Real Madrid have made a perfect start under Jose Mourinho, with Jude Bellingham emerging as the standout performer in a new No 10 role during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Malaga at the Bernabeu.
The result was Madrid’s third victory in three matches since Mourinho returned to the club. The fixture list has not been especially demanding, but there are growing signs that the manager has found a way to maximise a squad filled with attacking quality.
Trent Alexander-Arnold supplied a familiar trademark assist, while Kylian Mbappe scored again after his midweek hat-trick against Real Sociedad. Bellingham, though, was the best player on the pitch as he operated behind Mbappe.
The England international has played in several positions during his Real Madrid career. Carlo Ancelotti used his versatility by deploying him deeper in midfield, on the flank and further forward, but Mourinho has been clear that he wants Bellingham playing off Mbappe. So far, the partnership is producing impressive results.
Their relationship may not be entirely surprising. Bellingham revealed in 2024 that Mourinho was his mother’s crush, while both player and manager are known for their intensity and their determination to demand the highest standards from those around them.
Real Madrid’s strength in depth was underlined when Arda Guler came off the bench to score the fourth goal. Yan Diomande and Bernardo Silva were also introduced, while the substitutes included Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi, last week’s match-winner.
The challenges will become more demanding, but Marca noted how often Real Madrid have failed to handle apparently manageable matches in recent seasons. Mourinho’s early record is therefore significant, particularly with no indication yet of the anticipated tension with Vinicius Junior. The key players appear to be responding positively.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Atletico Madrid ended Sevilla’s unexpected winning run with a useful victory. Troy Parrott was lively for Real Betis, although they were heavily beaten by Levante, while the 37-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for Deportivo La Coruna for a third consecutive match.
Racing Santander also deserve recognition after securing their first La Liga win of the season at the third attempt. The club have dropped to the third tier and returned since their previous top-flight victory, but beat Elche 3-2 with a style of football unlike any other team in Spain.
La Liga results: Racing Santander 3-2 Elche, Alaves 1-0 Villarreal, Levante 5-2 Real Betis, Real Sociedad 2-1 Espanyol, Sevilla 1-3 Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga, Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Valencia, Celta Vigo 0-2 Athletic Club.
Bayern Munich began the Bundesliga season with a 5-1 win over Stuttgart, a performance that reflected the champions’ considerable depth. Harry Kane did not score, but new signing Ismael Saibari made a decisive contribution.
The Morocco international replaced fellow new arrival Nathaniel Brown and assisted Bayern’s final two goals. Sporting director Christoph Freund recently explained the qualities that made Saibari an important addition.
“He is a little bit of a different style of player to Nicolas Jackson,” said Freund. Not just a back-up for Kane. “I think he can play very well together with Harry Kane and he can play also on the wings. He is a really important signing.”
Borussia Dortmund defeated Hamburg 2-0, with Giannis Konstantelias scoring on his first start. However, the Greek winger was forced off with a cruciate ligament injury and that match will be his last start for some time. His absence is a major setback after an exciting beginning to life at Dortmund.
Bayer Leverkusen endured a far more damaging afternoon, losing 3-2 to Elversberg in the club’s first Bundesliga match. Elversberg were playing regional football as recently as 2022, but three promotions have taken them into Germany’s top division. Their first victory over the 2024 Bundesliga champions is a remarkable introduction to the elite.
Their next home visitors will be Bayern Munich.
Yuito Suzuki scored a hat-trick as Freiburg beat Werder Bremen, while Augsburg defeated Schalke 3-0. The club’s sporting director Benjamin Weber has also outlined how Augsburg intend to continue outperforming expectations.
Bundesliga results: Bayern Munich 5-1 Stuttgart, Elversberg 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne 3-2 Hoffenheim, Mainz 0-0 Paderborn, RB Leipzig 3-0 Borussia Monchengladbach, Union Berlin 3-3 Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Hamburg, Freiburg 4-1 Werder Bremen, Augsburg 3-0 Schalke.
Como produced the weekend’s most notable Serie A result by winning 2-1 away to Napoli. Rasmus Højlund scored an excellent goal for Napoli, but it was not enough against a Como side assembled impressively by Cesc Fabregas.
Croatia international Martin Baturina was particularly influential. He opened the scoring before his pressing helped create the winning goal for Anastasios Douvikas.
The victory represented a statement from Como, although Inter, Juventus, Lazio and AC Milan remain the four teams to have won all four of their opening Serie A matches.
Inter are already top of the table and beat Cagliari 1-0 in Sardinia. The scoreline did not reflect their superiority: they registered 31 shots and an expected-goals figure of 3.91. Curtis Jones and John Stones both appeared as substitutes for Inter.
AC Milan’s 2-0 victory over Venezia on Friday also featured a busy display from Goncalo Ramos. The Portugal forward eventually broke the deadlock midway through the second half, but only after attempting eight shots and missing four big chances. His finishing was not clinical, although he repeatedly found opportunities, helping explain Milan’s £63m investment and Paris Saint-Germain’s willingness to let him leave.
Serie A results: AC Milan 2-0 Venezia, Fiorentina 0-3 Frosinone, Monza 2-3 Udinese, Sassuolo 2-1 Torino, Juventus 2-0 Parma, Napoli 1-2 Como, Cagliari 0-1 Inter, Lazio 1-0 Genoa.
Paris Saint-Germain’s uneven start continued as the reigning European champions needed two stoppage-time goals to draw 2-2 at Lille. Vitinha and Marquinhos rescued a point, but PSG are now without a win in three matches.
Nottingham Forest loanee Dilane Bakwa scored on his Lille debut and deserved to finish on the winning side. Olivier Giroud created the goal and had already produced an even better pass for Lille’s opener. PSG showed resilience, with Vitinha scoring a fine goal before crossing for Marquinhos to equalise.
The result came against two difficult opponents, Rennes and Lille, in PSG’s two Ligue 1 matches. Even so, Monaco are now the only side in the competition with a 100% record after beating Marseille 2-0.
Paris Brunner scored both goals for Monaco. In the French capital, meanwhile, Paris FC currently sit above PSG after beating Nice 3-0 to move into second place in the early Ligue 1 standings.
Ligue 1 results: Lille 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain, Strasbourg 2-1 Lens, Auxerre 1-3 Angers, Brest 2-2 Toulouse, Lorient 1-2 Troyes, Lyon 1-1 Le Havre, Paris FC 3-0 Nice, Rennes 3-2 Le Mans, Monaco 2-0 Marseille.
Benfica have already given manager Marco Silva a difficult task after dropping points at home to Academico de Viseu in their opening match. Their challenge is to take the Portuguese title away from Francesco Farioli’s highly efficient Porto side.
The reigning champions have won all four league matches and have yet to concede. In the Netherlands, AZ Alkmaar are the only team with a perfect record as they chase their first title since Steve McClaren was in charge in 2009.
Holders PSV Eindhoven underlined their ambitions with a 6-1 win over Utrecht after conceding first. Ajax’s new striker Tolu Arokodare also continued his impressive start, scoring his fourth goal in three matches during a 4-0 away win at Telstar.
Ajax have endured a difficult period that has often resembled a soap opera, but new manager Michel has overseen seven wins and two draws in all competitions. That has secured at least a place in the Conference League campaign, although the next test is against PSV next weekend.
