From Mourinho's ugliness to Barcelona's magic and Liverpool's stumble: Europe opens its season with surprises

You cannot judge an entire project on the basis of a single match, but what Liverpool produced against Newcastle United on Sunday served as an early alarm bell. 

Andoni Iraola's side looked fragile, disjointed, and bore no resemblance whatsoever to the identity of a manager we came to know at Bournemouth. 

His previous teams enjoyed an almost automatic harmony, intensity and relentless drive. Those qualities were entirely absent from Liverpool's players.

The problem runs deeper than mere bad luck at a difficult venue such as St James' Park. Names of the calibre of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak turned in below-par performances and looked unsuited to the ideas of the Spanish coach. 

With Hugo Ekitike sidelined until the new year, Iraola finds himself forced to adapt his approach to tools that do not fit his philosophy. That dilemma will take a long time to resolve.

The point Liverpool brought back to Anfield should not deceive anyone. They survived defeat thanks to a naive error from Lewis Hall that gifted a penalty in stoppage time, converted by Dominik Szoboszlai, and the recklessness of Yoane Wissa, who squandered two clear chances. 

Iraola cited statistics such as 36 touches inside the penalty area, yet his body language after the match confirmed that he was not at all satisfied with the performance.

In England, the two Manchester clubs experienced two completely contrasting days. Manchester City, the masters of crisis, found themselves trailing at home to Bournemouth. As is their habit, they refused to give up, scoring twice in the final five minutes to turn the tables and win 2-1. 

Don't be fooled by the result. City looked shaky at the back, Marc Guehi's trick in midfield won't work every week, and Erling Haaland was well below his best.

Over at the other Manchester club, Michael Carrick's era as permanent manager began with a humiliating 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull City. 

Carrick spoke positively after the match, yet the problems were plain to see. His chosen 4-2-3-1 formation needs midfielders who cover spaces quickly, and neither Youri Tielemans nor Andre Santos offer that, which left the team torn apart on the counter-attacks.

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Leaning on Matheus Cunha up front rather than building the attack around Benjamin Sesko also raises question marks, on top of a clear weakness in dealing with set pieces. 

With the UEFA Champions League matches under way, Carrick's time to work will be shorter still. Signing Carlos Baleba alone won't fix that.

José Mourinho's return to Real Madrid after 13 years was neither dreamy nor entertaining. It was realistic and ugly, just as the Portuguese likes it. Espanyol were beaten 2-1 in the La Liga opener, a hard-fought win that reveals a great deal about the shape of the new Madrid: a physically giant side built around the likes of Denzel Dumfries, Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konaté and the presence of Bellingham.

One constant law of football guided Mourinho's thinking: when you want to win, look for the tall man. That is exactly what he did, bringing on Carlos Espí, who arrived this summer for 25 million euros, with his height of 193cm, 11 minutes before the end to snatch the winning goal. 

The goal was no mere header. It showed a nimble foot and great balance, confirming that the Espí deal, despite him being the least gifted going forward, may prove the most important. He gives the team what no one else has: size.

Winning was one thing, harmony another. Real looked talented but disjointed, natural enough for a team that has not trained together for long. The defending on Àlex Calatrava's goal was so poor that it will certainly enrage Mourinho. Vinícius and Mbappé appeared and then vanished, which is their nature as Mourinho knows very well. 

Nor can the Bernardo Silva and Valverde duo perform the real role of Tchouaméni, which leaves the big questions hanging. How will Diomandé harmonise with the attacking trio? And where is Arda Güler's place?

Real Madrid laboured to their win. Barcelona simply demolished visitors Elche 5-0, a result that underlined once more the genius of Hansi Flick as he chases a third title in three years. 

The astonishing part? Flick did it with a rotated line-up shorn of Pedri, Rodri, Koundé, Cubarsí and Dani Olmo.

Verticality and tactical flexibility offered the solution. Raphinha played in depth in front of Fermín López, with Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal running relentlessly towards goal. 

Marc Bernal and Gavi formed a youthful midfield pairing, and Barcelona showed they can manage without a traditional striker when they have a player as dynamic as Raphinha, who looked hungry after missing out on the World Cup.

Modest as Elche are, this dominance cannot be ignored. The message is clear. Barcelona have a system that transcends names, and Flick can find answers smoothly whoever is missing.

Inter Milan opened the season in style, thumping Monza 4-1. The standout was 21-year-old Francesco Pio Esposito, who scored with an elegant backheel and set up another. 

Powerful and fierce in equal measure, Esposito looks ready to slot into an attacking quartet alongside Lautaro, Thuram and Bonny under Cristian Chivu. That comes despite some defensive rustiness from Akanji and Bastoni.

Milan's new coach Ruben Amorim showed plenty of courage too, handing 19-year-old attacking midfielder Alfadjo Cissé a chance against Torino. The youngster repaid him with a goal and bags of energy in a 2-1 win. 

It confirms Amorim is marching to his own beat, even as Rafael Leao's isolation drags on while he searches for a new club.

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In France, Ferran Torres, who arrived for 55 million euros, saved Paris Saint-Germain from the Rennes trap. A slow first half left them two goals down. Luis Enrique rolled the dice, hauling off Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé for Gonçalo Ramos and Torres, and the Spaniard answered with a true striker's header and a perfect run to earn a 2-2 draw.

Over in Germany, the "Swiss army knife" Nathaniel Brown led Bayern Munich to a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Super Cup. 

Brown has played as a left-back and right-back, and now lined up as a number 10 in place of the injured Jamal Musiala. He opened the scoring and shone remarkably. 

The match proved that classifying players by position alone is a mistake. Bayern, driven by the unstoppable Michael Olise, dominated the first half and deserved more than two goals.

Tottenham suffered a heavy blow, going down 3-0 to Roberto De Zerbi's side. The Spurs manager pulled no punches afterwards: "We are not ready and we lack spirit." 

Bergvall, Gallagher and Tonali overran the midfield. With a lengthy injury list and deals still pending for the likes of Savinho and Marmoush, De Zerbi needs to raise his game by several notches before it is too late.

Chelsea's defensive crisis rumbles on from last season. The Blues shipped two goals against Fulham in their opening match of the new 2026-2027 Premier League campaign, a game they won 3-2 on Monday evening.

According to statistics from the Squawka network, "Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet for the 17th consecutive match in the Premier League," extending a run that lays bare the team's struggles at the back.