Real Madrid maintain perfect start to LaLiga campaign with another comeback win

Real Madrid were forced to come from behind to continue their perfect start to the new LaLiga season with a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad.

Jude Bellingham was presented with the player of the month award for August before kick-off, but the Santiago Bernabeu went silent after five minutes when Ander Barrenetxea put Sociedad in front.

It remained 1-0 until half-time, but Carlo Ancelotti’s men levelled immediately after the break with Federico Valverde side-footing home 40 seconds into the second half.

COMEBACK AT THE BERNABÉU, part 7453 pic.twitter.com/XNr6VqlcOu

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) September 17, 2023

Madrid’s winner arrived on the hour mark when Joselu headed home Fran Garcia’s cross to earn the LaLiga leaders a fifth consecutive win.

Earlier in the day, Mason Greenwood made his first appearance in 20 months and helped Getafe to a late 3-2 win over Osasuna.

Greenwood signed for Getafe on loan on transfer deadline day after Manchester United made the decision last month for the forward to continue his career away from Old Trafford after he was suspended by the club on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

One-time England forward Greenwood faced charges which included attempted rape and assault, but after the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February that the case had been discontinued, following the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material coming to light, he resumed his career in Madrid with a cameo in a five-goal thriller.

Introduced with 13 minutes left at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, Greenwood’s blocked shot forced a corner which resulted in Nemanja Maksimovic’s 86th-minute winner after the Serbian headed home Carles Alena’s cross.

It was later reported Greenwood received chants urging him to “die” by the visiting Osasuna supporters.

Europa League winners Sevilla claimed a first win of the new season after Dodi Lukebakio’s 71st-minute effort earned them a 1-0 victory at home to Las Palmas.

Villarreal required a stoppage-time header to beat Almeria after former Crystal Palace forward Alexander Sorloth nodded home from close range in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

#VillarrealAlmería pic.twitter.com/o27qjBs4tj

— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) September 17, 2023

Sergio Akieme had put Almeria ahead a minute before half-time, but Gerard Moreno levelled on the stroke of the interval before Sorloth headed in a last-gasp winner.

Roma put their poor start to the campaign behind them with Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku scoring in a 7-0 thrashing of Empoli.

Jose Mourinho’s side had lost two of their opening three Serie A fixtures, but Paulo Dybala and Renato Sanches put them 2-0 up inside eight minutes.

Empoli, the division’s bottom club, trailed 3-0 at the break thanks to Alberto Grassi’s own goal before Roma upped the ante after half-time with Dybala completing his brace before Lukaku fired home with eight minutes left following a quick break after Andrea Belotti’s pass. Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini were also on the scoresheet.

Fiorentina edged out Atalanta in a five-goal thriller with Christian Kouama firing the winner in the 76th-minute after Ademola Lookman looked to have salvaged a point for the visitors.

Teun Koopmeiners put Atalanta ahead before Giacomo Bonaventura and Lucas Martinez Quarta put the home side ahead at half-time.

Luca Mazzitelli’s brace inspired Frosinone to a 4-2 home victory over Sassuolo despite Andrea Pinamonti’s early double giving the visitors a two-goal advantage.

Walid Cheddira halved the deficit on the stroke of half-time before Mazzitelli’s double and Pol Lirola wrapped up the impressive comeback win.

MOOD. #ForzaViola #FiorentinaAtalanta #ACFFiorentina pic.twitter.com/3hwaLx4j2q

— ACF Fiorentina English (@ACFFiorentinaEN) September 17, 2023

Monza and Lecce finished with 10 men after Luca Caldirola and Federico Baschirotto received their marching orders respectively in a 1-1 draw. Nikola Krstovic’s third-minute penalty was cancelled out by Andrea Colpani.

There was also a red card in the goalless stalemate between Cagliari and Udinese after Mateusz Wieteska received a second yellow card late on.

Heidenheim capped a historic day for manager Frank Schmidt with a thrilling 4-2 win over Werder Bremen after Eren Dinkci’s double.

Dieser historische Moment, wenn du den ersten Heim-Dreier in der Bundesliga holst und zeitgleich den Amtszeit-Rekord als Trainer brichst!

#NurDerFCH #FCHSVW pic.twitter.com/LqKqC5HKhD

— 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 (@FCH1846) September 17, 2023

Schmidt became the longest-serving manager in German history on Sunday having taken over the club back in 2007 when they were in the fifth tier and his landmark occasion was marked with Heidenheim’s claiming a first-ever Bundesliga win.

Eren Dinkci’s brace against his parent club downed Werder Bremen at Voith Arena in Schmidt’s 591st match in charge of the newly-promoted outfit.

An early Tim Kleindienst penalty abd Dinkci’s first set them on their way, only for Marvin Ducksch and Mitchell Weiser to level for Bremen. However, Dinkci and Jan-Niklas Beste won it for the hosts.

Darmstadt and Borussia Monchengladbach shared the spoils after an entertaining 3-3 draw where the home side threw away a three-goal lead.

NEVER write off the Foals.#SVDBMG 3-3 pic.twitter.com/pIBSZjskPL

— Gladbach (@borussia_en) September 17, 2023

Marvin Mehlem, Matej Maglica, who was later sent off, and Tim Sharke put Darmstadt into a 3-0 lead at half-time, but Jordan Siebatcheu started the comeback before further efforts by Florian Neuhaus and Tomas Cvancara salvaged a point for Monchengladbach.

Folarin Balogun scored for Ligue 1 leaders Monaco but they were pegged back by a stoppage-time leveller by Romain Faivre in Lorient.

Aiyegun Tosin put Lorient ahead after two minutes but Aleksandr Golovin equalised for Adi Hutter’s Monaco before Balogun struck with 21 minutes left.

Faivre had the final say on proceedings when he fired into the bottom corner in the eighth minute of stoppage time in a match where former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, who was cleared of rape and attempted rape charges in July, made his first competitive appearance in two years.

Elsewhere, Marseille were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Toulouse and Lyon played out a goalless stalemate with visiting Le Havre.

Moses Simon’s solitary goal earned Nantes a first win of the season at Clermont, while Brest won 2-1 at Reims and Strasbourg came back to draw 2-2 with Montpellier.