European soccer news: Barca make it work without transfers

We have been again final week, however now we’re actually again. The Bundesliga returned this weekend — becoming a member of the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1, all of which returned final weekend — and it looks like the German league picked up proper the place it left off.

Bayer Leverkusen, shock winners final marketing campaign, are again at it, successful out the gate in dramatic style. In the meantime in England, reigning champions Manchester Metropolis look extra harmful than ever. In Spain, it did not matter that Barcelona are nonetheless lacking some switch targets. And in Italy, Christian Pulisic hit a brand new milestone for U.S. males’s nationwide crew gamers.

The season has solely simply begun, however it’s not too quickly to choose early favorites and early duds, so here’s a have a look at what went down on Saturday in Europe.

The lead: Even with lacking reinforcements, Barcelona are clicking

There was a lot concentrate on the gamers Barcelona did not have obtainable for Saturday’s 2-1 win in opposition to Athletic Membership that it was simple to overlook the gamers they did have.

New signing Dani Olmo was a late omission from the squad, his registration nonetheless not processed with LaLiga regardless of the cash freed up on the wage invoice by Ilkay Gündogan’s Manchester Metropolis return. In the meantime, Nico Williams was on the opposite crew when, at one level, it seemed like he would be a part of Barça this summer season after his exploits on the European Championships with Spain.

So, no Olmo, Gündogan or Williams, however Barça may nonetheless area Lamine Yamal, maybe the very best younger participant within the sport in the meanwhile, and Robert Lewandowski, who has began the season in superb aim scoring type.

It was Yamal who opened the scoring on the Olympic Stadium, jinking inside his worldwide teammate Williams earlier than bending the ball into the nook. Lewandowski netted the winner, his third aim in two video games, after Oihan Sancet had levelled from the penalty spot.

After opening with a win at Valencia final weekend, new coach Hansi Flick caught with a younger crew — three 17-year-olds beginning as soon as once more in Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Bernal — and the early indicators below the German are encouraging. Barça look organised and press energetically. Bernal was good on the base of the midfield, left-back Alejandro Balde seems to be re-finding his pre-injury type, Raphinha was all over the place and Pedri was formidable within the second half as he took management of the sport.

Yamal was the participant the followers had come to see, although. Inside and out of doors the stadium there are already a staggering quantity of supporters carrying shirts together with his identify on the again. He did not allow them to down, delivering one other show that belies his age.

But it surely was as soon as once more veteran Lewandowski, who turned 36 this week, whose aim earned the three factors. The Polish striker had twice been denied by the woodwork and as soon as by an excellent Álex Padilla save earlier than lastly turning dwelling the winner within the seventy fifth minute.

Issues might stay turbulent off the pitch — and Barça will now rush to get Olmo, who watched his new teammates from the stands, registered for Tuesday’s journey to Rayo Vallecano — however issues are clicking on the pitch below Flick to this point. — Sam Marsden

Saturday speaking factors across the leagues

Pulisic hits USMNT milestone with season-opening aim

Christian Pulisic’s opening aim of the 2024-25 Serie A marketing campaign will not go down as a magnificence — it was extra “proper place, proper time” — however it did assist the American attain a milestone. Pulisic is now the primary U.S. males’s nationwide crew participant to attain throughout 10 seasons in Europe’s high 5 leagues.

His aim got here within the 66th minute when his AC Milan aspect have been already surprisingly behind newly promoted Parma. Rafael Leão fed a low cross in entrance of aim and Pulisic, standing on the high of the six-yard field, solely needed to redirect it in.

Finally, Pulisic’s equalizer wasn’t sufficient as substitute Matteo Cancellieri restored Parma’s lead 11 minutes later, including to Dennis Man’s opening aim from the 84th second of the match.

It is a tough begin to season for AC Milan, who drew of their season opener final weekend. After two matchdays, they sit at sixteenth on the Serie A desk. — Caitlin Murray

Man Metropolis look as harmful as ever in dismantling of Ipswich

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Man Metropolis present they’re nonetheless as hungry as ever after Ipswich win

Janusz Michallik believes Manchester Metropolis are as decided as ever to win their fifth Premier League title in a row following their 4-1 dispatch of Ipswich City.

There was a second at his weekly information convention on Friday when Pep Guardiola felt the necessity to remind everybody within the room that final season had been “fairly good” for Manchester Metropolis.

