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Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has denied reports that the club were in the running to sign Lionel Messi, admitting that they never had a hope of landing El Cholo's compatriot from Barcelona. 

While Messi has been reunited with one-third of the famous MSN partnership at Paris Saint-Germain in Neymar, there was speculation that Luis Suarez could be the one lining up alongside him for the 2021-22 season. 

Simeone, though, poured cold water on those rumours and affirmed there was no contact between his employers and the Argentina ace. 

What was said? 

"You can see that Barcelona's situation caused this exit and that it was huge for our league because of the standing Messi has in La Liga and in Barcelona," Simeone explained to reporters in a press conference held on Saturday. 

"It is clear that we were not talking to him and did not have the slightest chance of taking him. 

La Liga is now without both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two figures that have symbolised the Spanish top flight over the last decade and a half. 

Simeone, though, believes there is life after the megastars, pointing to the Premier League to show that the world does not have to stop just because the perennial Ballon d'Or contenders are elsewhere. 

"I understand that in the English league Messi and Ronaldo are not there either and it is one of the biggest leagues in the world," he added. 

"It will be every team's competitiveness and growth, without Messi and Ronaldo, that makes this a competitive league, just like in England which has neither of the pair."

Title hopefuls? 

Atletico celebrated last season as they clinched the Liga title, the second in Simeone's 10-year stint at the Colchonero helm. 

Simeone was nevertheless typically blunt as he refused to look ahead to the prospect of repeating that feat in 2021-22. 

"We will not change our approach, which is to take things one game at a time, to see what path the league takes," he said.

"There is no better way to compete than how we have been doing for the last nine and a half years."

Further reading

Watford midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo said he is happy for Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr after their goals in their 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in their Premier League opener.

Nigeria trio Etebo, Dennis and William Troost-Ekong made their top-flight debuts for the Hornets on Saturday and they contributed to making it a memorable one with maximum points secured.

Dennis opened the scoring at Vicarage Road in the 10th minute after receiving a pass from Sarr and towards the end of the first 45 minutes, it turned the other way round with the Nigerian forward supplying the Senegal international to make it 2-0.

After overcoming the nervy finish, Etebo praised the qualities of the attacking duo and he believes the early lead powered them to victory.

“It’s very important as a team to score first and when you get an early goal it motivates everyone, keeps the positive vibes going and everyone keeps pushing,” Etebo told the club’s website.

“I’m happy for my Nigerian brother [Dennis] and Sarr as well. They did well, you can see they’ve got good pace, they run forward and are direct players.”

The Super Eagles midfielder, who joined the Hornets from Stoke City on a season-long loan in July, urged his teammates not to lose focus as they aim to build on their fine start to the season.

“This is the start of the season. I’m happy that we got the win, congratulations to my teammates, but it’s a long season so step-by-step we have to keep going,” he continued.

"This is just the beginning. Like the gaffer said, we need everyone. Everyone needs to stay together, be positive. It’s teamwork and there are lots of games to be played. This is just one game and there are a lot of games to go.

“It’s a thing of joy because we have gone nearly two years with no fans, but when they are in the stadium they lift up the team. It’s amazing.”

Watford travel to Brighton & Hove Albion for their next Premier League fixture on August 21.

Genk defeated OH Leuven 4-0 in Saturday’s Belgian First Division A encounter with Paul Onuachu and Theo Bongonda among the goal scorers.

The Smurfs came into the game having crashed out of the Champions League following a 2-1 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

Nonetheless, John van den Brom’s men moved on from that setback with a comfortable win over the visitors at the Luminus Arena.

More shortly…

Manchester United star Jesse Lingard admits that he hit a low point while frozen out of the Reds first team, before turning his fortunes around during his loan spell with West Ham. 

The England winger made an immediate impact in east London, scoring nine goals and contributing a further five assists in 16 games after joining in January. 

It was a welcome return to form for Lingard, who had struggled mentally during his extended spell without football at Old Trafford. 

What was said? 

"We had times during the bad periods when I started to resort to drinking at night and that wasn't me," he told the Daily Mail.

"My dad's never been a big drinker. My mum's never been a big drinker. I was bottling up so much in my head that I had resorted to drinking to try to ease the pain.

