Barcelona, Paris St-Germain & Bayern keep up perfect starts
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Kylian Mbappe didn't find the net in his initial three matches in La Liga, but he has turned things around by scoring three times in his last two outings.
The top teams in the European leagues showcased their strength this weekend, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Paris St-Germain all keeping their perfect records intact.
Teenager Lamine Yamal stood out for Barcelona, scoring two goals in their impressive 4-1 victory against Girona. Meanwhile, Harry Kane netted his fifth hat-trick since joining Bayern Munich, helping his team dominate the newly promoted Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga.
Tammy Abraham and Conor Gallagher also found the back of the net.
Here’s a recap of what happened in Europe over the weekend that you might not know about.
Mbappe Shines As Barca Takes The Lead
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Dani Olmo has become the fifth player in history to find the net in his first three La Liga games with Barcelona. The others who achieved this feat are Hristo Stoichkov in 1990, Dani in 1999, Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009, and Cesc Fabregas in 2011.
Barcelona remained in first place in the Spanish league, with Yamal netting two goals during a strong first half performance.
Dani Olmo and Pedri also scored, and shortly after that, Ferran Torres, a former Manchester City player, received a red card just 17 minutes after coming on for a serious tackle on Yaser Asprilla.
Real Madrid trails by four points following a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad, which they achieved thanks to second-half penalties scored by Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe.
Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach, expressed that his team did not play strongly enough to earn the victory, even though they were missing key midfielders such as Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
"It was a tough game. We didn’t earn the victory, as Real Sociedad put a lot of pressure on us," he commented.
"We persevered through tough times, demonstrating resilience and strong dedication. I truly appreciate this because it's rare to find such commitment in a team filled with so much talent and skill, and we managed to achieve that."
England midfielder Conor Gallagher and ex-Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez both found the net for the first time with Atletico Madrid, helping the team secure a 3-0 victory over Valencia.
"Fabregas’ Wait Continues As Napoli Takes Lead"
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Cesc Fabregas hasn't celebrated a victory as the head coach of Como yet.
Romelu Lukaku contributed with two assists and scored a goal himself as Napoli secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Cagliari, taking the lead in Serie A.
Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, both players from the Premier League, made their debut appearances as substitutes in the closing moments of the match. Their team, managed by Antonio Conte, secured their third victory out of four games.
Cesc Fabregas, the ex-midfielder for Arsenal and Barcelona, felt disappointed when he watched his chance to secure his first win as a Serie A head coach slip away.
Como, recently elevated to Serie A this season, let a two-goal advantage slip away, resulting in a 2-2 tie against Bologna on Saturday.
Nicolo Casale scored an own goal early in the match, and later, Patrick Cutrone found the net from outside the box, giving them a strong lead. However, Bologna managed to come back with late goals from Santiago Castro and Samuel Iling-Junior, securing a draw for the visiting team.
"We had a crucial opportunity to secure the win; we performed well overall, but we need to improve our ability to finish strong," Fabregas remarked.
"I need to push the guys to be more aggressive when finishing chances and to secure the win."
Juventus, still undefeated, played to a 0-0 stalemate against Empoli. Meanwhile, AC Milan's new coach Paulo Fonseca celebrated his first Serie A victory in impressive fashion, leading his team to a dominant 4-0 win over Venezia, scoring all four goals before the 30-minute mark.
Two swift penalties from ex-Chelsea players Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham secured the victory.
Inter, the reigning champions, failed to seize the opportunity to climb to the top of the standings, settling for a 1-1 draw against Monza.
Kane's Streak Goes On As Bayern Dominates
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Harry Kane has found the back of the net against every one of the 18 teams he's played in the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich climbed to the top of the Bundesliga standings after a commanding 6-1 victory over Holstein Kiel on Saturday. Harry Kane, who netted two goals for England last week, showed off his scoring prowess again by registering a hat-trick against the team that has just moved up to the top division.
Last season, Bayern's dominance in the Bundesliga came to an end as Bayer Leverkusen claimed the championship with an impressive undefeated streak that set a new record.
"I've mentioned that we're only talking about three matches here. I understand that for Bayern, being in first place is always significant, but right now, it's just three games," said coach Vincent Kompany.
"If we keep going the way we have been, I’m afraid of what the end of the season might look like... All we can do is move forward."
Bayer Leverkusen recovered from their loss to RB Leipzig two weeks ago by achieving an impressive 4-1 win against Hoffenheim.
Dembele Scores Twice!
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Ousmane Dembele has scored three goals in his three starts in the league this season.
Ousmane Dembele netted two goals as Paris St-Germain turned around a deficit to secure a 3-1 victory over Brest, maintaining their flawless beginning to the Ligue 1 season.
Brest stunned the reigning champions by scoring first, as Romain del Castillo successfully converted a penalty after Nuno Mendes committed a foul on Ludovic Ajorque inside the box.
However, Dembele, who consistently troubled Brest on the right flank, kept the teams equal as they headed into halftime by heading in a cross from Marco Asensio.
Two quick goals within two minutes in the second half made all the difference for PSG. Fabian Ruiz scored the first with an impressive long-range shot that soared into the top corner, giving the home team the lead.
A minute later, Dembele extended their lead by capitalizing on a blocked shot from Randal Kolo Muani.
