Looking for Soccer News?

Andre Ayew helped Swansea City secure a 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in a Championship game on Wednesday night. 

The 30-year-old was a second-half substitute at the Liberty Stadium and shone in the encounter, helping his side secure a draw.

The Ghana international has been in fine form since the beginning of the season, opening his goal account against Wycombe Wanderers.

The versatile forward has now bagged seven goals this season to help the Swans to the fourth spot on the league table.

Sheffield Wednesday raced into the led in the 27th minute through Adam Reach after receiving a fine pass from Barry Bannan.

Ghana international Ayew then scored an important equalising goal 14 minutes after he was brought on in the game to ensure side shared the points at the Liberty Stadium.

The forward has now featured in 12 Championship games this season, scoring five goals and providing one assist.

Ayew has been a key member of the Swans since rejoining the side on a second spell in 2018 after leaving West Ham United.

The Black Stars captain has made more than 70 appearances across all competitions for Swansea City in his second spell.

Ayew will hope to continue his impressive performances when Swansea City square off against Nottingham Forest in their next league game on Sunday.

The 30-year-old was part of the West African side that secured victory over Sudan in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits his side "deserved defeat" on Wednesday after falling to Atalanta 2-0 in the Champions League. 

In what was Klopp's heaviest ever loss at Anfield as Reds manager, his side failed to register a single shot on target as their Serie A opponents struck twice in the space of five second-half minutes. 

Klopp's side are in the midst of a busy week that will see them play three games in the space of six days - a fact the German has previously hit out at broadcasters about. 

Fielding a youthful starting side on Wednesday that included three teenagers in the form of Curtis Jones, Rhys Williams and Neco Williams, Klopp conceded Liverpool got what they deserved against Atalanta. 

"It was not a good game. Both teams didn't create a lot until they scored the goals," Klopp told BT Sport. 

"A deserved defeat in a difficult game. The ref didn't whistle a lot and that makes it even more difficult, for both sides. It was unbelievably intense and you need some breaks.

"When the first half is gone, you usually settle but for some players who didn't play for a while it was very intense for them. We didn't find a way in the game.

"We had moments but not real chances. It could happen to other teams. You ask us to go Saturday at 12:30, which is nearly a crime. That is nothing to do with the result, but congratulations to you. Thumbs up, no injuries and we go again."

Atalanta's 2-0 victory not only gives their hopes of progression to the Champions League knockout stages a further boost, but the win at Anfield will go down in their history books according to manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

“Obviously, this is something which will be written in the pages of history. I remember when Genoa won in 1992 here – perhaps it is the last time an Italian club won here at Anfield," Gasperini said post-match.

"It is a shame there wasn't a crowd present, obviously this is a stadium that everyone is aware of its history, it is a part of the history of football. They haven't lost a Premier League game [at Anfield] in 64 matches.

"This is perhaps our biggest ever victory in our history, certainly our most prestigious. These victories allow you to grow and develop and improve." 

Marseille's Champions League crisis continued with the French club's 13th consecutive loss in the competition on Wednesday, breaking Anderlecht's record for the most defeats in a row.

Andre Villas-Boas' side went down 2-0 at home against Porto through goals from Zaidu Sanusi and Sergio Oliviera, with both sides ending up with 10 men via second yellows.

The defeat means Marseille surpass Anderlecht's 12 losses in a row in the competition between 2003 and 2005, with the Ligue 1 side also going goalless in their continental campaign so far this season.

"We were unlucky," Villas-Boas said to Telefoot post-match. "We had a balanced game in the first half but whoever scores first gets the best. We still had no luck with a ball that is blocked by two of our players. 

"We tried to make changes very early in the second half to change things but things are not going in our direction.

"Today I have nothing to say about the players. They fought to the end. They want it, we work well but the luck is not with us.

"There might be a foul on the second goal but we showed some naivety and Porto deserves their victory. Skip the Europa League? We can't end like that, we have to finish correctly. We play Olympiacos next week to keep our fate for third place."

With two matches to play, Marseille remain rooted to the bottom of Group C's table, needing a victory over Olympiacos next week to keep their chances of qualifying for the Europa League alive.

