Chelsea equaled the longest unbeaten streak in Women’s Super League history as they were held to a controversial 1-1 draw with title rivals Arsenal on Saturday afternoon. Alyssa Thompson’s opener was cancelled out by Alessia Russo's late strike in a breathless match which saw Sonia Bompastor’s Blues match their own 33-game unbeaten league run at the Emirates Stadium.

In another blistering start from Chelsea, winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd hit the post before Thompson scored her side’s seventh goal in the opening 15 minutes of league games this season, chipping Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar with a wonderful finish. Bompastor’s side almost had a second when Van Domselaar parried Catarina Macario’s effort onto the crossbar, with Wieke Kaptein unable to convert the rebound from close range.

However, as has been custom this season, Chelsea’s scintillating start soon fizzled out as Arsenal grew into the game, almost pouncing on careless moments in possession from first Hannah Hampton and then Mille Bright before the break. The hosts picked up from where they left off in the second half and thought they had levelled when Gunners striker Stina Blackstenius pounced on Niamh Charles’ poor clearance, but the goal was controversially chalked off for handball. Chelsea will argue justice was served, however, as replays later showed they should not have conceded the corner which led to the disallowed strike.

As the most-played fixture in WSL history wore on, Arsenal continued to push and probe and they were finally rewarded when Chelsea goalkeeper Hampton failed to keep out Russo's last-gasp leveller, though replays would later show that the forward looked offside in the build-up. There was still time for one more final twist as substitute Frida Maanum thought she had won the fiery encounter for Renee Slegers’ side, but her goal was ruled out for offside. However, replays would later show that the midfielder looked onside as she coolly slotted past Hampton.

The result ensures Arsenal – who are fourth and still five points behind leaders Chelsea – remain in the title race, while fellow contenders Manchester United slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on the same day. Meanwhile, second-placed Manchester City have the chance to go top when they travel to Everton on Sunday.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the Emirates Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (4/10):

  Almost put Chelsea in trouble with a sloppy pass, before Bright mopped up with a last-ditch challenge in the first half. She then failed to keep out Russo's last-gasp strike, getting a hand to it but not doing enough to keep it out.

  Lucy Bronze (5/10):

  Lining up at right-back, having operated at centre-back against London City Lionesses, she showed signs of rustiness in her battle with Arsenal's Caitlin Foord.

  Nathalie Bjorn (5/10):

  Every time compatriot Blackstenius looked to have the better of her, the Sweden defender would recover, getting something on the ball to snuff out the danger. She almost scored an own goal, however, with an air shot late on.

  Millie Bright (5/10):

  Now with the joint-most appearances in WSL history (210), the captain was generally composed but there was a five-minute spell in the first half when she was careless in possession.

  Niamh Charles (4/10):

  The left-back got away with one as her poor clearance was pounced upon by Blackstenius, whose goal was controversially chalked off for handball. She then struggled up against Arsenal substitute Olivia Smith.

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  Midfield

  Wieke Kaptein (5/10):

  Had the chance to score in the first half but her header was saved from close range, before failing to slip in Kaneryd during a promising counter-attack.

  Keira Walsh (7/10):

  Dictating the tempo as always, she set Thompson on her way to scoring with a crisp through ball in the build-up.

  Erin Cuthbert (6/10):

  Cool-headed in the middle of the park, the Scotland international rarely gave the ball away, giving Chelsea a trusty platform to build on.

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  Attack

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (8/10):

  In an electric start to the game, she hit the post within the first two minutes before setting up Thompson for Chelsea's goal.

  Catarina Macario (7/10):

  Combining clever link-up play with terrific strength in flashes, the Arsenal defenders struggled to contain the USWNT forward, before her influence waned.

  Alyssa Thompson (8/10):

  Driving forward with terrific speed and guile, she played a one-two with Kaneryd before lobbing Van Domselaar for Chelsea's strike.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ellie Carpenter (6/10):

  A second-half substitute, she powered forward whenever she could, using her experience to aid the visitors.

