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Manchester United travel to the Swiss capital on Wednesday evening for their opening Champions League match against BSC Young Boys, but José Mourinho’s men will hoping for a better result than the last time they played a match in Switzerland.

What happened?

In November last year United had a Champions League encounter against Basel and after beating the 2017 Swiss League champions 3-0 at Old Trafford, the Red Devils would’ve fancied their chances of picking up points to go through the group stage with a perfect record.

But Mourinho’s side only had themselves to blame when the 90 minutes was over, losing 1-0 thanks to a second half goal by Basel defender Michael Lang. Despite having close to 70% of the possession throughout the match, United failed to get the ball in the back of the net as poor finishing let the side down in what could and should have been a comfortable win.

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Paul Pogba captained the side that night and United were quick out of the blocks with centre-forward Romelu Lukaku and wingers Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard applying loads of pressure on the Basel defenders.

Midfielder Marouane Fellaini squandered three golden opportunities before half time with accuracy letting him down and one headed chance deflecting off the post. Marcos Rojo also had a powerful long range effort bounce back off the bar.

In the second half, however, Basel started to up the ante and got their rhythm going with some slick interplay, piling the pressure back on United. Basel would eventually sneak a winner in the 89th minute when Lang slipped in behind United defender Daily Blind to tap home a pass from Raoul Petretta.

Current form

On Wednesday, Mourinho and his side will have a good opportunity to make up for last year’s result and start their Champions League campaign on a positive note. United are coming off the back of two good Premier League victories at Burnley and Watford after suffering defeats to Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur earlier on in the season.

Young Boys, on the other hand, head into the match as the current Swiss champions after winning the league in April with four games to spare. Just like Basel last year, Young Boys could be a threat if Mourinho gets his tactics wrong.

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After back to back trebles, Celtic’s start to the season hasn’t been the best as the league champions sit sixth in the table and are currently coming off a run of form that saw the Glasgow side lose 2-1 Kilmarnock and draw with St Mirren in the league.

The Scottish champions are enduring their worst start to a league season in 20 years and look like they could be seriously challenged for the title this season. Brendan Rodgers recently admitted that the fans should be worried by the team’s poor start to the season following their loss to Kilmarnock.

To add even more woe to the club’s plight, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has claimed that Celtic have a divided dressing-room and that players like Olivier Ntcham and Dedryck Boyata don’t really care about the club after their respective transfers fell through.

The Breakdown

Olivier Ntcham had attracted interest from Porto over the summer, while Boyata was incredibly close to a move to Fulham and recently had an argument with Rodgers over his ability to play in the club’s Champions League qualifying loss to AEK Athens.

Both players have still featured heavily for the club so far this season and if both aren’t fully committed to playing for the side, it’s not going to make it any easier for Rodgers. With Hearts starting the season so well and Rangers seemingly rejuvenated under Gerrard, it looks like it’s going to be a tough season for the Glasgow club.

So Celtic fans, what do you think? Let us know!

Liverpool’s unbeaten record in the Premier League was extended against Chelsea thanks to a late goal from Daniel Sturridge.

The Reds had plenty of opportunities to be out of sight against the Blues but were unable to find a way through Kepa Arrizabalaga. Chelsea were quick to seize on an error by Trent Alexander-Arnold with Eden Hazard racing clear to beat Alisson Becker. Jurgen Klopp’s side were seemingly heading for their first Premier League defeat of the season before Sturridge curled home a sensational effort in from range against his former team.

Liverpool fans will be pleased to take a point from Stamford Bridge, but many were concerned over the performance of Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was particularly wasteful against his former club, missing chances he was scoring for fun last season. Salah had more shots than any player on the pitch but was unable to find the back of the net and was eventually hooked for Xherdan Shaqiri just after the hour mark.

