Real Madrid Thrash Real Sociedad 4-1 as Mbappé Hat-Trick Celebrates Mourinho Homecoming
Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid recovered from an uneasy first half to beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Bernabéu. José Mourinho’s halftime changes helped transform the match, while Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham also played decisive roles.
MADRID: For almost 40 minutes, José Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu looked considerably less romantic than the occasion suggested it should be.
Real Madrid were loose in possession, vulnerable whenever Real Sociedad broke forward and increasingly uncomfortable under the impatience of their own supporters.
Then Kylian Mbappé changed the temperature of the stadium.
By the time the night was over, the French forward had scored a hat-trick, Vinícius Júnior had contributed a goal and an assist, Jude Bellingham had created two goals, and Real Madrid had turned first-half jeers into a 4-1 victory that felt far more significant than an ordinary early-season win.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 40th minute, only for Luka Sučić to punish Madrid’s defensive uncertainty four minutes later and send the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
Mourinho responded.
Marc Cucurella was introduced at the break, Madrid increased the tempo dramatically, and Real Sociedad suddenly found themselves facing a team that attacked with greater width, intensity and purpose.
Mbappé restored the lead in the 60th minute after combining sharply with Bellingham. Vinícius made it 3-1 eight minutes later after Bellingham won possession high and supplied the cross. Mbappé then completed his treble in the 80th minute, lifting a composed finish over Álex Remiro after Vinícius released him behind the defense.
The final score was emphatic.
The more interesting story was how quickly the match changed.
Madrid did not dominate from beginning to end. They solved a problem in real time, and that may be the most encouraging sign of Mourinho’s second spell so far.
Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad: Match at a Glance
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | LaLiga 2026-27 |
| Fixture | Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad |
| Venue | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| Real Madrid scorers | Kylian Mbappé 40′, 60′, 80′; Vinícius Júnior 68′ |
| Real Sociedad scorer | Luka Sučić 44′ |
| Key creator | Jude Bellingham, two assists |
| Real Madrid coach | José Mourinho |
| Halftime score | 1-1 |
| Real Madrid league record | Two wins from two matches |
The fixture had originally belonged to LaLiga’s opening round but was rescheduled because of Madrid’s involvement deep into the previous Club World Cup. The official LaLiga fixture page lists the game at the Bernabéu, while Real Madrid confirmed Mourinho’s starting XI before kickoff.
The Scoreline Hides How Uncomfortable Madrid Looked Early
A 4-1 result can create the impression of complete control.
That would be a misleading description of the first half.
Real Sociedad entered the Bernabéu without a point after losing their opening league match against Real Betis, a contest The Sports Encounter covered after Rodrigo Riquelme’s decisive strike.
Yet Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team showed no signs of arriving merely to survive.
Takefusa Kubo immediately looked dangerous between Madrid’s midfield and defensive lines, Mikel Oyarzabal moved intelligently across the front, and Sociedad repeatedly attacked the spaces Madrid left behind when possession broke down.
The visitors should probably have scored first.
Kubo intercepted a loose Madrid pass near the penalty area in the 10th minute and released Oyarzabal, whose close-range effort forced Thibaut Courtois into an important save.
Sergio Gómez later sent a volley narrowly wide.
The Bernabéu noticed.
So did Mourinho.
Madrid had the players to control the match but were not controlling the moments that mattered.
The problem was rhythm, not simply possession
Madrid could circulate the ball.
The problem came when that circulation needed to become penetration.
Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde could provide structure, while Arda Güler and Bellingham occupied advanced positions behind Mbappé.
Sociedad were nevertheless finding enough time to reset whenever Madrid slowed their combinations.
More concerning was what happened after turnovers.
The hosts occasionally looked stretched, and their new defensive combinations were not always synchronized when Sociedad attacked quickly.
This is exactly the kind of issue Mourinho was hired to solve.
When TSE examined Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid, the central argument was that the club had strengthened the squad so aggressively that there would be very few excuses if the team remained structurally vulnerable.
The opening half-hour offered an early reminder that expensive recruitment does not automatically create collective understanding.
Mbappé Changes the Match With One Ruthless Action
Madrid needed someone to turn an uncomfortable performance into a different game.
Mbappé did it in the 40th minute.
Valverde collected possession beyond midfield and spotted the forward beginning his run before Sociedad could reorganize.
The pass split the defensive line.
Mbappé accelerated onto it, moved into the box and drove a powerful finish into the top corner.
The goal was classic Mbappé.
The attack did not require a long passing sequence or intricate combination around the penalty area.
One midfielder recognized the space.
One forward attacked it faster than the defense could react.
Madrid were 1-0 ahead.
For a few minutes, it appeared Mbappé might have solved the first-half problem by himself.
Sučić Exposes Madrid’s Defensive Problem Four Minutes Later
Real Sociedad’s equalizer was important because it prevented Madrid from reaching halftime with an undeserved sense of security.
Job Ochieng attacked a long ball as Madrid’s defensive line struggled to deal cleanly with the situation.
The ball eventually fell toward Luka Sučić on the right side.
He had enough time to compose himself before drilling a low finish beyond Courtois.
Four minutes after Mbappé had lifted the Bernabéu, the score was 1-1.
The goal highlighted the precise issue Mourinho will have seen repeatedly during preseason.
Madrid possess defenders with outstanding individual qualities.
The collective relationships are still developing.
Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, Denzel Dumfries and Álvaro Carreras are talented players, but a defensive line functions through spacing, communication and shared decisions as much as individual ability.
Sociedad found enough uncertainty to punish them.
The Bernabéu Jeers Were Important
Madrid supporters have never been particularly patient with performances that feel passive.
That relationship with the team is part of the Bernabéu’s identity.
The crowd can inspire players.
It can also tell them very clearly when the standard is not being met.
The first half ended with frustration around the stadium because the supporters had expected something more aggressive from Mourinho’s homecoming.
Real Madrid had already won their first league match away to Espanyol.
Now came the first opportunity to show the Bernabéu what Mourinho’s rebuilt side might become.
Forty-five minutes had produced more uncertainty than authority.
The second half produced the answer.
Mourinho’s Halftime Intervention Changes the Geometry of the Game
Marc Cucurella entered at halftime.
The substitution mattered, but the wider change mattered more.
Madrid played faster.
Vinícius attacked his defender more directly.
Mbappé found more space between and behind Sociedad’s center-backs.
Bellingham pressed higher and became more involved close to goal.
The hosts began recovering possession in areas where Sociedad had much less time to reorganize.
Suddenly, Real Sociedad were not facing the same Real Madrid team.
This was less about a complicated tactical revolution and more about changing the speed and aggression of the contest.
Mourinho’s best teams have always understood when matches need to change rhythm.
Madrid spent the first half allowing Sociedad to remain comfortable enough to compete.
After halftime, they stopped giving them that comfort.
Cucurella’s value extends beyond the left-back position
Cucurella was one of Mourinho’s first major additions after returning to Madrid.
TSE previously examined why Mourinho targeted the Spanish defender to reshape Madrid’s left side.
His value lies partly in aggression.
Cucurella is comfortable stepping forward, defending proactively and playing with an intensity that can change the emotional tempo of a match.
Wednesday provided an early example.
Madrid’s second-half transformation cannot be attributed to one player alone, but his introduction coincided with the team becoming much harder to play through and much faster when moving forward.
Mbappé and Bellingham Produce the Goal Mourinho Will Love Most
Madrid regained the lead on the hour.
This time, Mbappé’s goal came through combination rather than pure transition.
He exchanged a quick one-two with Bellingham, continued his run inside the area and finished low beyond Remiro.
The sequence was simple.
Its significance was not.
Madrid’s attack contains several players who naturally want decisive responsibility.
Mbappé wants the central spaces.
Vinícius wants freedom from the left.
Bellingham wants permission to arrive near goal.
Arda Güler wants the ball between the lines.
The challenge is ensuring those ambitions complement rather than obstruct one another.
The second goal showed what happens when they connect naturally.
Bellingham did not need to dominate possession.
He simply recognized Mbappé’s movement and gave him the return pass at exactly the right moment.
Bellingham’s Press Creates Vinícius’ Goal
The third goal may have been even more encouraging for Mourinho.
It began without the ball.
Bellingham pressured Sociedad near their own byline and won possession in a dangerous area.
Instead of resetting, he immediately played the low ball across goal.
Vinícius arrived to finish from close range.
Madrid were 3-1 ahead in the 68th minute.
The attacking names will receive the headlines.
The mechanism behind the goal matters just as much.
High pressing creates a completely different kind of chance from patient buildup.
The defense has no time to organize.
Passing lanes appear instantly.