Villas-Boas has previously attempted to take the positives out of Marseille's situation, with the Ligue 1 side in the Champions League for the first time in seven years.

Following the 3-0 loss to Porto in Portugal earlier this month that tied Anderlecht's record, Villas-Boas insisted that at least his team had qualified for the competition, despite their struggling performances.

"In order to be sh*t in the Champions League, you have to at least qualify for the Champions League," the Portuguese coach said. "We did it and we are being sh*t.

"The record of consecutive defeats? It's a shame that falls upon us."

Liverpool's 2-0 loss against Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday night marked the first time Jurgen Klopp has coached the Reds to such a heavy defeat at Anfield. 

Never before in Klopp's previous 137 competitive matches in charge at Liverpool's home ground had the club lost by more than one goal. 

The last time the Reds suffered such a heavy defeat at Anfield dates back to August 2015, when Brendan Rodgers saw his side lose 3-0 to West Ham in the Premier League. 

On Wednesday, Liverpool simply struggled to get going against their Serie A opponents and failed to register a single shot on target - the first time they've done so in the Champions League since Opta began recording such data in 2003. 

Atalanta, meanwhile, continued their recent good form in the competition and struck twice in the space of five minutes via Josip Illcic and Robin Gosens. 

Klopp did field an experimental starting side at Anfield with teenage trio Curtis Jones, Rhys Williams and Neco Williams all included from the off. 

Having played in the Premier League against Leicester City just 72 hours earlier, Liverpool looked lethargic at times and James Milner conceded they never showed their real ability.

"We didn't get going. We know it was a poor performance and that we were pretty flat," Milner told BT Sport. 

"A lot of players have not played together and the schedule is busy. Sometimes you have to try and get a win without being your best but we didn't have that sharpness.

"We are still top of the group so have to recover and go again at the weekend. The effort is always there. They took their chances at the right time. The whole game we were maybe a second late on the press and created very few chances.

"It was one of those nights where we didn't produce our best. We need to move on from it pretty quickly because we have a lot of games coming up. It's in our hands and we have to look where we can improve." 

Despite the defeat, the Reds remain top of Group D but are only two points ahead of Ajax and Atalanta. 

Atletico Madrid's chances of finishing top of Champions League Group A are over after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Lokomotiv Moscow, with Koke having a goal ruled out by VAR.

Diego Simeone's side – without star forward Luis Suarez after the Uruguay international tested positive for coronavirus – needed to win on Wednesday in order to keep slim hopes of pipping holders Bayern Munich to top spot alive.

Yet, despite a bright start in which Joao Felix and Yannick Carrasco went close, Atleti failed to overcome their Russian opponents for a second successive match.

Koke had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside decision, with Jose Gimenez heading wide late on as Atleti were frustrated.

Joao Felix should have put Atleti ahead in the third minute, only to slash at Marcos Llorente's low cut-back, with Carrasco's follow up flashing wide.

Llorente continued to wreak havoc down the right and teed up Angel Correa for a chance before he saw a thumping effort saved by Guilherme.

Lokomotiv's goalkeeper denied Llorente again before the half-hour, moments after tipping a Carrasco shot wide.

Atleti thought they had the lead when Guilherme parried Carrasco's free-kick into Koke, who tucked home, but VAR disallowed the goal for part of Koke's shoulder being offside.

The officials had another big call to make in the 73rd minute, when Joao Felix went down under pressure from Dmitri Zhivoglyadov, though the replays clearly showed Atleti's number seven had engineered the contact.

Guilherme was caught in no man's land as he parried out to Stefan Savic, but his cushioned volley was headed clear.

Stanislav Magkeev subsequently let Atleti off the hook when he sliced wide on the counter, though Gimenez could not make it count when his 89th-minute header inched wide of the upright.

What does it mean? Work to do for Atleti

Atleti have only lost one of their last 24 Champions League home games, but their toothless display on Wednesday has left them on five points from their four games. They sit second, seven points behind Bayern and just two ahead of Lokomotiv, while Salzburg are fourth with one point.

With Bayern visiting Madrid next week, Atleti could be in real danger of slipping out if they do not get a result against the holders.

