Ademola Lookman responded to his coach’s criticism with a stellar performance, leading the line of top performances by African ballers. Read about all of it on our weekly football recap.
LOOKMAN SHOOTS ATALANTA BACK INTO SCUDETTO CONTENTION
Atalanta BC took on Empoli FC at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, aiming to put their midweek Champions League disappointment behind them.
The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute as the ball took a huge deflection off Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Gyasi and ended up in his own net. Mateo Retegui wasted no time in doubling their advantage, netting a second goal in the 33rd minute. Included in the starting XI for the first time since his return from injury, Ademola Lookman wasted no time in highlighting his importance to the Atalanta team. Lookman added a third goal for the visitors in the 43rd minute. Receiving a pass from Retegui in the box, he rounded the goalie up and shot the ball into the net to put clear daylight between the visitors and the hosts at the break.
The visitors maintained their clinical streak in front of goal in the second half, and Lookman was once again the star of the show. Connecting well with Marten De Roon’s pass in the 55th minute, he charged at the opposition defense. Following a quick step over in the box, he shifted the ball onto his left foot and lashed it into the net. He simply can’t stop scoring! Davide Zappacosta added a fifth for Atalanta in the 74th minute, and Lookman was substituted for Juan Cuadrado in the 76th minute. Atalanta got their unlikely Scudetto charge back on track, extending their unbeaten away run to 11 games in ruthless fashion.
THE UNRIVALED EGYPTIAN KING!
Premier League leaders Liverpool FC took on the faltering champions Manchester City away at the Etihad Stadium, eager to defend their title credentials.
The Reds got off to a much-desired start as the Reds caught the Cityzens out cold with a smart corner routine in the 14th minute. Alexis Mac Allister’s low corner cross was flicked deftly into Mohamed Salah’s path by Dominik Szoboszlai, and the Egyptian winger applied an emphatic, first-time finish to give the Reds the lead.
Salah’s compatriot Omar Marmoush thought he had drawn City level in the 31st minute, but his goal was ruled out for an offside in the buildup. Salah was at the heart of Liverpool’s second goal in the 37th minute. Receiving a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right wing, the Egyptian winger pulled Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol toward him, creating space for Szoboszlai before teasing the ball into the Hungarian midfielder’s path and applying a tidy finish. Roles reversed, and another goal for the league leaders!
The Reds took a two nil lead into the break. The second half was lively and Curtis Jones had a goal ruled out for Liverpool. Despite their dominance, City lacked an end product and the half remained goalless.
Salah became the first player to score and assist against the reigning champions in both games of the season. Additionally, he became the first player to record 40+ goal involvements across two different Premier League seasons. The win allowed Liverpool to go 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League, achieving the Premier League double over the reigning champions for a record-extending seventh time.
DOUCOURE AND BETO STRIKE FOR EVERTON IN STALEMATE
In-form Premier League side Everton FC played host to Premier League strugglers Manchester United at Goodison Park, aiming to extend their unbeaten run under new manager David Moyes.
The hosts went ahead through Guinea Bissau striker Beto in the 19th minute, capitalizing on a poor clearance by United’s defense. Following a brief moment of head tennis in the box, the clearance fell to Abdoulaye Doucoure on the edge of the box. Doucoure’s header fell into Beto’s path, and the striker applied a thunderous finish into the net. Despite a prolonged VAR check for offside, his goal stood. One nil to the home side. It was Beto’s fifth goal in four league games.
Abdoulaye Doucoure has a stellar record against The Red Devils in the Premier League, and he extended it once again as the hosts doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute. Following a quick passage of play, Jack Harrison’s shot was saved by Andre Onana, and Doucoure reacted quickly to turn the rebound into the net with a simple header. It was a second goal of the season for the Malian midfielder as Everton took a much-deserved lead into the break.
Two second half goals by Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte meant that the points were shared at the full time whistle as the hosts blew away their two nil lead.
WILLIAMS DELIGHT, SYLLA AGONY
Athletic Bilbao played host to Real Valladolid at the San Mamés, aiming to extend their fifteen-game unbeaten run and secure a vital win against La Liga’s bottom-placed side.