  Sam Kerr (6/10):

  Replacing Macario late on, she provided an outlet for Chelsea, who were reduced to counter-attacking as the match wore on.

  Oriane Jean-François (N/A):

  Unable to make an impact as a late substitute.

  Sandy Baltimore (N/A):

  Brought on too late to influence the game.

  Sonia Bompastor (7/10):

  Shuffling her deck by making five changes, Bompastor watched on as Thompson repaid her faith with a super goal. The introduction of Australia duo Carpenter and Kerr proved helpful, too.

Asif Khan looked destructive in his innings of 35-ball 77 but it came about far too late

Danyal Rasool30-Aug-2025

Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz’s firepower overwhelmed UAE as Pakistan registered their second win in as many days: a 31-run thumping of the home side in Sharjah. The pair’s half-centuries did the lion’s share of the work as cameos around them kept Pakistan’s momentum ticking along through the first innings. A burst at the end from Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali carried them to 207, their joint third-highest men’s T20I total.UAE’s chase was highly dependent on what their captain Muhammad Waseem could do during the powerplay. Sure enough, a blistering start kindled brief optimism as he raced along to 33, but his innings was cut down in its prime after a horrible mix-up towards the end of the first six overs.Another wicket fell the following ball and the innings petered out as Mohammad Nawaz and Ayub squeezed the home side in the overs that followed, rendering the contest uncompetitive long before the outcome was made official. Asif Khan, UAE’s lower-order power-hitter, looked destructive in his innings, a 35-ball 77, but, like Rashid Khan’s the day before, it had come about far too late.Saim unleashesPerhaps this was the innings closest to the mould of a vintage Ayub knock since he returned from his injury at the start of the year. It all began with a 22-run third over where he carted Junaid Siddique for two sixes and a four. Boundaries were sprinkled through the powerplay but carried on even as the fielding restrictions lifted, as left-arm quick Muhammad Jawadullah found out. Ayub hit him for a four and a six, and then the same off the first two balls of the following over as the opener sped to a 25-ball half-century. While his team-mates were unable to cash in to the same degree from the other end, Ayub’s innings, which ended after being contentiously given out caught behind – there is no DRS in this series – for a 38-ball 69, had helped Pakistan maintain a run rate above nine.The smaller contributionsHasan Nawaz took Ayub’s baton and ran with it, becoming the destroyer-in-chief during the second half of the innings. It culminated in a thrilling dismantling of the UAE’s best bowler, spinner Haider Ali, who until then had gone for just 12 in three. The first three balls of his final over were dispatched for 18 runs before Nawaz miscued one, getting an inside edge to see a brilliant knock come to an end after he had plundered 56 off 26.Hasan Nawaz celebrates his half-century•Emirates Cricket Board

But Pakistan were still in a slightly precarious situation. They had lost their sixth wicket with the score at 163, and there were still 26 balls left to utilise. Coach Mike Hesson has made no secret of his desire to have batters in the line-up to squeeze every last drop of run-scoring potential, even if it comes at the cost of specialist bowling. Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali each chipped in during this time with 25, 16 and 9 respectively. It all combined for 44 in the final four overs to take Pakistan beyond 200 and truly secure their position in case the UAE did something remarkable with the bat.Asif Khan’s brutal counterattackAsif Khan is the only UAE batter to boast a superior strike rate to his captain Waseem this year, and he showed why in a mauling of Pakistan’s bowlers late on in the game. That the contest was effectively over by this time felt cruel, because an innings of such power should not go to waste. Pakistan’s intensity may have dropped with spinners and seamers alike repeatedly bowling into his arc, but that wasn’t to detract from how consistently he dispatched them.He scored just 11 off the first 12 balls, but after smashing a six and a four off Sufiyan Muqim in the 14th over, he unleashed beast mode. Hasan Ali, poor with the ball for much of the day, fed him in the slot and paid for it with another 19 runs, and the hits just kept coming. Muqim conceded 17, Salman Mirza 18 more.None of it ever threatened to overturn the outcome; UAE had needed 122 in seven overs by the time Asif hit his stride. But it does take UAE above Afghanistan on net run rate, having lost to Pakistan by a smaller margin than Rashid’s men did on Friday. When Hasan returned in the final over and bounced him out, Asif had a wry smile on his face. His last 22 deliveries had produced 66 runs, and even with this outcome, he was entitled to a bit of satisfaction.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Atlético-GO vive grande fase neste início de temporada em 2024. A vitória dessa quarta (7) sobre o Real Brasília, por 3 a 1, que valeu a classificação à terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, foi a 10ª seguida do Dragão. Entre os muitos motivos que explicam o sucesso do time treinado por Jair Ventura está o zagueiro Alix Vinicius. Titular absoluto, ele também é garantia de perigo no ataque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalPower Ranking #1: os melhores times do momento no futebol brasileiroFutebol Nacional11/03/2024Campeonato PaulistaFPF define datas e horários dos jogos de Palmeiras, São Paulo e Santos no Paulistão; vejaCampeonato Paulista11/03/2024Futebol NacionalPalmeiras vai processar John Textor, do Botafogo, por acusações de manipulação no futebol brasileiroFutebol Nacional11/03/2024

