This year’s Champions League compressed group stage is a pedal-to-the-metal sprint — three straight midweek contests, two weeks off, then three more midweek affairs. The odds are shifting and swaying constantly, and they will do so again next week. One-third of the way through, let’s step back and see what has and hasn’t changed, fact-or-fiction

8:33 PM ET Nick JuddTransfer writer The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the

12:50 AM ET Reuters Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email Manchester United defender Alex Telles has tested positive for COVID-19 but is showing no symptoms and is expected to return to action soon, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– Ogden: Rashford proving he’s on par with Haaland,

Tottenham Hotspur were stunned in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night in a deserved 1-0 defeat to Royal Antwerp in Belgium. Lior Refaelov pounced on an error from Ben Davies to give the underdogs a first-half lead, and despite crafting a few nice chances, the boys from North London will be going back to

VAR and controversy go hand in hand in the Premier League. Jordan Pickford’s tackle on Virgil van Dijk? Harry Maguire’s WWE move on Cesar Azpilicueta? Eric Dier’s handball against Newcastle United? Barely a matchday seems to go by without some kind of furore — but just how bad are these decisions? Is the VAR really

For all the excitement around the latest young batch of USMNT prospects — a quick look at their potential can’t help but make fans dream a little — there are still question marks over who will be the main man up front to score the goals that lead them into the 2022 World Cup. While

The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe. TOP STORY: United, Barca battle

Chelsea made light work of Krasnodar in front of a crowd of 10,000 in southwest Russia in their Champions League Group E fixture on Wednesday night, winning 4-0. Up 1-0 courtesy a fortuitous Callum Hudson-Odoi goal, Frank Lampard‘s triple change with 20 minutes remaining appeared to kill any chance the well-supported home side had of

Paris Saint-Germain‘s Moise Kean scored twice and Kylian Mbappe grabbed two assists but Neymar exited early with a groin injury as PSG beat Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 away on Wednesday, securing their first win in this season’s Champions League group stage. Along with causing concern for PSG coach Thomas Tuchel, Neymar’s knock will heighten

Kacper Przybylko and Cory Burke each scored one goal to lift the host Philadelphia Union past the Chicago Fire 2-1 on Wednesday. The Union, who began the night tied for first place with Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference, improved to 13-3-5 (44 points). They also moved to 8-0 at home this season. – MLS

Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi were on target as Barcelona bounced back from their Clasico defeat to Real Madrid with a 2-0 win against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday. Dembele opened the scoring in the first half with a deflected effort from distance and Messi sealed the three points with a late penalty

Ask Kylian Mbappe and he will tell you. He knows all his stats: how many goals he’s scored, when he scored them, how and where they came. He can recall everything. He even counts the goals he scores in training. He is extremely detail-oriented when it comes down to his figures, his ratios and his

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp suffered another injury blow with Fabinho joining Virgil van Dijk on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Midtjylland. Midfielder Fabinho has been filling in for Van Dijk in the centre of defence since the Dutchman suffered a serious knee injury in the Merseyside

Arsenal‘s Mesut Ozil has shown his support for Marcus Rashford‘s campaign to end child food poverty by providing 1,400 free lunchtime meals for the rest of the week to schools in London. Manchester United forward Rashford has campaigned for the UK government to provide food vouchers during school holidays to children who normally receive free

Wilfried Zaha has tried almost every trick in the book to force his way out of Crystal Palace, so it was probably inevitable he would get around to actually playing well again at some point. Credit must go to both Zaha and his manager Roy Hodgson for refocusing on the task at hand after another

7:48 PM ET Nick JuddTransfer writer The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done and you can check out the major ones here. The window may be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the Champions League group stage clash with rival Lionel Messi after the Italian champions failed to declare the Portugal international had tested negative in time to face Barcelona. The Serie A champions announced Ronaldo tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 13, and UEFA protocol states a player has until

Real Madrid scored two goals in the final minutes with Karim Benzema and Casemiro to rescue a 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their Champions League Group B match on Tuesday and snap a three-game losing run in the competition. Marcus Thuram fired in for the lead in the 33rd minute and tapped in on

Real Madrid fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Borussia Monchengladbach to avoid making it two defeats out of two in Champions League Group B and keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds alive. Madrid played well for the opening half hour and Toni Kroos had a shot from distance well-saved

Josep Maria Bartomeu has resigned as Barcelona president on Tuesday rather than await a fans’ vote of confidence on his future at the club, sources told ESPN. The rest of the board of directors have stepped down alongside Bartomeu, and an election will be scheduled within the next 90 days to appoint a new president.