After a record-breaking first season at Anfield, his second campaign in the Premier League was going to be under a magnifying glass. Despite suggestions that Salah is nowhere near his best, only nine players have more goals than the former Roma winger in the league so far. Salah has also had more clear-cut chances than anyone in the league and more shots on target than anyone in the division – it won’t be long until he starts finding the back of the net consistently.

Salah’s current situation is very similar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s debut campaign at Manchester United. The Swede was missing a host of chances but still found himself in dangerous areas throughout his drought. Eventually, the goals started to flow – if you are making opportunities, you will eventually start scoring.

The cream always rises to the top as the big Swede proved and, considering the amount of chances Liverpool can create, Salah isn’t likely to be struggling for long.

Liverpool definitely do not need to worry about their star forward who will undoubtedly find his top gear soon.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham Hotspur completed a surprise £30m deal to sign Moussa Sissoko from Newcastle United on the final day of the 2016 summer transfer window, but he has struggled to make much of an impact for the north London outfit since.

The France international has become something of a laughing stock among his own fans on Twitter when he has got on the pitch, while he took 44 matches to score his first goal for the club during a 4-0 win against Huddersfield Town last September.

The 29-year-old, who still has more than two-and-a-half years remaining on his Spurs contract, has never been a regular in the starting XI, and that appears unlikely to change with out-of-form players like Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele still being picked ahead of him.

The Frenchman was handed a rare start in the Carabao Cup tie against Watford at Milton Keynes Dons’ stadium on Wednesday night, and while he didn’t do too much wrong there is no doubt that Mauricio Pochettino’s men looked a lot better after he had been taken off in the 64th minute.

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Reports have suggested previously that Tottenham are keen to recoup the money they paid for Sissoko should they sell him, but in our view that is completely unrealistic and, in truth, he is probably worth less than half of that now.

So, Spurs fans, do you agree? Let us know how much you think Sissoko is worth by voting on our poll below…

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Leeds United are set to open renewal talks with Kemar Roofe in order to fend off growing interest in his services, Football Insider reports.

What’s the word?

Marcelo Bielsa has improved Leeds significantly and the Peacocks have established themselves amongst the early-season favourites for promotion, although this naturally means that interest in their best players is rising.

Amongst those turning heads is forward Kemar Roofe, who scored four goals and contributed two assists in Leeds’ opening six Championship matches before being sidelined with an injury – missing the last four matches as a result.

Interest in the 25-year-old is rising and Leeds are keen to secure his future as he edges into the final 18 months of his current deal, according to Football Insider, as the club prepare to sit down with the forward to discuss a new contract.

A necessary boost?

It does not take a genius to identify that Leeds have struggled in Roofe’s absence, as the Peacocks have won just one of their four matches without the striker in their side, subsequently opening the door for early title rivals West Brom and Middlesbrough.

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Roofe is currently edging towards a return from his injury absence, which could come after October’s international break, and a new contract could provide a new lease of life into a forward who is looking to maintain his stellar start to the season.

Having scored 11 goals last season, Roofe is already well on his way to surpassing that tally and a new deal is well deserved for a player signed from Oxford United in 2016.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Oliver Skipp has been named Premier League 2 Player of the Month following a fine showing of performances in September. Mauricio Pochettino had him on the bench for last weekend’s game against Cardiff City at Wembley due to injuries, but the newly turned 18-year-old has also performed with such maturity that warrants first-team opportunities in the near future. Spurs fans have had their say on the academy prospect and they are full of praise for their youngster.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the reaction.

A pair of fans even felt that a start in Spurs’ next fixture after the international break against West Ham United is the best option.

One fan even made the bold statement that Skipp is better than two of Spurs’ first-team midfielders at this moment in time.

West Ham United are planning to reignite their pursuit of Porto winger Yacine Brahimi when the transfer window reopens in January, according to O Jogo.

What’s the word?

In the summer it was widely reported that the East London outfit wanted to bring in Brahimi.