"[Lingard's brother] Louie was looking at me and thinking, 'That's not my brother'. I've never been a big drinker, but I was resorting to that for my own peace. When I finally opened up and started speaking to family, it really helped. I owe it to them. 

"My confidence was shot. You can be that happy-go-lucky guy, bouncing around the training ground, but deep down you're wearing that smile as a mask.

"I wasn't playing so I was down. Luckily I had Louie sending me videos from my Under 21 days for United and England. He was trying to make me realise what a good player I'd been.

"'Watch this! Watch this!' So I did and thought, 'You know what? I can't throw this away'. It gave me confidence, and that first lockdown gave me a chance to re-evaluate what I wanted in life."

Louie added: "I've watched this kid all my life. There were matches where I had to leave because I knew he wasn't right and I felt helpless. You know when you see a boxer on his last legs, ready to be knocked out? That's what I was seeing and at the same time, the vultures came for him. 

"They were picking away. There was a lot of online abuse. I don't look at Jesse as someone to analyse, or someone who needs a new contract. I'm his big brother. I needed to make sure this kid could go on and live his life. He didn't want to go fill up his car with petrol as he didn't want to go out. I felt powerless."

Back to West Ham? 

Lingard missed out on United's Premier League opener against Leeds United after testing positive for Covid, but is hoping to return to first-team action in the near-future once given the all-clear. 

He has also been linked to a permanent move to West Ham, a prospect which he and Louie refuse to rule out. 

"It worked out perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a better loan," he said of his time at the club. "I'll always support West Ham. They'll stay in my heart and I'll retain that bond with them.

When asked about the chance of a Hammers return, Louie replied: "We've not heard anything. We're just sitting tight. Making a rash decision right now would be very silly.

Lingard agrees: "One hundred per cent. I'm not going to rush into anything. What comes will come. I feel like I'm in the driving seat. I'm happy."

Further reading 

Toluca will seek to maintain their perfect start to the new Liga MX campaign as they make the trip to face off with Clausura holders Cruz Azul at Estadio Azteca.

Watch Cruz Azul vs Toluca on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

La Maquina may be reigning champions in Mexico, but are arguably the underdogs on home soil after Los Diablos Rojos went three wins from three across the new Apertura season

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Liga MX matches can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

The Clausura holders are back to a full contingent now following the return of Orbelin Pineda, Roberto Alvarado, Sebastian Jurado and Luis Romo from international duty - and they'll need all the help they can get to ensure they put their season back on track.

Juan Reynoso may be a title-winning coach now but he still needs to deliver results after a somewhat ropey opening defence, plus a Champions League semi-final first-leg loss to Monterrey.

Predicted Cruz Azul starting XI: Gudino; Pena, Aguilar, Dominguez; Escobar, Martinez, Baca, J. Jimenez, Montoya. Angulo, Pineda.

A lack of international representation at both the Olympics and the Gold Cup may well have helped Los Diablos Rojos build up early steam over their rivals - but now they face their toughest test yet this term, with Hernan Cristante likely to be under no illusion of the task at hand.

Michael Estrada got his first start of the season last time out and may well retain the lone striker spot up front in a 4-2-3-1 formation that has served them well so far this term.

Predicted Toluca starting XI: Garcia, Lopez, Ortega, Barbieri, Torres; Baeza, Vazquez; Sambueza, Castanesa, Canelo, Estrada.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Former Orlando Pirates attacker Teko Modise believes the Buccaneers have not yet adopted a defined style for their players to follow. 

Pirates were edged 2-1 by Swallows FC at Orlando Stadium to surrender the MTN8 trophy which they claimed last season. 

After Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer fielded a familiar squad and maintained the same tactics as last season, Modise feels that his former club is still to establish a working philosophy they can be identified with.

“I think there are a lot of questions Orlando Pirates are asking themselves tactically. I think when it comes to identity as well they are asking how exactly do you want to start playing,” Modise told SuperSport TV.

“Because when you are chasing the game you want to play with five in the midfield and two wing-backs it becomes very difficult. You see Hotto now starting to cross the ball and you have a striker [Tebogo Tlolane] who is very short and you expect him to win those types of balls. 

