23:33 CET - That's that for the first Saturday of 2026, and if the rest of them are as entertaining as this one, we're in for quite a year!
The final word of the night has to go to Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who produced an excellent performance against his former club in the face of a huge amount of abuse from their fans to give Hansi Flick's side the win.
See you tomorrow!
23:07 CET - Rennes have claimed a big win over Lille in the final match of the day in France, prevailing 2-0 away from home to move within two points of the fourth-placed side.
They have now scored in 14 of their 17 league games this season; no team has done so more often.
23:02 CET - Mali pull off a miracle at AFCON! They were a man down for the majority of the match and behind for most of the penalty shootout, but they've ultimately won it 3-2 to move into the quarter-finals!
Besiktas forward El Bilal Toure scored the winning spot-kick to send them through to the last eight.
22:56 CET - Barcelona get a late win out of nowhere! After struggling for much of the match, the LaLiga leaders have scored goals in the 86th and 90th minutes through Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski to seal a dramatic derby victory!
22:50 CET - Atalanta have produced an excellent performance to beat Roma and deal a big blow to the title hopes of the club from the capital.
22:43 CET - We're heading to penalties in Morocco! Tunisia failed to make the most of their one-man advantage, and Mali now have just as good a chance as their opponents of prevailing.
Follow every kick of the shootout here.
22:37 CET - Barcelona are running out of time, with 15 minutes to go and Espanyol still looking just as likely to open the scoring as the league leaders.
22:00 CET - Mali equalise! After a handball, Lassine Sinayoko has stepped up to convert a penalty in the 96th minute and take this match into extra time! Incredible drama!
21:53 CET - Tunisia have surely won it at the death! Firas Chaouat has headed his nation ahead in the 88th minute to surely send them into the last eight of AFCON!
21:51 CET - We're halfway through the Derbi Barceloni, and while Barcelona have dominated the ball, it's Espanyol who have looked more likely to score, having seven efforts on goal to their opponents' three.
In Bergamo, Atalanta lead 1-0 at the break.
21:26 CET - Despite being a man down for almost an hour now, Mali are holding firm at AFCON with just over 15 minutes to go. The game remains goalless, and Tunisia have just one effort on goal in the second half despite having 71% possession.
Are we about the see our first extra-time of the tournament?
21:06 CET - Atalanta have made a flying start to a heavyweight clash in Serie A, with the Bergamo side leading Roma and their former manager Gian Piero Gasperini thanks to a 12th-minute goal from Giorgio Scalvini.
20:57 CET - It's been a disappointing evening for Liam Rosenior, whose Strasbourg side have only been able to draw 1-1 to struggling Nice in what could be the English manager's last game in charge, with Chelsea reportedly close to appointing him.
20:40 CET - Barcelona's first match of 2026 is a big one, with the LaLiga leaders travelling across the city to face local rivals Espanyol, who are enjoying their best season in a long time.
The two sides are the only two in the league to have won five games in a row so this should be a high-quality affair as well as a feisty one, with no love lost between the two clubs.
Here's how they'll line up:
20:37 CET - Just over 30 minutes into the second knockout clash of AFCON, things aren't looking good for Mali, who are down to 10 men against Tunisia after a red card for defender Woyo Coulibaly.
20:28 CET - Arsenal have held on to win 3-2 and go six points clear at the top of the Premier League for the time being, extending Bournemouth's winless run to 10 matches.
In Spain meanwhile, Villarreal have stayed in the LaLiga title fight with a 3-1 victory away to Elche, which moves them to within four points of Real Madrid with a game in hand.
20:05 CET - Goals galore in Bournemouth! Rice scored his second of the night to give Arsenal some breathing room, but 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi has cancelled that out with a lovely effort from outside the box!
19:58 CET - Juventus have made a stumbling start to the new year, with Luciano Spalletti's side being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Lecce.
They dominated the second half after drawing level through Weston McKennie, but missed numerous chances including a penalty from Jonathan David.
19:43 CET - Arsenal lead! They've gone ahead eight minutes into the second half through Declan Rice, who has stroked the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
19:18 CET - At half-time down on the English south coast, Arsenal and Bournemouth are level at 1-1, with Gabriel causing one goal then scoring the other in what was a rollercoaster start to the match.
Follow the second half live here.
19:05 CET - In the first Ligue 1 tie of the weekend, Lyon have downed 10-man Monaco 3-1 away in the Principality to solidify their spot in the top five.
19:02 CET - We have the first confirmed quarter-finalist at AFCON, and it is Senegal, who have navigated past Sudan in their Round of 16 tie, winning 3-1.
Sudan took a shock lead in the match, but it was all the Lions of Teranga from there, as they dominated possession and chances.
Next up, Mali take on Tunisia at 20:00 CET, with the winner set to play Senegal in the quarters.
18:47 CET - Well, Gabriel has almost immediately made up for his huge defensive error by firing the ball into the net to make it 1-1 between Arsenal and Bournemouth. Plenty going on there then.
18:43 CET - Bournemouth have taken a shock lead over the Premier League leaders Arsenal.
It’s 1-0 on the south coast thanks to an absolutey brain fade from the usually impeccable Gabriel, who passed it straight to Evanilson, only for the Brazilian to slot home.
18:31 CET - Arsenal's match at Bournemouth has just kicked off - follow the action with our live audio commentary!
18:07 CET - Moving to the north of Spain, Osasuna and Athletic Club have played out a 1-1 draw in LaLiga.
Next up there, Elche host Villarreal at 18:30 CET. The visitors would go third with a win, but don't discount Elche; they have the fifth-best home record in LaLiga.
