The 2024-25 football season has finally begun and clubs are all set to secure their ultimate glory in the new campaign. Similarly, the reigning champions of all the top five European leagues have begun their title defences in the new season, namely Real Madrid (La Liga), Manchester City (Premier League), Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga), Inter Milan (Serie A) and Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1). All five champions have made minor changes to their squads for the start of their campaign, but how well have they performed at the start of the season?
Real Madrid (La Liga)
2023-24 La Liga champions Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid began the 2024-25 season with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix stadium. Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 13th minute to give Madrid a 1-0 lead in the match. However, Murici equalized for Mallorca in the 53rd minute. Neither team could score again after that and the match ended in a draw for both teams. The biggest disappointment for Madrid would be that their star player, Kylian Mbappé, failed to get his name on the scoreboard. However, the season has only just begun and with Real Madrid’s history of late comebacks, fans can expect an exciting season.
Madrid will play against Valladolid on Sunday, August 25.
Manchester City (Premier League)
Four-time reigning champions Manchester City have made a good start to their fourth consecutive title defence as they currently lead the points table with six points from two games. City opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before beating newly promoted Ipswich Town 4-1 at the Etihad. Their star man Haaland scored both goals and with Gundogan and the injured Rodri returning, they are once again favourites to win the competition.
Manchester City next play West Ham on Saturday, August 31.
Internazionale (Serie A)
Inter Milan have had a mixed start to the 2024-25 season. They opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Genoa before beating Lecce 2-0 at the San Siro. They currently sit top of the table with four points from two games.
Milan will play their next match against Atalanta on Saturday, August 31.
Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
In one of the biggest surprises of the 2023-24 season, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern Munich’s run of dominance in the Bundesliga, winning their first title while remaining unbeaten throughout the campaign. The German champions picked up where they left off last season by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 in their opening match of the 2024-25 campaign. While many may have considered Leverkusen’s run last season to be a fluke, Xabi Alonso and his team will be eager to prove them wrong once again.
Bayer Leverkusen will play their next match against VfL Bochum on Saturday, August 31.
Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a setback before the season even started when their striker, Kylian Mbappé, left them on a free transfer to Real Madrid. However, the French champions have shrugged it off and are on their way to success. They opened the new season with a huge 4-1 win over Le Havre before beating Montpellier 6-0 in their second match. They currently sit top of the table with six points from two games.
PSG next play Lille on Monday, September 2.
First publication: Aug 25, 2024 | 3:36 PM IST