Guilherme comes up big

Though he did finish the match in somewhat nervy fashion, visiting goalkeeper Guilherme delivered a fine performance overall, particularly in the first half.

He made five saves, keeping out every shot that he faced, with Atleti's other attempt on target cleared by a defender.

Atleti's attack fails to find its spark in Suarez's absence

Atleti did just fine without Suarez against Barcelona in their last LaLiga game, but missed the 33-year-old's presence this time out.

They had 20 attempts in total, but landed just six on target, with the in-form Joao Felix particularly wasteful with his two efforts. Their tally of shots is the most a team has managed in a Champions League game this season without scoring.

Key Opta facts

- Atletico Madrid have not lost any of their last 12 Champions League home games (W9 D3), their best unbeaten run at home in the competition's history.
- Atletico have failed to score in a Champions League home game for the first time since March 2017 against Bayer Leverkusen (0-0) and for the first time in the group stage at home since December 2009 against Porto (0-3).
- Koke has become the first player in Atletico history to reach 100 games in European competitions: 69 in the Champions League, 29 in the Europa League and two in the European Super Cup.
- Only Istanbul Basaksehir's Edin Visca (nine vs Paris Saint-Germain) attempted more shots without scoring in a Champions League game than Atletico's Carrasco on Wednesday (seven)
- Lokomotiv Moscow have never won an away game against Spanish opponents in European competition, but they have drawn for the second time after holding Real Madrid in December 2002 (2-2).

What's next?

Atleti head to Valencia in their next LaLiga outing on Saturday, while Lokomotiv face Akhmat Grozny in the Russian Premier League.

Robert Lewandowski moved level with Raul as the Champions League's third-highest scorer as Bayern Munich booked their spot in the last 16 with a 3-1 win over Salzburg on Wednesday. 

Poland international Lewandowski plundered his 71st goal in the competition shortly before half-time to set Hansi Flick's men on their way to a fourth win out of four and qualification as Group A winners.

A Maximilian Wober own goal doubled their advantage shortly after the restart before Marc Roca was dismissed for a second yellow card in the 66th minute. 

Leroy Sane added a third soon after before Mergim Berisha pulled one back for the visitors late on as Bayern moved onto 12 points, seven ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid with two games remaining.

Serge Gnabry came close to a stunning opener after 10 minutes, but his volley from the edge of the penalty flashed narrowly wide of Cican Stankovic's left-hand post.

Dominik Szoboszlai spurned a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead 10 minutes before the interval, the Hungarian blazing wildly over with only Manuel Neuer to beat after being put through by Berisha.

Bayern duly punished him shortly before the interval, Lewandowski slotting home after Stankovic had parried Thomas Muller's effort into his path.

The holders went 2-0 up seven minutes after the restart when Kingsley Coman's low effort from the edge of the penalty area was diverted past Stankovic via the outstretched foot of Wober.

Roca, making just his second start of the season, saw red in the 66th minute after receiving a second caution but Sane added a third two minutes later when he headed home Coman's cross from six yards. 

Neuer made a wonderful double save from Berisha and Enock Mwepu before the former scored a 73rd-minute consolation, sliding home Rasmus Kristensen's low cross from close range.

What does it mean? Bayern made to work by impressive Salzburg

Bayern did not have it all their own way against a side they thumped 6-2 three weeks ago, with Jesse Marsch's men having 19 shots on goal and forcing the excellent Neuer into 10 saves.

The Bavarian giants prevailed, though, confirming their progression to the next stage with two games to spare and extending their record winning streak in the competition to 16 games.

Coman impresses for defending champions

France international Coman was Bayern's brightest attacking spark, forcing Wober into an own goal for his side's second and laying on Sane’s goal with one of his five crosses, two more than any of his team-mates.

Muller not at the races

His only shot on target led to Lewandowski's opener, but Muller endured a game to forget. He lost possession 23 times - five more than any other player on the pitch - and failed to make any key passes.

What's next?

Bayern travel to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday, while Salzburg travel to St. Polten in the Austrian top flight on the same day.

Inter are on the verge of exiting the Champions League after losing 2-0 to Real Madrid in Wednesday's clash at San Siro.

Madrid won the reverse fixture 3-2 earlier this month to revive their Group B campaign and they made a strong start to what was the first meeting between these sides at Inter's iconic ground since 1998.

