Gian Piero Gasperini was left frustrated after Atalanta failed to capitalise on numerous chances in their 'cursed' Champions League draw with Celtic.

The Atalanta head coach watched his team squander several chances in their 0-0 stalemate at the Gewiss Stadium, including a Mario Pasalic header that hit the crossbar in their closest chance. 

The hosts had 22 shots overall, accumulating 2.38 expected goals (xG), but their six chances on target were thwarted by Kasper Schmeichel.

In fact, Atalanta became just the second team on record in the Champions League (2008-09 onwards) to have 20+ shots (22) and 50+ touches in the opposition box (54) and not score a goal.

"It was a cursed match. We created so many chances, but we just couldn't score," Gasperini told Sky Sport Italy.

"We dominated for long stretches, keeping Celtic's speedy players away from danger, but we lacked quality in the final third. We missed that decisive spark, the shot, the final pass, the winning header.

"In matches like this, those details make all the difference."

Pasalic had six shots without scoring, the joint most by an Atalanta player in a Champions League match without finding the net, along with Duvan Zapata against Midtjylland in December 2020, and he shared Gasperini's disappointment.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to break the deadlock. We must accept this result, even if it is rather frustrating," he said.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was in a much brighter mood after his team snapped a streak of seven consecutive defeats in Italy in the European Cup and Champions League.

"The concentration in the game was superb. You're talking about the highest goalscorers in Italian football. The players showed great courage. It was a really good point for us," he said.

"I never doubted the players and their mentality. I was so proud of them.

"You're never comfortable until the final whistle goes especially against a top team. Sometimes the luck goes against a Scottish team, but we defended manfully and stood up to be counted."

Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Bradley Beal added 24 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers 116-113 in overtime Wednesday night, spoiling Los Angeles' Intuit Dome debut in the opener for both teams.

James Harden had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers. He had a chance to send it to double overtime but missed the second of two free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining.

Jusuf Nurkic gave the Suns a three-point advantage with a pair of free throws. The Clippers had one last chance to send it to another extra session, but Grayson Allen forced a turnover near midcourt after the inbounds pass.

The victory made a winner out of new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer.

Ivica Zubac had 21 points for the Clippers but fouled out with 2:15 remaining in overtime.

The Clippers had a 99-90 lead before the Suns scored 11 straight points to go back on top. Devin Booker had four points during Phoenix's rally but fouled out with 1:27 remaining. Harden scored four straight points to give Los Angeles a 103-101 advantage before Durant tied it with a 15-footer with 21.2 seconds remaining.

 

Lillard, Antetokounmpo power Bucks

Damian Lillard scored 30 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 124-109 in the season opener for both teams.

Lillard scored 15 points in the third quarter and finished with six 3-pointers, nine rebounds and five assists.

Antetokounmpo shot 8 for 11 from the floor and had a game-high 14 rebounds as Milwaukee got double-figure scoring from six players.

Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis scored 16 points apiece for the Bucks, who shot 53.8 percent (43 of 80) from the field and connected on 16 of 37 from long range.

Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points and Andre Drummond had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, which was without injured stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, who are sidelined due to knee injuries.

Milwaukee used a 25-12 run in a six-minute span of the second quarter to pull away. Prince hit consecutive 3s to extend the lead to 51-39 with 2:49 left in the first half.

 

Ball lifts Hornets in return

LaMelo Ball had 34 points and 11 assists in his return from an ankle injury and Grant Williams sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to help the Charlotte Hornets rally for a 110-105 win over the Houston Rockets.

Jalen Green scored five quick points to tie it for the Rockets before Williams put the Hornets on top with his step-back 3 to make it 106-103.

Ball, who was playing in his first regular-season game since Jan. 26, added two free throws to secure the victory. He made four 3-pointers and all 10 of his free throws.

Green led Houston with 28 points and Alperen Sengun added 25 points and 18 rebounds in his return after missing the last 19 games of last season with a severely sprained ankle.

The Hornets used a 10-0 run that spanned from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth to close the gap and put themselves in position for the win after trailing by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.

Charlotte’s Brandon Miller had six points in 11 minutes before sitting out the second half with soreness in his left hip.

Dinamo Zagreb claimed only their second ever Champions League away win after defeating 10-man Salzburg 2-0.

Second-half goals from Sandro Kulenovic and Bruno Petkovic helped Dinamo seal their first victory in this season's competition.

The visitors broke through within four minutes of the restart, when Kulenovic took advantage of some sloppy defending by collecting Stefan Ristovski's cross before slotting home.

