New Delhi: This weekend’s European football action delivered high-stakes drama, surprise results, and standout individual performances that kept fans on the edge of their seats. From Barcelona’s shocking defeat to a resilient Osasuna side to Bayern Munich being held at home, and Napoli climbing to the top of Serie A, every major league saw pivotal moments. The action was filled with intensity as some of Europe’s top clubs pushed to their limits while others relied on key players to keep their campaigns alive.
In La Liga, Barcelona’s unbeaten run this season came to an abrupt end while in Germany, Harry Kane’s injury and a fierce Leverkusen performance tested Bayern’s resolve. Serie A witnessed Juventus regaining form through Dusan Vlahovic’s double, while Ligue 1 saw Lille come alive ahead of their Champions League fixture. Here is a detailed roundup of the major action that took place this weekend.
La Liga
Culers, thank you for always being there ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vtpBJk9IjV
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 28, 2024
Barcelona’s winning streak was halted as they earned a shocking 2-4 defeat at the hands of Osasuna. The Croatian forward Ante Budimir scored twice and handed the visitors their first defeat of the season.
Bryan Zaragoza crossed to Budimir who opened the score line for the hosts with a close-range header in the 18th minute and later extended the lead with a strike from a quick counterattack 10 minutes later.
In the second half, Barca reduced the scoreline thanks to a blunder by the Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera who failed to keep out a weak strike from Pau Victor. But Budimir was in no mood to settle for one and extended the host’s lead from the penalty shot in the 72nd minute after getting fouled inside the box.
The substitute Abel Breones scored the final with a brilliant long-range strike before Lamine Yamal scored a late consolation in the 89th minute. Barca are still on the top of the table with 21 points.
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad ended their four-game home losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Valencia at the Anoeta. Takefusa Kubo opened the scoring early in the eighth minute, and substitute Orri Oskarsson added two more in a quick-fire 10-minute spell. The loss dropped Valencia back into the relegation zone, compounded by Getafe’s 2-0 win over Alaves.
In another spicy clash in La Liga, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid played a 1-1 draw marred by crowd trouble while Giovani Lo Celso’s 85th-minute goal sealed the victory for Real Betis over Espanyol.
Meanwhile, Sevilla took advantage of Julen Agirrezabala’s red card with Alex Padilla netting a crucial goal deep into stoppage time salvaging a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao. Meanwhile, Iago Aspas continued his fine form for Celta Vigo, bringing his tally to four goals and two assists in eight matches. His late effort secured a 1-1 draw against Girona, earning his side a valuable point.
Bundesliga
Official: Harry Kane suffered a painful blow to his ankle yesterday. Tests carried out today showed a positive development. Kane will continue to receive intensive treatment pic.twitter.com/DROVOJAhBq
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 29, 2024
Harry Kane’s injury overshadowed Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen took the lead through Robert Andrich in the 31st minute but Bayern quickly responded with a stunning long-range goal from Aleksandar Pavlovic. Kane, who was already having a quiet game limped off with a foot injury in the 86th minute after a collision with Amine Adli.
Bayern dominated the second half with Serge Gnabry hitting the woodwork twice but Leverkusen held on for a point. Manuel Neuer was frustrated by the result saying Bayern deserved more while Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was pleased with his team’s discipline and effort.
In other Bundesliga action, RB Leipzig thrashed Augsburg 4-0 with Benjamin Sesko scoring twice and assisting another. Xavi Simons and Lois Openda also found the net as Leipzig ended their three-game winless streak. Augsburg missed a penalty that could have changed the game’s dynamic.
Stuttgart needed a stoppage-time goal from Deniz Undav to secure a 2-2 draw against Wolfsburg after playing much of the second half with 10 men following Atakan Karazor’s controversial red card. St. Pauli earned their first top-flight win since 2011 defeating Freiburg 3-0 with two goals from Elias Saad and one from Dapo Afolayan.
Borussia Moenchengladbach ended Union Berlin’s unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Tomas Cvancara’s late goal. Meanwhile, Heidenheim claimed a 2-0 win over 10-man Mainz to round off the weekend’s action.
Serie A
Napoli go 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 with a comfortable win 🇮🇹📈 pic.twitter.com/iKLcGgHeEn
— 433 (@433) September 29, 2024
Dusan Vlahovic fired Juventus to the top of Serie A with his two brace in their 3-0 victory over Genoa. Juventus now sit one point ahead of Torino, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
Vlahovic had struggled for form this season but finally ended his goal drought by converting a penalty two minutes into the second half followed by a powerful finish just three minutes later from Teun Koopmeiners’ assist.
Juventus could have extended their lead further but Koopmeiners hit the crossbar from close range after a cross from Francisco Conceicao. The match was played in a near-empty Stadio Luigi Ferraris with Genoa supporters barred due to violent incidents surrounding the derby against Sampdoria.
This loss leaves Genoa hovering near the relegation zone, sitting in 16th place with three defeats already this season. In Italy, Napoli beat Monza 2-0 after Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goals to go top of Serie A while Matteo Guendouzi, Boulaye Dia and Tijjani Noslin were on hand to help Lazio to a 3-2 win at Torino.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan bounced back from their derby loss with a 3-2 win at Udinese thanks to two goals from Lautaro Martinez. Davide Frattesi opened the scoring in under a minute and Martinez struck just before and after halftime to secure the victory. Martinez, the reigning Serie A top scorer expressed relief at ending his goal drought, saying, “It’s crucial for a striker to score, but my priority is always the team.”
In other actions, Como defeated 10-man Verona 3-2 with to a double from Patrick Cutrone, giving them their second straight victory while Atalanta rescued a late 1-1 draw at Bologna through Lazar Samardzic’s 90th-minute strike. Santiago Castro scored for the hosts just after halftime and keeping Atalanta levelled on points with Bologna, both sitting mid-table.
Ligue 1
Lamine Camara for the win… IN THE 98TH MINUTE 🇸🇳😱 pic.twitter.com/WYqlAz8dKA
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) September 29, 2024
In Ligue 1, Monaco kept their unbeaten streak ongoing as Lamine Camara’s stoppage-time strike sealed the victory by a scoreline of 2-1 over Montpellier. The visitors took a surprise early lead through Rabby Nzingoula in the 16th minute with Folarin Balogun levelling in the first half before Camara’s last-minute winner.
Elsewhere, Lille climbed to fourth place in the table with a commanding 3-0 win over Le Havre, snapping their five-game winless streak ahead of their crucial Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Canadian striker Jonathan David stole the show as he netted all three goals for his side. David opened the scoring in the 23rd minute followed by a second 12 minutes later. He completed his hat trick in the 79th minute with a header, thanks to a pinpoint cross from Edon Zhegrova.
Le Havre’s goalkeeper Arthur Desmas managed to limit the damage later on by saving a weak penalty from Angel Gomes. Despite the comfortable scoreline, Lille’s dominance throughout ensured a much-needed boost ahead of their European campaign.
Meanwhile, Nice played out a goalless draw against Lens in coach Franck Haise’s return to his former club. The stalemate leaves Lens in fifth place just two points clear of sixth-placed Nice.
Check out last week’s tremendous performances in European football, from Ante Budimir’s double to Martinez’s strikes for Inter and other standout moments. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
