The football world has been buzzing over the past week, from September 5th to September 11th, 2026, as major European leagues continued their early season campaigns and continental competitions kicked off with decisive preliminary rounds. Fans witnessed thrilling comebacks, dominant performances, and critical early-season injuries that could shape the narratives for months to come. The UEFA Champions League made a grand return, while the CAF Champions League saw teams battling fiercely for a spot in the next stage. Domestic action in La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga delivered plenty of talking points, including surprising results and significant transfer aftershocks.
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League 2026-27 season kicked off with an “exclusive week” of matches from September 8th to September 10th, marking a distinct shift in the football calendar. This new format features matches across three consecutive days, diverging from the traditional Tuesday and Wednesday schedule.
Bayern Munich Makes Dominant Statement, Kane Warns Europe: Bayern Munich began their Champions League campaign in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 5-0 victory over Bodø/Glimt at the Allianz Arena on September 11th. England striker Harry Kane was among the scorers and, post-match, issued a stern warning to potential rivals across Europe. Kane emphasized the team’s evolution under Vincent Kompany, stating, “We’re a threat to any team. We’ve had another year with the coach, understanding his ideas. We’re humble, but teams will find it difficult against us with and without the ball”. This dominant performance and Kane’s confident remarks signal Bayern’s clear intent to challenge for the biggest prize in European club football this season.
New Rules Introduced for 2026/27 Season: UEFA has implemented several significant rule changes for the 2026-27 Champions League season to address issues like time-wasting and VAR usage. Notably, players will now require four yellow cards for a league-phase suspension, an increase from the previous three, a change welcomed by clubs like Arsenal due to the expanded eight-game league phase. Other changes include referees giving a five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks, and substituted players needing to leave the pitch within 10 seconds to avoid delays. VAR’s remit has also been expanded to include reviewing cases of mistaken identity and incorrectly awarded second yellow cards leading to a red.
CAF Champions League
The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 season’s First Preliminary Round saw its decisive return legs take center stage from September 11th to September 13th, following the first legs played between September 4th and 6th. Several established names secured crucial away victories in their first legs, putting them in strong positions to advance.
Pyramids FC, TP Mazembe, and Simba SC Advance: Egyptian side Pyramids FC are firmly in control of their tie after defeating Kenyan champions Gor Mahia 2-0 in Nairobi. Five-time African champions TP Mazembe also secured an important 1-0 away victory against Ghana’s Medeama SC. Tanzanian giants Simba SC similarly earned a 1-0 away win against Mighty Wanderers in Malawi, thanks to Anicet Oura’s second-half goal. These results highlight the early dominance of some of the continent’s footballing powerhouses as they eye progression to the Second Preliminary Round.
Rangers Secure Spot in Next Round: Nigerian champions Rangers International FC progressed to the second preliminary round after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Beninese club Sobemap FC. The second leg of their first preliminary round tie, played at the Stade de Kegue in Lome on September 11th, saw the teams draw 1-1 before Rangers triumphed 5-4 on penalties. This hard-fought win ensures their continued participation in Africa’s premier club competition.
La Liga
Matchday 4 of La Liga delivered some surprising results and highlighted the competitive nature of the Spanish top flight on September 5th, 2026.
Athletic Club Thrash Atlético Madrid: Athletic Club produced a dominant second-half performance to defeat Atlético Madrid 3-0 at San Mamés. The match was goalless at halftime, but Nico Williams opened the scoring in the 46th minute, followed by Robert Navarro just two minutes later. Oihan Sancet sealed the emphatic home win in the 90th minute, dealing a significant blow to Atlético’s early season aspirations.
Deportivo La Coruña’s Dramatic Away Win: Newly promoted Deportivo La Coruña continued their strong start to the season with a dramatic 3-2 away victory against Villarreal at Estadio de la Cerámica. Despite Villarreal taking the lead twice, Deportivo showed resilience. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winning goal in the 88th minute, capping off a remarkable comeback for Deportivo. Rayo Vallecano also secured their first league win, coming from behind to beat Racing Santander 3-2, with Sergio Camello scoring twice.
Serie A
Serie A action on September 5th and 6th, 2026, provided high drama with late comebacks and crucial points gained and lost.
Inter Milan and Roma Secure Dramatic Late Victories: Inter Milan staged a stunning comeback from two goals down to secure a 3-2 home victory over Napoli on September 5th. Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in the 91st minute, after Marcus Thuram had equalized eight minutes from time. In another thrilling encounter, Roma moved to the top of the Serie A table with a late 2-1 win against Atalanta, scoring twice after the 90th minute through Mario Hermoso and Matias Soule. Torino also claimed their first win under new coach Ignazio Abate, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 away.
Juventus and AC Milan Share Spoils: A heavyweight clash between Juventus and AC Milan on September 6th ended in a 1-1 draw. Alphadjo Cisse scored for Milan, with Federico Gatti replying for Juventus, as both teams shared the points in a tightly contested encounter. This result means both giants had to settle for a single point, impacting their early standings in the league.
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga saw a weekend of incredible comebacks and surprising results on September 5th, 2026, with newly promoted teams making a significant impact.
Elversberg’s Dream Start Continues: SV Elversberg, in their first Bundesliga season, continued their remarkable run by coming from 3-1 down to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3 away at Borussia-Park. Maurice Krattenmacher scored twice, including the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, securing their second consecutive win and placing them among the early league leaders with maximum points.
Schalke Holds Bayern to a Draw: Newly promoted Schalke 04 held defending champions Bayern Munich to a surprising 0-0 draw at the Veltins-Arena. Schalke goalkeeper Loris Karius delivered an outstanding performance, making several key saves, including late efforts from Harry Kane. This result ended Bayern’s winning start to the season and their run of scoring in 47 consecutive league games.
Borussia Dortmund’s Comeback Victory: Borussia Dortmund also produced a comeback, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat Hoffenheim 3-2. Serhou Guirassy initiated the turnaround, and new signing Fabio Silva equalized before an own goal sealed the victory for Dortmund, maintaining their perfect start to the campaign with two wins from two.
Goretzka Suffers Injury Setback: In injury news, Leon Goretzka, who recently joined Aston Villa on a free transfer, is facing a spell on the sidelines due to an injury setback. The German international confirmed on Instagram that his body reacted to an increased workload, making him unavailable for the national team during the international break. This comes as a blow for both the player and his new club early in the season.
