United News of Bangladesh

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has announced a 28-man squad for the upcoming international friendly matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in the United States, featuring a mix of World Cup veterans and promising newcomers. The call-ups follow Argentina’s successful conclusion to their South American qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, which they topped with a commanding 38 points from 18 matches. Debut call-ups and recalls Scaloni introduced several surprises in his latest selection, handing out first-ever senior national team call-ups to three players. They are: midfielder Aníbal Moreno (28), who plays for Brazilian club Palmeiras; defender Lautaro Rivero (21) from Argentine club River Plate; and goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses (28), who represents Racing Club. In addition to the debutants, defender Marcos Senesi (28) has been recalled to the squad after a long absence. The defender, who has only played once for the national team back in June 2022, will be looking to earn his second cap in Albiceleste colors. Midfielder Enzo Fernández also returns to the squad after serving a two-match suspension during the World Cup qualifiers. Fixtures and Captain’s status The reigning world champions will travel to the United States for two friendlies. They will face Venezuela on October 10 at Miami Gardens in Florida, and then play Puerto Rico on October 13 at Soldier Field Stadium in Chicago. Captain Lionel Messi and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul have both been included in the squad for those games, but their participation in the first friendly against Venezuela is uncertain. Inter Miami, the club for both players, has a key MLS home match against Atlanta United the very next day, October 11. Inter Miami are currently locked in a battle for the Supporters’ Shield and a top spot on the Eastern Conference table for playoff home-field advantage. Currently fourth in the East with 56 points, Miami needs to win their three remaining league matches, and hope the Philadelphia Union lose their final two games, to clinch the Supporters’ Shield. When asked about the possibility of Messi and De Paul featuring in the October 10 match against Venezuela, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano was non-committal on Friday, stating, “We are discussing the matter right now; you will know soon.” Inter Miami’s Telasco Segovia was also called up to the Venezuela squad for the friendly. Full Argentina Squad Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Walter Benitez, Geronimo Rulli, Facundo Cambeses Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Senesi, Lautaro Rivero, Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Acuna Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Anibal Moreno, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Paz, Giovanni Lo Celso, Alexis Mac Allister, Thiago Almada, Franco Mastantuono Forwards: Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lionel Messi, Jose Manuel Lopez, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez

With eyes set on the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Jordan, Bangladesh’s women’s under-17 football team is heading to Dubai to fine-tune their preparations through two friendlies against Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Though expectations are not sky-high, the team is determined to make the most of the warm-up matches. The squad, led by head coach Saiful Bari Titu, is scheduled to fly to Dubai on Sunday, October 5, to prepare the team through two international friendlies: against Syria on Tuesday, October 7, and against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, October 9. The coach sees these matches as their “real preparation” before the main event. At a press conference on Saturday, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Women’s Wing Chairperson Mahfuza Akter Kiron said the decision to appoint Titu was aimed at ensuring “better training” for the young players. Bangladesh will compete in the qualifiers in Jordan, where they must emerge as group champions to secure a spot in the finals. They will play against hosts Jordan on October 13, and against Chinese Taipei on October 17 with the aim of advancing to next year’s main event in China. As team’s preparation for the qualifiers has been relatively short, with training under Titu beginning just a week ago, Kiron is not keeping her expectation too high, and termed the tour a “learning trip.” Speaking at a press conference at the BFF House on Saturday, she said, “Jordan and Chinese Taipei are very strong teams. We don’t have high expectations that we’ll achieve great results against them. The players will treat this as a learning tournament to build themselves up. Our girls haven’t had the best practice due to various reasons. Our goal is for them to play well and compete. Most importantly, this will be a learning experience for them.” However, coach Titu is optimistic with the preparatory matches: “I think the real preparation will happen in Dubai. Both Jordan and Chinese Taipei are ahead of us. But we are going there with the aim of qualifying.”

New Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens was named in the starting lineup for the first time for the team's Premier League game against Sunderland on Saturday. Lammens was a $24.7 million signing from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day but has had to wait to make his first appearance. Under-pressure United coach Ruben Amorim has turned to the Belgian after a troubled start to the season that has seen speculation mount over his position. The change in goal comes despite Turkish keeper Altay Bayindir pulling off a string of saves to keep the score down in last week’s 3-1 loss to Brentford. Bayindir, however, has made errors as United has struggled at the start of the season — including his failure to deal with a corner that led to Arsenal’s goal in the season opener. Amorim made several changes to his starting lineup — leaving another summer signing Matheus Cunha on the bench and recalling Amad Diallo and Mason Mount. United has lost three of its six league games this season and was knocked out of the English League Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby.

