Stefano Pioli hailed Milan's resilience and maturity after the Serie A champions came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw at Atalanta on Sunday.

Milan looked set to suffer a first league defeat since a 2-1 loss to Spezia on January 17 when Ruslan Malinovskyi's long-range effort deflected past Mike Maignan.

However, Ismael Bennacer arced a terrific left-footed effort in off the post to spare the Rossoneri's blushes in the second half.

Although the result halted Milan's seven-match winning run in Serie A and denied the champions a perfect start to the new campaign, it offered further evidence of the Rossoneri's remarkable powers of recovery.

Milan have claimed more points from losing positions than any other Serie A side in 2022 (14), and the overall picture left Pioli satisfied.

"I go away convinced that we are strong, we have shown it," Pioli said. "Of course, there is the regret of not having won the game, it is a pity not to have won it, but I have seen a solid and mature team.

"The boys gave very little to a very strong opponent, we suffered less pressure. Later there will be many aspects to highlight in order to improve."

 

Milan also recovered from a goal down to beat Udinese 4-2 in a thrilling contest last week, meaning they have fallen behind in consecutive Serie A matches for the first time since November 2021 (a 1-1 draw with Inter and a 4-3 defeat to Fiorentina).

Although Pioli was relieved at clinching a point against a lively Atalanta, the Rossoneri boss did highlight the need for attacking improvements, adding: "The last step was missing.

"[Junior] Messias' two chances, but also [Pierre] Kalulu's, are chances that you have to try to take advantage of. We'll go to work on these details, we faced a strong team that bothers everyone."

Recent arrival Charles De Ketelaere impressed after entering the fray as a second-half substitute in Bergamo, and Pioli is looking forward to seeing more of the former Club Brugge attacker in the coming weeks.

"He is growing, he is working on an equal level with his team-mates, the setting requires mutual knowledge, but he is a quality player," Pioli added.

"He will give us the right satisfactions, he will make us have fun. Now I can't tell you if he will play against Bologna [on Saturday], but we will start a period of matches every three days. Everyone will be starting."

Pedri heaped praise on Robert Lewandowski after the Barcelona striker scored twice in a 4-1 win against Real Sociedad to open his LaLiga account.

On the back of a frustrating goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend, the former Bayern Munich frontman opened the scoring with just 44 seconds on the clock.

Aleksander Isak equalised for La Real, who had chances to take the lead, before the introduction of Ansu Fati in the second half inspired Barcelona to their first win of the campaign.

Fati provided the assist for Ousmane Dembele to fire Xavi's side ahead, then combined with Lewandowski for the striker's second before the favour was returned for Fati to score Barcelona's fourth of the night.

The win brings an end to a three-match winless streak for Barcelona, stretching back to last season, and, while Lewandowski's efforts came on his 34th birthday, Pedri made it clear he appears far more youthful.

"Even though he's 34, he looks like he's 20. It's crazy how many goals he scores and, above all, how he works for the team, he helps us a lot," Pedri told Movistar after the match.

Barcelona's win came after a less than inspiring performance in the first half. Xavi's changes proved to be decisive, while the head coach believes the win reinforces the style in which his team want to play.

"We talked at half-time that we had to attack the spaces more," Xavi said. "Last week was a blow and this victory reinforces us because this is about insisting and wanting. At times we have played well, at others not so much when we have lost control and complicated things for ourselves."

Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier is not remotely surprised by the stunning start to the season his side have made.

The Ligue 1 champions thumped Lille 7-1 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Sunday thanks to a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick, a brace from Neymar and a strike from Lionel Messi.

Mbappe's first came after just eight seconds, which was the fastest goal in Ligue 1 since Opta started recording data for the competition in 2006-07.

The result means PSG have scored 17 goals in three Ligue 1 games this season. Only Rennes in 1950-51 (18) have found the back of the net more often at the same point.

The win also saw them become the first team in Ligue 1 history to score at least three goals in six consecutive away games.

Galtier, who joined the club from Nice in July, has been impressed by his new side's start to the season, but it has not come as a surprise given the strength of their pre-season campaign.