Eden Hazard converted an early penalty - his first goal in the competition in three years - and Inter's task was made all the more difficult when Arturo Vidal was sent off for dissent with 33 minutes played.

Madrid added a second goal through substitute Rodrygo's volley to move a point behind Borussia Monchengladbach in second, with Inter five points worse off in fourth heading into the final two rounds of fixtures.

Nicolo Barella clipped the heels of Nacho Fernandez inside the box early on and Hazard powerfully dispatched the penalty despite Samir Handanovic guessing the right way.

Lucas Vazquez sent a 25-yard drive crashing against the base of the post and Hazard was denied by Handanovic as Madrid, without star striker Karim Benzema and skipper Sergio Ramos among others, pushed for a second.

Inter struggled to create anything of note and lost Vidal to a couple of quickfire yellow cards before half-time for dissent, the former Barcelona man reacting angrily to a penalty call not going his way.

The hosts had another penalty shout rejected when Roberto Gagliardini went to ground under pressure and they were further frustrated just short of the hour mark as Rodrygo - on the field for 32 seconds - met Vazquez's back-post cross and steered in.

Thibaut Courtois was tested for the first time with 82 minutes played but routinely kept out Ivan Perisic's shot as Zinedine Zidane's men saw out a comfortable victory.  

What does it mean? Pressure building on Conte

This match was described as a "final" by Conte and Inter, who had never previously lost at home to Madrid in European competition, simply did not turn up.

The hosts had just one shot on target and, while they were clearly not helped by Vidal's sending off, Madrid looked the better side in a game that saw them boast 62 per cent possession.

Inter have failed to win any of their first four Champions League games in a campaign for the first time and are all but out of the competition, needing to win their remaining two matches and for other results to go their way.

Modric pulls the strings

Having spoken on the eve of the game about his desire to see out his career at Madrid, this was the perfect occasion for Modric to show that he is far from past it, as his critics might suggest.

Toni Kroos may have had more touches of the ball and attempted more passes than Modric, but the Croatia midfielder played a joint-high three key passes and no player turned over possession more times (nine).

Vidal lets his side down

The fiery midfielder felt he was fouled in the box by Raphael Varane but referee Anthony Taylor disagreed. He refused to back down after being issued a yellow and a second soon followed, leaving Inter with 10 men for the best part of an hour.

Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona man Vidal is just the third player to have been sent off for three different clubs in the Champions League, joining a short list that also includes Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Key Opta facts

- For the first time, Inter have won none of their first four Champions League matches of the season - two draws and two defeats.
- Inter have lost a home game against Real Madrid in European competition for the first time ever, having lost none of the previous seven matches (W5 D2).
- Inter have lost back-to-back games in a single Champions League group for the third time, the first one since December 2008 - against Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen.
- Rodrygo's goal (32 seconds) is the sixth fastest goal for a substitute in the modern Champions League format (since 2003-04).
- Inter are the only team to have conceded more than one home goal from the penalty spot in Champions League this season (2).

What's next?

Inter, who have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, travel to Sassuolo on their return to Serie A action on Saturday.

Madrid will be looking for a first LaLiga win in three outings when they host Deportivo Alaves on the same day.

Liverpool missed the chance to secure their place in the Champions League knockout stage as they slipped to a shock 2-0 defeat to Atalanta.

Having seen Liverpool beat Atalanta 5-0 in Bergamo on November 3, Jurgen Klopp selected a blend of fringe players and first-team regulars in his starting line-up and paid the price as the Premier League champions failed to muster a shot on goal until the 44th minute.

It got worse for Liverpool after half-time as Gian Piero Gasperini's well-organised Atalanta side scored in quick succession through Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens on Wednesday.

On a night when victory would have qualified Liverpool from Group D with a 100 per cent record, the standings are instead tightly balanced with Klopp's team just two points clear of Ajax and Atalanta, who both have seven.

But it will be the subdued nature of Liverpool's performance that most concerns Reds manager Klopp.

Mohamed Salah, back in the team after a negative coronavirus test, gave the ball away sloppily in the middle of Liverpool's half after three minutes, allowing Ilicic to curl a shot wide from 20 yards.

