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The pre-game buzz had this as a showdown between two of world footballâ€s most intriguing young No 10s, Comoâ€s Nico Paz v Juventusâ€s Kenan Yildiz. A 21-year-old Argentina international whose dazzling debut campaign in Serie A persuaded Tottenham to make an unsuccessful €70m bid to buy him in the summer, taking on the 20-year-old trequartista with 25 appearances already for Turkeyâ€s national team.
Fabio Capello could not pick between them, ranking Paz and Yildiz alongside Romaâ€s MatÃas Soulé as the finest “fantasisti†– artistic playmakers – in Serie A today. The newspaper Il Giornale played on the players†shirt number and young age as they billed it as a battle “da ‘10†(e lode)â€. In the Italian academic system, a grade of 110 e lode (with honours) is the highest one can achieve.
Was it all a little manufactured? There is acute awareness in Italy about how Serie Aâ€s spending power has diminished, even its richest clubs no longer able to compete financially against European rivals with 2-3 times their annual income. The need to nurture and develop young talent has never been greater. It can be tempting, in that context, to get ahead of oneself any time a new prospect starts to emerge.
Still, these players were starting – and starring – for their teams. Yildiz had been Juventusâ€s most essential attacking player so far this season, with a goal and three assists in his first six league games, plus a further one of each in Europe. Capello noted how he was more two-footed than Paz. “The Argentinian [also] has more freedom of expression, Kenan has to deal with more pressure because of his clubâ€s context.â€
Francesco Totti offered a different perspective. Put on the spot with a question about young Italian talents during a promotional appearance for a betting company, the former Roma captain could not name even one he felt excited about. “Letâ€s say right now there arenâ€t many,†said Totti. “The only guy Iâ€m watching right now, who isnâ€t Italian, is Nico Paz. He intrigues me a lot.â€
How could he not? Paz opened this season with a spectacular free-kick goal against Lazio, and even that might not have been as memorable as the assist he made in the same game, spinning away from Nuno Tavares before releasing Tasos Douvikas with a through-ball that travelled half the length of the pitch without leaving the ground.
Few had even expected to see Paz return to Como this season. He joined from Real Madrid last summer, but the Spanish club hold a buy-back option that would have allowed them to sign him for just €9m. Pocket change, for a player named as Serie Aâ€s best Under-23 performer after bagging a combined 14 goals and assists in 2024-25. With Luka Modric departing, Madrid had space for fresh creative talent.
Quick GuideSerie A results Show
Lecce 0-0 Sassuolo, Pisa 0-0 Hellas Verona, Torino 1-0 Napoli, Roma 0-1 Inter.
Como 1907 2-0 Juventus, Cagliari 0-2 Bologna, Genoa 0-0 Parma, Atalanta 0-0 Lazio AC Milan 2-1 Fiorentina
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They opted instead to prioritise the signing of the winger Franco Mastantuono, three years younger, from River Plate. With Arda Güler already primed for the No 10 role, Madrid could not guarantee Paz the playing opportunities he craved. Their buy-back option runs through to 2027, with only a gentle increase in price for each additional year they wait to exercise it, so it made sense to leave him at Como for this year.
Madrid are also entitled to half of any transfer fee should the player be sold to a different club instead. The fact Tottenhamâ€s bid was rejected may speak as much to Xabi Alonsoâ€s interest in eventually bringing Paz back to the Santiago Bernabéu as it does to Comoâ€s strong financial position, owned as they are by the billionaire Hartono brothers.
The knowledge Paz was staying put may also have helped dissuade Cesc FÃ bregas from seeking out new pastures himself. The Como manager had plenty of suitors, from Inter to Bayer Leverkusen, after leading his club to a top-half finish on their return to Serie A.
He has even better tools at his disposal this time around. Como spent more than €140m on transfers over the summer, with headline signings including the teenage wingers Jesús RodrÃguez and Jayden Addai from Real Betis and AZ Alkmaar, as well as Martin Baturina and Nicolas Kühn, who delivered standout European performances for Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic last season.
