With 37 goals and only one draw in the French top flight, life without Kylian Mbappé continues apace By Eric Devin for Get French Football News One of the biggest pieces of news in this first weekend after the closure of the transfer window was Kylian Mbappé’s impressive double, his first goals in La Liga, helping Real Madrid to a 2-0 victory over Real Betis. But while its most readily marketable asset may have departed this summer, that doesn’t seem to have taken any of the shine off Ligue 1’s ability to produce compelling, attacking football. On matchday three, across its nine games, the French top flight saw 37 goals scored, and only one team fail to find the net. Three teams (Brest, Lyon and Nice) scored four times in a set of results that featured only one draw all weekend. And while the (still very inevitable-looking) Paris Saint-Germain top the table with the division’s only perfect record, four other teams have taken seven points from their first three matches, setting up what looks to be a bumper battle for the European spots, despite a slight reticence to spend for many clubs and a raft of coaching changes as well. Continue reading...

Arne Slot’s will team face Real Madrid and MilanVilla return to elite with repeat of 1982 European final Liverpool will open their first campaign in the new, expanded Champions League with reruns of famous past finals against Milan and Real Madrid. Arne Slot’s side were also drawn to host Bayer Leverkusen, managed by their former midfielder Xabi Alonso, in a ceremony that began a fresh but uncertain era for Europe’s flagship club competition. The semi-automated draw pitted Aston Villa, who are returning to the top table after 31 years away, against Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final. Villa won that match 1-0; the following year they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Juventus, whom they will also face this time around. Like Bayern, the Italian side will travel to Villa Park in a significant milestone for the hosts’ development under Unai Emery. Continue reading...

Goalkeeper among players ostracised at ChelseaBlues give Spaniard new contract to keep value Bournemouth have signed the Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on a season’s loan. The Spain international was among the Chelsea players training away from the first-team group and spent last season on loan at Real Madrid. In 2018, Arrizabalaga became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after joining Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in a deal worth £71.6m. Arrizabalaga progressed through the ranks at Athletic towards the end of the Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola’s long spell as a player at the club. Continue reading...