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      Champions League LIVE SCORES: Arsenal take on Shakhtar, Real Madrid vs Dortmund, Aston Villa in action – latest updates

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      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football is BACK this week and there are some cracking clashes on offer around Europe. The action begins tonight as Premier League giants Arsenal take on Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Jude Bellingham faces his old side as Real Madrid come up against Borussia Dortmund in a rematch from last season’s final.And Aston Villa hope to make it three wins from three as they host Serie A outfit Bologna. Stream/TV: Discovery+/TNT SportsKick-off times: 5.45pm BST/8pm BSTUnder the lightsSettle in and cue the music – the Champions League is back.This madcap new format has thrown up goals galore in the early weeks of the season.Nobody appears quite sure what is going on and why, but it’s all good fun as we head into Gameweek 3.There are 9 games on the slate tonight, including two early kick-offs from Italy and France.AC Milan welcome Club Brugge, looking to get their first point of the tournament, while Red Star Belgrade visit a Monaco team unbeaten since early August.Arsenal and Aston Villa both continue their own European adventures later on, with home ties under the lights.The Gunners face Shakhtar at the Emirates for the first time since 2010, when they put 5 past the Ukrainians.While Villa hope to continue their fairytale return to the biggest stage, hosting Bologna and targeting a third-straight win.Let’s get this show on the road.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopied More

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      European giants in freefall with ‘world’s greatest stadium’ left abandoned and owner told to go home and never return

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      THEY were in the Champions League final two seasons running just two decades ago.But now one of Europe’s biggest clubs are in freefall.Furious fans protested after defeat left the club bottom of the leagueCredit: x @sanchis14No work has been done on their new stadium since 2009Credit: GettyThe ghostly shell of a ground sits in the middle of a major European cityCredit: GettyA skip was set on fire as fans protested against the ownershipCredit: X @pacopolitThey currently sit bottom of the league on just six points and staring down the barrel at relegation.And following their latest humiliating defeat, fans blockaded the stadium in the hope of trapping the hated owners inside.Meanwhile, construction of a new ground which was meant to be the ‘world’s greatest stadium’ has ground to a complete halt with nothing done since 2009.As a result of the Nou Mestalla being left an empty shell with no plan for work to restart, it was scrapped as a World Cup 2030 host venue.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd all of this has left the club’s fans furious with owner Peter Lim, who also owns Salford City, alongside Gary Neville and a group of Man Utd legends.Valencia were Champions League finalists in 2000 and 2001, losing to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.But a 3-2 home defeat to Las Palmas on left the club staring down the barrel at relegation.They now sit rock bottom of La Liga, two points off 17th-placed Leganes.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAhead of the Las Palmas game, manager and club legend Ruben Baraja commented that the club would not be able to aim any higher than simply avoiding the drop this season.He said: “When we talked about our objectives, what we wanted was to stop the suffering, to improve in that sense. Huge title-deciding match suspended with stadium evacuated and second half played the following day with no fans“But the league campaign has brought us to this scenario. It is what it is.”Footage from the streets in Valencia showed a skip set on fire as the police attempted to disperse the post-match protest.Valencia now sit bottom of La LigaCredit: GettyThey were beaten 3-2 at home by Las PalmasCredit: GettyThe club hold long term plans to move away from their current stadiumCredit: Getty More

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      Aston Villa could be undone by their OWN PLAYER vs Bologna despite him never starting a game as rule explained

