Sports
Champions League briefing: Has Vinicius Jr sealed the Ballon d’Or? Plus a Pulisic olimpico
It was a night of notable goals by notable goalscorers as the Champions League returned for matchweek three.
Vinicius Junior’s second-half hat-trick at the Bernabeu completed yet another Real Madrid European comeback as visitors Borussia Dortmund went from two goals up after an hour to 5-2 down by the final whistle, the Brazilian making a timely statement ahead of next Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
But there was also an unusual goal from Christian Pulisic, while Viktor Gyokeres and Jhon Duran maintained their hot streaks, the latter helping Aston Villa go clear at the top of the league-phase table.
These are the big talking points from Tuesday’s action.
Is Vinicius nailed on for the Ballon d’Or?
At half-time in Madrid, Dortmund were dreaming of their first ever victory at the Bernabeu, 2-0 up and flying.
Defending European champions Real, having been beaten 1-0 away by France’s Lille on matchweek two, were in danger not only of losing their 14-match unbeaten home record in the competition, but also putting their qualification hopes in jeopardy with a second defeat in three games.
Enter Vinicius Jr. A blistering second-half hat-trick from the Brazilian settled this rematch of last season’s final in style. Dortmund must be sick of the sight of him.
His first was a mere tap-in, but the second was a gallivanting 60-yard run on the counter-attack that ended with a bullet of a drive into the corner.
Vinicius gets his second goal (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
His third, meanwhile, was a mazy run past three players before blasting above goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Vinicius completes his hat trick (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Vinicius Jr was absolutely brilliant in the second half and Dortmund were helpless as to how to stop him. Accolades and praise will continue to fall the way of the mercurial 24-year-old — and on Monday, he may well be named as the world’s best player this year when the latest Ballon d’Or winner is announced.
GO DEEPER
How is the Ballon d’Or 2024 winner decided?
He is the runaway favourite for the prize — awarded by a jury of journalists from the countries represented in the top 100 of the FIFA world rankings, and based on last season’s performances — when the ceremony takes place in Paris. Only Rodri, the Manchester City and Spain midfielder, seems to be considered a serious contender.
Vinicius Jr’s hat trick also took the shine of the night for a young talent who will hope to emulate him in the near future.
Jamie Gittens’ star continues to rise, and he became the youngest Englishman to score against Madrid, aged just 20 years and 75 days (beating Alan Smith’s record when he was with Leeds United in 2001), when he put Dortmund two up after 34 minutes .
Gittens’ time in the spotlight may come soon, but for now the stage belongs to Vinicius Jr.
Pulisic’s Olympic
What do Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Megan Rapinoe and now Pulisic have in common?
They’re all right-footed? They’ve all played either in MLS or for the United States? Well, yes, but the answer we’re looking for is they’ve all scored an olimpico.
In football parlance, that’s a goal scored directly from a corner kick. It’s a very rare feat and it certainly isn’t easy to achieve, as Lionel Messi will tell you. One of the greatest players to ever kick a ball has never stuck one in straight from a corner, but it hasn’t been for the want of trying, as our Felipe Cardenas detailed earlier this year .
But Pulisic joined the club in the first half of AC Milan’s crucial 3-1 home win against Club Bruges.
Video for UK readers
Straight in from the corner 🎯
Pulisic gets the opener in San Siro with a direct corner into the back of the net 😅
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/u5oUNrWfZZ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 22, 2024
Video for US readers
🚨 CHRISTIAN PULISIC #UCL OLIMPICO!!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/NSgfJMunLu
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 22, 2024
Did he mean it? Well, with Bruges’ ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet dawdling off his line and leaving a yawning gap at the near post for him to target, we should give Pulisic the benefit of the doubt.
The olimpico should have been the inspiration Milan needed to take charge of a must-win game, with the Italians having already lost to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen. They made a massive meal of it though, with Bruges equalizing despite going down to 10 men when Raphael Onyedika was sent off.
