This is the first of our season whip-rounds of all the action happening outside of the Premier League. Each week, we’ll select the five matches that matter, whether that’s two big teams going head to head or there’s a major storyline you should be keeping an eye on.
To kick us off; Marseille in meltdown, Cesc Fabregas going up against his former Chelsea manager in his role on Como sideline and the imperial Bayern Munich begin their title defence.
Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig, Allianz Arena, Friday August 22, 7:30pm BST/2.30pm EST
Bayern Munich will begin their pursuit of a 13th Bundesliga title in 14 years when they host RB Leipzig on Friday.
Victory over Stuttgart in the curtain-raising Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on Saturday brought a moment of triumph in a summer of change in Bavaria. Club-record appearance maker Thomas Muller is gone, as are wing duo Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane. So too is Jamal Musiala, at least for the foreseeable future, after Vincent Kompany’s prized playmaker suffered an ankle fracture at the Club World Cup.
While the arrival of Luis Diaz, on the scoresheet against Stuttgart, should help to plug those gaps, Musiala’s loss and criticism over the club’s transfer strategy represent just two of several troubling questions they face, according to The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Seb Stafford-Bloor.
It’s the hardest possible start for a Leipzig side seeking to bounce back from a disappointing seventh-place finish having lost last season’s top scorer Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United and with the future of playmaker Xavi Simons uncertain.
Real Oviedo v Real Madrid, Estadio Carlos Tartiere, Sunday August 24, 8:30pm BST
It’s David versus Goliath in Spain as Real Oviedo toast their first home La Liga match in 25 years by welcoming Real Madrid to Estadio Carlos Tartiere.
After a giddily romantic promotion story saw 40-year-old Santi Cazorla help return his boyhood club to the top flight, the Asturian side were brought back down to earth by a 2-0 opening-day defeat at Villarreal last week, with midfielder Alberto Reina sent off after 27 minutes.
Yet their visitors on Sunday were far from convincing in their own season opener, as a second-half Kylian Mbappe penalty proved enough to squeeze a new-look Real Madrid past a stubborn Osasuna side and give Xabi Alonso a winning start to life in the dugout at the Bernabeu.
Summer signings Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras all started at the back on Tuesday, with €63.2million (£54.6m; $74.1m) arrival Franco Mastantuono, 18, coming off the bench to make his debut.
Marseille v Paris FC, Stade Velodrome, Saturday August 23, 4pm BST/11am EST
After a week to lick their wounds, Marseille will be desperate to jumpstart their season with a victory over newly-promoted Paris FC.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team were stunned at Rennes in the Ligue 1 curtain-raiser, unable to break the deadlock despite dominating possession against 10 men for over an hour before Ludovic Blas burst through in injury time to snatch three points for the underdogs.
As it transpires, that was the least of their worries. The club have transfer-listed two players for what they deemed ‘unacceptable behaviour in the dressing room after the match’.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench to make his second debut for the club following a year at Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah. Meanwhile Paris FC, bankrolled as of last November by French billionaire and LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, lost 1-0 at Angers in their first top-flight game for 46 years.
Sassuolo v Napoli, Mapei Stadium, Saturday August 23, 5:30pm BST/12.130EST
Napoli will commence their Serie A title defence at Sassuolo under the cloud of a long-term injury to Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian striker is set to be out for three months after tearing his quad muscle in the side’s final pre-season game against Olympiacos last week, leaving Antonio Conte’s side worryingly light at the top of the pitch.
Italy international Lorenzo Lucca had been signed on loan from Udinese this summer to deputise for Lukaku but now presents Conte’s only recognised striker option, with Napoli now expected to rush back into the market to find forward reinforcement.
Kevin De Bruyne has been the undisputed headline addition of a busy transfer window in Naples, with the former Manchester City talisman in line to make his league debut against a Sassuolo side, coached by 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Grosso.
Como v Lazio, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Sunday August 24, 5:30pm BST/12.30pm EST
Como boss Cesc Fabregas will start his Serie A campaign up against his old coach Maurizio Sarri when Lazio visit the picturesque Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.
Former Spanish international Fabregas played under Sarri at Chelsea before ending his career in 2023 at the Lombardy club he now leads, serving in roles as interim and assistant coach before being appointed permanently the following year.
His has been nothing short of a success ever since, and summer interest from Inter was recognition of the 38-year-old’s achievements after he steered lakeside Como to a 10th-place finish in their first top-flight campaign since 2003.
The challenge for Fabregas, who is a minority stakeholder in the club alongside former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry, will now be to improve on that strong start. A busy summer in the market has seen Alvaro Morata join on a season-long loan from Milan, with an obligation to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
One to keep an eye on is Nico Paz. The young playmaker is a target for Tottenham as they seek more creativity in the final third.
