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The upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will be totally different from what we were used to seeing in the previous six seasons.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced the ISL organizers to conduct the league in a centralized venue in Goa in the absence of fans.

Not only centralized venue, but the ISL will also witness several protocols which will be strictly followed keeping in mind the players’ safety.

This is something that has already been implemented across the world since football restarted after the Covid-19 forced the game to come to a standstill earlier this year. But Indian clubs, as well as the players, are completely new to this ‘new normal’ situation.

Hyderabad FC head coach Manuel Marquez Roca believes that while playing in empty stadiums is not something the players look forward to, but considering the present condition, the decision to organize the league in a centralized venue is the correct step taken by the ISL authorities.

“The pandemic is changing the world, unfortunately, and football is not an exception. We play for the people. They are the most important. Football without spectators is a different kind of football. But all of us are in the same situation,” the Spaniard told Goal.

The former Las Palmas boss also suggested that the players need to have the right mentality to perform during this pandemic.

“Playing the entire League in Goa is the only way that ISL can be played next season,” opined the Spanish boss. “We can't take a risk with the pandemic. It will be very different for players, coaches and all the people who will be around the team. For me, the mentality will be one of the keys. If the team is prepared mentally, we’ll have a good season for sure.”

Marquez further suggested that it will be up to him and his technical team to make sure that the players are motivated and happy throughout the season in order to bring out their best.

“All the people know that we are in an unusual situation but football is an escape route for fans and we have to give them the best possible things. When we play, we have to forget about the pandemic and enjoy the game.

“Football is happiness and we have to remember it. The planning of the technical staff is to try and make sure that the players are comfortable throughout the season and we have to know how every player is at every moment. There will be funny, tedious, happy moments and we have to control all these things as much as possible,” opined the Hyderabad boss.

Jurgen Klopp expects an "open race" as multiple teams compete for Premier League glory this season, insisting it will not just be a shoot-out between Liverpool and Manchester City.

The German brought the top-flight trophy back to Anfield for the first time in 30 years last term, with the Reds finishing 18 points clear of Pep Guardiola's side, who themselves were 15 ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Despite that huge gap, Klopp believes it will be a close-run thing this term, with the Liverpool boss including Tottenham and Monday's opponents Arsenal in the mix.

The Gunners finished a distant eighth, 43 points shy of the champions' incredible tally of 99, and yet Klopp considers Mikel Arteta's side, who beat Liverpool in the Community Shield on spot-kicks, challengers.

"They came eighth because they did not have a time to sort the situation," he said, referencing the fact Arteta was not appointed until December.

"They were not the eighth best team in the league, they could've qualified easily for Europe [via the league], if not even the Champions League.

"The Premier League and these teams are too good, you can't decide the season before it starts. It just doesn't work like this.

"Man City, I think maybe people thought they could have some struggles at Wolves because Wolves are really good...and in the second half they could have got a point.

"Nobody is safe from this kind of thing, so we have to work incredibly hard. And over the other teams we have no influence. When we face them, we want to beat them.

"It's an open race, Chelsea will be there, [Manchester] United will be there, Arsenal, Tottenham – these teams will always be there.

"There are tough moments for us and other teams and it's about how you react and are you doing it in the right way.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint, and you have to go through a lot of moments. I don't know why today we talk about winning the league, I have no idea who will win but I know a lot of teams will try."

Liverpool have started their title defence with wins over Leeds United and Chelsea, scoring six goals in the process.

Emile Heskey believes the gesture of taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement has become “a gimmick” and diluted the call for real change.

Earlier this week, former England forward and current QPR director of football Les Ferdinand released a statement on the club’s official website, saying: "Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game - actions will."

Asked about Ferdinand’s comments, former Liverpool and England star Heskey supported him, saying: “I think, regardless of what you think about what Les said, you have to listen to his message.

“A lot of times we just hear things and then throw it away. You have to listen to what he is saying.

“We have gone from something that meant something, to it becoming a gimmick. We have lost the message it was trying to make. It was getting diluted.

“It’s great if you take the knee, but what are you doing it for? Where is the change? The message is getting mixed up.

“I understand what Les is saying. We want change, let’s see the change, not just take a knee.

“I’m not saying the knee hasn’t done anything, but let’s act on the message, not just keep taking a knee.

“We are talking about representation, aren’t we? All we’re doing now is talking about the knee, we are not talking about representation.

