United News of Bangladesh

A chaotic night at Stamford Bridge ended in disaster for Barcelona, who collapsed 3-0 to a ruthless Chelsea after going down to 10 men late in the first half. An own goal from Jules Koundé opened the scoring before Estevão doubled the lead with a brilliant strike. Liam Delap sealed the 3-0 victory with Chelsea’s third. Chelsea could have scored three more, but those efforts were ruled out for offside or handball. Chelsea dominated from the outset and nearly took the lead in the fourth minute. Enzo Fernández put the ball into the Barcelona net from close range, but the referee disallowed it for a handball by defender Wesley Fofana in the buildup. Two minutes later, Ferran Torres squandered a golden opportunity to put Barcelona ahead. Receiving a pass from Lamine Yamal inside the box with only the goalkeeper to beat, the 25-year-old forward inexplicably fired wide from near the penalty spot. That was all for the night for Barça. The home side’s breakthrough came through fortune. In the 27th minute, Marc Cucurella’s cutback caused confusion inside the Barcelona box—Neto’s flick was cleared off the line by Ferran Torres, only for the ball to rebound off Koundé and roll into the net. Barcelona’s troubles deepened just before halftime when captain Ronald Araújo picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Cucurella, leaving his team a man down and visibly shaken. Cristiano Ronaldo expected to escape WC ban as FIFA issues probation with red-card ruling Chelsea struck again shortly after the restart. In the 55th minute, young Brazilian Estevão produced a superb solo effort, bursting into the box, cutting past Eric García and Alejandro Balde, and smashing the ball inside the near post to double the lead. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick responded with changes, sending on Raphinha and Andreas Christensen. But the visitors’ resistance didn’t last long. In the 73rd minute, Liam Delap finished from a Fernández pass inside the area. Although the flag initially went up for offside, VAR confirmed the goal, sealing Barcelona’s defeat. Statistically, Chelsea controlled 55 percent possession, took 15 shots and hit the target six times. Barcelona managed only five attempts, with just two on goal. Robert Sánchez preserved Chelsea’s clean sheet with a brilliant save to deny Raphinha in the 81st minute—Barcelona’s only real threat after going down to 10. Chelsea now sit on 10 points after five group-stage games, while Barcelona, suffering their second defeat, drop to 15th with seven points in a disappointing campaign. After arriving in London on the back of a 4-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao, the Catalan leave bruised, beaten and searching for answers ahead of Saturday’s league clash with Alavés.

Manchester City continued their impressive run in the Champions League as Pep Guardiola’s men defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad on Wednesday. Phil Foden rediscovered his rhythm, scoring a brace, while Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki contributed the other two of City’s four goals. On the other hand, Waldemar Anton scored Dortmund’s only goal in the 72nd minute. With the victory, Manchester City extended their unbeaten run in the competition, while Dortmund suffered their first defeat of the campaign. After four rounds, City climbed to fourth place with 10 points from three wins and a draw. Bayern Munich lead the standings with maximum points (12), while the next two sides, Arsenal and Inter Milan, also have 12 points each. City dominate from the start Guardiola’s men put Dortmund on the back foot from the opening whistle with a series of well-coordinated attacks. City took control of the match inside the first 30 minutes with two goals. They nearly went ahead in the 10th minute, but Foden’s powerful low strike went straight to Gregor Kobel. Six minutes later, the Dortmund goalkeeper denied him again, this time saving a shot from outside the penalty area. In the 22nd minute, Foden finally found the breakthrough. Receiving a pass from Tijjani Reijnders, the England midfielder advanced a few steps and fired a low diagonal drive that sneaked inside the far post. Five minutes later, Haaland almost made it 2-0 as he set up Nico O’Reilly, but Kobel produced a superb reflex save, tipping the fierce attempt over the crossbar with one hand.

Barcelona dominated possession by 76 percent and produced 23 attempts, but spent almost the entire match chasing equalizers as a defensive nightmare sank the Catalans in Belgium. Hansi Flick’s men dropped points again, this time in a 3-3 draw against a promising Club Brugge side. It was a match where the Blaugrana could easily have returned home with a big win, but their recurring defensive woes haunted them from the opening whistle to the last minute. In fact, they could have lost the match 4-3 had Brugge’s stoppage-time goal not been ruled out. The home side started brightly, taking the lead in the 6th minute after creating a couple of early chances. On their third attempt, Carlos Forbs initiated a counter-attack and squared the ball to Nicolo Tresoldi in front of Barca’s box. The 21-year-old Italy-born German international slotted the ball under Wojciech Szczęsny to give Brugge the opening goal. However, the visitors wasted no time in responding, as Ferran Torres equalised just two minutes later. Fermín López carried the attack through the right channel and delivered a delicious low cross across the six-yard box. The Spanish forward made no mistake in connecting and finding the net. After the quick exchange of goals, Barca took complete control of the match and began to pile pressure on the Brugge defence. Fermín nearly put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute, but his long-range shot struck the outside of the left post and bounced away. Despite Barcelona’s dominance, it was the home team who struck again, capitalising on another counter-attack in the 17th minute. Barcelona’s defensive line was pushed too high, allowing Christos Tzolis to break from midfield on a solo run. The winger squared the ball to Forbs, who beat Szczęsny without facing any challenge to restore Brugge’s lead.

