The football beat.
Results, transfers, previews and the numbers behind them, refreshed through the day, every story straight from the data.
Burkardt's five-goal involvement haul puts Frankfurt into DFB Pokal next round
Jonathan Burkardt registered three goals and two assists as Eintracht Frankfurt demolished lower-league SC St Tönis 11/20 in the DFB Pokal.
Cuello beats six defenders but San Lorenzo draw blank in Río Cuarto
Alexis Cuello completed six dribbles and won three fouls, yet neither side found a breakthrough in Argentina.
Three points, five games: Palmeiras and Flamengo set for long haul
Separated by three points with more than half a season gone, Brazil's top two are locked in a title race with no room for error.
Clean sheets dominate global slate: defences hold in two-thirds of matches
Sixty-five percent of games across 51 fixtures ended with at least one side shutting out their opponent, a defensive stranglehold rarely seen at scale.
Seven goals in Utah, three draws: MLS defences crumble on both coasts
Real Salt Lake's 4-3 defeat to Dallas headlined a night of open football across North America, with three fixtures ending level.
IK Sirius averaging 2.8 goals per game: Swedish side lead world's sharpest attacks
The Allsvenskan outfit have netted 47 times in 17 matches, topping a global list that includes Inter Miami and Bodø/Glimt.
Benevento friendlies rack up 28 goals in four fixtures, averaging 7.00 xG per match
The Italian side have turned pre-season into a scoring exhibition, converting chances at a rate that dwarfs competitive football averages.
Tverskov orchestrates San Diego possession: 116 passes in MLS defeat
The midfielder touched the ball 138 times and completed 93% of his distribution, yet Portland claimed all three points.
Navarro burns 1.52 xG as Rapids edge LAFC with single strike
Colorado's Rafael Navarro found space all night but couldn't find the net, racking up five shots and a match-high expected goals tally in vain.
Itō completes 117 passes as Bayern cruise past Heidenheim in friendly
The Bayern defender barely put a foot wrong, recycling possession 120 times in a comfortable win for the German champions.
Unsaín denies spot kick but Gimnasia Mendoza still fall to Talleres
Ezequiel Unsaín saved a penalty and made four stops in total, yet his heroics couldn't prevent a 3-1 home defeat in the Liga Profesional.
Eight-goal friendly: VfL Osnabrück edge SC Spelle-Venhaus in pre-season thriller
VfL Osnabrück survived a chaotic friendly with lower-league SC Spelle-Venhaus, prevailing 5-3 in an eight-goal contest.