The visitors established their dominance early, taking the lead through Mikel Jauregizar in the 10th minute. Mamadou Sylla had a goal ruled out in the 34th minute due to an offside in the build-up to the goal. Bilbao was quick to capitalize on the disallowed goal as they ruthlessly hammered three goals into Valladolid’s net within the space of twelve minutes through Nico Williams, Maroan Sannadi, and Oihan Sancet, taking a four-nil lead into the break. Valladolid made a couple of attack-minded substitutions at the break in a desperate attempt to switch things up.
The substitutions seemingly paid off as Senegalese striker Mamadou Sylla struck at the heart of the Bilbao defense two minutes into the second half. Receiving a pass from Raúl Moro, Sylla charged into Bilbao’s box and did just enough to guide the ball into the net, his third league goal this season and first goal in 2025. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury in the course of the match.
All hopes of a comeback were brutally snuffed out by Nico Williams in the 66th minute as he restored Bilbao’s four-goal lead. Gorka Guruzeta piled on Valladolid’s misery in the 69th minute, turning Inaki Williams’ cutback into the net. Williams Senior got in on the act in the dying minutes of the game, netting the hosts’ seventh goal. The Ghanaian winger reacted quickly to connect with a rebound shot, rounded the keeper up, and lashed the ball into the net.
An excellent day at the office for Bilbao as they Condemning Valladolid to a sixth consecutive league loss
GUIRASSY NETS HAUL
Having secured their spot in the Champions League knockout stages in their midweek UCL Playoffs tie, Borussia Dortmund were eager to get back to winning ways as they took on Union Berlin at the Signal Iduna Park and put their previous consecutive league losses behind them.
They had a stroke of luck early on as Union Berlin center-back Diogo Leite netted a calamitous opening goal for Dortmund in the 25th minute. Guinean hitman Serhou Guirassy doubled the hosts’ lead in the 40th minute, guiding in Pascal Gross’ cross with a simple header at the far post. His tenth league goal in Black and Yellow colours! The hosts took a two-nil lead into the break.
Despite making a flurry of second-half changes, the half remained goalless till Guirassy opened the floodgates for Dortmund in the 75th minute. The same combination that produced their second goal produced the third as Gross flicked a simple pass into Guirassy’s path in the box, and the striker applied a left-footed finish. He completed his hattrick five minutes later, as Maximilian Beier unselfishly squared the ball into Guirassy’s path for a simple tap in following a well-worked team move.
Guirassy was unstoppable as he completed his haul three minutes later, combining with Gross once again. Gross teased a cross into the box, and Guirassy applied an emphatic-headed finish into the back of the net. Three goals in eight minutes for the Guinean striker. A clinical attacking display!
He was substituted for Jamie Gittens in the 84th minute, and Maximilian Beier netted their sixth goal in the 89th minute. A resounding victory for the hosts as they got back to winning ways in an emphatic manner.
HAKIMI NETS BRACE IN THRILLER
Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain visited sixth placed Olympique Lyonnais at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, aiming to extend their three game winning run and lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
PSG were lively in the first half and had a couple of chances but they failed to open the scoring as the match remained goalless at the break.
The goals started flowing in the second half as Moroccan fullback Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half. The fullback arrived unmarked in the box to drill Bradley Barcola’s low cross into the bottom corner. Joy and relief for the away fans!
Ousmane Dembele doubled the visitors’ lead with a superb solo effort six minutes later. Lyon found a lifeline through Rayan Cherki in the 83rd minute, but a comeback didn’t seem unlikely at that point. Hakimi wasted no time in extinguishing all hopes of a comeback for the hosts, netting his brace in the 85th minute. The fullback was on hand to turn in Lee Kang-in’s pass into the net, arriving on the overlap and lashing the ball into the net with a well-placed shot.
Corentin Tolisso netted a second goal for Lyon in the 92nd minute, but the visitors held on to secure the three points. The victory was PSG’s eighth consecutive victory across all competitions.
