Erling Haaland suffered a freak accident while on international duty with Norway that left the striker needing three stitches.
Haaland suffers injury on international dutyStriker laughs about freak injuryNorway host Moldova on TuesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! đ˘đąWHAT HAPPENED?
The Manchester City striker shared a couple snaps showing off his new injury caused by a collision with a bus door. Sharing the photos on Snapchat, Haaland showed off his new battle scars, featuring the cut under his lip that required the stitching. Despite the incident, the 25-year-old was able to see the funny side and will not be kept out of the action.
AdvertisementWHAT HAALAND SAID
Haaland shared the photos with a caption, the first of which said: "Just got banged out by a bus door. Three stiches."
He then added: "Looks actually quite good."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Fans of Norway and Manchester City will breathe a big sigh of relief that the bus door did not inflict more serious trouble on their star man. Haaland has started the season in typical goalscoring form with three goals in as many Premier League games – in spite of City's faltering start. The forward will hope his goals can power City to the Premier League title once again, having finished a disappointing third place last campaign.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND?
The powerful striker will be back in action against Moldova on Tuesday before returning to Manchester. City host their local rivals United on Sunday in a hugely important clash that, after their respective poor starts, could prove to be a make or break game for Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim already.
Remarkably, Liverpool’s incredible summer of spending has yet to leave Arne Slot’s squad with an air of completeness.
Particularly, Virgil van Dijk’s central defence is rather light, especially now that Joe Gomez has suffered a minor Achilles injury following the ÂŁ35m sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.
Then turn your head toward the frontline. The incredible additions of rising superstars such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike suggest that Liverpool are shaping up to have one of the deadliest frontlines in the game (if they didn’t already).
Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring his first Liverpool goal.
However, Luis Diaz left for Bayern Munich last month, and now, Darwin Nunez is on the verge of completing a permanent transfer to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
With Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott both mooted to be off, it’s not desirable but imperative that Liverpool add another attacker to their mix, and FSG appear to have one or two show-stopping names in mind.
Liverpool chasing another forward
The dream transfer target is, of course, Alexander Isak. You might have heard that Liverpool are interested in signing the Newcastle United striker, and rumour has it he’s rather keen on the journey toward Anfield too.
Unfortunately, Newcastle’s transfer market has been a pitiful thing, with Eddie Howe no doubt feeling hot under the collar. Any number of top targets have been missed on Tyneside, and with Benjamin Sesko now hoping to sign for Manchester United, Isak’s sale is less certain, for a reliable replacement must be signed, else he will not leave.
Last month’s initial ÂŁ69m signing of Hugo Ekitike has tempered Liverpool’s need for the Premier League superstar, but it would still be a stunning signing.
However, sporting director Richard Hughes is a man of deep nous, and he hasn’t placed all his eggs in one basket. Liverpool are emerging as contenders for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, though completing a summer deal will be difficult indeed.
If neither move comes to fruition, there’s another option waiting in the wings who might be perfect for Slot’s system.
Liverpool in for for Barcola upgrade
According to L’Equipe, Liverpool are in the race to sign Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Rodrygo, 24, has been anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, having struggled for form last year and slid down the early pecking order as the Xabi Alonso era shapes up.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo
Liverpool’s interest in Barcola might have just become public, but their admiration for Rodrygo also has substance, and the South American’s suspected price tag has been reported to fall into the region of ÂŁ78m.
Why Liverpool want to sign Rodrygo
Rodrygo came under fire for his performances with Los Blancos last season. Such is his level; such are the expectations at Real Madrid.
His 25-goal contribution return still matched that of Diaz and Cody Gakpo at Liverpool, perhaps illustrating the calibre of forward Slot would add to his ranks, on par with the Reds crop yet capable of so much more.
Rodrygo's Real Madrid career (timeless)
And given that he would likely play as a left-sided forward, a rare experience in recent years at Real Madrid, Rodrygo’s desire to move to Anfield, should he move at all, is understandable, for he notched six goals and six assists from only 12 games as a left winger last year.