Ultimately, it was not about who returned to Anfield but what returned. An in-form Real Madrid team came to the Reds’ home after a year, but left with a similar outcome due to the same man—Alexis Mac Allister. Mac Allister had opened the scoring last November in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over the Spanish giants. This time, his goal was again the only difference, although Xabi Alonso’s team entered the pitch in strong recent form against a Liverpool side experiencing a turbulent period. With this, the Reds handed the Madrid giants their first defeat in the UCL this season. Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday night. Alexis Mac Allister scored the decisive goal in the 61st minute, sending the stadium into euphoria. Although Liverpool were behind in possession for most of the match, they outclassed Los Blancos in attacking play. Out of 17 shots, they managed nine on target, while Real Madrid registered only two shots on goal from eight attempts. Luis Diaz both hero and villain against PSG as Bayern extend winning streak to 16 Despite suffering six defeats in their last eight matches across all competitions, Liverpool saw a dramatic shift in momentum right after kickoff. Xabi Alonso’s team were a distant second. Star players such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior were largely confined to the margins throughout the game. Only Thibaut Courtois’ commanding display prevented the home side from securing a more emphatic victory. For almost an hour, it seemed that Liverpool’s ghost from the 2022 Champions League final, Courtois, would haunt them again. The Belgian goalkeeper appeared to be a wall in front of the goal, denying Liverpool’s chances one after another like a superhuman. Courtois’ resistance was finally broken after Bellingham picked up a yellow card for fouling Ryan Gravenberch on the right. Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso termed that incident after the match “Real’s biggest failing on the night,” as it proved costly for the 15-time UCL holders. In the 61st minute, Szoboszlai delivered a powerful set piece into the box that connected perfectly with Mac Allister. The Argentine midfielder finally broke through the wall, his powerful header slipping between Courtois’ gloves and into the net, sending the packed Anfield crowd into celebration.

Bayern Munich maintained their flawless start to the season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with Luis Diaz having a bittersweet experience. The Colombian winger scored a brace, Bayern’s only goals of the night, before seeing a red card that left the Bavarians struggling throughout the entire second half. In an exciting clash at Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, Vincent Kompany’s side won the tie 2-1. The hosts’ only goal came from João Neves in the 74th minute. With the victory, the German giants have now won all 16 of their matches this season. Bayern had previously suffered a 2-0 defeat to PSG in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup held in the United States last July. Since then, they have not experienced such a setback. PSG, on the other hand, tasted their first defeat after three consecutive wins in the UCL this season. Mikel Merino’s brace helps Arsenal maintain perfect UCL run Bayern started the game brightly and went ahead by capitalizing on their first notable chance of the match in the fourth minute. Diaz entered the box and fired past goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier after Michael Olise’s initial shot was blocked, giving Bayern an early lead. PSG responded in the 22nd minute, but Ousmane Dembélé’s effort was ruled offside after a VAR check. Moments later, Dembélé was substituted due to discomfort in his leg and replaced by Lee Kang-in. In the 31st minute, Serge Gnabry’s shot from outside the box struck the post, and Bayern capitalized a minute later to double their advantage. PSG defender Marquinhos lost control of the ball outside the box, allowing Diaz to carry it forward and beat the goalkeeper for his second goal of the night. The hosts tried hard to reduce the deficit before the break, but it was Bayern who could have extended the lead to 4-0 as they narrowly missed a couple of opportunities. However, just before halftime, the visitors were reduced to ten men as Diaz was shown a direct red card after a lengthy VAR review for a foul on PSG midfielder Achraf Hakimi. With a man advantage, PSG became dominant after the break. It was an all-PSG show in the second half, as they controlled 87 percent of possession and produced 19 shots, eight of which on target. Despite being a man down, Bayern held their composure, relying on key interventions from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. In the 68th minute, Neuer made a crucial save to deny a long-range effort from Vitinha. But the German goalkeeper had to surrender in the 74th minute, when João Neves expertly converted a cross from outside the six-yard box, giving the home side hope of a comeback. That was all for the hosts, as PSG could not find an equalizer despite continued pressure in front of Bayern’s box. Liverpool hand Real Madrid first UCL defeate despite Courtois’ resistance With the hard-fought victory, Bayern sit top of the table with 12 points from four matches. Arsenal sit second with the same tally. In other contests of the night, the Gunners put three past Slavia Prague, thanks to a brace from Mikel Merino and a successful penalty by Bukayo Saka. Liverpool handed Real Madrid their first defeat in the Champions League, while nine-man Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten run in the UCL by demolishing FC Copenhagen 4-0. Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1 after a heavy defeat at the Emirates Stadium last month, while two Italian sides — Napoli and Juventus — were held at home to a goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt and a 1-1 draw with Sporting CP respectively.