One aggressive recovery can eliminate several opponents from the play.
Mourinho has rarely been a coach who presses for aesthetic reasons.
He wants pressure to create advantage.
Bellingham did exactly that.
Vinícius and Mbappé Finish the Night as Partners, Not Rivals
The relationship between Madrid’s two most explosive forwards remains one of the most important questions around the team.
Both players naturally attack from the left half of the pitch.
Both want opportunities to carry the ball.
Both expect decisive involvement.
That can create congestion if roles are unclear.
It can also become devastating when the movement is complementary.
The fourth goal was an example of the second possibility.
Vinícius received possession and spotted Mbappé attacking behind the defense.
His pass released the Frenchman.
Mbappé stayed composed and lifted the ball over Remiro to complete his hat-trick.
Three goals for Mbappé.
A goal and an assist for Vinícius.
Two assists for Bellingham.
Madrid’s three biggest attacking personalities had all contributed directly.
That is far more valuable to Mourinho than simply having one star dominate the statistics.
Madrid have already removed uncertainty around Vinícius by agreeing a long-term contract, a move TSE analyzed when the Brazilian committed his future to Real Madrid through 2032.
The footballing challenge is now ensuring the attack develops the same stability.
Mbappé Looks Ready to Become the Center of Mourinho’s Madrid
There is another important takeaway from the hat-trick.
Mourinho has inherited several elite attackers, but Mbappé increasingly looks like the player around whom the decisive moments will be organized.
The French forward offers something that fits naturally with Mourinho’s instinct for attacking space.
He does not need 20 passes before becoming dangerous.
One turnover can release him.
One vertical pass can break a defensive line.
One combination around the box can create a shooting opportunity.
That makes him unusually difficult to neutralize because opponents cannot defend only one type of attack.
His first goal came through transition.
The second came through combination play.
The third came from movement behind the defensive line and a composed finish.
Three goals.
Three slightly different problems for Real Sociedad.
Bernardo Silva Quietly Helps Madrid Control the Middle
Not every influential performance required a goal or assist.
Bernardo Silva’s role remains one of the most interesting parts of Mourinho’s midfield construction.
The Portuguese midfielder arrived this summer after years at Manchester City, bringing experience in controlling possession under pressure.
TSE’s analysis of Bernardo’s Real Madrid arrival argued that he could give Bellingham greater freedom by absorbing more responsibility during buildup.
That possibility was visible again here.
Bernardo does not need to make the final pass to influence the attacking structure.
His movement creates passing angles.
His press resistance allows Madrid to move through midfield without forcing the ball forward prematurely.
His positional awareness also helps protect the spaces left when Madrid’s attacking players move aggressively ahead of him.
The balance remains unfinished.
The first half proved that.
The second half showed the potential.
Real Sociedad’s Performance Was Better Than the Score Suggests
A 4-1 defeat can look catastrophic when viewed without context.
Sociedad’s first half did not resemble a team being overwhelmed.
They created the better early chances.
Kubo caused problems.
Oyarzabal nearly scored.
Gómez went close.
Sučić deservedly equalized.
The visitors’ problem came after the interval.
Madrid increased the intensity and Sociedad could no longer maintain the same control during transitions.
Once Mbappé scored the second, the match became increasingly stretched.
That was exactly the environment Madrid wanted.
Sociedad had to take greater risks to chase the score, leaving Mbappé and Vinícius more room to attack.
The final margin grew rapidly.
Two defeats create immediate pressure
Real Sociedad have now begun their league campaign with consecutive losses.
They were beaten narrowly by Betis.
They have now conceded four at the Bernabéu.
Those results are very different in character, but the table does not distinguish between them.
Matarazzo’s team need points quickly.
The encouraging part is that they showed enough attacking quality during the first half in Madrid to suggest the problems are not purely creative.
The more urgent concern is sustaining that quality once opponents increase the tempo.
Madrid’s Defense Still Gives Mourinho Work to Do
The second-half scoreline should not erase the warning signs from the first.
Madrid’s defensive structure remains a work in progress.
Sociedad generated several dangerous situations without requiring long spells of dominance.
Loose possession created problems.
The back line occasionally became disconnected.
Oyarzabal found space too easily for his early chance.
Sučić’s equalizer exposed hesitation when Madrid failed to deal with the first ball.
Mourinho will appreciate the four goals.
He is unlikely to enjoy reviewing those sequences.
The difference between domestic dominance and Champions League-level control will eventually be determined by whether Madrid can eliminate these moments.
Mourinho’s Bernabéu Return Could Hardly Have Produced a Better Second Half
The personal context around Mourinho was impossible to ignore.
This was his first competitive home match as Real Madrid coach since his original spell ended in 2013.
The stadium had changed.
The squad had changed.
Football had changed.
Mourinho’s relationship with the Bernabéu remains unmistakably familiar.
The supporters demanded more during the first half.
His team responded after the break.
That sequence probably suited Mourinho more than an effortless victory would have.
He has always been most comfortable when matches contain tension, correction and response.
The Bernabéu gave him criticism.
His team gave him a reaction.
Mbappé gave him the goals.
Real Madrid Have Six Points, but the Performance Matters More
Madrid have opened their league season with two victories.
The first came away against Espanyol.
The second produced four goals at home.
Six points represent the outcome Mourinho needed.
The progression between those matches may matter more.
Preseason had already provided clues about the direction of the team. Madrid’s narrow victory against Deportivo showed that Mourinho could organize the side to survive a difficult match even when attacking fluency was limited.
That game, covered in TSE’s Teresa Herrera analysis, exposed some of the same challenges Madrid encountered in Wednesday’s opening half.
Creating chances against organized opposition remains a developing process.
The difference now is that Madrid showed they can change the game without waiting until the next fixture to solve the problem.
Three Turning Points That Decided Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
Mbappé breaks the tension in the 40th minute
Madrid had been struggling for rhythm before Valverde’s vertical pass gave Mbappé the type of space he punishes better than almost anyone in football.
Why it mattered
The goal prevented Sociedad’s strong opening from becoming a lead and briefly changed the emotional pressure inside the Bernabéu.
Sučić equalizes before halftime
Madrid’s defensive hesitation allowed Sociedad back into the match only four minutes later.
Why it mattered
The equalizer forced Mourinho to address the performance rather than protect a flattering halftime advantage.
Mourinho changes the rhythm after the break
Cucurella’s introduction coincided with a more aggressive Madrid approach, while Bellingham, Vinícius and Mbappé began connecting much higher up the field.
Why it mattered
Madrid scored three unanswered goals in 20 minutes and turned an evenly contested game into a rout.
Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé
There is no serious alternative.
Mbappé scored three times and provided the decisive attacking solution whenever Madrid needed one.
His first goal relieved pressure.
His second put Madrid back in control.
His third ended the contest completely.
The most encouraging aspect was the variety.
This was not a striker collecting three identical close-range finishes.
Mbappé attacked space, combined around the box and punished a defensive line forced to defend higher as Sociedad chased the match.
For Mourinho, that versatility creates enormous tactical freedom.
The Final Word: Madrid’s Reaction Was More Important Than the Rout
Real Madrid 4, Real Sociedad 1.
The scoreboard makes the evening look straightforward.
It was anything but straightforward for the first 45 minutes.
Sociedad exposed Madrid’s defensive uncertainty, created dangerous chances and deservedly reached halftime level.
The Bernabéu was unhappy.
Mourinho had a problem.
His team solved it.
That is the part of this victory that matters most.
Madrid returned after halftime with greater aggression, sharper spacing and much clearer attacking relationships.
Bellingham pressed and created.
Vinícius scored and assisted.
Cucurella helped change the energy.
Mbappé finished everything.
The hat-trick will dominate the highlights, and rightly so.
The wider message is more interesting.
Mourinho’s rebuilt Real Madrid are still imperfect, particularly without the ball.
They are already showing something championship teams need: the ability to recognize when a match is going wrong and change it before the points disappear.
Madrid entered halftime to jeers.
They left the Bernabéu with four goals, six points from two league matches and Mbappé carrying the match ball.
Mourinho’s homecoming did not begin with nostalgia.
It began with a warning, an adjustment and then a ruthless response.
That may tell us considerably more about his second Real Madrid era than an easy 4-0 victory ever could.
Follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer coverage for Real Madrid, LaLiga, European football and the biggest stories shaping the 2026-27 season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad score?
Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on August 26, 2026.
Who scored for Real Madrid against Real Sociedad?
Kylian Mbappé scored three goals, while Vinícius Júnior scored Madrid’s other goal.
Who scored Real Sociedad’s goal?
Luka Sučić scored in the 44th minute to make the score 1-1 before halftime.