Robin Gosens burst into the box moments later and forced a strong one-handed save from Alisson with a thunderous shot.

A Salah strike that drifted tamely over the crossbar one minute before half-time was Liverpool's only attempt of the first period – their lowest tally of shots in a first half since January 2017 against Chelsea.

Atalanta continued to press early in the second half, with Papu Gomez testing Alisson with a low drive, and the breakthrough arrived just before the hour mark.

The Italian visitors were given space and time around the Liverpool penalty area before Gomez curled an in-swinging cross to the edge of the six-yard box, where Ilicic slid in to poke a low shot past Alisson into the corner of the net.

The second came four minutes later and was an even better move, Hans Hateboer heading a looping Gomez delivery back across the face of goal where Gosens opened up his body and volleyed past Alisson.

Klopp sent on Andy Robertson, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota to try and turn the game, but Atalanta held firm to give their hopes of reaching the knockout stage a huge boost.

What does it mean? Klopp's plan B lacks cohesion

Despite the likes of Alisson, James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum and Salah all starting for Liverpool, the customary fortress of Anfield felt anything but as Atalanta enjoyed a trouble-free night at the back and an equal share of possession, giving them a platform for victory.

Gomez rips Reds open

Gomez was Atalanta's catalyst here, providing an assist for the opening goal and a second assist four minutes later, Liverpool seemingly unable to contain him.

Origi fails to shine

Divock Origi has struggled for minutes since Jota arrived but, given the chance from the start, he barely made an impact on the game, failing to take a shot on goal before being substituted after Liverpool went behind.

What's next?

Liverpool are away at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, while Atalanta entertain Hellas Verona in Serie A later that day.

Britt Assombalonga scored to help Middlesbrough secure a 3-0 victory over Derby County in Wednesday’s Championship game.

The 27-year-old was afforded his ninth league start and made the most of the opportunity, scoring his second goal of the campaign.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after receiving a timely pass from Duncan Watmore.

Middlesbrough doubled their lead when Matthew Clarke turned the ball into his own net in the 77th minute of the encounter.

With seven minutes left to full time, Marvin Johnson sealed the victory as the Boro secured all three points at the Riverside Stadium.

Assombalonga featured for the duration of the game in his 12th Championship game of the 2020-21 season.

The victory ensured Middlesbrough moved to the seventh spot on the Championship table after gathering 21 points from 13 games.

Assombalonga has been with Middlesbrough since the summer of 2017 when he teamed up with the side from Nottingham Forest.

The centre-forward has made more than 125 appearances for the Boro across all competitions and last season, he played a prominent role as they avoided relegation.

Assombalonga will hope to continue his impressive performances when Middlesbrough take on Huddersfield Town in their next league game on Saturday.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has backed his team to hit top form in the coming weeks after a 1-0 win against Olympiacos sealed a place in the Champions League knockouts on Wednesday.

Phil Foden scored the only goal of the match at the Karaiskakis Stadium, with the Premier League side enjoying 22 shots to their opponents' two in a dominant performance against the Greek side.

Guardiola was delighted with his team's overall performance and feels it showed the team is ready to explode after a struggling start to the Premier League season, with City currently sitting 13th in the table - eight points behind leaders Tottenham.

"We played really, really well in all departments," Guardiola said to BT Sport post-match

"We are in the next round and can focus on other competitions. We would love to score more but it will come and one day we will break everything."

He added in his post-game press conference: "Today we were much more aggressive to the goal. It is not easy when there are nine players defending.

"We put our wingers closer to the striker. All of them, Bernardo [Silva], Phil, Raz [Raheem Sterling], were so aggressive.

"[Benjamin] Mendy and Joao [Cancelo] were outstanding too. [Ilkay] Gundogan and Rodri as well. In general, the performance was of a top, top level."

Guardiola was full of praise for his team's work-rate, with their defensive performance barely allowing Olympiacos an opportunity to score.

Special praise was reserved for centre-half John Stones, with the England international often finding himself outside the starting XI in recent weeks.

"Our pressing was so good," Guardiola said.

"They made long balls and we won them. Our central defenders were outstanding.