“We need more open discussions about that and how can we have more representation of people of colour [in coaching and administration].

“Once we have opened those conversations with the right people, then we can talk about change.

“People don’t like change, I don’t like change, but change is good for you. Diversity is good business. It’s good for football.”

Heskey is currently back at Leicester City, his first and hometown club, in an ambassador role which sees him support the development of the women’s game.

Leicester’s women’s team, who play in the Championship, currently have one of just three Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) coaches in the top two tiers, with Jonathan Morgan’s only company in that category being Brighton’s Hope Powell and Charlton’s Riteesh Mishra.

Morgan has been at the club for many years now, alongside his dad, Rohan, who is the chairman, and his sisters Holly and Jade, who have roles as club captain and general manager respectively.

This year, the team, who face Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Women’s FA Cup this weekend, have gone full-time for the first time as they target promotion to the Women’s Super League.

“It’s a progression. You can’t run before you can walk,” Heskey, who played 140 times for the Foxes, said.

“The owners looked at it many years ago, but this is the right time to do it. The Morgan family were doing a wonderful job and felt this was the right time.”

In his new role, Heskey has become a lot more familiar with the women’s game, which he admits he had watched some of during his own playing career, but not much.

“I’d watched it, but I hadn’t really delved into it in that sense,” he said.

“It’s funny, because at school I used to play mixed football and I was okay with that, no problem. But I had never looked at women’s football that seriously.

“It’s only when you see a few games, it comes to you more. It just needed to be pushed into the spotlight more, it needed to be seen.

“There are some wonderful players, wonderful teams and they needed to be in the public gaze more. It wasn’t really there to be watched before but that is changing.

“There was [a stigma against women playing football] when I was younger but that has gone.

“Girls used to be pushed into playing netball and athletics, but why shouldn’t they play football? That is changing and those opportunities are there, chances to progress.

“Girls in Leicester have that opportunity. It’s great we’ve got local leagues but we also have that professional environment to aim for.”

Sergio Ramos is not losing sleep over a quiet transfer window for Real Madrid after leading the club to victory against Betis on Saturday. 

The Merengue reclaimed La Liga from Barcelona at the end of the delayed 2019-20 season, but since then have seen far more players leave than arrive at the club. 

Big names like James Rodriguez, Dani Ceballos and Gareth Bale have left for the Premier League, while Madrid have also released Sergio Reguilon, Achraf Hakimi and a host of other players either permanently on loan. 

While there have been plenty of exits, Zinedine Zidane is yet to see a single new player enter his ranks, although the Madrid squad has been boosted by the loan return of Martin Odegaard, who started in midfield against Betis. 

But after his penalty helped secure a 3-2 win in Seville, Ramos was prepared to be patient when it comes to transfer updates. 

"It is not worth feeling sorry for ourselves. We have to show our faces with those of us who are already here, but our lives don't depend on one signing or another," the Blancos captain explained to Movistar after the final whistle. 

Fede Valverde had given Madrid the lead away from home, only for Betis to hit back with two goals in quick succession to take the advantage at half-time at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. 

After the break, though, the momentum swung back towards Madrid, with Emerson putting past his own keeper before Ramos hit from the penalty spot eight minutes from the end to give his side their first win of the 2020-21 season. 

There was plenty of argument over the spot-kick, awarded by VAR for a marginal handball committed under pressure by ex-Barcelona defender Marc Bartra. 

Ramos opted to strike a diplomatic tone over the incident, which left the hosts incensed. 

"I would have to sit down and watch it again, I was far away when it happened and I couldn't judge," he added. 

"We can't change anything, that's football. The referee is there to do the best job he can and I don't think there is anything intentional."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit out at a hectic football calender, claiming "nobody cares about the players".

After a mid-week win over Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, Guardiola declared he only had 13 fit players as City struggle to bounce back to full strength after a short pre-season. 

Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have both been sidelined with injury, while Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko are also battling fitness issues. 

Aymeric Laporte and Ilkay Gundogan, meanwhile, are both yet to play this season after testing positive for coronavirus. 

With City set to back up against Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday, Guardiola believes too much is being asked of players at an admittedly tough time for everyone. 

"The reality is what it is. It is not just Man City, it is all the clubs and countries. Nobody cares about the players," Guardiola said. 

"Everyone - the Premier League, UEFA, EFL - has defended their own business and position.