Did Kylian Mbappé score a hat-trick?
Yes. Mbappé scored in the 40th, 60th and 80th minutes.
Who assisted Mbappé’s goals?
Federico Valverde created the opening goal, Jude Bellingham combined with Mbappé for the second, and Vinícius Júnior assisted the third.
How many assists did Jude Bellingham record?
Bellingham produced two assists, setting up Mbappé’s second goal and Vinícius Júnior’s goal.
Was this José Mourinho’s first match back at the Bernabéu?
It was Mourinho’s first competitive home match as Real Madrid coach since his previous spell ended in 2013.
Why did Marc Cucurella come on at halftime?
Mourinho introduced Cucurella as part of a halftime adjustment after Madrid struggled with rhythm and defensive transitions during the opening 45 minutes. Madrid played with much greater intensity after the break.
How many league matches have Real Madrid won this season?
Real Madrid have won their opening two LaLiga matches, giving them six points.
Who do Real Madrid play next?
Real Madrid are scheduled to host Málaga in their next LaLiga fixture.
Who do Real Sociedad play next?
Real Sociedad are scheduled to host Espanyol in their next league match.
Breaking News
Champions League Play-Offs: Fenerbahçe Return, Viking Make History as AEK and Slovan Advance
Fenerbahçe ended their long Champions League absence, Viking reached the competition proper for the first time, AEK Athens crushed Levski Sofia, and Slovan Bratislava survived extra time to complete a dramatic night of qualification.
EUROPE: Four matches. Four tickets to the Champions League. Four very different ways of earning them.
Fenerbahçe ended a long absence from Europe’s biggest club competition by winning in Lyon. Viking FK turned a historic opportunity into the greatest European night in the Norwegian club’s history. AEK Athens transformed a finely balanced tie into a four-goal procession, while Slovan Bratislava needed extra time in Slovenia before finally breaking Celje.
By the time Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League play-off action was finished, the final pieces of the 36-team league-phase field had fallen into place.
Fenerbahçe defeated Lyon 2-1 in France to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
AEK Athens swept Levski Sofia aside 4-0 after the first leg had finished goalless.
Viking recovered from conceding first to beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 and complete a 5-3 aggregate victory.
Then came the longest contest of the evening.
Slovan Bratislava defeated Celje 2-1 after extra time, Cristian Martínez scoring in the 100th minute to settle a tie that had remained level after three and a half hours of football across two legs.
The four winners now move into the 2026-27 Champions League league phase. The defeated sides drop into the UEFA Europa League league phase.
Yet the results alone do not capture what happened.
This was a qualifying night built around different forms of pressure. Fenerbahçe carried years of frustration. Viking carried history. AEK carried expectation. Slovan carried a match that refused to end.
All four found a way through.
Champions League Play-Off Results: August 26, 2026
| Second Leg | Result | Aggregate | Qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon vs Fenerbahçe | 1-2 | 2-3 | Fenerbahçe |
| AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia | 4-0 | 4-0 | AEK Athens |
| Viking FK vs Dinamo Zagreb | 3-1 | 5-3 | Viking FK |
| Celje vs Slovan Bratislava | 1-2 after extra time | 2-3 | Slovan Bratislava |
The full qualifying structure, results and league-phase process can be followed through UEFA’s official Champions League qualifying guide.
Readers can also follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer coverage for European football news, match analysis and major tournament stories.
Fenerbahçe Finally Return to the Champions League Proper
Of all four qualifiers, Fenerbahçe carried perhaps the heaviest historical burden.
The Turkish giants had not appeared in the Champions League proper since the 2008-09 season.
That drought had survived multiple qualifying campaigns, major transfers, managerial changes and repeated domestic title challenges.
It ended in Lyon.
Fenerbahçe arrived at Groupama Stadium with the tie balanced at 1-1 after the first leg in Istanbul.
Within 28 minutes, they had completely changed the mathematics.
Vedat Muriqi strikes first
Vedat Muriqi opened the scoring in the 24th minute after Fenerbahçe began the match with greater attacking intent.
It was an important goal psychologically as well as mathematically.
Lyon had been expected to benefit from home advantage after surviving the first leg without defeat. Instead, they suddenly found themselves chasing.
Four minutes later, the task became much harder.
Archie Brown made it 2-0 to the visitors after Mason Greenwood helped create the opening.
Fenerbahçe had turned a 1-1 aggregate tie into a 3-1 advantage before Lyon had properly settled into the contest.
The Turkish side had also hit the woodwork through Oğuz Aydın before the opening goal, underlining how aggressively they approached the match.
Malick Fofana gives Lyon hope
Lyon responded after halftime.
Malick Fofana scored in the 61st minute to reduce the deficit and change the emotional direction of the second half.
At 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate, one more Lyon goal would have forced extra time.
The pressure increased.
Fenerbahçe defended deeper, Lyon pushed more bodies forward and the margin between qualification and another painful European elimination became increasingly narrow.
The visitors held firm.
The final whistle confirmed something Fenerbahçe supporters have waited almost two decades to experience again.
Their club is back among Europe’s Champions League elite.
This is bigger than one qualifying victory
Fenerbahçe have remained one of Türkiye’s largest football institutions throughout their Champions League absence.
That made the drought more uncomfortable rather than less.
The club continued attracting major players and carrying expectations that reached far beyond domestic competition.
European qualification repeatedly became an obstacle.
Winning in Lyon therefore carried significance beyond the immediate 3-2 aggregate score.
It closed a long-running gap between Fenerbahçe’s stature and their presence on Europe’s biggest stage.
The league phase will ask much harder questions.
For now, simply being there again matters.
Viking FK Turn a Historic Opportunity Into Reality
Fenerbahçe were returning to a stage they knew.
Viking were entering one they had never reached.
The Norwegian club defeated Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 in Stavanger to advance 5-3 on aggregate and qualify for the Champions League proper for the first time.
The achievement became even more remarkable because Wednesday’s second leg initially appeared to be moving in Dinamo’s direction.
Dinamo score first and briefly regain control
Arber Hoxha put Dinamo Zagreb ahead in the 10th minute.
The Croatian champions had entered the evening after surrendering a two-goal lead in the first leg, where Viking recovered from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw in Zagreb.
Hoxha’s early goal restored Dinamo’s aggregate advantage and placed immediate pressure on the Norwegian side.
Viking responded quickly.
Captain Zlatko Tripić converted a penalty in the 18th minute to level the match.
That goal stabilized the hosts.
The decisive sequence arrived immediately after halftime.
Two goals in three minutes break Dinamo
Edvin Austbø scored in the 48th minute.
Tobias Moi followed in the 50th.
In less than three minutes, Viking went from a tense 1-1 draw to a commanding 3-1 advantage.
Dinamo never recovered.
The Croatian side had experienced the same problem across both legs.
They could create advantages.
They could not protect them.
Viking repeatedly responded to adversity with greater composure.
That became the defining difference in a 5-3 aggregate victory.
Viking’s qualification changes the club’s European history
There are European victories that improve a season.
There are others that permanently change how a club understands itself.
This belongs in the second category.
Viking will now appear in the Champions League proper for the first time.
The achievement is also another signal of Norwegian football’s growing European strength.
Bodø/Glimt had already qualified through the other side of the play-off round after defeating NEC Nijmegen 6-1 on aggregate.
Now Viking join them.
For a league often operating outside the financial scale of Europe’s biggest competitions, having two Norwegian clubs reach the Champions League league phase is a significant statement.
AEK Athens Turn a 0-0 Tie Into a 4-0 Rout
AEK Athens produced the least dramatic qualification of the night.
That may also have been the most impressive performance.
The first leg against Levski Sofia had finished 0-0 in Bulgaria.
Everything remained open.
Seven minutes into the return match in Athens, Luka Jović began closing it.
By the 29th minute, the tie was effectively finished.
Luka Jović opens the door
Jović scored in the seventh minute from Lazaros Rota’s assist.
The former Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt striker had already come closest to scoring in the first leg when he struck the crossbar.
In Athens, he needed only seven minutes to find the breakthrough.
The goal immediately forced Levski into a more adventurous game.
That created the spaces AEK wanted.
Barnabás Varga takes over
Barnabás Varga doubled the lead in the 12th minute.
Seventeen minutes later, he scored again.
AEK had gone from a goalless aggregate tie to 3-0 ahead before half an hour had been played.
Varga’s brace changed the evening from qualification tension into damage limitation for Levski.
Răzvan Marin added the fourth in the 55th minute.
The remaining half-hour became a celebration.
AEK were going back to the Champions League.
AEK return after an eight-year absence
The Greek champions had not appeared in the Champions League proper since 2018-19.
