It is early days in the 2022-23 season, but fireworks are already underway in different parts of Europe. Bayern Munich looks to have moved on from its serial goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, while Kylian Mbappe continues to set new records in Ligue 1.
After Gameweek 3, here is what has been happening in the top five leagues of Europe.
Premier League goal of the week
Southampton got its first win in the Premier League 2022-23 season after Che Adams’ masterclass against Leicester City. The forward took to the field when the Saints were trailing — after James Maddison scored off a free kick — and scored within 10 minutes of coming on.
The stunning goal came in the 84th minute. James Ward-Prowse delivered a cross from the right and Adams slotted it into the net with a phenomenal scissor-kick to secure three points for Southampton.
Save of the week
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker denied Christian Eriksen his first Premier League goal for United with a fingertip save off a free-kick.
The Dane hit a curler right on target, but the Brazilian – a Golden Glove winner for the last EPL season – stuck his right hand out to keep the ball out of the net.
Harry Kane do it!
Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane scored a clinical header against Wolverhampton Wanderers to become the highest goalscorer for a single Premier League club.
The goal was his 185th for his club in the Premier League, taking him past Sergio Aguero, who has 184 goals for Manchester City. The goal was also his 250th goal in all competitions for Tottenham.
Having joined the club as a youth prospect in 2004, Kane is now the joint third-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League, level with Andrew Cole (187) and only behind Wayne Rooney (208) and Alan Shearer (260).
No Ronaldo, no problem
Manchester United decided to start without Cristiano Ronaldo in the line-up after a 0-4 drubbing against Brentford and manager Erik Ten Hag ended up with the first Premier League win of the season.
United beat rival Liverpool 2-1 at home, ending Liverpool’s 21-match unbeaten run.
Tottenham’s treasure: Harry Kane (centre) is mobbed by fans after scoring against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground Stadium. Kane is now the joint third-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. | Photo Credit: AP
The side continued its winning ways with a 1-0 win over Southampton – its first win on the road since February 2022 — against Leeds. United currently sits eight on the table.
Haaland finds his touch
Erling Haaland has become the third player to score in the first two away games for Manchester City in the Premier League, after Emmanuel Adebayor and Emile Mpenza.
After Pep Guardiola’s side conceded early goals against Newcastle United – including a stunning free-kick by Kieran Trippier – Haaland put his foot on the gas to help City bounce back.
In the following match – against Crystal Palace – he scored a hat-trick, taking Manchester City to a 4-2 victory (it was trailing 1-2).
With five goals, he sits second only to Sergio Aguero (6) among players with the most goals in the first four games for Manchester City in the Premier League.
La Liga goal of the fortnight
Luka Modric beat two defenders as he floated in a right-footed curler into the net, from outside the box. It was similar to the 2018 World Cup goal against Argentina. Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 4-1, keeping a 100 per cent win record in the league after two games.
La Liga save of the fortnight
Geronimo Rulli – of Villarreal – started the game against Atletico Madrid strongly but his moment to shine came in the final quarter of the match.
After Diego Simeone’s side was one goal down, it tried to score an equaliser through combination play. Antoine Griezmann crossed the ball in from the right, and Yannick Carrasco, on receiving it, passed to Matheus Cunha, who tried to head the ball home.
Top strike: Dusan Vlahovic takes an expert free kick against AS Roma to hand Juventus the lead in Turin. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
After the ball came off the woodwork, Carrasco tried another header, which was miraculously saved by the Spanish goalie. With two clean sheets in as many matches, he sits second in the race for the Golden Glove.
Lewandowski starts Barca’s goal tally in style
Robert Lewandowski scored within 44 seconds on his birthday (August 21) against Real Sociedad – the earliest in his domestic career since 2010. It was Barcelona’s earliest La Liga goal since Iniesta’s goal against Recreativo in 2009 (43 seconds). Alex Balde started the counterattack on the left flank and delivered a buccaneering pass for the Pole, who finished in style to open his goal-scoring tally for the Catalan club.
Pellegrini looks to make a comeback
Manuel Pellegrini, who once steered Manchester City to the Premier League title, continues to weave his magic in La Liga. His side, Real Betis, sits second in the league table with three wins in the first three games of the league.
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Pellegrini has won each of his opening three games in a La Liga season for the second time in his career, having first done so with Real Madrid in 2009-10.
Bundesliga goal of the fortnight
Christoph Baumgartner, after receiving a pass from Grischa Promel, beat three Bayer Leverkusen defenders to score for Hoffenheim with a right-footed back heel. Though the match saw another stunning goal from Georginio Rutter late in the second half, 23-year-old Bumgartner’s goal stood out in Gameweek 3.
German wall gets a new name
Bayern had scored 20 goals in its first four games in all competitions this season – setting a new club record – before it faced Borussia Monchengladbach on August 27.
In the match, which saw the Bavarians shower their opponents with attacking footall, Monchengladbach goalkeeper – Yann Sommer – stood firm, holding the defending champion to a draw.
Unshakeable: Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane (right) and Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer challenge for the ball a Bundesliga contest in Munich. Sommer made 19 saves in the match, setting a new Bundesliga record. | Photo Credit: AP
Sommer made 19 saves in the match, setting a new Bundesliga record, with one of them – a double save off Sadio Mane’s strikes from inside the box – being the best save of the week.
Ligue 1 goal of the fortnight
Kylian Mbappe scored just eight seconds into the game against Lille for the joint-quickest goal in the history of Ligue 1. Lionel Messi’s through ball was received and lobbed over goalkeeper Leo Jardim by the Frenchman to score in such a quick time.
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Mbappe scored three goals in the match. It took his goal tally to 139 in the league as he became Ligue 1’s highest goalscorer in the 21st century.
La Tomatina in Ligue 1
After Monaco’s Vanderson and Marseille’s Samuel Gigot were red-carded on August 20, nine more players were sent off the next day.
This is the highest number of red cards in the league in a single round in the last 30 years.
Ligue 2 also saw seven red cards, three of them for Saint-Etienne as it lost 6-0 at home to Le Havre.
Leroy pulls off an amazing save
A right-footed curler from outside the box by Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga was saved on full stretch by Benjamin Leroy as he denied Rennes its second goal of the day. Though the team eventually lost the match 1-2, the 33-year-old’s save was the best save of Gameweek 3.
Serie A goal of the fortnight
It took 76 seconds for Juventus’ €75 million signing to put his team in front. Dusan Vlahovic stood and delivered with the left foot as Massimiliano Allegri’s side took the lead against Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Though the match ended in a 1-1 draw, Tammy Abraham scoring the equaliser, the goal stood out for the Bianconero in Turin.
Serie A save of the fortnight
Bologna was level with Hella Verona (1-1) after Riccardo Orsolini’s goal was overturned by VAR in the first half. Minutes later, a left-footed strike from Verona’s Ivan Ilic took everyone by surprise as he tried to score a goal from outside the box.
Bologna’s goalie – Lukasz Skorupski – made a full-stretched save to deny what would have been the potential winning goal. The solo point earned that night still keeps the club out of the relegation zone after Gameweek 3.
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