Scott Murray's Blog, page 12

Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: La Liga – as it happened

Barcelona humiliated Real Madrid on their own turf with a relentless second-half display

4 min: Vinicius dribbles down the left and wins the first corner of the evening. Valverde swings it to the near post, where it’s only half cleared, and Vinicius earns a second take.

2 min: Camavinga spins and passes down the inside-left channel in one smooth movement, releasing Mbappe on goal. Mbappe reaches the box, opens his body, and slams a sidefoot into the near side netting. He should have scored. His blushes are spared as the flag pops up for offside, though an initial replay suggests that might have been closer than it looked to the naked eye. The striker and Kounde looked suspiciously level. VAR would have had to get the rulers out … though it’s all academic now, of course.

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Leicester 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Premier League – as it happened

Chris Wood was Forest’s two-goal hero as Nuno Espírito Santo’s increasingly impressive side deservedly won an open and entertaining match

5 min: Moreno and Hudson-Odoi one-two their way down the left, the former winning the first corner of the evening. Elanga to take.

4 min: Mavididi tries to release Winks down the left but Milenkovic spots the danger and comes across to usher the ball out for a goal kick.

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Fenerbahce 1-1 Manchester United: Europa League – live

Former United manager José Mourinho was sent to the stands during a topsy-turvy game that ended fairly with honours even

1 min: There is some proper bedlam going on at the Şükrü Saracoğlu. What a noise! Good luck thinking.

The hosts get the ball rolling. It’s exactly one year to the day since United’s last win in European competition, that 1-0 Champions League victory over Copenhagen at Old Trafford.

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Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: Champions League – as it happened

Arsenal didn’t bring their best stuff but secured the three points nonetheless

The teams are out. Arsenal in their red and white finery, Shakhtar sporting second-choice black with a spatter of orange. Once the Uefa marketing bods have done their usual number on George Frideric Handel, we’ll all be good to go. “History does indeed favour Arsenal if you take a long enough look backwards,” agrees Charles Antaki, “but if very recent history is anything to go by, then unless Arteta has managed to choke off the supply of stupid pills that have been doing the rounds of the players, then we will see a parade of hilariously bad back passes, suicidal tackles, and an outbreak of ball-kicking-away. Just Say No.”

The two early games have finished. Milan have beaten Club Brugge 3-1, while Monaco have thumped 1991 champions Red Star Belgrade 5-1. All of which leaves the Big Table looking like this as Arsenal, Shakhtar and everyone else go into the 8pm kick-offs. (Please ignore the technical glitch at the bottom, which keeps drawing in Celtic’s group-stage humiliation from last season, as though getting thumped 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund the other month wasn’t bad enough. Rumours that our development team work with Penny Arcade blasting from the office stereo on loop are well wide of the mark.)

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Manchester United 2-1 Brentford, Celtic 2-2 Aberdeen, and more – as it happened

A day of comebacks of various stripe, courtesy of Manchester United, Leicester City, Aston Villa and Aberdeen

There have been four early games in the Championship as well. Here are the luncheon-infused classifieds.

Cardiff City 5-0 Plymouth Argyle

Luton Town 3-0 Watford

Oxford United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion

Preston North End 1-0 Coventry City

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Scotland 0-0 Portugal: Nations League – as it happened

Scotland snapped a four-game losing streak with a determined defensive display at Hampden

3 min: Nuno Mendes’ poor backpass allows McTominay to break into the Portugal box. He can’t get a decent shot away, and the flag goes up anyway, Ralston having clattered Antonio Silva to ensure McTominay was able to get away.

2 min: Some early nerve-settling possession for Scotland. Then Portugal take over and get a feel of the ball. Ronaldo has his first touch and cops for some pantomime pelters.

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Wales 1-0 Montenegro: Nations League – as it happened

Harry Wilson’s first-half penalty was enough as, for the most part, Craig Bellamy’s improving side kept control in Cardiff

Here we go, then; Montenegro kick off. The home fans in full voice.

The teams are out! An amazing atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium. Wales in red, Montenegro in second-choice white. We’ll be off in a few minutes, once the hymns and arias are sung. As if anyone will stop. Ar hyd y nos.

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Croatia 2-1 Scotland: Nations League – as it happened

Scotland are still looking for their first point in Group A1 after yet another occasionally impressive but ultimately fruitless performance

2 min: Croatia stroke it around to establish whose home this is.

Scotland kick off. There’s not much of an atmosphere in the Stadion Maksimir, with one of the main stands out of commission. But the away fans are doing their best.

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Iceland 2-2 Wales: Nations League – as it happened

Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson gave Wales a two-goal lead but the hosts came roaring back in Reykjavik

Iceland get the ball rolling. As befits the nomenclature, it’s below zero.

The teams are out! Iceland in blue, Wales in red, all the requisite forms hopefully filled out correctly, and in triplicate. We’ll be off in a minute!

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England 1-2 Greece: Nations League – as it happened

Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice as Greece beat England for the very first time, a victory they emotionally dedicated to George Baldock

England get the match underway. They start with a few gentle passes across the back.

Before kick-off, a moment of silence in memory of George Baldock. Just before, a grim-faced Manolis Siopis held up his white Greece No2 shirt by way of tribute.

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