Their history in the competition stretches much further back, but this will be only the sixth season in which AEK have reached the group or league stage.
That context makes Wednesday’s performance important.
The first leg had contained enough uncertainty to create pressure.
AEK removed that pressure themselves.
Four goals without reply transformed the tie into the night’s clearest statement.
For a broader look at Europe’s current competitive landscape, The Sports Encounter’s UEFA Super Cup report examined how Paris Saint-Germain began the new European season by defeating Aston Villa in Salzburg.
Slovan Bratislava Need 120 Minutes to Break Celje
The final ticket took considerably longer to issue.
Slovan Bratislava and Celje had drawn 1-1 in Slovakia.
After 90 minutes in Slovenia, they were still level on aggregate.
Only in extra time did the tie finally break.
Andraž Šporar strikes against the Slovenian champions
Andraž Šporar gave Slovan the lead in the 18th minute.
The goal carried an additional layer of tension because Šporar is one of Slovenia’s most recognizable international forwards.
Celje responded before halftime.
Svit Sešlar converted a penalty in the 34th minute to restore parity.
The score remained 1-1 through the rest of regulation.
Across two legs, the clubs had now produced 180 minutes of football without separating themselves.
Extra time became unavoidable.
Cristian Martínez delivers the decisive moment
The breakthrough arrived in the 100th minute.
Cristian Martínez scored for Slovan Bratislava, with Nino Marcelli involved in the decisive move.
Celje were now chasing the tie again with little room for recovery.
They could not find another equalizer.
The night became even more painful when Andrej Kotnik was sent off late in extra time.
Slovan survived the remaining moments and completed a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Slovan return to the Champions League proper
The qualification sends Slovan Bratislava into the Champions League proper for the second time.
Their previous appearance came in 2024-25.
That experience matters.
For clubs outside Europe’s largest domestic leagues, qualification itself can transform finances, visibility and squad planning.
Returning only two seasons later suggests Slovan are beginning to turn European access into something more sustainable.
The team also carries an unusual figure into the league phase.
Former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré is now coaching Slovan, having previously made 70 Champions League appearances as a player.
His next experience in the competition will come from the technical area.
Four Qualifiers, Four Completely Different Stories
Looking at Wednesday’s matches together reveals why the Champions League play-offs remain one of the most compelling parts of the European calendar.
The same prize carried very different meanings for every club.
Fenerbahçe ended a drought
The Turkish giants have possessed Champions League ambition throughout their absence.
What they lacked was Champions League participation.
Winning in France finally closed that gap.
Viking created history
The Norwegian club had never reached this stage before.
There was no memory to restore.
There was history to create.
They did it after conceding first against one of Eastern Europe’s most established European clubs.
AEK turned expectation into authority
The Greek champions entered the night with home advantage and a tie that remained completely open.
They responded by scoring three times inside 29 minutes.
That was not survival.
It was control.
Slovan survived the narrowest margin
The Slovak champions required 100 minutes in the second leg before finding the goal that finally separated them from Celje.
One extra-time finish decided 210 minutes of football.
That is how thin the difference between Champions League and Europa League football can become.
Dinamo Zagreb’s Collapse May Be the Night’s Biggest Failure
Among the four eliminated sides, Dinamo Zagreb will probably feel the deepest frustration.
The Croatian champions had led the first leg 2-0 after only 10 minutes.
They allowed Viking to recover to 2-2.
They then scored first in Norway.
Again, the advantage disappeared.
This time it disappeared completely.
Across the tie, Dinamo led three separate times.
They still lost 5-3 on aggregate.
That points toward something more concerning than one bad defensive sequence.
European knockout football punishes teams that repeatedly fail to manage advantageous moments.
Viking did not simply overpower Dinamo.
They kept receiving opportunities to return to the tie and kept taking them.
Dinamo’s elimination will therefore require a much more uncomfortable review than the final score alone suggests.
Lyon’s Exit Shows Why Home Advantage Is Not Enough
Lyon’s elimination carries a different frustration.
The French side returned from Istanbul with a 1-1 draw and the second leg at home.
On paper, the situation looked favorable.
Fenerbahçe ignored the script.
The visitors attacked the opening half aggressively and built the two-goal advantage that ultimately decided the tie.
Fofana gave Lyon hope, but the comeback never developed.
The result also creates another early European storyline for French football.
Lyon had begun the Ligue 1 season positively and entered the match carrying momentum.
The Champions League demanded a different level of precision.
Four minutes of first-half vulnerability were enough to end the campaign.
The League Phase Now Has Its Full 36-Team Field
Wednesday’s qualifiers complete the Champions League play-off process.
Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens, Viking and Slovan Bratislava join Tuesday qualifiers Sabah, LASK and Bodø/Glimt as the seven teams that emerged from the play-off round.
Those seven clubs join the 29 teams that qualified automatically for the 36-team league phase.
The UEFA Champions League now moves toward the league-phase draw on Thursday, August 27.
For the newly qualified clubs, the pressure changes immediately.
Until Wednesday night, the question was whether they could get there.
Now the question is who they will face once they arrive.
What the League Phase Means for the Four Winners
Fenerbahçe
The return carries enormous commercial and sporting significance.
High-profile players now receive the Champions League stage the club recruited them to reach.
The challenge will be proving that qualification represents the beginning of something rather than the completion of the season’s main European objective.
Viking
Every league-phase match will carry historical significance.
The club will enter against teams with greater budgets, deeper squads and more European experience.
That imbalance will also remove much of the expectation.
Viking have already achieved something unprecedented.
They can now discover how far that momentum travels.
AEK Athens
The 4-0 victory suggests AEK possess enough attacking quality to trouble teams when the game opens.
The league phase will provide a much harder test of whether that aggression survives against elite opposition.
Slovan Bratislava
Experience from 2024-25 should make the return less overwhelming.
Slovan know the demands, logistics and punishment that come with Champions League football.
The objective will be converting that familiarity into stronger results.
European Football Is Getting Harder to Predict
Viking’s qualification may be the most useful reminder of how the European map continues to evolve.
Traditional reputation remains important.
It is no longer enough.
Dinamo Zagreb entered the tie with decades of European experience and a significantly stronger Champions League history.
Viking eliminated them.
Bodø/Glimt have already demonstrated that Norwegian clubs can build sustainable European performance through recruitment, coaching and tactical identity.
Viking’s breakthrough expands that argument.
Similar stories are emerging elsewhere.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s unusual circumstances will create another distinctive Champions League narrative this season, with the Ukrainian champions set to stage their European home matches at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United also return to the competition after finishing third in England, a challenge examined in our analysis of Michael Carrick’s Manchester United rebuild.
The league phase will therefore contain familiar giants, returning powers and clubs arriving with little historical precedent.
That mixture is part of what makes Thursday’s draw so important.
The Final Word: One Night Changed Four Clubs’ Seasons
Champions League qualification is technically only the beginning.
For the four clubs that survived Wednesday, it already feels like an achievement large enough to define a season.
Fenerbahçe can stop talking about when they will return to the Champions League.
They have returned.
Viking can stop imagining what the competition might feel like.
They are going to experience it for the first time.
AEK Athens can look back at a nervous goalless first leg and wonder why they ever needed to worry.
Slovan Bratislava can look at the 100th minute in Celje and identify the precise moment their European season changed.
That is what Wednesday night’s play-offs produced.
Not simply four winners.
Four completely different journeys arriving at the same destination.
The qualifying rounds are finished.
The 36-team Champions League field is complete.
Now the competition stops being about getting through the door.
From Thursday’s draw onward, it becomes about what each of these clubs can do once they are inside.
Follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer section and The Sports Encounter home page for Champions League coverage, European football analysis, match reports and the major stories shaping the 2026-27 season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which teams qualified for the Champions League on August 26?
Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens, Viking FK and Slovan Bratislava won their play-off ties and qualified for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase.
What was the Lyon vs Fenerbahçe score?
Fenerbahçe beat Lyon 2-1 in France and advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
Who scored for Fenerbahçe against Lyon?
Vedat Muriqi scored in the 24th minute before Archie Brown made it 2-0 four minutes later. Malick Fofana scored Lyon’s goal in the second half.
When did Fenerbahçe last play in the Champions League proper?
Fenerbahçe’s previous appearance in the Champions League proper came in the 2008-09 season.
What was the AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia score?
AEK Athens won 4-0 and advanced by the same aggregate score after the first leg in Bulgaria finished 0-0.
Who scored for AEK Athens?
Luka Jović opened the scoring, Barnabás Varga scored twice and Răzvan Marin added the fourth.
Did Viking qualify for the Champions League for the first time?
