African players were once again at the heart of the action across Europe, producing goals, assists and match-defining performances for their respective clubs in a busy weekend of football.
England: Salah and Beto Light Up Merseyside Derby
In a gripping Merseyside derby, Mohamed Salah and Beto stole the spotlight as Liverpool edged Everton 2-1 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Salah gave Liverpool the lead in the 29th minute, finishing clinically from Cody Gakpo’s assist. The goal saw him match Steven Gerrard’s record of nine derby goals against Everton.
Everton responded after the break when Beto equalised just before the hour mark, finishing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross to register his eighth Premier League goal of the season.
However, Liverpool snatched victory late on through a Virgil van Dijk stoppage-time header to secure all three points in a dramatic finish.
Spain: Lookman Strikes in Copa del Rey Final Drama
Ademola Lookman delivered another big-game moment for Atletico Madrid in a tense Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.
The game exploded into life early when Sociedad scored after just 14 seconds, but Lookman restored parity in the 18th minute with a composed finish inside the box despite heavy pressure.
The match swung back and forth, with Sociedad regaining the lead before half-time and holding on through a tense second half and extra pressure, eventually edging Atletico on penalties.
Italy: Ekhator and Nzola Inspire Key Wins
Nigeria prospect Jeff Ekhator produced a brilliant equaliser for Genoa in their 2-1 comeback win over Pisa.
After falling behind to Simone Canestrelli’s header, Ekhator levelled before half-time with a stunning left-foot strike following a slick attacking move. Genoa later sealed the win from the penalty spot to climb away from danger.
Elsewhere, M’Bala Nzola starred for Sassuolo in a 2-1 win over Como. The Angola forward provided an assist before scoring himself just before half-time to secure Sassuolo’s first-ever home win over Como. Despite a late response, Sassuolo held on to climb into the top half of Serie A.
Germany: Jackson and Guirassy Among the Goals
Nicolas Jackson found the net as Bayern Munich sealed a thrilling 4-2 comeback win over VfB Stuttgart to confirm the 2025/26 Bundesliga title.
After falling behind, Bayern responded through Raphael Guerreiro, before Jackson added a quick second goal. Alphonso Davies and Harry Kane completed the comeback as Bayern ran out champions despite a late Stuttgart strike.
In another Bundesliga clash, Serhou Guirassy scored a late equaliser for Borussia Dortmund, but Hoffenheim snatched a dramatic 2-1 win thanks to two late penalties from Andrej Kramaric, including a stoppage-time winner.
France: Mohamed’s Goal Not Enough for Nantes
Mostafa Mohamed gave Nantes an early boost with a superb 10th-minute strike against Brest, finishing a sharp move with a curling effort into the far corner.
However, Nantes were reduced to 10 men in the second half, and Brest capitalised late on as Brendan Chardonnet headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to deny the Canaries all three points.
