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Juventus avoids a shampoo thanks to Gatti and Di Gregorio. Real Madrid secures a third consecutive victory in the Champions League with a tap-in from Bellingham.

All things considered, it could have been much worse. Given the circumstances (a huge difference in technical value between the two teams and diametrically opposed form), a much larger deficit was expected between Real Madrid and Juventus.

Real Madrid-Juventus 1-0, match recap

If it had actually happened, no one could have cried scandal. The team of Xabi Alonso had the opportunities to inflict a tennis score on Tudor’s team, but the inaccuracy of the Blancos and the outstanding performance of the Di Gregorio-Gatti duo prevented Madama from a defeat to be remembered for generations.

Some might even tentatively offer a partially positive assessment of the performance of the Bianconeri. Which, statistically speaking, would be paradoxical. Real registered an xG of 2.81 against Juventus’ mere 0.59, with 28 shots on goal by Real (compared to Juve’s 13 attempts) and 10 shots on target (compared to 4). The almost satisfied reactions at the final whistle for the minimal deficit exemplify the moment the Piedmontese team is going through.

Leaving the Santiago Bernabeu with only one goal against, especially after holding their ground quite well for the first sixty minutes, is almost a victory, given their recent performances. At the time of Bellingham’s opening goal (59′, tap-in after Vinicius hit the base of the post with a fantastic solo run through three Juve defenders), the hosts’ xG was already 1.42 with 20 attempts on target.

Despite the indisputable territorial superiority of the Madrid team and the feeling that, sooner or later, the Spaniards would find a way to break the deadlock, Juventus (within their limitations) was not doing too bad. A great opportunity for each side: in the first half (40′), a fantastic Di Gregorio managed to close the goal against Mbappe, brilliantly set up for the shot by former Milan player Brahim Diaz. In the second half, Juventus responded with a vertical pass from Kelly (ball recovered in their own penalty area after a simple mistake by the Spanish players) to Vlahovic.

The Spanish defense was in trouble, the Serbian striker (starting from his own half) won the physical battle against a still out-of-form MilitaoCourtois tipped the coast-to-coast effort by the Belgrade native over the crossbar. The visiting team started well in the first half and held their ground until the sixtieth minute, but crumbled immediately after the home team took the lead. Only a brilliant Di Gregorio (making two fantastic saves, first on a clear attempt by Mbappe and then on the rebound falling to Brahim) and a steadfast Gatti (two goal-line clearances from corner kicks, the first on Valverde and the second on Brahim Diaz) kept Juventus in the game.

To Juventus goes the credit (so to speak) for staying in the game until the end, even attempting a third consecutive passamontagna after their matches against Borussia Dortmund and Villareal. Real Madrid’s fault lies in not finishing the game, allowing their opponents to show some fight towards the end and even scare the Belgian dragon. In the fifth and final minute of stoppage time, with a 4 vs. 2 counterattack following a corner kick in favor of Juventus, Xabi Alonso’s team had a chance to extend the lead, bringing it closer to the real development of the match, but Valverde (exhausted from another sacrificial performance) made a mistake both in the decision-making and execution.

Losing in Madrid was almost expected, but being able to pretend that it was done “with heads held high” was the only placebo after the embarrassment in Como. Of course, if the benchmark is the game at the Sinigaglia (still a very low bar), then Juventus certainly did not do worse. However, now they must bounce back in Rome against Lazio, in the late Sunday game, to avoid feeding further doubts. In the face of another negative result against a team in a mystical crisis like the Biancocelesti, hiding behind excuses (schedule, injuries, and the like) would be even more challenging.

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The Champions League often brings surprises, but for Athletic Bilbao and Galatasaray it wasn’t the case: both clubs won 3-1.

Champions League, update on the 18:45 matches

Athletic Bilbao-Qarabağ

Although the Spanish club struggled a bit more than expected, they secured a solid 3-1 victory. “Ready, set, go” (quoting Fabri Fibra) and Qarabağ scored in the first minute of the game.

Just a few meters from the goal, one-on-one against Unai Simón, Andrade immediately changed the course of the match with a goal that put the visitors ahead.

Fortunately for Ernesto Valverde, the equalizer came in the 40th minute with a goal from Guruzeta, who has been unimpressive in this early season but aims for a significant comeback tonight (3 goals this season, 2 scored tonight).

Expected goals for the Spaniards were 3.25, but it wasn’t until the 70th minute that Navarro scored a great goal near the post with a powerful shot from outside the box.

Finally, the third and final goal for Bilbao, again from Guruzeta, concluded the match in the 88th minute. A somewhat hard-fought but well-deserved victory for the home team.

Galatasaray-Bodø/Glimt

Galatasaray emulates the Spanish clubs with another 3-1 victory. The Turks now have 6 points in 3 Champions League matches.

Aside from a resounding 5-1 defeat against Frankfurt, they also secured a significant 1-0 victory against Liverpool.

Particularly convincing was tonight’s performance, with Osimhen, who is in great form.

5 goals and 1 assist in the last 4 matches between national team and club, including a crucial brace today.

Both goals came from outside the box, both with the same numbers. The first at the 3rd minute, the second at the 33rd.

Expected goals for Galatasaray were 4.09, with 38% possession. Expected goals for Bodø/Glimt were 1.41, with 62% possession.

Both teams collected less than what they sowed in this match, and despite possession, the rest of the data is clear. 23 shots by the Turks compared to 8 by the Norwegians.

The third and final goal for Galatasaray came with Akgün scoring on the rebound from Haikin in the 60th minute.

For the Norwegians, the consolation goal came in the 75th minute, with Helmersen taking advantage of imperfect coverage by Galatasaray‘s defenders. The match ended 3-1.

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Possible line-ups for Genk-Real Betis, a match valid for the 3rd round of the Europa League, which will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 18:45.

Among the matches scheduled for the third round of the Europa League is Genk-Betis.

The home team hasn’t started their season well as they find themselves currently in mid-table in both the league and Europe. On the other hand, the visitors are in excellent form, with only one defeat in their first 11 matches in all competitions.

Genk

In their last 4 matches at home in both the league and Europa League, Genk have suffered three defeats and managed only one victory. Against Betis, the Belgian club aims to reverse their negative performance so far at home.

To achieve this, coach Thorsten Fink is relying heavily on Oh Hyeon-gyu. In his last two performances, first with the South Korean national team and then with the Belgian club, the 2001-born striker has been in top form, scoring two goals and providing an assist.

Betis

Betis are on a run of 7 consecutive positive results and have yet to lose an away match in the early stages of the season. In the Europa League, the Spanish club has earned 4 points from a win and a draw.

To continue their positive trend against Genk, coach Manuel Pellegrini will rely on Antony. The Brazilian talent is coming off a spectacular performance in the league against Villarreal, where his personal brace helped his team to draw a match they were losing 2-0 until the 64th minute.

Probable line-ups Genk-Real Betis

Genk (4-2-3-1): van Crombrugge; Nkuba, Sadick, Smets, Kayembe; Bangoura, Heynen; Steuckers, Hrosovsky, Sor; Oh. Coach: Thorsten Fink

Betis (4-3-3): Pau Lopez; Bellerin, Natan, Lopez, Firpo; Roca, Lo Celso, Altimira; Antony, Chucho Hernandez, Ezzalzouli. Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Where to watch Genk-Real Betis

Genk-Betis, a match valid for the 3rd round of the Europa League, scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 18:45, will be broadcast live on Sky and Now.