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David Alaba has made Bundesliga history in Bayern Munich’s victory over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker, with the Austrian reaching 200 wins quicker than any other player.

The versatile Austrian has required just 272 appearances to reach the double century.

He has helped Bayern to dominate the domestic scene in Germany throughout his time as a first-team star at the Allianz Arena.

Alaba already has nine title triumphs to his name, while he also helped Hansi Flicks’ side to Champions League glory as part of another historic treble in 2019-20.

Bayern have picked up where they left off this term, with arch-rivals Dortmund edged out in their latest outing.

Alaba grabbed their first goal of the game in that contest, as an immediate response was offered to falling behind.

Marco Reus had Dortmund in front on the stroke of half-time, but Bayern were able to respond before the break.

Robert Lewandowski and Leroy Sane allowed the visitors to take control at Signal Iduna Park, with Erling Haaland’s response seven minutes from time offering scant consolation for the hosts.

Alaba helped to get Bayern over the line, as they pulled two points clear at the top of the table, and now has his own entry in the record books.

While Bayern are delighted to have Alaba aiding their cause in 2020-21, it remains to be seen how long he will be sticking around.

Contract talks have broken down and the 28-year-old is due to become a free agent next summer.

Those in Munich are not impressed at seeing their latest offer shunned, with lucrative terms put on the table, but they are refusing to throw in the towel.

Club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Sky Deutschland ahead of a meeting with Dortmund when asked for an update on Alaba’s future: “I think we all think the same thing here at the club: We all want David to stay. He's a wonderful person and a top player.

“At some point we have to start planning for the new season. We have to know: Will David stay with FC Bayern or not? A decision is important to us at this point.”

Everton’s meeting with Manchester United sparked yet more VAR controversy, with both sides surviving penalty scares as Jordan Pickford and Harry Maguire pushed their luck.

The Toffees took the lead at Goodison Park on Saturday through Bernard and appeared set to pile more pressure on Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Bruno Fernandes was, however, to turn the tie on its head before half-time.

The Portuguese playmaker bagged a brace on Merseyside, further underlining his value to the collective cause at Old Trafford.

The goals dried up after the interval, but there was no shortage of talking points.

Technology remains a source of lively debate in English football, and the latest round of fixtures has delivered more talking points.

Two of those arrived in the second-half at Goodison, with a couple of big penalty shouts falling on deaf ears.

The first saw Everton goalkeeper Pickford fall back under the spotlight.

During a Merseyside derby date in October, the England international clattered into Virgil van Dijk.

The Liverpool defender was left nursing knee ligament damage, but the Toffees shot-stopper faced no action at the time or retrospectively.

He got away with another reckless challenge against United.

The ball squirmed out of his grasp when trying to collect a high, floated cross into the box, with his handling letting him down once again.

As he tried to make amends for his error, Pickford raised a boot into the midriff of Maguire.

The ball ended up looping onto the top of the net and play continued, with VAR taking no further action.

Those at Stockley Park were called into action again shortly afterwards as Maguire slid into a tackle on Lucas Digne.

The Red Devils skipper got a toe to the ball, but also got plenty of his man.

Digne was sent up in the air and left crumpled on the turf, but again the match officials were unmoved.

All contentious incidents are now checked, especially those which could result in a spot-kick, but VAR determined that no foul had been committed.

Solskjaer and Carlo Ancelotti were left ruing those big calls as an eventful contest played its way towards a finish, with Everton finding themselves stuck in a rut and United still searching for much-needed consistency.

Zinedine Zidane believes Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos is the best defender "in history".

The 34-year-old scored his 100th goal for the Spanish champions in midweek when he headed past Samir Handanovic in the 3-2 win against Inter in the Champions League.

The Spain international's current contract expires at the end of the season, but reports in his homeland say the club are set to offer him a two-year extension.

Madrid coach Zidane continues to be impressed by the club captain's exploits and sees him as the best ever in his position.

"The best? He is one of them, of course," Zidane told reporters. "What he has done, what he is, what he has shown in Madrid. I think he is the best in history."

Madrid suffered a setback heading into Sunday's league encounter against Valencia, as winger Eden Hazard and midfielder Casemiro tested positive for Covid-19.

Zidane confirmed the pair are not showing any coronavirus symptoms and says they are dealing well with the situation.

"Well, they're okay I think. They're not happy with what's happened but they're okay and physically they don't have many symptoms, but we know it's tough," he added.