Things got even more difficult for the hosts on 66 minutes, as goalkeeper Alexander Schlager was shown a straight red card for handling Petar Sucic's goalbound shot outside the box.

Dinamo capitalised on their numerical advantage to seal the points six minutes from time; Ristovski the provider once more as he teed up Petkovic, who fired home.

Data Debrief: Dinamo partying like it's 1998

Just under 26 years since their sole previous Champions League triumph on the road against Ajax, Dinamo have finally tasted such success for the first time in 23 attempts (drawn three, lost 19).

However, it was a difficult day for Salzburg, who are still seeking their first point and one of four sides yet to find the net in this season's competition.

Schlager became the first player to receive a red card for the Austrian side, who have now lost seven of their last eight Champions League matches.

Antoni Milambo scored twice as Feyenoord claimed an impressive 3-1 victory over Benfica at Estadio da Luz.

Ayase Ueda was also on target for the Eredivisie side, who moved level with their opponents on six points after the opening three matchdays.

Feyenoord broke through in the 12th minute when Igor Paixao cut the ball back for Ueda to slot home.

The Japan international had a second goal chalked off following a VAR review before the visitors doubled their lead on 33 minutes, when Milambo cleverly skipped away from Nicolas Otamendi before finishing.

Benfica, who opened their campaign with back-to-back wins, pulled a goal back at the midway point in the second half, with Timon Wellenreuther parrying Jan-Niklas Beste's effort straight to Kerem Akturkoglu, who made no mistake from close range.

Wellenreuther made smart saves to deny the hosts as they pushed for an equaliser, before Milambo sealed the points with his second goal of the game in stoppage time.

Data Debrief: Milambo matches Tomasson as Feyenoord halt Benfica streak

Benfica had won each of their last six matches in all competitions, but Bruno Lage's side could not prevent Feyenoord from winning successive away games in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 1971.

Ueda broke the deadlock in the 12th minute with what was the Eredivisie side's earliest goal (excluding own-goals) in a Champions League away game since Sebastian Pardo netted just four minutes into their victory over Newcastle United in September 2002.

Milambo then took centre stage, becoming the first Feyenoord player to score twice in a Champions League away game since Jon Dahl Tomasson against Lazio in February 2000.

Sunderland moved three points clear at the top of the Championship with a 2-1 win over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Leeds moved level on points with Sunderland 24 hours earlier with victory over Watford, but Regis Le Bris' men responded well thanks to Romaine Mundle's superb winner shortly after the hour mark.

The visitors had earlier taken the lead 10 minutes into the second half through growing talent Chris Rigg's third goal of the campaign, following an error from Tahith Chong, before Elijah Adebayo swiftly levelled with a header from close range.

But Mundle's fine finish into the far corner from outside the box secured an eighth win in 11 matches for Sunderland, who have a small buffer at the summit.

Burnley join Leeds in sitting three points off the pacesetters after drawing 1-1 against Hull City at the MKM Stadium to make it eight games without defeat.

Xavier Simon opened the scoring for Hull just before half-time with a heavily deflected shot that got the better of James Trafford.

Scott Parker's visitors found an equaliser through Zian Flemming 13 minutes from time - the Dutch midfielder powerfully heading in Jaidon Anthony's back-post cross - but they wasted a big chance to take all three points as Anthony missed from close range in added time.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Sheffield United fell to a second successive defeat without scoring as they went down 1-0 to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. 

Substitute Emmanuel Latte Lath met Finn Azaz's cross in the 80th minute to head in the only goal of the game, after Jesurun Rak-Sakyi had earlier had a shot blocked on the line by Luke Ayling.

The Blades drop to fifth in the table, level on points with West Brom and Blackburn Rovers either side of them, after the pair played out a 0-0 draw.

Albion went closest to scoring in a game of minimal chances as their winless run stretched to five matches, while Blackburn dropped points at home for the first time this campaign.

The day's other game saw Romain Esse's 13th-minute strike earn 13th-place Millwall a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle at The Den, with the visitors dominating possession but not making it count for anything as they stay two points above the relegation zone. 

Arne Slot says Liverpool were "very fortunate" that goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was on top form, as they edged out RB Leipzig 1-0.

Darwin Nunez's first-half strike proved enough at Red Bull Arena for the Reds, who made it three wins from three in this season's Champions League.

Liverpool have also now won their first six away matches in a season for the first time, while Slot is the first manager in English top-flight history to win 11 of his first 12 games in charge.

Although, the Dutchman was indebted to Kelleher who, keeping goal in the absence of the injured Alisson, made six saves to keep the hosts at bay; his joint-most in a single European match.

