Diego Simeone says Atlético Madrid must improve at the back to start winning again.
Atlético have had a difficult week with Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Liverpool following the 3-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao last weekend.
They return to La Liga action at Real Sociedad on Saturday seeking to rediscover the form that brought them seven points from their first three matches.
"We have room for improvement, but the team has done some very good things," Atlético boss Simeone said ahead of his side's trip to San Sebastián.
"We need to improve defensively to keep clean sheets and have more opportunities to improve because we've scored in every match except one.

#madrid #league #bilbao

| Wednesday, September 9th |
Champions League | Anfield
8PM BST/3PM EST
Liverpool kick off the league phase of their 2026-27 Champions League campaign on Wednesday night under the lights at Anfield and while reality might always play out differently, on paper at least it seems likely to be the toughest test they will face before the knockout rounds—assuming, of course, that they make it that far.
It's also the first time new head coach Andoni Iraola will manage in the Champions League, having previously only managed AEK Larnaca in the Europa League in 2018-19, which required him to navigate six qualification matches before finishing third in their group behind Bayer Leverkusen and FC Zürich.
Wednesday, then, will be a much sterner test than he's faced before, at least in Europe. The Premier League though is no walk in the park, and Iraola has played and managed against Diego Simeone sides from his time as a player at Athletic Bilbao and then as a manager at Rayo Vallecano. One wouldn't expect, then, for anything he does see on Wednesday night to be truly unexpected or beyond his ability to prepare for.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1)

#least

Small-town club Elversberg continued a dream start to its first-ever Bundesliga season with another upset win, beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-3 with a stoppage-time winner on Saturday.
In Spain, Athletic Bilbao struck three times in the second half to beat Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid 3-0, while Erling Haaland led Manchester City to another victory in the Premier League.
From a town of just 13,000 people, Elversberg stunned another former champion after its win over Bayer Leverkusen last week.
This time, Elversberg did it without coach Vincent Wagner, who was sent off at halftime, only for Maurice Krattenmacher to score the dramatic late winner.
Wagner will miss hosting champion Bayern Munich next week.

#week #small

The scene in Bilbao, in 2024, foreshadowed the change that would come. Michele Kang, the owner of OL Lyonnes, strode around the edge of the pitch in the San Mames to greet the travelling supporters of the women's football powerhouse, who were buoyed by her ambition and intent to invest. Barcelona won 2-0 to lift their third Women's Champions League **** le in four years, thanks to goals from their two Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. But while Kang, the South Korean-born American billionaire and philanthropist, vowed that Lyonnes would return stronger, her sphere of influence was also primed to have an impact elsewhere.
As well as the French champions, Kang owned two other teams as part of her multi-club Kynisca group, the US side Washington Spirit and the London City Lionesses, based out of Bromley and playing in the second tier of English women's football. Two years on, driven by Kang's vision and fuelled by her deep pockets, London City have secured promotion and undergone a remarkable makeover. From that Champions League final alone, they have signed not just Putellas, making the Spain international and World Cup winner the biggest overseas signing in Women's Super League history, but two of her Barcelona team-mates in Mapi Leon and Jana Fernandez. From sister club Lyonnes, London City have signed two of their starting forwards in Kadidiatou Diani and Delphine Cascarino, as well as midfielder Danielle van de Donk.
Michele Kang celebrates London City's promotion to the Women's Super League in 2025 (Getty)
Within two years, London City have disrupted women's football and have now set their sights on challenging for the WSL **** le. It has not come cheap: Putellas was a free transfer but is one of the highest-paid women's footballers in the world at around £1m per year. Before the new season, London City have also signed former England goalkeeper Mary Earps from Paris Saint-Germain and have built a team set on challenging **** nal and Chelsea's dominance in the capital. In terms of transfer fees within the WSL, only **** nal and Chelsea have come close to matching the £1m London City paid PSG for midfielder Grace Geyoro last summer. Their position is also a unique one. Of the 14 teams in this season's expanded WSL, London City are the only independent outfit with no affiliation to a men's club, yet their spending comfortably exceeds that of Manchester United and Liverpool, despite the riches that flow from the Premier League.
Kang is the driving force. The 67-year-old, who made her fortune through healthcare technology in the US, is an investor in the true sense of the word, believing in the untapped value and potential of women's sports. Her philanthropy has extended to making $30m and $4m donations to US Soccer and USA Rugby respectively, the latter just hours after watching the US women's rugby sevens team win bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. London City are likely to make a financial loss in their second season o

