Welcome to the Euro Recap, a fresh Sky Sports column where Adam Bate pulls together the most compelling narratives from the latest continental fixtures. This week’s highlights: It was a momentous weekend for Barcelona, who seized the initiative after Real Madrid stumbled at Real Betis, propelling the Catalans clear to the summit of LaLiga. Their five‑goal demolition of Valencia was peppered with standout moments, most notably Pedri receiving a rousing ovation from the Mestalla crowd.
Lamine Yamal stole the spotlight, netting a brace and crafting more opportunities than any other player on the field. Fermin López added a goal of his own, set up by Anthony Gordon, and provided two assists. Valencia, who introduced Harvey Elliott on his debut, were unable to answer the onslaught. Jose Mourinho’s Madrid will need to be exceptionally sharp to keep pace with this Barcelona side and can’t afford another night like the one they endured in Sevilla.
A poorly taken penalty by Kylian Mbappé in stoppage time saw them return to the capital empty‑handed. Madrid were wasteful throughout, squandering five clear chances in the first half alone before being punished by Troy Parrott. The Irish youngster pounced on a rebound to score on his home debut, a poignant reminder that Mourinho once handed him his Premier League debut at Tottenham. Parrott’s emotional reaction at the final whistle in La Cartuja – eyes wide, voice trembling – captured the magnitude of his personal journey.
In an earlier interview with Sky Sports, he reflected, “It’s about trying new things. Not many people do that, so it’s exciting. Life is short, and I’m thinking beyond football now.” His adventure continues to unfold.
Mourinho, who had enjoyed a relatively drama‑free start to the season, hinted at familiar mischief by accusing Betis – now managed by his old rival Manuel Pellegrini – of cynical foul‑buying and lamenting his own squad’s naivety. A warning of trouble ahead?
LaLiga: Table | Fixtures & Results Among the other Spanish fixtures, Villarreal’s clash with Deportivo A Coruña stood out. The newly promoted side continued their encouraging return to the top flight with a 3‑2 victory, even as Adama Traoré managed an extraordinary headed own‑goal on debut. Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang, rejuvenated at Deportivo, clinched the winner in the 88th minute. The 37‑year‑old former Arsenal and Barcelona striker has now scored in each of his first four appearances for the Galician club, keeping them unbeaten.
Other LaLiga results included: Real Sociedad 0‑0 Celta Vigo, Real Betis 1‑0 Real Madrid, Athletic Club 3‑0 Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano 3‑2 Racing Santander, Villarreal 2‑3 Deportivo A Coruña, Valencia 0‑5 Barcelona, Alaves 5‑2 Osasuna, Malaga 0‑0 Levante, Espanyol 1‑1 Sevilla. Across the border in Germany, the drama at Borussia‑Park was unforgettable as Elversberg secured their first ever Bundesliga away win, overturning a two‑goal deficit to triumph 4‑3 over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Their opening‑weekend triumph over Bayer Leverkusen proved no fluke.
Elversberg, a village club that was playing regional football just four years ago, have become one of the season’s most compelling stories. They now sit two points ahead of Bayern Munich in the table, a remarkable achievement after Bayern were held goalless by a stubborn Schalke side – their first clean sheet in over a year. In that match, Harry Kane was brilliantly denied by Loris Karius, while Schalke, with only 17 % possession, relied on a philosophy expressed by coach Miron Muslic: “We have no possession because we do not want possession.” Their disciplined, counter‑punching approach surprised many.
Elsewhere in Germany, Stuttgart rebounded from a previous defeat to Bayern with a convincing win, while Borussia Dortmund staged a dramatic comeback at Hoffenheim. Two goals down after an hour, Serhou Guirassy’s precise finish and a superb assist for Fabio Silva levelled the score, before Ethan Nwaneri’s cross forced an own‑goal by Albian Hajdari, securing three points for Dortmund.
Auburn fans were treated to another thriller as Augsburg surged to the top of the table, overturning a deficit to score four second‑half goals against Eintracht Frankfurt, a club renowned for over‑achieving. Bundesliga results: Stuttgart 4‑1 Cologne, Bayer Leverkusen 4‑0 Union Berlin, Borussia Mönchengladbach 3‑4 Elversberg, Hoffenheim 2‑3 Borussia Dortmund, Paderborn 0‑1 Freiburg, Werder Bremen 3‑1 RB Leipzig, Schalke 0‑0 Bayern Munich, Hamburg 0‑5 Mainz, Eintracht Frankfurt 1‑4 Augsburg. In Italy, Massimiliano Allegri – a man who knows San Siro better than most after two spells at AC Milan – experienced his first defeat there as Napoli’s Rasmus Højlund gave his side a 2‑0 lead. Inter, however, fought back; Lautaro Martínez netted a stoppage‑time winner to seal a 3‑2 victory, moving him into third place on Inter’s all‑time Serie A scorers list, behind only Giuseppe Meazza and Benito Lorenzi.
Gian Piero Gasperini would have been horrified to see Roma rally against his former club Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma’s late surge produced two goals after the 93rd minute, the final tally coming from their 39th shot – the most by any team in Europe’s major leagues this season. In Serie A, Como thrashed Genoa 4‑1, while Fabio Grosso’s tenure at Fiorentina ended after Che Adams’ late strike for Torino left the Viola bottom with three defeats. Monza’s English teenager Jay Robinson, on loan from Southampton, scored, but the headline remained the late drama between Juventus and AC Milan, which finished 1‑1 after both sides salvaged points in stoppage time.
In France, Monaco continued their strong start, beating PSG 2‑1 at the Parc des Princes to go three‑for‑three and extend their lead over the title‑less Parisians. Stanis Idumbo’s angled finish proved decisive, while goalkeeper Matvey Safonov’s error sparked debate over his future, with calls for Lucas Chevalier’s return.
PSG’s early season struggles raise questions for Luis Enrique, who, despite back‑to‑back Champions League triumphs, knows he must keep evolving as rivals adapt. Ligue 1 also saw Southampton loanee Cameron Archer score on debut for Auxerre, though Lyon still won 3‑1. Strasbourg’s six‑goal haul against Troyes made them the league’s top scorers, and Paris FC’s Liam Rosenior celebrated a 3‑2 victory over Marseille with a hat‑trick from Lassine Sinayoko.
In the Netherlands, PSV out‑classed Ajax 3‑1, reinforcing their dominance over their historic rivals. Ajax’s technical director Jordi Cruyff oversaw a massive squad overhaul, bringing in experienced names such as Marc‑Andre Ter Stegen, Thilo Kehrer, Daley Blind and Sofyan Amrabat to stabilise the club while nurturing youth talent. The most heart‑warming Dutch story came from Telstar, where Ronald Koeman Jr., son of former Ajax and PSV star, scored two penalties to help his side come from two down to draw – an impressive feat for a goalkeeper. Portugal’s champions Porto rescued a 2‑1 win over Moreirense, preserving their perfect start, while in Turkey, Besiktas overturned a 2‑1 deficit at home against Fenerbahçe, with Dusan Vlahović completing the comeback and leaving the Istanbul giants four points behind Galatasaray, who claimed a late winner at Başakşehir.
That concludes this week’s Euro Recap – a whirlwind of comebacks, surprise triumphs and individual brilliance across Europe’s top leagues.