Raspadori is Napoli’s latest new weapon in unbeaten start

For a team that lost its captain, all-time leading scorer and defensive stalwart in the offseason, Napoli has filled in the holes masterfully.

With every match, it seems, the southern club discovers a new weapon.

After midfielder Piotr Zieliński shined in the attention-getting 41 win over Liverpool in the Champions League, reserve striker Giacomo Raspadori scored his first goal for Napoli in the 89th minute of a 1-0 victory over Spezia in Serie A on Saturday. The last-gasp win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona moved unbeaten Napoli atop the Italian league standings, one point ahead of Atalanta, which can reclaim the lead when it hosts promoted Cremonese on Sunday.

Defending champion AC Milan, which was playing at Sampdoria later, could also move level on points with Napoli.

Napoli is chasing its first league title since Maradona led the club to its only two Serie A championships in 1987 and 1990.

Raspadori, the 22-year-old loaned from Sassuolo, started in the place of injured Victor Osimhen and Spalletti kept him on to the end despite substituting most of his other attacking players.

Spalletti's decision paid off when Raspadori put himself in position to redirect a cross from Hirving Lozano and fire inside the back post.

It was just what Napoli had in mind when it agreed to the loan deal, which requires the club to purchase Raspadori's full rights at the end of the season for 30 million euros ($30 million).

What's more is that Raspadori became Napoli's eighth different scorer in Serie A this season, tied for the most in the league with Inter Milan.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 21year-old Georgia winger who has already scored four goals and was named Serie A's player of the month for August, showed off his skills again on the left flank when he dribbled through the legs of two defenders on the same play in the first half.

A few minutes later, "Kvara" was at it again with more dizzying dribbling moves to shake off his markers. His shot this time was a bit more precise but Spezia goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski smothered his effort in front of the near post.

Zieliński came on as a secondhalf substitute and made an immediate impact, producing a long-range shot that Poland teammate Drągowski had to palm over the crossbar.

Spezia also threatened on occasion and center back Amir Rrahmani had to clear a shot off the line amid chaos within Napoli's defense.

In all, Napoli is doing well to move on after former captain Lorenzo Insigne left for Toronto FC, record scorer Dries Mertens went to Galatasarary and physical defender Kalidou Koulibaly joined Chelsea.

South Korea center back Kim Min-jae, Koulibaly's replacement, was rested after he, too, has made a big impact.

Spalletti was sent off with his second yellow card amid scuffles after Raspadori's goal, which also resulted in a red card for Spezia's goalkeepers coach.

Up next for Napoli is a visit to Rangers in the Champions League on Tuesday. Then Spalletti should be suspended for next weekend's clash with Milan.

Rose's revenge as Leipzig beats Dortmund, Bayern held again

Leipzig's new coach Marco Rose oversaw a 3-0 rout of Borussia Dortmund, the club which fired him at the end of last season, and Bayern Munich was held Saturday to its third straight draw in the Bundesliga with a 2-2 draw against Stuttgart.

Serhou Guirassy scored an injury-time penalty for Stuttgart in another blow for Bayern ahead of its Champions League groupstage game against Barcelona on Tuesday. Bayern drew its previous league games against Union Berlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Rose takes Leipzig to Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League after claiming a refreshing victory over Dortmund on his Leipzig debut. Rose steered Leipzig to what was just its second win in six Bundesliga games. Rose was appointed by Leipzig on Thursday to take over from the fired Domenico Tedesco.

Will Orban got Rose's team off to a great start with a header after a corner in the sixth and Leipzig maintained its intensity until Dominik Szoboszlai made it 2-0 with a brilliant strike from distance before the break.

Dortmund improved after the interval. Coach Edin Terzić increased the team's offensive capability when he brought on Gio Reyna and Youssoufa Moukoko in the 59th. Justin Njinmah, another forward, followed 10 minutes later, shortly before Reyna set up Anthony Modeste for the team's best chance in the 63rd.

But Amadou Haidara sealed Leipzig's win in the 84th after Szoboszlai won the ball from Thomas Meunier and fed it to Timo Werner to set him up.

Bayern was unable to profit much from Dortmund's slip, though it looked fine when Mathys Tel opened the scoring in the 36th. Alphonso Davies cut the ball back for the French teenager's first Bundesliga goal.

Stuttgart's Guirassy had an equalizer ruled out after the break through VAR for a foul by Chris Führich in the buildup. TV replays showed a slight tug on Joshua Kimmich's shirt before Führich set up his teammate.

But Führich atoned by scoring in the 57th when Konstantinos Mavropanos intercepted Davies' poor pass to play him through.

Then Jamal Musiala showed his skill with a sleight of foot to elude Atakan Karazor before sending the ball inside the left post on the hour-mark. It was the 19-yearold's fourth goal in five league appearances.

VAR played a role again when Matthijs de Ligt was penalized in injury time. Guirassy stole a point for Stuttgart with the spot kick.

Also, Bayer Leverkusen came back to draw at Hertha Berlin 22, Hoffenheim enjoyed a 4-1 win over 10-man Mainz, and Niko Kovac's Wolfsburg team earned a 1-0 win at his former club Eintracht Frankfurt.

Neymar keeps scoring, Donnarumma keeps saving for PSG

The goals keep coming for Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, and Gianluigi Donnarumma keeps stopping them at the other end.

The Brazil forward netted his eighth goal in seven French league games and Donnarumma parried away a penalty to lead PSG back to the top with a 1-0 win over Brest on Saturday.

Still unbeaten in all competitions, PSG had briefly dropped to second place following Len's 1-0 win against Troyes on Friday.

With their sixth league win, Christophe Galtier's team moved two points clear.

The goal took Neymar to the top of the scoring charts ahead of teammate Kylian Mbappé. With the World Cup looming later this year, the former Barcelona player has been in excellent form, with an additional six assists.