Arsenal continued their superb form in the Champions League with a commanding 3-0 win over Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, thanks to a brace from Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino and an early strike from Bukayo Saka. Playing away at the Czech champions’ home ground, Mikel Arteta’s men took control of the game after a composed start. Arsenal recorded their first shot on target in the 20th minute and capitalized on mounting pressure just 12 minutes later. From a fifth consecutive corner, Gabriel Magalhães’ header struck the arm of Slavia midfielder Lukas inside the box. The referee awarded a penalty to the Gunners after checking the touchline monitor, which Saka confidently tucked away to put the visitors ahead at the break. Arsenal doubled the lead within a minute of the restart. Leandro Trossard whipped in a cross from the left towards the edge of the six-yard area, and Merino met it with a superb volley beyond goalkeeper Jakub Markovic. The Premier League side sealed the victory in the 68th minute following a oppositons’ defensive blunder. Declan Rice delivered another teasing ball into the area, and Markovic misjudged its flight, allowing Merino to head in his second goal of the night. In the 72nd minute, Arteta introduced Max Doman for Trossard. At just 15 years and 308 days old, Doman became the youngest player to feature in Champions League history. Slavia Prague, who drew two of their previous three matches, failed to create serious threats in the final stages as Arsenal comfortably saw out the game. The victory extended Arsenal’s flawless run in Group B to four straight wins, taking their tally to 12 points. Arteta’s side also equalled a historic English football record by claiming their eighth successive win in all competitions without conceding a single goal, a record previously achieved only by Preston in 1889 and Liverpool in 1920.

Barcelona returned to winning ways with a commanding 6–1 victory over Olympiacos, but their celebration was marred by a controversial red-card decision that drew frustration from players and fans alike. Fermín López led the Catalans with a hat-trick, Marcus Rashford added a brace, and teenager Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in the emphatic win. Missing key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi and goalkeeper Joan García, Hansi Flick handed a rare start to young striker Dro Fernández. The new-look Barça attack pressed high from the begining and grabbed an early lead through a combination of Yamal’s sharp run and Fermín’s precise finish. In the sixth minute, Yamal sliced through the Olympiacos defence from the right flank and sent a low ball into the box, where Fermín fired home through a crowded defence. Rashford nearly doubled the lead with a free kick from just outside the box in the 11th minute, missing by inches.

Marcus Rashford went to FC Barcelona to regain his confidence ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and he found his rhythm in style. The Englishman's brilliance was rekindled at the perfect time, as he silenced a roaring St. James' Park with a brace, and Barcelona left the pitch with three points. Barcelona started their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over an energetic Newcastle side, thanks to their 27-year-old winger. His goals made the decisive difference between the teams. Anthony Gordon found the net for Newcastle, but it was too late for a comeback. Newcastle dominate early  Although Barcelona were the dominant side on paper, the on-field scenario was just the opposite. Newcastle dominated from the kickoff, piling pressure on the Barcelona defense and creating goalscoring opportunities. The Catalans held their nerve for the first 20 minutes, focused on clearing the ball, bypassing their opponent's press, and slowing down the pace of the game—all while under the deafening roar of the home fans. During that period, Newcastle tried their best to capitalize on the early momentum, but young Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García and the defenders managed to keep the opposition at bay. Winger Anthony Elanga was particularly superb and was the protagonist of most of Newcastle's attacks. In the 23rd minute, Elanga's brilliance almost gave Newcastle the lead. He breezed past Gerard Martín with his lightning pace and delivered a pinpoint cross into the box for Harvey Barnes. Barnes met the cross with a fabulous shot on target, but García unbelievably stretched out a leg to change the direction of the ball. Barcelona find their rhythm After that scare, the visitors started to find their shape and took control of the midfield, although they were still barely able to reach the opponent's box. Hansi Flick’s team failed to register a single shot on target in the first half. After the halftime break, both teams settled into their respective rhythms, and the match intensified with a neck-and-neck fight. In the 58th minute, Rashford broke the deadlock with an excellent header. Jules Koundé sent a spectacular cross into the penalty area, and Rashford successfully directed it on target. This was his first Champions League goal since October 2021 for Manchester United. Rashford also became the first English player to score for Barcelona in the Champions League since Gary Lineker in 1991. After conceding, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe substituted four players, with star striker Nick Woldemot entering the pitch. Moments later, Rashford stunned the home fans with an outstanding second goal. Receiving the ball outside the box, the 27-year-old forward powered a thunderbolt into the top corner, which was practically impossible for Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to stop.

