Arsenal lost Odegaard and Saka in the opening match of the Champions League; U17 Thep Xanh Nam Dinh made a dramatic comeback, host TP.HCM had a smooth start

Arsenal lost Odegaard and Saka in the opening match of the Champions League

Arsenal will be without Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka for their Champions League opener against Athletic Bilbao. The pair did not attend the Gunners' training session on September 15. Odegaard was forced off early in the win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on September 13 with a shoulder injury, while Saka has been absent since the win over Leeds United on August 23 with a hamstring injury.

On the other hand, William Saliba, who also missed the match against Nottingham Forest, is likely to return after training with his teammates at the London Colney base. Also in the training session on September 15, defender Ben White was absent due to a minor problem.

Bellingham returns with Real Madrid in Champions League

Jude Bellingham has been named in Real Madrid's squad for their Champions League opener against Marseille in midweek, after recovering from shoulder surgery.

The English midfielder has not played for the “White Vultures” since the FIFA Club World Cup in the US, which ended with him having to undergo surgery on his left shoulder on July 16. Previously, the 22-year-old star had suffered this injury since 2023 but tried to delay the surgery to avoid being absent for too long for Real Madrid as well as the England team.

Injury caused Bellingham to miss the first four La Liga games of the season, but the Spanish royal team still won all four matches.

AFC Champions League kicks off

Defending champions Al Ahli produced a stunning comeback to win 4-2 against Uzbekistan's Nasaf in the AFC Champions League thanks to late goals from Riyad Mahrez and Mohammed Sulaiman.

Meanwhile, Benzema's side, playing with one less man, lost their opening match of the AFC Champions League. Lucas Pimenta became the hero for Al Wahda when he scored in the 8th minute of injury time, helping coach Jose Morais's side to a thrilling 2-1 win over Al Ittihad.

In the remaining matches, Sharjah (UAE) won 4-3 against Al-Gharafa (Qatar), Al Shorta (Iraq) drew 1-1 with Al Sadd (Qatar).

U17 Nam Dinh Steel Blue made a dramatic comeback, home team Ho Chi Minh City had a smooth start

In the opening match, U17 Nam Dinh Green Steel faced U17 Hanoi Police. The capital team took the lead early thanks to Duc Huy's goal in the 21st minute. However, in the second half, Nam Dinh Green Steel showed reasonable tactical adjustments.

With better control of the game, they created great pressure on the opponent's goal. The efforts of the team from Thanh Nam were rewarded in the last 10 minutes of the match. Striker Tuan Hoan shone brightly with a double in the 84th and 90th minutes, helping Thep Xanh Nam Dinh come back to win a dramatic 2-1 victory.

In the following match, U17 Ho Chi Minh City Football Club took advantage of the home field to have a smooth start. In the 9th minute, from an attack on the left wing, the ball was crossed into the penalty area, causing the opposing defender to miss, creating an opportunity for Ho Chi Dan to score into the net of U17 SHB Da Nang, opening the score 1-0.

Although U17 SHB Da Nang tried to fight back in both halves with many opportunities created, the defense of U17 Ho Chi Minh City Football Club still stood firm. The match ended with a cruel score of 1-0, bringing 3 valuable points to the home team.