Still, though, Paz has been the star, sitting just behind a lone striker in Fà bregasâ€s 4-2-3-1. From there he drops readily to either side, showing a slight preference to drift right and cut in from there on to his stronger left foot. From that side he provided the assist for Comoâ€s opening goal against Juventus on Sunday.
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Cesc Fà bregas has found a star in Nico Paz at the heart of Comoâ€s 4-2-3-1. Photograph: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Moments after posing beside the pitch with his latest personal accolade, Serie Aâ€s Rising Star of The Month award for September, Paz trotted back over to take a corner. He played the ball short to Lucas da Cunha, who returned it to him with a backheel. Paz then swung a cross with his left boot towards the far post, where Marc Oliver Kempf arrived to force it home.
This was only the fourth minute, but already Paz was on the way to ensuring that his duel with Yildiz would be less a shootout than an execution. Juventusâ€s No 10 did his best, carrying the ball forward where he could and delivering more threat than his teammates, but Comoâ€s was a spectacle every time he touched the ball: teeing up Ãlvaro Morata here, running away from defenders there, dummying a touch one way only to execute a one-two with the heel of his weaker foot in-between.
Perhaps Totti was right. There are plenty of talented young players but even in elite football only a handful of special ones, and week by week Paz looks ever more like he belongs to the latter category. A terror in possession but also out of it, harassing opponents relentlessly with his 1.86 metres (6ft 1in) frame.
He sealed the points with a gorgeous 79th-minute winner. After receiving a pass from Máximo Perrone on the right flank close to halfway, he accelerated through the next 30 yards, jagged back inside Andrea Cambiaso and crashed the ball into the far corner. The thousand-yard stare on the Juventus full-backâ€s face said it all.
This was supposed to have been an opportunity for the Bianconeri to assert their title credentials. A win would have moved them level with Inter at the top, temporarily, ahead of Milanâ€s game on Sunday evening. Instead, Juventus were left to contemplate the prospect of a next match away to a Madrid team so overloaded with talent that it could consider a player like Paz – for this season at least – surplus to requirements.
Meanwhile, Como finished the weekend sixth in the Serie A table. Much of their success must be credited to Fà bregas, whose gathered his players on the pitch at full-time to share with them “only one word. Only one word. Iâ€m so fucking proud of you.â€
Still, it is hard to look past the contributions by Paz, who has either scored or assisted eight of Comoâ€s nine goals this season. “Heâ€s a champion,†said Fà bregas in a post-game interview. “Iâ€m very calm about him and his future. With this humility, and this hunger, he can go wherever he wants to go.â€
Ilja Dragunov made a stunning and thrilling return to the ring after being out for over a year due to injury, answering Sami Zayn’s United States Open challenge during Friday’s edition of SmackDown and taking the champion’s title belt.
Dragunov got the job done after hitting Zayn with a Torpedo Moscow and then an H-Bomb for the win.
Zayn was clearly distracted by nemesis Solo Sikoa beforehand, although he still caught a charging Dragunov and gave him an Exploder Suplex.
Zayn then ran in for a Helluva Kick, but Dragunov countered and closed the match, stunning fans.
Dragunov previously suffered a torn ACL in a match with Gunther during a live event in Sept. 2024 and had been out ever since.
Dragunov almost didn’t even get the opportunity to answer the Open Challenge. The Miz first took the opportunity and started cutting a promo on Zayn as he walked down to the ring. However, Carmelo Hayes then attacked The Miz from behind, and that challenge was soon squashed.
Zayn then awaited a new challenger, and Dragunov took advantage of his opportunity. He also debuted a new look, showing a more bulked-up physique and sporting a neck tattoo as well.
Dragunov signed with WWE in 2019 and wrestled on NXT UK from 2019-2022 before moving to NXT in 2022. He fared quite well, winning the NXT United Kingdom Championship and the NXT Championship. Dragunov also earned Male Superstar of the Year honors in 2023.
He made his main roster debut on April 8, 2024, but his first stint there unfortunately lasted just five-plus months.
However, Dragunov didn’t waste any time making a major impact in his return, taking Zayn’s belt and becoming a champion for the first time on the main roster.