Asked if he expected his side to be so dominant at this stage of the season, Galtier said: "Yes, because of the work we have done since July. Those who returned before the scheduled date prepared well before the season. 

"I saw players who wanted to start the season very strongly so I'm not surprised."

Galtier stressed that his side will not be complacent after their breathtaking start, and said he will be using the full depth of his squad to keep players on their toes.

Asked how they can maintain this form, Galtier responded: "The answer is simple: daily requirements. It is also important that everyone can participate in the sequence of matches. 

"You will have to agree to give up your place so that a partner can exist. Management is going to be important and that all the exchanges I will have with the group are very transparent, clear and precise. 

"The players may also have a little revenge to take on last season. The group must be able to live well together. We need happy and committed players in the locker room."

PSG are next in action on Sunday when Monaco visit the Parc des Princes.

Manchester City missed out on a place in the Champions League group stage after their former midfielder Caroline Weir struck the goal that gave Real Madrid a 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Scottish star Weir left City in July, and in a reunion with her old club she hit the winner in the 15th minute at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Three weeks after England's Euro 2022 triumph at Wembley, City had Lionesses Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood, Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp in their starting line-up.

However, they could not force City back onto level terms, meaning that for the second successive year, two-time semi-finalists City have gone out to Madrid at the qualifying stage.

Hemp shot wide late on as City's hopes fizzled out in the Spanish capital, with Madrid going through to a final round of qualifying to determine whether they advance to the 16-team group stage, for which Lyon, Barcelona, Chelsea and Wolfsburg are the only automatic entrants.

City were also eliminated by Real Madrid in the men's Champions League last season, when a late turnaround at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Madrid rally from 5-3 behind on aggregate to snatch a 6-5 win after extra time in the semi-finals.

Robert Lewandowski opened his account for Barcelona after just 44 seconds in a 3-1 victory against Real Sociedad as part of a brace to celebrate his birthday.

Aleksander Isak wasted no time in equalising for the hosts, who forced Marc Andre Ter Stegen into some fine saves and saw a second-half goal ruled out for offside.

Ansu Fati provided the inspiration to end Barcelona's three-game streak without a win, coming off the bench to provide two assists in six minutes - Ousmane Dembele and Lewandowski the beneficiaries.

The Spaniard then added his name to the scoresheet after Lewandowski returned the favour, coolly slotting home to ensure all three points would come to Catalonia.

Barcelona's barren streak of 360 minutes without a goal came to an abrupt end, Lewandowski steering home after Alejandro Balde led a counter-attack for the visitors to celebrate his birthday with his first LaLiga goal.

The hosts took just five minutes to respond though, Frenkie de Jong dispossessed in midfield and David Silva feeding through Isak – who saw his finish loft over the head of Marc Andre ter Stegen after a deflection off Eric Garcia.

Seven minutes after the restart, the hosts thought they had taken the lead as Brais Mendez's free-kick found its way all the way past Ter Stegen but the offside flag was raised as Robin Le Normand impeded the German's view.

Fati provided an immediate impact after his introduction, backheeling into the path of Dembele to drill home into the far corner, then tapping a pass to Lewandowski to make it three.

Lewandowski then turned provider for Fati, flicking the ball through for the Spaniard to slot home and guarantee a first win of the season.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone was left to rue defensive mistakes after his team fell to a 2-0 home defeat to Villarreal.

A sloppy error in the second half from wing-back Nahuel Molina gave the visitors the ball in a dangerous area, before Yeremi Pino ruthlessly fired into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Molina was then sent off in injury time, and a smart finish from Gerard Moreno moments later condemned Atletico to their first defeat of the season.

Simeone was left frustrated by his side's defensive blunders after the game, telling reporters: "The characteristics of the game were clearly seen, very tactical and strategic.

"They were trying to dislodge us from our position and try our mistakes, looking for our anxiety.

"We knew that in these very tight matches whoever makes a mistake can lose."

The Argentinian coach also suggested that there will not be any new arrivals to strengthen his squad before the transfer window shuts, unless a player departs.

"I am one to work and not to ask, we have a very complete squad," Simeone said.

