Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya secured his side a hard-earned point with a sensational double save from a penalty as they drew 0-0 at Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.
Spaniard Raya dived low to his right to beat away Mateo Retegui's spot-kick in the 51st minute then sprang across his goal to claw away the forward's follow-up header.
That was the most dramatic moment of an otherwise tepid affair in Bergamo, as Mikel Arteta's team produced a gritty away performance against the Europa League holders.
The closest Arsenal came to scoring was a first-half free-kick by Bukayo Saka that was saved well by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, while Gabriel Martinelli blasted over the crossbar to cap a rare Gunners attack after the break.
La Dea, meanwhile, went close to taking all three points when Juan Cuadrado sent a curling effort narrowly wide of the far corner with 67 minutes on the clock.
Arsenal's next Champions League fixture is a heavyweight clash with Paris Saint-Germain on October 1, while Atalanta go to Shakhtar Donetsk the following day.
Data Debrief: Raya heroics key for Arsenal
In a game where Arsenal struggled going forwards, only generating six attempts at goal worth 0.79 expected goals (xG), the Gunners needed Raya to come up trumps.
He became just the fourth Arsenal goalkeeper to save a penalty in the Champions League, after Richard Wright, Jens Lehmann and Lukasz Fabianski (twice).
Including shoot-outs, he has now kept out four of the last eight penalties he has faced in all competitions, having conceded each of the previous 19 he faced.
Monaco made a memorable return to the Champions League, beating 10-man Barcelona 2-1 on Thursday.
Barcelona made a dreadful start at the Stade Louis II Stadium, with Eric Garcia shown a straight red card just 10 minutes in for a foul on Takumi Minamino, who was in on goal after a misplaced pass from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The hosts took advantage six minutes later when Maghnes Akliouche struck a low shot into the net, giving Ter Stegen no chance.
However, Barcelona went into half-time on level terms after Lamine Yamal cut inside to drill a low shot into the bottom-left corner in the 28th minute.
Monaco kept pushing in the second half though, and got their reward in the 71st minute. Substitute George Ilenikhena fired past Ter Stegen to secure victory in their first Champions League appearance in five years.
Data Debrief: The kids are all right
Monaco were on the longest winless streak by a French side in European Cup/Champions League history (14 games) coming into this match, but have snapped that streak in superb style here.
Ilenikhena came off the bench and, in the process, snatched a little slice of history, becoming the youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer for Monaco (18 years and 34 days), breaking the previous record set by Kylian Mbappe in 2017 (18y and 63d).
Meanwhile, Yamal has become the second-youngest goalscorer in Champions League history at 17y and 68d, second only to Barcelona team-mate Ansu Fati (17y 40d). It is also the first time that Yamal has scored in two consecutive games for Barcelona.
The Women's Super League returns with a bang this weekend, with upheaval at the top of the table offering the promise of another thrilling campaign.
Chelsea gave Emma Hayes a triumphant send-off by edging out Manchester City on goal difference for their fifth straight title, but will former Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor be able to replicate her success?
Aston Villa are the opponents for her first game at the helm on Friday, while Sunday's action features a huge clash between potential title challengers Arsenal and City.
Elsewhere, Manchester United start their bid to improve on last season's disappointing fifth-placed finish against West Ham, while newly promoted Crystal Palace face a tough trip to Tottenham.
But who does the Opta supercomputer expect to start 2024-25 with three points?
CHELSEA V ASTON VILLA
Unsurprisingly, given their recent dominance of the division, Chelsea are overwhelming favourites to beat Villa – who finished seventh in 2023-24 – in Friday's curtain-raiser.
They won 85.1% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, with Villa given just a 5.5% chance of victory and the draw deemed a 9.5% likelihood.
Kingsmeadow was a real fortress under Hayes, and Bompastor will be desperate to retain the fear factor in her debut season. Chelsea have won 35 of their last 37 home league games, drawing one and losing one.
The Blues have, however, only won two of their six opening matches of a WSL campaign as the reigning champions, drawing two and losing two. One of those victories did come last term, though, as they beat Tottenham 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
MANCHESTER UNITED V WEST HAM
Old Trafford plays host to the first of two games on Saturday, as Marc Skinner's United take on West Ham, looking to kick on after ending a largely disappointing 2023-24 campaign with FA Cup glory.
