Your roundup for Thursday, October 8: the news, the scores and the numbers — including how The Soccer Expert model's picks got on.
139Matches finished
65%Had a first-half goal
2.78Goals per game
The headlines
International football
- How England snub could boost Toone’s World Cup chances — Sky Sports
- Wiegman praises Toone’s attitude after late Lionesses recall for Greece playoff — The Guardian
- Wales target clean sheet in World Cup play-off first leg — BBC Sport
- Toone comes into England squad as Bronze withdraws — BBC Sport
- Havertz, Isak, Dorgu … spate of injuries with national teams leaves sour taste for top clubs — The Guardian
Club football and around the game
- Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend — The Guardian
- Spurs' Simons enrols at iconic university Harvard — BBC Sport
- Papers: Fee Man Utd could receive for wantaway JJ Gabriel revealed — Sky Sports
- Real seek McTominay move - Friday's gossip — BBC Sport
- Sutton's predictions v Starsailor frontman James Walsh — BBC Sport
- Maresca says 'feeling is fantastic' among Man City squad — BBC Sport
- Infantino given re-election boost as Montagliani seeks final Concacaf term — BBC Sport
- Man Utd held back as Spurs spent big - Different strategies collide on Saturday — Sky Sports
- Sergio Camello: ‘Rayo is the last team standing – it’s football from another time’ — The Guardian
- Chelsea latest: Caicedo features in friendly as midfielder steps up recovery — Sky Sports
- Ticket rises and more TV packages - why is price of sport increasing? — BBC Sport
- Maresca believes City players ‘don’t care about the noise’ as Haaland calls for unity — The Guardian
Headlines link to the original reports at BBC Sport, Sky Sports and The Guardian.
Today's results
| Competition | Match | FT | HT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | Santos v Flamengo | 2-2 | 0-2 |
| Serie A | Atletico Paranaense v Atletico-MG | 2-2 | 1-1 |
| Serie A | Fluminense v Coritiba | 4-0 | 1-0 |
| Serie A | Palmeiras v Bahia | 1-0 | 1-0 |
The day by the numbers
- 139 matches finished in our database, with 387 goals (2.78 a game).
- 65% of them had a goal before half-time (90 of 139).
- The most open competition early on was Persian Gulf Pro League (Iran): a first-half goal in 6 of 6 games.
- Biggest win: Kaspij Aktau 2 6-0 Astana II (1. Division).
- Another big win: Johor Darul Takzim FC 6-0 Svay Rieng (ASEAN Club Championship).
- Another big win: HJK Helsinki 6-0 VPS (Veikkausliiga).
- Another big win: Sporty 1-6 Khaitan (Division 1).
How the model did today
Every pick is graded automatically from the final score. Results still being played are added overnight.
- Top Predictions: 13 won, 11 lost (54%).
- Top-tier match winners: 5 won, 1 lost.
- Top-tier team goals: 2 won, 1 lost.
- Live hot picks: 3 hit, 1 missed.
The full record — every pick, wins and losses — is on our results page.
Coming up
See the model's predictions for tomorrow: first-half goal ratings for every match, the strongest spots and the games to avoid.
Members get first-half goal ratings for every match, live hot picks during games and the full signals view — and every pick is graded on our public record. Get access for $9.99/month or try today's free picks.
Results and statistics from The Soccer Expert database. This roundup is generated automatically each night.