NinetyOne

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?

Giuseppe Bergomi played in four World Cups for Italy — 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1998 — without ever appearing in a single qualifying match.

He was a late call-up as an 18-year-old for the 1982 tournament (and won it), Italy were hosts in 1990 so no qualifiers were needed, and he was added late again for 1998.

Eighty-one caps, four World Cups, zero qualifying games.

Some players grind through the long road. Bergomi just kept turning up for the main event.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽ | Did You Know?

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?

Switzerland are the only team in World Cup history to be eliminated without conceding a single goal.

At the 2006 tournament in Germany, Pascal Zuberbühler and the Swiss defence kept four clean sheets: 0-0 against France, 2-0 against Togo, 2-0 against South Korea, and another 0-0 after extra time against Ukraine in the last 16.

They then missed every single penalty in the shoot-out and went home.

Impeccable defending for 390 minutes… undone by the spot.

Football really does have a cruel sense of humour.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽ | Did You Know?

🔥 BIG FIXTURES TODAY

📅 Monday, 31 August 2026
🕐 All times are WAT, UTC+1

🇬🇧 Premier League

20:00 WAT
🟣 Aston Villa vs Arsenal 🔴
🏟️ Villa Park

🇪🇸 La Liga

18:30 WAT
🔴 Osasuna vs Getafe 🔵
🏟️ El Sadar

20:30 WAT
🔵 Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano ⚪🔴
🏟️ Spotify Camp Nou

🇮🇹 Serie A

17:30 WAT
🟡 Lecce vs Roma 🟡🔴
🏟️ Stadio Via del Mare

19:45 WAT
⚫ Atalanta vs Bologna 🔵
🏟️ Gewiss Stadium

⭐ THE BIG ONES

🟣 Aston Villa vs Arsenal, 20:00 WAT
🔵 Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano, 20:30 WAT
🟡 Lecce vs Roma, 17:30 WAT
⚫ Atalanta vs Bologna, 19:45 WAT

🔥 Game of the day: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
👀 One to watch: Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano
🎯 Biggest team in action: Barcelona

©️ NinetyOne ⚽

⚽ POST MATCH REVIEW, 30 AUGUST 2026

🔵 Chelsea 4–3 Brighton 🔵⚪

Chelsea produced the most entertaining performance of the day, but they also made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.

They raced into a 3–0 lead inside 32 minutes, with Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and João Pedro all finding the net. Brighton then fought their way back into the game, making it 3–3 before Cole Palmer eventually settled it for Chelsea.

Chelsea's attacking football under Xabi Alonso is looking seriously exciting. The problem is that their defending occasionally looks like everyone has gone for lunch.

The three goals conceded after leading 3–0 will concern Alonso, but Chelsea showed excellent character to find a winner.

Verdict: Brilliant going forward, far too generous at the back. 8/10

🔴 Manchester United 5–2 Ipswich Town 🔵

Now this is the response United needed.

Ipswich stunned Old Trafford by taking the lead through Leif Davis, but United completely turned the match around. Bruno Fernandes scored a hat trick, while Bryan Mbeumo also got on the scoresheet as United eventually ran out comfortable 5–2 winners.

The biggest positive wasn't simply the five goals. United produced 31 shots and showed considerably more attacking intent than in their opening defeat. Kobbie Mainoo also earned special praise from Michael Carrick for his performance.

Fernandes was obviously the headline act, but this was much closer to the energetic United supporters expected to see.

After losing 2–0 to Hull last weekend, United basically said, "Alright, let's try the opposite." Five goals will do.

Verdict: Excellent response, with Fernandes leading the charge. 9/10

⚪ Real Madrid 4–0 Málaga 🔵⚪

Real Madrid were ruthless.

Jude Bellingham scored twice in the opening half hour, Kylian Mbappé added another and Arda Güler completed the rout late on. Madrid had effectively killed the game before Málaga had time to properly settle.

The most impressive part was the speed with which Madrid turned control into goals. Three goals before half time meant the second half was essentially about managing the result.

And with three wins from three in La Liga, José Mourinho's Madrid have made a very convincing start.

Verdict: Dominant, efficient and frightening when they accelerate. 9/10

🩵 Celta Vigo 0–2 Athletic Club 🔴⚪

Athletic Club produced one of the day's more impressive tactical performances.

They used an aggressive high press to disrupt Celta, and it worked brilliantly in the first half. Álex Berenguer opened the scoring before Robert Navarro doubled the advantage only two minutes later.

Celta improved after the break, especially after introducing Iago Aspas, but Athletic's defensive organisation meant they never really turned that improvement into a serious comeback.

Edin Terzić will be very pleased with this one.

Verdict: Excellent first half, disciplined second half. 8.5/10

🔵 Napoli 1–2 Como ⚪🔵

This is the shock of the day.

Napoli were expected to make their home advantage count, but Como had other plans.

Martin Baturina opened the scoring, Rasmus Højlund equalised for Napoli, then Baturina turned provider for Tasos Douvikas to restore Como's lead before half time.