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Isso porque Alix tem ganhado notoriedade nas jogadas ofensivas. Diante do Real Brasília, marcou seu quarto gol pelo Atlético-GO. Nas redes sociais do clube, o apelido de “zagueiro artilheiro” é utilizado para se referir ao defensor. Alix explica o motivo do impacto no ataque e revela uma inspiração na carreira.

– Isso sempre foi minha característica, desde a base. Um cara que eu me espelho e também é forte no ataque é o Marquinhos (Seleção Brasileira e PSG). É claro que no profissional naturalmente vou evoluindo, subo pro ataque mais “na boa”, mas a gente sempre busca uma forma a mais de ajudar o time. Nossa bola parada tem se tornado um ponto forte e acaba casando com meu estilo. Espero que continue dando certo – afirma Alix, que também destaca a sequência de vitórias do Atlético-GO

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– Tudo é fruto do nosso trabalho. Terminamos a Série B ano passado de maneira espetacular e seguimos nessa boa sequência em 2024. E o mais legal é que o time continua evoluindo, jogo a jogo. Todo treino, todo jogo é um aprendizado pra gente. Não existe aquela sensação que batemos no teto, pelo contrário. Estamos querendo sempre mais e mais.

O Atlético-GO volta a campo na segunda, no jogo da volta das quartas de final do Campeonato Goianiense, diante do Goiatuba, no Estádio Antônio Accioly. O Dragão venceu aidapor3a0.

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Amad Diallo’s delightful volley continued Manchester United’s unbeaten run and extended Sean Dyche’s wait for his first Premier League win as Nottingham Forest manager.

United arrived on a run of three straight wins and Diallo’s late volley rescued a 2-2 draw, which was probably a fair result at the end of a helter-skelter encounter that the Red Devils went ahead in, albeit under controversial circumstances.

The City Ground faithful were left furioius at the decision to award the corner from which Casemiro headed home the opening goal, and Dyche also highlighted Bruno Fernandes’ placement of the ball outside the quadrant, speaking to Sky Sports.

“It’s not inconclusive, I’ve seen it back,” the 54 year-old said afer Nicolo Savona was adjudged to have taken the ball out of play.

He continued: “Funny enough I was talking to the powers at be, the referees, about the quadrant. We all watch it, you can see the ball is outside the quadrant from 80 yards away, but they allow it because it’s one millimetre with the ball hanging over the line, a bit like the goal line technology.

“So apparently today the assistant referee can see 70, 80 yards away, it’s got to change.”

Dyche’s men returned after half-time interval with the bit between their teeth and levelled three minutes after the restart. Substitute Yates clipped over a cross from the right and Gibbs-White held off Diallo to get away a header that crept inside the far post.

It looked like Savona would have the last laugh too, coolly scoring in the 50th minute. Another cross from the right took a deflection and looped up, with the ball bundled on as Jesus challenged with United players. The Italian was the beneficiary, taking a touch and finishing from six yards.