"John Stones, [deserves an] incredibly big compliment because it is not easy when you have not played for a long time and alongside Ruben [Dias] they made an incredible couple. I am especially happy for him.

"Everyone was so committed. We attacked with more desire to shoot and to score the crosses. Now we recover as good as possible and start to focus on the Premier League."

Manchester City resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday as they welcome Burnley to the Etihad Stadium.

Gael Kakuta found the back of the net as Lens played out a 1-1 draw against Nantes in Wednesday’s Ligue 1 game.

The former Chelsea star teamed up with the Blood and Gold in the summer on a season-long loan from Amiens and has been delivering scintillating performances for the club.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international was afforded his ninth league start at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Kakuta was handed a midfield role and played behind Ignatius Ganago and Simon Banza and helped his side clinch all three points at home.

The 29-year-old opened the scoring for the Blood and Gold in the 26th minute of the encounter after he was set up by Banza.

Kakuta came close to double Lens’ lead in the 36th minute but his shot was blocked and made more frantic attempt four minutes later but fired off his target.

In the 77th minute, Nantes were awarded a penalty after Randal Kolo Muani was brought down by Jonathan Gradit in the area.

Abdoulaye Toure took the resulting penalty and failed to convert the effort, three minutes later, however, the Canaries got a similar opportunity and the forward this time did not miss his target as he swiftly dispatched his effort into the back of the net.

Kakuta featured for 66 minutes in the encounter before he was replaced by Tony Mauricio while Nigeria international Moses Simon was not listed by Nates as he continues his recovery from an injury.

Ivory Coast international Seko Fofana played for seven minutes for Lens after he was brought on for Yannick Cahuzac.

Algeria midfielder Mehdi Abeid was replaced in the 46th minute by Pedro Chirivella while Mali international Kalifa Coulibaly featured for three minutes.

With the draw, Lens are eighth on the league table with 18 points from 10 matches while Nantes are 14thh with 13 points from the same number of games.

Kakuta has now scored five goals in 10 league appearances and will hope to continue his fine displays when Lens take on Angers on November 29.

Ghana women's head coach Mercy Tagoe has outlined the value of the international friendly with Morocco as the Black Queens begin preparations for the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations.

The West Africans missed out on the chance to make it back for the first time to the Women's World Cup since 2007 as they crashed out early from the Awcon 2018 group stage on home soil.

Putting the setback behind them, the Black Queens finished second to Chile at the 2020 Turkish Women's Cup in March and are eager to continue their fine build-up to the continental showpiece in 2022.

Ahead of the showdown with the Atlas Lionesses in Accra, the tactician believes the test match will boost her side's readiness for upcoming major competitions.

"Basically, this is about the preparation towards our qualifiers early next year," Tagoe told the Ghana FA website. 

"We are gradually coming out of Covid-19 and its good news having such a game in hand. After returning from Turkey, there were no football activities and now that the ban has been lifted, we are lucky to get this international friendly and it means a lot to us as a team.

"Fortunately, every player is cooperating very well. Even though we have not been in camp for a long time, as per our little time here, I invited players who are already training after the ban on football was lifted. I think so far so good with the team's output.

"I thank God that our current President Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku and his Executive Council members have the development of women's football at heart, and want to see women’s football at a certain level that, we could rub shoulders with the Europeans and it’s a good beginning for us."

Tagoe will hope to guide her side to victory against the North African champions at the Accra Sports Stadium on November 30.

Manchester City secured a last-16 spot in the Champions League but failed to turn their complete dominance into more than a 1-0 win over Olympiacos.

Eager to put Saturday's 2-0 Premier League loss to Tottenham behind them, Pep Guardiola's side controlled proceedings in Wednesday's Group C clash in Athens.

But they had only one goal to show for it as Phil Foden, who wowed for England during the international break, swept the visitors into a first-half lead that never came under threat from the toothless hosts.

Guardiola, who signed a new contract last week, saw his side frustrated by a combination of profligate finishing and fine goalkeeping from Jose Sa.

City, who scored nine goals across their opening three group games, were quickly on the front foot and Foden stung the palms of Sa with a low drive, with the goalkeeper also gathering a Gabriel Jesus header.