When Milan’s star man Rafael Leao was surprisingly subbed off on the hour, the San Siro crowd loudly voiced their displeasure at manager Paulo Fonseca. But just 29 seconds later, with Leao still trudging around the pitch back to the bench, one of Fonseca’s substitutes Noah Okafor set up Tijjani Reijnders to make it 2-1.
Ten minutes later another sub, Samuel Chukwueze, assisted Reijnders to seal a huge victory – and serve up vindication for Fonseca.
Can Villa’s fairytale continue?
OK, we know Unai Emery is good, but come on, this is getting silly now.
Who had Aston Villa down as potential Champions League leaders after three matches? Well, Emery’s team are sitting proudly at the top of the table, making up for lost time after four decades away from Europe’s premier competition.
Wins over Young Boys, Bayern Munich and now Bologna, all without conceding a goal, perhaps placing Villa in the dark horse category of this season’s competition. Emery certainly knows how to win a European trophy, after four Europa League triumphs in seven years with Sevilla (three) and Villarreal from 2014 to 2021…
Villa are top of the Champions League – can they stay there? (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Villa didn’t have it easy at home against a stubborn Bologna side, but second-half goals from John McGinn (whose crossed free kick from out wide bounced through a crowd of players) and a seventh goal of the season from Jhon Duran (who was subbed immediately afterwards and, well, took that quite badly) were enough.
With Villa, Monaco and Sporting Lisbon in first, second and third, the early table has an unpredictable look to it.
It was just a shame Villa Park wasn’t full for the occasion, with some fans put off by the Birmingham club charging among the highest ticket prices in the competition .
Giants are wobbling
Domestic leagues such as the Premier League and Serie A are only just settling down after eight matches… but how long before the Champions League’s first ever league-phase table does?
Halfway through matchweek three, there are plenty of big guns who haven’t started to cement their spots in the top eight yet, which will mean they advance straight to the round of 16, and poor results for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday have opened up the automatic qualification race even further.
Juventus may be unbeaten in the Italian top flight but in the Champions League they have conceded five goals in three games, and they were deservedly beaten by Stuttgart in Turin tonight.
The Germans mashed 22 shots (10 on target) to Juventus’ seven (one on target) but left it late to take the points, El Bilal Toure brilliantly finishing a well-worked move in stoppage time, Enzo Millot having missed a penalty a few minutes earlier.
Juventus react to their poor home defeat to Stuttgart (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, PSG’s iffy Champions League form continues. They needed a stoppage-time howler from Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to win in matchweek one, then lost to Arsenal, and have now labored to a 1-1 draw with Dutch visitors PSV Eindhoven.
Ousmane Dembele spurned two relatively simple chances as Luis Enrique’s profligate team scored just once from 26 attempts, with the French side grateful for another goalkeeping mistake when Walter Benitez allowed Achraf Hakimi’s long-range shot through his legs.
The outlook doesn’t look great for PSG, who have to face Atletico Madrid, Bayern, Manchester City and Juventus’ conquerors Stuttgart over their remaining five matches.
PSG only have four points from three games (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Gyokeres’ hot streak continues
If Viktor Gyokeres played in the Premier League, La Liga or Bundesliga and scored as often as he is right now, he’d be a superstar of European football.
The fact he plies his trade for Sporting in the lower-profile Portuguese league means the 26-year-old Swede still probably goes under the radar, but there is a case for calling him one of the hottest strikers in the game right now.
The numbers are eye-popping. Gyokeres has played 11 matches in the Primeira Liga and Champions League this season and scored 13 times, and then there’s the four goals and three assists from four Swedish appearances.
Last season, he scored 43 in 50 in all competitions for Sporting, and you wonder how many clubs regret not challenging Sporting for his signature when Coventry City, of England’s second-tier Championship, sold him in 2022.
His latest, which helped secure a 2-0 away win against Austria’s Sturm Graz, was majestic.