They are assigned a 71.5% chance of a win, with West Ham victorious in 12.6% of our pre-match simulations and 15.9% finishing all square.
This will, of course, be United's first league game since Mary Earps departed for Paris Saint-Germain. The Red Devils suffered their heaviest-ever WSL defeat in her final game, going down 6-0 to Chelsea on home soil on the final day of last season.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce will hope for a quiet outing after stepping up to replace Earps as number one, and she may get her wish against a West Ham side that accumulated a miserable 15 points last term. Their seven away losses in 2023-24 was a joint-high among all WSL teams (also Bristol City).
BRIGHTON V EVERTON
Just one place and four points separated Everton from Brighton in the final standings, and the supercomputer struggles to separate them ahead of their clash at Broadfield.
The Toffees are slight favourites with a 40.6% win probability, compared to Brighton's 33.7%, while 25.7% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations finished level.
Everton will hope to continue their momentum from the end of 2023-24, having ended the season on a four-game unbeaten streak (two wins, two draws), their longest of the campaign. They could go five without losing for the first time since October 2020.
Brighton's major arrival ahead of the new season is Chelsea great Fran Kirby, who has five goal involvements in eight WSL appearances against Everton, scoring on both of her starts versus them.
ARSENAL V MANCHESTER CITY
The headline fixture of the opening matchday takes place at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as two of the sides most likely to challenge Chelsea for their crown – Arsenal and City – go head-to-head.
The supercomputer makes the Gunners favourites on home soil, with Jonas Eidevall's team winning 42.6% of our pre-match simulations. City are assigned a 30.7% chance of victory, and a 26.7% chance of earning a point.
Vivianne Miedema's move from Arsenal to City has added further intrigue to this fixture. She netted 80 times in 106 league appearances for Arsenal to become the WSL's all-time leading scorer, netting against all 15 opponents she has faced in the competition. Arsenal will be the 16th different team she has faced – will she return to haunt them?
City have won each of their last eight away league games, with the only longer such run in WSL history also being by City – a 12-match sequence between July 2016 and January 2018.
Arsenal, though, have won each of their last three WSL meetings with City, and they boast the most prolific player in the history of the opening matchday in the competition, with Beth Mead previously hitting seven goals on the first weekend, including two braces.
TOTTENHAM V CRYSTAL PALACE
Crystal Palace edged out Charlton Athletic to win the Women's Championship title last season, reaching the WSL for the first time. They will be the 19th different team to compete in the division and the first debutants since Leicester City in 2021.
Excluding the inaugural 2011 campaign, only one of 10 teams has ever won their first WSL match, Sunderland beating Liverpool 2-1 in 2015 (one draw, eight defeats).
The Eagles are not given much hope of replicating that feat by the Supercomputer, which assigns them just an 11.5% chance of victory to Tottenham's 72.7%. The draw is given a 15.8% likelihood.
Tottenham have a decent record on the opening day, too, only starting one of their last four WSL campaigns with a defeat (two wins, one draw), which came against champions Chelsea last season.
LIVERPOOL V LEICESTER CITY
Matt Beard is the only coach among the 12 WSL teams to have previously won the title, and his Liverpool side ended a promising 2023-24 campaign in fourth. They will be confident of getting underway with a win this term, with the supercomputer giving them a 60.2% chance of beating Leicester.
The Foxes, who would have been in relegation trouble if not for Bristol City's struggles last term, are given an 18.9% chance of victory, and a 20.9% likelihood of earning a draw.
Liverpool and Leicester also met on the final day of last term, the Reds winning 4-0. Seven teams have previously met on the final matchday of one WSL campaign and the opening weekend of the next, but only three have won both such meetings (Man City v Notts County, Tottenham v Birmingham, and Tottenham v Leicester).
Only Arsenal (nine) and Chelsea (seven) have won their opening game of a WSL season more often than Liverpool (six), who have started four campaigns with a victory under Beard (one defeat).
An early goal from winger Kerem Akturkoglu and a superb free-kick by his fellow Turkey international Orkun Kokcu earned Benfica a 2-1 Champions League victory at Red Star Belgrade on Thursday.
Akturkoglu opened the scoring for the Portuguese side in the ninth minute, converting a cross from close range at the back post.
His compatriot Kokcu then doubled their advantage just before the half-hour mark with a meticulously placed free-kick from 25 yards out, picking out the top-right corner.