Even though Real Madrid’s selfless superstar had been played out of position for the majority of the recent season, he still managed to impress, with former teammate Luka Modric even claiming he is one of the club’s “world-class superstars.”
When collating his seasonal data with Barcola’s, you perhaps begin to see that his underlying quality suggests he would rise to a higher level than Barcola could.
Goals
0.35
0.47
Assists
0.22
0.39
Shots taken
2.54
2.89
Shot-creating actions
4.56
4.24
Pass completion
85.7%
81.9%
Touches (att pen)
5.84
8.95
Progressive passes
4.69
3.33
Progressive carries
5.07
5.45
Successful take-ons
2.15
1.74
There’s no denying that Barcola has enjoyed the better season, winning the quadruple with PSG and notching 42 goal contributions across all competitions.
But when digging deeper, it becomes clear that Rodrygo is the superior player of the two, and given that they both fall into a similar financial ballpark, is the one Liverpool must push for.
For example, the French winger is regarded as a silky, high-speed dribbler, but he averaged only one dribble per match in Ligue 1 last year and, more concerningly, at a success rate of just 27%, as per Sofascore.
In fact, FBref also record that he ranked among the bottom 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across all of Europe last season for take-on success rate, underscoring the amount of failed efforts to drive the ball forward.
That’s not to negate his quality; Barcola has just played an instrumental role in a Champions League-winning campaign after all. However, Rodrygo knows his way around Europe’s elite competition, a two-time champion and a force to be reckoned with at the business end too.
Barcola, moreover, has yet to polish his shooting boots. Though he scored 17 goals across PSG’s Ligue 1 and Champions League campaigns, he also missed a whopping 33 big chances.
Conversely, Rodrygo only missed three big chances, albeit he also netted just 11 times across his disappointing season. Still, that makes a strong comment on his prolific ability.
When he’s on his A-game, the Brazil international is “unstoppable”, so says Madrid columnist Kiyan Sobhani.
Paris St Germain's BradleyBarcola
Ultimately, the fact that Liverpool fans are mulling over whether they fancy Barcola or Rodrygo as potential alternatives to Isak, having already signed Wirtz, Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili, illustrates just how far this club has come.
The Premier League champions are in the most enviable of positions, but if given the pick of the bunch, Hughes might want to move for Rodrygo over Barcola.
Dream Elliott replacement: Liverpool in race to sign "exceptional" ÂŁ35m gem
Liverpool are reportedly in the race to sign a star who would be a dream replacement for Harvey Elliott.
Renegades were 48 for 5 before a record-breaking recovery but Stars pushed hard late in their chase
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2024Nicole Faltum’s career-best innings and Sarah Coyte’s ice-cool bowling at the death steered Melbourne Renegades to an important nine-run WBBL win over local rivals Melbourne Stars.Faltum blasted an unbeaten 66 from 42 balls to lift the Renegades to 170 for 6 in the second game of Friday’s double-header at the MCG.The wicketkeeper then stumped Stars opener Yastika Bhatia off left-armer Charis Bekker as the Renegades restricted their opponents to 161 for 8 although it became close in the closing stages.Related
Lee lights up WBBL again with second consecutive century
Blistering Voll takes Thunder back to the top of the table
Renegades strangled the Stars early in their run chase, with Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin playing a key role. But Rhys McKenna and Tess Flintoff threatened to pull off a fightback with some quick scoring before Coyte removed both Stars batters in the penultimate over. It left Stars with 18 to win off the last six balls and Matthews closed it out.The result gave Renegades a positive 5-3 record in second spot on the ladder, while Stars are in danger of missing the finals at 2-4.Faltum walked to the crease with the Renegades struggling at 48 for 5 in the eighth over and put on 67 for the sixth wicket with Georgia Wareham. She added another 55 from just 22 balls with Georgia Prestwidge. It set a new WBBL record for runs added after the fall of the fifth wicket.Those efforts helped Renegades pull off another impressive win just four days after reaching a target of 186 away to Adelaide Strikers.”There is just this belief amongst the group that we can win from anywhere,” Faltum said. “We didn’t win our first two games but we still believed that we were right on task. Once you win the belief comes, but I think we had it before then. We’re just really hoping that we can go all the way.”