"The players had a two-week pre-season and now they have to play every three days for 11 months. We will not change anything saying the opposite.

"I understand it is an exceptional situation for everyone - restaurants, theatres, cinemas, museums.

"Everyone is struggling. We are not an exception. We have to believe in what we are doing and try and play a good game.

"We have three players who came back from national teams injured. We cannot control that. They let them play two games in four days without preparation. They are not machines."

City face a gruelling next week with their match against the Foxes to be followed by an EFL Cup clash against Burnley on Wednesday before another league game against Leeds United on Saturday. 

After seeing 17-year-old Liam Delap score on debut for City against Bournemouth, Guardiola declared the club will look to give more academy players a chance to step up and play a bigger role during a difficult period. 

"With the situation we have right now, we need players from the academy. We have just 13 players fit," Guardiola said.

"Jason Wilcox is the academy boss who helps us have these players. That’s why you have the academy. When you need players we can use it. It depends on the quality of the player."

Ghana’s Kamal Sowah scored his first brace ever for club and country after finding the net twice in OH Leuven’s 3-2 victory over Gent in Saturday’s Belgian topflight outing.

The midfielder scored in each half as Marc Brys’ men condemned the Buffalos to their fifth defeat in the Jupiler League so far.

In the keenly contested affair at the Ghelamco Arena, the hosts got the first chance at goal after Anderson Niangbo forced goalkeeper Rafael Romo to make a brave save. Few minutes later, Toon Raemaekers blocked a close-range attempt from Gent’s Tim Kleindienst.

The hosts continued to mount pressure on the visitors’ backline as Milad Mohammadi’s shot kissed the wood work. On the other side, Leuven fluffed their first clear opportunity after Mathieu Maertens was lost for ideas in the penalty area despite profiting from Xavier Mercier and Barnabas Bese’s attacking move.

Four minutes before the half-time break, Sowah blasted the ball past goalkeeper Davy Roef after exchanging the ball with Mercier from a corner-kick.

In the 42nd minute, Maertens doubled the visitors’ lead thanks to a fine assist from Thomas Henry.

The 20-year-old completed his historic double in the 48th minute – slotting past Roef with Mercier again credited for the assist.

Leuven suffered a setback in the 54th minute as Burkina Faso's Dylan Ouedraogo was replaced by Pierre-Yves Ngawa due to injury.

Twenty minutes from full time, the Buffalos were awarded a penalty as Bese was punished for handling the ball in the goal area. Niklas Dorsch picked the ball and converted the resulting kick.

Gent levelled matters from the penalty spot three minutes later through Kleindienst after Cote d’Ivoire’s Aboubakar Keita had fouled Ghana’s Osman Bukari.

That strike gave Wim De Decker’s side a glimmer of hope, albeit, they were unable to get the much-needed equaliser as the game ended in favour of the visiting team.

After an impressive shift, Sowah was replaced in the 75th minute by Oliver Myny, while South Africa’s Darren Keet was an unused substitute.

With this result, Sowah's team occupy the seventh position in the league after accruing 11 points from seven games. They welcome Zulte Waregem in their next game on October 3.

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has no plans to sign new players before the transfer window shuts following his team's thrilling 3-2 win over Real Betis.

Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as La Liga champions Madrid claimed their first win of the 2020-21 season at 10-man Betis on Saturday.

After Federico Valverde's 14th-minute opener, Betis turned the match on its head with two goals in three minutes via Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho prior to half-time.

Barcelona-owned Emerson scored an own goal three minutes into the second half before being sent off with 23 minutes remaining, and Madrid made the most of their numerical advantage when Ramos converted an 82nd-minute penalty.

Zidane was asked about Madrid's transfer activity pre-game, with the Spanish giants quiet since the market re-opened, having allowed the likes of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Brahim Diaz to leave.

Quizzed again on possible new signings post-match, Zidane told reporters: "No. We spoke about this before. I'm happy with the squad that I've got.

"We are what we are and we're going to try to have a successful season."

Reflecting on the match itself following Madrid's goalless draw against Real Sociedad in their season opener, Zidane said: "When you're behind it's difficult to change the dynamics of the game but we managed it today. It's crucial to do that every once in a while.

"We had a lot of chances, and people we talk about how we don't score enough but today we hit three and could have had more. I'm very proud of all the players, they're working brilliantly. We have to keep it up."

