As we head into another international break, Europe’s top clubs were looking to finish on a high and go away in good spirits for the latest round of World Cup qualifiers.
But that was not always going to be the case for everyone, especially with a few heavyweight clashes going on across the top divisions.
Bayern Munich kept up their incredible record at the start of the season, thanks once again to Harry Kane, who scored in the 2-1 win over Frankfurt.
Barcelona did not get the same joy. They were humbled 4-1 by Sevilla, allowing Real Madrid to go top after their win against Villarreal.
Sunday night presented a few more exciting clashes in La Liga and Serie A.
Read on to see how they unfolded.
Napoli 2-1 Genoa
Napoli came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Genoa at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, maintaining their place at the top of Serie A.
Despite a sluggish first half in which the hosts struggled to create chances, Antonio Conte’s side rallied after the break with a much-improved display.
Genoa stunned the champions in the 33rd minute when Jeff Ekhator finished a slick move after linking up brilliantly with Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who tormented the Napoli defence down the right flank.
The visitors’ tactical discipline and aggression frustrated Napoli throughout the opening period, with the home side lacking fluency and forced into an early substitution after Lobotka went off injured.
However, the second half brought a change in tempo. The introductions of Kevin De Bruyne and Leonardo Spinazzola injected urgency into Napoli’s play, and the equaliser came just before the hour mark.
Spinazzola’s teasing cross caused chaos in the Genoa box, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa dived in to head home from close range.
Napoli completed their turnaround in the 75th minute when Rasmus Hojlund continued his fine scoring run, reacting quickest to a rebound to slot home from close range.
Genoa, who offered little attacking threat after the break, were left ruing defensive lapses that cost them a valuable point.
Juventus 0-0 AC Milan
A tense evening at the Allianz Stadium ended without a breakthrough as Juventus and AC Milan battled to a 0-0 draw, extending the Bianconeri’s run of consecutive draws to five.
The first half offered few clear chances, though both sides had flashes of promise. Juventus enjoyed early joy down the right through Conceicao, but poor finishing from McKennie and David let Milan off the hook.
At the other end, Gimenez twice tested Di Gregorio, whose sharp reflexes kept the hosts level heading into the break.
The game came alive after half-time. Within two minutes of the restart, Gatti saw his volley from close range miraculously saved by Maignan, before Milan were awarded a penalty after Kelly dragged down Gimenez.
However, Christian Pulisic squandered the chance to give his side the lead, blazing his spot-kick over the bar.
Substitute Rafael Leao injected energy into Milan’s attack, coming close with a long-range effort and forcing Di Gregorio into a late diving save in stoppage time.
Celta Vigo 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid played out a 1-1 draw at the Estadio de Balaidos in a match that saw early drama.
The visitors took the lead in the seventh minute in unusual fashion, as Celta defender Carl Starfelt’s misjudged back-pass sailed past goalkeeper Ionut Radu, giving Atletico an early advantage.
Despite the setback, the home side responded well, creating several openings through Borja Iglesias and Marcos Alonso, with Radu and Atletico’s defence keeping the scoreline intact.
Atletico Madrid faced their own challenges, seeing Clement Lenglet sent off in the 40th minute for a second yellow, leaving the team to play the majority of the match with ten men.
Celta capitalised on their numerical advantage after the break, and in the 68th minute, Iago Aspas headed home from close range to level the scores.
Substitutions, including the introduction of Pablo Duran and Ilaix Moriba, kept Celta’s attack lively in the closing stages, with several near-misses, including headers from Durán and Zaragoza.
Atletico pushed for a winner, with attempts from Julian Alvarez and Robin Le Normand blocked or off target, but they could not break down Celta’s resilient defence
