◆2 sources
Real Madrid came from behind twice to beat AEK Athens 3-2 in the Champions League. Aboubakary Koita put AEK ahead early, Jude Bellingham levelled, and Koita then set up Stavro Pilo for AEK’s second goal. Denzel Dumfries, who started for Real Madrid, assisted Kylian Mbappé’s equaliser before Federico Valverde scored the winner in stoppage time.
6 sources
Fenerbahçe beat Liverpool 3-2 in Istanbul in the Champions League under interim coach Dirk Kuyt, who had previously played for Liverpool. Fenerbahçe came back from behind twice before securing the win late in the match. Liverpool were led by captain Virgil van Dijk. Kuyt had taken charge after Ismail Kartal’s departure and lost his first match, 2-1 to Göztepe. Fenerbahçe then appointed former player Emre Belözoğlu as head coach; reports before the Liverpool match said Kuyt’s role for that game depended on completion of the new coach’s paperwork. The win was reported as Kuyt’s final match as interim coach.
2 sources
Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou in El Clásico, handing Barcelona its first league defeat of the season. Kylian Mbappé scored both Real goals, while Raphinha scored for Barcelona. Frenkie de Jong returned for Barcelona in the second half after a knee injury.
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Frenkie de Jong said he was pleased that Xavi had become the Netherlands’ new coach after the two worked together at Barcelona for two and a half years. Xavi called De Jong in advance to tell him about the appointment. De Jong missed the first international break under Xavi because of a knee injury, but is now fully fit and expects the coach to continue emphasizing pressing and attacking football, with tactical variation. The Netherlands are due to play Greece and Germany in November. De Jong said the Netherlands must rebuild after their elimination by Morocco at the World Cup and develop a recognizable team capable of competing for a title. He said the squad had significant potential, although it did not have the same individual quality as England or France. De Jong is also set to reach 300 appearances for Barcelona if he plays against Deportivo Alavés and Aston Villa the following week.
2 sources
Real Madrid won 3-0 away to Racing Santander in the Spanish league, keeping pace with Barcelona and Atlético Madrid after both had also won earlier in the weekend. The match was effectively decided within 36 minutes. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from a penalty in the 12th minute, Jude Bellingham added the second 10 minutes later, and Yan Diomande scored the third with a volley. A Racing Santander penalty was overturned after a VAR review, while a later Bellingham goal was disallowed for offside.