Yes. Viking’s 5-3 aggregate victory over Dinamo Zagreb secured the Norwegian club’s first appearance in the Champions League proper.
What was the Viking vs Dinamo Zagreb score?
Viking won the second leg 3-1 after the first match had finished 2-2, giving the Norwegian club a 5-3 aggregate victory.
Who scored for Viking?
Zlatko Tripić scored from the penalty spot before Edvin Austbø and Tobias Moi added second-half goals.
What happened in Celje vs Slovan Bratislava?
Slovan Bratislava won 2-1 after extra time and advanced 3-2 on aggregate. Andraž Šporar scored first, Svit Sešlar equalized from the penalty spot, and Cristian Martínez scored the decisive goal in the 100th minute.
What happens to Lyon, Levski Sofia, Dinamo Zagreb and Celje?
The four eliminated teams move into the UEFA Europa League league phase under UEFA’s competition structure.
When is the 2026-27 Champions League league-phase draw?
The league-phase draw takes place on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
How many teams are in the Champions League league phase?
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase contains 36 clubs, including 29 automatic entrants and seven play-off winners.
Breaking News
Saudi Pro League: Al-Nemer’s Impact Rescues Point After Diriyah Dominate Without Punch
Al Diriyah controlled possession but struggled to create clear chances before Al Kholood struck through Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah. Substitute Meshari Al-Nemer then scored within two minutes of coming on to rescue a 1-1 Saudi Pro League draw.
RIYADH: Al Diriyah had more of the ball, more corners and considerably more star power on the field.
Al Kholood still came closer to leaving Al-Awwal Park with all three points.
Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah gave the visitors the lead in the 71st minute before substitute Meshari Fahad Al-Nemer rescued Al Diriyah with an 83rd-minute equalizer, just two minutes after entering the match, as the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw in the Saudi Pro League on Wednesday night.
The result itself was balanced.
The performance was not.
Al Diriyah controlled 58 percent of possession, attempted 10 shots and won seven corners to Al Kholood’s one. Yet only one of those 10 attempts found the target.
That one shot became the equalizer.
Al Kholood, meanwhile, put four of their nine attempts on target and repeatedly looked more dangerous whenever they found space to attack.
That contrast tells the real story of the night.
Al Diriyah have assembled a squad featuring Darwin Núñez, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Enzo Millot, Berat Djimsiti and Chancel Mbemba. They looked capable of controlling the match for long stretches. Turning that control into clean chances remains a much more complicated problem.
Al Kholood showed the opposite quality. They needed less possession to create more meaningful threat, and for 12 minutes after Al-Aliwah’s opener, they were heading toward another impressive result in an unbeaten start to the league season.
Then Al-Nemer changed everything almost immediately.
Al Diriyah vs Al Kholood: Match at a Glance
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Saudi Pro League 2026-27 |
| Matchweek | 3 |
| Result | Al Diriyah 1-1 Al Kholood |
| Venue | Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh |
| Al Kholood scorer | Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah 71′ |
| Al Kholood assist | Iker Kortajarena |
| Al Diriyah scorer | Meshari Fahad Al-Nemer 83′ |
| Al Diriyah assist | Abdulaziz Al-Faraj |
| Possession | Al Diriyah 58% – 42% Al Kholood |
| Total shots | Al Diriyah 10 – 9 Al Kholood |
| Shots on target | Al Diriyah 1 – 4 Al Kholood |
| Corners | Al Diriyah 7 – 1 Al Kholood |
The fixture was part of Matchweek 3 of the 2026-27 Roshn Saudi League, which officially began on August 13 and will run across 34 rounds. The Saudi Pro League confirmed a 306-match season running through May 29, 2027.
For continuing coverage of Saudi and international football, readers can follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer hub.
Diriyah Controlled the Match Without Controlling the Danger
The possession numbers initially suggested a familiar pattern.
Al Diriyah had more of the ball and spent longer operating in the attacking half.
They also accumulated corners, territorial pressure and enough possession to force Al Kholood into extended defensive phases.
Yet the most important attacking statistic remained stubbornly poor.
One shot on target.
That matters more than possession percentages.
A team can dominate the ball without dominating a match if that possession never develops into clear scoring opportunities.
Al Diriyah repeatedly moved the ball into promising areas but struggled to turn those positions into shots that actually tested Hamed Al-Shanqiti.
The hosts had seven corners and 10 attempts.
Al Kholood goalkeeper Al-Shanqiti finished without a registered save.
That is the statistic Al Diriyah will need to examine most closely.
A Squad Full of Famous Names Still Needs Functional Chemistry
Al Diriyah’s summer recruitment has given the promoted club one of the most recognizable squads outside the traditional Saudi giants.
The Saudi Pro League’s official summer transfer tracker lists arrivals including former Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez, Enzo Millot, Berat Djimsiti and Chancel Mbemba.
Bruno Lage therefore has no shortage of experience.
The difficulty is converting names into relationships.
Gueye provides control and defensive intelligence.
Millot offers creativity between the lines.
Núñez gives the attack pace and physical presence.
Djimsiti and Mbemba bring years of European experience to the defensive line.
Against Al Kholood, however, the pieces did not consistently connect in the final third.
Diriyah could progress the ball.
They could hold possession.
They could force corners.
What they could not do often enough was create separation inside the penalty area.
That difference becomes especially important against compact opponents prepared to concede possession without conceding space.
Al Kholood Were Comfortable Without the Ball
Al Kholood’s 42 percent possession did not reflect panic.
It reflected a different strategy.
Des Buckingham’s side were willing to allow Diriyah longer spells on the ball while protecting the central areas and waiting for opportunities to attack with greater directness.
The outcome was revealing.
Al Kholood produced four shots on target from nine attempts.
Diriyah produced one from 10.
The visitors therefore created four times as many on-target efforts despite seeing considerably less of the ball.
That efficiency has already become part of Al Kholood’s early-season identity.
They opened the campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Al-Ittihad before beating Al-Taawoun 3-2.
That earlier point against Al-Ittihad became even more meaningful when Al-Ittihad later defeated Al-Qadsiah despite playing with 10 men.
Al Kholood have now taken points from three different opponents without losing a league match.
Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah Rewards Al Kholood’s Patience
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 71st minute.
Iker Kortajarena created the opening and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah finished the move to put Al Kholood 1-0 ahead.
The goal was consistent with everything the visitors had been trying to do.
They had spent much of the match without control of possession, but they had still forced Diriyah goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj into work.
When the decisive opportunity arrived, they converted it.
That immediately changed the pressure inside Al-Awwal Park.
Diriyah had enjoyed the majority of possession without finding a goal.
Now they had less than 20 minutes to prevent that dominance from becoming a defeat.
Lage needed something different.
He eventually found it on his bench.
Meshari Al-Nemer Needed Two Minutes to Change the Match
Meshari Fahad Al-Nemer entered in the 81st minute.
Two minutes later, the game was level.
Abdulaziz Al-Faraj supplied the assist and Al-Nemer converted in the 83rd minute to make it 1-1.
The timing gave the substitution far greater significance than a routine equalizer.
Diriyah had spent more than 80 minutes searching for the final action that their established attacking players had failed to produce.
A Saudi substitute found it almost immediately.
That is exactly why squad depth should never be judged purely by transfer fees or famous names.
Matches are often decided by the player who enters at the right moment and understands what the situation requires.
Al-Nemer did that.
His equalizer also created an interesting selection question for Lage.
Players who change games from the bench eventually earn arguments for more minutes.
Darwin Núñez and Diriyah’s Attack Still Need Time
Much of the international attention surrounding Diriyah this season will naturally follow Núñez.
The Uruguay international is one of the biggest names to join the club and gives the attack a profile far beyond what would normally be associated with a newly promoted Saudi side.
His presence alone, however, does not solve attacking structure.
Diriyah’s difficulty against Al Kholood was not simply a finishing problem.
It was a chance-creation problem.
One shot on target across an entire match leaves very little margin for any center-forward.
That is where the relationships around Núñez become important.
Millot, Adil Boulbina, Hattan Bahebri and the deeper midfielders have to create better connections between possession and penetration.
If they do, Núñez becomes significantly more dangerous.
If they do not, Diriyah risk becoming a team that looks impressive on the team sheet but predictable around the penalty area.
Diriyah’s Opening Three Matches Show Both Promise and Limitation
Three league matches are too small a sample for major conclusions.
They are enough to identify early themes.
Diriyah opened their first Saudi Pro League campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Al-Ahli.
They responded by beating Al-Hazem 1-0 away from home.
The draw with Al Kholood now gives them four points from three matches.
For a newly promoted club, that is a respectable beginning.
The context makes it more complicated.