The fascinating part is that Como actually had 58% possession and 21 shots, compared with Napoli's 42% possession and 13 shots.

Cesc Fàbregas' side didn't steal this victory. They genuinely played well enough to deserve it.

Napoli's home opener, meanwhile, turned into a very uncomfortable evening.

Verdict: Como were brave, composed and deserved the win. 9/10

🔴 Cagliari 0–1 Inter Milan 🔵⚫

Inter didn't produce a spectacular performance, but they did something champions are very good at: winning ugly.

Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored the only goal, while Inter controlled much of the match. The statistical dominance was huge, with Inter recording 31 shots to Cagliari's 10 and 3.91 xG to 0.45.

So the 1–0 scoreline actually makes Cagliari look more competitive than they were.

Inter weren't perfect, but they were in control.

Verdict: Dominant without being spectacular. 8/10

🔴 Monaco 2–0 Marseille ⚪🔵

Monaco completely deserved this one.

Paris Brunner scored twice, once in each half, as Monaco dominated Marseille from start to finish. The first came in the 13th minute, with the second arriving eight minutes after half time.

Marseille struggled to create any real momentum, while Monaco looked organised, aggressive and confident.

Brunner clearly decided that one goal was not enough. He wanted the whole evening.

Verdict: Complete performance from Monaco. 9/10

👑 Best Performance: Real Madrid

A 4–0 win, three goals inside the opening 30 minutes and another dominant performance at the Bernabéu.

United and Monaco were excellent, but Madrid combined attacking quality with control better than anyone else today.

💀 Biggest Disappointment: Napoli

Losing to Como at home is bad enough. Being outplayed in possession and outshot by them makes it considerably worse.

Napoli will need to improve quickly.

😲 Biggest Surprise: Como

Absolutely no debate.

Going to Napoli's stadium and winning 2–1 while having 58% possession is not a smash and grab. Como genuinely imposed themselves on the match.

💯 Game of the Day: Chelsea 4–3 Brighton

Seven goals, a three goal Chelsea lead, Brighton's comeback and a late Chelsea winner.

If you wanted entertainment, Stamford Bridge was the place to be.

🗣️ Biggest Talking Point

Are we watching a very different Manchester United?

The result obviously matters, but the bigger story is the attacking intent.

After the disappointing opening weekend, United responded with five goals, 31 shots and a Bruno Fernandes hat trick.

One match doesn't suddenly solve every problem, but there was a noticeable difference in energy and aggression.

🎯 OUR VERDICT

Today's matches gave us almost everything.

Chelsea showed attacking brilliance but defensive vulnerability. United produced the response their fans desperately wanted. Real Madrid continued their perfect start. Athletic Club delivered a tactical masterclass. Inter won without needing to entertain. Monaco dominated Marseille.

And then there was Como, walking into Naples and basically deciding that Napoli's home opener was their party.

That's why we don't judge football purely by the scoreline.

Performance first. Result second. Context always.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester City once scored more goals than any other team in the English top flight… and still got relegated.

In the 1937/38 season, City finished as the division’s highest scorers with 80 goals. The season before they had actually won the league title. Yet they still went down to the second tier.

And here’s the funny part: they were basically that mate who can cook an absolute feast every night but somehow still manages to burn the kitchen down. Goals for fun, defending for chaos. Football’s original “typical City” moment, nearly 90 years early.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽ | Did You Know?

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?

Fernando Torres once scored in seven different competitions for Chelsea in the same season.

During the 2012/13 season, Torres found the net in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield and FIFA Club World Cup.

That means he scored in every competition Chelsea entered that season.

And here's the funny part: despite all that, people still mostly remember his Chelsea spell for that miss against Manchester United and the iconic goal against FC Barcelona. Football really does have selective memory.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽ | Did You Know?

Check reel for videos...

⚽ POST MATCH REVIEW, 29 AUGUST 2026

🔴 Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest

Liverpool rescued another point, but the result again exposed the same problem: they are struggling to control games from the start.

Forest led twice through Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs White, while Alexander Isak and Víctor Muñoz brought Liverpool back. Liverpool had plenty of possession, but Forest repeatedly threatened them in transition and looked dangerous whenever the hosts lost their defensive shape.

Víctor Muñoz was the difference maker, producing a brilliant finish for his first Liverpool goal. But for Liverpool, two draws from two games is not the start they wanted.

At this point, Liverpool seem determined to make every match unnecessarily stressful for their fans.

Verdict: Entertaining, but Liverpool still look vulnerable. 6.5/10

⚪ Tottenham 0–2 Newcastle ⚫

This was a strange one because Tottenham were actually the better team for large parts of the first half. They created opportunities and controlled the game, but Newcastle survived the pressure.

Then Newcastle became much more ruthless after the break. Anthony Elanga opened the scoring before Yoane Wissa finished the job. Lewis Hall was outstanding defensively, while Newcastle showed excellent discipline once they had the lead.