Red Star reduced the deficit when Felicio Milson was played through and scored from close range four minutes from time, but they were unable to find an equaliser at the death.
Data Debrief: Turkish first for Benfica
Goals from Akturkoglu and Kokcu ensured this was the first time two Turkish players had ever scored for a non-Turkish club in a Champions League match.
Kokcu, meanwhile, is on his way to earning a reputation as a dead-ball specialist.
Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, no player has scored more direct free-kick goals in major European competitions than Kokcu's two, with this his first in the Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen opened their Champions League campaign with a resounding 4-0 win at Feyenoord on Thursday, scoring all four of their goals by half-time.
Xabi Alonso's men, who went unbeaten domestically as they won a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double and lost the Europa League final last term, blew their hosts away within the first 44 minutes at De Kuip.
Florian Wirtz needed just five minutes to mark his Champions League debut with a goal, picking out the bottom-right corner after being found by Robert Andrich.
Another of last season's stars, Alejandro Grimaldo, made it 2-0 with a back-post finish following good work from Jeremie Frimpong, then Wirtz volleyed home his second with just 36 minutes on the clock.
Leverkusen had a four-goal lead on the stroke of half-time, Timon Wellenreuther diverting the ball into his own net in a failed attempt to keep out Edmond Tapsoba's header.
Feyenoord were never likely to respond from there, succumbing to the joint-heaviest defeat in their European history, alongside a 4-0 Champions League loss to Manchester City in 2017.
Bayer's resounding victory takes them third in the young Champions League standings, with Milan their next opponents in the competition on October 1.
Data Debrief: Wirtz makes the step up
Wirtz was named Bundesliga Player of the Season as Leverkusen romped to the title last term, and he made the step up to Europe's premier club competition look easy on Thursday.
At the age of 21 years and 139 days, he became the first German player to score twice on his Champions League debut.
Since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes (28) is the only midfielder that has been directly involved in more goals in major European competitions than Wirtz (26 – 14 goals, 12 assists).
Viktor Gyokeres should focus on continuing to shine for Primeira Liga leaders Sporting CP and not be tempted by a move away, according to former Portugal defender Jorge Andrade.
The Sweden striker has been a revelation since his move from Coventry City in 2023, topping the league's scoring charts with 29 goals last season as the Lions won the Primeira Liga title.
Gyokeres has netted 12 times already for club and country this term, including in his last eight outings after scoring on his Champions League debut in Tuesday's 2-0 win against Lille.
Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly keen on landing the 26-year-old's signature, though Andrade – speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal – believes Gyokeres should stay put.
"Viktor has already been to England and played in the Championship. That makes you wonder if he should come back to the Premier League so quickly," Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, told Stats Perform.
"He is adapting very well to the Portuguese league. He can play in the Champions League with Sporting. He can be the biggest star of a great club like Sporting. You will have to wait [for him to return to England].
"The values are high, but he's a player who values those values. He's a very strong player, he makes a difference in the club he's at.
"He's already in Sweden's national team. He is one of the key players in that team that has been down a lot since [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic left.
"But I think he is a great player, and he will not think about the Premier League immediately.
"I'm sure that in the future, if Sporting is successful, he can still go to that great league."
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor is excited to begin her maiden Women's Super League campaign when the Blues face Aston Villa on Friday evening.
Bompastor joined the club in the summer after three successful years at Lyon, which includes three straight Division 1 Feminine titles and a Champions League win in 2022.
She will be following the hugely popular Emma Hayes, who enjoyed plenty of success of her own at Chelsea before moving on to coach the United States' women's team, but Bompastor insists the attention should not just be on her as her side aim to retain their title.
She said: "I just feel like it's not only about me. I think it's about Chelsea. It's also about the players, you know, and we feel ready.
"We are the holders of the title, and we want to start the league strongly tomorrow night."
Chelsea and Hayes were victorious in each of the last five editions of the WSL and her successor believes she possesses enough quality in her squad to challenge on all fronts this season.
"When you're Chelsea, you just want to win every single title," said Bompastor.
"You want to compete in every competition, and we know all the teams will be ready. It will be tough, but we feel ready, and you know, the players are really competitive."
Bompastor is wary of the threat of Villa, who have enjoyed a productive pre-season under new manager Robert de Pauw.
She said: "If you look at Aston Villa's results, they had a good pre-season with good results. In their last game they beat Manchester City, who last night beat Paris FC 5-0."
