5 Things To Note From the Weekend Fixtures

The weekend fixtures gave us everything, goals, frustration, redemption, and a few warning signs for the big sides. It was one of those rounds that quietly reshapes narratives, not through shock upsets, but through the way patterns begin to repeat. Liverpool look rattled, Madrid and Barcelona seem unsure, Bayern continue their dominance, and the Ballon d’Or race between the usual suspects continues.

1. Liverpool Still Haven’t Fixed Their Core Issues

Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United was not just another defeat, it was their fourth straight loss in all competitions, their worst run since November 2014. That stat alone tells the story. The team looks disconnected, predictable, and mentally drained. Slot’s early spark seems gone, and what remains is a side struggling to translate possession into danger and the danger they do create into goals. The new signings have not gelled properly, Salah looks isolated as a touchline winger, and the midfield lacks bite when they lose the ball. There is control in moments, but no conviction in the execution, and the rest-defense keeps getting ripped apart on transitions.

2. Madrid and Barcelona Look Unready for the Clasico

The two Spanish giants won their matches, but neither looks convincing. Madrid scraped past Getafe with an 80th-minute goal from Mbappe after Arda Guler and Vinicius came on to provide the spark for a Madrid side that looked blunt before they came on. Guler provided the assist for Mbappe’s goal that came after Getafe went a man down from a foul on Vini and the win was secured after Getafe went another man down from another foul on the Brazilian, yet the overall performance was flat and Getafe could have equalized with 9 men in the dying embers. They had control but no incision, and their buildup without Huijsen looked robotic, Mastantuono was poor and Mbappé looked off. Over in Catalonia, Barcelona beat Girona, but it was anything but dominant. Girona should have been four or five up before halftime, carving through Barça’s high line like it wasn’t there. Lamine didn’t have the best of matches and the press looked uncoordinated. Ahead of the Clasico, injuries to Lewandowski, Ferran, and Raphinha have stripped them of rhythm, and they look one more slip away from losing control of their season. As El Clásico approaches, both clubs look vulnerable.

3. Bayern Look Unstoppable Again

When Bayern click, it is terrifying. Their 2-1 win over Dortmund in Der Klassiker was not just another statement, it was another reminder that when they start rolling, no one in Germany matches their level of control. That makes it eleven wins from eleven this season, extending their record regarding the best start in European football history. Kane looks untouchable, scoring his 19th club goal of the season but playing as a 10 this time and linking play with a calmness that defines elite forwards. Olise continues the form that made him such a revelation last season with another goal, and Luis Díaz has slotted in like he has been there for years. The structure feels complete again, every player knows his role, and opponents are being dismantled methodically. Bayern are not just winning, they are playing with authority that signals danger for the rest of Europe.

4. Manchester City Quietly Re-Entering the Title Race

City have seen this movie before a slow start, questions flying around, and then a familiar rise through the table. Questions still linger about how they’ll fare without Rodri, especially in the bigger games but with the form Erling Haaland is in, they simply cannot be ruled out completely. The title race that many thought would majorly be between Arsenal and Liverpool is turning into a 3 horse race. Liverpool’s awful form has opened the door, and Guardiola’s side are walking right through it. Their latest win pushed them back to second, within a point of Arsenal in 1st. The confidence is returning with every game. Foden is also finding his best form again , producing in silence and creating chances. Nico O’Reilly has been a revelation at left back, getting another assist in their 2-0 win Vs Everton. The patterns look sharp. City do not panic, they wait, they adjust, and when the moment comes, they take over.
They are not the loudest team in England right now, but they are putting themselves back on everyone’s radar.

5. The Ballon d’Or Race Is Heating Up

Kane, Mbappé, and Haaland three names, one golden prize. Each of them scored again this weekend, each keeping pace in what is shaping up to be a very interesting Ballon d’Or race. Kane is thriving in a Bayern side that looks unbeatable, another goal vs Dortmund takes him to 22 goals in all competitions this season, Mbappe’s winner against Getafe took him to 18 and Haaland’s numbers are back in their frightening zone with 2 against Everton to take him to 23. None of them are slowing down, and every goal feels like a statement. What will separate them might not even be individual brilliance, but whose team goes furthest in Europe.

The early season chaos is starting to dissipate, and the outlines of each team’s reality are becoming clearer. Liverpool’s cracks are widening, Madrid and Barcelona are still searching for rhythm and balance, and Bayern look like they are already in April form. City are rising quietly behind them, and the world’s best players are trading goals like blows in a title fight. The season is settling, but it feels like the calm before something bigger.