Match story
- Villarreal created the clearer chances on xG (2.06 vs 1.55, Δ 0.51).
- Villarreal fired more attempts (12 vs 8 shots).
- Valencia held more of the ball (57% possession).
Villarreal defeated Valencia 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 25 stage in the 2025 season. The match was played at Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. J. Manzano officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Villarreal vs Valencia meeting in La Liga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Villarreal and Valencia. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaRecorded meetings: 8 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Villarreal defeated Valencia 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 25 stage in the 2025 season. The match was played at Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. J. Manzano officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Villarreal vs Valencia meeting in La Liga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Villarreal and Valencia. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaRecorded meetings: 8 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Samu Costa scored on his Al Nassr debut in the win over Al Fateh and dedicated the victory to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was absent from the match. Samu Costa marked his Al Nassr debut in style, scoring in a 3-0 win over Al Fateh in the club’s Saudi Pro League opener on August 15 — his first appearance since joining Cristiano Ronaldo‘s side. The Portuguese midfielder found the net alongside goals from Joao Felix and Angelo as Al Nassr began the new season with a statement victory. Speaking after the match, Costa reflected on the win and made a point of including Ronaldo in his praise, despite the Portuguese superstar not featuring in the squad. “A good start. We worked hard and deserved the three points. I dedicate the victory to my family, my teammates, and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Costa said. Ronaldo’s absence from the matchday squad was a deliberate call by new head coach Ange Postecoglou, who only recently took charge at Al Nassr. Ronaldo had rejoined training just two days before the match, having spent recent weeks away from the squad following his marriage to Georgina Rodriguez. With Ronaldo sidelined for the opener, it was Angelo, Costa and Felix who stepped up to deliver the win, giving Postecoglou an encouraging start to his tenure in Riyadh. All eyes will now turn to when Ronaldo is expected to make his own season debut for the club. First game. First win. First celebration 🤩💛Samú Costa gets the full Nassr welcome pic.twitter.com/pZE3T9oj9K— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 15, 2026 Ronaldo eyeing return for matchday 2 It was to be expected that Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t feature at the start of Al Nassr‘s 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign, having missed every training session with the squad and sat out the entire preseason. According to reports out of Saudi Arabia, the captain is also expected to miss Al Nassr’s King Champions Cup opener against Diriyah Club on August 18, with his return now targeted for matchday 2 of the Saudi Pro League against Al Riyadh on August 21.
Chelsea ended their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad, though there were jeers when Enzo Fernandez came on. The post Alonso keen to build Chelsea connection but Fernandez booed in friendly win appeared first on SoccerNews.
Dan Burn says being named Newcastle captain on a permanent basis is "really special". Following this summer's departure of Bruno Guimaraes the role has been vacant but new Head Coach Matthias Jaissle announced his decision on Saturday. A boyhood Magpies fan, Burn has made 193 appearances for the club since signing in 2021.
Al Nassr take on Al Fateh, and Cristiano Ronaldo could be absent from his team's 26/27 Saudi Pro League opener. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr debut against Al Fateh in the 26/27 Saudi Pro League, where they’ll look to defend the title they won last season. For this match, however, manager Ange Postecoglou may not be able to count on his captain and star forward. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected not to play in Al Nassr’s opener against Al Fateh, according to Al Riyadiah. The Portuguese forward remains sidelined following his recent wedding to Georgina Rodríguez, having missed the club’s entire preseason, including their training camp in Lisbon, and only returning to individual training earlier this week. The Portuguese star is expected to make his season debut on August 21 against Al Riyadh, meaning he’ll also sit out the club’s King Cup opener against Al Diriyah before that. For Saturday’s Matchday 1 clash, Postecoglou will have to open the campaign without his captain, leaning on the rest of a squad already stacked with attacking talent. The match kicks off at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with both sides looking to start the new season on the front foot. Tomorrow. 9 PM. We’re getting ready ⏳ pic.twitter.com/18fI2Wa93q— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 14, 2026 Al Nassr’s projected lineup For his official debut with Al Nassr, Postecoglou is expected to start recent signing Samu Costa in midfield, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan would replace Ronaldo up front. Projected XI to face Al Fateh: Bento; Al-Nasser, Simakan, Martínez, Al-Najdi; Samu Costa, Abdulkareem, Mané, Félix, Coman; Al-Hamdan. Al Fateh’s projected lineup Al Fateh are expected to set up in a 3-5-2, with Al Enezi starting in goal behind a back three of Saadane, Darsi and Boateng. The midfield five is projected to feature Batna, Youssef, Harrison, Al Sahihi and Haraslin, supporting a front two of Machado and Al Masoud.
