Lead

Sunday 4 September 2026 delivered a spectacular mix of comebacks and emphatic victories across Europe’s top leagues. The headline-grabbing story came from Ligue 1, where AS Monaco rescued a 1-0 deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1, a result that not only tightened the title race but also marked Monaco’s third consecutive win in the opening round. In England, Liverpool continued their strong start with a comfortable 2-0 win at Ipswich Town, while in Italy Como ran riot at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, demolishing Genoa 4-1. Germany’s VfB Stuttgart turned a home fixture into a five-goal showcase, thrashing FC Cologne 4-1. Over in Spain, Real Betis edged out Real Madrid 1-0, reinforcing the Andalusian side’s place among the early Champions League qualifiers. The day’s results reshaped the early tables and set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested season.

Premier League

  • Ipswich Town 0-2 Liverpool

Read the full match report

LaLiga

  • Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid

Details of the clash

Serie A

  • Genoa 1-4 Como

Full highlights

Bundesliga

  • VfB Stuttgart 4-1 FC Cologne

Match report

Ligue 1

  • Lyon 3-1 AJ Auxerre

  • Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 AS Monaco

See the Monaco comeback

Read about Lyon’s win

Table watch

Premier League – The early leaders remain unchanged, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Hull City and Chelsea all sitting in the Champions League places after two games. Liverpool sit fifth, securing an Europa League berth, while Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur occupy the relegation zone with no points from two fixtures.

LaLiga – Barcelona sit top of the table on a perfect nine points, followed closely by Real Madrid, Real Betis, Atlético Madrid and Alavés, all locked into Champions League qualification. At the opposite end, Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Málaga are already entrenched in the relegation zone after just three matches.

Serie A – Como lead the standings with seven points, while Roma, Internazionale, AC Milan and Juventus occupy the Champions League and Europa League spots respectively. Genoa, Fiorentina and Venezia find themselves at the bottom, with Genoa officially marked as relegated after three games without a point.

Bundesliga – Bayern Munich, SC Freiburg, FC Augsburg and RB Leipzig share the Champions League places after a perfect opening round. Borussia Dortmund sit in the Europa League slot. Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke 04 are already flagged for the relegation playoff or direct relegation despite only one game played.

Ligue 1 – AS Monaco sit atop the table with nine points, followed by Lyon and Lille, all holding Champions League spots. Paris FC sit fourth, currently in the Champions League qualifying zone, while Stade Rennais occupy the Europa League place. At the other extreme, Toulouse, Nice and AJ Auxerre are already earmarked for the relegation playoff or direct relegation after three matches.

Talking points

  • Monaco’s comeback win over PSG demonstrates that the title race in Ligue 1 is wide open from day one, with the principality side overturning a deficit to claim three points.
  • Como’s 4-1 demolition of Genoa underlines the newly promoted club’s intent to challenge for European places, while Genoa’s position at the foot of Serie A becomes increasingly precarious.
  • Stuttgart’s four-goal haul against Cologne showcases a potent attacking display that could see the Swabian side push for a Champions League spot early in the season.
  • Liverpool’s clean sheet at Ipswich reinforces their early Europa League qualification hopes and highlights Jurgen Klopp’s side as a serious contender for a top-five finish.