United Led 2:0 and Went Out of the League Cup, Brera Won 3:0 in Andorra

Manchester United led 2:0 at Old Trafford and went out of the League Cup

There are defeats that hurt, and there are defeats that say everything. Manchester United led 2:0 at home tonight against Brighton and ended up out of the League Cup. A two-goal lead at home, against an opponent with roughly half the budget, and again it was not enough. The club that spends more than anyone in the world has for years been unable to defend even the advantage it created for itself. The Old Trafford crowd already has an entire vocabulary for nights like this, and nobody at the club looks particularly disturbed - which is perhaps the worst part of the story.

The VAR official paid for Haaland's goal in the Manchester derby

From the top of English refereeing came something rare: an admission. After the derby in which Manchester City won 1:0 at Old Trafford, VAR official Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus were left out of the next round of Premier League fixtures - a decision by Howard Webb. The refereeing body has already admitted that a "judgement error" was made when reviewing Erling Haaland's goal: Haaland was onside, but Enzo Fernandez was offside and moving towards the ball while Lisandro Martinez was covering him. Donohue should have sent the referee to the monitor - and did not. The punishment is one round on the sidelines. For United, three points nobody is giving back.

Alvarez with a condition: 20 goals and the clause drops

The transfer saga around Julian Alvarez did not end with the summer - it is simply taking a new form. According to Spanish reports, Atletico Madrid president Gil Marin promised him the release clause would be reduced if the Argentine scores at least 20 goals this season. Last year Alvarez finished with exactly 20, and in his first season after moving from Manchester City he found the net 29 times. So the target is not a wall - it is a formality written to look like a condition. Alvarez said publicly this summer that he wants to join Barcelona, Atletico refused to negotiate with a domestic rival, and the crowd whistled him during the Villarreal match (2:2). Now the club's owner is offering him an exit with a deadline. That is not confidence - it is an agreed separation with a postponed date.

Brera Strumica won 3:0 in Andorra and are a step from history

While the big clubs count millions, in Strumica they are counting something more valuable - a first step. The youth side of Brera won 3:0 away at Santa Coloma in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Youth League. Buchkov scored twice - in the 58th and 80th minutes, after an assist from Tanchev - and Kuleski set the final 3:0 in the 87th. Gjorgji Stojchev's team were the better side throughout, it just took until after a goalless first half. The return leg is on 14 October in Strumica, and with a three-goal cushion the young Strumica side have a real chance of becoming the first Macedonian team to get through a round in this competition. Three goals in Andorra will mean more for Macedonian football than any domestic press conference this year.

Sedloski on Gashtarov: "I am waiting with all my heart to play for Macedonia"

National coach Goce Sedloski announced his squad for the upcoming Nations League cycle, and the most interesting name is Matej Gashtarov. The young Red Star player has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks that Serbia would try to recruit him, but Sedloski says he spoke to him and the answer was clear: "I am waiting with all my heart to play for Macedonia". The coach sees him in midfield, but adds that he is versatile. Macedonia face a packed schedule - four matches in September and October, against Switzerland (twice), Slovenia and Scotland. And there is the real point: when the neighbours start eyeing our young players, it means somebody here has finally done good work. All that remains is not to burn him out in five days of training camp.