Top 10 Moments from World Football in October
Football's winter months are well and truly upon us.
With October finished, most European leagues are already past the quarter stage and just weeks away from a winter break, or—in the Premier League's case—the most hectic part of the year.
As ever, the past month provided numerous memorable moments, highlights and major talking points. Here's a collection of some of the best.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Bayern Munich Make a Champions League Statement
We start with some of the major talking points from October.
The Champions League group stages have now reached the halfway mark and one of the most stunning results took place when Bayern Munich traveled to Italy to face Roma.
Rudi Garcia's side were unbeaten at home this season and had won 20 of their most recent 24 Serie A games at the Stadio Olimpico.
Many were intrigued by what may be a close game but Bayern Munich simply destroyed their hosts, racing to a remarkable 7-1 win and sending a clear statement to the rest of the competition...
"GOAL! Roma 1-7 Bayern Munich - Shaqiri - absolutely incredible.
— LiveFootball (@livefootball) October 21, 2014"
...Not that Roma fans seemed overly perturbed by the final whistle, showing fantastic support.
The Season's First El Clasico
Every season, the football world pauses in excitement for El Clasico and that was very much the case in October as the two Spanish giants locked horns.
To add to the anticipation, Luis Suarez was named in Barcelona's starting XI following his four-month ban.
Despite forming a daunting attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez's Barcelona were no match for their La Liga counterparts.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Pepe all scored in a typically entertaining 3-1 win.
Southampton Run Riot vs. Sunderland
In the Premier League, Southampton's impressive start to the season continued, as they mauled Gus Poyet's Sunderland side 8-0.
The Black Cats committed several comical errors including a sumptuous finish from Santiago Vergini in his own net—something he was clearly keen to forget.
Juventus Edge Past Roma
Roma hit the headlines for another October loss, though this time by a much closer margin.
Serie A fans all tuned in to what may ultimately prove a title decider between Juventus and Roma, which the current holders won 3-2.
Despite the result, controversy reigned as a number of strange decisions benefited the home side.
Roy Keane Book Release
Away from the action, Roy Keane's autobiography dominated headlines for several weeks in October, providing fascinating new insight into his career.
Numerous extracts are still permeating Twitter, describing various events during his life.
Away from the headlines, top moments must always include great goals, examples of individual brilliance and the odd comedic gaffe.
Naturally there were dozens of potential options in October, but here's a quick look at a few of the best.
Erik Lamela's Rabona Goal
Tottenham's win over Asteras Tripolis provides us with two of the month's top moments. Erik Lamela's rabona goal was an outstanding instance of individual skill and invention during a comprehensive 5-1 win.
Later on, though, Hugo Lloris' sending off forced Harry Kane to replace him in goal, with no substitutes available.
It's fair to say Kane's attempts at goalkeeping are nowhere near his goalscoring standards in recent weeks.
Elsewhere, Rogerio Ceni kept up his remarkable scoring record, notching his 123rd career goal with this superb free-kick for Sao Paulo.
If the strike itself appears unworthy of selection, remember he is of course a 41-year-old goalkeeper scoring his eight goal of the season.
Finally, two of the month's best goals came from unusual sources. First of all, Ipswich Town's Under-14s produced this outstanding team goal that became hugely popular on social media.
Then, Belgium Under-17s' Mariam Abdulai Toloba produced this wonderful strike against Wales Under-17s.
Not bad for a 15-year-old!
That's it for October. Be sure to comment below on some of your personal favourites from the past month.