Celta de Vigo and Athletic Bilbao go head-to-head at Estadio de Balaídos this Sunday in the La Liga.
Celta de Vigo have 1 point to their name this season and occupy 14th position in the table. In their last fixture, Claudio Giráldez's team suffered a 1-2 reverse against Osasuna (La Liga 2026/27).
Athletic Bilbao currently have 0 points and lie in 19th position. In their last game, Edin Terzic's team lost 2-0 against Barcelona (La Liga 2026/27).
The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw.
Unai Egiluz - Cruciate Ligament Tear

#position #team

Coming off a back-and-forth 2-2 draw against Villarreal, Diego Simeone's Atlético de Madrid side will travel to Sevilla this Saturday in hopes of securing their second win of the young season.
Sevilla have won both of their opening matches in La Liga: a last-second 2-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano and then a surprising 3-1 victory at Athletic Bilbao. Their intense pressing and counterattacking speed has been a key factor in their early success. Additionally, their ability to draw fouls in dangerous areas has caused havoc for their opponents. Sevilla thus far have drawn a pair of penalties and two red cards across their opening two games.
The two clubs faced each other most recently in April, when a penalty from Akor Adams (now playing at Venezia) and a thumping header from Nemanja Gudelj (now a free agent) helped the Andalusian side past Atlético, 2-1, in La Liga's first retro weekend.
Similar to the previous match day, Simeone will have to navigate player fitness concerns following the summer's World Cup, as well as the ongoing Julián Alvarez transfer soap opera.
Summer signing Cuti Romero is unlikely to start, as the coaching staff does not want to rush the defender into the starting 11 until they feel he is ready to perform. It has also been confirmed that Alvarez, who missed his third consecutive team training session in a row amid his rumored exit to ****** nal, will not play on Saturday at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Robin Le Normand will also be unavailable, as he will be serving a one-game suspension after his red card against Villarreal.

#sevilla #side #second #victory

Raphinha and Fermin Lopez goals helped Spanish champions Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Thursday in La Liga to continue their perfect start to the season.
The Catalan giants eased to a solid victory over their Basque visitors in their first game of the season at the partially-rebuilt Camp Nou, with new arrival Rodri coming on for his Barca debut.
Raphinha rounded the goalkeeper and slid home in the 37th minute to give Barca the lead, and Lopez netted after 82 minutes to secure the points, with the Catalans missing several chances for more goals and twice hitting the woodwork.
"Very happy to play my first game, happy with the victory, we've got two from two," Rodri told DAZN.
"It's important to keep building up rhythm and adapting to this great team. My first minutes and (I had some) good feelings."

#first #raphinha #minutes

After arriving as Barcelona's blockbuster signing of the summer, Rodri is now closing in on his first appearance in a Barcelona shirt.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish midfielder once again trained with the group, and Hansi Flick's coaching staff is working towards giving him his debut against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
Barcelona are preparing for their first league match at the Spotify Camp Nou, and Rodri's potential introduction would add extreme excitement to a fixture that already carries plenty of importance.
As such, Rodri has now completed consecutive sessions with the group, suggesting his integration is progressing as planned.
With Frenkie de Jong the only first-team player unavailable through injury, Flick had almost his entire squad at his disposal as preparations for Athletic Bilbao continued.

#group #according #mundo

Celtic will intensify their interest in Torino's Lithuania midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, 22, after the conclusion of the Scottish Premiership winners' Champions League play-off with LASK in Austria on Tuesday, with Celtic leading 3-0 from the first leg. (Sun)
Gineitis set up Scotland forward Che Adams' impressive consolation in Torino's 2-1 defeat by AC Milan on Sunday. (Scotsman - subscription required)
Manager Martin O'Neill backs right-back Colby Donovan to play a leading role at Celtic. (Record - subscription required)
First-choice Viljami Sinisalo, 24, is unconcerned about the prospect of Celtic signing another goalkeeper this window. (Sun)
Scottish forward Robbie Ure made his first Sevilla start and played the full 90 minutes in Sunday's 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. (Scotsman - subscription required)

#gineitis #scottish #play #leading

Cristian Romero has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid, with both clubs confirming the deal. Sources told ESPN that Spurs will receive €35 million plus €5m in variables for the centre-back, who has signed a five-year contract with Los Colchoneros.
Romero joined Tottenham initially on loan from Atalanta in 2021 and went on to make 156 appearances, scoring 13 goals across five seasons. He helped Spurs qualify for the Champions League and starred as Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar.
Cristian Romero playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
During an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign in which pressure mounted on head coach Ange Postecoglou, Romero made frequent thinly veiled criticisms of the board over a perceived lack of ambition. He later produced a string of outstanding displays to inspire Tottenham to European success in Bilbao.
Romero's departure follows Tottenham's summer arrivals of centre-backs Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.