For Spurs, the worrying part isn't simply losing. It's that they dominated periods of the match but failed to turn that control into goals.

Tottenham had the ball, created chances and still went home empty handed. Football can be very cruel when your finishing decides to take the afternoon off.

Verdict: Newcastle were clinical; Tottenham were wasteful. 7.5/10 for Newcastle

🔴 Sevilla 1–3 Atlético Madrid 🔴⚪

Atlético produced a very strong away performance.

The match was much closer statistically than the score suggests, but Atlético were far more efficient with their opportunities. Álex Baena was the star, scoring twice as Atlético moved to seven points from their opening three league games.

Sevilla actually had 20 shots to Atlético's 12, but Atlético's organisation and efficiency ultimately decided the match.

This is the sort of performance that tells you Atlético can win even when they aren't completely dominant. They didn't need to control everything. They simply controlled what mattered.

Verdict: Efficient, disciplined and dangerous. 8/10

⚪⚫ Juventus 2–0 Parma

Juventus had to work for this one.

Parma defended stubbornly and kept Juventus from finding a breakthrough in the first half. The game changed after Juventus introduced Nico González, who scored in the 62nd minute and immediately gave the attack more life. Teun Koopmeiners then sealed the victory in the 88th minute.

The numbers underline Juventus' control: 21 shots to Parma's four and 58% possession.

It wasn't spectacular, but Juventus showed something valuable: patience. They now have two wins from two and haven't conceded yet.

Sometimes football doesn't need fireworks. Juventus simply got the job done, collected the three points and left. Very Italian.

Verdict: Not flashy, but very professional. 8/10

👑 Best performance: Atlético Madrid

Not because they won by the biggest margin, but because they showed the best balance between control, efficiency and defensive organisation.

💀 Biggest disappointment: Tottenham

The performance was much better than the 3–0 defeat to Brentford, but two defeats, no goals scored and no points is a serious early warning sign.

The football may have improved, but the league table doesn't give marks for effort.

😲 Biggest surprise: Nottingham Forest

Taking a point at Anfield is impressive enough. Doing it after taking the lead twice and repeatedly causing Liverpool problems makes the performance even more impressive.

Forest didn't arrive simply hoping to survive. They actually made Liverpool work for every moment of the game.

💯 Game of the day: Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest

Four goals, two comebacks, Forest repeatedly threatening Liverpool and Muñoz producing a spectacular late equaliser. It had everything we want from a football match.

If you paid for the ticket, you definitely got your money's worth.

🗣️ Biggest talking point

Liverpool's slow starts are becoming a pattern.

They have now drawn their opening two league games 2–2, and in both matches they had to come from behind twice. That is not something Iraola can afford to let become a habit.

Liverpool have enough attacking quality to rescue games, but relying on comebacks every week is not exactly a sustainable business model.

🎯 OUR VERDICT

The biggest lesson from these four games?

Scorelines don't tell the whole story.

Juventus won 2–0 without being spectacular. Atlético won 3–1 through efficiency rather than overwhelming dominance. Newcastle won 2–0 despite Tottenham controlling large portions of the match. And Liverpool drew 2–2 despite having plenty of the ball.

That's exactly why we judge the performance, not just the result.

A 3–0 win can hide a poor performance, while a 1–1 draw can sometimes tell the story of a team that played brilliantly. Football is rarely as simple as looking at the final score.

©️ NinetyOne ⚽

🔥 BIG FIXTURES TODAY

📅 Sunday, 30 August 2026
🕐 All times are WAT, UTC+1

🇬🇧 Premier League

14:00 WAT
🔵 Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion 🔵⚪
🏟️ Stamford Bridge

16:30 WAT
🔴 Manchester United vs Ipswich Town 🚜
🏟️ Old Trafford

🇪🇸 La Liga

16:00 WAT
⚪ Real Madrid vs Málaga 🔵⚪
🏟️ Santiago Bernabéu

20:30 WAT
🩵 Celta Vigo vs Athletic Club 🔴⚪
🏟️ Balaídos

🇮🇹 Serie A

17:30 WAT
🔵 Napoli vs Como ⚪🔵
🏟️ Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

19:45 WAT
🔴 Cagliari vs Inter Milan 🔵⚫
🏟️ Unipol Domus

🇫🇷 Ligue 1

19:45 WAT
🔴 Monaco vs Marseille ⚪🔵
🏟️ Stade Louis II

⭐ THE BIG ONES

🔵 Chelsea vs Brighton, 14:00 WAT
🔴 Man United vs Ipswich, 16:30 WAT
⚪ Real Madrid vs Málaga, 16:00 WAT
🔵 Napoli vs Como, 17:30 WAT
🔵⚫ Cagliari vs Inter, 19:45 WAT
🔴 Monaco vs Marseille, 19:45 WAT

🔥 Game of the day: Monaco vs Marseille
👀 One to watch: Chelsea vs Brighton
🎯 Biggest team in action: Real Madrid

©️ NinetyOne ⚽