"We have a lot of respect for Villa, they have a good quality squad, and they had good results, so we know the first game will be important.
"We just want to focus on ourselves and be able to start the league as strongly as we can."
An inspirational super sub-performance by Sean-John Curchar propelled last year’s beaten finalists Hydel High to a 4-0 win over Clan Carthy High in ISSA/Manning Cup action at the Homestead Community Centre on Wednesday.
Curchar provided a goal and an assist as Hydel secured their second win in as many games this season on their quest to claim a maiden Manning Cup title.
Despite being two from two and yet to concede a goal, Hydel are currently second in Zone A behind Eltham High who improved their record to three wins from three with a 5-0 win over Dunoon Technical.
Eltham have now scored 20 goals in three games and have also yet to concede.
St. Andrew Technical High School defeated Camperdown 2-0 and moved to seven points as they continue to lead the pack for Zone D.
Vauxhall High again showed resilience as they held Calabar High to a goalless draw and remained second after yet another stellar home performance.
Elsewhere, STATHS moved to the top of Zone D with a 2-0 win over Camperdown at Boys’ Town while Calabar High and Vauxhall played out a 0-0 draw at Vauxhall.
Sandro Schwarz says the New York Red Bulls must change their behaviour amid a disappointing return to MLS action, ahead of Saturday's clash with Atlanta United.
The Red Bulls have not won since MLS returned following the Leagues Cup break, with Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire extending their winless streak to four games.
They have now slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference and though a playoff berth still looks overwhelmingly likely, the pressure is on as they battle for a home seeding.
"Pressure is normal in professional sports, especially when you lose games like we did, or like the home game against Philly," Schwarz said.
"But we can influence this with our behaviour on the field and off the field, and it starts today.
"We have to change our behaviour immediately now for the last five games and the pressure is normal. It's also normal to have pressure when you win, for the game after."
Atlanta, meanwhile, are one point outside the playoff picture, having earned a creditable 2-2 draw with Inter Miami in midweek.
"From a tactical point of view maybe it's not the type of soccer we want to play, but in terms of work rate and a commitment to try to win the game, it gets you far. You can't just turn it on or turn it off, it doesn't work that way," interim boss Rob Valentino said.
On the playoff battle, he added: "I think we were one point out of it so I can't sit here and think about being disappointed.
"We move forward, now we're going to have to pick up points on the road."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir
Vanzeir recorded his 12th goal involvement of the season as the Red Bulls were beaten in Chicago last time out, teeing up Dennis Gjengaar's equaliser.
His 10 assists in MLS play this term are more than twice that of the next-closest Red Bulls players, with Elias Manoel, Lewis Morgan and Dylan Nealis all having four apiece.
Atlanta United – Aleksey Miranchuk
Miranchuk's late goal salvaged a draw for Atlanta versus Miami last time out, his first MLS goal in his fourth appearance in the competition. If the Five Stripes are to gatecrash the playoffs, they need him to produce in the coming weeks.
MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
The Red Bulls trounced Atlanta 4-0 at Red Bull Arena when the sides met in this exact fixture last season, and while Atlanta should be more competitive this time around, another home win looks likely.
Saturday's hosts have only lost one of their 14 home matches in MLS play this year, winning seven and drawing six.
Atlanta, meanwhile, have lost half (7/14) of their road games, and have only won one of their last six matches in all competitions (three draws, two defeats).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York Red Bulls – 51.8%
Atlanta United – 23.7%
Draw – 24.6%
Dean Smith knows Charlotte FC must start producing in the final third if they are to cling onto an MLS Cup Playoff spot, starting with Saturday's meeting with the New England Revolution.
Charlotte sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, boasting a five-point cushion to those outside the playoff places, but they have struggled since the Leagues Cup break.
Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at Orlando City was their third loss in succession, and they have only scored twice in four games since returning to MLS play, leaving Smith frustrated.
"At the moment we're having to work really hard to stay in a game, because we're not creating enough big chances, we're not scoring enough goals full stop," Smith said.
"So I was really frustrated. As I say, that's something that's probably crept in over the last four games since we came back from the break.
"We've only scored two goals in the last four games since the Leagues Cup and I feel some of the players are struggling to find their form and their confidence at the moment.
"At this point of the season, that little bit of a lack of concentration has been disappointing."
