Euro preview: Surprise leaders, a Catalan derby & replacing Mbappe

Heidenheim caput into nan play arsenic nan astonishment leaders successful Germany, having scored six goals successful their opening 2 Bundesliga games and conceded none.

The nine were playing successful nan 4th tier 15 years agone but vanished eighth successful their debut Bundesliga play past word to gain a spot successful Europe, wherever they will look Chelsea successful nan Conference League.

After starting nan existent run pinch victories complete St Pauli and Augsburg, they sojourn Borussia Dortmund connected Friday evening, pinch nan Champions League runners-up besides unbeaten and yet to concede a extremity this term.

"We will conscionable effort to support nan momentum going and beryllium wholly coming connected Friday," said Paul Wanner, nan 18-year-old midfielder who has impressed pinch 2 goals already for Heidenheim this play connected indebtedness from Bayern Munich.

Vincent Kompany's Bayern person besides won some their opening games and sojourn newly-promoted Holstein Kiel connected Saturday (17:30 BST).

Meanwhile, champions Bayer Leverkusen saw their 35-game unbeaten Bundesliga tally travel to an end earlier nan world break pinch a conclusion by RB Leipzig.

Xabi Alonso's broadside will look to bounce backmost astatine Hoffenheim connected Saturday but will beryllium wary of nan threat of erstwhile Leicester guardant Andrej Kramaric - nan 33-year-old Croatia world leads nan Bundesliga scoring charts pinch 4 goals successful 2 games.

Girona big Barcelona successful a Catalan derby connected Sunday and if 1 point should beryllium expected astatine Estadi Montilivi, it is plentifulness of goals.

Girona won some fixtures 4-2 past season, pinch nan 2nd of those victories successful May securing them Champions League shot for nan first time, while besides handing Real Madrid nan title.

Michel's broadside yet vanished 4 points down third-placed Barcelona and it is nan Catalan giants who are starring nan measurement again this season, pinch 4 wins from 4 nether caller leader Hansi Flick, contempt missing Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo done injury.

"Flick started 3 17-year-olds successful nan first 3 games of nan season," explained Guillem Balague connected nan Euro Leagues podcast. "Not a problem. He wanted signings and only sewage Dani Olmo. Not a problem, nary complaints.

"He has fixed stableness to nan nine and connected nan transportation it is perfect. They person added a physicality, a precocious tempo that tin beryllium maintained for 90 minutes because of nan activity that has been put successful in pre-season. This is simply a very breathtaking Barcelona.

"If you get Gavi, De Jong, Andreas Christensen back, you person much competition. The first XI is simply a very coagulated XI that has an thought successful their heads and they each deliberation for illustration one. It is conscionable if they deed a bad run. That will beryllium interesting."

Real Madrid beryllium 4 points backmost pursuing 2 draws successful their opening 4 games and leader Carlo Ancelotti will besides beryllium hoping immoderate of his injured stars return soon.

Defender David Alaba and midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos stay retired earlier Los Blancos' sojourn to Real Sociedad connected Saturday.

But Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham, who missed England's wins against Republic of Ireland and Finland successful nan world break, could perchance return.

Ancelotti is still trying to get his Real Madrid to click into cogwheel pursuing nan presence of Kylian Mbappe successful nan summer. The Frenchman has scored doubly successful 4 La Liga games but nan European champions are yet to really deed their straps.

"Ancelotti keeps saying wrong nan camp, you don't person to thatch Mbappe anything, conscionable opportunity a mates of suggestions and things will happen," added Balague.

"His main interest is location nary shot being produced to return advantage of Mbappe."

Como returned to Serie A for nan first clip successful 21 years this play to overmuch fanfare, fixed nan backing of big-name stakeholders Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas.

After going bankrupt twice, they person risen from nan 4th tier of Italian shot since Indonesian baccy giants Djarum took complete nan nine successful 2019.

Former Spain, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Fabregas has gone from being a Como player, to adjunct head and now first-team caput coach, but his broadside are yet to get their first triumph successful Serie A pursuing defeats astatine Juventus and Udinese, and a tie pinch Cagliari.

Fabregas hopes a first location crippled astatine nan revamped Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia against Bologna connected Saturday tin assistance them disconnected nan ft of nan table.

"We request nan group down us," Fabregas told nan Planet Premier League podcast.

"We request to beryllium beardown astatine home. We request to make points there. We request to person a really bully capacity to beryllium capable to win.

"[Bologna are a] Champions League team, they person 11-12 internationals, truthful that intends we're playing against a apical team."

Meanwhile, some Milan clubs are gearing up for midweek Champions League games against English opposition, pinch Inter facing Manchester City and AC Milan hosting Liverpool.

They person knowledgeable differing starts to their home seasons, however, pinch Inter topping Serie A and Milan leader Paulo Fonseca without a triumph successful his first 3 games successful complaint astatine San Siro.

Inter sojourn Monza and Milan big Venezia, earlier nan metropolis rivals meet successful nan Derby della Madonnina a week connected Sunday.

Finally, successful France, Roberto de Zerbi's Marseille person nan chance to leapfrog Paris St-Germain astatine nan apical of Ligue 1, albeit perchance for only a fewer hours, erstwhile they big Nice connected Saturday.

English guardant Mason Greenwood is nan league's apical scorer pinch 5 goals successful 3 games and nine president Pablo Longoria said this week he had nary regrets complete bringing Greenwood to France, contempt nan section politician describing nan move arsenic "not acceptable".

PSG big Brest, who will make their Champions League debut successful midweek, connected Saturday evening looking to support their winning commencement to nan campaign.

Bradley Barcola scored aft conscionable 13 seconds for France against Italy during nan world break and has besides started nan home play successful prolific shape pursuing Mbappe's departure, netting 4 times astatine a ratio of a extremity each 39 minutes played.

"I spot hunger, religion and nan desire to go a amended player," said PSG leader Luis Enrique of Barcola recently. "And that is what we want for him, to go a awesome subordinate and to beryllium capable to lend to galore things astatine nan club."