Victoria’s openers put on an unbroken century stand under the lights to leave the game in the balance
AAP25-Nov-2024Marcus Harris helped lead a Victorian revival against Queensland as day two of the pink ball Sheffield Shield clash concluded with the match in the balance.A lower order fightback had earlier given Queensland a 111-run first innings lead. Test hopeful Harris and stylish young gun Campbell Kellaway erased the deficit under lights at the Gabba in an unbroken 122-run opening stand.Related
Swepson takes four as pink ball holds sway at the Gabba
All-round Webster shines, Patterson falls for 99
Bancroft emerges from lengthy slump as Western Australia take charge
Queensland resumed at a precarious 94 for 5 as wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson and Angus Lovell built an 84-run sixth wicket stand.Peirson, so often a man for a crisis, received support from paceman Jack Wildermuth.It was an aggressive 57 off 70 balls by fast bowler Xavier Bartlett, batting at No. 9, that enabled the hosts to post 297 and take a sizeable first innings lead.Bartlett played several agricultural heaves and an assortment of classic cricket strokes to showcase the hard work he has put into his batting of late.Victoria pace bowler Xavier Crone returned his best figures in first class cricket.The failure of Australia’s top order in the thrashing by India in the first Test in Perth has provided an opportunity for batters in the domestic scene to bash down the door and convince selectors they deserve an opportunity.Harris, who missed out in the first innings, had made 469 runs for Victoria and Australia A this summer at an average of 46.9 leading into his second innings knock.A hefty score is what the 32-year-old needs to add to his 14 Tests. He will be aiming for a hundred when play resumes on Tuesday.
Leicester City are building for a tilt at promotion from the EFL Championship and have identified a talented winger to strengthen their cause, according to a report.
Leicester City claim late victory over Sheffield Wednesday
Sunday’s late kick-off produced a clash between two of the more troubled clubs in the English second-tier of late, and the Foxes finally managed to give their fans something to shout about courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at the King Power Stadium.
After Jan Vestergaard and Wout Faes cancelled out Nathaniel Chalobah’s opening strike, Marti Cifuentes lavished praise on Leicester’s never-say-die attitude that saw them begin the campaign with three points despite a summer dominated by off-field problems.
Queens Park Rangers manager MartiCifuentesreacts
He stated, citing tactical tweaks that he deployed: “There were some messages, some more tactical in terms of positioning and how we wanted to build up. We adjusted things in terms of how we attacked.
“They took the lead and we predicted them to be deeper. That means we had to create different situations for our attackers. Second, itâs important as a team to have this mentality. Here in this club you know very well about âFoxes Never Quitâ. We need to chase the result, we need to chase the victory until the last second of the game.”
Nevertheless, Mads Hermansen’s move to West Ham has led Leicester to target Illan Meslier between the sticks. The Denmark international won’t be the only face to depart the East Midlands before the window closes.
Leicester City now want to sign 35-cap England star who may join for free
The Foxes could land an experienced midfield performer…
BySean Markus Clifford Jul 9, 2025
Bilal El Khannouss could move from Leicester to Tottenham Hotspur after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury, indicating that Cifuentes will need to act if the Morocco international leaves a void to be filled, something that could now be addressed if reports are to be believed.
Leicester City enter race to sign Sebastian Tounetki
According to Transferfeed, Leicester City are interested in Hammarby winger Sebastian Tounekti, who is tied down to the Swedish outfit on a contract that runs until the summer of 2029.
Born in Norway, he represents Tunisia at international level and has registered two goals and five assists in 20 appearances across all competitions in 2025, in line with the alternative March to November schedule adopted in Scandinavia.