This is not a conventional promoted squad built around survival.
Diriyah have recruited international players with Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A experience.
The expectations attached to that investment will inevitably rise.
The Saudi Pro League itself categorized Diriyah among its Level D clubs when constructing the 2026-27 fixture model, based on sporting performance over previous seasons.
Their recruitment suggests they intend to outgrow that classification quickly.
Matches like this show why that process may take time.
Al Kholood’s Unbeaten Start Deserves More Attention
Al Kholood now move to five points from their opening three league matches.
They have drawn with Al-Ittihad, beaten Al-Taawoun and drawn away with Diriyah.
That is a quietly impressive opening.
It becomes even more interesting when placed beside some of the league’s more heavily publicized results.
Al-Nassr’s explosive start has naturally attracted attention around Cristiano Ronaldo, while Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad remain central to the championship conversation.
Al Kholood are operating in a different space.
They do not need to dominate headlines.
They need to accumulate points.
Five from three without defeat is exactly the kind of early foundation that can transform the mood around a season.
The Midfield Battle Was More Important Than the Possession Stat
Diriyah’s midfield contained considerable experience.
Gueye and Abdulelah Al-Malki provided the base, with Millot and Boulbina operating in more advanced areas.
That structure helped the hosts control territory.
Al Kholood’s midfield did something less visible but equally valuable.
Seydouba Cissé and John Buckley protected the defense and helped prevent Diriyah from turning midfield possession into repeated central entries.
That is why the match became a useful example of the difference between territorial control and attacking control.
Diriyah controlled where much of the game was played.
Al Kholood controlled the quality of chances for long enough to nearly win it.
One Shot on Target Is the Number Diriyah Cannot Ignore
Possession can flatter teams.
Corners can flatter teams.
Shot totals can even flatter teams.
Shots on target are harder to dismiss.
Diriyah had 58 percent possession.
They had seven corners.
They attempted 10 shots.
Only Al-Nemer’s equalizer tested the goalkeeper.
That is the clearest area for improvement before the next league match.
Bruno Lage does not necessarily need more possession.
He needs that possession to produce cleaner final passes, more movement inside the box and more attempts from positions where the goalkeeper is genuinely threatened.
The Result Fits a Saudi Pro League Becoming Harder to Predict
The early weeks of the season have already produced several results that challenge simple assumptions about hierarchy.
Al-Kholood took a point from Al-Ittihad.
Al-Ittihad then showed their own resilience by beating Al-Qadsiah with 10 men.
Al-Nassr have started quickly, including the dramatic 3-2 comeback against Al-Ettifaq.
At the same time, promoted and middle-tier clubs are recruiting more aggressively and becoming harder to dismiss.
The league’s wider transformation is not limited to the traditional giants either. Saudi football’s continuing ownership and investment reforms are changing the competitive environment across the domestic game.
Diriyah themselves are one of the clearest examples.
A promoted club starting Núñez, Gueye, Millot, Djimsiti and Mbemba would have seemed almost impossible only a few years ago.
Now the more interesting question is whether those players can turn investment into results quickly enough.
What the Draw Means for Both Teams
For Al Diriyah
Four points from three matches represents a stable start, especially after losing to Al-Ahli on opening night.
The concern is attacking efficiency.
Diriyah have now experienced three very different tests and still look like a team learning how to connect its star names consistently.
Al-Nemer’s immediate impact gives Lage another option and perhaps a reason to reconsider how he uses his bench.
For Al Kholood
The unbeaten league run continues.
Five points from matches against Al-Ittihad, Al-Taawoun and Diriyah is a strong return.
The visitors also leave Riyadh knowing they created the better on-target threat despite having less possession.
The disappointment comes from being 12 minutes away from a second league victory before Al-Nemer intervened.
The Final Word: Diriyah Had the Names, Al Kholood Had the Sharper Plan
Al Diriyah will probably leave this match frustrated because the numbers suggest they controlled enough of the game to win it.
That interpretation only works if possession is mistaken for danger.
Al Kholood were the more efficient attacking team.
They put four shots on target, scored first and forced Diriyah to chase the game despite spending less time on the ball.
Diriyah’s response came from an unexpected source.
Meshari Al-Nemer entered in the 81st minute and scored in the 83rd.
In a team filled with internationally recognized names, the most decisive contribution came from a substitute who needed barely two minutes to make himself impossible to ignore.
That is the lesson Diriyah should take from the night.
The squad has enough talent.
The next stage is turning that talent into sharper attacking relationships.
Al Kholood’s lesson is different.
They have already shown they can compete without controlling possession and can take points from teams with considerably more expensive squads.
Three league matches in, they remain unbeaten.
That deserves attention.
For more coverage from Saudi Arabia and across world football, visit The Sports Encounter’s Soccer section and the TSE home page for the latest match reports, analysis and breaking stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Al Diriyah vs Al Kholood score?
Al Diriyah and Al Kholood drew 1-1 in their Saudi Pro League Matchweek 3 fixture on August 26, 2026.
Who scored for Al Kholood against Al Diriyah?
Abdulaziz Al-Aliwah scored for Al Kholood in the 71st minute after an assist from Iker Kortajarena.
Who scored Al Diriyah’s equalizer?
Meshari Fahad Al-Nemer scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute from Abdulaziz Al-Faraj’s assist.
How long was Al-Nemer on the field before scoring?
Al-Nemer entered in the 81st minute and scored two minutes later.
Did Darwin Núñez play against Al Kholood?
Yes. Darwin Núñez started for Al Diriyah alongside several other high-profile summer additions.
How much possession did Al Diriyah have?
Al Diriyah had approximately 58 percent possession compared with Al Kholood’s 42 percent.
How many shots on target did Al Diriyah have?
Al Diriyah recorded only one shot on target from 10 attempts. That shot produced Al-Nemer’s equalizer.
How many shots on target did Al Kholood have?
Al Kholood recorded four shots on target from nine attempts.
How many points do Al Kholood have after three matches?
Al Kholood have five points from three Saudi Pro League matches after drawing with Al-Ittihad and Al Diriyah and beating Al-Taawoun.
How many points do Al Diriyah have?
Al Diriyah have four points from three league matches after losing to Al-Ahli, beating Al-Hazem and drawing with Al Kholood.
Breaking News
Carabao Cup: Bradford Stun Burnley as Everton, Spurs and Brentford Light Up the Night
Bradford City knocked Burnley out on penalties, Thierno Barry hit a hat-trick for Everton, Tottenham scored five and Brentford struck six as Carabao Cup Round Two delivered shocks, statements and standout performances.
ENGLAND: Bradford City delivered the shock, Thierno Barry supplied the individual masterpiece, Tottenham rediscovered their attacking pulse and Newcastle needed Harvey Barnes to rescue them from a genuine scare.
The latest wave of Carabao Cup second-round action had almost everything the competition promises at this stage of the season: a Premier League casualty, a hat-trick, a debut goal, late drama and enough evidence to show that squad depth can matter just as much as league status once knockout football begins.
Bradford produced the headline result by holding Burnley to a goalless draw before winning 4-2 on penalties. Everton were far more comfortable, dismantling Preston North End 4-0 as Barry scored the first hat-trick of his Everton career and created the fourth goal for Brennan Johnson.
Tottenham responded to their difficult start to the Premier League season with a 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic, with Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Sávio and Ben Davies all scoring. Newcastle’s evening was considerably less comfortable. West Brom twice threatened an upset at St James’ Park before substitute Harvey Barnes completed a second-half brace to secure a 3-2 win.
Those results followed another emphatic display earlier in Round Two when Brentford destroyed Birmingham City 6-1 despite making eight changes from the side that had beaten Tottenham in the Premier League.
The pattern running through these ties was difficult to miss.
The teams that treated rotation as an opportunity generally prospered. The ones unable to translate reputation into control discovered again why the Carabao Cup can become uncomfortable remarkably quickly.
Carabao Cup Round Two: Latest Results
| Fixture | Result | Key Story |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford City vs Burnley | 0-0, Bradford won 4-2 on penalties | Bradford eliminate Burnley after Joe McCracken’s shootout intervention |
| Newcastle United vs West Brom | 3-2 | Harvey Barnes scores twice as Newcastle survive |
| Preston North End vs Everton | 0-4 | Thierno Barry scores hat-trick and assists Brennan Johnson |
| Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic | 5-1 | Sávio scores on debut as Spurs respond emphatically |
| Birmingham City vs Brentford | 1-6 | Eight-change Brentford side exposes its squad depth |
| Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United | 0-2 | Leeds beat Forest for the second time in days |
| Ipswich Town vs Leicester City | 3-1 | Marcelino Núñez scores twice, including a spectacular long-range goal |
The wider competition schedule and official Round Two information can be followed through the English Football League’s Carabao Cup coverage.