Video for UK readers
Ridiculous from Viktor Gyökeres! 😱
Strength and composure combined in one ❄️
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/4M5YKmdjxo
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 22, 2024
Video for US readers
VIKTOR GYÖKERES GLIDES THROUGH THE DEFENSE ALONE TO SCORE 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ojw2cebbVF
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 22, 2024
Gyokeres recently stated that his release clause of €100million (£83m/$108m) might be a tad high, but if he keeps this form up there will undoubtedly be clubs prepared to pay it.
Tuesday’s results
- AC Milan 3 Club Brugge 1
- Monaco 5 Red Star Belgrade 1
- Arsenal 1 Shakhtar Donetsk 0
- Aston Villa 2 Bologna 0
- Girona 2 Slovan Bratislava 0
- Juventus 0 Stuttgart 1
- Paris Saint-Germain 1 PSV Eindhoven 1
- Real Madrid 5 Borussia Dortmund 2
- Sturm Graz 0 Sporting Lisbon 2
What’s next?
The remaining nine fixtures for matchweek three of the eight-round league phase take place on Wednesday.
- Atalanta vs Celtic (5.45pm BST/12.45pm ET)
- Brest vs Bayer Leverkusen (5.45pm BST/12.45pm ET)
- Atletico Madrid vs Lille (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- Benfica vs Feyenoord (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- Manchester City vs Sparta Prague (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- RB Leipzig vs Liverpool (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- Red Bull Salzburg vs Dinamo Zagreb (8pm BST/3pm ET)
- Young Boys vs Inter Milan (8pm BST/3pm ET)
(Top photos: Vinicius Junior and Christian Pulisic; Getty Images)
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The fan who ran onto the court during the New York Knicks’ 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center has been banned for life.
About midway through the fourth quarter, a fan ran onto the court looking for a selfie with Victor Wembanyama. A second fan was also banned for his involvement, the NBA said in a news release.
“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas,” an NBA spokesman said in a news release. “A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident.”
A fan is detained by security after running onto the court during the fourth quarter of Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
With just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Spurs guard Dylan Harper had his pass deflected by Mikal Bridges when the fan raced onto the floor. The fan went straight to Wembanyama while the play was occurring, and the Spurs star was unsure how to act.
“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act.”
Security quickly raced out, enveloped the fan and whisked him off the floor.
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A fan is detained by security after running onto the court during the fourth quarter of Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Play was stopped for one minute, 29 seconds before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan who entered the playing area was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.
“I don’t think it was an event at all,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”
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A fan runs onto the court and takes a photo with Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter of Game One in the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The NBA hopes there are no further fan incidents for the remainder of the series. Game 2 between the Knicks and the Spurs is on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
How Myles Garrett’s arrival has the Rams — and even Cooper Kupp — talking Aaron Donald return
The Rams’ trade for Myles Garrett and subsequent intrigue about whether Aaron Donald would unretire to place two future first-ballot Hall of Famers on the same defensive line has served as an unmistakable reminder that some folks don’t change.
Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
Donald’s wife, Erica, can still toss a wet blanket on fiery hearsay by posting a few well-chosen words on social media.
Rams architects Les Snead and Sean McVay can still adroitly motivate a player without pressing too hard.
As for Donald himself, it seems he still harbors a desire to play 26 months after he retired at age 32 at the top of his mayhem-creating game.
The acquisition of Garrett was the tipping point that Donald fueled by telling NFL insider Jordan Schultz in a text: “I’m for sure flirting with the idea. Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”
Kupp, a receiver now with the Seattle Seahawks, was Donald’s fellow All-Pro teammate when the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022. They remain friendly enough for Kupp to reach out to Donald a few days ago with tongue-in-cheek advice to stay retired.
“I already texted him and told him he’s not allowed. So we’re good,” Kupp told sportscaster Rich Eisen while laughing. “I texted Aaron and said, ‘Don’t even think about it.’ I left it at that, so we’re good. I’m not worried about it. I already nipped it in the bud. No one has to worry.”
Erica Donald’s three-word rebuttal on X to speculation about her husband playing football again was also light-hearted. But it carried the weight of coming from the mother of two of Donald’s four children.
“Y’all are hilarious,” Erica posted.
Enough said?