Jesus came far closer to breaking the deadlock on the half-hour mark, racing in behind before seeing his shot blocked away by the defiant Sa.

The opener finally arrived in the 36th minute, Foden converting from Raheem Sterling's back-heeled assist after City's slick play had Olympiacos chasing shadows.

Sterling had the busy Sa scrambling across his line to repel a dipping free-kick in first-half stoppage time, with City denied again after the interval as Ilkay Gundogan's effort flashed wide and Joao Cancelo's flick was saved.

Olympiacos were simply not able to apply any pressure – their first shot did not arrive until the 88th minute – leaving City to coast to a win that was brightened further by the late introduction of Sergio Aguero from the bench after an injury lay-off.

What does it mean? City's welcome top-flight distraction

The loss at Spurs left City with just 12 points from eight matches and in the unfamiliar territory of the Premier League's bottom half.

This result was a tonic to those domestic woes and it affords Guardiola the chance to make some changes for the remaining two group games, knowing safe passage to the knockout phase is assured.

For Olympiacos, while second spot is still up for grabs, a third-place finish and a berth in the Europa League might be a more likely prospect.

Foden shines bright

Foden scored twice for his country in an eye-catching display against Iceland in which he also showcased some dazzling skills.

He was lively in Greece too, keeping his cool to score what proved to be the winner with one of his six shots, while also creating four chances.

Sa under siege

City had 11 shots on target, seven coming during a first half in which the hosts failed to even register a touch in City's penalty area, so Sa was indeed a busy man.

He was an excellent last line of defence but his all-action outing stood in stark contrast to the anonymous performance of the Olympiacos attack.

Konstantinos Fortounis had just 53 touches and not one of them was a shot on target.

What's next?

City host Burnley this weekend before a trip to Porto next Tuesday, while for Olympiacos it is a top-of-the-table clash at Aris before heading to Marseille on the European stage.

Naples mayor Luigi De Magistris has urged Napoli to rename their San Paolo home after late club idol Diego Maradona. 

Maradona threw the world of football into mourning on Wednesday when he passed away after suffering a heart attack. 

The Argentina legend, 60, had suffered from ill-health since the start of November, and had been forced to undergo a procedure to remove a blood clot from his brain earlier in the month. 

News of his passing led to an outpouring of tributes from across the planet, but it was most keenly felt in his native Argentina and in Naples, where he starred from 1984-91 as a player. 

And as well as Napoli, De Magistris called on his city to bestow an exceptional honour on one of its favourite adopted sons. 

"We will name the Stadio San Paolo in honour of Diego Armando Maradona!" the official stated on his official Twitter account on Wednesday. 

"Diego Armando Maradona, the greatest footballer of all time, Diego has died. 

"He made our people dream, he redeemed Naples with his genius. 

"In 2017 Diego became our citizen of honour, Neapolitan and Argentine, you gave us joy and happiness. Naples loves you!"

Maradona first arrived in southern Italy in the summer of 1984 following the end of his turbulent spell at Barcelona. 

He made an immediate impact in his first season, netting 14 Serie A goals to finish behind Michel Platini and Alessandro Altobelli as the league's top scorers as Napoli finished in eighth. 

Even better was to come, though, as in 1986-87 the newly crowned world champion led Napoli to their first-ever Scudetto triumph, a feat the club repeated in 1989-90. 

In total the Argentine spent six full seasons at the club, leaving part-way through his seventh after testing positive for cocaine and receiving a worldwide ban on footballing activities. 

He played a total of 259 games for Napoli, scoring 115 goals, and he continues to be acclaimed as an idol at the side with his face appearing in murals across Naples almost 30 years after departing.

Bloemfontein Celtic secured a 1-0 win over Black Leopards in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which was played at Dr Molemela Stadium on Wednesday night.

Ndumiso Mabena was the hero for Phunya Sele Sele as his second-half goal inspired the Free State giants to a victory over Lidoda Duvha in the City of Roses. 

Phunya Sele Sele were desperate to record their maiden victory of the season in the league after succumbing to a 4-2 defeat to Cape Town City on Sunday. 

Coach John Maduka rewarded Menzi Masuku with a starting berth after the former Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder came off the bench to score against City.