United tried to level and Fernandes came closest, seeing a hopeful long-range strike skip off the turf and hit the far post. Casemiro just failed to turn home the rebound.

Manchester United have found their next Amad

Jesus headed into the side-netting and Hudson-Odoi went close as Forest pushed to settle things, only for Diallo’s moment of magic to draw United level in the 81st minute.

Forest failed to effectively clear a corner and the Ivory Coast international unleashed a wonderful left-footed volley from the edge of the box that flew past Sels, sparking bedlam in the away end.

The goal was given after a VAR check and United pushed hardest for a winner, with Murillo stopping Diallo snatching victory in stoppage time.

Visitors only need 25 minutes on fourth morning to claim much-needed win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025Essex 504 (Cox 132, Critchley 123, Harmer 53) beat Sussex 204 (Coles 52, Porter 4-30) and 261 (Coles 108, Alsop 72, Critchley 4-41) by an innings and 39 runsEssex needed just 25 minutes to secure only their second victory of the season in the Rothesay County Championship when they beat Sussex by an innings and 39 runs at Hove.James Coles completed his third successive Championship hundred, but Sussex were bowled out for 261 in their second innings and suffered their first Championship defeat at Hove since May 2022.”I think that was our most complete performance of the season,” Essex skipper, Tom Westley, said. “At a crunch time, with where we are in the table, to turn up and play like that is testament to everyone in our changing room: 24 points and a win is massive for the club and hopefully we can take that into the last four games, starting against Warwickshire next week.”We don’t want to make excuses about injuries – we probably haven’t played anywhere near our ability through the season and it has been challenging getting our strongest XI at times, so it was nice here to bowl them out for 200 in the first innings and then throughout the game everyone chipped in.”Sussex’s cause at the start of the final day was pretty hopeless with 55 still needed to make Essex bat again and only three wickets in hand. But at least Coles, 99 not out overnight, was able to follow up centuries against Durham and Warwickshire by reaching his seventh first-class hundred, when he cut the fourth ball of the first over of the day from Matt Critchley to the boundary.Coles was ninth out for 108, when he slog-swept Simon Harmer and top-edged to Jamie Porter at backward square leg. He’d faced 214 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six.Harmer had made the breakthrough in the second over when Ari Karvelas tickled a ball down the leg side and was well caught by Michael Pepper.The end came when Critchley bowled Henry Crocombe for 2. The legspinner finished with 4 for 41 and played his part in an excellent performance by Essex, who will fancy their chances of climbing the table in the remaining four games now they have a full-strength bowling attack available again, having controlled this match from the first session.Sussex’s head coach, Paul Farbrace, said: “It’s been hugely disappointing. In the three years I have been here it’s comfortably our worst performance in four-day cricket. We never got into the game. We played poor shots with the bat and made poor decisions throughout.”Apart from James Coles and Tom Alsop in the second innings we haven’t batted anywhere as well as we can, there were a lot of soft dismissals and our bowlers haven’t done much better to be fair, we didn’t play Division One standard cricket which is really frustrating and disappointing.”It’s on me and the rest of the coaching staff as much as the players to reflect and then get into the right mindset for next week’s game at Scarborough. Ollie Robinson had an injection in his groin on Wednesday and won’t be available until the back end of the One-Day Cup.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s exit from the Carabao Cup last night was evidence of the hot and cold nature of Thomas Frank’s tenure at the helm so far in 2025/26.

Coming into the clash against Newcastle United, the Lilywhites claimed a superb 3-0 victory against Everton in the Premier League – but such a showing at St James’ Park was the polar opposite.

Fabian Schar and Nick Woltemade’s efforts either side of the break secured the win for Eddie Howe’s men, with Frank’s first chance of claiming a trophy in North London evaporating in front of his eyes.

The Dane only made four changes from his starting eleven that defeated the Toffees on Sunday night, but little players failed to cover themselves in glory on Tyneside.