"The referee is there to review the action," added Zidane after Betis defender Marc Bartra was penalised for handball. "I think that in the end it's just what happened. He's in charge. I never get involved with the referees and I'm not going to get involved today. The most important thing for us is the game we played at a difficult ground.

"We can be happy with the work done, we had to work hard for it and we managed to take all three points, which is the most important thing."

"In the end it was a very complicated, difficult game," he said. "The players have given their all. It's three very important points for us at a complicated ground and against a team who have just won their first two games. We are happy. We know there is a long way to go and that we can and will improve."

Zidane also handed a rare start to out-of-favour forward Luka Jovic, who continues to be linked with a loan move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Jovic – playing alongside Karim Benzema – was tripped when through on goal as Emerson was shown a red card past the hour-mark, and Zidane said: "What I was looking for was to play in the opposition's half with a different formation.

"We can play in different ways and one of them is with the two forwards. We can be happy with the game because in the end we got all three points."

Herrienta Akaba scored a goal and provided two assists as Minsk continued their winning momentum with a 4-1 win over Zorka-BDU in a Belarusian Women's League encounter on Saturday.

Akaba made her first appearance of the season in the 1-0 hammering of Bostor before the international break, scoring on her debut.

Minsk avoided a slip up against last season's runners up Zorka with Anastasiia Skorynina giving them the lead thanks for a superb pass from the right from Akaba in the fourth minute.

Ksenia Kubichnaya converted the second goal for Minsk in the 38th minute before Akaba bagged her second assist, setting up Elvira Urazaeva to add the third goal four minutes from half time.

After the break, Zorka stepped up their quest for a comeback in the second half and were rewarded with a goal through Valeria Bogdan in the 68th minute.

However, the Cameroon international provided Minsk's fourth goal, tapping from close range to wrap up the victory seven minutes from time.

Akaba, who has now scored two goals in two league outings for Minsk lasted the duration along with Cote d'Ivoire's Nagede Cisse.

The win sees Minsk remain second on the log with 42 points from 17 matches - nine points adrift of leaders Dinamo-BSUPC.

They will aim to close the gap on leaders Dinamo when both teams meet in the reverse fixture on October 3.

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has ruled out a move for N'Golo Kante in the current transfer window while also restating the club's intentions to hold onto defender Milan Skriniar. 

Kante has emerged as a transfer target for the Nerazzurri this summer, with coach Antonio Conte reportedly keen on a reunion with his former Chelsea charge at San Siro. 

The Blues, however, have been reluctant to open talks over their midfield star, with Frank Lampard describing Kante as "fundamental" to his plans. 

Kante too is happy to stay in west London, leading Ausilio to apparently call off Inter's pursuit of the World Cup winner. 

"Kante is an important part of Chelsea, I don't think he will be up for sale," the director explained to DAZN on Saturday prior to Inter's Serie A clash with Fiorentina. 

"We have eight important central midfielders, we will begin and move forward with them."

Skriniar has similarly attracted attention from Tottenham, with Ausilio admitting there was a meeting with Spurs representatives over the defender's future. 

But with Diego Godin leaving this summer for Cagliari, he is wary of leaving the club short of options in the middle of defence as they look to build on last season's second-placed finish behind Juventus and challenge for the Scudetto. 

"There were talks with the Tottenham management, but we will reiterate that Skriniar is a confirmed player for us," he added. 

"We are not planning to lose him after Godin."

Inter's meeting with the Viola on Saturday marked their first league match of 2020-21, having sat out the opening weekend after being given extra time to rest due to their Europa League commitments. 

"Inter set out with the mission of playing well, like in every season," Ausilio stated, while also revealing the club's intention to ease new signing Ashraf Hakimi, who started on the bench, into regular game time. 

"The pre-season went well, both in Italy and in the Europa League, where we were just one step away from winning [the final against Sevilla].

"Hakimi? It just shows our options: we are lucky enough to have a lot of great players and with the five substitutions the chance is there for everybody to play."

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is in no doubt Thiago Silva will shine at Stamford Bridge despite suffering a torrid debut away to West Bromwich Albion. 

The Brazilian was given the captain's armband by Lampard on Saturday in his first game since completing a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. 

But it turned out to be an afternoon to forget for Silva, whose blunder allowed Callum Robinson to swoop for his and West Brom's second goal after just 25 minutes at the Hawthorns. 

