☕️ Mou and Flick’s first XIs and Saturday’s 5️⃣ big stories

Europe’s top competitions return in style this weekend, with the big teams already back in action, and that leaves us with a fine bunch of stories to kick off Saturday with some substance.

We’ve picked these five for you.

💡Will this be Mou’s first competitive starting XI?

If nothing goes wrong at the last minute in Cornellá, we’re backing Courtois in goal; a back four of Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen and Cucurella; in midfield, Valverde with Bernardo at the base and Güler further forward. Up front: Diomande, Vinicius and Mbappé.

Bellingham, Trent, Carreras or Brahim would start on the bench alongside Rüdiger or Espí.

🤔 And Hansi Flick’s?

Sport reports that Barcelona’s main doubt for tomorrow’s opener against Elche is in attack. Will it be Hamza, or will Raphinha play there as he did against Basel?

📸 LLUIS GENE – AFP or licensors

Will Adeyemi be the furthest forward, or even Gordon as in the Gamper?

⚖️ Sanctions have arrived for Argentina (and for Gavi)

Beyond the financial fines, Leandro Paredes has been handed a 10-match international suspension by FIFA, Nahuel Molina seven, Thiago Almada one and Roberto Ayala three.

📸 Al Bello – 2026 Getty Images

In Spain, Gavi will have to serve a one-match international suspension.

🧯Depay sets everything on fire

A day after being decisive in Corinthians’ qualification for the Libertadores quarter-finals, Memphis Depay is once again drawing attention off the pitch.

The Dutch forward released the video for his latest song, “Don’t Panic”, in which the Corinthians social club headquarters appears in flames.

The lyrics take an acidic swipe at his controversial renewal process in lines such as: “I know a vice-president who is now my enemy. I also see the way they look at me, but now they call me boss.”