Bradford Turn Burnley’s Escape Act Into an Exit
There was something especially fitting about the way Burnley left the competition.
Earlier in the Carabao Cup, Burnley had needed penalties to survive Notts County after a 1-1 draw. That narrow escape formed part of The Sports Encounter’s Round One North review, where the early warning was already obvious: divisional status offers little protection once a knockout tie becomes uncomfortable.
This time, the shootout turned against them.
Bradford resisted for 90 minutes without conceding and then handled the pressure from the spot with considerably greater composure.
Zeki Amdouni failed to convert for Burnley before Bradford goalkeeper Joe McCracken saved Jacob Bruun Larsen’s penalty. Ibou Touray strengthened Bradford’s position before Marcus Edwards temporarily kept Burnley alive.
Adam Phillips then finished the job.
His successful penalty sealed a 4-2 shootout victory and sent Bradford into the third round.
The upset was built before the penalties
Shootouts naturally dominate the memory of games like this, but Bradford’s achievement began much earlier.
Keeping Burnley scoreless across 90 minutes required organisation, concentration and enough defensive discipline to prevent the stronger squad from turning possession into a decisive moment.
Burnley had already experienced the danger of this competition in Round One. Bradford made sure the warning became elimination in Round Two.
That is what gives this result genuine giant-killing value.
Bradford did not require a freak early goal and an hour of desperate survival. They remained level long enough to move the contest into the part of knockout football where reputation stops carrying any weight.
Four Bradford penalties later, Burnley’s Carabao Cup campaign was over.
Thierno Barry Gives Everton Something Far More Valuable Than Progression
Everton were never interested in penalties at Deepdale.
David Moyes returned to Preston, the club he left for Everton in 2002, and watched his current side produce one of the cleanest performances of the round.
The 4-0 scoreline tells only part of the story.
Thierno Barry scored three times and then created Everton’s fourth for Brennan Johnson.
For a striker who managed eight goals across 41 appearances last season, the timing could hardly have been better.
Barry had already scored against Crystal Palace in Everton’s Premier League opener. His hat-trick at Preston took him to four goals in the early stages of the new campaign and offered Moyes something every manager wants to discover in August: a forward who appears to have returned sharper, more confident and more decisive.
Barry’s hat-trick showed three different striker instincts
The first arrived in the 25th minute.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lifted an intelligent pass beyond Preston’s defense for Vitalii Mykolenko, whose control allowed him to square across goal. Barry arrived where a center-forward should and converted.
Preston emerged with greater purpose after halftime, but their resistance lasted only until the 59th minute.
Dewsbury-Hall again played a central role, combining in the buildup before forcing a save. Barry reacted quickest to the rebound and finished from close range.
The hat-trick arrived 11 minutes later when Johnson crossed unselfishly toward the far post and Barry tapped in.
Then came the detail that completed the performance.
Barry could have ended the evening satisfied with three goals. Instead, he split Preston’s defense with the pass that allowed Johnson to score Everton’s fourth.
Three goals and an assist made Barry the outstanding individual performer from the latest group of ties.
Everton may have found an early-season attacking answer
Cup performances can mislead when opponents rotate heavily, and Preston made seven changes.
Even allowing for that context, Everton’s attacking fluency mattered.
They controlled the match, created chances repeatedly and avoided the kind of awkward second-round contest that can drain confidence from a team still finding its rhythm.
For broader context on where Everton and the rest of England’s top-flight clubs stand at the start of the campaign, see The Sports Encounter’s complete 2026-27 Premier League preview.
Tottenham Needed a Response and Found Five Goals
Tottenham’s situation carried a different kind of pressure.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team had opened its Premier League campaign with a bruising 3-0 defeat at Brentford.
Early-season setbacks rarely become crises after one match, but a new-look side trying to establish confidence does not want another difficult night four days later.
Charlton therefore arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an opportunity to create genuine discomfort.
For 40 minutes, they stayed in the game.
Then Tottenham accelerated.
Mikey Moore opened the scoring in the 41st minute before Dominic Solanke doubled the advantage just before halftime.
Kevin Danso made it 3-0 after the break.
The fourth provided the evening’s most obvious headline.
Sávio needed only minutes to introduce himself
Tottenham completed the signing of Sávio shortly before the tie, and De Zerbi had admitted beforehand that he was unsure how much the Brazilian would be able to play.
The answer was enough.
Sávio came from the bench and scored on his debut, offering supporters an immediate glimpse of the one-on-one threat Tottenham believe they have added to their attack.
His influence did not stop with the goal. He remained heavily involved as Spurs continued to stretch Charlton late in the contest.
Ben Davies scored the fifth before Lloyd Jones headed Charlton’s consolation.
The final score read 5-1.
For a team coming directly from a three-goal defeat, the emotional value of the result was obvious.
Mikey Moore’s contribution should not disappear behind the new signing
Sávio will naturally command attention because of his transfer fee and debut goal, but Moore’s performance deserves its own recognition.
The academy product scored the opener and repeatedly carried attacking threat.
His development also gives De Zerbi something valuable during a season in which Tottenham’s senior attacking options will inevitably encounter injuries, rotation and fixture congestion.
The result cannot erase what went wrong against Brentford.
It did show that Tottenham were capable of responding immediately rather than allowing that defeat to define the beginning of their season.
Tottenham’s broader challenge forms part of our Premier League coverage, where managerial changes, squad construction and the early shape of the 2026-27 campaign remain central themes.
Harvey Barnes Saves Newcastle From a Much More Difficult Night
If Tottenham and Everton enjoyed relatively comfortable progress, Newcastle had to earn every part of theirs.
West Brom arrived at St James’ Park prepared to compete rather than simply admire Premier League opposition.
Isaac Price gave the visitors the lead after 19 minutes with a 25-yard free kick that Newcastle goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen got a hand to but could not keep out.
The home side responded before halftime.
Teenager Sean Steur helped release Amar Dedic, whose cross was finished at close range by Bazoumana Touré for his first Newcastle goal.
The equalizer carried particular significance because several of Newcastle’s newer players combined in its creation.
That development matters for Matthias Jaissle, who inherited a club undergoing significant change and has had limited time to build his preferred structure.
Our earlier analysis of Jaissle’s Newcastle rebuild focused on precisely that problem: integrating new players quickly enough to produce competitive results before the season gathered speed.
Barnes changed the tie after halftime
Touré was replaced by Harvey Barnes at the interval.
Three minutes later, Newcastle were ahead.
Barnes reacted after a corner broke inside the penalty area and converted at the second attempt.
West Brom refused to disappear.
Lewis Hall handled inside the area, allowing Price to score his second of the match from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.
At 2-2, Newcastle were suddenly facing the possibility of penalties and another frustrating night under their new coach.
Barnes prevented it.
Dedic delivered another dangerous low cross, and Barnes swept home the winner in the 82nd minute.
Newcastle had their first competitive victory under Jaissle.
The performance raised questions even as the result delivered relief
A 3-2 cup win over Championship opposition is not evidence that Newcastle’s transition is complete.
West Brom caused serious problems and scored twice. Price repeatedly found ways to hurt the home side, while Newcastle needed a substitute to rescue them after the break.
There was also plenty to encourage Jaissle.
Dedic influenced multiple goals, Touré scored, Steur played a role in the first and Barnes looked decisive when introduced.
For a team still putting together a new identity, progression accompanied by contributions from several different players is more useful than a comfortable win built entirely around familiar names.
Brentford’s 6-1 Rout Was the Round’s Clearest Squad-Depth Statement
Brentford had already set an intimidating benchmark before Wednesday’s ties began.
Keith Andrews changed eight players from the starting lineup that had beaten Tottenham 3-0 in the Premier League.
Such rotation can sometimes turn League Cup nights into disjointed performances.
Brentford instead scored six.
Callum Wilson marked his first competitive start for the club with a goal after only six minutes.
Birmingham equalized through Demarai Gray, but the response from the Premier League side was ruthless.
Aaron Hickey restored the lead, Nathan Collins scored twice, Mikkel Damsgaard added another and Igor Thiago completed the rout.
The 6-1 result was significant beyond progression.
Brentford rotated without losing their identity
The most impressive part of the performance was not simply the number of goals.
Only Collins, Vitaly Janelt and Dango Ouattara retained their places from the league victory over Spurs.
Brentford still pressed aggressively, attacked quickly and exposed Birmingham whenever the Championship side attempted to play through pressure.
New players contributed immediately.
Wilson scored. Hickey scored. Damsgaard scored. Thiago scored. Collins, the captain, scored twice.