Kyle Bartley converted two minutes later after more atrocious Blues defending to put the hosts up 3-0 by half-time, although Chelsea rallied to grab a point after the break through goals from Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham. 

And while Silva looked extremely uncomfortable during his introduction to the Premier League Lampard has full faith in him to recover swiftly. 

"Thiago Silva is going to be fantastic for us. He has been incredible in his career and absolutely, I will not look at him," the manager explained to BBC Match of the Day.

"I can talk about the misses, they are clear and I am open and honest about that. We are a team but we have to react around that and, to be fair, the team did in the second half. But, there is nothing on Thiago, I am sure he will stand up and say it was a mistake.

"But other than that, I thought he was pretty faultless in the game. That’s his first Premier League game done and in the bank. We will get a lot more from him as well especially as he gets fitter and as the whole squad get fitter."

While Chelsea may have rescued a draw, their fragile defence was once more called into question; and Lampard did not hide his frustration with dropping further points following last weekend's 2-0 reverse at home to Liverpool.

"It was three defensive mistakes for three goals. They scored with their three attempts on target, which made it very difficult," he added.

"We controlled the game other than that. We had some chances and the question was how much character would we come out with second half. I always felt we could do it, but it is still two points lost.

"There was a lack of urgency in our game. We can move the ball quicker, the movement of the ball was slow in the first half. When we started to move it quicker and cut through them we became more dangerous.

"It needed a couple of changes, both players who came on did that. There were positives in our performance.

"But I would be stupid to say we can make three mistakes, give ourselves a mountain to climb and be happy with that.

"We have to accept the fact that this is a process in real time."

LA Galaxy II have parted ways with Omar Ontiveros after the defender used a racial slur towards a San Diego Loyal player, prompting the club to forfeit the match in protest.

The incident occurred during Wednesday night's 1-1 draw between the two sides, who compete in the USL Championship.

Ontiveros voiced a racial slur towards a black player in the 71st minute, receiving no immediate discipline for the incident from the officials.

Neither Galaxy II nor SD Loyal disputed the event during an investigation by the USL, prompting a six-game suspension from the league with the potential for further punishment to come.

That further punishment came on Saturday, as with the club saying in a brief statement: "LA Galaxy II have mutually agreed to part ways with defender Omar Ontiveros."

Ontiveros had been with the club since March 2019, having made the move to Los Angeles after previously featuring for Rio Grande Valley FC. 

SD Loyal, meanwhile, announced on Friday that the club would forfeit the point earned from the match, having only learned of the incident in the locker room after the game.

“We don’t even want to recognize being a part of a match where these types of actions take place”, said SD Loyal’s Chairman Andrew Vassiliadis. “The Loyal in our name is symbolic of the diversity in our community and as a club we will not stand for this.”

Added club president Warren Smith:“If there is anything we have learned during the last few months with all the racial injustice matters that have occurred, we have to take action that have consequences when these matters occur.

"I am proud of this organization, its ownership, staff and especially our players for wanting to take such action."

SD Loyal are managed by former U.S. men's national team star Landon Donovan as the club is currently playing its first-ever season as an expansion team.

The club has earned 23 points through 15 games, sitting seventh in the league so far.

Next up for Donovan's side is a match against Phoenix Rising on Wednesday, while Galaxy II face Las Vegas Lights on Saturday.

Benik Afobe scored a brace and Anthony Nwakaeme was on target as Trabzonspor cruised to a 3-1 triumph over Yeni Malatyaspor.

Afobe who moved to Turkey on a season-long loan from Bristol City this month, opened his Super Lig goal account on Saturday with his strike in the 24th minute. He found the back of the net again and made it 2-0 for the hosts nine minutes later.

On the stroke half-time, Nwakaeme sealed victory for Trabzonspor at the Senol Gunes Stadium with his first goal of the season.

Later in the second half, Adem Buyuk's 78th-minute strike from the penalty spot was not enough to inspire Yeni Malatyaspor who suffered their second defeat this season.

The result ended Trabzonspor's winless run after their opening day 3-1 loss to Besiktas and last Saturday's goalless draw against Denizlispor.

Afobe and Nwakaeme played for 87 minutes and 78 minutes respectively, while Ghana's Caleb Ekuban continues his recovery from a groin injury and new signing Mali's Fousseni Diabate was not listed for the match.

