, it's good news, especially for the striker to score a brilliant goal but there were good things tonight, delighted with most of the game and happy that Gabriel is back."

City have suffered a disappointing start to their bid to wrest the Premier League title off Liverpool, dropping seven points from their opening six games to lie in 10th place, five points off Jurgen Klopp's pace-setters.

The two sides meet at Anfield on Sunday and Guardiola is pleased to have five days between fixtures in order to let his squad rest and be fully prepared.

"I saw the weather forecast and there is sunshine in Manchester," the manager added. "They’ll have a day off and then two days to prepare. It's time to enjoy the victory, the position in the table and move forward.

"I’m delighted with the situation we have, we struggled at the beginning but we moved forward, we dropped points at West Ham, the rest maybe we deserved.

"Just six or seven games, there's a lot still to play, one more before the break, now is the time to enjoy tonight, nine points and then tomorrow we recover and prepare for the game against Liverpool.”

Antonio Conte said he is satisfied with Inter's performance in their 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid and remains hopeful of reaching the Champions League last 16.

Inter battled back from two goals down in Tuesday's clash at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, only for Madrid substitute Rodrygo to score with 10 minutes remaining to snatch the win.

Conte's Inter are bottom of Group B on two points from three matches and face Madrid again at San Siro in their next European outing on November 25.

Despite Inter winning only one of their last seven games in all competitions, Conte remains upbeat on the back of the narrow loss in the Spanish capital.

"Of course the final result leaves a bad taste in the mouth for me and my players," he told Sport Mediaset. "Games like these show that there is still room for growth, but I don't know how many teams come to Madrid and play this type of game. We went down by two goals and managed to pull it back, and then missed chances to go in front.

"In my opinion my side took more steps today. I really liked the mentality and desire we showed. This team is growing but the results are not rewarding our performances."

Karim Benzema profited from a terrible Achraf Hakimi backpass for Madrid's opening goal, and Sergio Ramos nodded in a second after getting away from his marker at a corner.

Hakimi appeared to be fouled by Ferland Mendy in the build-up to the opener, but Conte did not want to make excuses and instead criticised his side's defending.

"There is little explanation behind the backpass, even if there was a slight foul on Hakimi," he said. "The second goal is similar - we have to improve. There is work to be done and at the moment the little details are costing us in games."

Lautaro Martinez – who became the only player born after 1996 to have scored against both Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League – and Ivan Perisic dragged Inter back on level terms with well-taken strikes either side of half-time, but Rodrygo's winner now leaves Inter in a perilous position.

"There are still three games to go," Conte said. "That means nine points are up for grabs. We knew this was the most difficult group and we will do everything to get through."

Inter matched Madrid in terms of shots - 12 - but only managed to get three on target, compared to seven for their opponents who have conceded two-plus goals in five consecutive Champions League games for just the second time after 2001.

Samir Handanovic accepted Inter can have few complaints about the scoreline after failing to make more of the chances that fell their way at 2-2.

"There is a lot of bitterness about this result," the Inter captain told Sky Sport Italia. "We had got it back on track and wanted to win - that was the sensation we got on the pitch.

"We had two chances and didn't take them, whereas Real Madrid did, and those incidents made the difference. Ultimately, they were more determined.

"In wins and defeats, there is always something positive to take, but we have to become more determined, because we really felt that we could've won it and that is not the first time we've experienced this situation.

"I think we were on a par with Real Madrid, even superior for long periods, but the difference was they were more determined."