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No. 14Thursday, 5 November 2026Midday Edition · out at 15:59Price 20p

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · RED BULL ARENA

HAALAND HAS THE LAST WORD IN LEIPZIG

Five goals, two Leipzig equalisers and a back-post finish from the old Red Bull boy as City end a bad week with three points

By Our Special Correspondent

RB LEIPZIG 2 (Ridle Baku 49, Antonio Nusa 61) MANCHESTER CITY 3 (Castello Junior Lukeba 37 og, Enzo Fernández 58, Erling Haaland 78)

Erling Haaland barely had a kick in Leipzig. He needed only one.

With 12 minutes left and the game tied at 2-2, Elliot Anderson drove down the right and hung an early cross across the six-yard box. Haaland slid in at the back post and put it into an empty net. The Manchester Evening News counts it as his 13th goal against Leipzig.

“City have been really poor.”
Nedum Onuoha, former Manchester City defender, BBC

City had led at half-time through a Castello Lukeba own goal on 37 minutes, but this was never comfortable. Four minutes after the restart Ridle Baku ran onto Brajan Gruda's clever reverse pass and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma at his near post from a tight angle.

Enzo Fernández put City back in front on 58 minutes, timing his run to meet Iliman Ndiaye's whipped cross from the left and heading it back across goal into the corner. The lead lasted barely three minutes. Christopher Nkunku, just on, flicked on Gruda's dinked ball and Antonio Nusa took a touch before driving it low into the far corner.

After Haaland's winner, David Raum struck the woodwork for Leipzig with Donnarumma beaten, and Rayan Cherki hit the bar for City. Jérémy Doku blazed over from six yards late on when it should have been 4-2.

City had two-thirds of the ball and, by the BBC's numbers, 2.21 expected goals to Leipzig's 0.80, yet Leipzig had more shots, 13 to 10.

“City have been really poor.” – Nedum Onuoha, former Manchester City defender, BBC

“Tough game in some moments. We controlled quite well but some moments we struggled. Champions League, Germany away. It's tough, so happy with the three points.” – Enzo Maresca, Manchester City head coach, to Uefa

Enzo Maresca's side came here after Premier League defeats by Aston Villa and Brighton. They leave with nine points from four games and seventh place in the table. Leipzig, on three points, are 30th.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · FORTUNA ARENA

GUNNERS HOLD ON IN PRAGUE

Madueke and Gyökeres make it 2-0 by the break, then Raya and the woodwork keep a roused Slavia at bay until the 89th minute

By Our Special Correspondent

SLAVIA PRAHA 1 (Wiktor Nowak 90) ARSENAL 2 (Noni Madueke 9, Viktor Gyökeres 38)

For 45 minutes this was the Arsenal of Anfield. For the next 45 it was a scramble, and in the end Mikel Arteta will take the points and the lesson.

Noni Madueke struck on nine minutes, set up by Viktor Gyökeres. Gyökeres then turned scorer on 38 minutes from Mikel Merino's pass. At half-time it was 2-0 and BBC Sport's verdict was that Arsenal had dominated.

Slavia Prague came out a different side. Jindřich Trpišovský sent on Alassane N'Guessan and Mojmír Chytil at the break, and the BBC counted 14 Slavia shots after half-time. On 75 minutes Gabriel cleared off the line from the corner that followed a deflected Jurásek shot. On 78 VAR checked a Merino challenge on Wiktor Nowak at a corner and let play go on.

“A fingertip save. Part post, part glove to keep that one out.” – Martin Keown, former Arsenal defender, TNT Sports

That save came on 84 minutes, when Oskar Kubiak headed a cross towards goal and David Raya tipped it onto the post.

Slavia's goal came on 89 minutes. David Jurásek, a 71st-minute substitute, whipped in a ball from the left that beat the defenders and Raya, and Nowak hammered it into an empty net from close range. Slavia sent everyone forward in five minutes of stoppage time, and Raya saved from Mikuláš Konečný at the death.