New England, meanwhile, threw away a 2-0 lead in their 2-2 midweek draw with CF Montreal, a result that leaves them five points adrift of the playoff picture at the foot of the Eastern Conference.
"It's another disappointing result. That's six points we've dropped in our last three home games," Porter said. "We could have been in a much different situation.
"We've got to pick ourselves back up and continue to look at the good, but as I told the guys, I'm tired of seeing them fall off in the second halves."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang
With the hosts struggling for goals, they may need Agyemang to step up. He started on the bench last time out and has appeared as a substitute eight times this season, yet his seven goals are still more than any of his team-mates.
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Gil laid on an assist as the Revs drew with Montreal last time out, his 10th in 22 appearances this season – more than any other Revs player.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN
Charlotte are winless in their last six regular-season matches, registering three straight draws then being defeated in each of their last three, having won four of their previous six before this run began.
New England have not fared much better of late, though, going four league games without a win (two draws, two defeats) and only winning one of their last nine (three draws, five losses).
No team in the Eastern Conference has lost more away games than the Revs' nine this term, so this match could come at a good time for Charlotte.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Charlotte FC – 51.5%
New England Revolution – 23.8%
Draw – 24.7%
Clarendon College continued their quest to defend their ISSA/DaCosta Cup title with a 6-0 victory over Thompson Town High at Foga Road High on Wednesday.
Justin Hayles and Keanu Jennings both scored doubles to help the defending champs move to a perfect nine points from as many games to lead Zone H.
Denbigh High moved up into second place in Zone H after their 5-1 win over Edwin Allen High at Edwin Allen.
Three other schools also got their third win as Ocho Rios High, William Knibb Memorial and Manchester High secured victories over Aabuthnott Gallimore, Discovery Bay High and deCarteret College, respectively.
Ocho Rios High improved their advantage in Zone K after a 4-0 win over Aabuthnott Gallimore High with Tyrese Brown scoring a hat trick and Ryan Francis getting the other.
Ocho Rios High are now on nine points after a third straight win, four more than second place Ferncourt High.
William Knibb Memorial managed a 1-0 win over Discovery Bay High for their third win in Zone D while Michael Reid and Javis Lloyd scored for Manchester High in their 2-1 win over deCarteret College.
Tyrese Gowe and Raheem Harris both scored doubles to lead Dinthill Technical to a 6-0 win over Charlemont High as Gaybriel Anderson and Giovanni Afflick also got one goal each.
This was the second win for Dinthill Technical who now lead Zone J on goal difference over McGrath High.
At Jarrett Park, St James High rallied twice to earn an exciting 3-3 draw against Green Pond High in Zone A.
Green Pond got off to a fast start and were leading 2-0 with goals from Garth-Dane Bromwell in the seventh minute and Jerome Whynn in the 16th minute.
St James hit back with goals from Kevar Stewart in the 36th minute and Rory Smith in the 43rd minute as they were tied at 2-2 at half time.
Bromwell restored Green Pond High’s lead in the 46th minute but St James salvaged a point when Tariq Kerr scored in the 77th minute.
Garvey Maceo rebounded from their loss to Glenmuir High on Saturday with a 12-1 beating of Porus High with Omarion O’Brian and Rajay McLaughlin both leading the way with hat tricks while Maliek Robinson scored a brace.
Other results
Maggoty High 2-0 Lacovia High
Mile Gully High 0-2 Alphansus Davis High
Holmwood Technical 3-1 Knox College
Claude McKay High 0-3 Lennon High
Yallahs High 0-2 Morant Bay High
Robert Lightbourne High 1-3 Paul Bogle High
Seaforth High 0-4 Happy Grove High
Titchfield High 2-1 St. Mary High
Horace Clarke High 1-4 Port Antonio High
Jamaica’s Frazsiers Whip suffered a third-consecutive loss in the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup as they were hammered 7-1 by Mexican counterparts Tigres UANL Femenil in another lopsided Group A affair at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Ana Dias (sixth), Ana Seica (14th), Thembi Kgatlana (23rd), Alison Gonzalez (60th), Belen Cruz (62nd), and a brace from Stephany Mayor (81st and 90+8) completed the rout for Tigres UANL.
Davia Richards (55th) got Frazsiers Whip’s first goal of the tournament which served as a consolation for the St Catherine outfit.