“I think there is an identity crisis which they still need to sort out. Once you sort that out then you will be able to pinpoint which personnel is right for each position. I think if they sort out, they will stand a chance this season, which is a marathon. It's unfortunate they can’t defend the trophy but the season is long and there is still enough time to try and fix things.”

Pirates first conceded 16 minutes into the match, before again being punished seven minutes later as Swallows’ Ruzaigh Gamildien grabbed a brace.

Modise says the Buccaneers started the game on the wrong foot and employed the wrong tactics in their attempt to claw their way back into the contest.

“They didn’t start well, they were just chasing the game,” said Modise.

“You could also see with the first substitutions they made, they took out the full-backs and introduced different personnel to change the game. [Bandile] Shandu coming in to play as a right wing-back. That was required because they were chasing the game.

“They started playing long balls and those long balls suited Swallows better because they were defending as a block. It makes things a bit difficult for Pirates because they were coming with one dimension. 

“But I guess when you are chasing the game you want to do anything possible to get back into the game. But if you look at the breaks Swallows got, they could have increased the lead as well because they were getting some opportunities due to some gaps at the Pirates back.”

Having been eliminated from the MTN8, Pirates now switch focus to their Premier Soccer League campaign which they kickoff against Stellenbosch at home next Saturday.

Chidera Ejuke contributed an assist as CSKA Moscow recorded a 3-1 away win over FC Rostov in Saturday’s Russian Premier League encounter.

Having taken an eight-minute lead through Jaka Bijol, the Nigeria international set up Fedor Chalov in the 38th minute as his team raced 2-0 up at half-time.

CSKA traveled to the Rostov Arena with the ambition of ending their poor run following defeats in their last two league outings against Lokomotiv Moscow and Dinamo Moscow.

Whereas, their hosts were hoping to consolidate on their 1-1 away draw with Khimki last time out. However, they found themselves trailing early following a lethargic defensive display.

Bijol’s bullet header directed Nikola Vlasic’s corner kick past stranded goalkeeper Sergey Pesyakov to put the visiting side ahead.

Rostov came out stronger as they attacked in their numbers to get the equaliser, but they were poor in front of goal.

For CSKA Moscow, they were calm in their approach as they dispossessed their hosts easily. Seven minutes before the half-time break, they doubled their advantage through Chalov.

Collecting a brilliant pass from Ejuke, the Russian striker produced a precise strike to beat the goalkeeper as the ball sailed into the bottom right corner.

Two minutes later, the Nigerian almost made his third but his shot from distance flew high over the crossbar after a fine individual play.

Nothing was willing to go down without a fight, the Tough Guys put up a much-improved display in the second half and they reaped the reward by reducing the deficit six minutes before the hour mark through Danil Glebov.

Glebov got on the end of a corner kick deep inside the box and rifled past the keeper with a precise close-range shot into the bottom right corner.

Nonetheless, super-sub Konstantin Maradishvili restored Aleksei Berezutski’s men’s two-goal lead with Ilzat Akhmetov setting him up.

For tactical reasons, Ejuke was substituted for Emil Bohinen in the 61st minute while Cote d’Ivoire defender Cedric Gogouawas was not listed for the game.

Angola international Bastos was introduced in the 46th minute for Dmitry Poloz, whereas, Gambia’s Ali Sowe was not dressed for action.

Emmanuel Dennis can become decisive for Watford after an awe-inspiring start to his career at Vicarage Road, according to respected Nigerian football administrator Samuel Olatunji-Okuku.

The Super Eagle scored on his Premier League debut as well as provided an assist as the Hornets secured a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.

After putting his team ahead after ten minutes, the 23-year-old teed up Ismaila Sarr for the second goal as Dean Smith’s men went 2-0 down at half-time.

The Tripple 44 Academy boss is impressed with the former Club Brugge star’s impressive performance and believes he is capable of adding a whole new dimension to Xisco Munoz’s squad.

“Emmanuel Dennis’ quality has never been in doubt, he’s a fantastic talent and the only question mark on his career so far has been off-field issues,” Olatunji-Okuku told Goal.

“He’s a top player. He can score and assist – something he’s demonstrated in the best league in the world on his debut.

“He can play a huge role for Watford this season as he has the complement of [Peter] Etebo and [Ismaila] Sarr in the team who are a bunch of talents.