That is exactly what managers hope cup competitions will reveal.
Rotation did not weaken Brentford’s structure. It exposed how many players already understand it.
The contrast with Tottenham’s Premier League defeat only days earlier also sharpened the picture. Brentford had beaten Spurs 3-0 with one lineup and then dismantled Birmingham 6-1 with another.
That is an early warning for the rest of the domestic season.
Leeds Beat Nottingham Forest Again
Leeds United’s second-round victory carried a particularly uncomfortable message for Nottingham Forest.
Daniel Farke’s side had already beaten Forest 1-0 in the Premier League.
Days later, Leeds returned to the City Ground and won again.
This time the margin was 2-0.
Dan James opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Lukas Nmecha added the second in the 75th, according to Leeds United’s official match report.
Two defeats against the same opponent in such a short period inevitably tell both clubs something.
Leeds have discovered an early matchup they can control.
Forest have already been shown twice where the problems lie.
Marcelino Núñez Produces the Goal of the Round Candidate
Ipswich’s 3-1 victory over Leicester contained one of the most memorable individual moments of Round Two.
The first half ended goalless before Sindre Walle Egeli put Ipswich ahead in the 62nd minute.
Leicester responded five minutes later when 19-year-old Olabade Aluko scored his first senior goal.
Then Marcelino Núñez took over.
The Chilean restored Ipswich’s lead in the 71st minute before producing the moment everyone will remember.
Deep into stoppage time, Núñez saw goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk away from his line and struck from close to the halfway line.
The ball flew over the goalkeeper and completed a 3-1 win.
Leicester’s own official match center records Núñez’s brace at 71 and 90+1 minutes.
Cup football often needs one moment to turn an ordinary second-round result into something supporters remember months later.
Núñez supplied it.
What the Latest Carabao Cup Results Actually Tell Us
Looking at these matches together reveals more than a collection of scores.
1. Squad depth is already becoming visible
Brentford provided the clearest example.
Eight changes produced six goals.
Everton rotated without losing attacking control. Tottenham were able to introduce an expensive new signing from the bench and immediately receive a goal. Newcastle used Barnes as a halftime replacement and watched him decide the match.
This is what the League Cup can expose very early in a season.
First-choice teams tell us how strong a club’s starting XI is. Cup rotation begins revealing whether the second layer can preserve the same standards.
2. Reputation still offers no protection
Burnley entered their tie with a stronger recent top-flight pedigree than Bradford.
Bradford sent them home.
The penalty shootout was simply the final stage of a contest Burnley had already failed to control over 90 minutes.
That is why the Carabao Cup remains useful even when some managers make wholesale changes.
Once the match begins, the name of the league on a club’s fixture list cannot score for them.
3. New signings are being asked to contribute immediately
Sávio scored on his Tottenham debut.
Wilson scored on his first competitive Brentford start.
Touré opened his Newcastle account.
Johnson scored for Everton after Barry returned the favor following the winger’s assist for the hat-trick goal.
August traditionally allows managers to talk about players needing time.
The fixture calendar rarely offers much of it.
4. The cup can repair confidence quickly
Tottenham needed that badly.
A 3-0 league defeat to Brentford raised immediate questions about De Zerbi’s new-look team.
Five goals against Charlton do not answer every one of them, but football psychology rarely operates in neat tactical categories.
Players who have just suffered a heavy defeat benefit from seeing passes connect, forwards score and supporters enjoy the evening again.
Everton gained something similar through Barry’s performance.
Newcastle gained it through Jaissle’s first competitive win.
A cup tie can therefore become more useful than its place on the calendar initially suggests.
The Biggest Winner of the Latest Round Two Action
Bradford owned the biggest result.
Brentford produced the strongest collective performance.
Tottenham scored five and introduced Sávio successfully.
Newcastle survived the most dramatic contest.
Yet if one individual stands above the rest, it is difficult to look beyond Thierno Barry.
A hat-trick would have been enough.
Adding an assist made the night exceptional.
What gives the performance additional significance is what came before it.
Barry’s first Everton season was difficult. Eight goals in 41 games left plenty of room for doubt over whether he could become the consistent finisher the club required.
He has now started the new campaign with four goals in his opening matches.
That does not prove a complete transformation.
It gives Everton a reason to believe one may be developing.
The Biggest Loser: Burnley Had Been Warned Already
Burnley’s elimination is the result most difficult to explain away.
They had already needed a penalty shootout to survive Notts County in the previous round.
The second warning arrived against Bradford.
There was no survival this time.
For a club trying to rebuild after relegation from the Premier League, early cup elimination is not automatically disastrous. League priorities will carry much greater long-term importance.
Still, losing without scoring against Bradford and then failing from the spot removes an opportunity for competitive minutes, momentum and a potentially valuable cup run.
More importantly, it gives Burnley’s coaching staff another early indication that greater attacking authority is required.
Why These Nights Still Matter in the Carabao Cup
The Carabao Cup’s early rounds often arrive while transfer windows remain open and managers are still learning what their squads can actually do.
That makes them unusually revealing.
League tables after one or two matches tell very little.
A knockout game asks a different question.
Can a changed lineup maintain the team’s identity?
Can a young player handle senior responsibility?
Can a new signing influence a competitive game immediately?
Can a stronger club respond when a lower-ranked opponent refuses to follow the expected script?
This week’s answers were varied.
Brentford’s second team looked frighteningly comfortable.
Everton discovered a striker in ruthless form.
Spurs found a response and a promising debut.
Newcastle found enough quality on the bench to escape trouble.
Bradford found belief when Burnley could not find a goal.
That is a useful amount of information from a competition some supporters are tempted to treat as secondary until the later rounds.
For continuing English football coverage, follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer hub and our dedicated Premier League section.
The Final Word: Bradford Owned the Shock, Barry Owned the Night
Carabao Cup Round Two has already reminded several clubs that August does not provide immunity from consequences.
Burnley are out because Bradford stayed disciplined for 90 minutes and then handled the shootout better.
Everton are through because Barry turned a potentially awkward trip to Preston into his personal showcase.
Tottenham are through because their attack finally found the freedom that disappeared at Brentford a few days earlier.
Newcastle are through because Barnes entered a level contest and changed it.
Brentford had already made perhaps the loudest squad-depth statement of the round by scoring six with eight changes.
Leeds demonstrated repeatable superiority over Nottingham Forest, while Ipswich received a moment of extraordinary quality from Núñez.
The competition will become harder from here. Bigger clubs will enter, rotations will become more strategic and the consequences will carry greater weight.
That can wait.
The latest results deserve their own conclusion.
Bradford produced the upset everybody will remember.
Barry delivered the performance nobody at Preston could stop.
And across several grounds, the Carabao Cup again showed why seemingly routine early-round fixtures have a habit of becoming anything but routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who knocked Burnley out of the Carabao Cup?
Bradford City eliminated Burnley in Round Two. The match finished 0-0 after 90 minutes before Bradford won the penalty shootout 4-2.
Who scored Everton’s goals against Preston?
Thierno Barry scored a hat-trick and Brennan Johnson added Everton’s fourth in the 4-0 victory at Deepdale.
How many goals did Thierno Barry score against Preston?
Barry scored three goals and also assisted Johnson, giving him direct involvement in all four Everton goals.
Who scored for Tottenham against Charlton?
Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Sávio and Ben Davies scored for Tottenham in the 5-1 victory. Lloyd Jones scored Charlton’s late consolation.
Did Sávio score on his Tottenham debut?
Yes. Sávio came off the bench and scored during Tottenham’s 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton.
What was the Newcastle vs West Brom score?
Newcastle defeated West Brom 3-2 at St James’ Park. Harvey Barnes scored twice after coming on at halftime, while Bazoumana Touré scored Newcastle’s other goal. Isaac Price scored both West Brom goals.
Was this Matthias Jaissle’s first competitive Newcastle win?
Yes. The 3-2 victory over West Brom gave Jaissle his first competitive win as Newcastle head coach.
What was the Birmingham vs Brentford Carabao Cup score?
Brentford defeated Birmingham City 6-1 despite making eight changes from their previous Premier League starting lineup.
Who scored for Brentford against Birmingham?
Callum Wilson, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago scored. Collins finished with two goals.
Who won Nottingham Forest vs Leeds in the Carabao Cup?
Leeds won 2-0 at the City Ground through second-half goals from Dan James and Lukas Nmecha.
What happened in Ipswich vs Leicester?
Ipswich beat Leicester 3-1. Sindre Walle Egeli scored the opener before Olabade Aluko equalized. Marcelino Núñez then scored twice, including a spectacular long-range goal in stoppage time.
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