Sports

Estevao shines in Chelsea’s win over Barca as City lose to Leverkusen

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2025

Chelsea winger Estevao Willian outshone fellow teenage superstar Lamine Yamal in a sensational 3-0 home win over 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Estevao, 18, scored a stunning second goal after Barcelona went down to 10 men – skipper Ronald Araujo sent off for a second booking just before the break.

By then the hosts had taken the lead through an own goal by Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, with substitute Liam Delap completing and scoring and ending an 11-game drought with his first goal of the season.

Yet Estevao stole the limelight from visiting Yamal, also 18, in a contest between arguably the world’s two best teenage attackers.

The headline moment came when the Brazil international skipped past Pau Cubarsi, held off Alejandro Balde and powered his shot past goalkeeper Joan Garcia, while Yamal was then substituted in the 80th minute to jeers from the home crowd.

Two minutes later, manager Enzo Maresca took Estevao off to a standing ovation.

This after Estevao provided the highlight of a memorable night at Stamford Bridge for a Chelsea side missing star forward Cole Palmer through a toe injury.

Chelsea deserved their early lead with a clever short-corner routine involving Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho and Marc Cucurella, which ended when Neto’s flick ricocheted off Kounde into the net for 1-0.

Enzo Fernandez had two set-piece goals ruled out for offside, while Reece James forced two saves from long-range efforts and Neto blazed over when clean through.

Barcelona squandered their best chance of the first half when former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres put a close-range effort wide before being replaced at half-time by Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford.

Yet Rashford couldn’t turn the tide as Estevao made it 2-0 with his solo run and finish, and Delap added a third with a side-footed strike after Fernandez broke the offside trap and squared a pass into the box.

Victory lifted Chelsea into the top eight of the 36-team league phase, meaning they would avoid an extra play-off round in February if they keep their position, with three further matches to play.

There is a quiet confidence about Chelsea this season.

Not since now-injured defender Levi Colwill suggested Chelsea could win either the Champions League or Premier League, after the Club World Cup, has anyone at Stamford Bridge publicly hyped their chances of major silverware this season.

However, despite players being publicly reluctant to talk about such success, it is understood that it is a topic behind the scenes in West London.

The entire point of the heavy investment in this squad—more than £1.5bn over three seasons, albeit offset by substantial player sales—is to win trophies.

The project, known as BlueCo, led by an American consortium featuring Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital, has matured and now features young players capable of reaching world-class level.

There are signs that is happening, with Moises Caicedo and Fernandez starring in midfield and Cucurella among the best left-backs in the world.

Estevao is genuinely one of the most exciting young players in the game, and his five goals have helped Chelsea cope without Cole Palmer, who has been sidelined for more than two months.

A run of five wins and a draw since Chelsea’s last defeat against Sunderland has built serious momentum going into Arsenal’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday – a match pitting first against second in the Premier League, with six points separating the two clubs.

Arsenal may be favourites for the title, but on this form it will be fascinating to see whether Chelsea can put themselves back in the conversation.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick played down the importance of the defeat.

His side finished with 10 men, winger Raphinha was only fit enough for a substitute role and Rashford had just recovered from a fever after returning from England duty during the November international break.

However, the biggest absentee was arguably star midfielder Pedri, which allowed Chelsea to force mistakes in possession through a high press.

Flick said after the match, “We made some big ball losses – this was the key today. We had some players making unusual mistakes. But I also saw some positive things and we have to work on the other things.

“I am happy Raphinha is back and Marcus [Rashford] is at this level and, as I said, I prefer to look positively.”

As ever, Barcelona will be judged more on the latter stages of this competition and on how they fare against Real Madrid in La Liga, where they trail their rivals by one point.

The new format also gives Barcelona plenty of opportunity to progress, with a favourable run of three remaining Champions League fixtures: home games against Eintracht Frankfurt and Copenhagen, and an away tie at Slavia Prague sandwiched between.

Yet they will likely need to win all three matches to qualify directly and avoid the play-offs.

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Sports

Not Arsenal: Semi Ajayi’s old club target Super Eagles star Dele-Bashiru

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has emerged as a top target for Championship side West Bromwich Albion, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Baggies are looking to bolster their midfield during the January window to sustain their push for promotion to the Premier League.

Currently, West Brom find themselves in 19 position on the Championship table, but they are looking to plug the holes in the team.

Asides from their defensive concerns, the Baggies have struggled for creativity and clinical finishing in the final third.

With 32 goals in 29 games, their output is among the lowest in the top 20 teams. However, with 17 games remaining, the club remains firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot.

According to West Brom Xtra, the club has identified Dele-Bashiru as a key target to solve these issues.

The Super Eagles star is a dynamic attacking midfielder known for his high work rate and ability to contribute goals from deep. His arrival would provide a significant boost to Carlos Corberán’s squad.

Why It Will Be Tough To Get Dele-Bashiru’s Signature
While Dele-Bashiru would be a massive coup for West Brom, getting a deal will be complicated. He is currently on the books at Serie A side Lazio, and the 24-year-old has experienced a turbulent tenure since arriving in Italy two years ago.

