Lyon took the lead in the 10th minute when Corentin Tolisso reacted quickly to a loose ball following a corner kick.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The French side extended their advantage in first-half stoppage time, with Ernest Nuamah finishing off Keito Nakamura’s cross after an impressive attacking move.

Crystal Palace reduced the deficit shortly after the restart through Yeremy Pino, who converted a well-executed set-piece routine.

However, Lyon restored their two-goal advantage when Pavel Sulc scored with a close-range flick.

Daichi Kamada brought Palace back into contention with nine minutes remaining, but Lyon defended their lead to secure their second consecutive victory in the league phase.

Sunderland Snatch Dramatic Late Victory

Sunderland produced a late comeback to defeat Torreense 2-1 in Portugal, with Noah Sadiki scoring the decisive goal in the 93rd minute.

The hosts took the lead in the 37th minute after Volnei Feltes beat his marker before unleashing a long-range effort beyond Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris responded by introducing Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee shortly before the hour mark, helping his side regain control of the contest.

Jules Ahoka subsequently equalised for the visitors before Sadiki struck deep into stoppage time to complete the comeback.

The closing stages were marked by a lengthy VAR review that ultimately denied Sunderland a late penalty, but the visitors still left Portugal with all three points.

Leverkusen, AC Milan Record Convincing Wins

Bayer Leverkusen moved to the top of the standings after defeating Lech Poznan 4-0.

Patrik Schick scored twice from the penalty spot in the first half, while Malik Tillman also found the net before the interval. Ibrahim Maza completed the scoring late in the game.

AC Milan recorded an identical scoreline away against Salzburg, with teenage forward Alphadjo Cisse netting a hat-trick. Goncalo Ramos added the fourth goal in the 72nd minute.

However, Filippo Terracciano’s red card took some shine off Milan’s emphatic victory.

Other Europa League Results

Elsewhere, Bournemouth defeated Sturm Graz 3-0, while Juventus claimed a 2-1 away victory over Celta Vigo. Olympiacos also secured a narrow 1-0 win against Marseille.

Real Sociedad were held to a 1-1 draw by Union Saint-Gilloise, while Dinamo Zagreb defeated Anderlecht 1-0.

Benfica cruised to a 4-1 victory over Celtic, AZ Alkmaar beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2-1, and Besiktas edged Hoffenheim 3-2 away from home.

Other results saw Celje lose 0-3 to Omonia, Ferencvaros defeat Plzen 2-1, Jagiellonia beat Ararat-Armenia 3-1, and Nijmegen draw 1-1 with Levski Sofia.

2026/2027 Europa League Matchday 2 Results

• AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Hapoel Be’er Sheva
• Celje 0-3 Omonia
• Lech Poznan 0-4 Bayer Leverkusen
• Lyon 3-2 Crystal Palace
• Union Saint-Gilloise 1-1 Real Sociedad
• Salzburg 0-4 AC Milan
• Sparta Prague 1-1 Lillestrom
• Torreense 1-2 Sunderland
• Benfica 4-1 Celtic
• Bournemouth 3-0 Sturm Graz
• Celta Vigo 1-2 Juventus
• Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Anderlecht
• Ferencvaros 2-1 Plzen
• Hoffenheim 2-3 Besiktas
• Jagiellonia 3-1 Ararat-Armenia
• Marseille 0-1 Olympiacos
• Nijmegen 1-1 Levski Sofia

A 15-member delegation from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to arrive in Nigeria on Friday, October 16, to conduct a final inspection of facilities ahead of the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly and the 2026 CAF Awards.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The delegation, led by CAF Head of Safety and Security, Dr Christian Emeruwa, will assess venues and related arrangements in Lagos and Abuja to ensure they meet the standards required for hosting the two major continental events.

During their visit to Lagos, the CAF officials will inspect the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Eko Hotel and Suites, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport. They are also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Lagos State Government.

The team will then proceed to Abuja, where it will assess the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Transcorp Hilton Hotel, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The delegation is also expected to pay courtesy visits to the Chairman and Director-General of the National Sports Commission.

A six-member delegation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by Dr Ademola Olajire, will accompany the CAF officials throughout the inspection exercise.

The visit follows an earlier assessment conducted between July 31 and August 4, during which initial operational agreements were established.

The final inspection will focus on verifying the readiness of the venues, security provisions and logistical arrangements to ensure the successful hosting of both events.

The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 21, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is slated for Monday, December 7, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been asked to make public documents concerning his abandoned World Cup commercial rights proposal and provide answers to unresolved questions, with his leadership position potentially facing further challenges if he fails to do so.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The demand followed a three-and-a-half-hour meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich on October 15, the first since details of the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal became public.

The proposal, which Infantino withdrew within days of its disclosure, would have transferred part of FIFA’s commercial rights to a private investment firm.

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino apologised during the meeting but did not address questions raised by council members.

According to the BBC, Hewitt expressed disappointment that the council had not received answers to its specific requests, including access to documents relating to the FFE proposal.

“One of the disappointing things is that we didn’t get answers to anything that we had specifically requested; for example, getting the papers from FFE,” Hewitt said.

She explained that she had asked why the documents were not provided but was instead told to submit the questions in writing.

“I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn’t answer those questions now, he’s not fit to be FIFA president, and that was what was shared in the meeting,” she added.

Hewitt acknowledged that Infantino had expressed regret but questioned the sincerity of his apology, particularly because he had failed to present the proposal to the council before it became public.

She said council members had openly voiced their concerns about how the matter was handled.

“What he really apologised for was not bringing it to the council. If you regret it that deeply, share it with us,” she stated.

Beyond the controversy surrounding the FFE proposal, the meeting also addressed other issues, including the suspended red-card ban involving United States striker Folarin Balogun, the FIFA Peace Prize and funding for national football associations.

Meanwhile, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has continued to oppose Infantino’s leadership, repeatedly calling for him to resign and preparing criminal legal proceedings against him.

UEFA has also filed claims in three United States courts seeking the disclosure of all documents connected to the FFE proposal.

When asked whether Infantino’s apology had changed her position, Hewitt said she had not received any new information that would alter her assessment of the controversy.

“From my position, nothing has shifted. I’ve no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have an apologetic president,” she said.