The 28-year-old, who has scored 44 goals and created 35 assists in 177 matches for Porto, was believed to be closing in on a switch to the London Stadium.

However, the deal broke down due to wage demands from Brahimi’s camp.

Now, O Jogo claims that the Hammers will reopen discussions with the winger regarding a free transfer when his deal expires at the end of the season.

Is this a good idea?

There is no doubting Brahimi’s talent and the quality he could bring to West Ham’s team, but it does put Felipe Anderson’s position under threat.

The Brazilian signed from Lazio in the summer and in nine outings in all competitions, the 25-year-old has scored once and registered two assists.

Anderson has been playing on the left wing under Manuel Pellegrini, but Brahimi is positioned in the same spot.

West Ham’s summer signing is versatile, though, in that he can switch to the right if needs be.

If Brahimi does join, it could have a negative effect on Anderson, potentially knocking his confidence.

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to another major setback, as Luke Ayling will be sidelined for two months with a knee injury.

Leeds fans were concerned before the season started that they didn’t have enough squad depth, and those concerns have already been justified.

The Whites have just been boosted by the returns of Pablo Hernandez and Kemar Roofe, but are now expected to be without Ayling for a considerable amount of time.

The ever-popular defender left the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest in the first half, and the club have now confirmed that he will be out for two months.

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Ayling has damaged his MCL on his right knee, and Bielsa is now down to barebones in the full-back position.

There are hopes that Barry Douglas will return at left-back very soon, but Ayling’s setback is a major concern.

He hasn’t quite been at his best this season, but it was his injury that sparked last season’s awful run of form, and Bielsa will have to work his magic to avoid a similar meltdown.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Despite previously being considered one of Southampton’s best and most reliable players, right-back Cedric Soares certainly hasn’t been the same player over the course of the past 12-18 months.

The Portugal international – who played a big part in their Euro 2016 success – was once a key part of the side from an attacking point of view in addition to his defensive duties, and his pace was highly useful for both of those things.

However, as the south coast outfit have struggled – both last season and so far this term – so has the 27-year-old and he has come under criticism from his own fans on Twitter for his displays.

The full-back has often been targeted by other teams because of his lack of height, while he has been more prone to errors and struggled to make an impact in the final third because of his poor crossing – there is little doubt that Southampton are more of a threat down the left-hand side than the right.

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However, with a lack of competition for Cedric he has played all-but 34 minutes of their Premier League campaign to date, and he was once again named in the starting XI for the short trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

He looked set to be in for a tough afternoon against the in-form Ryan Fraser, but as well as nullifying the threat of the Scot he also excelled in other areas as well.

The 27-year-old won one tackle, as well as making four interceptions and five clearances as the team kept a much-needed clean sheet, while he showed a big improvement on those of his main weaknesses by winning two aerial duels and completing two accurate crosses, as per WhoScored.

It was certainly an impressive showing by the Portuguese man, and if he continues to play like he did at the Vitality Stadium he will soon win back the full support of the St Mary’s faithful.

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Joe Gomez has been one of the highlights of Liverpool’s season so far.

The 21-year-old has seamlessly stepped into the role of Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back partner since the campaign began.

Dejan Lovren ended the 2017-18 season as a regular in the first team, but after suffering an abdominal injury during the World Cup final with Croatia, he was forced to sit out Liverpool’s first few matches.

The 6ft 2in tall Gomez has spent the majority of his career at Anfield playing at right-back, but he has looked more than comfortable at the heart of defence.

His performances recently rewarded him with a call-up to the England squad, but in the last few matches, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has tinkered with Gomez’s position.

The defender has either been forced out wide to accommodate Lovren since his return to fitness, or has been rested.

On Saturday, Liverpool will go head to head with Arsenal at the Emirates, and it is unclear who will start at the back alongside Van Dijk.

After asking you who Klopp should pick, it became clear that most fans want to see Gomez back in the line-up, replacing Lovren, who started in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Cardiff City.