"Hopefully those of us who are here will stay, and if one leaves another one will arrive and that neither club nor team will be harmed. It is a team that will compete in LaLiga much better."

Milan came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw against Atalanta as Ismael Bennacer cancelled out Ruslan Malinovskyi's opener with a fine equaliser for the Serie A champions. 

Malinovskyi's deflected first-half effort put Gian Piero Gasperini's hosts in the ascendency as Junior Messias, Pierre Kalulu and Theo Hernandez spurned good opportunities for the visitors.

With Stefano Pioli's side pinning Atalanta back after the break, Bennacer bent a fine effort home to earn Milan a valuable point in their bid to defend the Scudetto.

While Milan were unable to force a winner and make it two wins from two Serie A outings, they remain unbeaten in league action since January after claiming a point from a difficult away trip.

Rafael Leao and Malinovskyi both dragged efforts into the side-netting during an open start, before Messias volleyed wide after receiving a glorious cross-field pass from Hernandez 23 minutes in.

The hosts hit the front in the 29th minute when Malinovskyi met Joakim Maehle's cut-back with a left-footed strike from the edge of the area, beating Mike Maignan with the help of a slight deflection off Kalulu.

Kalulu headed Hernandez's free-kick over as Milan looked to respond after the break, before Leao cut inside to bend a long-range effort narrowly wide of the top-right corner.

Maignan turned Mario Pasalic's powerful header over the crossbar 10 minutes into the second half, before Juan Musso raced off his goal-line to smother Hernandez's goal-bound effort as the Rossoneri upped the ante.

Atalanta's resistance was finally broken with 22 minutes remaining, Bennacer whipping a terrific effort in off the far post after cutting in from the right to ensure the spoils were shared.

Kylian Mbappe equalled the record for the fastest goal in Ligue 1 history as he struck just eight seconds as part of a hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's emphatic 7-1 win over Lille on Sunday.

The 23-year-old superbly lifted over Leo Jardim almost immediately from kick-off, with Ligue 1 announcing it matched Michel Rio's eight-second strike for Caen against Cannes in 1992.

That set the stage for an utterly dominant performance from the champions as Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi and Neymar all added goals before half-time.

Neymar and Jonathan Bamba exchanged goals shortly after the interval before Mbappe added two more in the final 24 minutes to cap a memorable display.

PSG started in some style as Mbappe latched onto Messi's ball over the top and lobbed Jardim inside 10 seconds.  

Mbappe hit the side netting after rounding Jardim midway through the first half, yet Messi doubled the visitors' advantage with a cool finish from 12 yards after a clever one-two with Nuno Mendes.

Hakimi then added a third six minutes before half-time with a composed finish having been played in by Neymar, who got in on the act four minutes later with a clinical strike after Messi's deflected pass fell kindly for him.

Neymar grabbed his second seven minutes into the second half following a wonderful dummy from Mbappe, before Bamba pulled one back for Lille with a close-range finish after Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved his initial effort. 

Mbappe and Neymar combined again superbly to make it 6-1 as the former lashed home. They were at it once more three minutes from full-time when Mbappe ran onto Neymar's pass to thump past a helpless Jardim and cap an emphatic victory.

Roma midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum broke his right leg in training on Sunday, just two weeks after joining the club.

The Netherlands international moved earlier this month on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain, with the Serie A side possessing an option to buy.

Wijnaldum won the Ligue 1 title with PSG last term, having joined on a free transfer from Liverpool, but he moved to join Jose Mourinho's side after just a single season with the French giants.

He made his Serie A debut off the bench in Roma's 1-0 victory over Salernitana on the opening weekend but is now set for a stint on the sidelines.

In a statement, Roma said: "Following an injury sustained during training this afternoon, Georginio Wijnaldum subsequently underwent medical tests that confirmed the presence of a fracture to the tibia in his right leg.

"The player will undergo further assessments in the coming days."

Roma continue their campaign at home to Cremonese on Monday, before travelling to Turin to tackle Juventus.

It remains to be seen whether 31-year-old Wijnaldum can recover from his injury in time to feature for the Netherlands at the World Cup, which begins in November.

Smart finishes from Yeremi Pino and Gerard Moreno gave Villarreal a 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano.

