With its various leagues, European football officially returned on August 15 with two La Liga fixtures: Athletic Club Bilbao versus Getafe and Real Betis against Girona. Following Spain’s victories in both Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics, there will undoubtedly be a renewed focus from viewers across Europe on the Spanish league.
15th August 2024
Athletic Club Bilbao began the season with a team led by notable names, notably Nico Williams, a 2002-born player who emerged as a revelation in Euro 2024 and has been a hot topic in the transfer market this summer. However, Williams only appeared as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the match against Getafe. Despite numerous absences limiting Getafe to just 18 players for the game, they managed to secure a crucial 1-1 draw at San Mamés in Bilbao.
The match ended with a goal from Sancet in the 27th minute for Athletic Club Bilbao and a reply from Uche in the 64th minute for Getafe. The second fixture featured Real Betis versus Girona, the latter being a historic debutant in the new 2024-2025 Champions League. This game also ended in a 1-1 draw, with Bartra scoring for Real Betis in the 6th minute and Misehouy equalizing for Girona in the 72nd minute.
Nabil Fekir, the Real Betis forward, was named the man of the match. Girona struggled notably without Artem Dovbyk, who had moved to Roma during the transfer window. Dovbyk, a crucial player last season, was the top scorer in La Liga with 24 goals.
16th August 2024
On Friday, August 16, two more significant leagues resumed: the Premier League and Ligue 1. In the Premier League, Manchester United faced Fulham. Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United only managed to score in the 87th minute through new signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna. The Dutchman, making his debut, outwitted the Fulham goalkeeper and secured the Red Devils’ first three points.
In Ligue 1, PSG played their opening match against Le Havre. Following the departure of superstar Kylian Mbappé on May 10, 2024, and his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on July 16, 2024, PSG was preparing to face their first game without their champion. It was a challenging match for PSG, but they found their way to victory in the final 10 minutes, winning 4-1.
The goals were scored by Lee Kang-in (3′), Ousmane Dembélé (84′), Bradley Barcola (86′), and Randal Kolo Muani (90′). For Le Havre, Gautier Lloris scored in the 48th minute.
17th August 2024
On August 17, another major league began: Serie A, with the newly crowned Italian champions, Inter, set to debut against Genoa, managed by Alberto Gilardino. Inter, who had controlled most of the game, saw their lead equalize in extra time in the second half. Yann Sommer saved a penalty from Junior Messias, but Messias scored on the rebound, levelling the match at 2-2.
Another intriguing Serie A fixture featured Milan against Torino. The new Milan, under Paulo Fonseca, debuted at San Siro against Torino. Torino led 2-0 until the 88th minute, but debutant Álvaro Morata scored in the 89th minute, followed by Noah Okafor in the 95th, securing a 2-2 draw. In the Premier League, Liverpool kicked off their season successfully with a 2-0 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Mo Salah scored his ninth goal in a league opener, the most by any player in Premier League history. Arsenal also won 2-0 against Wolverhampton, Brighton triumphed 3-0 away at Everton, and Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium. On the evening of August 17, Barcelona made their La Liga debut against Valencia. Despite initially falling behind with a goal from Hugo Duro in the 44th minute, Barcelona secured the win with two goals from Robert Lewandowski.
18th August 2024
On Sunday, August 18, a significant match occurred between Chelsea and Manchester City in England. The new Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, faced the reigning English champions, Manchester City. Chelsea played their game but could not compete with Manchester City, who took the lead in the 18th minute with a goal from Erling Haaland, his 91st goal in 100 appearances for Man City.
Mateo Kovacic sealed the victory for City with a second goal in the 84th minute. In Serie A, the new Napoli under Antonio Conte suffered a decisive 3-0 defeat at Bentegodi Stadium against Hellas Verona. Bologna and Roma also debuted, drawing against Udinese and Cagliari, respectively. Lazio emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over newly promoted Venezia.
In La Liga, Real Madrid, fresh off their UEFA Super Cup victory against Atalanta on August 14, made their debut at Mallorca but only managed to secure a single point, drawing 1-1 with a goal from Rodrygo in the 13th minute.
19th August 2024
The first round of European football concluded with four intriguing matches. Europa League champions Atalanta faced Lecce and won 4-0, with two goals from new signing Mateo Retegui and additional goals from Marco Brescianini. Juventus triumphed 3-0 against Como. In Spain, Atletico Madrid drew 2-2 with Villarreal.
There was a highly anticipated return to the Premier League for Leicester City, who, after a year in the Championship, were back in the Premier League for a crucial match against Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs took the lead in the 29th minute with a goal from Pedro Porro but were eventually equalized by the prolific Jamie Vardy, who, despite being 37, still makes an impact. The match ended 1-1 in at the King Power Stadium between Leicester City and Tottenham.
Conclusion
European football is finally back, and we can’t wait to experience the wonderful moments the game brings to its fans.