One player in particular was handed a second successive start last night, with such a run now expected to come to an end after his dismal display against the Magpies.

Brennan Johnson’s evening to forget against Newcastle

After Mohammed Kudus’ summer arrival from West Ham United, winger Brennan Johnson has often had to resort to minutes off the bench to make an impact for Spurs.

Such a decision may have come as a surprise to many of the Lilywhites faithful, especially after the Welshman ended last year on 18 goals – even scoring the winner in the Europa League final.

However, 2025/26 has been a different story for the 24-year-old, with his performances night and day from his spell under Ange Postecoglou last campaign.

His showing against Howe’s side was yet another disappointment – with his withdrawal in just the 65th minute highlighting his lack of positive impact in the North East.

Johnson only achieved a total of 28 touches, whilst losing possession on 14 occasions, subsequently gifting the ball back to the opposition every other time he was in control of the play.

Other figures such as zero dribbles and crosses completed further demonstrate his lack of creativity, something which Kudus has possessed in abundance – as seen by his tally of four assists for the Lilywhites.

Such was the level of disappointment around his showing, one Spurs analyst labelled the former Nottingham Forest star as a “passenger” – which proves Frank made the right decision by replacing him with the Ghanaian this summer.

The Spurs player who now looks finished under Frank

Alongside Johnson, numerous other players struggled to match the expectations placed upon them by the Spurs faithful ahead of the meeting with Howe’s men.

Joao Palhinha has been an excellent addition for the Lilywhites, offering the side the perfect ball-winning option at the heart of the midfield, but he was forced to operate out of position last night.

The issues at the back saw the Portuguese international drop into a centre-back role – ultimately taking away his best quality, as seen in his tally of zero tackles won.

Despite his lack of impact, Palhinha certainly left more of a positive impression than Richarlison, with the centre-forward once again ensuring an evening to forget.

After being dropped to the bench against former side Everton on Sunday, Frank recalled him to his starting eleven – handing the Brazilian the opportunity to prove his worth.

However, for the eighth game in a row, the 28-year-old was unable to find the back of the net, with his underlying figures showcasing his lack of impact against the Magpies.

Richarlison managed to complete just nine passes during his 78-minute display, whilst also losing possession on eight occasions, often being unable to provide the local point Frank has craved.

Minutes played

78

Touches

29

Passes completed

9

Possession lost

8x

Big chances missed

2

Dribbles completed

0

Chances created

0

Crosses completed

0

In front of goal, the Brazilian was just as wasteful, registering three shots on target, but two of which were defined as big chances missed – leading to one analyst labelling his showing as “unacceptable”.

His dismal display was further highlighted by his inability to complete any dribbles, crosses or create any chances for his teammate, with the manager desperately needing a solution to his problems.

Randal Kolo Muani was brought on in the second half, with the Frenchman producing numerous mazy runs which could see him handed the chance to start from the off against Chelsea.

As for Richarlison, his double on the opening day of 2025/26 has certainly fooled people into thinking he can be the talisman Frank needs to achieve success in North London.

However, there’s no denying that the Brazilian has ultimately failed to match those standards in recent weeks, as seen by his goal drought, which dates back to the 20th of September.

It’s clear he’s not the man the Lilywhites need to progress to the next level, with his career at the club pretty much all but over – which should open the door for a potential January exit.

Fewer touches than Kinsky: Frank must axe 5/10 Spurs dud after Newcastle

Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle United last night.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

Oval Invincibles brushed London Spirit aside with ease in the opening game of the men’s Hundred as they began their bid to win the title for the third year in a row.Sam Billings’ side, who lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024, are backing themselves for a ‘three-peat’ and the manner of their victory in the competition opener bodes well, a comfortable six-wicket stroll past a London Spirit side who never seemed at the races.Spirit batted first and were soon in trouble – Keaton Jennings, Kane Williamson and David Warner all back in the pavilion with the score on only 26. It wasn’t to get any better for Justin Langer’s side, who could only limp to 80 all out, undone by the combined guile of Sam Curran (3 for 16) and Rashid Khan (3 for 11), Rashid impressing on debut for the Invincibles.”It was nice to get that start, with the win most importantly and then to perform for the team was amazing,” Rashid said. “It’s been a good start for me. I’ve been out of the game for the last two months but it’s nice to get back and get back with a win.Will Jacks steered the Invincibles chase•Getty Images

