New Delhi: The past week in European football witnessed some unforgettable moments and significant milestones. In La Liga, Barcelona’s relentless pursuit of the title gained momentum with a commanding victory while Bayern Munich’s dominance continued in Germany. Leipzig ended Bayern Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run. Over in France, Mason Greenwood’s impressive form for Marseille captured attention and PSG continued their strong start to the season. As thrilling comebacks, decisive goals, and record-breaking performances unfolded, let’s explore the key highlights from Europe’s top leagues.
La Liga
Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid CF at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 31, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Barcelona have emerged as serious contenders for the 2024-25 title after notching their fourth consecutive win with a stunning 7-0 thrashing of Real Valladolid this weekend. Raphinha led the charge with a hat-trick while Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Ferran Torres, and Dani Olmo who made his first start since arriving from Leipzig, added to the tally. The team’s dazzling display of football had the fans at Camp Nou in raptures. With this victory, Barca remains the only team in La Liga with a perfect record.
Atletico Madrid also secured a crucial 1-0 victory in Bilbao, thanks to a stoppage-time goal from substitute Angel Correa. Meanwhile, Real Madrid rounded off the weekend with a 2-0 win over Real Betis, highlighted by Kylian Mbappé’s first two league goals for his new club scoring in the 67th minute and converting a penalty in the 75th.
Bundesliga
Lois Openda of RB Leipzig celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and RB Leipzig at BayArena on August 31, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)
It was bound to happen sooner or later; Bayer Leverkusen’s 35-game unbeaten streak in domestic football came to an end as they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at home against RB Leipzig. Leverkusen initially took control with goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, but Leipzig hinted at a comeback before halftime and sealed it in the final 10 minutes with Lois Openda scoring the winner, his second of the match.
Bayern Munich continued their winning ways, securing a 2-0 victory over Freiburg at the Allianz Arena. Harry Kane converted a controversial penalty, and substitute Thomas Müller added the second, marking his 150th competitive goal for Bayern in his 710th appearance for the club. Union Berlin edged out FC St. Pauli 1-0 in a tightly contested match, with Benedict Hollerbach netting the decisive goal in the 34th minute. Meanwhile, Stuttgart’s struggles continued as they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home against Mainz.
Serie A
Marcus Thuram of Fc Internazionale celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A football match between Fc Internazionale and Atalanta Bc. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Inter Milan sits at the summit of the Serie A table with three other sides Juventus, Torino, and Udinese, all tied on seven points. Inter delivered an emphatic 4-0 victory over Atalanta with Marcus Thuram finding the net twice. Juventus, however, were held to a goalless draw by Roma, while Torino secured a 1-0 win against Venezia.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli staged a dramatic comeback against Parma, overturning a deficit with two goals in added time from debutant Romelu Lukaku and Frank Anguissa to clinch a 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, Lazio and AC Milan played out a 2-2 draw, leaving Milan still in search of their first win of the season.
Ligue 1
Mason Greenwood of Marseille during a match. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Mason Greenwood has been in electrifying form for Marseille continuing his scoring spree with five goals in his first three Ligue 1 matches, including a brace in OM’s 3-1 victory over Toulouse. Lyon edged a thrilling encounter against Strasbourg winning 4-3 despite trailing 3-1 at one point, with goals from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Gift Orban (who scored twice), and Corentin Tolisso.
Brest also earned their first win of the season in dominant fashion, thrashing Saint-Étienne 4-0. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain extended their strong start with a 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Lille, with Bradley Barcola adding to his goal tally.
Check out last week’s tremendous performances in European football from Raphinha’s hat-trick to Lois Openda’s double-ending Leverkusen’s streak. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
