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Serie A and La Liga Kick Off with Dramatic Matches

Internazionale’s title defense in Serie A got off to a rocky start as they battled to a 2-2 draw against Genoa. The match concluded with a last-minute equalizer from Junior Messias, which secured a critical point for the home team. Inter lacked the services of key players Stefan de Vrij and Piotr Zielinski and ultimately fell short of starting their campaign with a victory, despite a standout performance from Marcus Thuram, who scored both of Inter’s goals.

Genoa shocked the visitors by taking the lead in the 20th minute, with Alessandro Vogliacco tapping in a rebound that came off the crossbar. Thuram quickly responded ten minutes later by leveraging his aerial skills to equalize with a well-placed header from a cross by Niccolo Barella.

Inter was denied a potential penalty when Thuram appeared to be fouled in the box by Genoa captain Milan Badelj, a call that was overturned after a VAR review. After halftime, Inter ramped up their offensive efforts, but Federico Dimarco’s goal was disallowed for offside. With just six minutes left on the clock, Thuram found the net again, deftly finishing a through ball over goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.

However, the match took an unexpected turn during stoppage time. Yann Bisseck’s wayward header led to a penalty save by Yann Sommer from Messias, who managed to score on the rebound, leaving Inter with a sense of frustration at dropping points after leading late in the game. Coach Simone Inzaghi expressed disappointment, emphasizing, “A team like ours, leading in the 84th minute, shouldn’t concede any more goals, especially in that way.” He acknowledged the challenge of retaining the title, noting, “Winning it again is even more difficult.”

In another match, Milan salvaged a 2-2 draw at home against Torino thanks to goals from Álvaro Morata and Noah Okafor in the dying moments. Torino initially took control with an own goal from Malick Thiaw after Raoul Bellanova’s header struck the post and later extended their lead when Duván Zapata scored from close range.

Morata sparked hope for Milan by redirecting a long-range shot into the net just before stoppage time, and moments later, Okafor capped off a frantic push with a volley that secured a draw for the hosts.

Additionally, Cristiano Biraghi’s equalizer for Fiorentina in a 1-1 draw at Parma canceled Dennis Man’s opening goal, while Empoli and Monza played to a goalless stalemate.

La Liga Season Begins with Barcelona’s Comeback

In La Liga, Barcelona kicked off their season with a comeback win, beating Valencia 2-1. The hosts took the lead just before the half-time whistle through Hugo Duro, but Robert Lewandowski quickly leveled the score in first-half stoppage time. Lewandowski then secured the win from the penalty spot shortly after the break, marking a positive start for the Catalan giants.

Osasuna managed to force a 1-1 draw against Leganés with an own goal from Juan Soriano late in the match, after Leganés had taken the lead through Juan Cruz’s goal in the 22nd minute.

In Ligue 1 action, Mason Greenwood made a noteworthy debut for Marseille, scoring twice in a commanding 5-1 victory against Brest. Luis Henrique also shone with a brace, and Elye Wahi capped the scoring with a penalty.

Monaco secured a narrow victory over Saint-Étienne with Takumi Minamino’s lone goal, while Lille triumphed 2-0 over Reims in a match delayed after a serious collision involving Abdoul Koné and Angel Gomes. Goals from Bafodé Diakité and Jonathan David in stoppage time sealed the points for Lille.

Bayer Leverkusen Triumphs in German Supercup

Bayer Leverkusen claimed the German Supercup by defeating Stuttgart 4-3 on penalties, despite facing significant adversity, having played nearly an hour with ten men. Leverkusen started strong with an early goal by Victor Boniface following a header from Edmond Tapsoba.

Stuttgart responded quickly with Enzo Millot’s strike and took control after Leverkusen’s Martin Terrier was red-carded during the first half. Stuttgart managed to go ahead with Deniz Undav scoring shortly after being substituted in.

Yet, Leverkusen’s resilience shone through as Patrik Schick equalized just two minutes before the final whistle. They maintained their composure in the penalty shootout, converting all their attempts while Stuttgart’s Silas missed the decisive kick.

Source
www.theguardian.com