It wasn’t a repeat of the treble, however a document fourth consecutive Premier League title made the marketing campaign a hit nonetheless. One of many exceptional issues about final season’s title was that it was achieved with out Ilkay Gündogan, and with each Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland sidelined for lengthy spells due to damage. The concern for challengers like Arsenal and Liverpool is that every one three are again this season.

Newly promoted Ipswich briefly led on the Etihad Stadium solely to be dismantled for the remainder of the afternoon. By half-time it was 3-1 — it may fairly simply have been 5 for Metropolis — and on the ultimate whistle, Ipswich supervisor Kieran McKenna seemed relieved that Metropolis had solely added yet another as Haaland, who scored twice in 4 minutes within the first half, accomplished his tenth hat-trick in simply over two years on the membership.

The query hovering round Metropolis all summer season has been whether or not they’re stronger than final season. Julián Álvarez has gone and he’ll be missed, however Gundogan is again and De Bruyne and Haaland are preventing match. Haaland, particularly, has by no means seemed in higher form.

Throw in Savinho, top-of-the-line gamers in Spain final season and implausible on his dwelling debut in opposition to Ipswich, and Guardiola appears to have all of the elements for one more crack in any respect the silverware on supply. There is a honest likelihood that this season will probably be even higher than simply fairly good. — Rob Dawson

Leverkusen pull off last-minute win to open Bundesliga season

The Bundesliga opened its season with a Rhineland derby on Friday, as reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen traveled to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Whereas Gladbach are coming off one other underwhelming season and are in search a brand new id, the can’t be mentioned for Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen aspect who know precisely who they’re. One week after beating Stuttgart within the German Tremendous Cup in dramatic style, Leverkusen confirmed their dominant selves on enemy turf, controlling the ball and their opponents from the opening whistle.

Granit Xhaka, Leverkusen’s ever-so-present midfield conductor, scored the primary aim of the season from exterior the field, earlier than Florian Wirtz added one other aim to the scoreboard previous to the halftime break. Gladbach primarily seemed harmful offensively when striker Tim Kleindienst was discovered within the ultimate third.

However the first aim for the hosts got here due to defender Nico Elvedi within the 59th minute. Whereas Leverkusen remained pretty dominant through the second half, Gladbach managed to attain the equalizer 5 minutes earlier than the top of the regulation, as Kleindienst was lastly rewarded for his efforts. The previous Heidenheim striker discovered the again of the online following an help from Kevin Stöger, the opposite main addition to Gladbach’s assault.

However Leverkusen would not be Leverkusen lately in the event that they in some way did not discover a solution to stage a late comeback. Due to a controversial VAR resolution throughout stoppage time the place it was decided that Ko Itakura had fouled Amine Adli contained in the field, Leverkusen was granted a penalty. And it obtained much more dramatic as a result of Wirtz’s first try was denied by Jonas Omlin, however the German worldwide acquired the rebound and ultimately scored.

Leverkusen celebrated one more dramatic win whereas Gladbach and the house crowd have been furious after the ultimate whistle. As spectacular as Leverkusen’s mentality could also be, provided that in addition they gained a number of video games on the final second final season, it’s extremely uncertain Alonso’s gamers can hold pulling off these sort of victories. — Constantin Eckner

Information of the day

• Whereas Liverpool followers should still be desperate to see what new supervisor Arne Slot brings to the squad, Jurgen Klopp likes what he sees. Klopp stepped down on the finish of final season and advised ESPN he has been impressed to this point. “It isn’t necessary that I prefer it — you’ll be able to see he’s an excellent coach…” You’ll be able to learn Klopp’s full remarks right here.

• Vinícius Júnior will stay at Actual Madrid by means of the top of the season earlier than contemplating a transfer to Saudi Arabia, ESPN studies. His contract has a a €1 billion launch clause, which deep-pocketed Saudi Arabian golf equipment can actually afford.

• Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag mentioned he “very upset” by Manchester United’s 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday. He went onto say particular person gamers could not shoulder the blame because it belonged to the entire crew.

And at last, on Saturday …

Erik ten Hag heaped the blame on his gamers for Manchester United’s loss to Brighton on Saturday, however one may argue the frequent denominator is, effectively, him.

Man United allowed a aim within the fifth minute of added time to lose in opposition to Brighton, and since Ten Hag took over as supervisor in 2022-23, United have allowed 12 objectives within the ninetieth minute or later.

In keeping with ESPN Stats & Data, that’s tied with Tottenham and Crystal Palace for essentially the most within the Premier League throughout that span. For a membership that also believes itself to be one of many largest and finest golf equipment on the earth, that is in all probability not the corporate Man United wish to be retaining. — Murray