Barcelona seize the initiative in LaLiga as Troy Parrott comes back to haunt Jose Mourinho; Adam Bate picks out the big stories from the continent in the Euro Debrief, a Sky Sports column focusing on the major European leagues and more Welcome to The Euro Debrief, a new Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate rounds up some of the key stories from the latest matches across the continent. This week: Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player It was a big weekend for Barcelona as they capitalised on Real Madrid’s slip up at Real Betis to move clear at the top of LaLiga. The five-goal thrashing of Valencia featured some standout performers with Pedro applauded off by the home fans at Mestalla. But Lamine Yamal was sensational, getting two goals and creating more chances than anyone else on the pitch.
Fermin Lopez also scored one, assisted by Anthony Gordon, and set up two. Valencia, who brought on Harvey Elliott for his debut, had no answer. Jose Mourinho’s Madrid are going to have to be very good indeed to keep pace with this Barcelona and cannot afford too many evenings like the one they had in Sevilla. Kylian Mbappe’s poor penalty in stoppage time meant they returned to the capital pointless.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Madrid were wasteful throughout, squandering five big chances in the first half alone and were punished by Troy Parrott. The Irishman fired in on the rebound on his home debut, having once been given his Premier League debut for Tottenham by Mourinho of all people. How can you not be thrilled for Parrott? The sight of him wide-eyed and emotional taking in the joy of the Betis fans at the final whistle at La Cartuja was a reminder of the journey he has been on.
One recalls speaking to him when he first went to AZ Alkmaar. “It is just about experiencing new things,” he told Sky Sports in that interview. “There are not many people that do it. So, to try something new, it is exciting for me.
It is a short life that we have. And I am not even just talking football now.” His amazing adventure continues. As for Mourinho, he had enjoyed a drama-free start until now but there were signs of familiar mischief-making as he accused Betis, led by his old foe Manuel Pelllegrini, of cynicism in buying fouls and complained about his own side’s naivety. A hint at what is to come?
The pick of the other games in Spain was probably at Villarreal where Deportivo A Coruna continued their encouraging return to the top division by winning 3-2. Adama Traore was even able to get away with a quite extraordinary headed own goal on debut. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player It mattered not as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reborn at Deportivo, scored the winner in the 88th minute. The 37-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona forward has netted in each of his first four appearances for the Galician club.
They remain unbeaten. LaLiga results: Real Sociedad 0-0 Celta Vigo, Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid, Athletic Club 3-0 Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano 3-2 Racing Santander, Villarreal 2-3 Deportivo A Coruna, Valencia 0-5 Barcelona, Alaves 5-2 Osasuna, Malaga 0-0 Levante, Espanyol 1-1 Sevilla. It was an absolute thrill to be at Borussia-Park to witness Elversberg’s first-ever Bundesliga away win as they came from two down to win 4-3 against Borussia Monchengladbach. The opening-weekend victory over Bayer Leverkusen was no fluke.
This was more dramatic. Elversberg were two adrift for longer than they led. But they impressed throughout with their enterprising football and this village club, who were playing regional football four years ago, are becoming one of the stories of the season. If you would like to Adam Bate speaks to Elversberg’s technical director Josef Welzmuller to find out how this tiny club pulled off a Bundesliga miracle That is because Bayern were somehow shut out for the first time in over a year by a stubborn Schalke side that held them to a goalless draw in Gelsenkirchen.
Vincent Kompany did rotate but the big names came on and were unable to force a winner either. Most notably, Harry Kane was denied brilliantly by Loris Karius in what was a remarkable rearguard action. Schalke had only 17 per cent of the possession but, having visited the club to interview their charismatic coach Miron Muslic, that is hardly a surprise. “We have no possession because we do not want possession,” he told Sky Sports in that conversation earlier this year.
Schalke were third bottom for possession in winning the second tier, let alone facing Bayern. “We define our game completely differently.” Adam Bate went to Germany to speak to Miron Muslic about his plans for Schalke earlier this year Elsewhere in Germany, Stuttgart, who took the opposite approach against Bayern the previous week and were punished for it, bounced back with a big win, while there was also three more points for Borussia Dortmund in more dramatic fashion at Hoffenheim. BVB were two down after an hour but Serhou Guirassy’s deft finish and even better assist for Fabio Silva to score in his third game in a row levelled it up. Ethan Nwaneri then crossed for Albian Hajdari’s late own goal.
A fine debut for the Arsenal loanee. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player On Sunday, there was the opportunity to attend another thriller as Augsburg went top of the table. Being at Eintracht Frankfurt to see that one was special as the perennial overachievers came from behind to score four second-half goals for a sensational win. Bundesliga results: Stuttgart 4-1 Cologne, Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Union Berlin, Borussia Monchengladbach 3-4 Elversberg, Hoffenheim 2-3 Borussia Dortmund, Paderborn 0-1 Freiburg, Werder Bremen 3-1 RB Leipzig, Schalke 0-0 Bayern Munich, Hamburg 0-5 Mainz, Eintracht Frankfurt 1-4 Augsburg.