"I left them a message and I'll speak to them later. This can happen and we have to accept that.

"You know what [Hazard] is like as a player. He's a strong player. It's a tough moment with injuries and everything but he's in good spirits, which is important. He has to wait a week now.

"We have to adapt to the situation. We know it could be worse. It happened to [Eder] Militao the other day, to Eden and Casemiro today.

"We have to accept it and keep going forward, because the strength is in the team unit. There are worse things that are happening, people are worse off elsewhere, but it's disconcerting that the training session today has been completely different the day before a game.

"It's disconcerting because you don't know what's going to happen, in what moment you're going to have positives or not and that's what's happened with these two players.

"They are responsible people but unfortunately it's happened. It could be worse. There are people in much worse situations who are really, really suffering outside of football.

"But in the world of football I'm a manager and I prefer to have them available for tomorrow obviously."

Bruno Fernandes scored twice and Edinson Cavani opened his Manchester United account in a 3-1 win at Everton that will ease the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

After back-to-back losses to Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir, Saturday's Premier League clash at Goodison Park was viewed by some as a must-win match for Solskjaer amid increasing speculation over his future.

Things looked worrying for the Red Devils boss when Bernard put Carlo Ancelotti's side ahead, but Fernandes scored twice before half-time and Cavani struck at the death to deliver three valuable points.

Anthony Martial, back from a three-game domestic suspension, dragged a shot wide from a promising position as United sought a positive start.

The visitors were behind 19 minutes in, though, as Bernard squeezed an effort into the bottom-left corner through Aaron Wan-Bissaka's legs after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had helped on Jordan Pickford's long kick.

Fernandes equalised in the previous meeting at this ground and he drew United level again, powering a header beyond Pickford after running into the box to meet Luke Shaw's delivery.

The Portugal international then put his side ahead, his cross at the end of a 20-pass sequence going in off the right-hand post after Marcus Rashford had tried to glance it in.

United captain Harry Maguire wanted a penalty when Pickford and Michael Keane clashed with him after the Everton goalkeeper had dropped the ball, but neither the officials on the pitch nor those using VAR agreed.

Rashford smashed another strike at Pickford as United failed to find a third goal on the break, although they kept the home side at bay despite the Toffees controlling possession in the second half.

As Everton poured forward in injury time, Maguire's interception sent Fernandes away on the break, and he waited before teeing up Cavani to sweep home.

What does it mean? Solskjaer keeps wolves from the door

Defeat here was highly unlikely to spell an immediate end to Solskjaer's time in charge, but this was an important result to quieten some of the recent mounting criticism.

The fact it came against a side unbeaten in three games against United, at a ground where they lost 4-0 in April last year in their worst display under the Norwegian, made this performance more impressive.

United are on 10 points from seven matches and three behind Everton, whose manager has now suffered three consecutive league defeats for the first time since November 2006, when he was at AC Milan.

Fernandes leads from the front

No player has managed as many goal involvements as Fernandes (15) in their first 10 away matches in the Premier League.

Beyond his double and assist here, he was an important presence in pressing the Everton midfield, winning three tackles – more than anyone else in red.

James kept quiet

James Rodriguez struggled to influence matters from the Everton right, creating no chances and attempting no shots before being replaced by Cenk Tosun.

What's next?

United host West Brom after the international break on November 21. On the same day, Everton travel to Fulham.

Cedric Bakambu registered his 14th goal of the season to help Beijing Guoan secure a 2-1 victory over Shanghai SIPG FC in the first leg of their Chinese Super Lig Championship third-place playoff game on Saturday.

The 29-year-old centre-forward continued with his consistent goalscoring performances for the Imperial Guards at Suzhou Sports Center.

Bakambu was handed his 17th league start and made the most of the opportunity, scoring to help Bruno Genesio’s men return to winning ways after losing against Guangzhou Evergrande.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international opened the scoring for the Beijing-based club in the 27th minute after he was set up by Gang Wang.

The strike from the former Villarreal forward ensured the Imperial Guards went into the half-break with a 1-0 lead.

After the restart, Beijing Guoan continued to push for more goals and came close to doubling their lead on a number of times.

Their unrelenting effort eventually paid off when Zhongguo Chi scored the second for Beijing Guoan with a fine strike.

Moments before the full-time Quanbo Guo turned the ball into his own net to deny the Imperial Guards an opportunity to keep a clean sheet, although they managed to hold on to their lead and secure victory in the encounter.