The win propelled Tigres UANL to the top of the group on six points, while Frazsiers Whip remain rooted at the foot of the five-team table without a point. NY/NJ Gotham (three points), Alajuelense (three points) and CF Monterrey (three points) are the other teams in the group.
It was always expected to be another tough encounter for Frazsiers Whip and they found themselves behind when Dias fired home a firm right-footer from dead centre of the box.
Seica doubled the lead for the six-time Liga MX Femenil Champions when she rose above defenders to head past Italya Robinson in goal for Frazsiers Whip from a corner kick.
Davia Richards celebrates her team's first goal of the tournament.
Before the Frazsiers Whip could catch their breath, they found themselves further behind, as Kgatlana found space inside the 18-yard box to drive home a right-footed effort to put Tigres UANL 3-0 up at the break.
Needing a goal to lift their spirits, Frazsiers Whip got just that from Richards, who fired home, from an angle, 10 minutes into the resumption to give the Jamaican fans something to celebrate.
However, it was back to regular proceedings for Tigres UANL five minutes later when Gonzalez converted from the penalty spot after being felled inside the red zone.
Cruz then added a fifth two minutes past the hour mark as she slotted home from a weighted Dias cross.
It was then time for the Stephany Mayor show as the former Mexican captain got in on the act with a well-taken effort on the volley that gave Robinson no chance at a save.
Mayor then completed her brace and her team’s win with another tidy right-footed finish in time added.
Tigres UANL will next host Costa Rican champions LD Alajuelense on October 2 in Mexico, while Frazsiers Whip will welcome NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham on the same day, at the National Stadium.
CONCACAF has confirmed the schedule, venues, and kickoff times for the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League (CNL) Group Stage matches that will take place during the October 2024 FIFA Match Window.
The fourth edition of the CNL kicked off in September with thrilling matches across all three Leagues (A, B, and C). Some of the highlights included Elijah Seymour of the Cayman Islands scoring the competition’s 1,000th goal, Guadeloupe getting its first win in League A (1-0 vs Suriname), Bermuda defeating Antigua and Barbuda in an official match for the first time since 1992, and a closely contested draw between Costa Rica and Guatemala.
A total of 37 CNL matches will be played next month (October 9-15), concluding Group Stage play for Leagues A and C, while League B will play through November.
League A
In League A, the 12 matches that will be played in October will determine the four teams (group winners and runners-up) that will join Concacaf's four top-ranked teams - Canada, Mexico, Panama, and the United States (listed alphabetically) - in the Quarterfinals, as well as the third and fourth-place finishers and fifth and sixth-place finishers that will progress to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims and CNL Play-In, respectively.
The CNL Quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format in November 2024, with the aggregate score winner in each matchup advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals and qualifying for the 2025 Gold Cup. The Quarterfinal losers will advance to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims.
CNL Quarterfinal pairings will be determined based on the Concacaf Rankings as of October 2024 (after the FIFA Window) and the Group Stage results, as follows:
QF1: Fourth-ranked seeded team vs Best first place (1A/1B)
QF2: Third-ranked seeded team vs Next first place (1A/1B)
QF3: Second-ranked seeded team vs Best second place (2A/2B)
QF4: Best-ranked seeded team vs Next second place (2A/2B)
The CNL Play-In will take place in November 2024, and the Gold Cup Prelims will be in March 2025. Further details on the Play-In are available below.
League B
League B will continue Group Stage play in October and November, as 16 nations battle for Gold Cup Qualification and promotion for the competition’s next edition. The confirmed host venues for October’s League B matches are as follows:
Group A: Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Group B: Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
Group C: Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, Aruba
Group D: Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, Bermuda
League C
October will also conclude Group Stage play for League C. After the League’s last match on Tuesday, October 15, the three group winners and the best second-place finisher will advance to the CNL Play-In.
The confirmed host venues for the October matches are as follows:
Group A: Wildey Turf, Wildey, Barbados
Group B: FFB Stadium, Belmopan, Belize
Group C: Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
2024/25 Concacaf Nations League Play-In
The CNL Play-In will take place during the FIFA Match Window of November. It will consist of a single direct elimination round and eight teams: the fifth and sixth-place finishers from the League A Groups and the group winners and the best second-place finisher from League C.