Meanwhile, Lidoda Duvha were brimming with confidence after they secured their maiden win of the campaign when they edged out Maritzburg United 1-0 on Saturday.

Coach Dylan Kerr, who had marked his return to Leopards with a win over Maritzburg, unsurprisingly named an unchanged team as he opted for consistency in his team selection.

However, Celtic dominated the match from the start with Mabena and Tebogo Potsane combining well for the home side in the final third.

Mabena played a long ball to Potsane, who controlled the ball well down the left-hand side, before placing his effort just over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Potsane was then sent through on goal by Mabena, but the diminutive winger was brilliantly denied by on-rushing Leopards goalkeeper King Ndlovu.

The Lidoda Duvha defence was finding it difficult to contain Potsane, who was proving quite a handful on the left-hand side with Ethan Sampson struggling to contain him.

Potsane set-up Victor Letsoalo with a cut-back pass, but the striker fired wide of the target as the home side continued to waste their goalscoring opportunities.

The last chance of the first-half fell for none other than Potsane, who found himself in a one-on-one situation with Ndlovu after running onto Mabena's long ball.

The 27-year-old was let down by some poor finishing as he ballooned his effort over the crossbar from close range and the score was 0-0 at the interval.

Celtic continued their dominance after the restart and they finally broke the deadlock after Potsane and his partner-in-crime Mabena combined. 

Potsane set-up Mabena, who made no mistake as the former Pirates marksman beat Ndlovu with a good finish to make it 1-0 to Celtic nine minutes after the restart.

Kerr then introduced central midfielders Wiseman Maluleke and Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana as the visitors looked to gain control of the match and restore parity.

Maduka reacted by introducing attack-minded midfielder Tumelo Mangweni and both teams launched attacks in the closing stages of the encounter.

Ultimately, Celtic emerged 1-0 winners after containing Leopards, who were unable to seriously test Jackson Mabokgwane in the hosts' goalposts on the night.

The result sees Celtic move up to the 14th spot on the league standings, while Leopards dropped into the relegation play-off spot which is 15th place.

Celtic will now take on DR Congolese side AS Maniema Union in the Caf Confederation Cup on Sunday, while Leopards' next match is against Kaizer Chiefs on December 8.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has led the country to mourn the sudden passing of Argentina legend Diego Maradona on Wednesday.

The Gimnasia coach, who had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating the landmark birthday, after complaining of a low spirit and fatigue, passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.

Maradona had undergone surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain, which doctors later revealed was operated on successfully, and was subsequently released from the hospital as an outpatient to continue his convalescence, which he carried out in his dwelling in a private neighbourhood near Tigre, in northern Buenos Aires.

But on Wednesday morning he suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him.

FKF boss Mwendwa has now led Kenyans to mourn the legend, alongside former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and top teams across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

FC Goa’s Juan Ferrando was disappointed with the last-minute goal his team conceded in their defeat to Mumbai City on Wednesday.

Ferrando did not want to speak about the performance of his team’s defence and instead praised his players for their effort on the pitch.

“It is difficult to know what happened. The real situation is that team worked a lot. We lost the game in the end. Our focus is now on the next game.”

Redeem Tlang made his debut for FC Goa but it quickly turned into a nightmare for him as well as for his team, In the 40th minute, he was given the marching orders by the referee for to a poor high-footed challenge on Hernan Santana.

Ferrando did not want to speak about the referee’s decision as he quipped, “I prefer not to speak about referees because everyone knows what is the level (of referees) here is.”

The Spanish coach suggested that he had no other option but to shift to his backup plan as soon as the team was reduced to 10 men but he mentioned that it was always going to be difficult to counter a team of Mumbai's calibre.

"It is difficult to play against a good team (with 10 men). Before the red card, it was a beautiful game with two teams trying to play football. After the red, it was necessary to go to plan ‘B’. The plan ‘B’ was good for a bit. It is difficult to talk about stats today. With 10 players it is difficult to play."

One point from the first two matches is not what Ferrando expected and he has said that his team will continue to work hard to get wins in the matches to come.

"It is not good. Our mentality is to win three points all the time. The most important thing is to continue working," said the FC Goa manager.