The hosts sloppily gave the ball away at the back and Pino made them pay with his sublime 73rd-minute finish into the far bottom-left corner.

Diego Simeone's side desperately tried to find an equaliser but could not do so and Moreno added a second deep into stoppage time, after Nahuel Molina was sent off.

Atletico were left disappointed not to follow up their opening victory at Getafe, while Villarreal's 100 per cent start in LaLiga continues.

Alvaro Morata should have given Atletico the lead within the opening minute, but his volley was palmed away by Geronimo Rulli.

The visitors grew into the game and went close after 10 minutes, with Pino firing just over after good work by Etienne Capoue and Giovani Lo Celso.

Villarreal found the net 10 minutes before the break, but the ball was adjudged to have hit Moreno's arm as he finished, after his initial effort came back off the crossbar.

Matheus Cunha had a great chance with 20 minutes left but could not convert when a teasing Angel Correa cross found him in the area.

Cunha was made to rue that miss moments later when a mix-up at the back let in Pino, who lashed in from a tricky angle to put the visitors ahead.

Rulli somehow kept the ball out of the Villarreal net when a Cunha header came off the crossbar and Carrasco nodded the rebound back at goal.

Atletico defender Molina received a straight red card for a petulant push on Alex Baene in added time, before Moreno added a second goal in the dying moments with a clever finish to secure all three points.

What does it mean? Atletico off the pace

The visitors keep up their 100 per cent start to the season as they move up to third in the LaLiga table after two games. Home defeat for Simeone's men means they drop down to seventh, and this was a jolt of a performance and result for Simeone.

Ruthless Pino

Pino was alert to win his side the game when he latched onto a poor pass in the Atletico defence, before giving Jan Oblak no chance with his finish. He completed 19 of his 23 passes while he also won two fouls.

Wasteful Morata

Morata bagged a double in his team's 3-0 win over Getafe on the opening day but could not follow that up with another goal here. He came off after 70 minutes, after failing to score with his four goal attempts. He only completed 42.9 per cent of his passes while winning 57.1 per cent of his duels.

What's next?

Atletico are back in action when they travel to face Valencia on Monday, August 29. Villarreal will turn their attentions to the second leg of their Europa Conference League play-off, as they take a 4-2 aggregate lead out to Croatia to play Hadjuk Split on Thursday.

Kylian Mbappe equalled a Ligue 1 record when he scored just eight seconds into Paris Saint-Germain's clash with Lille on Sunday.

The France international lifted a fine effort over Leo Jardim after racing beyond a static Lille defence to meet Lionel Messi's sumptuous ball over the top almost immediately from kick-off.

Ligue 1 announced it matched Michel Rio's eight-second strike for Caen against Cannes in 1992.

It also marked the 23-year-old Mbappe's 200th goal at club level, with 27 coming for Monaco and 173 for PSG.

Mbappe, who scored 39 goals in all competitions last season, opened his account for the 2022-23 campaign last weekend in a 5-2 win over Montpellier.

Matthijs de Ligt hailed Bayern Munich for their "unbelievable" performance against Bochum but admitted he wants to be playing more for the team.

The Netherlands international started for the first time in Bayern's dominant 7-0 win on the road, opening his account for the club with Bayern's second goal.

Signed from Juventus, De Ligt came off the bench in the German Super Cup victory against RB Leipzig and in the opening Bundesliga game of the season, with early opportunities limited as he entered the weekend with just eight minutes of league football.

De Ligt got his chance on Sunday and capped off his display with a goal in Bayern's rout, before later making it clear he wants to be starting more games – though he acknowledged the fierce competition he faces.

"It's unbelievable, we scored five goals in the first half. It was important that we kept our focus throughout the game," he said. "I'm very happy to have scored my first goal. We need to carry on this way.

"Of course every player always wants to play. But I understood the situation. I came here as a new player from Juventus and [Dayot] Upamecano and [Theo] Hernandez played well. But of course I want to play."

Julian Nagelsmann was pleased by the performance of his new defensive acquisition and praised the display of the back-line, who have conceded just once in the opening three fixtures.

