21 September 2026
European football has entered one of the busiest phases of the season.
Domestic leagues are developing their first clear patterns, European competitions have begun and national teams are preparing for another international window.
Austria: Rapid lead the Bundesliga
Rapid Wien currently sit first with 18 points from seven matches, followed by Salzburg with 17 and LASK with 16.
Rapid strengthened their position with a 3–0 victory over WSG Tirol.
LASK, meanwhile, were held 3–3 by Hartberg after twice leading by two goals.
Salzburg moved into second place after defeating Sturm Graz 3–0.
Champions League
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase began on 8 September. LASK opened its campaign with a 0–1 defeat away to AEK Athens.
The next major challenge comes on 14 October, when LASK host Liverpool.
The first matchday also produced several high-scoring results, including:
- Barcelona 5–1 Feyenoord
- PSG 6–1 Slovan Bratislava
- Bayern Munich 5–0 Bodø/Glimt
- Liverpool 2–1 Atlético Madrid
- Real Madrid 2–1 Inter
- Manchester City 2–0 Porto
Europa League
The Europa League league phase also began last week.
For the Austrian clubs:
Sturm Graz 0–0 Rennes
and
Levski Sofia 0–1 Salzburg.
Salzburg’s next Europa League match is a major home fixture against Milan on 15 October. Sturm travel to Bournemouth.
England: another dramatic weekend
The Premier League also produced significant results over the weekend.
Brighton defeated Arsenal 3–0, while Aston Villa beat Tottenham 3–2.
Such early-season results continue to demonstrate how quickly the league table can change before a stable hierarchy develops.
Austria’s national team
The international window now becomes particularly important for Austria.
The team faces Israel on 24 September and Kosovo on 27 September in the Nations League.
Marcel Sabitzer has announced a break from the national team, while David Alaba is also unavailable for the opening matches.
That creates additional opportunities for other players to take on responsibility.
Seven-day review
The past week included:
- the opening Champions League matches,
- the opening Europa League matches,
- Rapid taking the Austrian Bundesliga lead,
- Salzburg moving into second,
- LASK dropping to third after the Hartberg draw,
- major Premier League results,
- the preparation of European national teams for the international window.
Looking ahead
The coming week is dominated by international football.
For academies and young players, this period is particularly interesting because international windows often highlight a broader pool of emerging talent.
The long-term question is not simply:
Who wins the next match?
It is:
Which players are building the skills, discipline and mentality required for the next level?
ACADEMIES24 FOOTBALL TAKEAWAY
Today’s talent becomes tomorrow’s football only when talent meets development.