African footballers dominated headlines with their heroics, showcasing clinical, match-winning displays. From Achraf Hakimi and Bryan Mbeumo’s braces to Yan Diomande’s stellar performance to Azzedine Ounahi’s thunderbolt, and Gift Orban’s goal, we bring you all the action across Europe in this weekly football recap episode.
HAKIMI’S FIVE-STAR PERFORMANCE
Achraf Hakimi’s clinical five-star performance led PSG to a resounding victory against Stade Brestois at the Stade Francis-Le Blé.
The match got off to a lively start, and Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring for PSG in the 29th minute. Timing his run to perfection, he connected perfectly with Vitinha’s exquisite lofted pass over the top of the defence and volleyed it home. His first goal of the season for Les Parisians. Ten minutes after netting the opener, Hakimi completed his brace. Following a quick give-and-go with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Hakimi crashed the ball into the net from close range. A finishing masterclass from the Moroccan fullback!
Brest were offered a lifeline from the spot, but Romain Del Castillo spurned the chance in the 59th minute.
Désiré Doué added a third for PSG late on. A superb performance from Hakimi; two goals and one clean sheet. An important victory for PSG as they ended their two-game winless run in Ligue 1.
ORBAN SCORES BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH
Gift Orban helped Hellas Verona to a draw against Cagliari Calcio in their Matchday 8 Serie A fixture at the Marcantonio Bentegodi. Roberto Gagliardini’s penalty gave Verona the lead in the 23rd minute, and his header was the difference between the two sides at the interval.
Gift Orban doubled Verona’s lead in the 59th minute to bag his second goal in Verona colours. It was a lightning-fast counterattack as Verona turned defence to attack in the blink of an eye, and Orban provided the finishing touch to Giovane’s pass. The lively Orban got a deserved reward for his hardworking efforts. The embattled attacker is finding his footing in the Italian top-flight. Goals by Riyad Idrissi and Mattia Felici swung the match in Cagliari’s favour, but neither side managed to find the winner. A thrilling draw that saw both sides take an equal share of the spoils.
DIOMANDE SPARKLES IN ROUT
Yan Diomande ran the show as RB Leipzig put FC Augsburg to the sword ruthlessly in their Bundesliga fixture away at the WWK ARENA. Ivorian sensation Yan Diomande got the visitors to a perfect start in the 10th minute, capping off a well-worked team move with an emphatic finish, scoring his first goal in Leipzig colours.
Romulo Cardoso doubled Leipzig’s lead in the 18th minute, and Antonio Nusa extended their lead further in the 22nd minute. Yan Diomande unselfishly squared the ball across to Nusa for a simple finish. A first assist of the season for Diomande and Nusa’s first goal of the season. The 18-year-old Yan Diomande was at it once again, teeing up Christoph Baumgartner in the 38th minute. An elite attacking display from the teenager as Leipzig ran riot against Augsburg away from home.
Assan Ouedraogo added a fifth for Leipzig in the 56th minute, and Castello Lukeba rounded up the scoring in the 65th minute. A ruthless display of clinical efficiency from RB Leipzig as they strengthened their grip on second place in the Bundesliga.
OUNAHI AND CARMO STRIKE IN THRILLER
A battle between the league’s bottom-placed sides ended all square in Girona’s thrilling clash at the Estadi Montilivi. Federico Vinas’ 38th-minute penalty was the difference between the two sides following a tense first half. The game sprang to life after the restart as both sides came out flying out of the blocks. Salomón Rondón added a second goal for Overdo in the 58th minute with a towering header before Cristhian Stuani halved the deficit for Girona with a well-taken penalty in the 64th minute, five minutes after his introduction.
59th-minute substitute Azzedine Ounahi had an instant impact, netting a stunning long-range effort to level proceedings. Exchanging quick passes with Thomas Lemar, Ounahi took aim from about 20 yards out and rifled an unstoppable effort into the back of the net, crashing off the upright on its way in. A wondergoal out of nothing!
Cristhian Stuani gave Girona the lead in the additional minutes of stoppage time. Still, Angolan centre back David Carmo rescued a point for Real Oviedo in the final minutes of the game, thumping the rebound from a saved shot into the net. The on-loan defender netted his first goal for Oviedo since joining them on loan from Nottingham Forest. The game ended in a draw, and the two sides remain in the relegation zone.
SUPER BRYAN MBEUMO
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace powered Manchester United to victory in their Premier League fixture against Brighton FC at Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha grabbed the opener in the 24th minute, and Casemiro doubled United’s lead ten minutes later. The Red Devils took a comfortable two-nil lead into the break. Bryan Mbeumo got in on the act just after the stroke of the hour mark. Benjamin Sesko teased a pass to Mbeumo on the edge of the box, and cutting onto his left foot, he rifled the ball into the bottom corner. Despite a VAR review, the goal was awarded.
Danny Welbeck pulled one back for Brighton with a stinging free kick in the 74th minute, and Charalampos Kostoulas’s 92nd-minute header reduced the deficit further for Brighton. An unlikely comeback for Brighton was on the cards before Bryan Mbeumo struck decisively to quell any hopes of a Brighton comeback and all but secure the three points for United in the 97th minute. Mbeumo raced on to Ayden Heaven’s incisive pass and smashed the ball into the net. The Cameroonian winger has now scored in consecutive league appearances for Manchester United, following up from his heroics against Liverpool.
SALAH’S THUNDERBOLT NULLIFIED AS OUATTARA LIFTS BRENTFORD
Dango Ouattara condemned Liverpool to a 3:2 defeat in their Premier League clash against Brentford FC at the Gtech Community Stadium. Dango Ouattara got Brentford to an explosive start, banging the opener in the 5th minute. Kristoffer Ajer flicked Michael Kayode’s long throw towards Ouattara, and the Burkinabe winger applied an artistic acrobatic finish to silence the Liverpool faithful. The goal was Ouattara’s second goal in Brentford’s colours.
Kevin Schade added a second for Brentford on the stroke of the 45th minute, but a Milos Kerkez goal deep into stoppage time halved the deficit for Liverpool. Brentford took the lead into the break. The second half started on a positive note for the Bees as Virgil Van Dijk brought Ouattara down on the edge of the box and Brentford were awarded a spot kick. Igor Thiago made no mistake and restored Brentford’s two-goal margin on the stroke of the hour mark from the penalty spot.
Mo Salah has come under fire recently and silenced his critics with an 89th-minute masterpiece. The Egyptian winger controlled Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross beautifully with his left foot and thundered the ball into the top corner with his right foot, his shot crashing off the crossbar on the way in. His goal was not enough as Liverpool succumbed to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat.