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      ASTON VILLA could be undone by their OWN player when they play Bologna tonight.Unai Emery’s side are looking to make it three wins from three in the Champions League after a 3-0 win over Young Boys and 1-0 win over Bayern Munich.Samuel Iling-Junior is on loan at Bologna from Aston VillaCredit: RexIling-Junior is able to play against his parent club tonight so could be a huge own goalCredit: RexThe next test as they bid to strengthen their spot in the top eight qualifying spots sees them host Italian side Bologna.However, Villa may end up shooting themselves in the foot.That is because they have Samuel Iling-Junior on loan at the Serie A outfit.Iling-Junior joined the midlands club as part of the deal that took Douglas Luiz to Juventus.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut Villa opted to loan the 21-year-old out in order to continue his development before he ever played a game for them.While this would not be a problem if it was an English domestic competition, there are no rules restricting loan players from facing off against their parent club in Uefa competitions.Previous examples where this has been seen included Philippe Coutinho facing off against Barcelona while playing for Bayern Munich, scoring two goals and adding an assist in an 8-2 win.Another saw then-Chelsea loanee Thibaut Courtois playing for Atletico Madrid and subsequently knocking out the Blues.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSKingsley Coman is another prime example when he made one and scored one goal for Bayern Munich to knock Juventus out at the last-16 stage in 2016.Fortunately, Villa’s fate will not be decided by tonight’s result, though it could serve to be a dent to their aspirations to make the knockout rounds.Emi Martinez reveals Unai Emery’s genius pre-match preparation that inspired Aston Villa to win over Bayern MunichIling-Junior has played five times off the bench for Bologna this season, scoring once.Bologna lost 2-0 to Liverpool in their last Champions League game, while their opener ended in a 0-0 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.Speaking about his return to England to play Villa Iling-Junior told Sky Sports: “You always want to feel wanted and have conversations with the people around you.”Especially being part of a swap deal, you want to know you’re not just a part of it and are someone that is wanted by the club. “Aston Villa made me feel that way.”On his loan transfer, he added: “It was more about seeing the progression of my career and my development.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I could have had another year where I was coming off the bench and not getting as many minutes as I would like.”So I spoke to the coach and we decided it was best for me to go on loan.” More

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      Man Utd face tricky task even Sir Alex Ferguson couldn’t pull off with only one Red Devils manager doing it in 20 years

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      MANCHESTER UNITED face a tricky task when they take on Fenerbahce in the Europa League.The Red Devils will face a familiar foe as former manager Jose Mourinho is now in charge of the Turkish side.Sir Alex Ferguson never managed an away win over Jose MourinhoCredit: APThe Portuguese boss has only lost one home game against Man UnitedCredit: PAOle Gunnar Solskjaer got the better of Mourinho in 2021Credit: AFPThe two sides will face off on Thursday evening at the Şükrü Saracoğlu in Turkey.Man United have faced away games against a Mourinho side 11 times in the last two decades.The Portuguese manager can boast an almost impeccable record against the Red Devils.Only once has a Man United side ended on the winning side in an away fixture against Mourinho.READ MORE ON MAN UTDThat was in 2021, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer masterminded a 3-1 win over Spurs.The Norweigian is the only Man United boss to manage the feat ahead of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag.Ferguson had seven attempts to beat Mourinho away from Old Trafford but failed each time.He was beaten by Mourinho’s Porto side in 2004 in the Champions League and by the boss’ Chelsea team in that year and in 2006.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe Scot was held to draws on four other occasions before it was Moyes’ turn.The former West Ham manager only had one shot at beating Mourinho but lost 3-1 to his Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge in 2014.What Sir Alex Ferguson ruthlessly told Man Utd stars after Aguero’s iconic goal won Man City the Premier League The Special One also beat Van Gaal in his one opportunity as the Red Devils lost 1-0 in 2015.Solskjaer faced Mourinho twice while he was at Tottenham and drew the first away meeting 1-1 in 2020 before getting the win the following year.Fenerbahce appointed Mourinho as manager in June, and he has only lost one of his six home matches.That defeat came in a 3-1 loss to arch-rivals Galatasaray in September.Mourinho spent just over two seasons as Manchester United’s manager during the spell when the club failed to beat him away from home.During his time at Old Trafford, he oversaw the club reach a record 40 home games in a row unbeaten.The Red Devils only lost a total of nine games out of 63 under Mourinho at home. More

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      Fans can’t believe Theo Walcott’s ‘shocking’ blind ranking of top 10 Champions League stars and ask ‘is this a prank?’