Slavia finished with 17 shots to Arsenal's 12 and, by the BBC's figures, the bigger expected-goals tally. Arteta rotated, with William Saliba among the substitutes.

“We need to value winning away in the Champions League. It is extremely difficult. Two very different halves. We should have had three or four goals in the first half but we didn't do it.” – Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, TNT Sports

Champions League: the top eight

PGDPts
1Paris Saint Germain4+1512
2Real Madrid4+612
3Arsenal4+510
4Como4+139
5Barcelona4+89
6Aston Villa4+69
7Manchester City4+59
8Liverpool4+49

Table: Football Pink standings feed (API-Football), updated 10:19 UK.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

REDS LET IT SLIP IN ISTANBUL

Twice ahead, Liverpool's perfect start ends as substitute Muriqi heads Fenerbahce home

By Our Special Correspondent

Istanbul, a city of two halves: Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win there in 2005, and went 2-1 up to lose 3-2 at Fenerbahçe last night.
Istanbul, a city of two halves: Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win there in 2005, and went 2-1 up to lose 3-2 at Fenerbahçe last night.

FENERBAHÇE 3 (Mason Greenwood 29, Archie Brown 73, Vedat Muriqi 79) LIVERPOOL 2 (Treymaurice Nyoni 25, Alexander Isak 69)

Liverpool arrived in Istanbul with a perfect Champions League record and left it in pieces. Twice in front at the Chobani Stadium, Andoni Iraola's side let Fenerbahce back in both times, and Vedat Muriqi's header 11 minutes from time completed a 3-2 turnaround that ends the Reds' 100% start.

A quiet opening burst into life after 25 minutes. Fenerbahce were still protesting a penalty shout when the ball broke loose at the edge of the area and Trey Nyoni fired Liverpool ahead. The lead lasted four minutes. The hosts had already rattled the crossbar before Mason Greenwood's free kick took a deflection through the wall and beat Alisson for 1-1 at half-time.

Iraola turned to his bench on the hour, sending on Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, and the change paid off almost at once. Gakpo picked out Isak at the back post and the Swede headed in on 69 minutes.

It should have been the platform for a fourth win from four in the league phase. Instead Archie Brown levelled four minutes later, then swung over the cross from the right that Muriqi, on as a substitute, headed in from close range. Alisson, criticised on co-commentary for not coming for the ball, could only watch it go in.

Liverpool kept 68 per cent of the ball and had 22 shots to Fenerbahce's 17, yet the expected-goals count edged the hosts' way, 1.70 to 1.57, and each side put six efforts on target. Possession without control was the story of the night. Virgil van Dijk smashed over in stoppage time, but the hosts held on for their first win of the league phase.

All three Fenerbahce goals came from set pieces, a free kick, a corner and a long throw, and Iraola did not hide from it.

Champions League: tonight's results

Borussia Dortmund2-1Real Betis
FC Porto4-1Napoli
Lens1-9Como
PSV Eindhoven1-2Club Brugge KV
RB Leipzig2-3Man City
Slavia Praha1-2Arsenal
Viking4-1Sabah FA
AEK Athens FC2-3Real Madrid
Fenerbahçe3-2Liverpool

European Nights: Champions League · page 6

NINE! COMO EQUAL THE RECORD

Lens 1, Como 9

Como put nine past Lens. That equals Bayern Munich's tally against Dinamo Zagreb in 2024, the most scored by a team in a Champions League game, and it is the biggest away win in the competition's history.

Greece forward Tasos Douvikas started it in the seventh minute from close range and scored again before Nico Paz smashed in the third five minutes before half-time. Paz showed a T-shirt in tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died after a serious injury in an on-pitch collision.

Captain Lucas da Cunha made it four less than two minutes into the second half. Marc-Oliver Kempf headed the fifth, Paz put Douvikas through to complete his hat-trick, and substitute Mattia Liberali ran clear for the seventh after 62 minutes.

