UEFA Champions League
FERNANDES BAGS BRACE AS MANCHESTER UNITED SINK BASAKSEHIR
Manchester United avenged their humbling Champions League defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir as Bruno Fernandes scored twice in a 4-1 rout of the Turkish champions on Tuesday (Nov 24).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side crashed to a shock 2-1 loss at the hands of the Group H outsiders in Istanbul earlier in November.
But there was never any chance of another upset as United ran Basaksehir ragged at Old Trafford.
Fernandes was the catalyst with a stunning long-range opener early in the first half.
He doubled the lead before passing up a hat-trick chance when he allowed Marcus Rashford to convert the penalty that brought United’s third goal before half-time.
Basaksehir’s Deniz Turuc netted a fine free-kick but, after a late United wobble, Daniel James struck in the final moments to seal the points.
United’s third win from four group matches means one point from their last two games against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig would secure their place in the last 16.
United’s loss in Istanbul had raised serious questions about Solskjaer’s ability to hold onto his job.
But successive Premier League wins against Everton and West Brom, followed by this emphatic success, have eased the pressure on Solskjaer a little.
Solskjaer named Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani in the starting line-up for the first time since his signing in October.
With Paul Pogba still sidelined by a swollen ankle, there was a rare start for Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek.
Both Cavani, who has scored once in seven appearances for United, and van de Beek did their chances of a more regular action no harm with solid displays, but it was Fernandes and Rashford who stole the show.
Rampant United
Rashford nearly gave United the perfect start in the second minute when he slalomed through the Basaksehir defence with a superb run, but couldn’t find the power in his shot to beat Istanbul keeper Mert Gunok.
United had torn into their overwhelmed visitors and they deservedly took the lead in the seventh minute.
When Alex Telles’ corner was only cleared to the edge of the area, Fernandes let it bounce before unleashing a thunderous strike that flashed into the roof of the net.
It was the Portugal midfielder’s eighth goal of the season and his second in successive games.
Rampant United doubled their lead in the 19th minute with a gift from Gunok.
Telles’ cross should have been easy for Gunok, but he seemed distracted by Cavani’s half-hearted attempt to reach it and dropped the ball to Fernandes, who had the simple task of slotting into the empty net.
Fernandes’ impact on United has been huge since he arriving from Sporting Lisbon in January, the 26-year-old now directly involved in 34 goals in 35 games in all competitions for United.
United were in total control and the third goal came courtesy of Rashford’s electric pace in the 36th minute.
Sprinting onto Victor Lindelof’s long pass, Rashford surged into the Basaksehir area before being barged over by Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo.
Fernandes was on a hat-trick and had scored a penalty against West Brom on Saturday.
He let Rashford take the penalty instead this time and the England forward sent Gunok the wrong way for his fifth Champions League goal in four games this season.
Gunok raced off his line to deny Fernandes his treble just before the break.
After United lost Lindelof to injury at half-time, it was no surprise Solskjaer took off Fernandes and Rashford to protect his stars with half an hour left.
United’s energy dipped as a result of those changes and Basaksehir got one back in the 75th minute when Turuc’s superb free-kick went over the line despite De Gea’s attempt to claw it out.
James finished off Mason Greenwood’s pass in stoppage-time for his first United goal since March.
-AFP
Galatasaray made the most of a litany of errors by Norwegian visitors Bodo/Glimt as they cruised to a 3-1 home win in the Champions League on Wednesday, with striker Victor Osimhen netting twice for the Turkish side in the first half.
UEFA Champions League – Galatasaray v Bodo/Glimt – RAMS Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 22, 2025 Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Osimhen wasted no time giving the home side an early lead, sweeping a sumptuous first-time finish past Nikita Haikin in the third minute as the Norwegian side was quickly punished for giving the ball away cheaply in midfield.
Osimhen doubled his tally in the 33rd minute after another error. Under pressure as he ran infield, Bodo left-back Fredrik Bjorkan inexplicably passed the ball straight to Osimhen in a central position, and the forward gratefully tucked the ball away.
UEFA Champions League – Galatasaray v Bodo/Glimt – RAMS Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 22, 2025 Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen in action REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Bodo created some decent chances of their own but were made to pay again on the hour mark as centre-back Haitam Aleesami was robbed just outside his penalty area by Osimhen, and Yunus Akgun was able to score at the second attempt to make it 3-0.