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      THEO WALCOTT has been mocked by fans after his blind ranking of Champions League stars.The pundit was asked to judge stars one by one on where they fit in a top ten order.Theo Walcott was mocked by fans over his selectionCredit: Instagram @bbcsportAnd fans were left shocked by some of Walcott’s picks, with even the former winger himself not entirely happy with his selection.Thierry Henry was the first name out of the hat and as a long-time admirer, Walcott placed his former team-mate at the top of the rankings.Next came five-time Champions League winner Paolo Maldini, and Walcott sparked outrage from fans by putting the legendary centre-back in NINTH spot.Walcott drew criticism for placing Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos in tenth despite his six Champions League wins, with Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney ranked above him.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLUnfortunately for Walcott he only had one spot left by the time Lionel Messi was picked out, meaning the Argentine had to be picked in third spot behind Henry and Zinedine Zidane.Fans were quick to tear into former Arsenal star Walcott, with many particularly dismayed by Henry’s placing.One fan reacted saying: “This is shocking. I didn’t think it could get worse after he put Henry 1st, then he puts Mr Champions League Maldini 9th 🤦‍♂️ I stopped watching.”Another added: “Henry 1st 😂😂 And off you go immediately. Banter FC gonna banter.”Most read in Champions LeagueHe was criticised for his ranking of multiple Champions League winnersCredit: Instagram @bbcsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSA third wrote: “Is this a prank! Please post the real video.”And another commented: “I stopped watching after he placed Henry at number 1 due to the fact that he is one of his favorite players.”Arsenal train ahead of their Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk A final person said simply: “Everything was wrong.”Walcott’s punditry career has taken off this season with him joining the punditry team on Match of the Day following Ian Wright’s departure. More

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      Youri Tielemans mixing it with Dream Team’s elite midfielders despite not scoring goals

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      YOURI TIELEMANS (£4m) is long overdue some praise from Dream Team HQ.Truth be told, we ignored the Aston Villa midfielder’s lofty ranking earlier in the season because we foolishly thought his returns would fall away sooner rather than later.We owe Tielemans an apologyCredit: Dream TeamHowever, with the campaign now into its eighth Gameweek, the Belgium international is still mixing it with the most successful assets in his position and deserves suitable recognition.At the time of writing, Tielemans is ranked eighth among midfielders with an overall tally of 72 points.For context, he’s just one point behind James Maddison (£4.6m) and five shy of Brennan Johnson (£4m), who was by far and away the most popular recruit in the game over the international break.What’s remarkable is that Tielemans has scored just one goal in all competitions this season – against Young Boys in the Champions League back in Gameweek 4.In fact, he’s registered just three shots on target in ten outings.Tielemans’ only goal this season came against Young BoysCredit: GettyThe 27-year-old’s relative lack of goal threat has been partially offset by his creative output.He’s provided four assists and created six big chances in total; only three midfielders rank above him in each metric at present.Even so, one goal and four assists accounts for just 18 points, which is the lowest total earned through goal involvements among the top ten midfielders.Most read in FootballThe secret to Tielemans’ success is that he’s excelled in other aspects of the game.His tally of 14 bonus points is only bettered by Maddison and Eberechi Eze (£4.9m) among all players while just three players in his position have made more tackles.Tielemans is a key player for Emery’s sideCredit: ReutersThe statistics reinforce what the Villa Park faithful have observed of Tielemans, he’s a well-rounded midfield player who ticks a lot of boxes.Despite having scored just one goal, he averages 7.2 points-per-game in 2024/25.For comparison, Luis Diaz (£4.6m), Alejandro Garnacho (£3.6m), Mohammed Kudus (£4.8m), Anthony Gordon (£4.4m), Morgan Rogers (£3m) and Bruno Fernandes (£5.3m) are all among the list of midfielders who average fewer points-per-game than Tielemans this season.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWWhether the Belgian can maintain his lofty rank going forward remains to be seen but he won’t lack fixtures with the Villains’ Champions League commitments bolstering their schedule this term.In fact, Unai Emery’s side are due to host Bologna this evening and so there’s every chance Tielemans will improve his rank further before Gameweek 8 concludes.He’s a player to monitor closely at the very least…BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

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      How to watch Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk for FREE and why is the Champions League clash not on TNT Sports?