17:57 CET - Wolves have finally won a game! After 19 matches winless in the Premier League, Wolves have at last taken all three points from a league match this season, and in some style, by thrashing fellow strugglers West Ham 3-0.
Relief for Rob Edwards and his side, not great optics for Nuno Espirito Santo's awful Hammers.
17:54 CET - In the Premier League, Brighton have beaten Burnley 2-0 to notch their first win in seven matches! Burnley, meanwhile, are mired in 19th place and six points from safety.
17:53 CET - At half-time in Tangier, Senegal are leading Sudan 2-1 in the first Round of 16 match at AFCON, thanks to two goals from Pape Gueye.
The Senegalese were given a scare when Sudan opened the scoring early, but have since come back strong and could’ve had one or two more, if it weren’t for the offside flag.
17:20 CET - The game of the day in the Premier League is the late one, with league leaders Arsenal visiting Bournemouth at 18:30 CET.
The Gunners would go six points clear with a win, while the Cherries have not won in their last 10 outings, quite incredibly, and will thus be throwing everything at this one.
Check out the starting XIs below! Noni Madueke and Declan Rice return to the starting lineup for Arsenal, with talisman Bukayo Saka only on the bench today.
17:05 CET - Hopping over to Italy, the next match in Serie A sees Juventus hosting Lecce, looking to break into the top three and involve themselves in the title race. The Old Lady have won four on the bounce, while Lecce have been patchy at best.
Earlier, Genoa-Pisa and Sassuolo-Parma both ended in 1-1 draws.
16:53 CET - At half-time in the ongoing Premier League matches, Wolves are on track for their first win of the season - they lead West Ham 3-0! Surely, they can’t mess this up… Elsewhere, Brighton are 1-0 up against Burnley.
At the hour, the first Ligue 1 match of the day will start with Monaco hosting Lyon and looking to go within one point of the visitors.
16:25 CET - It's almost time for the first of the AFCON knockout matches! That's right, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has reached its Round of 16 stage and the first of those clashes kicks off at the hour with Senegal taking on Sudan in Tangier.
Later on, at 20:00 CET, Mali face Tunisia in Casablanca in the day's other match.
16:00 CET - In the first LaLiga match of the weekend, Celta Vigo have impressed by thrashing Valencia 4-1 in Galicia to solidify their top-seven status.
Los Che, meanwhile, are just one point above the drop zone, and haven’t won in LaLiga since November, worringly.
15:45 CET - Two matches will kick off at the hour in the Premier League, with Brighton hosting Burnley and West Ham away at rock-bottom, and still winless, Wolves.
Is this the day that Wolves finally win a game? If they can't do against West Ham at home, serious questions have to be asked... again.
15:26 CET - The first Premier League match of the day has ended with high-flying Aston Villa beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home.
The result sees Sean Dyche’s side slump to their fourth straight loss, while Villa jump up into the heady heights of second place, just three behind Arsenal, who play later today, and who thrashed Villa earlier in the week.
Catch up on all the match stats here.
Up in Scotland, Celtic have suffered a damaging 3-1 loss at home to Rangers in the Old Firm derby. Already under intense pressure, Bhoys boss Wilfried Nancy might not recover from this one...
Relive the Old Firm derby with Flashscore.
15:06 CET - Aston Villa have restored their two-goal cushion at home to Nottingham Forest, with John McGinn finishing from range for his second of the afternoon.
Follow the closing stages with Flashscore.
14:59 CET - There are two Serie A matches kicking off at 15:00 CET this afternoon, as ninth-placed Sassuolo host Parma and struggling Pisa travel to Genoa.
Keep track of both games here.
14:51 CET - A lifeline for Nottingham Forest! Morgan Gibbs-White breaks the offside trap and clips a superb finish over Emiliano Martinez to halve the deficit.
14:42 CET - Aston Villa have doubled their lead at the start of the second half against Nottingham Forest, with captain John McGinn scoring his second Premier League goal of the season.
14:33 CET - Cesc Fabregas' Como have closed to within three points of the top four in Serie A after a narrow 1-0 victory at home to Udinese.
Read the full match report here.
14:21 CET - Ollie Watkins has found the net in a third successive Premier League match to give Aston Villa a deserved lead against Nottingham Forest at half-time.
13:58 CET - Over in LaLiga, seventh-placed Celta Vigo welcome a struggling Valencia side to the Estadio Abanca Balaidos this afternoon.
Keep track of the match right here.
13:23 CET - Half-time in Serie A between Como and Udinese, and it's the hosts who have a slender 1-0 lead thanks to Lucas Da Cunha's 18th-minute penalty.
Follow the second half with Flashscore here.
13:08 CET - Today's Premier League action begins with a fascinating clash at Villa Park, as third-placed Aston Villa take on relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Unai Emery's men have won each of their last 10 matches on home soil, while the Tricky Trees have lost four of their last five league outings.
Keep track of the match from 13:30 CET here.
12:20 CET - We're just 10 minutes away from the first game of the day, as Cesc Fabregas' high-flying Como host Udinese in Serie A.
Follow the match from 12:30 CET here.
11:50 CET - Good morning and welcome to our first Football Tracker of 2026!
We're all set for a stellar Saturday as the AFCON knockout stages get underway in Morocco, with 2021 champions Senegal taking on Sudan and Tunisia coming up against Mali.
There are also plenty of big games taking place in Europe's top leagues as LaLiga leaders Barcelona face Catalan rivals Espanyol and Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma take on the Italian's former side, Atalanta.
Here are all of today's standout matches:
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest - 13:30 CET
Bournemouth vs Arsenal - 18:30 CET
Espanyol vs Barcelona - 21:00 CET