Lamine Yamal has returned to Spain’s national squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers after recovering from an injury that sparked a public disagreement between Barcelona’s coach and the Spanish team. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had criticized Spain for fielding Yamal in two easy wins in early September, claiming the team “had not taken care” of him and suggesting he had played while injured. Following this, the 18-year-old missed four matches for Barcelona due to “discomfort in the pubic area.” Spain’s camp denied that Yamal had played while injured, stating he had passed all standard medical checks and that Barcelona had not reported any fitness concerns. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Friday that there was “no conflict with Hansi Flick” and defended how player health was managed. “We take zero risks, only the risks any player takes when playing a sport,” De la Fuente said. “If a player joins the team, it means he is healthy, and if he plays, it means he is fit to play.” Since then, Yamal has participated in two Barcelona matches, including playing over 90 minutes in the club’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain this week. Barcelona will face Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday before Spain plays Georgia on October 11 and Bulgaria three days later.

Goncalo Ramos scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain edged Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City were held 2-2 by Monaco after conceding a last-minute penalty. PSG, defending champions, were trailing 1-0 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys without injured forwards Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Lamine Yamal started for Barcelona, but Ferran Torres put the home side ahead in the 19th minute. Senny Mayulu equalized for PSG in the 38th minute, and substitute Lee Kang-in came close late, hitting the post. The winner came when Achraf Hakimi’s pass found Ramos, who slid the ball past the Barcelona defense. “It doesn’t matter which players are on the field. Wearing our shirt comes with attitude and effort,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the defeat: “We have to accept this loss and admit Paris were very good.” Haaland shines, but City drop points Erling Haaland scored twice for Manchester City, but Eric Dier’s 90th-minute penalty earned Monaco a 2-2 draw. Haaland now has 52 goals in 50 Champions League appearances, moving closer to Lionel Messi’s record pace. “It isn’t good enough,” Haaland said. “We have to win the next game.” Napoli’s Hojlund in form Rasmus Hojlund, recently signed by Manchester United, scored twice to help Napoli defeat Sporting Lisbon 2-1. Kevin De Bruyne provided assists for both goals. Borussia Dortmund crushed Athletic Bilbao 4-1, while Bayer Leverkusen were held 1-1 by PSV Eindhoven. Arsenal and Qarabag maintain perfect starts Arsenal beat Olympiakos 2-0 with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, recording their sixth clean sheet in nine matches. Qarabag also won 2-0 against Copenhagen, with Abdellah Zoubir and Emmanuel Addai on target. Woltemade impresses for Newcastle Newcastle’s record signing Nick Woltemade scored in back-to-back games as the Magpies thrashed Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0. Anthony Gordon netted twice from penalties, with Harvey Barnes adding a fourth. Woltemade, signed for $93 million to replace Alexander Isak, is showing early promise in his new club. Juventus held late Juventus drew 2-2 with Villarreal after Renato Veiga’s late equalizer. The result followed the club’s high-scoring 4-4 draw against Dortmund in their previous Champions League match.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced to leave the field with an injury during a routine save as the Premier League champions fell 1-0 to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, marking back-to-back defeats for just the second time under manager Arne Slot. Alisson, the Brazil international, went down after diving to his left to block a low shot from Victor Osimhen in the 54th minute. The full extent of the injury was unclear, but Slot confirmed the goalkeeper will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash at Chelsea. “It’s never positive if you go off like this,” Slot said. “He’s definitely not playing on Saturday. We’ll see how long it will take.” Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili replaced Alisson, who has faced injury spells in each of the past two seasons, including a two-month hamstring absence last October-December. Liverpool, coming off a 2-1 league defeat at Crystal Palace, conceded the only goal in the 16th minute when Victor Osimhen converted a penalty after Dominik Szoboszlai’s trailing elbow struck Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz. A late penalty for the Reds in the 88th minute was overturned after a VAR review. The defeat ended Liverpool’s perfect start to the season, in which they had won their first seven games across all competitions, including five league matches and a Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid. Despite high-profile signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak in a $570 million summer transfer spree, the team has yet to show consistent form. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk urged calm. “There shouldn’t be panic, but improvement is needed,” he said. Slot added that the team was “not so far” from the performance that led them to the Premier League title last season.

Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as Benfica manager, receiving a warm welcome from Chelsea fans but leaving without a win as his team fell 1-0 to the English club. Mourinho, once known as the “Special One,” took charge of his first Champions League match in five years. Despite his current reputation being less dominant, he remains highly respected in southwest London. Chelsea supporters greeted him with chants of “Jose Mourinho” as he emerged from the tunnel, prompting him to wave and blow a kiss. During the game, Mourinho also intervened to urge Benfica fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who had transferred from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023 for a British-record fee of £106.7 million ($131.4 million). Later, he even jogged onto the field to remove a stray ball, drawing applause from the home crowd. “When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street,” Mourinho said. “I know this relationship will last forever. Hopefully, I come back here in 20 years with my grandkids. They belong to my history and I belong to theirs.” After the final whistle, Mourinho hugged Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca but quickly left the pitch, clearly disappointed by the loss. “With me, it’s never enough. If I am in the job, it’s because I like to put myself on the line every day. I am desperate to win the next match, that’s my nature,” he said. Mourinho, who recently became Benfica’s coach after leaving Fenerbahce in Turkey, has returned to the Champions League, a competition he previously won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will face off in the Champions League on Wednesday in a high-profile clash between two leading contenders for this year’s title. Defending champion PSG is seeking to become only the second club in the modern era to retain the trophy. Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, only Real Madrid has managed back-to-back triumphs, winning three in a row from 2016 to 2018. PSG’s triumph last season sparked talk of a possible new era of dominance for the French side, but Barcelona is seen as one of the strongest threats to that ambition. “For us, it’s exciting to play against a team with the same mentality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s a special match for both teams.” Elsewhere, two other title contenders are also in action this week. Arsenal will host Olympiacos, while 2023 champion Manchester City travels to Monaco. Tuesday’s results:There was no shortage of goals in Tuesday’s matches, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all scoring five. Kylian Mbappe netted a hat trick in Madrid’s 5-0 victory over Kairat, while Atletico defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1. Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern’s 5-1 win against Pafos, and Marseille eased past Ajax 4-0. The upset of the night came in Istanbul, where Liverpool fell 1-0 to Galatasaray.

Sweden’s veteran goalkeeper Robin Olsen has retired from international football after coach Jon Dahl Tomasson informed him he would no longer be the first-choice keeper. The 35-year-old, who made 79 appearances for Sweden over a decade, was criticized for a costly error in last month’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia in World Cup qualifying. He also played in the 2-0 defeat to Kosovo four days later, which turned out to be his final match for the national team. The Swedish football federation confirmed Tuesday that Olsen was stepping down with immediate effect. In an interview with Swedish daily Aftonbladet, the Malmö goalkeeper said his decision was final as long as Tomasson remains in charge, describing him as “a leader that I didn’t want to work under.” Olsen revealed that Tomasson initially assured him he was Sweden’s No. 1 choice but later reversed his decision. The coach is set to announce his squad Wednesday for upcoming qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, with Viktor Johansson likely to step in as first-choice goalkeeper. Reflecting on his career, Olsen said it was a “great honor” to represent Sweden and thanked fans for their support. National team manager Stefan Pettersson called Olsen’s retirement “sad,” adding that he “meant a huge amount” to the squad.

Kylian Mbappé fired a hat trick and Harry Kane struck twice as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich eased past tournament debutants in the Champions League on Tuesday. Madrid showed no signs of fatigue from a 6,500-kilometer trip, cruising to a 5-0 win away at Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty. Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, added a lobbed finish after the break, and completed his fourth Champions League hat trick in the 73rd minute. Only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have more. Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Díaz added late goals for the 15-time European champions. Bayern, meanwhile, defeated Pafos 5-1 in Cyprus, with Kane grabbing two goals in a commanding performance. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid continued their scoring spree with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand and Antoine Griezmann — who celebrated his 200th goal for the club — put Atlético firmly ahead. Giuliano Simeone, son of suspended coach Diego Simeone, and Julián Alvarez added the other two. Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray after a late penalty was overturned by VAR. Victor Osimhen’s early spot-kick sealed the win for the Turkish champions. Tottenham narrowly avoided defeat in Norway, drawing 2-2 with Bodø/Glimt thanks to a last-minute own goal. The debutants had led 2-1 through Jens Petter Hauge’s double before Spurs equalized in stoppage time. Chelsea edged Benfica 1-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of an own goal by Richard Ríos, while João Pedro was sent off late for the Blues. Marseille thrashed Ajax 4-0, and Inter Milan beat Slavia Prague 3-0 with a brace from Lautaro Martínez. Atalanta came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge. Source: Agency