Sports
Nations League Glory: Portugal Beats Spain On Pens
Diogo Costa was the shootout hero as Portugal won the Nations League by defeating defending champions Spain 5-3 on penalties after twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 in Munich.
Porto goalkeeper Costa denied Alvaro Morata from the spot before Ruben Neves slammed home the next kick to seal glory for Roberto Martinez’s men.
Talk of the first meeting between 40-year-old Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and 17-year-old Spain winger Lamine Yamal dominated the build-up to the Allianz Arena showdown.
Ronaldo’s 61st-minute equaliser forced extra time but both players had been substituted by the time an absorbing contest was decided from 12 yards.
Mikel Oyarzabal had earlier given Spain a half-time lead after the opening goal from his Real Sociedad team-mate Martin Zubimendi was cancelled out by impressive Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes.
Portugal celebrated a second Nations League triumph, having won the inaugural tournament in 2019, with Ronaldo pictured in tears following the shootout.
Goals seemed extremely likely in Bavaria, with Euro 2024 winners Spain having reached the final with a thrilling 5-4 win over France, while Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1.
Pedri and Nico Williams each threatened before Luis de la Fuente’s side capitalised on their early ascendancy with a scrappy 21st-minute opener.
Oyarzabal sparked the attack with a delightful flick in midfield and, after Portugal goalkeeper Costa and defenders Ruben Dias and Joao Neves made a mess of dealing with Yamal’s delivery into the box, Zubimendi was on hand for a simple finish into the unguarded net.
Portugal trailed for just four minutes.
Marauding left-back Mendes – fresh from his Champions League triumph with Paris St Germain – claimed the leveller, bursting into the box beyond Oscar Mingueza to blast an angled drive into the bottom right corner for his first international goal.
Martinez’s side enjoyed increased possession and were largely subduing Spain before falling behind again in the final minute of the half.
With Portuguese players appealing for a foul on Bernardo Silva by Robin Le Normand, Pedri drove forward and poked the ball through for Oyarzabal – who scored the winner in last summer’s European Championship final against England – to divert an instinctive, first-time finish past Costa.
Bruno Fernandes briefly thought he had levelled four minutes into the second period but Pedro Neto was offside before providing the assist.
A second equaliser of the evening eventually arrived with 29 minutes to go.
Mendes breezed past Yamal on Portugal’s left and, after his low cross looped up off Le Normand, Ronaldo held off Marc Cucurella to volley home his 138th goal for his country.
With the clock ticking towards an additional half an hour, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner limped off two minutes from time to be replaced by Goncalo Ramos.
Portugal substitute Nelson Semedo scuffed wide early in extra time, while tempers threatened to boil over during a brief flashpoint after Mendes went down in Spain’s box under a challenge from Alex Baena.
Yamal was withdrawn ahead of a cagey second period of extra time before Portugal held their nerve to prevail on spot-kicks, with Spain substitute Morata the only man to miss.
Earlier, Kylian Mbappe scored his 50th goal for France to help them claim third place with a 2-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart.
Germany spurned several chances to take the lead, most notably when Florian Wirtz saw his effort come back off the goal frame, before Mbappe struck on the stroke of half-time to put France ahead.
Mbappe is now just one goal off Thierry Henry as France’s second all-time leading goalscorer, and the Real Madrid forward then teed up substitute Michael Olise late on to secure a win for the visitors.
Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was just as important for France, who lost a nine-goal semi-final thriller to Spain on Thursday, in this third-placed play-off as he made several important saves throughout.
Rte.ie
Atalanta put their PSG beating behind them with a dominant Serie A win, boosted by the return of Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman to the lineup for the first time in four months.
Atalanta have bounced back from a crushing defeat to PSG with a convincing Serie A victory, a match that saw the highly-anticipated return of Nigerian international Ademola Lookman to the pitch for the first time in four months.
The Super Eagles forward, whose recent absence was linked to a failed summer transfer and subsequent standoff with the club, came on for the final three minutes of the match against Torino, but it was his presence alone that signaled a shift in momentum for La Dea.