Bakambu featured for 75 minutes, made 28 touches on the ball and had a 86% successful pass rate besides his goal before he was replaced by Ziming Wang.

The forward has not only scored 14 goals in the current campaign, but he has also provided five assists in 19 league appearances.

Bakambu will hope to continue his spectacular performances when Beijing Guoan play Shanghai SIPG FC in the second leg of the playoff.  

The attacker will be expected to replicate his spackling showings for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola on November 14 and 17.

Quique Setien was looking to “shift responsibility for an awful end of season” in his claims that Lionel Messi boasts too much power at Barcelona, claims Rivaldo, with said accusations being refuted by a Camp Nou legend.

A coach unceremoniously dumped from a prominent post in Catalunya has been discussing his experiences with the Liga giants.

Setien has claimed that mercurial Argentine forward Messi was “difficult to manage”, given how important he is to the collective cause at Barca.

Rivaldo believes better managers would have found a way around any such issues, with a man who flopped badly after being handed the most prestigious of reins considered to be looking for excuses.

The Blaugrana icon told Betfair: “Setien has complained in an interview about Lionel Messi controlling the locker room and having too much say in the club's decisions.

“I have my doubts that Setien's claims are true. But if they were, he should have told the board that he wasn't happy with the situation.

“A manager should always communicate when something is unpleasant for him. Setien shouldn't be trying to shift the responsibility for an awful end of season.”

It remains to be seen how long Messi - who was named on the bench for a meeting with Real Betis on Saturday - will be sticking around at Barcelona, with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner still seeing a move mooted on the back of his efforts to leave over the summer.

Antoine Griezmann is another facing questions of his future, with the France international failing to make the desired impact in Catalunya, but Rivaldo believes the World Cup winner should stick around.

He added: “Antoine Griezmann is still struggling to get things going at Barcelona, but I don't think going out on loan is the right option for him. Barcelona need all parts of their squad and he is one of the best players.

“We've seen good things from Griezmann against Juventus and Alaves this season, so his poor performance against Dynamo Kiev shouldn't detract from that. As players, we all have bad days.

“He needs to build more confidence and start proving his real value as no one doubts his ability.”

Bloemfontein Celtic produced a solid performance in their 1-0 win over SuperSport United in the MTN8 semi-final second-leg match at Dr Molemela Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

Victor Letsoalo scored the only goal of the match a few minutes after the restart and Phunya Sele Sele will now take part in their second final in 2020 after finishing as runners-up in the Nedbank Cup two months ago. 

Siwelele were coming off a 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in a PSL match on Wednesday, but they had grabbed an away goal in their first-leg clash against SuperSport which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Coach John Maduka recalled the experienced trio of Lucky Baloyi, Ndumiso Mabena and Victor Letsoalo to the starting line-up after they were rested against Pirates as Celtic looked to reach the MTN8 final for the second time.

Meanwhile, Matsatsantsa had secured a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch FC in a PSL match in midweek after they failed to make the most of home ground advantage against Celtic. 

Maduka's counterpart, Kaitabo Tembo, also made several changes as forwards Thamsanqa Gabuza and Grant Lungu made their return to the starting line-up as the defending MTN8 champions looked to advance to the final.

SuperSport threatened first when the ball fell kindly for Jamie Webber in the box, but somehow the South Africa under-23 international placed his effort wide of the target.

Celtic then took control of the match and they should have been awarded a penalty when Mzwanele Mahashe was bluntly fouled by Bradley Grobler in the box, but the match referee brushed off the appeals.

The hosts continued to push forward in search of the opening goal and they came close to scoring when Letsoalo was afforded space down the left-hand side and his curling effort narrowly missed the target.

Grobler and Gabuza cut frustrated figures upfront as there was no supply for the SuperSport centre forwards due to the fact that Celtic were dominating the midfield battle with Baloyi pulling the strings.

The score was 0-0 at the interval following an evenly matched first-half.

The deadlock was finally broken five minutes into second-half after some quick thinking by Given Mashikinya after the hosts were awarded a free-kick in their own half.

The former Cape Town City midfielder quickly played the free-kick upfront for Letsoalo, who outpaced Siyabonga Nhlapo, before firing past onrushing SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to make it 1-0 to Celtic.

Tembo reacted by making a triple substitution as he introduced attackers Iqraam Rayners, Evans Rusike and Kudakwashe Mahachi as the three-time MTN8 champions looked to restore parity.