Sebastien Tounekti’s key statistics in 2024/25 – Allsvenskan (Fotmob)
Chances created
20
Successful dribbles
39
Shots on target
9
Touches in opposition box
136
Tackles won
13
Nevertheless, he is said to be happy in Sweden at this moment in time with his full focus on helping Hammarby to claim the league title, albeit it remains to be seen if Leicester will take their interest to the next level by submitting an official approach.
Finding gems in untapped markets may be key for the Foxes to add quality despite the looming threat of a points deduction. Either way, they will hope to sell the vision that success can still be achieved at the King Power Stadium regardless of circumstance.
Paul Pogba has revealed what he got up to while serving a doping ban, with the World Cup winner moving his family to Dubai for six months. The France international, who was cleared to resume his career in March 2025, is still waiting on his return to competitive action after heading back to his homeland and signing a two-year contract with Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.
When was Pogba's last competitive appearance?
Ex-Manchester United midfielder Pogba has not made an appearance of any kind since September 2023. It was at that point that he was stung with an initial four-year suspension for breaching doping regulations.
AdvertisementGettyLinked with teams in MLS & Saudi Pro League
That ban was eventually reduced to 18 months on appeal, with Pogba expected to make an immediate return to the professional ranks. He did, however, spend several weeks without a club – despite being linked with teams across Europe, in MLS and the Saudi Pro League.
Why have Monaco delayed Pogba's debut?
Monaco put a deal in place during the summer of 2025, but Pogba is yet to make his debut for them. That is because he is still working his way towards full match sharpness after spending so long out of action.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Pogba relocated family to the Middle East
In a bid to fill time and escape the spotlight, Pogba has revealed that he briefly relocated to Dubai alongside wife Zulay and their children. He told A-Star Barbers: âYeah, I was there six months. Amazing for family. Seriously, I was happy there. The kids were happy. Seriously, I enjoyed it.â
Glasgow Rangers have made a big decision regarding the future of manager Russell Martin, following an uninspiring start to his time at Ibrox.
Martin already under huge pressure at Rangers
The Englishman arrived as the Gers’ new boss in the summer, but he has struggled badly so far, drawing his opening two Scottish Premiership matches.
Things got even worse for Martin earlier this week, however, with Rangers’ 3-1 defeat at home to Club Brugge leaving them on the cusp of Champions League elimination. Speaking after the game, the 39-year-old tried to be positive.
“I understand the intensity and emotion here but it can’t change the way we work and become a weight around the players necks. There has been fragility in this club for a long, long time. The club has bounced around different plans and its been hinged on emotions. Now we have owners that understand where the club has been, where’s it at, and where’s it going.
Rangers managerRussellMartinapplauds fans after the match
“I came to this club knowing it wasn’t going to be easy or a quick fix. I hope we’ll be judged in May and by then we’ll be in a really good place and winning stuff.”There are loads for us to be excited about moving forward. We have to go next week and really attack it.”
Despite Martin doing his best to quieten the dissenting voices, there are some Rangers fans who already want him sacked, and there has now been an update on his future.
No "knee jerk" reactions in Rangers boardroom
Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Martin’s job as Rangers manager is safe for now, but improvements are clearly needed.
“Thereâs always pressure when youâre at a huge club like Rangers. Pressure will only continue to build, especially if they have more performances like against Club Brugge in that opening 20 minutes. It was really embarrassing from a Rangers perspective that game.
“Itâs been a difficult start to his tenure at Ibrox for Russell Martin. Theyâve dropped points in the league. Theyâre already four points behind Celtic. And if they were to crash out of the Champions League before the league stage as well, thatâd be a huge blow to the clubâs ambitions and also to the clubâs finances as well.
“So look, the pressure is on Russell Martin to deliver. From what Iâm told there wonât be any knee-jerk reactions from the Rangers board just yet. Theyâve obviously got faith in Russell Martin, I donât think thereâs a massive pressure from the board.”
In fairness to Martin, this is probably the best decision for now, considering how little time he has been in charge, as he looks to adjust to his new surroundings and get his tactical demands across to his squad.