"[De Ligt] got the news early that he was going to play. With the injury on his hand, it was difficult for him but he played well," Nagelsmann said.

"In the first half, two or three times he left his position a bit too early, so there was a chance for Bochum – he pulled away a bit too easy sometimes.

"Overall, he played well. It's always great for a defence, who were criticised last year, to finish a game without any goals against, a clean sheet.

"I think our defensive midfield was very strong today as well. Sometimes last year, we played a little bit too much, were a little bit too complicated. We're happy that we had a clean sheet."

Ligue 1 referees have given out 11 red cards this weekend, the most in a single matchday in 30 years.

There were four dismissals in the game between Montpellier and Auxerre, while Nice also had two players given early baths as they fell to defeat at Clermont.

In total, six matches this weekend have had at least one red card awarded, with one game left to play between Lille and PSG on Sunday.

In comparison, there has only been one red card in both the Premier League and Bundesliga so far this weekend.

Bayern Munich maintained their 100 per cent start to the Bundesliga season after sweeping aside 7-0 Bochum on Sunday, scoring at least six goals for the second away match in a row.

The defending champions were ruthless in the first half with Leroy Sane, Matthijs de Ligt, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane striking to put the visitors in control.

Mane struck again from the spot in the second half, with substitute Serge Gnabry also getting in on the act after Christian Gamboa had put the ball into his own net.

Bayern wasted no time in breaking the deadlock, Sane and Coman combining in a fine passing move before the former curled past Manuel Riemann with just four minutes on the clock.

Some shaky defending provided encouragement for Bochum but the lead was doubled by De Ligt, heading home Joshua Kimmich's corner after Riemann misjudged the delivery.

Further mistakes from the hosts compounded their misery, Gamboa's header back at goal pounced upon by Thomas Muller and Coman tucking home the rebound after Riemann's save.

Mane saw an effort chalked off for handball but it mattered little as the former Liverpool star made sure immediately after, latching onto Coman's pass and cutting back before striking home.

Bayern added further gloss to the score after the break, Mane smashing home from the spot after Coman won a penalty – taking his tally for the season to three goals in three games.

Things soon got worse, Gnabry's pass poked beyond his own keeper by Gamboa before the Germany international smashed home off the post to take the tally to seven.

Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder remains optimistic about keeping Manchester United target Antony, despite the unsettled winger sitting out a 1-0 win at Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday.

Antony starred in consecutive title-winning campaigns under Erik ten Hag in Amsterdam, and the new United boss is reportedly keen on a reunion with the Brazilian as he bids to reverse the Red Devils' poor start to the season.

Ten Hag became the first United manager in over a century to lose his first two games at the helm when his team suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss at Brentford, and he is looking to make several additions ahead of the closure of the transfer window.

United have already reached an agreement to sign Real Madrid enforcer Casemiro, and they have been tipped to make a big-money move for Antony after seeing Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho struggle in the wide positions.

Speaking after Ajax maintained their perfect start to the Eredivisie campaign, head coach Schreuder indicated he hoped the Dutch club would not be tempted to sell.

He told ESPN: "I want Antony to stay, so I don't assume he will be sold.

"The money we are talking about is absurd these days. [But] we've already sold five or six base players. I don't like it if we sell another player. I think we are very strong financially."

The former Barcelona assistant then took aim at Antony's suitors, adding: "We play Champions League, I don't think United do."

 

Antony hit double figures in each of his first two seasons with Ajax, scoring 11 goals in the 2020-21 campaign after joining from Sao Paulo before netting 12 times in all competitions last term.

Former Tottenham attacker Steven Bergwijn scored Ajax's only goal on Sunday, after Schreuder confirmed in a pre-match interview that Antony was left out due to not being in the right state of mind to play.

"I spoke to him. He has indicated that he does not feel 100 per cent to play," Schreuder said.

"I only want to have players in the selection who are 100 per cent with Ajax. I am very clear about that. That is the most important thing for me."

Speaking to De Telegraaf on Saturday, Antony refused to rule out a move to Old Trafford and backed Ten Hag to improve United, revealing the Red Devils boss had been "super important" in his development.

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