Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:
GERMANY
GUIRASSY INJURY TAKES GLOSS OFF STUTTGART WIN
VfB Stuttgart’s Bundesliga top scorer Serhou Guirassy will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering an injury in their 3-0 win at Union Berlin on Saturday.
The Guinea international netted a record-breaking 14th goal in his eighth league match before going off in the first half.
“Serhou Guirassy picked up a minor muscle injury in his left thigh against Union Berlin. The 27-year-old will not be available for a few weeks.”
Stuttgart have had a sensational start to the season and are in second place, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen.
ITALY
NAPOLI’S KVARADONA BACK ON TRACK WITH DOUBLE
Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has made a remarkable return to top form, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday.
The Georgia winger earned the title of most valuable player in Serie A last season. After a lacklustre start to the new campaign, he now has the two goals plus three assists in Napli’s last four league matches.
An in-form Kvaratskhelia, affectionately known as “Kvaradona”, will be a crucial asset for manager Rudi Garcia with key striker Victor Osimhen sidelined by an injury.
“… now he attacks without that pressure to score at all costs, and when he plays like that he makes the difference,” Garcia said.
FRANCE
NICE’S FARIOLI WANTS MORE AFTER ENCOURAGING START
Francesco Farioli’s Nice continued their impressive start to the season with a 1-0 home victory against Olympique Marseille that took them into second place in Ligue 1 with 19 points, one point behind AS Monaco after nine games.
Nice have only conceded four goals so far, the fewest in the top five leagues in Europe.
However the club’s 34-year-old Italian coach is not resting on his laurels, even though his side remain unbeaten and have yet to trail this season.
“If you want to stay at the top, you absolutely have to keep raising your standards,” Farioli said Saturday’s win. “We still have a lot to achieve.”
BULGARIA
Keeper Petrov breaks record for oldest player
Slavia Sofia’s evergreen goalkeeper Georgi Petkov broke the record for the oldest player to appear in the Bulgarian top flight once again when he came on as a substitute in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Hebar Pazardzhik.
Petkov, who made a handful of appearances for Bulgaria between 1998 and 2018, came on for 26-year-old Nikolay Krustev in stoppage time to set the record at the age of 47.
The veteran even saved a penalty, celebrating with his team mates with a shushing gesture, but the VAR asked for it to be retaken as he was not on his line and Georgi Valchev scored the winner in the 98th minute when he was given a second chance.
ENGLAND
Fans pay tribute to Bobby Charlton at Old Trafford
Fans of all ages gathered at Old Trafford on Sunday to remember Manchester United great Bobby Charlton, who died on Saturday, lining up to sign a book of condolence and laying flowers and scarves at the foot of the Trinity Statue.
Someone had climbed the statue, which is now surrounded by fencing, to tie a red United scarf around Charlton’s neck.
Pep Guardiola, manager of city rivals Manchester City, called Charlton’s death “a huge loss for his family, for Manchester United, for English football, for European football”.
Other clubs offered condolences on social media.
Hours after learning of Charlton’s death, Manchester United won 2-1 at Sheffield United with Diogo Dalot scoring the winner in the 77th minute with a brilliant strike from outside the box – a fitting tribute to Charlton who was famous for his spectacular strikes from distance.
Chants of “One Bobby Charlton” rang out from the away end after the goal.
Manchester United said commemorative plans ahead of the team’s Champions League group stage match against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday are being discussed.