"Very fortunate," Slot told TNT Sports when asked how crucial his goalkeeper was. "It's also a normal thing at a club like ours that you have very good players in every position.

"Ali was out last season and [is] out again this season. It's not only him. We have players who are not always in the starting line-up who [stepped up] again today.

"We're really happy with the win. We played a difficult away game. We controlled the game in large parts - apart from the last few minutes. We needed Virgil [Van Dijk] and Ibou [Konate] and our goalkeeper.

The big games are coming thick and fast for Liverpool, who travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face fellow Premier League title contenders Arsenal.

And Slot warned his side against complacency ahead of the trip to north London.

"We know how tough Arsenal are, especially in their own stadium," he added. "[Mikel] Arteta has done an amazing job in the last few years, and we have to be on top of our game to get a result."

Phil Foden and Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Manchester City's "freak" Erling Haaland after an outrageous volley in a 5-0 win against Sparta Prague.

Haaland netted twice on Wednesday, but his first goal dominated the post-match discussion.

An astonishing effort, Haaland's 20th Champions League strike for City, saw the forward acrobatically flick Savinho's right-wing cross inside the near post.

"If I tried to do that, I'd pull my groin," Foden told TNT Sports. "I don't know how he did it; I just think it's just his long legs.

"He's a freak, isn't he? I've seen him score one similar against Borussia Dortmund."

Haaland's stunning effort against Dortmund in his debut City season also came to mind for manager Guardiola.

"It's unbelievable," Guardiola said. "He's so tall and so flexible.

"It's very similar to the Dortmund one a few years ago. Unbelievable. I don't know which was more difficult, both very difficult."

Haaland is yet to lose a Champions League match in City colours. He has played in 23 of their 26 games in the competition since joining the club in 2022.

Indeed, City's 26-match unbeaten run is now a European Cup record, surpassing Manchester United's 25 matches between 2007 and 2009.

Guardiola ended that sequence as Barcelona coach, and he compared one of Haaland's fellow goalscorers to a former Blaugrana star.

John Stones netted City's third goal for his third in his past six matches. After Sunday's controversial winner against Wolves, he has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his club career.

"When Erling is not available, John can play as a striker," Guardiola said. "Gerard Pique in Barca had an incredible sense of goal, and John is the same.

"He's already scored a few goals. He's back and I'm happy for him."

Also back in the team and back in form is Foden, who is now confident he can put his slow start to the season behind him.

The England midfielder opened the scoring and added: "I was the best player last year, and that's what everyone wants to see. That's the standard I've set myself, and I want to get back to that.

"I don't feel pressure. I just enjoy the football and don't think about the outside. But I do put pressure on myself to get better. I always want to push myself.

"The aim is to hit what I hit last year. I showed over a long season I was consistent."

Foden is still waiting on his first Premier League goal of the season, but his European form has never wavered. This was his seventh goal in eight Champions League starts.

Jamaican race drivers Tommi Gore and Senna Summerbell delivered an outstanding performance on Sunday, earning a podium finish in the ADAC GT4 Racing Series in Germany. Competing as the "Reggae Racers," the duo secured third place in the first race and finished in the top five in the final race, marking Jamaica’s first-ever trophies in the prestigious European racing series.

Gore and Summerbell, who drive the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport #32 with its distinctive Jamaican design, made history not only by reaching the podium but also by becoming the first Jamaican team to participate in the renowned ADAC GT4 Series. The competition, which runs across six legendary race courses in Germany and Austria, featured some of the best drivers in Europe, making the achievement even more remarkable.

For Gore and Summerbell, both sons of prominent Jamaican race drivers, the result marks a significant step in their careers. The 22-year-old Summerbell and 19-year-old Gore have quickly established themselves as rising stars on the international racing scene.

Reflecting on their success, Gore credited their mid-season switch to W&S Motorsport as a pivotal moment. "We ended up switching teams mid-season to W&S Motorsport, driving their Porsche GT4 RS. This was a great move and allowed us to showcase our talent," he said. "Since the move, we’ve finished in the top 10 in four out of the last six races, including three top-five finishes and a podium in the penultimate race."

Gore added, "Another great result to end off the year, along with the podium yesterday! Actually putting us 14th overall in the championship with only scoring points for the last three events in the Porsche!"

The team’s strong performance in Germany against experienced professional drivers, some with over three years in the championship, impressed their new team and demonstrated the potential of Jamaican motorsport talent. "Immediately having the pace in a new car and being able to fight on track with much more experienced and accomplished drivers was a testament to our local roots and the level of Jamaican motorsport," Gore explained.

