European Paper Review

Real Madrid make it a club record 16 straight wins, Dortmund bounce back, PSG too. And there’s a big shock in Italy.

Following a 2-0 victory at Espanyol, Real Madrid broke their club record by winning 16 straight league games. ‘Record equalled’ is the headline on the cover of Monday’s Marca, with a delighted James Rodriguez pictured after scoring a stunning opening goal at Cornella, as Madrid also matched the Primera Liga record of Barcelona. Madrid’s last eleven goals have come from eleven different players. ‘16 Madrid equal the record of Guardiola with two great goals from James and Benzema’ adds Marca. Madrid’s old boss Jose Mourinho also makes the front cover: ‘A black week for United: Three consecutive defeats for the team of Mourinho, who returns to criticising the referee.’

Barça and Atletico Madrid meet in Spain’s first big game of the season on Wednesday. ‘Barça and Atletico flexed their muscles,’ wrote AS’s Alfredo Relano after the Catalans beat Leganes 5-1 away and Atletico hammered Sporting 5-0 at home. ‘Judging by what we saw from both teams yesterday, Wednesday night’s meeting promises to be something special.’

Valencia have lost all four league games so far. ‘Zero from 12 and every game is poor,’ says Julian Montoro in the city’s Super Deporte newspaper in an article which suggests Valencia are in the market for another new coach.

In Germany, all eyes were on Borussia Dortmund to see how Thomas Tuchel’s new, young side would respond to their shock defeat away at RB Leipzig last week – and the response was two 6-0 hammerings of Legia Warsaw in the Champions League (Dortmund’s biggest ever away win in Europe), followed by Darmstadt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

“Darmstadt’s Dortmund debacle,” alliterated the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “Instead of BVB 09, they could rename themselves BVB 06!” joked Dortmund local DerWesten. “Twelve goals straight from the laboratory,” commented the Süddeutsche Zeitung, praising Dortmund’s “young go-getters who stand for something different, something new. One-on-one artists, lightning quick, always looking for the next chance to dribble.”

Both DerWesten and the SZ nevertheless recognised that tougher tests are yet to come. “Legia and Darmstadt are not reliable indicators,” cautioned the former. “Dortmund spinning onwards towards Real Madrid,” forewarned the latter.

Whilst Dortmund were putting goals away for fun, Bayern Munich appeared to have been sinking one too many on the Wiesn as Oktoberfest got underway in the Bavarian capital. Bayern were forced to come from behind to beat Ingolstadt 3-1. “Xabi Alonso steers shaky Bayern back on course,” said Kicker after the Spaniard drilled home a stunning strike to give Carlo Ancelotti’s men the lead. “They fell behind and had to fight but in the end it’s three points for the champions,” added Sportschau.

If RB Leipzig’s 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund last week had football traditionalists all over Germany trembling, their fear will only have been quadrupled by the controversial newcomers’ 4-0 win away at Hamburg – one of Germany’s oldest clubs and the only side never to have been relegated from the top flight. “He came, he scored, and RB won!” exclaimed a jubilant Leipziger Volkszeitung, referring to RB’s super-sub Timo Werner who scored twice. “The Roten Bullen with another sensation,” said the East German MDR.

Following on from Dortmund last week, HSV fans marched in protest at the Red Bull owned club ahead of the game – a decision which attracted derision from SportBILD post-match. “What now, HSV?” they asked, “a protest march?”

Elsewhere, Borussia Mönchengladbach bounced back from their 4-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester City on Wednesday with an equally one-sided 4-1 victory over Werder Bremen. Still without a point and with goal difference of -10, their coach Viktor Skripnik became the first managerial casualty of the season. “Embarrassing, catastrophic, madness – Werder already have their backs to the wall and pull the cord,” said a damning Kicker, whilst the SZ rightly highlighted ex-Arsenal man Serge Gnabry’s stunning consolation volley.

In France, Edison Cavani scored four as PSG hammered Caen 6-0. “Is Cavani the new Ibrahimovic?” asked France Football. Although technically banned from attending matches since the Qatari takeover of the club in 2012, 200 PSG ultras were able to purchase tickets and enter the stadium. Local police told Normandy paper La Manche Libre they “behaved like angels,” whilst PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi appeared in a video shared by L’Équipe in which he praised the ultras’ support and demanded their return to the Parc des Princes.

The win saw the champions remain three points behind early leaders Monaco who followed up their Wembley win over Tottenham with a 3-1 success away at Rennes thanks to goals from Radamel Falcao and Thomas Lemar. “Falcao’s on fire,” said France Football who also called for 22-year-old Lemar to be called up to the national team.

Finally on Sunday evening, Lyon drew 0-0 with Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome – “a result that doesn’t do either any good” (L’Équipe) with both teams stranded in mid-table.

In Italy, the big shock was Inter Milan defeating champions Juventus in the derby of Italy. ‘Crazy Inter’ is the headline on Monday’s La Gazzetta Dello Sport. ‘With Super Icardi, Juve pegged back. 2-1’.

After a shocking week in which they were beaten at home in the Europa League by Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Inter were clear underdogs, but football can surprise. ‘Three days after the embarrassment in Europe, the Nerazzuri are transformed by pride,’ continues the pink paper, ‘The champions are not invincible’. Juventus had their record signing Gonzalo Higuain on the bench, a decision which forced coach Allegri to ‘defend himself’. ‘Allegri lost this one,’ opines the headline of the Turin based Tuttosport, ‘Debatable decisions: Juve KO at San Siro. Bianconeri allow themselves to be overturned and relaunch Inter.’

All of which means last season’s runners up Napoli head the league. ‘Napoli Top!’ is the headline of the Rome based Corriere dello Sport . Napoli fans will be doubly delighted that their former hero Higuain didn’t even start, but they’ll also remember that Juventus overhauled a much bigger lead last year to win the title.