Alex Robertson, Fran Karacic and Awer Mabil all scored in Europe on Saturday, while there was encouraging news from Martin Boyle and Kusini Yengi both returning from injuries.
Alex Robertson was one of the stars of Saturday’s English Championship action with a 9/10 display including the opening goal in struggling Cardiff City’s 5-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Robertson opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a perfectly placed shot from the edge of the box after a cutback from Rubin Colwill.
Wales Online rated him 9/10 and wrote: “The summer arrival is rapidly becoming a crucial part of this side.
“Scored his first league goal in some style, whipping in from 20 yards. His passing was beautiful, too.”
Kusini Yengi returned from a groin injury as a 71st minute substitute in Portsmouth’s 2-1 win at QPR. Yengi hadn’t played since early September. Sam Silvera was absent.
Riley McGree was a 74th minute substitute for Middlesbrough in their 2-0 loss at home to Bristol City.
On Friday, Harry Souttar put in a full shift in Sheffield United’s 2-0 defeat away to Leeds United.
The Star rated Souttar 4.5/10 and wrote: “Commanding as ever in the middle of the back three and headed away everything Leeds threw at him, using his experience and defensive nous to get across and mop up so many times against the lively home threats.
“But couldn’t do enough to prevent Struijk scoring for Leeds as he got across the United defence and finished past Cooper.”
In the English Premier League, Cameron Burgess made his top-flight debut in Ipswich Town’s 2-0 home loss to Everton.
East Anglian Daily Times rated Burgess 5/10 and wrote: “Same as Woolfenden. He showed his quality in the air – winning the most duels in the game – but he really struggled up against Calvert-Lewin, who could’ve had a hat-trick.
“Needed to be quicker and closer to Everton’s forwards. He was beaten too often and too easily when the ball was on the floor, but have to acknowledge that it was his Premier League debut.”
Elsewhere, Joe Gauci was an unused sub in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win away to Fulham.
In Germany’s Bundesliga, Jackson Irvine played a full game at the famous Westfalenstadion in St Pauli’s 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund. Connor Metcalfe was out injured.
Denis Genreau played 20 minutes off the bench as a 73rd minute substitute in Toulouse’s 1-1 draw with Angers in the French Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Mat Ryan was unused again for AS Roma’s 1-0 home loss to Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A on Sunday.
Cristian Volpato scored in Sassuolo’s 5-2 win at Brescia in Serie B, netting in the 55th minute with a fine left-foot strike.
Volpato started and played 62 minutes in the dominant win, cutting inside with skill before unleashing a shot from outside the box into the top corner for his goal. Watch here.
55′ | #BresciaSassuolo 1⃣-2⃣
Che goooool di CRISTIAN VOLPATO!#ForzaSasol 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/sWNFFX5BsK
— U.S. Sassuolo (@SassuoloUS) October 19, 2024
Max Balard put in a full shift in NAC Breda’s 2-1 victory at PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.
Mohamed Toure came off the bench to score Randers’ second goal in a 2-0 win away to AaB in the Danish Superliga on Sunday.
Toure came on at half-time and made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 96th minute.
𝐒𝐄𝐉𝐑! 👊💙💥
📸 – Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix#randersfc #sldk #aabrfc pic.twitter.com/vS5sdvXB2G
— Randers FC (@Randers_FC) October 20, 2024
Paul Izzo put in a full shift, keeping a clean sheet including denying Mathias Jorgensen’s 89th minute spotkick.
John Iredale was a 69th minute substitute for AaB.
Nick D’Agostino also played super-sub for Viking in the Norwegian Eliteserien, scoring a 95th minute equalizer in Viking’s 3-3 draw with Odd.
En frustrerende kveld, men vi skal fortsette å gi alt for å oppnå vår drøm.
Tusen takk til alle som tok turen og bidro til en herlig ramme 💙 pic.twitter.com/qC0peGrDIt
— Viking Fotball (@vikingfotball) October 20, 2024
D’Agostino came on in the 72nd minute with his side trailing 2-1, before his late goal from Christian Cappis’ ball.
Gianni Stensness also played the full 90 minutes for Viking.
In Switzerland’s Super League, Awer Mabil scored barely 60 seconds after entering the fray in Grasshoppers’ 2-1 home defeat to FC Zurich.
Mabil ghosted in down the right side to chest home a deflected cross at the back post to make it 2-1 and give his side hope.
In Croatia’s Prva HNL, Fran Karacic was also on the scoresheet in Lokomotiva’s 2-2 draw with Rijeka.
In the Scottish Premiership, Lewis Miller got an assist for Hibernian in their 3-2 loss to Dundee United, in a game where Martin Boyle returned from the hand injury that kept him out of the recent Socceroos’ World Cup qualifiers.
Miller started the game, assisted Warren O’Hora’s 43rd minute equalizer with a clever header across goal before being hooked at half-time, replaced by Boyle.
Edinburgh Evening News rated Miller 5.5/10 and wrote: “Fresh from his international heroics, the Socceroos fullback was made to look flat-footed as Middleton left him trailing for the opener. But fine assist for the equaliser. Subbed at half-time.”
Edinburgh Evening News rated Boyle also 5.5/10 and wrote: “Introduced for Miller at half-time, the winger – just back from an operation on his right hand/wrist – had to fill in at wing-back after change of formation prompted by Chris Cadden’s injury.”
Jack Iredale also came on in the 49th minute in the loss and was rated 5/10: “Thrown in at the deep end as sub early in second half. Can’t have been fun.”
Substitute Cammy Devlin got an assist in Hearts’ 4-0 win over St Mirren. Devlin came on in the 77th minute and set up Blair Spittal’s goal in the 93rd minute, driving forward before finding him on the edge of the box with a pass.
Kye Rowles put in a full shift for Hearts.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos started but was replaced at half-time in Motherwell’s 1-0 home loss to Dundee. Johnny Koutroumbis was an unused sub.
Josh Nisbet also started and played only the first half in Ross County’s 3-0 loss to St Johnstone.
Others
Full games
Aiden O’Neill (Standard Liege), Jacob Chapman (Huddersfield), Mitch Langerak (Nagoya Grampus), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata), Connor Chapman (Gimpo Citizen)
Minutes
Jordan Bos – ST 58 (Westerlo), Tyrese Francois – SB 63 (Wigan), Keanu Baccus – SB 67 (Mansfield), Mitch Duke – SB 72 (Machida Zelvia), Peter Makrillos – ST 67 (Suwon Bluewings), Lachlan Jackson – SB 79 (Suwon), Anthony Kalik – ST 71 (Hajduk Split), Alex Gersbach – ST 59 (Kalmar), Patrick Yazbek – SB 46 (Nashville)
Unused subs
Nicholas Bilokapic (Peterborough), Ash Maynard-Brewer (Charlton), Jonathan Aspropotamitis (Pohang Steelers), Henry Hore (Gangwon)
Notable absentees
Ajdin Hrustic (Salernitana)
