Manchester Derby Chaos, Elversberg's Giant-Killing Dream and Weekend Predictions

Buckle up, soccer fans. Another weekend of European chaos is upon us, and the slate is stacked. We've got a Manchester derby, a Bundesliga fairy tale trying to slay the biggest dragon of them all, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid hunting momentum, and PSG still stuck in neutral. Let's get into the must-watch matches and predictions.

Manchester Derby: Maresca's First Test Against United

Manchester City are rolling. Three wins from three in the Premier League, a Champions League road win midweek, and a shiny new £326 million midfield. Enzo Maresca has City purring. But this is his first Manchester derby, where form goes to die and emotion takes over.

Erling Haaland is always a problem, and Rayan Cherki is cooking as the playmaker. The new midfield trio of Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernández is already showing its worth, with Bouaddi outstanding against FC Porto in the Champions League. But can they handle their biggest test yet?

United's season? A loss to Hull, a big win over Ipswich, and a draw with Everton where they conceded a 96th-minute equalizer. They've also had two days fewer rest after playing Sabah in their Champions League opener Thursday evening. They need a statement win. City want more proof that life under Maresca is easy.

Prediction: Man United 1-2 Man City. Form says City should win. United will need their best performance of the season, but I expect them to fall short.

Elversberg vs. Bayern: David vs. Goliath on Steroids

Elversberg have spent about €12 million on transfers in their entire history. That's roughly a quarter of what Bayern Munich spent to sign Nathaniel Brown alone from Eintracht Frankfurt. And yet, after two games, Elversberg are two points ahead of Bayern.

They opened with a 3-2 win over 2024 Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, then backed it up with a 4-3 road win over Borussia Monchengladbach, complete with a 92nd-minute winner from Maurice Krattenmacher. It's the best story in European soccer, and they're doing it the Elversberg way, according to technical director Dr. Josef Welzmüller.

Bayern started with a 5-1 thumping of Stuttgart, then got stuck at Schalke in a 0-0 draw. Loris Karius put on a show, and Harry Kane came off the bench. Bayern head to Elversberg as overwhelming favorites, but they played Thursday against Bodo/Glimt, while Elversberg had a full week to plot the masterplan.

Prediction: Elversberg 3-3 Bayern Munich. Elversberg will attack, they should score, and Bayern's legs will be heavy. This ends level in a wild one.

WSL: Manchester United vs. Chelsea — Both Need a Reset

Both teams want a do-over on their season openers. Manchester United were dismal at London City Lionesses, while Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Aston Villa. United, under new boss Eva Olid, managed just one shot on target at Bromley — a 99th-minute consolation from Simi Awujo after being outplayed by Alexia Putellas' crew in a 2-1 loss.

Ella Toone had only seven touches against London City. That tells you everything about United's lack of threat. They looked shaky at the back and should have lost by more. Olid says it's a mental block. Her promise of attacking football is still waiting to show up.

Chelsea had departures over the summer and started with that draw at Stamford Bridge. Lauren James scored a typically eye-catching goal, but Chelsea fired 34 shots with only eight on target. Wasteful is an understatement. They won the League Cup last season but are desperate to regain the WSL crown. Katie McCabe said they won't panic, but they need a bounce-back.

Prediction: Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea. Chelsea have too much, but United should look better.

Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano: Mourinho Needs Momentum

Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Real Betis last weekend — the first defeat of Jose Mourinho's return. They snuck past Inter Milan midweek 2-1, but the scoreline lied. Inter were on top in the first half yet went into the break 2-0 down due to self-inflicted mistakes. Inter grabbed a late consolation, but Madrid, without Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva, got the win.

Yan Diomande was on the bench. It's been a slow start for the £120 million signing. This could be his chance to stretch his legs, but Madrid need a statement performance. Kylian Mbappé was back to his usual self against Inter after a tricky Betis match where he missed a penalty. Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois — along with Güler — have been Madrid's standout players. Now they need a collective showing.

