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Heidenheim head into the weekend as the surprise leaders in Germany, having scored six goals in their opening two Bundesliga games and conceded none.
The club were playing in the fourth tier 15 years ago but finished eighth in their debut Bundesliga season last term to earn a spot in Europe, where they will face Chelsea in the Conference League.
After starting the current campaign with victories over St Pauli and Augsburg, they visit Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening, with the Champions League runners-up also unbeaten and yet to concede a goal this term.
“We will just try to keep the momentum going and be completely present on Friday,” said Paul Wanner, the 18-year-old midfielder who has impressed with two goals already for Heidenheim this season on loan from Bayern Munich.
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern have also won both their opening games and visit newly-promoted Holstein Kiel on Saturday (17:30 BST).
Meanwhile, champions Bayer Leverkusen saw their 35-game unbeaten Bundesliga run come to an end before the international break with a defeat by RB Leipzig.
Xabi Alonso’s side will look to bounce back at Hoffenheim on Saturday but will be wary of the threat of former Leicester forward Andrej Kramaric – the 33-year-old Croatia international leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with four goals in two games.
A Catalan derby in La Liga
Girona host Barcelona in a Catalan derby on Sunday and if one thing should be expected at Estadi Montilivi, it is plenty of goals.
Girona won both fixtures 4-2 last season, with the second of those victories in May securing them Champions League football for the first time, while also handing Real Madrid the title.
Michel’s side eventually finished four points behind third-placed Barcelona and it is the Catalan giants who are leading the way again this season, with four wins from four under new boss Hansi Flick, despite missing Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo through injury.
“Flick started three 17-year-olds in the first three games of the season,” explained Guillem Balague on the Euro Leagues podcast. “Not a problem. He wanted signings and only got Dani Olmo. Not a problem, no complaints.
“He has given stability to the club and on the pitch it is perfect. They have added a physicality, a high tempo that can be maintained for 90 minutes because of the work that has been put in in pre-season. This is a very exciting Barcelona.
“If you get Gavi, De Jong, Andreas Christensen back, you have more competition. The first XI is a very solid XI that has an idea in their heads and they all think like one. It is just if they hit a bad run. That will be interesting.”
Real Madrid sit four points back following two draws in their opening four games and boss Carlo Ancelotti will also be hoping some of his injured stars return soon.
Defender David Alaba and midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos remain out before Los Blancos’ visit to Real Sociedad on Saturday.
But Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham, who missed England‘s wins against Republic of Ireland and Finland in the international break, could potentially return.
Ancelotti is still trying to get his Real Madrid to click into gear following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the summer. The Frenchman has scored twice in four La Liga games but the European champions are yet to really hit their straps.
“Ancelotti keeps saying inside the camp, you don’t have to teach Mbappe anything, just say a couple of suggestions and things will happen,” added Balague.
“His main concern is there no football being produced to take advantage of Mbappe.”
Can Como earn first win?
Como returned to Serie A for the first time in 21 years this season to much fanfare, given the backing of big-name stakeholders Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas.
After going bankrupt twice, they have risen from the fourth tier of Italian football since Indonesian tobacco giants Djarum took over the club in 2019.
Former Spain, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Fabregas has gone from being a Como player, to assistant manager and now first-team head coach, but his side are yet to get their first win in Serie A following defeats at Juventus and Udinese, and a draw with Cagliari.
Fabregas hopes a first home game at the revamped Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia against Bologna on Saturday can lift them off the foot of the table.
“We need the people behind us,” Fabregas told the Planet Premier League podcast.
“We need to be strong at home. We need to make points there. We need to have a really good performance to be able to win.
“[Bologna are a] Champions League team, they have 11-12 internationals, so that means we’re playing against a top team.”
Meanwhile, both Milan clubs are gearing up for midweek Champions League games against English opposition, with Inter facing Manchester City and AC Milan hosting Liverpool.
They have experienced differing starts to their domestic seasons, however, with Inter topping Serie A and Milan boss Paulo Fonseca without a win in his first three games in charge at San Siro.
Inter visit Monza and Milan host Venezia, before the city rivals meet in the Derby della Madonnina a week on Sunday.
Barcola fills Mbappe’s boots
Finally, in France, Roberto de Zerbi’s Marseille have the chance to leapfrog Paris St-Germain at the top of Ligue 1, albeit potentially for only a few hours, when they host Nice on Saturday.
English forward Mason Greenwood is the league’s top scorer with five goals in three games and club president Pablo Longoria said this week he had no regrets over bringing Greenwood to France, despite the local mayor describing the move as “not acceptable”.
PSG host Brest, who will make their Champions League debut in midweek, on Saturday evening looking to maintain their winning start to the campaign.
Bradley Barcola scored after just 13 seconds for France against Italy during the international break and has also started the domestic season in prolific form following Mbappe’s departure, netting four times at a ratio of a goal every 39 minutes played.
“I see hunger, faith and the desire to become a better player,” said PSG boss Luis Enrique of Barcola recently. “And that is what we want for him, to become a great player and to be able to contribute to many things at the club.”