Before their substitutions, Nwakaeme and Afobe managed the most shots on target (2) each for Eddie Newton's side while the former had the most shots (3).

Yeni Malatyaspor fielded several African stars which include Morocco's Issam Chebake, Egypt's Karim Hafez, Zimbabwe's Teenage Hadebe, Burundi's Youssouf Ndayishimiye, DR Congo’s Jody Lukoki, Ghana duo Afriyie Acuqah and Benjamin Tetteh.

Afobe and Nwakaeme will be looking to build on their partnership when Trabzonspor visit Gaziantep FK for their next Super Lig match on Friday.

Omar Colley scored his first Sampdoria goal with a first-half header in Saturday’s Serie A clash against Benevento.

In the process, the Gambia international ended his three-year wait to find the back of the net for I Blucerchiati.

Even with the effort, his team lost 3-2 at home – surrendering a 2-0 lead to the Luca Caldirola-inspired visitors.

Sampdoria began the game like a house on fire with Fabio Quagliarella handing Claudio Ranieri’s men an eighth-minute lead after finishing off a pass from Federico Bonazzoli.

The second goal came 10 minutes later after Colley headed past goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo, the cross from Antonio Candreva.

That strike woke up the visitors from their slumber as Luca Caldirola reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute.

In the 72nd minute, Luca Caldirola levelled matters after heading past goalkeeper Emil Audero, the corner-kick from Gianluca Caprari.

Gaetano Letizia had the final say with two minutes left to play after drilling home a ferocious strike outside the goal area of the hosts.

The Gambian defender was in action from start to finish, nevertheless, he could not rescue his team from their second defeat in a row.

For Filippo Inzaghi's team, Burkina Faso star Bryan Dabo was handed a place in the starting XI, but he was replaced in the 59th minute by Riccardo Improta, while Ghana's Abdallah Basit and Cote d'Ivoire's Siriki Sanogo were not listed for action.

In his post-match reaction, Colley – who is reportedly on the radar of Jurgen Klopp’s men as a replacement for Dejan Lovren is excited to have broken his duck but is disenchanted that his team ended up on the losing side.

"I am happy for my first goal, yesterday was my wife's birthday. But I'm disappointed because we lost,” Colley told the club website.

“In the first half we did better than in the second: we lost concentration and they had a good attack.”

With his team now losing their two opening games of the 2020-21 season, the African has called for patience.

"The road is long. Let's focus and move on: this is football. We want to continue to work to improve ahead of the next few games,” he continued.

“Maybe a little tiredness has taken over, but we have to keep our concentration high throughout the game, otherwise we lose. Let's not give up."

Sampdoria would be eyeing their first win of the 2020-21 season when they travel to Fiorentina on October 2.

Naif Aguerd and Sehrou Guirassy got their names on the scoresheet as Rennes recorded a 3-0 away win at Saint-Etienne on Saturday which restored their lead on the top of the Ligue 1 table.

The Red and Blacks have had a bright start to the new campaign, going unbeaten after drawing at Lille on the opening day before bagging wins against Montpelier, Nimes Olympique and AS Monaco.

They had relinquished top spot after Lille saw off Nantes 2-0 on Friday. Julian Stephan’s men, however, were not shaken and continued from where they left off with Aguerd giving them the lead in the 33rd minute, heading the ball in from a Benjamin Bourigeaud corner kick.

They maintained that lead going into the break but just two minutes after the restart, Saint-Etienne had the ball in the back of the net through Arnaud Nordin. It was however ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee.

Rennes grew in confidence as the game wore on and added a second in the 53rd minute via Guirassy, the 24-year-old forward of Guinean descent firing in an overhead kick having latched on to a cross from Romain Del Castillo.

Adrien Hunou got the job done with a lob over Saint-Etienne goalie Jessy Moulin one minute from time.

Aguerd had a strong performance for the 90 minutes he played, winning six of nine total duels, one interception, two tackles and three clearances. He also had 61 touches on the ball and a high passing accuracy of 90%. The Morocco international has now scored twice since joining from Dijon in the summer, netting first in the victory at Nimes.

Guirassy meanwhile had two shots on target, one successful dribble from a sole attempt while also producing 30 touches, 12 accurate passes (67%) and winning seven of 12 total duels before going off for Hunou in the 84th minute. The forward who joined from Amiens, now has three goals for his new employers having also netted in the victory at Nimes.

