The Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg began their first top-flight campaign in style, stunning Bayer Leverkusen with an impressive 3-2 home victory on Saturday.
Lukas Petkov and Cole Campbell scored within 60 seconds of each other to put Elversberg 2-0 up before the 10-minute mark. David Mokwa added another early in the second half in front of 9,307 delirious fans.
Patrik Schick and Christian Kofane pulled late goals back, but it was not enough to prevent a famous victory for Elversberg, as they embarrassed a team who won the title in 2024 without losing a game.
The town of Elversberg has a population of just 13,000, making it the smallest settlement to have ever hosted a Bundesliga side. Their ground, the Ursapharm-Arena, has a reduced capacity while upgrades are made to meet the German top flight’s stadium criteria.
“It’s an indescribable day,” the Elversberg captain, Lukas Pinckert, told Sky. “We worked hard to earn the right to play in this league. The victory is deserved. I am incredibly proud of the team.”
Leverkusen looked disorganised and lacked energy until late on, showing new coach Carles Martínez Novell that he has work to do. The Spaniard took over from Kasper Hjulmand in the summer after leaving his previous role at Ligue 1 side Toulouse.
RB Leipzig cruised to a 3-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, with the former Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku setting up a goal on his return to the club.
Ridle Baku’s first-half goal came against the run of play for Leipzig but the hosts took control when Antonio Nusa produced a stunning finish early in the second half. Nkunku came on midway through the second half and set up a goal for the former Gladbach forward Rocco Reitz just two minutes later.
Union Berlin came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, cancelling out Younes Ebnoutalib’s hat-trick for the visitors. Union’s Tim Skarke scored in the third minute of stoppage time to level things up for the hosts.
The Cologne substitute Thijs Dallinga scored two goals and young winger Said El Mala scored a dazzling solo effort as the hosts came from behind twice to beat Hoffenheim 3-2. Elsewhere, Mainz played out a scoreless draw at home to promoted Paderborn.
Juventus saw off Parma 2-0 to make it back-to-back wins at the start of the Serie A season, while Fiorentina’s celebrations of the club’s 100th anniversary were spoilt by a 3-0 home defeat by promoted Frosinone.
Juve had to work hard for their three points, needing second-half goals from the substitutes Nicolás González and Teun Koopmeiners to secure the victory.
The close-season signings Randal Kolo Muani and Jhon Lucumi both started, while 18-year-old Bosnian Kerim Alajbegovic had an impact after coming off the bench to make his debut.
In Florence, club legends, including Gabriel Batistuta and Claudio Ranieri were in attendance, only to see Fiorentina fail to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing at Roma last weekend in their opener. Antonio Raimondo netted twice for the visitors, with Gabriele Bracaglia also on the scoresheet.
In Ligue 1, winger Gessime Yassine struck twice as Strasbourg came from behind to beat Lens 2-1 at home, ending the visitors’ strong start to the season. Lens took the lead when Jeyland Mitchell felled Abdallah Sima in the box, and captain Florian Thauvin stepped up to confidently rattle home the spot-kick in the 38th minute.
Strasbourg came out firing in the second half, equalising through a deflected Yassine strike after three minutes. The hosts had a goal ruled out for offside in the 56th minute, but grabbed a deserved late winner when Sebastian Nanasi crossed for Yassine to volley home.
Atlético Madrid put the noise of the Julián Alvarez transfer saga behind them with a convincing 3-1 victory at Sevilla to move top of the early La Liga table. Diego Simeone’s men have taken seven points from their first three matches of the league season.
Atleti have repeatedly ruled out a move to Barcelona for Alvarez, who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal. The Argentina international was left out of the matchday squad in Seville, having been booed by his own fans last weekend in a 2-2 home draw with Villarreal.
The two forwards who started in his absence combined to great effect to give Atlético a fourth-minute lead. Lee Kang-in, a summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, played an excellent pass in behind for Álex Baena to rifle a low shot into the net.
The Rojiblancos doubled their advantage in the 26th minute, as Ademola Lookman planted a clever shot inside Odysseas Vlachodimos’s near post.
Atlético were three goals in front just seven minutes later as Spanish World Cup winner Baena scored his second. He drove ashot into the bottom corner from outside the box after being teed up by Marcos Llorente.
Sevilla improved in the second half and pulled one back through Miguel Sierra’s volley, but never looked like mounting a comeback.
Real Betis missed the chance to extend their perfect start, and briefly go top of La Liga, as they slumped to a 5-2 defeat at Levante. Dela broke the deadlock for the hosts with a glancing header, but centre-half Marc Bartra levelled quickly with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Levante reclaimed the lead in first-half stoppage time, Enzo Bardeli lobbing Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles from long distance – only for Rodrigo Riquelme to equalise again from a corner before the break. Roger Brugué struck twice in the second half to put Levante in charge and a late Jon Ander Olasagasti header sealed the win.