Rayo Vallecano, last season's Conference League finalists, drew 1-1 with Alaves, lost 5-2 to Barcelona, then beat Racing Santander 3-2 after coming back from a goal down twice. They finished with nine men after Fran Pérez and Jorge de Frutos were sent off, but Sergio Camello's two goals saved them. With Atlético Madrid looming on Sept. 20, Madrid must find momentum.

Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Rayo Vallecano. Mourinho's side will have too much for their neighbors.

Brest vs. PSG: Can Paris Finally Win in Ligue 1?

Ligue 1 is intriguing this weekend. Paris FC vs. Lyon is a third vs. second clash. Monaco, the only team with three wins from three, travel to BlueCo's Strasbourg on Saturday. But all eyes are on PSG.

They smashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 but have been underwhelming domestically. They already surrendered the Trophée des Champions to Lens. In Ligue 1, they've drawn twice and lost 2-1 at home to Monaco last weekend. It's their worst start under Luis Enrique. He's spent the week telling his players to forget the past and deliver now.

A trip to Brest won't be easy. Brest are unbeaten with two draws and a win. PSG have their 10 Ballon d'Or nominees and a morale-boosting midweek waltz, but Sunday is about finally getting their season going.

Prediction: Brest 2-2 PSG. The wait for PSG's first league win continues.

Tottenham vs. Everton: Spurs Need to Prove the Summer Wasn't a Disaster

Tottenham spent around £330 million this summer and have yet to score in the Premier League. They're one of three teams in England's top tier with that record. Pressure is mounting. Memories of Mauricio Pochettino's reign resurfaced this week when he said Chelsea should've had their 2017 Premier League title stripped and handed to Spurs. Those days feel ancient.

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi said his forwards need better decisions after a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. On-loan winger Mykhailo Mudryk now faces months out injured. Another unwanted distraction.

Everton haven't had it easy either. David Moyes is doing an admirable job with a streamlined squad after missing out on US striker Folarin Balogun on deadline day. Fans are unimpressed with the summer business, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles made an early impact with a late equalizer against Manchester United.

Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Everton. Two taut sides, but Spurs have to come good eventually.

Lazio vs. AC Milan: Gattuso Faces His Old Flame

Before this one, spare a thought for Fiorentina. After three matches and a €164 million summer spend, they sacked Fabio Grosso and replaced him with Paolo Vanoli. Zero points, one goal scored, nine conceded. They travel to Venezia, also pointless, in what should be a proper arm-wrestle.

But Lazio vs. AC Milan is the Serie A spotlight. Lazio, Roma and Inter are all three from three. Roma travel to Torino on Monday, Inter host Udinese. Lazio have beaten Bologna 1-0, Genoa 1-0 and edged Udinese 2-1. All by slim margins. Milan are a sterner test.

Lazio boss Gennaro Gattuso is a Milan legend and former manager. He's gotten the best out of Davide Frattesi, but said after the Udinese win that he's yet to fully enjoy the start because he's forever waiting for the next complicated situation.

Ruben Amorim's Milan have beaten Torino and Venezia and drawn with Juventus. They've had wholescale squad change, and Amorim is still fine-tuning, especially in attack. The No. 10 conundrum remains. They struggled to create against Juventus and need things to click.

Prediction: Lazio 2-1 AC Milan. Lazio go four from four as Milan's attack stays uncertain.

West Ham vs. Wrexham: Can Wrexham Cause a Championship Upset?

West Ham had a shaky Championship start — a draw at Burnley and a home loss to Charlton — but they're finding rhythm. Jarrod Bowen is at the forefront of everything good, and wins over Wolves and Derby have them second in the Championship.

Wrexham are 14th with four frustrating draws from six matches. A win over Millwall on matchday five looked like a spark, but then came a 1-1 home draw with Burnley on Tuesday. Manager Phil Parkinson called for calm. Wrexham are struggling to turn attacking possession and glimpses of opportunity into clearcut chances and goals. That's been the story.

Elsewhere, Swansea vs. Burnley should entertain with Vitor Matos' side playing wondrous football in south Wales. Southampton vs. Bristol City is worth a look, and table-topping West Brom face fourth-placed QPR. The Championship always delivers.

Prediction: West Ham 2-0 Wrexham. Bowen inspires West Ham to more home points.