Rennes will be at Roazhon Park when they face Reims in their next Ligue 1 encounter on November 4.

Salimata Simpore assisted one goal and netted thrice, Lebogang Ramalepe scored one goal and assisted one, while Rhoda Mulaudzi scored and assisted twice in Dinamo-BSUPC's 11-0 victory over Bostor on Saturday.

The African trio shone in Dinamo's biggest win of the season, with a 15-0 win against Dnepr Mogilev along with Claudia Dabda before the international break on September 11.

The Africans were aiming to keep up their incredible form as they were boosted by the return of South Africa star Bambanani Mbane after three months on the sidelines due to her injury against Bostor.

At home to the bottom side, Anastasia Shuppo got the encounter off to a flying start as she turned in a fine pass from Burkinabe striker Simpore after just three minutes into the match for Dinamo.

Mulaudzi found a breakthrough past the visitors' defence and set up Simpore to double the lead for the hosts three minutes later.

Shuppo bagged her brace in the tie in the ninth minute before Mulaudzi assisted Simpore again to net the fourth, which came nine minutes later before Karachun Valerya added the fifth in the 21st minute.

Anastasia Shlapakova teed up Mulaudzi to get on the scoresheet two minutes later and the former later joined the list of scorers thanks to Viktoriya Kazakevich's pass in the 36th minute.

Five minutes from half time, Simpore hit her treble of the encounter off Shuppo's assist for the eighth for Dinamo.

After the restart, Ramalepe provided an assist for Shuppo to bag a hat-trick 14 minutes into the second half before she fired in her fifth thanks to a pass from Karina Olkhovik in the 63rd minute.

The four-goal heroine later reciprocated the favour from Ramalepe as she assisted her to grab her own goal of the match in the 67th minute to wrap up the massive victory.

With her latest hat-trick, Simpore has now scored 19 goals in 14 league outings for Dinamo this season, while Mulaudzi has managed four goals in four matches and Ramalepe two.

Mbane made her return to the pitch for the first time after almost four months on the sidelines as a second-half substitute, while Dabda played for 45 minutes before she was taken off.

The victory marks Dinamo's 17th league win this term and they now got 51 points from 17 matches, retaining their nine points gap with rivals Minsk, who they will host in their next outing on October 3.

Michaela Abam and Dorine Chuigoue helped Real Betis win the 2020 Andalusian Women's Cup after a 2-1 win over Granada in the final on Saturday.

The Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea internationals signed in the 2019 and 2020 summer respectively on permanent deals. They impressed for Pier Luigi Cherubino's side to claim the maiden title.

Before Saturday's final, the Africans starred in Betis' 2-1 semi-final triumph over Cordoba on Friday evening following up on a massive 10-0 quarter-final win in which Abam hit a hat-trick on Thursday.

Chuigoue's experience earned her a starting role against the Reto Iberdrola side, while Abam was brought on to preserve their victory.

After a few botched attempts, Betis finally broke the resistance of Granada when Oriana Altuve blasted home 10 minutes after the restart.

However, the Reto Iberdrola outfit fought back immediately and Laura Perez brought them back on level terms a minute later.

Desperate for a winner, Aixa Salvador netted in the 70th minute to ensure the Primera Iberdrola side celebrated victory in the end.

Chuigoue was in action from the start to finish, while Abam, who scored three goals in three games featured in the last 10 minutes.

The win means Chuigoue and Abam have won their first trophy with the Iberdrola club and gained a huge boost ahead of the season.

After the match, the Africans will be hoping to launch their new league campaign on a high when they face Eibar in a week's time.

Sergio Ramos' late penalty secured Real Madrid their first win of the 2020-21 LaLiga season as Los Blancos won 3-2 at 10-man Real Betis, for whom Barcelona-owned Emerson endured something of a nightmare.

Zinedine Zidane's men began their title defence with an underwhelming 0-0 stalemate with Real Sociedad, and while they were only marginally better in Seville, they just about made the most of their numerical advantage.

Madrid initially looked good value for their lead when Federico Valverde prodded them in front, but Betis showed excellent resilience to turn it around.

Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho did the damage in a three-minute salvo, the latter netting in successive games having not scored in his first 57 outings for the club.

Things began to look up for Madrid early in the second half when Emerson found his own net before then getting sent off, and Los Blancos completed the win thanks to Ramos' spot-kick eight minutes from time.