Adam Bate speaks to Augsburg sporting director Benjamin Weber about the club’s relative success as they prepare for a 16th consecutive Bundesliga season Massimiliano Allegri knows San Siro better than most having had two spells in charge of AC Milan but this was a first. The experienced coach, now at Napoli, had never lost a game there from 2-0 up. But that is what happened on Saturday as Inter showed their resolve. When Rasmus Hojlund doubled the advantage for Napoli in the second half, things looked bleak for the champions but Lautaro Martinez scored his second of the game to win it 3-2 in stoppage time.
The Argentina international really is a genuine Inter great. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player These goals move him to third outright on the all-time list of Inter top scorers in Serie A. Above him are Giuseppe Meazza, after whom the stadium is named, and Benito Lorenzi who left Inter in 1958. For Martinez to have outscored all the greats since is some feat.
Gian Piero Gasperini would have been horrified if Roma had not been able to muster their own comeback against his former club Atalanta in the Stadio Olimpico. His current team came from behind to win 2-1 in the 93rd minute with the very last of their 39 shots. That is the most by any team in any game in Europe’s major leagues so far this season. Eighteen of them came in the first half, but Ederson scored with Atalanta’s second soon after the break.
Roma were rewarded with two late goals to make it three wins from three. Elsewhere, Como picked up another fine win as they put four past Genoa. But it was the end of the road for Fabio Grosso. He was sacked by Fiorentina after Che Adams’ late goal for Torino left them bottom of the Serie A table with three defeats out of three.
In Sunday’s action, Jay Robinson scored for Monza. The English teenager is on loan from Southampton. But most eyes were on the late game between Juventus and AC Milan in Turin. The home side salvaged a point in stoppage time but neither truly convinced.
Ruben Amorim has Milan organised, although their opener from Alphadjo Cisse midway through the second half was their only shot on target in the match. Juve deserved their leveller through fellow substitute Federico Gatti and both retain their unbeaten records. Serie A results: Genoa 1-4 Como, Fiorentina 1-2 Torino, Inter 3-2 Napoli, Roma 2-1 Atalanta, Frosinone 3-2 Venezia, Parma 1-1 Monza, Bologna 2-2 Sassuolo, Juventus 1-1 AC Milan. Monaco’s finances might be under scrutiny after their deadline-day dramas but there are no issues on the pitch as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at the Parc des Princes to make it three wins from three and extend their lead over winless PSG to seven points.
Stanis Idumbo fired in the winner from an acute angle as Monaco turned things around in the second half. It was fiercely struck but Matvey Safonov’s failure to keep it out has sparked debate over his position in France with calls for Lucas Chevalier to return. There is still a suspicion that PSG were fortunate to retain their European crown without a top-class goalkeeper. Could it cost them this time around?
This slow start is certainly food for thought for Luis Enrique, who should have been celebrating his new contract. Maybe he anticipated it? “It does not matter if you are Champions League winners two years in a row, you have to keep changing because the rivals adapt to what we do.” PSG have had chances in their first three games, but Luis Enrique is seeking new solutions. Elsewhere in Ligue 1, on-loan Southampton striker Cameron Archer scored on his debut for Auxerre but could not stop Lyon running out 3-1 winners.
Paulo Fonseca’s men are still smarting from their Champions League play-off exit but now sit third in the table. Strasbourg put six past Troyes and are now the league’s top scorers, Rennes won at Angers, while Liam Rosenior continued his excellent start with Paris FC with a 3-2 win over Marseille at the Velodrome. Lassine Sinayoko scored all three for Rosenior’s side. Ligue 1 results: Toulouse 0-1 Lille, Lyon 3-1 Auxerre, PSG 1-2 Monaco, Lens 0-1 Lorient, Le Havre 1-2 Brest, Nice 1-1 Le Mans, Troyes 2-6 Strasbourg, Angers 1-2 Rennes, Marseille 2-2 Paris FC.
It was De Topper in the Netherlands as Ajax hosted PSV and it was the away side that won 3-1 to once again assert their dominance over their old rivals. Tolu Arokodare notched again for Ajax but the champions for the past three seasons were too strong. Jordi Cruyff has overseen major changes at Ajax this summer in his role as technical director with 11 incomings and 17 players going out. Overall, a significant profit has been made but, as he did at Barcelona, Cruyff has targeted experienced acquisitions.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Thilo Kehrer, Daley Blind and Sofyan Amrabat are among the new signings at Ajax in the belief that their presence will bring more stability and allow the young talent to shine. This setback suggests it is still a long journey back to the top. The best story in the Netherlands came at Telstar where the son of a former Ajax and PSV player did the unthinkable. Ronald Koeman Jr scored two penalties to help Telstar come from two down to draw.
Impressive enough but Koeman is a goalkeeper. And yet, in this week of all weeks, the only way to finish is with a couple of comeback victories. Over in Portugal, the reigning champions Porto came from behind to maintain their perfect record with a 2-1 win over Moreirense at the Estadio do Dragao. And in the big game in Turkey, Fenerbahce lost 2-1 at home to Besiktas.
Dusan Vlahovic followed up his hat-trick on Monday by completing the comeback to leave Fenerbahce four points behind Galatasaray, who snatched a late winner at Basaksehir on Friday. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.
