New Delhi: This weekend’s European football action delivered high-stakes drama, surprise results and standout individual performances that kept fans on the edge of their seats following the international break. Robert Lewandowski’s double helped Barcelona secure a commanding 5-1 victory over Sevilla while Harry Kane continued to break records with a stunning hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 win. Meanwhile, Napoli battled their way to a 1-0 victory over Empoli keeping their place atop Serie A. Here is a detailed roundup of the major action that took place this weekend.
La Liga
RESULTS | Matchday 10. ✅ #LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/OWYN5Ay1Qi
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) October 21, 2024
Barcelona continued their impressive form in La Liga with a commanding 5-1 victory over Sevilla at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. Robert Lewandowski was the standout performer as he netted twice while Pablo Torre also made a significant impact with two goals.
The match began with Barcelona taking the lead in the 24th minute through a penalty after Raphinha was fouled. Lewandowski calmly converted giving the hosts an early advantage. Just 15 minutes later the Catalans doubled their lead when Pedri unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box into the top corner. Lewandowski then added his second before halftime with a close-range finish making it 3-0.
Torre came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute and increased the lead further with a well-placed shot. Although Sevilla’s Stanis Idumbo managed to score a late consolation goal in the 87th minute but Torre wrapped up the scoring with a beautifully curled free-kick in the dying moments. This victory places Barcelona firmly at the top of the La Liga standings with 27 points, three ahead of their arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Real Madrid kept pace with their rivals after securing a hard-fought 2-1 win against Celta Vigo. Kylian Mbappe after returning from injury opened the scoring with a stunning 25-yard strike. Celta equalized through Williot Swedberg but Vinicius Junior restored Madrid’s lead in the 66th minute.
In another fixture, Atletico Madrid bounced back from a winless run with a 3-1 win over Leganes. After falling behind to a stunning goal from Yvan Neyou in the first half Alexander Sorloth turned the tide with two second-half goals and sealed the win deep into injury time. This resurgence could be crucial as Atletico aims to climb the La Liga table.
Bundesliga
🇩🇪 Bundesliga Matchday 7 complete!
The two remaining unbeaten teams remain in control at the top of the Bundesliga standings! 💪📈#Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/Fno5NB1AR6
— Everlastsportsville (@everlastsports1) October 22, 2024
Harry Kane continued to demonstrate his scoring ability as he recorded his third hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich defeated Stuttgart 4-0 at the Allianz Arena and ended a three-match winless streak in the Bundesliga. The England captain shone in the second half, adding to his earlier treble against Holstein Kiel and a remarkable four-goal performance earlier in the season. Kingsley Coman capped off the scoring with a late goal ensuring Bayern ended the day at the top of the table on goal difference.
In other Bundesliga matches, RB Leipzig secured a 2-0 victory at Mainz with both Xavi Simons and Willi Orban finding the net in the first half. Freiburg maintained their position among the frontrunners by beating Augsburg 3-1 with Vincenzo Grifo, Philipp Lienhart and Christian Gunter all scoring before halftime.
The defending champions Bayer Leverkusen turned their match around against Eintracht Frankfurt, winning 2-1. After Victor Boniface’s early penalty was saved Omar Marmoush put Frankfurt ahead but Leverkusen responded with goals from Robert Andrich and Boniface to secure the win. In another clash, Tim Kleindienst’s two goals helped Borussia Monchengladbach clinch a thrilling 3-2 victory over Heidenheim while Hoffenheim triumphed 3-1 against Bochum.
Serie A
Antonio Conte’s Napoli remain top of the #SerieA table 🔝 pic.twitter.com/o7pLX1pG7r
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) October 21, 2024
In a tense Serie A clash, Juventus secured a narrow 1-0 victory over 10-man Lazio with a late own goal. Lazio faced a challenging game after Alessio Romagnoli was sent off for tripping Pierre Kalulu. With time running out, it seemed Lazio would hold on for a point until Juan Cabal’s cross was inadvertently turned in by Mario Gila with just three minutes remaining.
AC Milan also faced adversity but somehow managed to edge past Udinese with a 1-0 win, thanks to an early goal from Samuel Chukwueze. After Chukwueze’s strike in the 13th minute Milan’s situation became precarious when Tijjani Reijnders received a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Udinese fought hard for an equalizer but a late goal by Christian Kabasele was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
In other matches, Napoli continued their strong run by defeating Empoli 1-0 with a second-half penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealing the win. Manager Antonio Conte acknowledged his team’s lackluster first-half performance but was relieved to secure the points. Meanwhile, Inter Milan secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Roma as Lautaro Martínez once again netted for his side keeping them in second place just two points behind the table toppers Napoli.
Ligue 1
📊🇫🇷| The current standings in Ligue 1! 👀
• PSG back on top
• Lille, RC Lens, Lyon and FC Nantes among the sides to climb up the table
• Montpellier move down to rock bottom #Ligue1McDonalds pic.twitter.com/mkji10jzBl— FootballMania ⚽️ (@FootballMania91) October 20, 2024
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) surged back to the top of Ligue 1 with an impressive 4-2 victory over Strasbourg. The win came after a Friday draw between Monaco and Lille which allowed PSG to capitalize on the opportunity.18-year-old Senny Mayulu opened the scoring, marking his first league goal followed by contributions from Marco Asensio, Bradley Barcola, and Lee Kang-in. While Sekou Mara and Pape Diong managed to find the net for Strasbourg their goals were merely consolation efforts in a dominant display from the Parisian side.
In other action, Lens continued their strong form extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches with a solid 2-0 win at St Etienne. This victory keeps them firmly in the top half of the standings, sitting in fifth place. The combination of PSG’s resurgence and Lens’ consistent performance highlights the competitive nature of this season’s Ligue 1 setting the stage for an exciting title race ahead. As the season progresses both teams will look to build on their momentum and secure vital points in their pursuit of glory.
