Madrid, Sep 1 (EFE).- The unstoppable Erling Haaland shines at the start of the major European leagues, author of seven of the nine goals scored by the powerful Manchester City, who are only countered by Liverpool, with Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah as scorers; in two of the six remaining full teams alongside the French Paris Saint Germain, where Bradley Barcola shines; Bayern, Leipzig and the surprising German side Heidenheim.
Haaland is the benchmark. His six goals in the last two games are more than conclusive. He scored all three in Pep Guardiola’s last win in the group (1-3 against West Ham in London). He has now scored 97 goals in 102 games in the sky blue shirt. In his last ten appearances in the Premier League he has scored 16 times. He is at the top.
Like his team, Manchester City, who lead the English league table together with Liverpool, the other team that has started with a victory in the Premier League, in Arne Slot’s new project, which once again puts Erik Ten Hag’s present and future in jeopardy. The ‘Red Devils’ have three out of nine points. They are fourteenth.
The best way to demonstrate this was the 0-3 at Old Trafford against Manchester United, who were defeated in the first half between two losses by Casemiro, two assists by Mohamed Salah (pending his renewal, which has not yet been offered to him, as he said at the end of the match) and two goals by Luis Díaz, one with a header and another with his right foot, and who sentenced the match at the start of the second half with the 0-3 by the Egyptian striker. That is 214 goals and 91 decisive passes by Salah with the Liverpool shirt. His importance is incalculable and unlimited.
City and Liverpool are now alone at the top. There was no winner between Arsenal and Brighton. Neither the Gunners, ahead from the 38th minute and outnumbered in the 49th due to Declan Rice’s expulsion, nor the team that has been a surprise at the start of the season, who levelled the match in the 58th minute through Joao Pedro. Raheem Sterling, Mikel Arteta’s latest signing, did not play, two points behind the two leaders.
Neither Chelsea won, being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Crystal Palace, nor Tottenham, who were beaten by Newcastle due to their attacking effectiveness, where Sandro Tonali, cheered by his fans, returned to action in the Premier League after a ten-month ban for betting. He had already made his return in the League Cup.
PSG and Barcola are leaders in France
No one is worrying Paris Saint Germain anymore, the only team to have won everything in France this season. They completed their three out of three on Sunday in Lille. The last team to have been able to dislodge them from the Ligue 1 title chased them down for half an hour, until a penalty converted by Vitinha in the 31st minute and a one-two between Bradley Barcola and Marco Asensio finished off by the French winger in the 36th minute quickly settled the match.
Only Mason Greenwood has shone as brightly at the start of the season as Barcola. At 22, signed until 2029, the winger who played for Getafe last season has also scored in each of the three games. A total of five goals mean seven points for Marseille. He scored the last three, with the two goals making the difference after a quarter of an hour of the match. They are second in the table, level with Nantes, Lens and Monaco. And two points behind PSG.
Lyon also won. After two consecutive defeats, without scoring a single goal and conceding five, they bounced back with a double comeback against Strasbourg (4-3), first from 0-1 and then from 1-3. A relief for the team managed by Pierre Sage.
Heidenheim’s surprise in Germany
There have been three full houses in Germany. Six out of six. Nothing strange in the case of Bayern Munich, who won against Freiburg, with goals from Harry Kane – from a penalty – and Thomas Müller; not even perhaps in that of Leipzig, who won at the Bay Arena against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, who had not lost a Bundesliga match for 36 games, in May 2023. The Red Bull team overcame a 2-0 deficit and won 2-3, with the last two goals from Lois Openda. In the first Champions League match they will face Atlético Madrid.
Heidenheim, who are also leaders of the German league after the first two rounds, are surprising, having thrashed Augsburg 4-0 on Sunday. They have only spent six million euros in the summer transfer market and had never played in the top flight until a year ago. Borussia Dortmund have four points, following their goalless draw at Werder Bremen.
Milan without a win, Inter in the lead
Milan have yet to win, having drawn in Rome against Lazio. Rafael Leao’s goal concealed their disappointment in the 72nd minute. Their position reveals their dismay: they are fourteenth in the table, although their gap to the leaders is not yet insurmountable. But they are five points from the top… in three games.
Inter, the reigning champions, have now taken the lead. They have responded to their draw in the first round with two victories, the latest being a 4-0 win over Atalanta, with a brace from Marcus Thuram. They have seven points. The same as Torino, Udinese and Juventus, who lost their record with a goalless draw against Roma, who, like Milan, have yet to win.
Neither has Cesc Fabregas’ Como, who are bottom of the table with just one point. On Sunday they missed a penalty in the 94th minute and lost 1-0 to Udinese.
Between Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the Premier League, there are only seven teams left without points in this campaign: Holstein Kiel, Bochum and Sankt Pauli in Germany, Southampton and Everton in England and Angers and Saint Etienne in France. EFE
Iñaki Dufour
(c) EFE Agency