While Lookman watched from the bench, the team, under manager Ivan Juric, dominated the first half, taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
The attacking trio of Nikola Kristovic, Ghana’s Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Lazar Samardzic was in blistering form, putting the game to bed before the halftime whistle.
Kristovic was the star, bagging an impressive brace, while Sulemana found the back of the net once and provided an assist. Samardzic also contributed with a key assist, demonstrating the attacking firepower that Atalanta has at its disposal.
The emphatic win is a welcome relief for the club, which was humbled in a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just days earlier in the Champions League.
That result highlighted how much the team had missed the attacking spark of players like Lookman.
His return, even for a brief cameo, suggests that the club and player have mended their relationship, and he is now set to be a key figure in the team’s push to regain form and challenge for a top spot in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest new head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he was looking forward to working with Nigeria defender Ola Aina before his injury.
The 28-year-old played 87 minutes against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in the first of Nigeria’s two games during the September International break.
However, he had to be taken off inside ten minutes at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein as the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against South Africa, as Nigeria’s World Cup hopes hit the rocks.
Aina’s injury came as a big blow for Ange as he missed his first game in charge against Arsenal. After the extent of the injury was confirmed, the former Australian manager mentioned he’s looking forward to working with the Super Eagles defender.
Atalanta fans are furious with Ademola Lookman, unveiling banners condemning his attempted move to Inter Milan
The Super Eagles forward has been excluded from Atalanta’s 23-man Serie A squad amid escalating tensions
Club director Tony D’Amico confirms sanctions and future decision pending when the transfer window closes
Ademola Lookman’s once bright relationship with Atalanta fans has turned sour after the Nigerian forward’s failed attempt to force a move to Serie A rivals Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old Super Eagles star has become the target of intense criticism from the club’s ultras, and supporters have unveiled demeaning banners and even mocked the Nigerian forward with the new nickname “Guipiman,” a street cleaner.
The outrage has reached a point where some fans have boldly declared they would rather see Atalanta relegated to Serie B than watch Lookman don their shirt again, This Day reports.
Curva Nord 1907, one of the most vocal supporter groups, displayed a banner reading:
“The shirt must be honoured. Another piece of b*llshit will not be tolerated,” Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post.
This hostility stems from Lookman’s attempt to push through a summer transfer to Inter Milan, a move seen by fans as a betrayal given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
Lookman’s fallout with Atalanta escalated when Inter Milan submitted a €45 million bid earlier in the summer, only for the Bergamo club to reject it.
Frustrated, the 2024 CAF Player of the Year winner filed a formal transfer request and accused the Bergamo club of broken promises and poor treatment both professionally and personally, after Inter walked away from the deal.
In protest, Lookman reportedly went AWOL, abandoning training sessions, further souring relations with Atalanta’s management and fans.
Despite returning to pre-season training, the Nigerian forward was left out of Atalanta’s 23-man squad for their opening Serie A fixture against newly-promoted Pisa.
This exclusion signals how deeply fractured the relationship has become. Sports director Tony D’Amico confirmed that Lookman is not training with the group and admitted Atalanta’s disappointment with the situation, per Score Nigeria.
What next for Lookman and Atalanta?
The saga has cast a shadow over Atalanta’s preparations for the new season.
According to Daily Post, Sporting director D’Amico stressed that the Bergamo club will evaluate Lookman’s future only after the transfer window closes on September 1. Until then, the Nigerian forward remains in limbo.
“Right now, there’s disappointment. We are sorry for everyone, but we will make assessments at the end of the transfer window,” D’Amico said.
Inter Milan have since pulled out of the move to sign Lookman after failing to meet Atalanta’s €50 million valuation, leaving the forward’s options limited.
With two years left on his contract, the forward risks facing heavy sanctions from the club, including possible fines or prolonged exclusion from the squad.
For Atalanta fans, however, the damage appears already done. Whether Lookman stays or leaves, his once-celebrated status in Bergamo has been tarnished by a transfer saga.
Click to see Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post here
BREAKING: Atalanta supporters have erected a banner with a clear message targeted at Nigerian footballer Ademola Lookman after his return to training earlier this week saying :
“Honour the jersey, more bulls*** will not be justified.” pic.twitter.com/v5EklU4Nz9
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) August 23, 2025
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