Friday, August 28 produced a busy night of European soccer as league seasons continued to gather momentum following the summer World Cup. Manchester City delivered a dominant Premier League victory at Crystal Palace, Bayern Munich opened its Bundesliga title defense with five goals, AC Milan remained perfect in Serie A and Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in stoppage time to rescue a remarkable draw against Lille.
There was also plenty of drama in Spain, where Racing Santander survived a late Elche comeback and Alavés continued an excellent start to the La Liga season. In England’s Championship, Wrexham remained without a win after falling at home to Birmingham City.
Manchester City 4, Crystal Palace 1
Manchester City produced one of Friday’s most convincing performances with a 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored twice apiece for City. Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute, heading in a cross from Antoine Semenyo, before Cherki took over early in the second half. Cherki scored in the 54th and 59th minutes as City quickly took control of the match.
Crystal Palace briefly pulled one back when a Yeremy Pino free kick struck the crossbar and went into the net off goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for an own goal. Haaland then added his second goal in the 84th minute to complete the 4-1 victory.
The result gave Manchester City six points from its opening two Premier League matches and temporarily moved the club to the top of the table. Haaland’s goals were his first of the new Premier League campaign, while Cherki continued an excellent opening stretch after contributing two assists in City’s first league match.
City’s strong start is particularly notable because the club is beginning a new era under manager Enzo Maresca. Friday’s performance suggested that despite significant changes, Manchester City remains capable of producing the relentless attacking soccer that has characterized the club for much of the past decade.
Bayern Munich 5, Stuttgart 1
Bayern Munich began its Bundesliga title defense with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Stuttgart.
Dayot Upamecano gave Bayern the lead with a header in the 21st minute, but Stuttgart briefly threatened to make the opening match uncomfortable when Josha Vagnoman equalized seven minutes after halftime.
The tie lasted only three minutes.
Michael Olise restored Bayern’s advantage in the 55th minute before Vagnoman unfortunately put the ball into his own net two minutes later. Aleksandar Pavlović added Bayern’s fourth goal in the 82nd minute, and Luis Díaz completed the scoring in second-half stoppage time.
The victory extended Bayern’s unbeaten streak in Bundesliga opening matches to 15 seasons. Bayern entered the campaign as defending champion after scoring a remarkable 122 league goals last season, and Friday’s result provided an immediate reminder of the club’s attacking strength.
For Stuttgart, the final score was particularly harsh considering the match had been tied 1-1 early in the second half. Bayern’s ability to turn a competitive match into a four-goal victory in less than 40 minutes showed why the defending champions remain the team everyone else in Germany must catch.
Lille 2, Paris Saint-Germain 2
One of the most dramatic matches anywhere in Europe took place in France.
Lille appeared to be heading toward an impressive victory over defending Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint-Germain after Hákon Haraldsson opened the scoring in the 21st minute and Dilane Bakwa made it 2-0 in the 84th.
Then PSG produced an extraordinary comeback.
Vitinha scored in the first minute of stoppage time to make it 2-1. Four minutes later, captain Marquinhos headed home another goal to rescue a 2-2 draw with essentially the final opportunity of the match.
PSG controlled approximately 73% of possession but struggled to convert that control into goals until the closing minutes. Lille came within moments of collecting all three points before the late collapse.
The draw leaves PSG without a victory through its first two Ligue 1 matches after also drawing its season opener. The defending French and European champions have therefore made a surprisingly slow start despite the dramatic rescue on Friday.
For Lille, the result will feel much more like a defeat than a draw. A two-goal lead with fewer than 10 minutes remaining disappeared during one of the wildest finishes of the young European season.
AC Milan 2, Venezia 0
AC Milan remained perfect through its first two Serie A matches with a 2-0 victory over Venezia at San Siro.
Venezia kept the match scoreless for more than an hour before Gonçalo Ramos finally broke through in the 69th minute. Alexis Saelemaekers supplied the pass before Ramos finished from an angle for his first competitive goal for Milan.
The Rossoneri secured the victory in the 89th minute when an attempted finish from Ardon Jashari was saved but ricocheted into the goal off Venezia defender Halhal for an own goal.
Milan has now won its opening two Serie A matches for the first time since the 2023-24 season. The club also finished Friday temporarily sitting atop the Serie A standings with maximum points.
The early results provide an encouraging start for Milan under manager Rúben Amorim. The Rossoneri have combined six points with another clean sheet, an important combination for a team hoping to challenge for the Italian title.
Racing Santander 3, Elche 2
Racing Santander earned its first La Liga victory of the season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Elche.
Yassir Zabiri was the star, producing a first-half hat trick. He scored in the 15th, 21st and 36th minutes to send Racing into halftime with a commanding 3-0 advantage.
The match appeared finished until Elche suddenly scored twice in approximately a minute late in the second half. Buba Sangaré struck in the 78th minute and Fernando Niño followed almost immediately in the 79th to make it 3-2.
Elche continued pressing for an equalizer, but Racing held on through stoppage time to secure all three points.
The match was an early reminder of how quickly a comfortable lead can disappear. Racing’s first-half performance was dominant, but the final minutes turned what appeared to be an easy victory into a tense finish.
Alavés 1, Villarreal 0
Alavés continued one of the strongest starts in La Liga with a 1-0 home victory over Villarreal.
Lucas Boyé scored the only goal in the 31st minute, and Alavés protected that advantage for the remainder of the match.
Villarreal thought it had found a late equalizer when Ayoze Pérez put the ball into the net during stoppage time, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The victory gave Alavés seven points from its first three league matches, an excellent opening stretch that has placed the club among La Liga’s early leaders.
Villarreal, meanwhile, remains without a league victory through its opening matches despite creating opportunities on Friday.
Birmingham City 2, Wrexham 1
Wrexham’s difficult start to the Championship season continued with a 2-1 home defeat against Birmingham City.
Defender Phil Neumann emerged as the unlikely offensive hero for Birmingham, scoring both goals. He opened the scoring in the 13th minute before Wrexham’s Callum Doyle equalized in the 54th.
Wrexham’s momentum did not last long. Neumann struck again in the 63rd minute to restore Birmingham’s advantage, and the visitors held on for the victory.
The defeat extended Wrexham’s winless start to four matches in all competitions. Manager Phil Parkinson criticized his team’s defending afterward and indicated that additional transfer activity before the window closes remains possible.
After climbing rapidly through the English soccer pyramid, Wrexham is discovering the increased difficulty of competing in the Championship, where experienced clubs and deeper squads can punish mistakes quickly.
Friday’s Biggest Soccer Results
Across Europe’s major competitions, Friday’s notable final scores were:
Manchester City 4, Crystal Palace 1 in the Premier League.
Bayern Munich 5, Stuttgart 1 in the Bundesliga.
AC Milan 2, Venezia 0 in Serie A.
Lille 2, Paris Saint-Germain 2 in Ligue 1.
Racing Santander 3, Elche 2 in La Liga.
Alavés 1, Villarreal 0 in La Liga.
Birmingham City 2, Wrexham 1 in the Championship.
Manchester City and Bayern produced the strongest statements of the day, but PSG supplied the most dramatic finish. Trailing Lille 2-0 after 84 minutes, the French champions somehow escaped with a point after scoring twice in stoppage time.
AC Milan’s perfect start also deserves attention as the Rossoneri move into the weekend with six points from six available, while Alavés has emerged as an early surprise in Spain with seven points from its opening three matches.
With most of Europe’s weekend schedule still to be played Saturday and Sunday, Friday provided an eventful opening act featuring 25 goals across these seven notable matches.