The momentum was with Matsatsantsa in the closing stages of the match with Gabuza's headed effort being saved by Celtic keeper Jackson Mabokgwane, who also gathered Rayners' scuffed shot.

SuperSport launched late attacks in the closing stages of the match, but they were frustrated by some resolute defending by the hosts and ultimately, Celtic emerged 1-0 winners.

Celtic will now take on either Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates in the final after winning their semi-final tie 2-1 on aggregate, while the defending champions SuperSport were eliminated from the tournament.  

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has accused the Premier League of setting his side “up to fail”, with the Manchester United boss left seething at the “absolute shambles” of having to take in a Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Everton.

The under-fire Norwegian headed to Goodison Park knowing that he needed a win in order to ease some of the pressure that has been building on his shoulders.

It appeared early on as though more misery would be endured on Merseyside, with Bernard opening the scoring for the visitors.

Bruno Fernandes was, however, to help turn the tie on its head , with the Portuguese playmaker bagging a brace before half-time.

Both teams survived penalty scares in the second half before Edinson Cavani stepped off the bench to register his first goal for the Red Devils and wrap up all three points.

Solskjaer should have been feeling a little better about things at the final whistle, with his head seemingly removed from the chopping block, but he was eager to take aim at those who forced his side to grace the weekend’s early game on the back of a testing midweek Champions League trip to Istanbul.

The United boss told BT Sport : “We were set up to fail. The kick-off time set us up to fail.

“We have been to Turkey, played loads of games this season already, we got back Thursday morning and we are playing Saturday lunchtime, it's an absolute shambles.

“These boys deserve better. Luke Shaw has got injured because of it. It's a hamstring which might be a long one and Marcus Rashford might be struggling.

“The authorities set us up to fail, who is responsible? We've had enough of that.

“Players this season, in these times, a pandemic, mentally and physically, it's draining. Let us play on a Sunday, there's an international break after this, it's a joke.”

While being left angered by the match calendar, Solskjaer was pleased to see his players deliver a performance that will have silenced some of their critics.

He was particularly pleased for a summer signing who has now opened his account for the club and should be expected to go from strength to strength as he feels more settled in new surroundings.

Solskjaer added: “The players were brilliant. Cavani is getting better and better.”

Wazito FC head coach Fred Ambani has boldly stated this time around his charges will not disappoint in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League.

In the abandoned 2019/20 season, the Nairobi-based side struggled for consistency and as a result, there were regular changes in the technical bench. The team ended up finishing in the 13th position and went on to release up to 13 players.

Ahead of the start of the new season later this month, they have made their signings and have so far played two friendly matches. A couple of days ago, they fell 2-1 to Zoo FC at Kericho Green Stadium before defeating Narok Combined 5-1 at Ole Ntimama Stadium on Saturday.

"This year, we will not disappoint in the league," the confident Ambani said after the match.

"The fans have every reason to expect a good run from us in the league. We will continue with the good run we had. The pre-season friendly matches should not worry our fans at all.

"As the technical bench, we are confident in the team we have and when it comes to business, we will deliver."

The youthful coach, who is a former Harambee Stars, explained why Wazito followers should not be worried or excited about the results registered in the pre-season friendlies.

"The fans should not be disappointed or excited with results during this period," Ambani stated. 

"This is the time we are building a team and trying several combinations. If something does not work, we go back to the drawing board and analyse the situation and if it works, then we proceed with it.

"We are building a winning team here, that is why we have pre-season friendly matches."

The tactician has also revealed his plans before the 2020/21 FKF-PL kicks off officially on November 20.

"If the league starts on the scheduled date, then we will have one more friendly game," Ambani continued.

"If anything comes in between, then we might as well change our plans. But as it stands, the players we have are sufficient and capable of giving us the positive results we are targeting.

"These are the players we are going to work with and we are confident in their ability." 

Lionel Messi was named among Barcelona's substitutes for Saturday's La Liga contest against Real Betis, with the Argentine deemed "not fresh" enough to start the fixture.

The absence of the captain from Ronald Koeman's starting XI at Camp Nou was a peculiar one given Barca have failed to win their past four matches in Spain's top flight, with reports in Spain initially suggesting he was not being risked due to a slight ankle problem.

Koeman's assistant Alfred Schreuder has, however, insisted that there is no injury concern and that the 33-year-old simply isn't at peak fitness: "We're not talking about an injury [for Messi], he's just not fresh.

"He has played a lot of games. Koeman has said: if you're not 100 per cent fresh, it's better you start on the bench."

