Alexis Sanchez scored and was sent off in an eventful first Inter Milan start as his new club maintained their perfect start to the season with a 3-1 win at Sampdoria to stay top of Serie A ahead of champions Juventus, who eased past SPAL 2-0.
Manchester United flop Sanchez moved to Italy on a season-long loan deal after failing to live up to expectations at Old Trafford and the Chilean international made a big impact in Genoa, deflecting in Stefano Sensi’s long-range opener after 20 minutes and tapping in another Sensi cross two minutes later. However the 30-year-old was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving just after the break, leaving his side to play the entire second half a man down and wobbling after Jakub Jankto pulled one back in the 55th minute.
But Roberto Gagliardini slotted in the third just after an hour to give Antonio Conte’s side a huge boost days before their trip to Barcelona in the Champions League. Inter have a maximum 18 points from six games — two ahead of Juve — after winning their first six league matches for the first time since the 1966-67 season, with the pair set for a top-of-the-table clash at the San Siro next weekend.
Samp meanwhile are rock-bottom with three points after a dreadful start under Eusebio Di Francesco, level with SPAL following their defeat at the hands of Juve. Cristiano Ronaldo notched up his third consecutive goal at home this season after 78 minutes to add to Miralem Pjanic’s opener just before the break. Ronaldo was rested for the midweek win over Brescia as a precaution with a slight muscular problem ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen in Turin.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was unworried by SPAL as the 41-year-old made his 903rd club football appearance, surpassing the Italian record of 902 achieved by AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini.

Bayern edge Paderborn to go top, Leipzig slip up
Wasteful Bayern Munich were made to sweat for a 3-2 win at Paderborn that sent them top of the Bundesliga after RB Leipzig went down 3-1 at home to Schalke 04 for their first loss of the season.
Bayern squandered a bagful of chances, hit the woodwork and conceded two goals in the second half in an inconsistent performance that put a damper on their league lead.
The Bavarians went in front through Serge Gnabry in the 15th minute after a sensational start that saw them hit the post and create chance after chance. Top scorer Robert Lewandowski managed to somehow miss a completely open goal from 10 metres, firing wide. Gnabry then set up Philippe Coutinho 10 minutes after the restart for their second goal but instead of scoring again it was the hosts who came alive with Kai Proeger’s powerful volley in the 68th.
Lewandowski got on the scoresheet with his 10th league strike when he chipped keeper Jannik Huth in the 80th to restore their two-goal cushion but a sensational 30-metre missile from Jamilu Collins four minutes later renewed the hosts’ hopes and set up a nervous finale.
Bayern are top on 14 points, one ahead of Leipzig who were caught on 13 by Schalke in third after a fourth straight win. Borussia Dortmund dropped to seventh on 11 after drawing 2-2 against Werder Bremen.
Schalke and Leipzig were joined on 13 points by Borussia Moenchengladbach, 3-0 winners at Hoffenheim, and Bayer Leverkusen, who beat Augsburg by the same score.