Rúben Neves got Portugal out of jail with an injury-time World Cup qualifying winner against the Republic of Ireland after Cristiano Ronaldo had seen his penalty saved by CaoimhÃn Kelleher. Neves headed home in stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win, four years after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to see off a stubborn Ireland.
It was a poignant tribute to Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in July and whose No 21 jersey Neves wore in Portugalâ€s first home game since the Liverpool playerâ€s death.
Heimir HallgrÃmssonâ€s men looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought point but ultimately did so empty-handed, although having restored a good deal of pride with a battling display which erased some of the memories of last monthâ€s embarrassing defeat in Armenia.
Defeat, however, leaves them staring down the barrel, with their first three Group F games having yielded a single point. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday if they are to have any hope of claiming a playoff place.
CaoimhÃn Kelleher saves Cristiano Ronaldoâ€s penalty at the Estádio José Alvalade. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty Images
Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a point when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldoâ€s penalty with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincãoâ€s shot had hit Dara Oâ€Sheaâ€s arm but Neves came to his sideâ€s rescue in the first minute of stoppage time when he headed Trincãoâ€s cross past Kelleher.
“Itâ€s a heartbreaking result,†said HallgrÃmsson. “Sometimes we coaches try to look at performance when we lose games. I think what we planned to do, our gameplan, worked. There was a lot of energy put into this match. Just being so close and ending up with nothing is painful. Maybe you want to ask about tactical things and stuff, but this is how I feel after the game. Itâ€s painful.â€
Hungary boosted their hopes of qualifying by picking up their first win with a 2-0 victory over Armenia to climb above their opponents into second place behind Portugal. Daniel Lukacs gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.
Serbia slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Albania, with the result meaning England would seal their qualification from Group K if they beat Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a neat volley in first-half stoppage time. His side are now in second, four points ahead of Serbia but having played a game more.
Rey Manaj scored in first-half stoppage time to earn Albania victory against Serbia. Photograph: Andrej Čukić/EPA
Latvia struggles continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latviaâ€s winless run to five games. Andorra are the hosts on Tuesday in Serbiaâ€s game in hand.
Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jéremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal in Elche. The win extended the European champions†perfect run in qualifying, their having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.
Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuenteâ€s side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep. Spain dominated the match with more than 80% possession and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity with only the goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a rout.
Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece routine and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after Liverpoolâ€s Mamardashvili had saved Ferran Torresâ€s penalty.
Real Madridâ€s Arda Güler was among the scorers as Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing over Bulgaria to keep some pressure on Spain, but the victors sit three points behind with a goal difference of zero.
Italyâ€s hopes of at least making the playoffs were given a boost with a 3-1 win away to Estonia thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui and Francesco Pio Esposito.
Moise Kean scores Italyâ€s first goal against Estonia. Photograph: Claudio Villa/FIGC/Getty Images
Italy failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norwayâ€s 5-0 hammering of Israel in Group I. The Norwegians are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup with the runners-up going into the playoffs.
Italy host Israel on Tuesday where a win would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically catch Norway on points, the Norwegians†far superior goal difference means a playoff spot likely beckons for Gennaro Gattusoâ€s side.
Gattuso said: “Weâ€re not thinking about Norway or Israel. We know what we have to do.â€
South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk celebrates after hitting a six to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match against India at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Riding on Nadine de Klerk’s blistering 54-ball 84, South Africa defeated India by three wickets in their Womenâ€s World Cup clash in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.It was the first real nail-biter of this World Cup, and India ended up on the wrong side. There was elation and jubilation in the South African camp, while the Indian players were left distraught. Despite a hard fight, de Klerkâ€s special knock snatched the game away.Chasing 252, South Africaâ€s innings was bolstered by skipper Laura Wolvaardtâ€s 70, Chloe Tryonâ€s 49, and de Klerkâ€s match-winning blitz, featuring five sixes and eight fours from 54 balls. South Africa finished at 252/7 in 48.5 overs.