Messi, who last started on the bench for two matches in September 2019, had previously started every game in La Liga and the Champions League under Koeman, who named Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati in his starting line-up.

The Argentine legend has regularly found himself in the spotlight since failing to engineer a move away from Barca in the past transfer window, particularly given he is yet to score from open play or provide an assist in La Liga this term.

On Friday, Koeman defended Messi against claims that he was not working hard enough for the team following viral footage from Barca's midweek win over Dynamo Kiev, which showed him failing to press the opposition in second-half injury time. 

In that game, Messi had more shots (six) and created more chances (four) than any other player in the match, but he also lost possession more frequently than anyone else (20 times) without once winning it back.

"I didn't seem him [walking] and I'm not interested in this because I don't see him walking," Koeman said. "If you want to start a controversy around this point, it's your problem.

"Messi is mentally good, enjoying this sport. He's a winner and sometimes you go through moments when the ball doesn't go in, but he looks really focused.

"I think Messi still has so many qualities. He's very important in our game."

Last weekend's 1-1 draw at 10-man Deportivo Alaves saw Barca equal their lowest tally of points through six games in La Liga.

Perak faced very little resistance from Kelantan United, and advanced to the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals with a straightforward win.

PERAK

Hafizul Hakim - 7/10

Save for a few of the visitors' chances which hit the woodwork, the goalkeeper was seldom called into action.

Amirul Azhan - 7/10

The right back had a straightforward time guarding his flank.

Shahrul Saad - 7/10

The centre back put in an adequate performance to help his team keep a clean sheet and record a win.

Tarik Isic - 7/10

The central defender who was recently promoted from Perak II must have found the encounter the perfect chance to familiarise himself with the first team, a competitive match against a much weaker team.

Rafiuddin Roddin - 7/10

The left back was seldom troubled by the visitors down his flank.

J. Partiban - 7/10

The right winger put in a relatively quiet shift on a night Perak did not have to go into gear two.

Kenny Pallraj - 7/10

A good outing for the midfielder, who helped his side dominate the midfield.

Leandro dos Santos - 9/10 (Man of the Match)

A fantastic night for a player who is not his team's main goal-getter. On top of helping the hosts dominate the middle of the park, dos Santos also ended on the scoresheet three times in the match.

Leandro dos Santos. Photo from Sports Regime

Firdaus Saiyadi - 7/10

The left winger had a good night and managed an assist for the opening goal, but after he became a constant target of the visitors' tough tackling and picked up a booking, he was taken off early in the second half.

Careca - 8/10

The forward had a relatively quiet night, save for an assist for Perak's third goal, and his late goal.

Shahrel Fikri - 8/10

The forward worked hard throughout the match, dropping down often to help win back the ball, and came away with two assists. 

Substitutions:

Adib Ra'op,  Khairil Anuar, Nazirul Naim, Farid Khazali - N/A

Second half substitutions who did enough to help the Bos Gaurus maintain their supremacy.

KELANTAN UNITED

Syazwan Yusoff - 5/10

There was very little the custodian could do on a night his team and defence were not performing well.

Daudsu Jamaludin - 4/10

The right back and skipper underwhelmed in the encounter for someone with as much as experience as he is, failing to lead his defence.

Aylton Ferreira - 5/10

The centre back could not keep the more dominant home team attackers out of his team's danger area.

Faizol Nazlin - 5/10

The defender was not able to give Perak forwards a tougher time.

Aziz Ismail - 5/10

The left back could not help defend his goal.

Shahrul Hakim - 5/10

The right winger did not turn in the kind of performance that is needed when playing against the favourites as underdogs.

Adil Kouskous - 5/10

Kelantan United's midfield department failed to work as a unit in support of their attack, and Kouskous had to make way for Rozaimi Azwar early in the second half.

Alfusainey Gassama - 5/10

A disappointing night for the midfielder.

Alif Romli - 5/10

The left winger could not play a bigger part in the encounter.

Fakhrul Zaman - 5/10

The forward failed to make himself a more dangerous threat to the hosts.

Selwan Sinan - 4/10

The Swedish-Iraqi forward struggled to combine well with the midfielders and looked isolated in the first half. Having picked up a needless booking, he was substituted off at the start at the second half.

Substitutions:

Fazrul Amir, Rozaimi Azwar, Aizzat Maidin, Ikhwan Yazek - N/A

Second half changes that could not help change the game's outcome.