That said, drastic improvements are needed very quickly, or he will find himself out of the job, starting with Sunday’s trip to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers can forget Vardy by signing ÂŁ7m CF who was the "best" in the SPFL
As Rangers search for a new centre-forward, Russell Martin could forget all about Jamie Vardy by signing the “best striker in the league” worth ÂŁ6.8m.
ByBen Gray Aug 22, 2025
More dropped points there for Rangers would feel disastrous, considering they are already four points adrift of Celtic, with their rivals likely to be seven clear by the time Sunday’s game kicks off, assuming they win at home to Livingston on Saturday.
They gave the hosts a 93-run first-innings lead, which Pakistan grew to 202 courtesy Shan Masood’s fifty
Danyal Rasool18-Jan-2025Noman Ali and Sajid Khan put on a spin-bowling masterclass on a surface they found to their tastes, taking nine of the ten wickets to skittle West Indies out for 137 in less than a session. Either side of that, Pakistan fared better with the bat, putting up 230 in the first innings despite a collapse after Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan’s 141-run stand was broken.But they pulled away from the visitors in the final session with a commanding second-innings show with the bat. That was spearheaded by their captain Shan Masood, whose half-century drove Pakistan’s lead to 202 with seven wickets still in hand. The dominant story of a day when 19 wickets fell, though, came in the middle session, where West Indies had little answer to Noman and Sajid, who bowled all but 14 deliveries of their innings.Sajid started the dismantling in just his second over when he dismissed Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty off successive balls, even as Carty fell thanks to a superb slip catch from Mohammad Hurraira. By the end of his third over, Sajid had four wickets as West Indies floundered, unable to either defend or attack against an unerringly accurate spin duo.Noman joined the fun, getting drift and turn to clip the edge of Justin Greaves’ off stump. It was the first of five wickets for the left-armer, who was beginning to get huge rip off the barely formed footmarks.As the innings proceeded, West Indies began to adopt a more bellicose outlook, trying to swindle some runs along the way. But there was limited success as multiple batters dragged it on to their stumps, before the final two partnerships flourished. Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican began to play belligerent shots, with Warrican utilising the back of the bat while playing the reverse sweeps a handful of times.Shan Masood was adept against spin bowlingâ˘AFP/Getty ImagesFrom 66 for 8 at one stage, West Indies added 71 for the last two wickets. After Motie and Warrican had a partnership of 25, it was only during the last-wicket stand between Warrican and Jayden Seales when West Indies dominated the spinners. Both batters connected cleanly as they hit the spinners over cow corner for multiple sixes.That forced Pakistan into bringing on Abrar Ahmed for the first time. Eventually, Abrar did end the partnership, but only after the pair had plundered 46 runs off 21 balls. Seales failed to pick up a googly and miscued it straight up, as Rizwan took the catch and ended the punchy counterattack.If West Indies thought that their collapse against spin meant they too would be among the wickets in the final session, Masood and Hurraira soon disabused them off that notion. Seales, whose pace and seam movement had made him the surprise pick of the bowlers on the first day, reprised his potent threat but without the wickets that would reflect this in the scorecard.Masood, meanwhile, was proactive in his use of the feet, and adept against spin bowling, eager to attack and expand the lead even further before the day was done. Some untidiness crept into the bowling; there were 12 byes as the spin became as tricky to handle for the bowlers as it was for the batters. But Warrican was dangerous with the one that carried on with the arm, and got both his wickets that way – Hurraira at first, before Babar Azam played for the spin and found himself rapped in front of middle.West Indies were unfortunate not to snare Kamran Ghulam too when a miscued sweep struck him on the arm as he got down low. The umpire raised the finger, although HawkEye, incongruously, projected the ball to be rising well above the stumps.Jomel Warrican took three wickets in the first innings, before hitting 31* with the batâ˘PCBAs if to compensate, West Indies were gifted the wicket of