The eight teams will be split into four pairings based on their Group Stage performance, as follows:
PI1: Best 5th Place (League A) vs Best 2nd Place (League C)
PI2: Next 5th Place (League A) vs Best 3rd Group Winner (League C)
PI3: Best 6th Place (League A) vs Best 2nd Group Winner (League C)
PI4: Next 6th Place (League A) vs Best 1st Group Winner (League C)
After home-and-away play, the aggregate score winner in each matchup will advance to the 2025 Gold Cup Prelims.
2024/25 Concacaf Nations League Schedule – October Matches
*Matches listed by League and in ET | local time
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 British Virgin Islands vs St. Kitts and Nevis - Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, SKN
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 US Virgin Islands vs Barbados - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Anguilla vs Belize - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Thursday, October 10, 2024
(A) 15:30 | 16:30 French Guiana vs Honduras - Stade Municipal Dr Edmard Lama, Remire Montjoly, GUF
(A) 16:00 | 16:00 Cuba vs Trinidad and Tobago - Estadio Antonio Maceo, Santiago, CUB
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Bonaire vs Montserrat - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(B) 21:00 | 21:00 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs El Salvador - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(A) 22:00 | 20:00 Nicaragua vs Jamaica - Estadio Nacional, Managua, NCA
Friday, October 11, 2024
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Sint Maarten vs Puerto Rico - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(A) 16:00 | 16:00 Guadeloupe vs Martinique - Stade Roger Zami, Le Gosier, GLP
(B) 17:00 | 17:00 Grenada vs Curacao - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(A) 18:00 | 19:00 Suriname vs Costa Rica - Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium, Paramaribo, SUR
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 Aruba vs Haiti - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(B) 20:00 | 20:00 Saint Martin vs St. Lucia - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(A) 21:00 | 21:00 Guyana vs Guatemala - National Track & Field Centre, Leonora, GUY
Saturday, October 12, 2024
(B) 13:30 | 14:30 Antigua and Barbuda vs Dominican Republic - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 Cayman Islands vs British Virgin Islands - Warner Park Football Stadium r, Basseterre, SKN
(B) 18:30 | 19:30 Dominica vs Bermuda - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 Bahamas vs US Virgin Islands - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Turks and Caicos Islands vs Anguilla - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Sunday, October 13, 2024
(B) 15:00 | 15:00 Montserrat vs Bonaire - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
(B) 20:00 | 20:00 El Salvador vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, Kingstown, VIN
Monday, October 14, 2024
(B) 16:00 |16:00 Puerto Rico vs Sint Maarten - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(B) 16:00 | 16:00 Curacao vs Grenada - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 St. Lucia vs Saint Martin - Darren Sammy Ground, Gros Islet, LCA
(B) 19:00 | 19:00 Haiti vs Aruba - Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion, Oranjestad, ARU
(A) 21:00 | 20:00 Jamaica vs Honduras - National Stadium, Kingston, JAM
(A) 21:00 | 21:00 Trinidad and Tobago vs Cuba - Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago, TRI
(A) 21:00 | 19:00 Nicaragua vs French Guiana - Estadio Nacional, Managua, NCA
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
(B) 13:30 |14:30 Dominican Republic vs Antigua and Barbuda - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(C) 15:30 | 15:30 St. Kitts and Nevis vs Cayman Islands - Warner Park Football Stadium, Basseterre, SKN
(B) 18:30 | 19:30 Bermuda vs Dominica - Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, BER
(A) 20:00 | 18:00 Costa Rica vs Guatemala - Estadio Nacional, San Jose, CRC
(A) 20:00 | 20:00 Martinique vs Guadeloupe - Stade Pierre Aliker, Fort de France, MTQ
(A) 20:00 | 21:00 Suriname vs Guyana - Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium, Paramaribo, SUR
(C) 20:00 | 20:00 Barbados vs Bahamas - Wildey Turf, Wildey, BAR
(C) 22:00 | 20:00 Belize vs Turks and Caicos Islands - FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BLZ
Gareth Taylor insists Manchester City know "exactly what we have to do" to win the Women's Super League, as he urged his players to "really push on" after last season's disappointment.
City came agonisingly close to landing their second WSL title last term, losing out to Emma Hayes' Chelsea on goal difference.
Taylor's side were in the driving seat with a three-point cushion heading into the final two games. However, a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal in their penultimate match proved costly, with the Blues going on to claim their seventh crown in eight seasons.
That marked a seventh second-place WSL finish since 2015 for City, who begin their quest to go the extra step against the Gunners on Sunday, when they will come face to face with former forward Vivianne Miedema.
