Champions League drama galore – so why do we feel hollow?
Now then, which one of you hipsters decided to put Porto 0-1 PSV on? Oh dear. This was another night of Bigger Cup at its Bigliest self, comebacks everywhere, 40 goals in nine games, six of those in a best-v-best clash as Paris Saint-Germain rallied late against Barcelona. Even in defeat, Lamine Yamal found space to decorate the room with a ludicrous toe-poke equaliser, and there was a wholesome tale in Italy as Scott McTominay scored twice for Napoli in their 4-3 win against Bodø/Glimt.
These were his first strikes since returning from heart surgery, taking his tally at the club to 29 goals in 86 appearances. No wonder Erik ten Hag was peeved with his bosses at Manchester United for shipping the midfielder off to Naples. One has to admire the courage of Erik ten Hag, speaking out on Man United’s ‘toxic culture’ [yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition]. I broke out in a cold sweat reading about how they ‘give power to the players’.
The stuff of nightmares, really” – Rowan Sweeney. Roberto De Zerbi wants Spurs to be a family (yesterday’s Football Daily)? And he thinks playing for or with a family will avoid relegation? Well, I have this uncle. He’s called Weird Uncle Fiver (now there’s a throwback – Football Daily Ed), and he loves to [snip – Football Daily lawyers, and time-travelling pedants]” – Mike Wilner.
Background: how the league phase works
The Champions League format introduced in 2024/25 puts 36 clubs in a single league table. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. A win earns three points and a draw earns one. Because teams face different opponents, a single result does not tell the whole story of a club's position.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off; those finishing 25th or lower are eliminated. When following a match report, distinguish the result from its effect on qualification: that depends on the wider table and the fixtures still to come.
Read in depth: Sports
Brewers–Rays World Series brings two roof designs into focus
Milwaukee’s retractable roof and Tampa Bay’s permanent dome present different overhead obstacles after each ballpark saw a playoff fly ball strike a structure.
Manchester United identify possible Carrick replacements before Bournemouth match
Michael Carrick is expected to lead Manchester United on Sunday, but BBC Sport reports that the club has begun identifying possible replacements after its defeat by Como.
Sources and context
The GuardianSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-10-22. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.