Masood. He called for a run and didn’t quite realise that Ghulam was well down the pitch in response, and found himself stranded in the middle of the pitch. Thus, Masood was left with little chance of getting to the non-striker’s end, before Warrican whipped the bails off.Earlier, during the morning session, West Indies took four wickets for 13 runs to trigger a Pakistan collapse. That started by breaking the stand between Shakeel and Rizwan, leaving West Indies two wickets away from wrapping the hosts up. Shakeel and Rizwan had begun with the same authority with which they had ended the first day. But once Kevin Sinclair snared Shakeel 16 short of what would have been his fifth Test hundred, Pakistan’s resistance melted away.Only a punchy rearguard partnership between Sajid and Khurram Shahzad prevented West Indies from running through the innings even sooner, but Pakistan were still bowled out for 230 on the stroke of lunch.West Indies had begun the day by sticking to disciplined and tight lines, at one point conceding six runs in seven overs as Seales and Warrican locked in. But neither batter offered up chances during this time, and when Pakistan negotiated the first hour without loss, West Indies were in danger of being shut out of the game.Saud Shakeel fell 16 short of what would have been his fifth Test hundredâ˘AFP/Getty ImagesBut the first ball after drinks brought joy for West Indies. Sinclair lured Shakeel forward before getting the ball to grip, and then taking his edge. As if it had been forgotten, the pitch suddenly began to remind everyone how hostile it could be to batters against quality spin, as the ball hissed and spat off the surface.Salman Ali Agha was deceived in the flight from Warrican to drag on before Pakistan imploded. A bizarre mix-up between Rizwan and Noman saw the former turn his back on Noman to leave him unsuccessfully scrambling to return to the non-striker’s end. But an attempted reverse sweep off the next delivery ended Rizwan’s own innings, as a sharp review from West Indies finished Rizwan’s innings on 71.It was only an entertaining stand from Sajid and Shahzad that saw a few more runs flow for Pakistan, before the innings petered out. Sajid launched Sinclair over cow corner for six amid a little flurry as Pakistan added 25 quickfire runs. But Warrican returned to fold the innings, making short work of both, as West Indies took the last six wickets for 43 runs in a session of two halves. It was a harbinger for the rest of the day, when the wicket-taking continued unabated.
Chelsea endured a disappointing return to the Champions League as they succumbed to a Harry Kane double in a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening. The Blues – competing in Europeâs premier club competition for the first time since 2022-23 – played well for large spells but they could not build on Cole Palmerâs brilliant first-half strike as Vincent Kompanyâs men emerged victorious at the Allianz Arena.
Enzo Marescaâs side started the game brightly, creating a few half chances through the marauding Malo Gusto down the right-hand side, but they fell behind when Michael Oliseâs low cross was put into his own net by Trevoh Chalobah. And it looked like it was going to be a long evening for Chelsea when Moises Caicedo brought down Bayern star Kane inside the penalty area, with the England international converting the resulting spot-kick in emphatic fashion.
The visitors didn't give up, though, and they reduced the arrears just two minutes later when Palmer – Chelsea's main man once again – curled a beautiful effort past Manuel Neuer. However Maresca's men found it difficult to make inroads in the second half and after Gusto lost possession in a perilous position, Kane then latched onto Serge Gnabry's pass to kill the contest.
Here, GOAL rates the Chelsea players on show at the Allianz Arena…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Robert Sanchez (7/10):
He couldn't do anything to prevent either goal going in, but made good saves to prevent both Harry Kane and Michael Olise scoring in the second half.
Malo Gusto (6/10):
The right-back registered an assist after playing a brilliant one-two with Cole Palmer in the build up to Chelsea's goal, but lost the ball which led to Bayern's third.
Tosin Adarabioyo (5/10):
He missed the Olise cross that brought about Bayern's opener, taking an air shot as the ball came in, but it was fizzed in low and hard, to be fair.
Trevoh Chalobah (5/10):
Put through his own net as Bayern took the lead, but it was the type of cross which is always tough for defenders to deal with.