Bruno Fernandes admits “everyone needs to be a leader” at Manchester United after the Red Devils once again relied on him to inspire a much-needed victory over Everton.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took his side to Goodison Park aware that another Premier League setback could spell the end of his time in the Old Trafford hot seat.

He watched his side fall behind to an early effort from Bernard, but the perfect response was offered after that.

Portuguese playmaker Fernandes led the charge for United, as he so often has done on the back of a January move from Sporting, and he had the Red Devils in front at the interval.

Edinson Cavani stepped off the bench to score his first goal for the club in stoppage-time, with a side that have looked out of sorts at home and abroad of late showing that they do boast the fighting spirit that has been called into question on a regular basis of late.

Fernandes told BT Sport afterwards, with his second goal of the day whipped fractionally over the head of a club colleague: “I don't care if Marcus [Rashford] touched it a little bit, it can be his goal, it is no problem for me - most important for me as a number 10 is serving my team-mates.

“I think we know inside the dressing room what we need to do. Everyone needs to be a leader.”

Fernandes added on the contest as a whole: “It was a great end to the game. We knew what we had to do [today] and we did it well.

“We did some mistakes in the second half, maybe we were a bit more confident and wanted to go forward and we didn't keep the ball too much. After the first goal we had a great reaction and we did what we had to do.

“We know our quality. We worked hard for the game. It was difficult to recover after the [Istanbul Basaksehir] game. This was the moment to do something in this game and we did it.”

With critics silenced by a welcome win on the road, Harry Maguire is another United star looking for the Red Devils to kick on from this point.

The England international defender said: “We knew we had to get three points today. It's early in the season and we don't look at the table but the points we have accumulated isn't good enough for this club.

“It's important to bounce back from setbacks. We did it at Newcastle. We started the game really well but conceded a disappointing goal from a long, direct ball and we should have had better cover.

“We've been questioned but we know we don't answer them in 90 minutes, we answer them day in, day out. The lads are working tirelessly for this club, everyone wants to improve and do better. The manager has to pull the lads off the training ground.

“I think we know the first goal in Istanbul can't happen. We went away to Turkey and knew it would be tough game.

“It made it a frustrating night for us and the individuals knew in the changing room straight after and held their hands up and apologised. We are a good group who work really hard and we're all in this together.”

United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in their last outing, as they hit a serious bump in a Champions League road, but are now back on track and have the international break to work on establishing some momentum.

Manchester United are on their best away run in the Premier League in 27 years after the 3-1 win at Everton on Saturday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team fought back from a goal down to seal the three points at Goodison Park, with a Bruno Fernandes double and a late Edinson Cavani strike getting the job done.

While the Red Devils' inconsistent start to the 2020-21 campaign has seen the Norwegian manager come under pressure, United fans can have no qualms about their domestic record on the road.

They have now won their last seven away games in the English top flight, and according to Opta Sports it is their best run since August in 1993. The Old Trafford side went on to win the league that season under Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is the third time in a row they have fought back from a goal down to win away in the Premier League this season. They are just the third team to go on such a run after Leeds, who did so in 1999, and Tottenham under Andre Villas-Boas in December 2013.

Saturday's victory was United's 17th at Goodison Park in the league - no other away team has won as many at a specific stadium in the division.

After his double, Fernandes has now been involved in 15 goals in 10 matches on the road, having scored 10 and assisted another five - more than any other Premier League player has had a hand in. The last player to score 10 in as many games away from home was Kevin Phillips back in 1999 with Sunderland.

After a strong start to the campaign, Everton are now without a win in four Premier League matches and have now lost three in a row.

Not since his days in charge of AC Milan in 2006 has coach Carlo Ancelotti been defeated three times in a row in the league. The Rossoneri finished fourth in the table that year, 36 points behind the champions.

While Everton sit fifth in the table after eight matches, United have moved up to 13th and have 10 points from seven games.

Uganda defender Shafiq Batambuze is among the players released by Gor Mahia ahead of the 2020-21 season.

The dreadlocked defender was partly used last season owing to a knee injury suffered while playing for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions against Aigle Noir of Burundi in a Caf Champions League tie.

The injury forced him to return to his native Uganda to seek treatment after it emerged that Gor Mahia had refused to assist him financially to undergo a knee operation.

While in Uganda, Batambuze managed to undergo an operation after friends raised Sh400, 000 for him and he recently returned to training in readiness for the new season but has now been released by the club.

According to the final transfer list from the club, Gor Mahia signed a total of 17 players and lost 15.