Ruben Aguilar's volley from a corner pulled one back for Lens, but Martin Baturina made it 8-1.

Full report, page 6

European Nights: Europa League · page 7

RENNES AND OLYMPIAKOS SETTLE FOR A TEATIME STALEMATE

Rennes 0, Olympiakos Piraeus 0

This Europa League tie was meant for Thursday. The local prefecture moved it forward 24 hours because of planned strikes, and it kicked off at 4.30pm on a Wednesday. It played like it.

Olympiakos, on a run of nine straight wins, started the brighter. Armando Gonzalez headed an early chance off target, and Gustavo Puerta was denied by Brice Samba with help from the post.

Rennes, still smarting from conceding five at Nice on Friday, leaned on Mousa Al-Tamari's pace. Charlie Cresswell headed at Stefan Ortega, Sebastian Szymanski hit the side-netting from a free-kick, and Ortega and his post kept out Al-Tamari.

The second half was colder still for a crowd of more than 27,000. Franck Haise was booked for his protests at the referee. In the first minute of stoppage time, Valentin Rongier forced a fine save from Ortega, and that was that.

Full report, page 7

Championship · page 8

HAMMERS RISE FROM THE DEAD

Cardiff 3, West Ham 3

Scott Parker signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at West Ham on Wednesday morning. By half-time on Wednesday night his side were 3-0 down. By the final whistle he had a point and a story.

Jack Moylan was unstoppable in the first half. The former Lincoln City striker found a pocket of space on the edge of the area after 11 minutes and rifled the ball past Mads Hermansen into the top corner from 20 yards. He scored the second from the spot on 37 minutes after slowing down for Morato to bundle him over, then came in behind Will Fish to head in Joel Bagan's corner two minutes later. It was 3-0 at the break.

Parker sent on Mohamadou Kante and Joel Piroe at half-time. On 58 minutes Bowen floated a pass through and Divine Mukasa lifted it over Nathan Trott and in off a post.

Full report, page 8

League One · page 9

SUBS SINK ROYALS AT THE KASSAM

Oxford Utd 2, Reading 0

Reading came to the Kassam knowing a win would take them above Oxford United. They left four points behind them, beaten by two players who started on the bench.

It was goalless at half-time and stayed that way until the 71st minute, when Cameron Brannagan set up substitute G. O'Donkor to break the deadlock. Seven minutes later O'Donkor turned provider for fellow substitute M. Missanga, and the game was settled.

The win stretches Oxford's unbeaten run in League One to ten games and lifts them to third, on 26 points.

“It's a brilliant result. I'm super proud of my team and the way that we performed throughout the whole 90 minutes. I thought we controlled the game and in the first half we had to be a bit more patient and make them work.” – Aaron Ramsey, Oxford boss, speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, via BBC Sport

Full report, page 9

The Rumour Mill

Today's transfer whispers, and who is whispering them

VILLA WHISPERS

Aston Villa are in advanced talks with manager Unai Emery over a new contract following recent links with Manchester United, says the Telegraph.

NYONI WHISPERS

Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni, 19, is expected to sign a new contract with the club after a £30m offer for the Englishman from Nottingham Forest was turned down in the summer, says the Athletic.

UNITED WHISPERS

Leeds United could sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, 23, on a permanent deal in January as Valencia prepare to terminate the Englishman's loan spell, says Football Insider.

ROQUE WHISPERS

Everton are eyeing Palmeiras' Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, 21, who is expected to have a price tag of around £42m, says Sport.

UNITED WHISPERS

Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all scouting Galatasaray's Russian midfielder Aleksey Batrakov, 21, says Teamtalk.

JACOBO RAMON TO UNITED

Como defender Jacobo Ramon, 21, is also on Manchester United's radar, but they could face competition for the Spaniard from Chelsea, says Teamtalk.

Rumours as reported by the outlets named, collected by BBC Sport's gossip column. The Pink has not confirmed them.

A mockup of the printed edition. Every word set here comes from the night's reports, results and tables.