“Also, he has what it takes to show that he’s got the quality to play at the top level in the Premier League and obviously would have a big impact.

“Anyway, let’s keep our fingers crossed and see how he would have fared at the end of the current campaign.”

Following Dennis’ inability to tie down a regular place at the Jan Breydel Stadium, he was loaned to FC Cologne for the 2020-21 campaign.

And having completed his loan spell in Germany, he was signed by Watford on a five-year deal.

Asked if the Belgian top-flight side made a blunder letting the striker leave, Olatunji-Okuku continued: “Not a bad decision for Brugge owing to the fact the player obviously wanted to take the next step.

“And sometimes it’s not worth keeping a player that doesn’t want to be kept.

“Even the season before he left, you could already see that it was written all over him that he wants to represent another club.”

Dennis, who is the fourth Nigerian to score on their maiden English elite division game, would be hoping to continue his fine form when Munoz’s team takes on Brighton & Hove Albion in their next outing on August 21.

Edin Dzeko was a surprise inclusion for Inter in Saturday's friendly against Dynamo Kyiv, as the Bosnian striker started for the Serie A giants and even netted his first goal despite still waiting to make official his move from Roma. 

Dzeko is yet to finalise his transfer due to a contract dispute with Roma, meaning he is yet to be presented as an Inter player. 

All of which made his appearance at the weekend all the more curious, although Inter fans will be pleased to see the forward start on the right foot. 

No transfer but one goal

Inter kept Dzeko's start under close wraps ahead of Saturday's match. The Nerazzurri played behind closed doors in Monza and also made no mention of their first XI on social media prior to kick-off. 

The club did share a photo of their dressing room, but the striker's shirt was conspicuous by its absence. 

That meant fans were in for a surprise when Dzeko took the field and made an immediate impact. 

Nicolo Barella opened the scoring for Inter by finishing off a slick move between the Bosnian and Stefano Sensi.  Barella then turned provider to play in Dzeko, who made no mistake in converting his chance to make it 2-0.

The bigger picture

Despite Saturday's bizarre twist, Dzeko's eventual arrival at Inter, who this week sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, is expected to be a formality. 

Inter and Roma have agreed terms for his transfer, although the move has reportedly been held up by Dzeko's claim that he is owed just under €400,000 in unpaid wages by his current club. 

Dzeko, 35, has spent the past six seasons at Roma, scoring 119 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions.

Further reading 

Nice recorded a 4-0 away victory over Lille in Saturday’s Ligue 1 fixture with Amine Gouiri and Hicham Boudaoui finding the net.

First-half goals from the Algerians inspired the Eaglets to their first win of the 2021-22 campaign.

With both teams settling for draws last time out, Les Dogues welcomed Christophe Galtier’s men to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with the ambition of claiming all three points.

However, that was not the case as they were hit for four before their teeming supporters.

It took the visiting side less than one minute to open the scoring with Kasper Dolberg firing past goalkeeper Leo Jardim.

Four minutes later, they doubled their advantage as Youcef Atal profited from an attempted flick from Zeki Celik, gained possession of the ball, before teeing up Hicham Boudaoui who rifled the ball into the top corner of Jardim.

The goals were a reality check for the hosts, albeit, they laboured in vain in their bid to launch a comeback. They came close to reducing the deficit at injury time, nevertheless, Jonathan Bamba could not beat Walter Benitez from Jonathan Ikone’s cross.

Things got worse for Lille before heading for the half-time break as Benjamin Andre handled Dolbery’s shot. Referee Jerome Brisard pointed to the penalty mark while Gouiri stepped up to convert the ensuing kick.

Dolbery completed his double in the 64th minute after heading Dante’s flick-on into the net with Jardim rushing out of his goal.

Twenty minutes before full-time, Gouiri completed his double but it was chalked off for offside by the referee after several VAR replays.

Algeria prospect Gouiri was in action from start to finish while his compatriots Boudaoui and Atal were substituted in the second half for Myziane Maolida and Jordan Lotomba respectively.

Gabon international Mario Lemina was named in the starting XI but was brought out for Khephren Thuram in the 74th minute.

Nice would be hoping to continue their impressive form when they host Olympique Marseille in their next fixture.

