Damascus, Sept. 6 (SANA) European football’s major leagues produced contrasting results on Saturday, with several leading sides strengthening their positions ahead of the start of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League on September 8.
In the English Premier League’s third round, Manchester City moved top with nine points after narrowly defeating Coventry City 1-0, with Erling Haaland scoring the only goal. The victory maintained City’s perfect record after three matches.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United drew 2-2 with Bournemouth, while Brentford drew 1-1 with Sunderland, Brighton drew 1-1 with Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur played out a goalless draw, and Hull City and Aston Villa also finished 0-0. Fulham lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace.
The round concludes Sunday with two major fixtures. Everton host Manchester United, while Arsenal host Chelsea in a London derby.
In the Spanish La Liga’s fourth round, Atletico Madrid suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat away to Athletic Bilbao. Rayo Vallecano defeated Racing Santander 3-2, while Villarreal drew 0-0 with Deportivo La Coruña.
Four matches are scheduled for Sunday, headlined by Valencia hosting Barcelona. Alaves host Osasuna, Malaga face Levante, and Espanyol host Sevilla. The round concludes Monday, with Getafe hosting Celta Vigo and Elche hosting Real Sociedad.
In a top clash in the Italian Serie A’s third round, defending champions Inter Milan defeated visiting Napoli 3-2. Roma beat Atalanta 2-1 to move top on goal difference over Inter, while Fiorentina lost 2-1 to Torino.
Sunday’s fixtures include another high-profile clash between Juventus and Milan, while Parma host Monza, Frosinone face Venezia and Bologna take on Sassuolo. On Monday, Cagliari play Lecce and Udinese host Lazio.
In the second round of Germany’s Bundesliga, Bayern Munich drew 0-0 with Schalke, while Freiburg won 1-0 away at Paderborn to move top with a perfect record, ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Maximilian Eggestein scored Freiburg’s only goal.
Dortmund also secured a 3-2 away victory over Hoffenheim. Borussia Monchengladbach lost 4-3 to Elversberg, Bayer Leverkusen recorded a 4-0 win over Union Berlin, and Werder Bremen defeated Leipzig 3-1.
The Bundesliga round concludes Sunday with Hamburg hosting Mainz and Eintracht Frankfurt facing Augsburg.
In the third round of France’s Ligue 1, Nice drew 1-1 with Le Mans, Lens lost 1-0 to Lorient, and Le Havre were beaten 2-1 by Brest.
Sunday’s final three matches feature Troyes hosting Strasbourg, Angers facing Rennes and Marseille hosting Paris FC.
The UEFA Champions League league phase begins on September 8, with the opening round of matches running through September 10.
N.J/MF