Dele-Bashiru has endured inconsistent playing time due to a combination of tactical shifts and minor injuries.

Under manager Maurizio Sarri, he has struggled to cement himself as an indispensable member of the starting XI.

The main challenge for West Brom will likely be in the prestige gap; moving from a top-tier Italian side to the English second tier is often viewed as a step down.

However, the lure of regular football and a path back to the Premier League could be persuasive.

Financially, the deal is feasible. Dele-Bashiru is valued between €7–10 million, which is an okay price point for the Baggies.

If the move materializes, he will join the list of Super Eagles stars to have represented the club, including Semi Ajayi and the legendary Peter Odemwingie.

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Sports

La Liga: Akor Adams surpasses Rashidi Yekini as Sevilla climb away from trouble

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Adams Akor broke new ground in Nigerian football history on Saturday night as his penalty helped Sevilla to a 2-1 comeback win over Athletic Club and secured the club’s first La Liga victory of 2026, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Super Eagles striker struck in the second half at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán to take his personal tally in Spain’s top flight to six goals, a figure that now places him 11th on the list of Nigeria’s all-time La Liga scorers.

It was Adams’ third goal in two matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he helped Nigeria claim the bronze medal, and another reminder of his growing importance to Matías Almeyda’s side.

More significantly, the goal carried historical weight. With six La Liga strikes, Adams has now moved ahead of legendary Super Eagles forward Rashidi Yekini, who scored three times in the competition, and has also overtaken the marks set by Bartholomew Ogbeche (three) and Christantus Uche (five).

While Adams still has a long way to go to threaten the towering figures of Christopher Ohenhen (48 goals), Finidi George (43) and Ikechukwu Uche (43), his steady progress is a pointer to how quickly he is carving out his own place in Nigerian football’s European story.

Comeback win lifts Akor Adams’ Sevilla up the table
The match itself was a tight, nervy affair between two sides separated by little in the table.

Athletic Club struck first in the 40th minute through Robert Navarro, but Sevilla hit back almost immediately when Gerard Fernández levelled the score just two minutes later to send both teams into the break on equal terms.

Ten minutes after the restart came the decisive moment. Yuri Berchiche was penalised for a handball in the box, and after a VAR check confirmed the offence, Adams stepped up and calmly rolled the penalty into the bottom-left corner to complete the turnaround.

Athletic Club pushed hard for an equaliser, but Sevilla held their shape and saw out the contest, condemning the visitors to their seventh away defeat in 11 league matches this season.

The victory lifts Sevilla above Athletic into 11th place. Both sides are now on 24 points after 21 games, but Sevilla’s superior goal difference gives them the edge and, crucially, leaves them five points clear of the relegation zone.

For Adams, it also marks his most productive La Liga campaign so far, matching the momentum he showed during the 2023-24 season at Montpellier, when he scored eight league goals.

Sevilla now travel to face Mallorca on Monday, February 2, while Athletic Club turn their attention to Europe, hosting Sporting CP in the Champions League.

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Sports

WATCH: Victor Osimhen sets new Galatasaray milestone in Fatih Karagumruk win

Published

1 week ago

January 26, 2026

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Victor Osimhen became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in Galatasaray’s history as the Turkish champions claimed a 3-1 away win at Fatih Karagumruk on Saturday night, Soccernet.ng reports.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Nigeria striker reached the landmark in just 59 appearances when he scored the third goal of the game, capping another strong display from the league leaders.

Victor Osimhen’s latest strike also confirmed his growing status as one of the most important players in the club’s recent history.

Galatasaray went into the match looking to protect their lead at the top of the Super Lig and made the perfect start. Inside the opening minute, Gabriel Sara punished a mistake from the home side while they tried to play out from defence, calmly finishing to give the visitors an early advantage.

Karagumruk struggled to create chances but made the most of their best moment in the first half. In the 27th minute, Serginho led a quick counter-attack before squaring the ball for Kalayci, who curled a fine shot into the top corner to level the score with what turned out to be the hosts’ only effort on target before the break.

Victor Osimhen seals victory and makes history
Galatasaray came out with more control after half-time and soon regained the lead. A patient move ended with Rolland Sallai sending in a cross, and Gabriel Sara arrived at the right time to head home his second goal of the night and make it 2-1.

Four minutes later, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. Osimhen controlled a cross from Gündoğan with his chest inside the box and fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net. It was his 50th goal for the club and one that put the result beyond doubt.

The win keeps Galatasaray top of the Super Lig table with 46 points, four clear of second-placed Fenerbahçe, who still have a game in hand. Karagumruk, meanwhile, remain bottom of the standings with just nine points from 19 matches.

Osimhen’s goal was his seventh in the league this season and his 13th in all competitions in 18 appearances. Last season, he scored 37 goals in 41 games and played a key role as Galatasaray won both the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup. Once again, he proved he is a player who delivers on the biggest nights.