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      ARSENAL host Shakhtar Donetsk in a huge Champions League clash at the Emirates TONIGHT.The Gunners claimed their first triumph in Europe last time out after a dominant 2-0 win over PSG.Arsenal claimed their first Champions League win of the season against PSG last time outCredit: PAKai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were on the scoresheet as Arsenal’s unbeaten start to their Champions League campaign continued.However, the Gunners did suffer their first defeat of the season on the weekend after a 2-0 defeat away at Bournemouth in the Premier League.Arteta was dealt a huge blow in first-half after William Saliba was sent off to take Arsenal’s red card tally to three for the season.The North Londoners will be looking to bounce back with a huge win in the Champions League tonight – and you can catch all the action for FREE.READ MORE IN ARSENALHow to watch Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League for FREEThis season’s Champions League has seen a new broadcaster enter the UK scene.Amazon Prime Video will be showing the top Tuesday match in the iconic European competition each week at no additional cost to Prime members.Should you not currently hold a subscription, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial which will give you access to all the benefits of being a Prime member.Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk is the third Champions League clash to be broadcast on Amazon Prime this season.Most read in Champions LeagueWhy is Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk not on TNT Sports?TNT Sports – formerly BT Sport – have held the rights to air European football in the UK since 2015.This year, the broadcasting giants will still show 184 of the 204 matches live, but both Amazon Prime Video and the BBC now have coverage rights until 2027.BBC’s coverage is restricted to highlights, but Amazon Prime Video will be exclusively showing the top Tuesday match for the next three seasons, including Arsenal’s clash with Shakhtar Donetsk this evening.Who is on Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage?Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage will see Gabby Logan as the streaming giant’s lead presenter.Punditary will come from the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Daniel Sturridge, Josie Henning, Frank Lampard, Gael Clichy and Laura Georges.Jon Champion and Alan Shearer will provide live commentary of every top Tuesday Champions League fixture, with Gabriel Clarke and Alex Aljoe reporting from inside the stadium More

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      Why is William Saliba not suspended for Arsenal’s Champions League match tonight against Shakhtar Donetsk?

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      ARSENAL fans had been preparing themselves for life without William Saliba following his red card against Bournemouth – but he is available for selection TONIGHT!The French phenomenon earned his first-ever sending-off after VAR intervened and upgraded an initial yellow card to a red.William Saliba committed a foul on EvanilsonCredit: RexThe ref had a look at the challenge on the monitorCredit: RexWilliam Saliba’s yellow card was upgraded to a redCredit: GettyAnd in normal procedures, Saliba would be suspended for the next match on the fixture list.However, the highly-rated centre-half is part of the squad for Arsenal’s home fixture tonight due to rules and regulations.SunSport can explain what this is below.Why is William Saliba not suspended for Arsenal’s Champions League match tonight?William Saliba is eligible to play for Arsenal tonight as his suspension is for domestic competitions only.Read more on ArsenalAnd with this upcoming fixture being a European encounter, the Frenchman will be able to partner alongside Gabriel once again.Saliba became the third Arsenal player to see red in eight Premier League matches for the Gunners this season.Declan Rice was sent off against Brighton while Leandro Trossard received a red in the frenetic Manchester City clash.Leandro Trossard was the last player to get sent off for ArsenalCredit: GettyWhy did William Saliba get sent off?The Frenchman was initially booked for pulling back Bournemouth striker Evanilson.Most read in Champions LeagueSaliba attempted to stop the Brazilian who was ready to burst completely clear mid-pitch.VAR Jared Gillett summoned on-pitch ref Rob Jones to the monitor.And after looking, Jones had no doubts as he waved a red to reduce the Gunners to 10 men.How many matches will William Saliba miss for Arsenal?Fortunately for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, William Saliba will miss just ONE game.Had it been violent conduct, he would have been suspended for three matches.However, that one match is against red-hot Liverpool this coming weekend at the Emirates.What has been said?Mikel Arteta highlighted that his side playing with ten men is always a problem.”Playing with 10 men always is an issue.”The trust is, when you analyse it, three different very actions and the outcome of them, the reasons are very different.”Regardless of that we cannot continue to play with 10 men at this level. We need to eradicate that, it’s clear.”Arteta added: “The reasons, how; it doesn’t matter. We have to focus.”We cannot continue to play with ten men, easier to say it then to get it done,” he said. READ MORE SUN STORIES”Specific moments. Reacting, we have a defeat. Very specific conditions as well.” More