According to Talksport, Newcastle are considering a move for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba to boost their depleted midfield ranks. The Magpies have sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur and Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal, leaving new manager Matthias Jaissle without both of their nailed-on starting midfielders from the previous season. The club obviously need to dip into […] The post Newcastle eye Brighton’s Carlos Baleba appeared first on SoccerNews.
Rogers up and running at Chelsea (Picture: Action Images via Reuters) Chelsea have beaten Real Sociedad in their final pre-season friendly before the start of the new Premier League season next week. The Blues were back at Stamford Bridge after their tour of Australia and Asia, winning two of their five games. Morgan Rogers made his first appearance for the club following his club record move from Aston Villa and needed just nine minutes to get on the scoresheet, tapping home from close range after Joao Pedro’s effort was kept out. Real Sociedad levelled the game just before the break but Pedro put his side back ahead early in the second-half, heading home a cross from Reece James. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. The Brazilian grabbed his second of the afternoon with 16 minutes of the game left, slotting home after a fine pass from Malo Gusto. Enzo Fernandez was among the subs the day after an unofficial transfer deadline came and went without any bids arriving despite Manchester City’s interest. The Argentina international came off the bench to a mixed reception with boos raining down from around Stamford Bridge while others chanted his name. Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign a week on Monday in a west London derby against Fulham. Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Women’s football has much to gain from the kind of reforms that threats to snub upcoming tournaments might prompt. Infantino should be taken on“And I say to all the women … Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change. You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do. You do it. Just do it. With men, with Fifa, you will find open doors. Just push the doors. They are open.”Those were the condescending words of Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, three years ago during a tone-deaf speech in Sydney, which left his audience, including some of the most senior women in the game, exasperated. It is a damning indictment of Infantino’s tenure that his patronising monologue on the eve of the Women’s World Cup final now barely even creeps into the top 10 of the most controversial moments since his latest re-election, in March 2023. Continue reading...
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
Samu Costa scored on his Al Nassr debut in the win over Al Fateh and dedicated the victory to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was absent from the match. Samu Costa marked his Al Nassr debut in style, scoring in a 3-0 win over Al Fateh in the club’s Saudi Pro League opener on August 15 — his first appearance since joining Cristiano Ronaldo‘s side. The Portuguese midfielder found the net alongside goals from Joao Felix and Angelo as Al Nassr began the new season with a statement victory. Speaking after the match, Costa reflected on the win and made a point of including Ronaldo in his praise, despite the Portuguese superstar not featuring in the squad. “A good start. We worked hard and deserved the three points. I dedicate the victory to my family, my teammates, and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Costa said. Ronaldo’s absence from the matchday squad was a deliberate call by new head coach Ange Postecoglou, who only recently took charge at Al Nassr. Ronaldo had rejoined training just two days before the match, having spent recent weeks away from the squad following his marriage to Georgina Rodriguez. With Ronaldo sidelined for the opener, it was Angelo, Costa and Felix who stepped up to deliver the win, giving Postecoglou an encouraging start to his tenure in Riyadh. All eyes will now turn to when Ronaldo is expected to make his own season debut for the club. First game. First win. First celebration 🤩💛Samú Costa gets the full Nassr welcome pic.twitter.com/pZE3T9oj9K— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 15, 2026 Ronaldo eyeing return for matchday 2 It was to be expected that Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t feature at the start of Al Nassr‘s 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign, having missed every training session with the squad and sat out the entire preseason. According to reports out of Saudi Arabia, the captain is also expected to miss Al Nassr’s King Champions Cup opener against Diriyah Club on August 18, with his return now targeted for matchday 2 of the Saudi Pro League against Al Riyadh on August 21.