While Taylor is adamant his side's inability to get over the line should not be regarded as a failure, the head coach reinstated his burning desire to bring the WSL crown back to Manchester this term.
"Sometimes, you work tremendously hard like we did last season, and things don't quite go your way," said Taylor.
"That's not to say that we're not incredibly proud of what we did. The one thing we can take, is we know exactly what we have to do now to win the title.
"We have to use that as fuel, whether it be in the Champions League, or in the WSL, to really use all of those experiences, use all of that knowledge and really push on.
"People can look at trophies as being the be-all and end-all. Don't get me wrong, I'm here to win. Of course, we want to be there.
"But the fact we are going deep in pretty much in all competitions is what we're about and, of course, there can only be one team that wins."
He continued: "People tend to forget that there's four or five teams that are really close to winning at the beginning of the season and there's only one team that can ever win. That doesn’t make the other four [teams] a failure.
"It's really tough, but the objective is absolutely to win. I'm not going to hide away from that.
"I've never hidden away that it's the title that I really want to bring to the club. You've seen how fine the margins are and I don't see that changing this season."
Russell Martin was delighted with how Southampton bounced back in the EFL Cup and urged them to keep that fighting spirit in the Premier League against Ipswich Town.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis cancelled out Abdoulaye Doucoure's opener for Everton in the EFL Cup third-round tie on Tuesday before they beat the Toffees on penalties to progress.
It was a much-needed victory for Southampton, who have failed to win all four of their Premier League games so far, with their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out their 400th loss in the competition.
It is a huge game for both promoted sides, but Martin is keen to build on their win in midweek by providing the perfect Premier League response.
"I loved the togetherness and the spirit [against Everton]," Martin said. "We're going to need all of that on Saturday.
"We were so good for half an hour last weekend, but we didn't respond well enough to a setback. [On Tuesday] we did, and that's the biggest area of growth and learning.
"We are going to have setbacks as a team and a group and a club this season, we've spoken about that, but how we respond to them and how we bounce back is going to be the most important bit."
Meanwhile, Ipswich had a tough start to life back in the Premier League with defeats to Liverpool and reigning champions Manchester City, but they have since picked up points in draws with Fulham and Brighton.
Kieran McKenna's biggest challenge, though, has been integrating their 11 new signings into the squad, and he believes they are starting to see positive results from their transfer business.
"It's not going to happen overnight," said McKenna on the squad gelling together.
"We're in a process and I think we're going to get better week-by-week if we take the right approach.
"It's good that we've already been pretty competitive in our games. If we stick on the right path, then over the course of weeks and months we'll be in a much better place than we are now."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Ben Brereton Diaz
Ben Brereton Diaz has played 18 Premier League matches across spells with Sheffield United and current side Southampton and is still yet to end on the winning side (D4 L14), an all-time Premier League record for games played without winning.
He is also yet to score since joining the Saints, giving up the opportunity to take a penalty last weekend, and he will be desperate to end both of those droughts.
Ipswich Town – Sammie Szmodics
Ipswich have had just nine shots in the first halves of their four Premier League games so far this season, the fewest of any side.
Away from home, the Tractor Boys have managed one first-half shot in two games – Sammie Szmodics' goal against Man City in August.
MATCH PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON WIN
Southampton lost 1-0 at home to Ipswich in the Championship last season but have not lost consecutive home league games against the Tractor Boys since April 1980.
The Saints are one of two teams yet to lead for a single minute in the Premier League this season, alongside Crystal Palace. Southampton have also spent more time in a losing position than anyone else in 2024-25 (208 minutes and 15 seconds, inc. injury time).
This is the latest two newly promoted teams are meeting in a Premier League season with both still winless since Fulham beat West Bromwich Albion on matchday seven of the 2020-21 campaign; only one of the six games between such sides last season was won by the home team (Burnley 5-0 Sheffield United).
Meanwhile, Ipswich have won more Premier League games against Southampton than they have vs any other opponent (five). However, they lost the last such meeting between the sides 3-1 at Portman Road in March 2002.
Ipswich have failed to win any of their opening four Premier League games this season (D2 L2). It is the Tractor Boys' longest winless start to a top-flight season since 1984-85 (first five games).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 43.4%
Draw – 25.7%
Ipswich Town – 30.9%
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