Gore and Summerbell’s efforts saw them currently 14th overall in the championship, a commendable achievement for their first season in the series. Their success has garnered attention both in Jamaica and Europe, and the duo is eager to continue representing their country on the international stage.

The Reggae Racers expressed their gratitude for the support from their sponsors, including S Hotel, Q8 Oils, Sandals Resorts, Visit Jamaica (JTB), Sherwin Williams, Barita Investments, the Jamaica Sim Racing Association (JSRA), Mobay Freight Services, and Bell Safety.

With a promising future ahead, Gore and Summerbell are poised to continue building on their achievements and representing Jamaica with pride in the world of motorsport.

Substitute Jonathan David scored twice as Lille stunned Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 comeback win on Wednesday to make it two memorable Champions League victories in a row.

Lille have now beaten a second Madrid team in consecutive matchdays after also stunning holders Real Madrid 1-0 earlier in October.

Atletico took the lead in the eighth minute with Julian Alvarez intercepting a weak back-pass from Lille defender Ousmane Toure and slotting in for the lead.

There was more bad news for Lille when they had to take off injured midfielder Remy Cabella in the 16th minute, bringing in Edon Zhegrova, but they avoided further pain as Alexander Sorloth wasted three golden scoring opportunities in the first half.

The visitors punished Atleti by leveling in the 61st minute as Zhegrova whipped in a superb left-footed shot into the top far corner.

Lille then scored again to seal their comeback courtesy of a 74th-minute penalty by David, who had also scored the winner against Real.

The Canadian then added another goal with a deflected effort in the 89th to lift Lille to six points. Atletico, meanwhile, are on three with just one win from their three games so far.

Data Debrief: Lille put another Madrid side to the sword

Three weeks on from defeating Real Madrid in one of the most famous results in their history, Lille followed it up with three more points against Atletico.

In doing so, they are just the third team in Champions League history to beat those two sides in a single edition of the competition, along with Chelsea (2020/21) and Manchester City (2021/22).

David was the hero after his 65th-minute introduction, netting his fifth and sixth goals in this season's competition - at least twice as many as any other Lille player.

Substitute Jonathan David scored twice as Lille stunned Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 comeback win on Wednesday to make it two memorable Champions League victories in a row.

Lille have now beaten a second Madrid team in consecutive matchdays after also stunning holders Real Madrid 1-0 earlier in October.

Atletico took the lead in the eighth minute with Julian Alvarez intercepting a weak back-pass from Lille defender Ousmane Toure and slotting in for the lead.

There was more bad news for Lille when they had to take off injured midfielder Remy Cabella in the 16th minute, bringing in Edon Zhegrova, but they avoided further pain as Alexander Sorloth wasted three golden scoring opportunities in the first half.

The visitors punished Atleti by leveling in the 61st minute as Zhegrova whipped in a superb left-footed shot into the top far corner.

Lille then scored again to seal their comeback courtesy of a 74th-minute penalty by David, who had also scored the winner against Real.

The Canadian then added another goal with a deflected effort in the 89th to lift Lille to six points. Atletico, meanwhile, are on three with just one win from their three games so far.

Data Debrief: Lille put another Madrid side to the sword

Three weeks on from defeating Real Madrid in one of the most famous results in their history, Lille followed it up with three more points against Atletico.

In doing so, they are just the third team in Champions League history to beat those two sides in a single edition of the competition, along with Chelsea (2020/21) and Manchester City (2021/22).

David was the hero after his 65th-minute introduction, netting his fifth and sixth goals in this season's competition - at least twice as many as any other Lille player.

Marcus Thuram scored a stoppage-time winner as Inter snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory against Young Boys.

The France forward climbed off the bench to turn home Federico Dimarco's 93rd-minute cross, and maintain the Nerazzurri's unbeaten start in this season's Champions League.

Young Boys were seeking their first point in the competition and created the better first-half opportunities, with Yann Sommer forced to deny Jaouen Hadjam and Lukasz Lakomy.

However, Inter were awarded a penalty within seconds of the restart when Hadjam was adjudged to have pushed Denzel Dumfries in the box, but David von Ballmoos guessed correctly to deny Marko Arnautovic.

The hosts then struck the woodwork just after the hour mark, with Joel Monteiro stealing possession before rattling Sommer's left post.

A stalemate appeared the likely outcome until the third minute of stoppage time, when Thuram struck to take Inter onto seven points from their opening three games.