Chelsea ended their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad, though there were jeers when Enzo Fernandez came on. The post Alonso keen to build Chelsea connection but Fernandez booed in friendly win appeared first on SoccerNews.
Dan Burn says being named Newcastle captain on a permanent basis is "really special". Following this summer's departure of Bruno Guimaraes the role has been vacant but new Head Coach Matthias Jaissle announced his decision on Saturday. A boyhood Magpies fan, Burn has made 193 appearances for the club since signing in 2021.
Al Nassr take on Al Fateh, and Cristiano Ronaldo could be absent from his team's 26/27 Saudi Pro League opener. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr debut against Al Fateh in the 26/27 Saudi Pro League, where they’ll look to defend the title they won last season. For this match, however, manager Ange Postecoglou may not be able to count on his captain and star forward. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected not to play in Al Nassr’s opener against Al Fateh, according to Al Riyadiah. The Portuguese forward remains sidelined following his recent wedding to Georgina Rodríguez, having missed the club’s entire preseason, including their training camp in Lisbon, and only returning to individual training earlier this week. The Portuguese star is expected to make his season debut on August 21 against Al Riyadh, meaning he’ll also sit out the club’s King Cup opener against Al Diriyah before that. For Saturday’s Matchday 1 clash, Postecoglou will have to open the campaign without his captain, leaning on the rest of a squad already stacked with attacking talent. The match kicks off at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with both sides looking to start the new season on the front foot. Tomorrow. 9 PM. We’re getting ready ⏳ pic.twitter.com/18fI2Wa93q— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 14, 2026 Al Nassr’s projected lineup For his official debut with Al Nassr, Postecoglou is expected to start recent signing Samu Costa in midfield, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan would replace Ronaldo up front. Projected XI to face Al Fateh: Bento; Al-Nasser, Simakan, Martínez, Al-Najdi; Samu Costa, Abdulkareem, Mané, Félix, Coman; Al-Hamdan. Al Fateh’s projected lineup Al Fateh are expected to set up in a 3-5-2, with Al Enezi starting in goal behind a back three of Saadane, Darsi and Boateng. The midfield five is projected to feature Batna, Youssef, Harrison, Al Sahihi and Haraslin, supporting a front two of Machado and Al Masoud.
According to Talksport, Newcastle are considering a move for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba to boost their depleted midfield ranks. The Magpies have sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur and Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal, leaving new manager Matthias Jaissle without both of their nailed-on starting midfielders from the previous season. The club obviously need to dip into […] The post Newcastle eye Brighton’s Carlos Baleba appeared first on SoccerNews.
Rogers up and running at Chelsea (Picture: Action Images via Reuters) Chelsea have beaten Real Sociedad in their final pre-season friendly before the start of the new Premier League season next week. The Blues were back at Stamford Bridge after their tour of Australia and Asia, winning two of their five games. Morgan Rogers made his first appearance for the club following his club record move from Aston Villa and needed just nine minutes to get on the scoresheet, tapping home from close range after Joao Pedro’s effort was kept out. Real Sociedad levelled the game just before the break but Pedro put his side back ahead early in the second-half, heading home a cross from Reece James. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. The Brazilian grabbed his second of the afternoon with 16 minutes of the game left, slotting home after a fine pass from Malo Gusto. Enzo Fernandez was among the subs the day after an unofficial transfer deadline came and went without any bids arriving despite Manchester City’s interest. The Argentina international came off the bench to a mixed reception with boos raining down from around Stamford Bridge while others chanted his name. Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign a week on Monday in a west London derby against Fulham. Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Women’s football has much to gain from the kind of reforms that threats to snub upcoming tournaments might prompt. Infantino should be taken on“And I say to all the women … Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change. You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do. You do it. Just do it. With men, with Fifa, you will find open doors. Just push the doors. They are open.”Those were the condescending words of Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, three years ago during a tone-deaf speech in Sydney, which left his audience, including some of the most senior women in the game, exasperated. It is a damning indictment of Infantino’s tenure that his patronising monologue on the eve of the Women’s World Cup final now barely even creeps into the top 10 of the most controversial moments since his latest re-election, in March 2023. Continue reading...
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
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