Responses were respectful but hoped she was kidding.
One fan asked, “MRS.Donald can Aaron come out and play pretty please.”
Another took a similar courteous tone: “Erica, queen of them all… please let the mister give it one more go!”
Ardent Donald fans recall his wife’s response when he retired in 2024, and followers were incredulous that he would do so with seemingly plenty of outstanding football ahead of him.
Erica put the kibosh on the notion that he might change his mind in a 16-second video where she sits next to her husband, who appears to be sleeping while a television in the background is tuned to football.
Looking at her phone camera but speaking to her husband, she says, “Aaron, the people are still asking if you are coming back,” at which point she breaks into laughter because he doesn’t budge. She continues, “All right, guys, I hope that answers your question, ’cuz he is not.”
Less certain now are McVay, the Rams coach since 2017, and Snead, the team’s general manager since 2012. The mere thought of the eight-time All-Pro Donald lining up alongside the five-time All-Pro Garrett is too delicious to ignore.
“If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip,” McVay said during the news conference introducing Garrett.
Snead sounded even more hopeful.
“I do think for the first time since he retired, he’s maybe tempted,” he said. “‘Oh, let’s maybe do one last stand.’ I don’t know if he’s been tempted since he has been retired and I think if you know Aaron at his core, he’s one of those humans that if he doesn’t think he can really, really help, he probably doesn’t want to try.
“But for the first time, I’m betting that he’s tempted. I can sense that. That’s cool that Aaron’s excited, like a lot of our fans, Aaron’s excited about [acquiring Garrett] and he’s probably tempted for the first time.”
For his part, Garrett told Rams broadcaster J.B. Long that he plans to speak to Donald soon.
“I don’t know what his plans are, and I’m not gonna pretend to know,” Garrett said. “I know a lot of people are excited and thrilled about the idea of him coming back, but just being able to talk to him, learn from him, and know that I’ll take all the advice I can.”
Donald’s longtime former teammates are speaking the loudest. Former Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers, perhaps Donald’s closest friend on the team for seven years, said on a podcast that he has “knowledge that others might not have…. My guy is staying ready so he doesn’t have to get ready.”
And even while kidding, Kupp couldn’t help but say out loud what many Rams followers are thinking.
“I love Aaron, he’s such a good football player, great dude,” he said. “I loved taking the field with him in L.A. I don’t know what’s going to happen. That would be crazy. He’s a very, very good football player.”
Kupp laughed again.
“I don’t care how old he is, how long he’s not played, Aaron Donald is Aaron Donald. But it doesn’t matter because I told him he can’t.”
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The New York Knicks began their pursuit of their first title since 1973 on Wednesday night in a matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs clung to a seven-point lead at halftime, setting up a back-and-forth second half and a tight fourth quarter. But amid the tension of a tightly contested fourth quarter, an overexcited fan briefly stole the spotlight in pursuit of what he hoped would be a once-in-a-lifetime photo.
The unidentified fan ran onto the court midway through the game’s final quarter, appearing to try to take a selfie next to Wembanyama.
A fan is detained by security after running onto the court during the fourth quarter of Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The fan came from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonio’s offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards, and it did not appear the person made any contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.
A fan runs onto the court and takes a photo with Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter of Game One in the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Play was stopped for about a minute before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.
KNICKS FANS WOULD SAVE MONEY FLYING TO SAN ANTONIO FOR NBA FINALS GAMES INSTEAD OF BUYING MSG TICKETS
Earlier in the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson limped to the locker room after Spurs forward Harrison Barnes was pushed into his right knee. Brunson returned in the second quarter with his knee heavily wrapped, then appeared to tweak his left ankle later in the game after a Spurs player stepped on him while he contested a shot. He stayed in the game after the second scare.
Jalen Brunson attacks the basket during the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 victory over the Spurs in the NBA Finals (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images))
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Brunson finished with 30 points, leading the Knicks in scoring.
The Knicks ultimately secured a 105-95 win over the Spurs in Game 1, marking New York’s 12th consecutive playoff victory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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