The new UEFA Champions League season is underway, and two of last season’s finalists have started their campaigns in impressive fashion. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and last season’s runners-up, Inter Milan, both secured big wins in their opening matches, sending a clear message to the rest of Europe. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain wasted no time in making a statement in their opening UEFA Champions League match, as they overpowered Atalanta with a commanding 4-0 victory at the Parc des Princes. The win serves as a powerful message that the French side is intent on replicating last season’s triumph, which culminated in a 5-0 thrashing of Inter in the final. PSG’s first goal came just 150 seconds into the match, when Marquinhos converted a pass from Nuno Mendes. The hosts’ high-pressing and fluid play is reflected in the stats. With 67 percent possession, they had a total of 22 shots, 13 of which were on target, while Atalanta managed to get only two shots on target from eight attempts. Mbappe’s double penalties lift 10-man Real Madrid past Marseille Despite a pair of superb saves from Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi and a missed penalty by Bradley Barcola, PSG’s attacking pressure never cooled down. This resulted in goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Gonçalo Ramos. Kvaratskhelia netted a wonderful solo goal before the break, while Mendes and Ramos added to the tally in the second half. The comprehensive performance demonstrated PSG’s team depth and ability to score from multiple sources, even with key players like Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue sidelined. Thuram’s brace powers Inter in Amsterdam Following their disappointing loss in last season’s final, Inter Milan kicked off their new Champions League campaign with a much-needed victory, defeating Ajax 2-0 away at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The win was a crucial step for the Italian side, who had been struggling with successive defeats in their domestic league. Marcus Thuram was the star of the night for Inter, scoring both goals with powerful headers. The French international proved to be a constant threat to the opponent. His two goals were almost carbon copies of each other, showcasing his strength and aerial prowess. For his first goal, he got ahead of the defenders near the goal to head in a corner kick from Hakan Calhanoglu just before halftime. He did it again just two minutes into the second half, heading in another corner from Calhanoglu. The victory was not only a confidence booster for the Inter players but also a display of tactical maturity. After securing the two-goal lead, Inter eased off the pressure, maintaining possession and frustrating the home side. The result sends a clear signal that Inter is ready to banish the ghosts of last season’s final and make a strong run in the competition.

Bayern Munich started their Champions League journey with a strong 3-1 win at home against Chelsea. The victory was largely due to a two-goal performance from Bayern’s English star Harry Kane, who punished Chelsea’s defensive mistakes in a match filled with both bad luck and brilliant moments. The game at Allianz Arena began with a close contest, but it was Bayern who found the net first. Just 20 minutes in, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, under pressure from Dayot Upamecano, diverted Michael Olise’s cross into his own net. Seven minutes later, things got worse for Chelsea. Midfielder Moises Caicedo fouled Harry Kane in the box, and gifted the opponent a penalty, which Kane calmly sent into the net. While Bayern were scoring, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left staring at the replay screen in disbelief, seeing his players’ childish mistakes. Conceding two quick goals, The Blues started coming back to the game. This time too, young star Cole Palmer stepped up for his team. He ran forward with the ball, passed it to a teammate, and then got it back to score with a sharp shot in the 29th minute. The goal gave Chelsea a spark of hope. Second-half eight-goal drama sees Juventus snatch late draw In the second half, both teams created chances, but it was Chelsea’s defense that made the next and final big mistake. In the 63rd minute, a bad pass from Malo Gusto went directly to Kane. The forward did not miss his chance. He took the ball, went around the goalkeeper, and completed his brace of the night with ease. Near the end of the match, Palmer scored another goal, but it was ruled out for offside. The Bavarians celebrated the night for their goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who earned his 100th win in the competition. Bayern’s next Champions League match will be on September 30 against Cypriot club Pafos FC, while Chelsea will host Benfica on the same night.