Jose Mourinho has made an explosive start to his Real Madrid tenure, and Jude Bellingham appears to be a central reason why. A 4-0 demolition of Malaga at the Santiago Bernabéu extended Madrid's perfect record to three wins from three under the Portuguese manager, with Bellingham outstanding in the No 10 role.

Bellingham thriving as Madrid's attacking fulcrum

Throughout his time in the Spanish capital, Bellingham has been deployed in a variety of positions — deeper in midfield, out wide, and even up front — by former boss Carlo Ancelotti. Mourinho, however, has been unambiguous in his vision: Bellingham operates directly behind Kylian Mbappé, and the partnership is already producing results.

Against Malaga, Bellingham was the standout performer on the pitch. Trent Alexander-Arnold weighed in with a trademark assist, while Mbappé added to his midweek hat-trick against Real Sociedad with another goal. Arda Guler came off the bench to seal the fourth, with Yan Diomande and Bernardo Silva also introduced as substitutes — a bench that also included Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, and last week's match-winner Carlos Espi, underlining just how deep Madrid's squad now runs.

The chemistry between Mourinho and Bellingham may not be entirely coincidental. The player famously revealed in 2024 that the manager was his mother's favourite coach. Beyond that amusing detail, the two share an intensity and a relentless demand for excellence from those around them.

Spanish newspaper Marca noted how frequently Madrid have squandered games of this nature in recent seasons. So far, Mourinho has avoided that trap — and crucially, no friction with Vinicius Junior has yet surfaced publicly.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich hit five, Elversberg stun Leverkusen

Bayern Munich launched their Bundesliga campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Stuttgart, and Harry Kane did not even need to score. New signing Ismael Saibari came off the bench to replace fellow new arrival Nathaniel Brown and assisted the final two goals. Sporting director Christoph Freund has described the Moroccan as a player capable of partnering Kane as well as operating on the wings — a genuinely versatile addition to an already formidable squad.

Borussia Dortmund beat Hamburg 2-0 through a Giannis Konstantelias goal on his first start, but the victory was immediately overshadowed by the winger suffering a cruciate ligament injury. Meanwhile, newly promoted Elversberg — playing regional football as recently as 2022 — produced one of the results of the weekend, beating reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on their Bundesliga debut. Their next home fixture? Bayern Munich.

Serie A: Como upset Napoli, Inter set the pace

The headline result in Italy saw Como win 2-1 at Napoli, with Martin Baturina scoring the opener and his pressing directly creating the winner for Anastasios Douvikas. Rasmus Hojlund scored a fine goal for the hosts, but Cesc Fabregas's side held firm. Four Serie A games in, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, and AC Milan each have perfect records — with champions Inter sitting top after a 1-0 win at Cagliari, despite registering 31 shots and an expected-goals figure of 3.91.

AC Milan's 2-0 win over Venezia showcased Gonçalo Ramos, who cost the club £63 million from PSG. The Portuguese striker missed four big chances but generated eight attempts and eventually broke the deadlock midway through the second half — a performance that was far from clinical yet full of promise.

Ligue 1: Monaco lead as PSG stumble

Paris Saint-Germain, reigning European champions, needed stoppage-time goals from Vitinha and Marquinhos to rescue a 2-2 draw at Lille — leaving them without a win in three matches. Dilane Bakwa, on loan from Nottingham Forest, struck on debut for Lille in a performance that deserved a winner.

Monaco, by contrast, are the only side in Ligue 1 with a flawless record after a 2-0 defeat of Marseille, with young striker Paris Brunner netting both goals.