Winner: Bayern Munich
The defending German champions Bayern swept aside Union Berlin 7-0 in the fourth round of fixtures, handing them their heaviest Bundesliga defeat ever. The demolition was led by Harry Kane, who needed just 98 matches to reach the milestone of 100 league goals, easily surpassing Dieter Muller’s long-standing record from the 1970s.
The English striker then added a second goal, and since joining in the summer of 2023, he has scored 152 goals in 154 matches. It was also a memorable night for French winger Michael Olise, who shone with his first competitive hat-trick at club level, added an assist, and received a perfect 10 rating from Flashscore for the second time in his last three matches.
Loser: Xabi Alonso
Chelsea fell to a disappointing 3-0 Premier League defeat in the London derby at Brentford, suffering their first top-flight loss there since 1938. After winning their opening two matches of the Premier League season, the Blues have managed just one point from their last three league games.
Alonso became only the sixth manager in Premier League history whose team conceded two or more goals in each of their first five matches under a new coach. Previously, only Mick McCarthy, Sammy Lee, Terry Connor, Slavisa Jokanovic, and Scott Parker had this unwanted record.
Winner: Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are celebrating a surprise victory in the revived Intercontinental Cup, where they managed to overcome Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli 2-1. In this match, they faced a completely different financial reality - the visitors’ squad market value was about five times higher than the estimated value of the South African team, which is around 40 million euros.
Not only did Sundowns secure progression to the next stage thanks to two precise headers from Nuno Santos, where they will face the winner of the Derby of the Americas (Mexican side Toluca against an as-yet-unconfirmed South American representative), but they also added the official trophy for the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup to their club cabinet.
Loser: Radnik
Among the weekend’s losers were undoubtedly the players of Serbian side Radnik, who drew at home with Partizan Belgrade 4-4 in the 10th round of the local league. That result alone wouldn’t be unusual, but the hosts had the match perfectly under control. They led 3-1 at half-time and played with a numerical advantage for about an hour after Milan Vukotic was sent off in the 35th minute.
Despite playing against 10 men, they couldn’t turn their promising lead into a win, conceding three times after the break and settling for just a point. The statistics underline their frustration - Partizan players had more shots, passes, and possession in the second half. The home side even committed more fouls.
Winner: Pascal Gross
Brighton, celebrating their 125th anniversary, defeated Arsenal in the fifth round of the Premier League 3-0, handing them their first loss of the season. The triumph was orchestrated by the German midfielder, who opened the scoring in the 31st minute and later assisted Chema Andres for the third goal.
Since returning to England in the winter, Gross has been in the form of his life, with a record of four goals and three assists in his last five matches.
His performances, backed by excellent stats, reflect the mood of the entire team, which has suffered only one defeat in the Premier League this season and knocked out Manchester United from the League Cup after a comeback (3-2).
Loser: Tottenham
Spurs finally ended their 540-minute goal drought in the new Premier League season in the fifth round, but still lost at home to Aston Villa and dropped to the bottom of the table. The London side recorded their longest goalless streak since 2006, when they went 467 minutes without scoring between August and October. This season’s drought was ended by Conor Gallagher, whose 86th-minute goal couldn’t prevent defeat.
De Zerbi’s men have now failed to win any of their last 36 league matches in which they conceded first, and have lost 50 out of 141 Premier League games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. For comparison, their city rivals Arsenal have suffered the same number of home defeats in 382 competitive matches.
Winner: Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian winger left the Premier League this summer and thus slipped off the radar of most European viewers, but he continues to deliver high-quality performances. In the sixth round of the Turkish Super Lig, he led Trabzonspor to a triumphant win over Galatasaray, scoring a hat-trick, adding an assist, and being the main architect of a clear 4-0 victory.
The former Liverpool star opened the scoring in the fourth minute, assisted the second goal at the end of the first half, and netted the third himself. He completed his first hat-trick in the Turkish top flight in the 80th minute and now has seven goals from six league matches this season.
Winner: Raphinha
Raphinha celebrated the news of his contract extension with Barcelona until 2030 in style, clearly establishing himself among the weekend’s winners. In the seventh round of LaLiga, he led the league leaders to a comeback win, 3-1 away at Sevilla. He became the first Barcelona player in 11 years to score a perfect hat-trick in a LaLiga match.
He seamlessly followed up his three-goal show from the previous match against Racing Santander (7-2). On Saturday, he also showed ruthless efficiency - he needed just four shots for his three goals, with a combined expected goals value of 0.83.