Although all hope is not lost for Lille - who have now leaked seven goals in two games - they must return to winning ways against Saint-Etienne on August 21.

Zambia international Enock Mwepu made his Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League debut as his side claimed a 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday at Turf Moor.

Mwepu was signed by the Premier League club from RB Salzburg for £10m and played in the entire first half before he was replaced by Adam Lallana in the 46th minute. 

Burnley claimed an opener in the third minute when James Tarkowski scored with a close-range header that found the right top corner. Ashley Westwood collected the ball from a corner and picked the scorer to enable the home side to take an early lead.

There was a chance for Burnley - who had been pinned into their own half - in the 30th minute after they broke on a counter-attack that was engineered by Wood who laid the ball for Jay Rodriguez, but the latter, with enough space, fired straight into the hands of Nick Pope. 

There was another great chance for Burnley to get the second goal in the 35th minute when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez failed to clear his area and allowed Ben Mee to head goalwards, but the ball hit the crossbar. Sanchez's second attempt to make a clearance failed as Tarkowski collected the ball and attempted a volley only for his shot to fly wide,

Graham Potter's first change saw Mwepu leave the pitch and Lallana, an attacking midfielder, - was brought on as the visiting side looked for more incision going forward.

Brighton created another clear chance in the 57th minute when Pascall Grob ran down the right-wing, passed the ball to Steven Alzate, who then picked up Leandro Trossard, whose final shot was too far for Neal Maupay to connect with.

Mwepu's Brighton equalised in the 73rd minute through Maupay, who had been yellow-carded in the 26th minute. Yves Bissouma made his way through the midfield, picked up Jakub Moder on the right-wing and the Polish's low cross found Maupay on the other end to score.

It did not take long for Brighton to grab the second goal as Mac Allister scored in the 78th minute. Allister had spent just a little over one minute and 40 seconds on the pitch before his effort put his side on the steering wheel. Gross fired a diagonal low cross from the touchline and the Argentine found himself in some good space to find the back of the net for Brighton's second strike.

Late Burnley's resurgence did not bear any fruit as Mwepu's teammates fought hard to preserve the slim lead and go home with three points in their season-opening game.

Nigeria international Alex Iwobi popped up with an assist as Everton recovered from a goal down to beat Southampton 3-1 in a Premier League match on Saturday.

The Toffees found themselves trailing in the 22nd minute when new Saints’ signing Adam Armstrong put them ahead after sliding through past Jordan Pickford before the Rafael Benitez charges recovered in the second half.

Everton drew level courtesy of Richarlison in the 47th minute then went 2-1 up in the 76th minute via Abdoulaye Doucoure before Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed the game in the 81st minute.

The 25-year-old Super Eagle started from the bench at Goodison Park while Southampton named a strong team with Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo from Mali getting starts.

But it was Armstrong, signed from Blackburn Rovers, who put the Saints ahead after Michael Keane fumbled the ball inside the box under pressure from Armstrong, and he snatched it from him to squeeze past Pickford.

Everton were forced to wait until the second half to stage a comeback, and it was in the 47th minute when new signing Andros Townsend fired a loose ball back to Richarlison, who perfectly fired it home from close range.

In the 70th minute, Iwobi was introduced for Townsend and he made an immediate impact as four minutes later, he nodded the ball to Doucoure on the edge of the penalty area, who turned and arrowed a shot into the top corner for a 2-1 lead.

The Toffees then sealed their comeback in the 81st minute when Calvert-Lewin dived low to head past Alex McCarthy in the Southampton goal.

The assist will be good news for Iwobi, who last season did not get enough playing time under Carlo Ancelotti and he will hope to get a start when Everton travel to face Leeds United on Saturday.

Chelsea youngster Trevoh Chalobah was on cloud nine after scoring on his Premier League debut as the Blues eased past Crystal Palace. 

Saturday's London derby proved a formality for the hosts, who prevailed 3-0 in a one-sided start to the 2021-22 campaign. 

It was a memorable occasion for Chalobah, having netted his side's third of the afternoon following earlier strikes from Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic.

'I didn't know the ball went in!'

The 22-year-old admitted after the game that his goal came as a shock even to him, after keeping his place in Thomas Tuchel's starting line-up following his appearance in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal midweek.

