By mid-October, the unbeaten clubs have become a small but telling group across Europe’s major leagues. Twelve sides remain without a league defeat: four in Serie A, three in England, three in Germany, one in Spain and one in France. Italy supplies the largest contingent, with Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan turning the early title race into a four-way unbeaten argument between Milan and the capital.
Key takeaways
- Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan are still unbeaten in Serie A, the highest total among Europe’s five leading leagues.
- Milan have drawn three times and have often regarded those results as opportunities missed rather than points gained.
- Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City have won every league match, while Brentford and Everton remain unbeaten despite very different starts.
- Barcelona have eight wins from eight and 34 league goals, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal leading the scoring chart.
- Monaco lead Ligue 1 without defeat after beating Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Lens under Filipe Luis.
Serie A’s four unbeaten paths
Inter remain the most familiar presence in this company: composed, resilient and capable of recovering even after allowing opponents a two-goal advantage. Their unbeaten start fits the standards expected of a club accustomed to operating at the top of the Italian game.
Lazio are the more surprising case. Gennaro Gattuso inherited a squad assembled during the summer at little cost, yet it has found an immediate balance. Davide Frattesi has quickly rediscovered his strongest form, Tijjani Noslin has produced like a striker for a side at the summit, and Nuno Tavares has made such an impression that his coach would not exchange him for any full-back apart from Nuno Mendes.
Roma’s record carries a particular warning. Their only defeats have come in matches where they conceded three times during the closing 10 minutes, each goal arising from a set piece. The underlying sense is of a team that can stay in games for long stretches, but whose late defensive details have carried a heavy price.
Milan, meanwhile, have attracted more scrutiny than celebration despite remaining unbeaten. Three draws have slowed their rhythm, and in at least two of those fixtures the prevailing feeling was not relief at avoiding defeat but frustration at having left two points behind. An unbeaten record can protect a season; it does not automatically settle every question around it.
Europe’s other unbeaten stories
In England, Manchester City have established the cleanest record of all. Maresca’s team have won every league game so far, while Arsenal have already lost to Brighton. Behind City, Brentford and Everton have taken contrasting routes to their undefeated starts.
Brentford remain closely tied to the long-term work of Matthew Benham, the former London financial risk analyst who made his fortune in betting and placed data at the centre of the club’s decision-making. Keith Andrews, an Irishman born in 1980, was given his first senior head-coach role only this summer and has made a successful start. The promotion of an assistant into the leading role is more commonly associated with North American sport than English football. On the right flank, Italian connection comes through Kayode.
Everton’s run has been built less on a statistical revolution than on the value of renewed trust. David Moyes is back on the bench, Jordan Pickford remains in goal, and Jack Grealish and Brennan Johnson provide quality near the opposition area. Everton have won only twice since August — 2-0 against Crystal Palace and 1-0 over Ipswich — with the rest ending level. If Thierno Barry can continue finding goals, that measured start may acquire greater weight.
Spain has only one unbeaten side, and it is Barcelona rather than Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Villarreal. Barcelona have won all eight league fixtures and scored 34 goals, exceeding four per match. Raphinha sits first in the scoring standings, followed by Lamine Yamal. Hansi Flick has also increased competition within the group through Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus and Gordon. The next major examination comes on Sunday at 21:00, when Barcelona host the Clasico at Camp Nou. It appears a sterner test for Jose Mourinho than for the Catalan side: Mourinho has lost against Betis and then in the derby, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico conceded three times in one half at Athletic Bilbao.
Germany has three unbeaten clubs. Freiburg have again made themselves difficult to dismiss. They finished seventh last season despite eight league losses; this time they have four victories and one draw. The sale of Manzambi has not disrupted them: Freiburg scored five against Borussia Monchengladbach and also won away to Schalke with 10 men. Vincenzo Grifo has not been a regular starter, but has featured from the bench in every match.
Bayern Munich remain the expected name, although draws with Schalke and Augsburg have been notable in an otherwise strong start. Borussia Dortmund follow a more recognisable pattern, built around young players, Serhou Guirassy’s goals and Niko Kovac’s work from the bench. Filippo Mané and Samuele Inacio have also appeared. Dortmund’s unbeaten league record does not extend to Europe, where they lost 1-0 to Bodo.
France completes the list with Monaco, not Paris Saint-Germain. Monaco beat PSG away from home and lead the league without a defeat, having also overcome Marseille and Lens. Filipe Luis, appointed from Flamengo during the summer, has adapted immediately to European management after a playing career largely spent in Spain.
Paris Brunner has been central to that beginning. The German forward, born in 2006, has long possessed talent but has not always applied it consistently. Now he is playing regularly and scoring, his distinctive dark-and-blond curls becoming part of Monaco’s early-season image. His form has helped limit the impact of Folarin Balogun’s lengthy absence, with Balogun now returning and offering another option for a side that has unexpectedly become France’s unbeaten standard-bearer.
