Real Madrid cruise past Sociedad as Champions League qualifiers deliver drama

Real Madrid cruise past Sociedad as Champions League qualifiers deliver drama

ByArlind

La Liga

Real Madrid opened the league section of our roundup in emphatic fashion, putting four past Real Sociedad at what we can only assume was a lively Bernabéu. A 4-1 scoreline sends a clear early-season statement: Madrid are in no mood for a slow start. Sociedad, who have routinely troubled the big sides in recent campaigns, will be deflated to concede four and will need to regroup quickly. It is the kind of result that sets the tone for a title conversation before August is even out.

Champions League

The Champions League qualifying rounds produced three results with very different flavours on Wednesday evening, and together they paint a vivid picture of who is hitting their stride and who is not.

The headline act in the qualifiers was AEK Athens FC’s commanding 4-0 dismantling of Levski Sofia. That is a ruthless scoreline at any stage of a competition, and AEK will head into the next round brimming with confidence. For Levski, conceding four without reply represents a sobering evening and leaves them with a steep mountain to climb if a second leg follows.

The most striking upset of the round came in France, where Fenerbahçe edged Lyon 2-1. Lyon, playing on home soil, will feel the result keenly. The Turkish side showed the composure and quality that suggests they are not simply making up the numbers in this competition; winning away from home in a qualifying tie is always a significant achievement, and Fenerbahçe demonstrated exactly why they deserved to travel back with all three points. Lyon’s supporters will expect a response, and quickly.

The third qualifying tie saw Viking claim a healthy 3-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, a result that will raise eyebrows given Zagreb’s experience and pedigree in European competition. Viking lead with two goals to spare heading into what should be a tense second leg, should one be scheduled. The Norwegian side have given themselves a real platform, while Dinamo’s evening unravelled in a way their fans will not have anticipated.

Taken together, the Champions League card underlined a theme that surfaces every qualifying campaign: reputation counts for less than form at this stage, and Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb both discovered that on a difficult night for the more fancied names.

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Written by Arlind

Covers daily football news for MatchdayValue — results, standings, and the stories shaping the top five European leagues and the continental competitions.

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