Osimhen had plenty of opportunities to complete his hat-trick but he was thwarted by keeper Haikin, and Bodo substitute Andreas Helmersen was able to head home a close-range consolation goal in the 76th minute as his side finished strongly.
With seven games kicking off later on Wednesday, the win leaves Galatasaray on six points from three games, while Bodo/Glimt have two points ahead of their home clash with Monaco of France in two weeks. Galatasaray are next away at Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.
-Reuters
Victor Osimhen scores their second goal REUTERS/Umit Bektas
One of the few clouds hanging over Arsenal this season has been the lack of goals from the big-money centre forward Viktor Gyokeres but he erased some doubts with a timely return to form by scoring twice in a 4-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Gyokeres, who Arsenal signed for 64 million pounds ($85.89 million) from Sporting, poached his side’s third and fourth goals to end a nine-game streak without netting for club and country.
The Swede was all smiles as he was substituted late on and manager Mikel Arteta said the 27-year-old fully deserved the ovation he received from the Arsenal fans.
“I think he deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks,” Arteta told reporters.
“There was no debate about that. It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely. I look at his teammates as well, in the picture and the video, they are all so happy for him.”
His opening goal was a messy affair as his weak shot dribbled into the net via a deflection while his second came from yet another Arsenal set piece with Gabriel heading a corner into the path of the Sweden international.
“He makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical, the way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal,” Arteta said.
“He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”
Gyokeres now has five for the season, including three in the Premier League, and was clearly relieved to be back on target.
“(It’s reward) for the team, but of course, me as well,” he said of the win that maintained Arsenal’s 100% start in the Champions League. “I do my best all the time, work hard and contribute with different stuff. It’ll come sooner or later.”
-Reuters
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Arsenal thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 thanks to a devastating second-half broadside at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday to secure a third successive Champions League victory.
What had been a compelling contest with little between the sides became an Arsenal rout with goals by Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres leaving Diego Simeone’s side shell-shocked.
Shortly after Julian Alvarez hit the crossbar for the visitors, Arsenal defender Gabriel broke the deadlock by heading in a Declan Rice free kick in the 57th minute.
Martinelli finished off a sweeping move seven minutes later and Gyokeres prodded in his first goal of the night via a deflection as Arsenal ran riot, the Swede ending a nine-game scoring drought for club and country.
Gyokeres bundled in his second as Atletico were again unable to deal with a set piece.
Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions and put them on nine points in the group phase, after three wins without conceding a goal, well on the way to qualifying for the knockout stages.
Atletico, on three points, will have to dust themselves down after their six-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to a juddering halt.
“It was a tough match. After the goal they opened up a bit and it was a little easier for us to find the spaces. Very happy with the result,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.
“At this level in the Champions League you really need to step up and we certainly did that in every phase of the play.”
Simeone, who also tasted defeat in Liverpool last month, said his side had been punished for individual errors.
“It’s not down to bad luck, it’s down to mistakes,” the Argentine told reporters. “They made the most of our mistakes and all their big chances turned into goals.”
BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE
Brimming with confidence after climbing to the top of the Premier League, Arsenal began strongly and almost took the lead when Eberechi Eze’s shot deflected off David Hancko and hit the crossbar with Rice bouncing the rebound over the bar.
Myles Lewis-Skelly dragged a shot wide and Bukayo Saka was denied by a block from Atletico keeper Jan Oblak.
The visitors weathered the storm, though, and were almost gifted a goal when Arsenal keeper David Raya was caught in possession well out of his area and Alvarez had the goal at his mercy but placed his shot agonisingly wide from an angle.
When Alvarez curled a superb effort against Arsenal’s crossbar soon after the restart the outcome was very much in the balance but Atletico then caved in.
Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover would have been purring at the goal that opened the floodgates.
The threat of the Rice-Gabriel combination is hardly a secret but Atletico’s defence seemed transfixed as Rice’s curling free kick delivery was met by the Brazilian who had ghosted clear to glance a header past Oblak.
With Atletico stunned, Arsenal went for the kill and Lewis-Skelly slid in Martinelli to side-foot past Oblak, meaning he has scored in every Champions League game this season.
Gyokeres then got in on the act with two goals that were hardly masterpieces — but will have done him the power of good after a barren spell since his big-money move from Sporting.
“We value a lot of things that he does for the team and it was the biggest smile on his face today,” Arteta said.
“Hopefully this is the start of some beautiful sequences.”
-Reuters
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