"I couldn't believe it when the ball went in. I didn't know what to do and I dropped to my knees," he told the BBC. "I was over the moon. I didn't know the ball went in until the crowd cheered. It's a surreal moment.

"I would have never dreamed of [scoring on my debut]. Moments like this come and you just have to be patient. From the day I came in my aim was to impress the manager, whether that's in training or anywhere.

"I think I've done that well, I got my opportunity and I've taken it. In this moment, I just wanted to enjoy my debut. As a young boy I've always dreamed to play in these games for my club so I made sure I was ready and enjoyed it. I wasn't too nervous." 

Tuchel on Chalobah

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has made a point of giving Chelsea's young academy graduates the chance to shine, and it paid off on Saturday as Chalobah put in an assured performance at the back. 

"Fantastic. He gets all the praise and it's well deserved," the manager said of his charge. "Two excellent matches. He played against Arsenal and Tottenham in friendlies, then 120 minutes on Wednesday, then 90 today and scores. It's fantastic these things happen in sports. A perfect day for him.

"We will never stop [playing youngsters]. Chalobah plays alongside Reece James and Mason Mount. This is how it has to be. This is what we love.

"This is what everyone loves about football - a mix of famous players from abroad and quality players from the academy."

Further reading 

Crystal Palace teenager Jesurun Rak-Sakyi made his Premier League debut as The Eagles succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

A second half substitute, the English-born winger of Ghanaian descent saw 13 minutes of game time as Marcos Alonso, Christian Pulisic and Trevoh Chalobah scored to seal three points for The Blues in the season opener at Stamford bridge.

Ghanaian compatriots Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew were also in action for Patrick Vieira's side, as were Senegal defender Cheikhou Kouyate.

With The Eagles 3-0 down, Rak-Sakyi, who was born to Ghanaian parents in England, was introduced into the game in the 77th minute, replacing Jairo Riedewald.

Alonso had opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 27th minute, bending a free-kick into the top corner.

Thirteen minutes later, Pulisic made it 2-0, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box, before Mateo Kovacic set up Chalobah to seal the 3-0 win.

Despite his day ending in defeat, Rak-Sakyi will savour his appearance in Saturday’s fixture, four months after he put pen to paper on a professional deal.

“It’s a very big moment in my life, something I have been working towards since I started playing football and I’m just happy and grateful that I’ve come this far. I just want to keep pushing on,” the 18-year-old said after signing his deal in April.

Palace U18 manager Paddy McCarthy added: “Jes is an example for the rest of the players because he’s had to work really hard to improve areas of his development and deal with disappointments of not being in the team.

“He’s knuckled down and seen the fruits of his labour and I think that’s an example to all the young players we have here. Now, Jes has to maintain that and keep focused.”

Elsewhere in Saturday’s match, both Schlupp and Ayew, two players who could transcend from being Rak-Sakyi’s club mates to international teammates, started in the game, the latter lasting the entire duration.

Schlupp, on the other hand, was replaced by Joachim Andersen in the 57th minute.

Pumas and Queretaro will square off in Liga MX at Estadio Olimpico Universitario, as both sides search for a first win of the domestic campaign.

Watch Pumas UNAM vs Queretaro on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Neither Los Felinos nor Los Gallos Blancos have tasted top-flight victory so far this term, but both will hope to change that when they meet this weekend.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Liga MX matches can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

With the Gold Cup and Tokyo 2020 firmly in the rearview mirror, UNAM have a full roster from which to choose - though their recent midweek exploits against New York City in the Leagues Cup mean they could be forced into further rotation over the next few games.

Andres Lillini is likely to revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alan Mozo and Jeronimo Rodriguez deployed in wing-back positions, while Juan Dinenno will be backed to lead the attack.

Predicted Pumas UNAM starting XI: Gonzalez; Mozo, Gutierrez, Velarde, Rodriguez; Lira, Meritao; Rogerio, Battocchio, Saucedo; Dinenno.

With two draws from their first two games - followed by a narrow loss to Leon - former Mexico international Hector Altamirano has faced a tough start to the new term as he continues as Queretaro manager.

