Freiburg missed the chance to reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga after suffering their first defeat of the campaign, dropping a 2-1 decision to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, October 18, 2026. In France, Mónaco also surrendered their unbeaten status in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 loss away to Lorient. Across Europe’s top flights, the weekend delivered rapid shifts in the standings, highlighted by a 50-meter goal in the English Premier League and a milestone scoring feat by Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick.
Freiburg Slips Against Leverkusen as Schick Sets a Scoring Milestone
Freiburg struck first when Derry Scherhant opened the scoring in the 14th minute. The visitors’ lead proved short-lived, however, as Ibrahim Maza drew Leverkusen level just five minutes later in the 19th minute. The decisive moment arrived in the 76th minute when Patrik Schick found the net.
With that strike, Schick became the first player of the Leverkusen to score in each of the opening six matches of a Bundesliga season. The victory continues a strong run under new coach Carles Martínez, who has now claimed six wins across seven matches in all competitions since starting his tenure with a surprise defeat to Elversberg.
The loss leaves Freiburg stationed on 13 points in the German top tier. They sit one point back of both second-place Borussia Dortmund and league leaders Bayern Múnich. Prior to Sunday, only Frankfurt had managed to take points off Freiburg, who had strung together eight wins in their previous nine matches across all competitions. Elsewhere in Germany, bottom-side Borussia Mönchengladbach fell 2-1 to visiting Hoffenheim.
Mónaco Drops Unbeaten Record in Ligue 1 While Lyon Takes the Lead
Mónaco entered their weekend fixture with a chance to secure first place in France, but a stubborn Lorient side ended their streak. Noah Cadiou converted a penalty in the 61st minute to seal a 1-0 victory for the hosts, stripping Mónaco of their status as the only unbeaten team in the French league.
Mónaco’s defeat dropped them to fifth place in the Ligue 1 table. They sit level on 14 points with Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, Paris FC, and Lille. Lyon capitalized on the shifting table later in the day by defeating Nice 2-1 to lead the Ligue 1. Meanwhile, Paris FC needed a stoppage-time penalty to edge Rennes 4-3 in a chaotic fixture featuring a hat-trick of penalties by Rennes player Estéban Lepaul, culminating in his third spot-kick conversion in the 88th minute. Lorient climbed to seventh, and Marseille recorded a 5-2 comeback victory at Angers under new coach Bruno Genesio, who had previously won only two of his first eight matches in total.
Diego Gómez Scores From Midfield as Brighton Rout Crystal Palace
In the English Premier League, Diego Gómez delivered a strike during a 5-0 victory of Brighton over Crystal Palace. The Paraguay international collected a loose ball near the center circle, took a touch past the halfway line, and unleashed a 50-meter shot that sailed over the head of Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez in the seventh minute.
Defending champions Arsenal required only a late goal from substitute Noni Madueke to secure a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Manchester United concluded a turbulent week by playing out a 1-1 draw away to fierce rivals Leeds.
AC Milan Climbs to Fourth in Italy While Barcelona Women Suffer Rare Defeat
AC Milan held off a late surge from Atalanta to secure a 3-2 victory, marking their second win in three matches across all competitions. Milan built a three-goal cushion by the 57th minute before conceding twice late, but managed to close out the match and climb to fourth in the Serie A standings, four points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
In other Italian action, Lazio defeated Juventus 3-0. Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti was forced to serve a one-match suspension following an altercation with Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane. The result lifted Lazio into second place, leaving Juventus anchored in eighth.
In Spain’s women’s top flight, Barcelona’s women team suffered their first defeat of the season—and their first in nearly a year—dropping a 2-1 result away to Real Sociedad. Barcelona, who lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy last season, still lead the Spanish league by two points over Real Madrid, while Real Sociedad sit in 12th place.
Celtic Routs Hearts to Extend Lead at the Summit in Scotland
Defending champions Celtic turned in a dominant display at home, thrashing Hearts 7-1 to widen the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Benjamin Nygren and Callum Osmand each netted twice for the hosts, who capitalized on Rangers’ 2-2 draw away to Dundee on Saturday to stretch their lead over their rivals to four points after nine rounds of fixtures.
