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The Premier League, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 returned with a vengeance last weekend, giving fans a teaser of what to expect in the 2022-23 season.
Thirty high-octane matches were witnessed, full of brilliant moments and great performances.
With La Liga and Serie A yet to commence, the action in the top five European leagues was a bit limited. But there was still a lot to write home about.
On that note, let’s check out the top five players who impressed last weekend.
#5 Darwin Nunez - Liverpool
Signed for an initial €75 million fee from Benfica, Darwin Nunez scored four goals for Liverpool in their pre-season campaign, with all four coming against RB Leipzig.
He scored again in the FA Community Shield 3-1 victory over Manchester City, winning his first trophy for his new employers. The Uruguayan's ruthlessness shone yet again in his Premier League debut against Fulham on Saturday (August 6).
Nunez scored one goal and set up another at Craven Cottage, helping the Reds to to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Marco Silva’s side. His goal, an equalizer, came in the 64th minute, with him backheeling the ball past Fulham keeper Marek Rodak.
Ten minutes from full time, he guided Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross onto Mohamed Salah’s path, allowing the Egyptian to poke it past Rodak and make it 2-2.
Nunez emerged as the standout performer for Jurgen Klopp’s side last weekend.
#4 Aleksander Mitrovic - Fulham
When Liverpool traveled to Fulham for their Premier League opener on Saturday, not many expected the hosts to put up a fight.
Although spirited, the newly promoted Cottagers were eventually expected to throw in the towel. Things, however, did not go according to the script that afternoon, with Aleksander Mitrovic putting in an unbelievable shift to help his team to a 2-2 draw.
Mitrovic kept Virgil van Dijk and Co. on their toes throughout the match and scored two goals to seal a brilliant point for Fulham. He first found the back of the net in the 32nd minute, rising above Alexander-Arnold to meet Kenny Tete’s cross and plant his header past Alisson.
Nunez equalized for the Reds in the 64th minute, but Mitrovic pulled the Cottagers ahead once again just eight minutes later.
The Serbian ran at Van Dijk and drew a foul from the Dutchman. The referee was in a great position to spot it and unhesitantly gave a penalty. Mitrovic calmly dispatched the resultant spot-kick restore Fulham’s lead.
Liverpool’s Salah scored the last goal of the match in the 80th minute as the match ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
#3 Neymar - Paris Saint-Germain
Much has been said about Neymar in the press. There have been reports linking him with a premature exit, with club president Nasser Al Khelaifi refusing to refute those rumors (via Fabrizio Romano).
The Brazilian forward, however, has remained unfazed, doing his best to make himself an invaluable member of the squad.
His declaration of intent shone through in PSG’ Ligue 1 opener against Clermont Foot on Saturday (August 6). The Brazilian pitched in with a goal and three assists in a commanding 5-0 win for the French champions away from home.
Neymar opened the scoring in the ninth minute, latching on to Lionel Messi’s offload and slotting it into the corner of Mory Diaw’s goal. Seventeen minutes later, Neymar set up Achraf Hakimi with a brilliant forward pass.
Then, seven minutes before half time, Neymar assisted Marquinhos’ header with a free-kick delivery. The 30-year-old’s third assist of the night came in the 80th minute as he linked up with Messi and set the Argentine up for a tap-in.
#2 Erling Haaland - Manchester City
Premier League champions Manchester City splurged €60 million to trigger Erling Haaland’s buyout clause at Borussia Dortmund and bring him to the Etihad Stadium in July.
Haaland scored within 12 minutes of his pre-season debut against Bayern Munich, but failed to make a similar impact in the FA Community Shield as City succumbed to 3-1 at the hands of Liverpool.
However, on Sunday (August 7), the Norwegian netted a brace against West Ham United in his Premier League debut. Buoyed by his fantastic double, the Citizens cruised to a 2-0 win at the London Stadium.
Haaland opened the scoring for Pep Guardiola’s side in the 36th minute, converting a penalty, which he won by drawing a foul from West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola.
Twenty minutes into the second half, Haaland made a clever run off the shoulder of West Ham’s backline. The 21-year-old easily beat the offside trap to get on the end of Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball and thumped it past the keeper.
#1 Lionel Messi - Paris Saint-Germain
After spending his entire professional career at Barcelona, Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Playing in a new league without a proper pre-season, the Argentine endured a sub-par campaign in his debut season in France. He managed only 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 matches across competitions.
Now used to his new surroundings and with a proper pre-season under his belt, Messi is gearing up to enjoy a considerably better campaign.
The 35-year-old’s intentions were for all to see in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener against Clermont Foot. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a brace and provided an assist in an emphatic 5-0 win away from home.
In the ninth minute, Messi cheekily flicked the ball on to Neymar’s path, and the Brazilian took care of the rest to break the deadlock.
Messi’s brace came in the final 10 minutes of the match, with him netting in the 80th and 86th minutes. His first was a simple tap-in after Neymar did brilliantly to pierce the Clermont Foot defense.
His second, on the other hand, was one for the highlight reel. Messi chested down Leandro Paredes’ lobbed pass inside the box and executed a brilliant overhead kick to beat keeper Mory Diaw.
An unbelievable piece of skill from arguably the world’s best.
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