When Giants Were Humbled: Bayern, Real, PSG, Barca & Ajax All Lost Last Weekend

It is not usually Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid, Paris St-Germain and Barcelona lose a league recreation. It is much more uncommon that two or three of those giants are defeated on the identical weekend. So the possibilities of all 4 dropping on the identical weekend are fairly unlikely.

However that is precisely what occurred throughout Europe’s prime divisions on Saturday and Sunday, as all 4 golf equipment’ unbeaten begins to the season ended.

Barcelona’s loss to champions Atletico Madrid was hardly a shock it will have been up to now given the Catalans are in some disarray in the intervening time, however the different three have been main upsets.

In the meantime, over within the Eredivisie, Dutch champions Ajax additionally suffered a primary defeat of the marketing campaign – making it the primary time that they, Bayern and Actual have all misplaced a league match on the identical day.

From the tip of Bayern’s spectacular residence run to Lionel Messi’s first loss in France, this is what occurred on a weekend of surprises – and one of the best of the response.

Bayern Munich 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich misplaced a house league match for the primary time since November 2019 as Eintracht Frankfurt scored a late winner on the Allianz Area.

Julian Nagelsmann’s facet, who stay prime on objective distinction, led by Leon Goretzka’s opener however Filip Kostic struck the winner with seven minutes remaining after captain Martin Hinteregger’s first-half equaliser.

It was Frankfurt’s first away victory at Bayern since November 2000 and put an finish to the hosts’ spectacular 30-match unbeaten streak.

“Defeats at all times damage,” Nagelsmann mentioned. “Immediately that was the case as nicely. Firstly as a result of it was our first defeat and secondly as a result of it was utterly avoidable.”
Bayern’s 30-match unbeaten residence run ended.

Espanyol 2-1 Actual Madrid

5 days after the humiliation of a shock Champions League defeat by the hands of competitors debutants Sheriff Tiraspol on the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti would certainly have anticipated a robust response from his Actual Madrid gamers.

However the guests have been out-fought by Espanyol – in opposition to whom they’d misplaced solely one in all their previous 25 league conferences – as their 25-match unbeaten run in La Liga was dropped at an finish.

Targets from former Actual participant Raul de Tomas and an exquisite solo end by Aleix Vidal condemned the leaders to successive defeats for the primary time since January, as they failed so as to add to Karim Benzema’s lifeline.

Ancelotti admitted Actual had performed “our worst match of the season”. He added: “I agree, we performed badly. We have to use the worldwide break to consider why this workforce’s perspective has modified within the house of per week.”

Rennes 2-0 Paris St-Germain.

PSG had made an ideal begin of their bid to reclaim the Ligue 1 title, taking most factors from their opening eight league games. One other victory at Rennes would have taken them 9 factors clear on the summit.

Nonetheless, the hosts surprised Mauricio Pochettino’s facet as Gatetan Laborde struck simply earlier than half-time and Flavien Tait added a second inside a minute of the restart to ship PSG’s first league defeat since April. The Parisians didn’t handle a single shot heading in the right direction, regardless of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe all beginning.

It was additionally their first loss because the arrival of Messi in the summertime. There will probably be no panic simply but although – they continue to be six factors clear on the prime.

“I am actually dissatisfied with every little thing,” mentioned Pochettino. “I believe now we want these two weeks however the gamers are going to be concerned on worldwide responsibility. It is time to assume and to arrange the following run of six video games within the upcoming months.”

Ajax 0-1 Utrecht

Defending champions Ajax had gained six of their opening seven Eredivisie video games after storming to the title final season, ending with a 16-point lead.

However Utrecht are scorching on their heels heading into the October worldwide break after the guests sprung a shock on the Johan Cruyff Area.

Left-back Django Warmerdam scored the one objective 13 minutes from the tip to assert all three factors – regardless of Ajax dominating with 69% possession and 20 pictures to the guests’ eight. Ah, soccer.

“We weren’t ‘on’ from the primary minute,” mentioned supervisor Erik ten Hag. “Which means you could have 100% tempo and focus. That was not there.”

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Barcelona

We’re undecided you may file this as an upset, such is Barcelona’s present state, however the 26-time La Liga winners suffered one other chastening loss on Saturday as they have been comfortably turned over by reigning champions Atletico Madrid.

It was much less the defeat and extra the style of it that can damage Barca, with Atletico cruising to a cushty 2-0 victory on the Wanda Metropolitano.

To rub salt within the wound, former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was on the scoresheet, scoring Atletico’s second after Thomas Lemar had fired them in entrance.

It was really Barca’s first league defeat of the season, however comes scorching on the heels of their second successive 3-0 loss within the Champions League, at Benfica on Wednesday.

Coach Ronald Koeman obtained a vote of confidence from membership president Joan Laporta earlier than Saturday’s recreation and had this to say afterwards: “Readability is essential, for the arrogance of the coach, for the gamers too, for them to know the the coach remains to be right here. We’re Barca, we nonetheless must win video games. This stress can also be regular.

“It exists for any coach, much more at Barca, however the president has spoken nicely, he has made his determination, as he mentioned this afternoon, and every little thing is ideal.”

When you say so, Ronald.

When Giants Have been Humbled

When Giants Have been Humbled

When Giants Have been Humbled