#cristian #SPURS #five

"Spurs will always have a place in my heart", wrote Djed Spence before his move to Inter Milan was confirmed on Saturday.
Spence has signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions, who are reportedly paying a fee of around 30m euros, external (£25.6m) for the 26-year-old.
He joined Spurs for an initial £12.5m from Middlesbrough in 2022 and made 85 appearances for the north London side, helping them to win the 2024-25 Europa League ***** le.
"A special chapter comes to an end, It's been some journey, with plenty of memories, moments and experiences that I'll carry with me for forever, especially that night in Bilbao," he posted in a farewell message to Spurs supporters across his social media accounts.
"Thanks to all the staff members who've helped me along the way, the players who've become family and most importantly thank you to the fans. Time for a new chapter now, but Spurs will always have a place in my heart."

#chapter

Inter Milan have completed the signing of England full-back Djed Spence from Tottenham.
Spence has signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions, who are reportedly paying a fee of around 30m euros (£25.6m) for the 26-year-old.
He is the second England player to join Inter this summer with John Stones moving to the San Siro after his Manchester City contract expired.
Spence had all but confirmed the transfer earlier on Saturday, when he posted a farewell message to Spurs supporters across his social media accounts.
In them he wrote: "A special chapter comes to an end, It's been some journey, with plenty of memories, moments and experiences that I'll carry with me for forever, especially that night in Bilbao.

#Inter #serie

Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss several months of the new season after hip surgery during the summer.
The 34-year-old, who won the last of his 86 Ireland caps against New Zealand in November, missed the end of the northern province's season through suspension.
A red card against the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship [URC] resulted in a three-game ban that included the Challenge Cup final defeat by Montpellier in Bilbao.
The second row made his Ulster debut in April 2012 and first appeared for Ireland against South Africa in November of the same year.
A two-time tourist with the British and Irish Lions, he was named captain of his province following the retirement of Rory Best in 2019.

#ulster #season #iain #henderson

Leeds have confirmed the signing of James Trafford from Manchester City for an undisclosed club record fee, reported to be £40 million ($53.8 million) plus bonuses.
Trafford has agreed a five-year contract, while the deal eclipses the £36 million Leeds paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023 and also makes him the world's fourth most expensive goalkeeper.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea for £72 million), Alisson Becker (Roma to Liverpool, £67 million) and Andre Onana (Inter Milan to Manchester United, £47.2 million) are the only keepers to have cost more.
"Leeds United are delighted to confirm the signing of James Trafford," the club said in a statement.
"The 23-year-old England international arrives as our third permanent addition of the summer transfer window, after the acquisitions of Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, and becomes the most expensive British goalkeeper in history."

#trafford #year #expensive

Meet Ruairi. He’s a six-year-old Manchester United fan and is football bonkers. He lives five minutes from the ground and is already a regular in the Stretford End. He was a mascot for the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the year; he’s been on away days to Seville, Istanbul and Bilbao.
This same six-year-old superfan is now under suspicion of ticket touting. Under a widespread club probe, his account has been restricted pending a review. The future of his precious season-ticket is up in the air.
Ruairi is not a ticket tout.
“It’s scandalous,” his mother Kate, a season-ticket holder for 19 years, told The Independent. “You can put so much worry [on the situation]. We can’t tell our son that he’s not going to United. It’s our life, it’s what we do. It’s where I met my husband. It’s what we do every weekend together as a family. He’s obsessed.”
His dad Gary added: “If we told him he couldn’t go to games, he’d be devastated. Absolutely devastated.”

#ruairi #meet

Meet Ruairi. He’s a six-year-old Manchester United fan and is football bonkers. He lives five minutes from the ground and is already a regular in the Stretford End. He was a mascot for the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the year; he’s been on away days to Seville, Istanbul and Bilbao.
This same six-year-old superfan is now under suspicion of ticket touting. Under a widespread club probe, his account has been deactivated pending a review. The future of his precious season-ticket is up in the air.
Ruairi is not a ticket tout.
“It’s scandalous,” his mother Kate, a season-ticket holder for 19 years, told The Independent. “You can put so much worry [on the situation]. We can’t tell our son that he’s not going to United. It’s our life, it’s what we do. It’s where I met my husband. It’s what we do every weekend together as a family. He’s obsessed.”
His dad Gary added: “If we told him he couldn’t go to games, he’d be devastated. Absolutely devastated.”