Apart from Batambuze, other players who left the club include Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka FC), Joash Onyango (Simba SC, Tanzania), Wellington Ochieng (Tusker FC), Elvis Ronack (Nzoia Sugar FC), Kennedy Otieno (Western Stima FC), Boniface Omondi (Wazito FC), David Mapigano (Azam FC, Tanzania).

Others are Dickson Ambundo (Dodoma Jiji FC, Tanzania), Juma Balinya (KCCA FC, Uganda), Clinton Okoth (Wazito FC), Fredrick Odhiambo (Wazito FC), Alphonse OMIJA (Kariobangi Sharks FC), Edwin Lavatsa, and Ghanaian Jackson Owusu.

The new players at Gor Mahia include; Andrew Juma from (Mathare United FC), Tito Okello (Vipers SC, Uganda), Bertrand Nkofor (Al Mudhaibi FC, Oman), Jules Ulimwengu (Rayon Sports SC, Rwanda), John Macharia (FC Guria Lanchkuti, Georgia), Andrew Malisero (Commercial FC), Samuel Njau (Western Stima FC).

Others are striker Benson Omalla (Western Stima FC), John Ochieng (Chemelil Sugar FC), Frank Odhiambo (Bongonaya FC), Gad Mathews (Kisumu All-Stars FC), Kennedy Odhiambo (Western Stima FC), Levis Opiyo (Nairobi City Stars FC), Dickson Raila (Masawa FC), Sydney Wahongo (Western Stima FC) and Kelvin Wesonga (Western Stima FC).

Gor Mahia will have quite a task in their quest to retain the title considering their first five 2020/21 fixtures as they will open their campaign against Tusker – their most formidable rivals in the last four seasons.

It will be the second straight time the Brewers and K’Ogalo have been scheduled in a season-opening fixture as they had met in the 2019/20 season when Gor Mahia mounted a comeback to stun Tusker 5-2 in Kisumu.

For their third match, Gor Mahia will entertain the 2008 Kenyan Premier League winners Mathare United on December 4.

The Green Army will then host another former league champions Sofapaka in what will be their second home match on December 9. On December 13, the record league champions will travel to face debutants Bidco United.

World Cup winner Alex Morgan has finally made her WSL debut for Tottenham, with the American superstar stepping off the bench to make her bow in a meeting with Reading.

Spurs snapped up the 31-year-old in September and were considered to have pulled off quite the coup.

Morgan has gone over a year without taking in a competitive appearance after giving birth to daughter Charlie in April 2020.

Her first appearance for her new side came on Saturday when she replaced Rianna Dean in the 69th minute of the match.

She had been hoping to step back onto the field before now, but saw her bow in north London pushed back.

An unfortunate knee problem prevented her from rejoining the fold , with Morgan telling AP Sports : "There’s times definitely where I think stress builds up or I kind of get a little too anxious.

"But I think that I’ve handled it quite well.

"Hopefully in the next two weeks I’ll get on the field with team because we’ve had quite a tough run, especially in the month of October.

"So, I really want to help the team.

"The amount of decelerations (in training) and that puts a toll on your body, especially my body, that’s just gone through building and creating, growing a human.

"So, I kind of had a little setback with my knee. It’s nothing too serious.”

Morgan has only signed a short-term deal with Tottenham through to the end of December, with the intention being for her to see game time ahead of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

No decision has been taken as yet regarding an extended stay in England, with Morgan adding: "I have a plan to go back for the holidays, but you just don't know if I'm planning to continue on here or not

"It all really depends on Covid, and the NWSL as well and what their plans are for next season so I feel like I'm taking it week by week.

"One thing I know is that I want to go home and introduce Charlie to my family because I’ve kind of snatched her away and took her to England with me."

There have been suggestions that Orlando Pride, who Morgan represented prior to linking up with Spurs, will look to put an agreement in place that allows them to add the proven performer to their books ahead of the 2021 NWSL season.

Tanzania suffered a setback in their campaign at the ongoing 2020 Cosafa Women's Cup following a 1-0 loss to Botswana on Saturday.

Mokgabo Thanda's lone effort helped the Zebras' condemn the Twiga Stars to their first defeat of the competition in South Africa.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams in the competition but the East Africans could not replicate their winning form following a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe last Wednesday.

After a drab, scoreless first half, the Zebras stunned the Cecafa runners-up when Thanda fired Botswana ahead two minutes after the restart at the Wolfson Stadium.

The East Africans mounted pressure in search for an equaliser but their Zimbabwean counterparts held their nerve to claim the win.

The defeat leaves the Tanzanians on the brink of elimination from the competition, having recorded a win in two matches in Group C. 

With the hopes of progressing to the next round now out of their own hands, the Twiga Stars will hope Zimbabwe beat Botswana with a lone goal on Monday, in order to advance on goal difference.

Botswana's captain Bonang Otlhagile was voted the Player of the Match following her crucial winner against Tanzania.

As it stands, Bostwana are leaders of Group C with three points on goal difference, despite being tied on points with second-placed Tanzania.

David Alaba remains an important asset for Bayern Munich, says Lothar Matthaus, but the contract rebel has been told he is not “irreplaceable” like Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski.

The versatile Austria international appears to be edging his way towards the exit at the Allianz Arena.

Discussions regarding a new contract have broken down, meaning that a parting of ways could soon be on the cards.

Alaba is only tied to terms through to the end of the season and could either be offloaded in January or allowed to enter free agency next summer.

Bayern had been hoping to avoid such a situation, and are not yet giving up hope of reaching a compromise when it comes to a new deal, but Matthaus says the German champions are taking the right approach in refusing to be held to ransom.

He told Sky Deutschland: “David is an important player and a face of FC Bayern. That's why they offered him such a great contract. 

“Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski are a bit more important and therefore above him in the salary structure. David is difficult to replace. Muller, Lewy and Neuer are irreplaceable.

“I hope and still believe that David will play in Munich beyond the season. However, the negotiations have not become easier for him. 

“David is now free and in the market and all of Europe now knows that. Now it will show how high the value of Alaba actually is in the midst of a global pandemic and whether his team of advisors has gambled away.”

Alaba has been accused of shunning a lucrative offer from Bayern, leading to talks being shelved, and Matthaus wants the 28-year-old to come out and state in public whether he is making future calls based on sporting factors or financial gain.

The Bayern legend added: “After several attempts, Bayern withdrew the lucrative, fair and absolutely appropriate offer to David Alaba and I can understand that well. 

“At some point you have to position yourself as a club and set an example. They have now done that. 

“The offer of €11m plus a further €6m as bonuses is not child benefit. Who is making that much money in our society? 

“Solidarity is especially important now in the Corona period. And that also especially applies to soccer stars.

“FC Bayern has always been one of the clubs in the world that treat and pay their players with respect. The offer for David is more than fair and generous. 

“In any case, it is very surprising that these negotiations have been going on for so long.

“If David is looking for a new challenge, it should have been communicated much earlier and more clearly. If he is only interested in more money, then unfortunately he has chosen the wrong time. 

“Now I'm curious to see what his agent will land for him, whether there is a club that has better conditions for Alaba.”

Yanga SC Communications officer Antonio Nugaz has stated Simba SC have little chance of winning Saturday's Kariakoo Derby.

The two sworn rivals will play each other this weekend in the Tanzania Mainland League game at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam. Timu ya Wananchi have been in good form this season and are currently second on the table.

"Last season, we did not have a [strong] team and they did not beat us in the league," Nugaz told Wasafi FM.

"They could only manage a 2-2 draw in the first round and in the second round we defeated them. I do not know what happened when we lost 4-1 in the FA Cup semi-final, something was wrong, but this time around we have done everything possible to ensure every player is focused on the game.

"With our current form, it is hard for Simba to defeat us, they will struggle to get a goal."

Meanwhile, a group of Yanga fans has now paraded a brand new Toyota that they have vowed to give to the player who will score the winning goal during the derby that will be played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

"We all know that all the Yanga players have cars and we know they own cars but now what we want is to add one of them with another car, we want a strong competition, we want every player to target a goal when we play against Simba," the fans told reporters in Dar es Salaam ahead of the derby.

"We know Simba have a very weak goalkeeper, and we want them to go for goals, we want them to score as many goals as possible, we want them to win the derby, we need the goals and that is why we have decided as fans to put the reward in front of them.

"We have decided that we must reward our players, if the game goes for a draw then we will keep our car, we will give out the car when we win, we want to be happy, so we want the players to make us happy, we don’t believe in a draw and we don’t want to lose, we all need a win and that is why we have given out this car.

"We are confident the car will go [because Yanga will win], we don’t care and in the next derby we will still have another car [to give out], we will give it out to the player who will score the winning goal, we want the players to fight for the win."