Data Debrief: Late, late show from Inter, despite missed penalty

Despite opening with three successive Champions League clean sheets for the first time, it looked like it would be a frustrating day for Inter after Arnautovic's saved penalty.

It was the first time in five years that the Nerazzurri had failed to convert from 12 yards in the Champions League, since Lautaro Martinez was unsuccessful against Borussia Dortmund in October 2019.

However, they claimed all three points courtesy of their first ever winning goal scored in the 90th minute or later of a Champions League away game.

Timed at 92 minutes and 11 seconds, it was also the latest goal conceded in the competition by Young Boys, who have now failed to score in three successive matches for the first time.

Erling Haaland scored an audacious back-heel among two goals as Manchester City cruised past Sparta Prague 5-0 on Wednesday to extend their unbeaten run in the Champions League to a record 26 matches.

Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes also scored for Pep Guardiola's side, who have not lost in Europe's elite club competition since the 2021-22 season and have seven points from three games this season.

City are third in the 36-team league phase, set on their way at the Etihad Stadium by Foden's third-minute opener.

Although that was the only goal of a one-sided first half, Haaland had the City fans on their feet before the hour mark, meeting Savinho's cross on the volley with a stunning flick to double City's lead.

Stones quickly made it three with a header from a cross from Nunes, who also teed up Haaland's second before getting the fifth goal himself.

With Haaland substituted and denied a hat-trick, despite attempting nine shots, Nunes converted an 88th-minute penalty to complete the scoring.

Data Debrief: City still unbeaten with hit man Haaland

Although City exited last season's Champions League with a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid, they are now unbeaten in 26 consecutive European Cup matches. That is the longest such sequence in competition history, surpassing Manchester United's 25 between 2007 and 2009, and coincides with Haaland's 2022 move to Manchester.

The City number nine has played in 23 of those 26 matches, scoring 21 goals. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy for rivals United has netted 20 Champions League goals for one club in fewer matches, doing so in 21 appearances.

Haaland will surely soon pass Van Nistelrooy's 60 career Champions League goals. His 44, including goals for Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, have already matched Didier Drogba's total at the age of 24.

Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead his side to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The win for Barca at their temporary Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys home ends a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouses.

Raphinha's inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kick-off as he received a fine pass through by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap and rounded the onrushing Manuel Neuer to tap into the empty net.

Harry Kane leveled the score with a volley in the 18th minute, only for Robert Lewandowski to put the home team back in front in the 36th minute against his former side after a mistake by Bayern's defence.

Raphinha then extended Barca's lead with two goals from quick counter-attacks either side of half-time.

Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games, while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.

Data Debrief: Bayern blown away by brilliant Raphinha

This was expected to be a tight contest between two behemoths of the European game, but Raphinha had other ideas as he struck the first of his three goals inside just 54 seconds.

That is the second-earliest goal Barca have scored in the Champions League, beaten only by Mark van Bommel's goal against Panathinaikos in 2005 after 36 seconds.

He is the first player to score twice in the first half of a Champions League game against Bayern since Neymar did so far Barcelona in May 2015, and he only added to the German side's misery with his third in the second period.

Darwin Nunez marked his return to the Liverpool XI with the only goal in his side's 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig as their 100% start in the Champions League continued on Wednesday.

With Diogo Jota ruled out because of injury, Nunez got his chance and delivered in the 27th minute by poking home from Mohamed Salah's header.

That proved enough to secure Liverpool's sixth away win out of six in all competitions this season and maintain an excellent start to new manager Arne Slot's reign.

The Reds also have a perfect record home and away in the Champions League, putting them second in the 36-team league phase with nine points, behind only Aston Villa on goal difference.

Liverpool had chances to add to their lead, seeing claims for a penalty waved away while Alexis Mac Allister hit the crossbar, but it was not all one-way traffic.

Lois Openda twice saw goals disallowed for offside, and Leipzig wasted several other promising opportunities as their wait for a first point goes on.

Data Debrief: Slot's stunning start continues

This was an 11th win from Slot's first 12 matches as Liverpool boss; no other manager has achieved that feat in English top-flight history.

Strong starts specifically in the Champions League are more commonplace for the Reds, with this their third campaign to start with three straight wins – all of those coming in the past five seasons. With a daunting schedule to come across all competitions, those nine points provide a vital buffer early in their European campaign.

Leipzig had more chances than most against this dominant Liverpool defence, but they were caught offside five times. On the occasions they did time their runs, the Bundesliga side were faced with an inspired goalkeeper in Caoimhín Kelleher, who made six saves, his joint-most in a European match.

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