But the chance to hand a blow to a Pumas side forced to double up in midweek will only spur his side on, with the visitors also likely to favour a 4-2-3-1 led by Leon loanee Nicolas Sosa.

Predicted Queretaro starting XI: Aguerre; Meza, Perg, Doldan, Hernandez; Martinez, Cabrera; Ramirez, Espino, Torres; Sosa.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Golden Arrows defeated SuperSport United 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to seal their place in the MTN8 semi-finals after the two sides had settled for a 2-2 draw after regulation and extra time.

In the game played on Saturday at Princess Magogo Stadium, Knox Mutizwa gave Abafana Bes'thende the lead from the penalty spot, but Gamphani Lungu replied to send the teams to extra time.

Matsatsantsa took the lead for the first time in the game through Iqraam Rayners but Michael Gumede spoilt the party at the death. 

Both sides were keen to impress considering the fact that it was their first competitive match of the new campaign. It explains why the first few minutes were intense as the play went from one end to another.

In the 11th minute, Supersport, finally, managed to get their first shot on target. The defenders failed to clear the danger and Bradley Grobler almost capitalised on it, but Sifiso Mlungwana was in position to stop the ball from finding the back of the net.

In the 29th minute, the custodian, once again, had to be alert to make a decent save, this time around denying Sipho Mbule, who had danced his way through the defenders and into the danger zone, before unleashing a fierce strike on goal. 

The first half did not yield many scoring opportunities, as the creative players ran out of ideas especially in the final third.

Supersport had another shot on target in the 42nd minute when Jamie Webber was brought down about 25-yards from goal. He stepped up and despite beating the wall, he couldn't beat the goalkeeper.

Arrows enjoyed better ball possession in the first half, but it was Matsatsantsa who had the best chances of the opening stanza.

After the break, the Swanky Boys needed less than a minute to threaten. Poor defending allowed Grobler into the danger zone but his effort was dealt with by the goalkeeper who parried the ball out for an unfruitful corner.

Three minutes later, Arrows were awarded a penalty when Teboho Mokoena needlessly fouled Nduduzo Sibiya. Mutizwa held his nerve to convert from the spot and handed his team the lead.

The goal gave the Backheel Boys the much-needed confidence, and five minutes later, Lindokhule Mtshali found space from 20-yards, but Ronwen Williams made the save.

SuperSport had to step up and get an equalizer soon. They had to wait until the 78th minute when substitute Lungu received the ball in a good area before unleashing a fierce low shot that brought the teams to level terms.

With six minutes to go, Matsatsantsa almost scored their second, but a Mokoena free-kick took a slight deflection from the wall and hit the crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten.

With nothing to separate the two teams in regulation time, there had to be extra time to try and get a winner.

In the 98th minute, a long ball from the back was well controlled by Rayners, who cut the inside of captain Matome Mathiane, before unleashing a rocket past the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 in favour of SuperSport.

It seemed they had won game until two minutes before the end of extra time. Arrows won a free-kick, it was cleverly brought in and Gumede was there to apply the final touch that sent the teams to post-match penalties.

The attacker kept his cool to score the winning penalty as Arrows emerged 4-3 victors in the shoot-out.

Golden Arrows XI: Sifiso Mlungwana, Mthokozisi Dube, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Matome Mathiane, Sbonelo Cele, Pule Mmodi, Velemseni Ndwandwe, Nqobeko Dlamini, Nduduzo Sibiya, Lindokuhle Mtshali, Knox Mutizwa

Subs: Nkosingiphile Gumede, Siphamandla Sabelo, Siyabonga Dube, Siboniso Conco, Saziso Magawana, Thubelihle Magubane, Michael Gumede, Themba Mantshiyane, Siyavuya Ndlovu

SuperSport United XI: Ronwen Williams, Keenan Phillips, Siyabonga Nhlapo, Luke Fleurs, Onismor Bhasera, Jamie Webber, Jesse Donn, Teboho Mokoena, Sipho Mbule, Thamsanoa Gabuza, Bradley Grobler.

Subs: George Chigova, Iqraam Rayners, Thalente Mbatha, Gamphani Lungu, Guily Manziba, Moses Ndhondhi, Oswin Appolis, Gape Moralo, Thamsanqa Gabuza