#year #ruairi #meet #manchester

Manchester United are set for a major boost following Chelsea's ruthless decision regarding the future of Alejandro Garnacho, according to a new report.
Garnacho, 22, joined Chelsea last summer after an explosive fallout with then-head coach Ruben Amorim, with the Blues agreeing to pay £40 million for the Argentina international. The pair clashed over the Portuguese tactician's decision to start Mason Mount ahead of him for the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, a match which ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat for the Red Devils.
In a post-match interview at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Garnacho claimed he would be reassessing his future at Old Trafford after being dropped. This led Amorim to tell him he was free to leave in front of the entire squad in a meeting after flying back to Manchester.
Alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia, Garnacho was placed in the infamous 'bomb squad', made to train separately from the first team as the club sought permanent exits for each member.
There was serious interest from Italy, spearheaded by Napoli, but the winger was intent on sealing a switch to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea having expressed interest in the January 2025 transfer window.

A Texas heatwave met an equally scorching tactical battle in Dallas in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Old rivals Spain and Portugal locked horns in a monumental World Cup round of 16 clash that, for the most part, felt more like a chess match than a chaotic goalfest.
Both managers set up teams that essentially cancelled each other out for vast swathes of the evening. The first half yielded minimal clear openings. The biggest scare for La Roja came from a looping Nuno Mendes cross that ricocheted violently off Unai Simón’s crossbar and flashed away to safety. Spain controlled the tempo with their trademark fluid passing sequences, but found a resilient Portuguese low block incredibly tough to break down. Up front, Cristiano Ronaldo cut an isolated figure as teenage sensation Pau Cubarsí matched his movements step for step.
Just as extra time seemed a certainty, Luis de la Fuente flipped the script. Fresh legs from the bench injected life into a tiring side, and the tactical gamble yielded pure gold in the 90th minute. Mikel Merino broke into the box, connected with a dramatic cross, and sparked unbridled Spanish pandemonium in the stands. Here is how each individual fared on a historic night in Dallas.
The Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper commanded his penalty area with absolute authority when things got tense. He anticipated overtop through-balls quickly and comfortably gathered a tricky cross under heavy pressure right before the halftime whistle.
An energetic performance down the right flank. He locked horns fiercely with João Félix and timed his overlapping runs well, though his final delivery occasionally lacked the precision needed to unlock a stubborn defence.

Nico Williams has criticised Uruguay's Nicolas de la Cruz for a "completely unnecessary" tackle that injured the Spain winger, who is expected to miss at least his nation's World Cup last-32 fixture.
Williams sustained a muscle injury following the challenge in a 1-0 win for Spain that sent Uruguay home, calling it "one of the worst days of my life".
De la Cruz was booked for the tackle in added time, before team-mate Agustin Canobbio was shown a straight red card for diving in on Pau Cubarsi.
Williams, 23, has had an injury-disrupted season with Athletic Club in Bilbao and only made brief appearances as a substitute in Spain's three group games.
"Today is one of the worst days of my life. I am injured again after a very difficult year," he posted on social media.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente didn't hide his admiration for Uruguay's Marcelo Bielsa ahead of the nation's decisive World Cup match on Friday.
The game in Guadalajara is one of the most anticipated of the group stage, with European champion Spain and South American powerhouse Uruguay fighting for first place in Group H. Uruguay will likely face elimination if it loses at Guadalajara Stadium.
De la Fuente said he knows Bielsa well, having spent time watching him train at Athletic Bilbao in the early 2010s. De la Fuente was in the early stages of his coaching career at the time and spent the time with Bielsa just before he took over the helm of Spain's youth squads.
"I'm an admirer," De la Fuente said about Bielsa on Thursday. "I've followed his career closely. When he was at Athletic, I spent five or six months going every day to watch his training sessions and I learned a lot. I have all his training sessions recorded. He's been an innovator in many ways. I've been lucky enough to have stayed in contact with him and have private conversations about soccer with him. This is the first time we are going to face each other and it's an honor and a pleasure for me."
Bielsa felt he didn't influence De la Fuente that much, considering the style of soccer played by Spain.

Spain’s national team lineup is CONFIRMED for its FIFA World Cup debut against Cape Verde at 1 p.m. this Monday (15).
Head coach Luis de la Fuente has some major absences. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are not 100% fit and will start on the bench.
As a result, Ferran Torres and Gavi get a chance in the starting XI to join Oyarzabal in Spain’s attack.
There was one question mark in goal between Unain Simon (Athletic Bilbao) and David Raya (Arsenal). Unai Simon wins that battle.
So, Spain’s lineup is: