Before the highly anticipated and marquee match against Serie A champions Napoli on Tuesday, Jude Bellingham, having scored seven goals in his initial eight games for Real Madrid, had already made a remarkable start with his new club.
The 20-year-old English talent extended his impressive performance in Italy, notching his eighth goal in a breathtaking manner—a skillful dribble past multiple defenders, followed by a precise cut-back and a clinical finish with his right foot.”
Bellingham’s most recent goal propelled the 14-time European champions to a 2-1 lead. Napoli’s Leo Skiri Østigård had initially given the hosts an early advantage, but Vinicius Junior equalized. A third goal would have secured the victory for Real Madrid. However, the Neapolitans were awarded a contentious penalty after a VAR review. Piotr Zieliński successfully converted it, preventing Bellingham from potentially being the decisive game-winner.
In an unexpected turn of events, a late own goal by Meret, following a powerful shot by Federico Valverde that hit the crossbar, deflected off the keeper, and went into the net, allowed Real Madrid to still claim all three points and return to the Spanish capital victorious from a match that truly lived up to its expectations
The beginning looked promising for Arsenal in their away match against the French team Lens. Following a confidence-boosting victory over PSV Eindhoven on Match Day 1, the Gunners swiftly took the lead at Stade Bollaert-Delelis courtesy of Gabriel Jesus. However, the situation took a downturn from that point onwards.
Initially, the hosts managed to level the score through an exceptional curling goal by Adrien Thomasson. Shortly after, Arsenal’s key forward, Bukayo Saka, suffered a non-contact injury, leading to his substitution from the game after just 34 minutes.”
‘In the latter stages of the second half, Elye Wahi managed to score the crucial goal for the home team, breaking the stalemate with approximately 20 minutes left. The match concluded with a 2-1 score. Surrendering the lead and departing with no points was disappointing, and the potential absence of Saka for an extended period is an added concern. Post-match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta indicated the severity of the injury, hinting at a grim situation. If this holds true, Tuesday turned out to be a double loss for the Gunners.’
Galatasaray had struggled to score an away goal in the Champions League for 20 matches. However, in Tuesday’s match against Man United at Old Trafford, the Turkish team broke this dry spell by netting three goals in a 3-2 victory, leaving the Red Devils with no points after their first two group stage games.
To make matters worse, Galatasaray scored their last two goals in the last 20 minutes of the rain-soaked match. United legend Peter Schmeichel, providing commentary for the official broadcast, immediately expressed his dissatisfaction, labeling the performance as “not acceptable” due to the evident mistakes.
Following a defeat to Bayern Munich in Germany two weeks prior, Erik ten Hag’s team had managed to recover with wins in the Premier League and EPL Cup. However, this momentum was shattered by the recent home loss against Crystal Palace over the weekend. The defeat against Galatasaray further highlighted the team’s struggles, especially when Mauro Icardi missed a penalty kick before ultimately scoring the winning goal.
Red Devils fans can find solace in the fact that two out of the club’s next three games will be played at home, one of which is a Champions League match against FC Copenhagen on Oct. 24. Failing to secure a victory in that match could likely spell the end for Ten Hag, assuming he remains the coach in three weeks’ time
Napoli vs Real Madrid final score
| Final Score | Goal scorers | |
| Napoli | 2 | Ostigard, Zielinski (p) |
| Real Madrid | 3 | Vinicius Jr, Bellingham, Meret (OG). |
Lineups:
Napoli (3-4-3): 1. Meret (GK) — 22. Di Lorenzo, 3. Natan, 55. Ostigard, 17. Oliveira (Rui, 88) — 20. Zielinski (Raspadori, 75), 99. Anguissa (Simeone, 88), 68. Lobotka (Cajuste, 88) — 21. Politano (Elmas, 70), 9. Osimhen, 77. Kvaratskhelia
Real Madrid (4-1-2-1-2): 25. Kepa (GK) — 2. Carvajal, 22. Rudiger, 6. Nacho, 12. Camavinga (Mendy, 64) — 18. Tchouameni — 8. Kroos (Modric, 64), 15. Valverde — 5. Bellingham — 7. Vinicius Jr (Ceballos, 85), 11. Rodrygo (Joselu, 75)