“The break [since the IPL] has really helped. Physically but also mentally, to get ready for the next competition. The IPL is three months, it’s a long competition, and I needed a break mentally as well and that’s really helped. I’m quite happy with today.”Needing just 81 under the lights, Oval used the chase as a chance for more batting practice – Billings and Donovan Ferreira unbeaten and unfussed at the end, with Ferreira ending proceedings with a mighty six – the only one of the match – into the Tavern Stand.Rashid defended the quality of the pitch, and said: “It was a good surface. Spin was there but the length you bowled was really important today. When I bowled it was just in my mind to hit the right areas consistently, to bowl a good line and length, and it went really well.”

Barcelona sporting director Deco has ruled out triggering Marcus Rashford's buy option before next summer and he instead revealed an alternate plan for the January transfer window. Rashford, who joined the Catalan giants on a one-year loan deal after falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, has made a bright start to his maiden campaign in La Liga.

Rashford enjoying life in Spain

Rashford’s Barcelona career is off to a flying start following his summer loan from United. After years of inconsistency in the Premier League with the Red Devils, the English winger has finally rediscovered his spark at the Catalan club under Hansi Flick. Rashford's blistering pace, improved decision-making, and renewed confidence were on full display during last month's El Clasico, where he set up Fermin Lopez’s goal, and also in his Champions League brace against Olympiacos. 

The 28-year-old’s resurgence has been aided by Brazilian winger Raphinha’s injury troubles since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, which opened the door for Rashford to become the club’s first-choice left winger. He has made the role his own, striking an immediate connection with the likes of Ferran Torres and Lopez in Flick’s fluid attacking system.

The Englishman’s turnaround has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona officials already in talks to activate the option-to-buy clause included in his loan deal with United. He has also made a comeback to the England national team and looks set to make Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad next year. 

AdvertisementGettyBarca unlikely to trigger Rashford buy option before summer

Despite Rashford's impressive performance, Barcelona will not trigger the buy option in his contract in January as the club are not in a healthy position financially. Speaking at Camp Nou's reopening for a training session, sporting director Deco said: "If we are doing well and there are no surprises, I don't think it's necessary. We know exactly where we can improve and the difficulties we face. Last season, we also went through some difficult moments and we were able to overcome them. 

"When we lower the intensity, we suffer. We need to have the best players. There are no excuses, but when you can't make changes because of injuries and they affect our midfield. There are things to improve even when we win."

Rashford ready to further elevate his performances

After scoring in the Blaugrana's 3-1 win over Elche last weekend, Rashford admitted that he is capable of performing even better as he told reporters: "I try to give my best. I could have done better against Elche and I promise to improve, but I'm generally happy with my performance. It's a very important win. It's always important, after a defeat, to win the next game; that's the most important thing. In my opinion, if I do things right on the pitch and with the team, I'll always be able to score and create goals. My goal is to connect with my team-mates and feel in sync with them, and that's exactly how I feel right now.

"We work hard to win. We're taking it one game at a time. We need to keep playing as a team. This is Barca , and the demands must always be at their highest. It's true we have a lot of injuries, but that's football, and the same eleven players won't win every game. We must keep playing as one team and show fighting spirit and unity."

Speaking on Rashford's performance, Flick had said: "When you see the chances he has, one or two goals more will be good, also for him. But we can be happy with him, of course. I am very happy with him. He can play on this level and I am happy he shows it, for the fans and for the club, and also for the teammates he is a very important player."

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AFPWhen will Rashford play next?

Rashford will be back in action for the Catalan side on Sunday as they take on Celta Vigo in a crucial La Liga fixture. The striker will then link up with Tuchel's England for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Serbia and Albania on November 13 and 16 respectively.