Marc Cucurella (5/10):
The Spain international had a difficult evening up against Olise, who got past him on a number of occasions.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield
Reece James (6/10):
Lost the ball but then won it again as he launched the counter-attack that led to Palmer's strike.
Moises Caicedo (6/10):
Gave the penalty away with a rash challenge on Kane but went some way to making amends by carrying Chelsea forward for Palmer's goal.
Getty Images SportAttack
Cole Palmer (8/10):
Chelsea's brightest spark as usual, he bent a lovely curling effort past Manuel Neuer in the first half. He thought he had a second goal late on, which he took brilliantly, but he was offside.
Enzo Fernandez (6/10):
Operating further forward, the Argentine ace got into a couple of promising positions but was often thwarted at the last moment by Bayern's defence.
Pedro Neto (6/10):
The winger was lively on the counter but whenever he got into a good position, there was rarely anything on, meaning he was left to recycle possession.
Joao Pedro (5/10):
He was beaten by Olise in the lead up to Bayern's opener, while Chelsea's most promising moments fell to other players.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):
The wide man replaced Pedro Neto in the second half and made a few good bursts down the left-hand side.
Andrey Santos (6/10):
Replacing captain Reece James, the young midfielder thought he set up a second goal for Palmer, but the forward was narrowly offside.
Estevao (N/A):
A late second-half substitute, he didn't really have enough time to make an impact.
Enzo Maresca (5/10):
Opted to start Malo Gusto at right-back and while the former Lyon man provided an assist, he also contributed heavily to Bayern's third.
Sheffield United are pushing for some late arrivals and could now be set to step up talks to bring a talented midfielder to Bramall Lane, according to a report.
Sheffield United turn to Danny Ings to provide firepower
After a dismal start to the EFL Championship campaign, Ruben Selles has turned to experienced forward Danny Ings to ignite his flailing attack after he left West Ham United under freedom of contract at the end of last season.
The 33-year-old has signed a one-year deal at Bramall Lane after impressing during a trial spell, and former Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith believes he could be an ideal addition to offer an element of variety in the final third.
West Ham's Danny Ings against Manchester City.
He stated on 72+: “It’s a decent move for Sheffield United. The one thing that they do need is a bit of experience in the group, I think Danny Ings will bring that.
“The key element for him is keeping himself fit which I believe he has done for the last couple of years, he’s just not had the game time that he probably craves and hopefully he gets that at Sheffield United.”
Manchester City defender Callum Doyle has been floated as a Blades target, albeit their lack of positive in recent times is unlikely to win any favour among a frustrated support.
Sheffield United could land the next Rak-Sakyi with move for "special" ace
Sheffield United could gift Ruben Selles his own Jesurun Rak-Sakyi with this summer move.
ByKelan Sarson Aug 6, 2025
Ultimately, recruitment can be the way out of a poor start by Selles in the dugout, though plenty of clubs will be fighting to sign players on the market between now and Monday’s deadline.
Nevertheless, Sheffield United fans can rejoice at some good news as they close in on a midfield signing that will add much-needed freshness in the engine room.
Sheffield United advancing in pursuit of Alex Matos
According to journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Sheffield United are advancing in negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Alex Matos before the deadline passes.
At this stage, it is unclear whether the 20-year-old will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge on loan or whether his departure could be a permanent one after struggling to break through in West London.
Praised by Mauricio Pochettino for his “potential” while the Argentinian coach was in charge at Chelsea, Matos spent time out on loan at Oxford United last term and made 21 appearances across all competitions.
Versatile by nature, the former U’s man can feature in central midfield, wide on the right or as a number ten, while he has even enjoyed the occasional appearance as a centre-forward during his young career.
Sheffield United can look forward to his industrious presence in the engine room if they can close a deal for the Bedford-born man, who made 29 tackles on Championship duty last term, per Fotmob.
Time is of the essence for the Blades to recruit new faces and Matos could be an intelligent buy to offer a fresh perspective in the middle of the park.