Key Highlights from Europe This Week: Leverkusen Dominates Bayern, Bellingham Sustains Injury, and More

The past weekend was filled with exciting top-of-the-table matches all over Europe.

Bayer Leverkusen went toe-to-toe with the current Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich, winning the match decisively with a 3-0 scoreline, while Real Madrid clashed with La Liga's unexpected sensation Girona, trouncing them 4-0.

Following this thrilling weekend, let's delve into the major highlights from across the continent.

In the previous season, Napoli captivated everyone with their spectacular performances, leading to their notable league title victory.

The mantle has been taken up by Bayer Leverkusen this season.

The team under Xabi Alonso's guidance has been playing impressive football throughout the 2023/24 season, and showcased yet another excellent performance on Saturday, defeating their title opponents Bayern Munich 3-0 at the Bay Arena, thanks to goals from Alex Grimaldo, Jeremie Frimpong, and Josip Stanisic.

While Leverkusen's brilliance has been undeniably noticeable, Bayern Munich's recent lackluster performance has also been apparent.

Their 3-0 loss over the weekend marks another faltering performance for the Bayern side that appears to be currently lacking a strong identity.

While Harry Kane has received criticism for his performance, the shortcomings of Bayern are mainly due to Thomas Tuchel.

The former Chelsea boss' continuous changes in formation and team members have resulted in a squad that is exceptional only on paper but average in real terms.

Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Eduardo Camavinga, Nacho Fernandez, David Alaba, Arda Guler, Dani Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy.

This is a roster of players whom Real Madrid have missed at multiple points this season due to various injuries.

On Saturday, Madrid played without Courtois, Militao, Alaba, Nacho, and Rudiger, and Bellingham had to leave the field in the 57th minute due to injury. However, Los Blancos still succeeded in defeating their main title contenders Girona.

Despite their share of hardships this season, Madrid has consistently delivered spectacular performances, an exceedingly remarkable feat.

Though it might appear exaggerated, it is certainly not.

Barcelona's unimpressive 3-3 draw against Granada was the fifth instance in 2024 when Xavi Hernandez's side conceded three or more goals in a match, bringing their total conceded goals for the year to an alarming 23.