South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk, second left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a six to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match against India at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The chase began dramatically when Kranti Gaud produced a brilliant delivery to dismiss in-form Tazmin Brits for a duck. Sune Luus didnâ€t last long either, and while Wolvaardt held one end, wickets kept tumbling. At 81/5, South Africa looked in trouble, but Tryon joined her skipper to rebuild the innings.They rotated the strike efficiently and handled the pressure, putting together a crucial partnership that revived South Africaâ€s hopes. When Gaud dismissed Wolvaardt, India seemed back in control. Thatâ€s when de Klerk took over, accelerating brilliantly as the required run rate climbed past eight and steering South Africa to victory with seven balls to spare.
South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a six to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match against India at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
“I am lost for words. To finish off the game gives us a lot of confidence,” said de Klerk, who was named Player of the Match. “I love being under pressure, and we had to be at our best to beat India at home. We needed a win like this to show our capability.”Earlier, Richa Ghosh had scored a brilliant 94 off 77 balls, reviving a faltering India innings and powering them to 251 all out in 49.5 overs. India had slipped from 55/0 to 102/6 in 26 overs, but Ghoshâ€s whirlwind knock, including 11 fours and four sixes, almost turned the tide.
Poll
Who was the standout player in the South Africa vs. India match?
Brief ScoresIndia: 251 all out in 49.5 overs (Pratika Rawal 37, Richa Ghosh 94, Sneh Rana 33; Chloe Tryon 3/32)South Africa: 252/7 in 48.5 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 70, Chloe Tryon 49, Nadine de Klerk 84*; Sneh Rana 2/47)
Maxxine Dupri delivered a star-making performance against Becky Lynch on the October 6, 2025 episode of WWE Raw, live on Netflix. Facing the Womenâ€s Intercontinental Champion, Dupri matched Lynch move for move in an intense, technical battle. She endured early punishment, but fought back with athletic counters—a backslide, a knee strike, and a suplex—before applying a Kurt Angle-inspired Ankle Lock that had Lynch scrambling for the ropes.
As Lynch pressed her advantage outside the ring, her arrogance proved costly: she struck Dupri with a massive PRIME bottle, got distracted taunting fans, and was counted out by the referee while Dupri made it back into the ring. With this unlikely countout victory, Dupri earned her first singles win against Lynch, displaying guts, resilience, and execution in a match that raised her profile and stunned the WWE Universe.
Maxxine Dupri is proving the statement: Work in Silence, let your success/ work make the noise.
Maxxine took things to the Maxximum level of amazingness tonight on #wweraw. pic.twitter.com/xuv2RT2wux
— Wrestling In Vein (@wrestlinginvein) October 7, 2025
Dupriâ€s win signals her arrival as a real contender in the Raw womenâ€s division and sets the stage for an electrifying feud with Lynch moving forward. Expect Maxxine Dupriâ€s name to remain in the championship conversation as WWE heads towards Crown Jewel.
WWE
Ricky Saints stopped Oba Femi to win the NXT Championship at NXT No Mercy, ending the reign of “The Ruler” after 264 days and his 11th defense.Â
Saints was challenging Femi at No Mercy after beating Josh Briggs on “WWE NXT” to earn the opportunity, and he was looking to follow in the champion’s footsteps as someone to have held the NXT and North American Championships. Femi was in action just days after a match between him and the former NXT Champion, reigning TNA World Champion Trick Williams, for both the titles ended in a no-contest on “NXT.”Â
The match itself saw the pair firing off at one another from the starting bell, with the action continuing back-and-forth for much of the early goings, each man taking their turn to get offense in. Femi sent Saints through the ropes onto the entrance ramp after a stiff forearm, with Saints beating the count and following up with a stunner and a sling blade, followed by the Samoan drop for a near-fall.Â
Saints attempted to pin the champion with roll-ups, but truly found his mark after hitting a DDT onto the announcer’s desk, followed by a Tornado DDT off of it and onto the floor. Femi had one last fight back, landing a lariat to Saints on the apron, and then delivering the powerbomb for a near-fall, but his reign ended with yet another Tornado DDT in the ring, followed by the three-count.
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