Related items

• Girona confident they can be contenders on all fronts, says Michel

  Girona boss Michel says he is confident his side have what it takes to be contenders for the LaLiga, Champions League and Copa del Rey titles after a season in which they lit up Spanish soccer as a surprise package.

  Backed by the wealth of their Abu Dhabi owners and only four years after being promoted to Spain's first division, Girona went toe-to-toe with Real Madrid in the title race last season, beating Catalonia rivals Barcelona twice before finishing third and qualifying for European football for the first time.

  "We have a balanced squad, perfect to go out there and compete in all competitions," Michel told a press conference ahead of his side's LaLiga clash at Sevilla on Sunday.

  "We are the team that recovered the most balls in the opposition's half in the first three matches of the season, a step up from last year, when we were sixth from bottom.

  "I really don't care about the system we use, I care about our performance on the pitch, the way of doing things. We want numerical superiority with the ball and to regain it as quickly as possible."

  Michel praised the club's effort to revamp the squad with new signings in the close season, having lost several of his key players from last year.

  Although winger Savinho, striker Artem Dovbyk and versatile midfielder Aleix Garcia have all gone, Michel said he believed the arrivals of the likes of Abel Ruiz, Donny van de Beek, Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma would help his side step up.

  Girona will face the likes of Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and AC Milan in the Champions League this season.

  "Everyone is happy at the club because we have taken a step forward. Last year we had players on loan and only Danjuma, Bryan (Gil) and Oriol (Romeu) have come in this situation," Michel said.

  "I think we have a good squad for the style of play we want to show, and I think we are versatile enough to have a good year."

  Girona are seventh in the LaLiga standings on four points in three games, five behind leaders Barcelona. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

• Werder Bremen 0-0 Borussia Dortmund: Schlotterbeck sent off as BVB are held

  Borussia Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

  Defender Nico Schlotterbeck was sent off for Dortmund in the second half and Nuri Sahin’s side ultimately had to settle for a point.

  After an underwhelming start to the match, the visitors were more aggressive following the interval, with substitute Karim Adeyemi making an instant impact with an effort from more than 20 yards out. But Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer was in place to deny the forward.

  Dortmund were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd minute when centre-back Schlotterbeck received a second yellow card for sliding in on Bremen forward Justin Njinmah.

  BVB still pushed for a winner despite their numerical disadvantage, but a solid Bremen defence withstood late pressure to secure a point at home.

  Data Debrief: Defences on top

  Neither side can claim they were hugely unfortunate not to have scored, with Dortmund’s expected goals (xG) total of 0.61 only coming in marginally ahead of the hosts (0.41).

  BVB did have four shots on target, although all four came from the 58th minute onwards with two of them from substitutes in Adeyemi and Donyell Malen, while Bremen only tested Gregor Kobel – who now has two straight clean sheets – on one occasion.

  It was Marvin Ducksch who had the hosts’ only shot on target in his 100th Bundesliga appearance, the first six of which came as a Dortmund player.

  The result means Bremen end a run of four straight home defeats to Dortmund in Bundesliga play, although they have now gone nine such matches without a victory.

• Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life after Toney with comfortable win

  Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.

  Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.

  With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.

  Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.

  Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.

  Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home

  Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.

  Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.