Two of the world’s most exciting young players shone on club soccer’s biggest stage but with mixed fortunes.

Premier League teams have spent more than $2.5 billion on players in a record outlay during European soccer’s transfer window.

Real Madrid starts the Spanish league season overflowing with confidence that it can retain the domestic title despite Barcelona spending big to add top talent to its team.

Robert Lewandowski has scored a hat trick on his 100th Champions League appearance to lead Bayern Munich into the last-16 with a 5-2 rout of Benfica.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)BARCELONA – Amid the turmoil at Barcelona, United States defender Sergiño Dest has found his patch to flourish. The former Ajax player arrived in the aftermath of Barcelona’s devastating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in August. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman immediately put him to work filling in for injured fullbacks on both sides of the team’s defense. So that is why I chose Barça,” Dest said about becoming the first American player to sign for Barcelona’s senior club in early October. “I just worry about the team, and making sure we win the league and the Champions League,” Dest said.

Spain's Ansu Fati is airborne as he attempts to control the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Spain and Ukraine at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. Spain goes top of its Nations League group by a point from Ukraine. Barely a year since he became Barcelona's youngest league scorer, he appears set to be the future for both club and country. NO WIN FOR GERMANYThe Nations League just isn't Germany's competition. The Nations League format keeps teams of similar competitive strength together.

A worker holds a shirt with the name of Barcelona soccer player Lionel Messi at a F.C Barcelona store in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Barcelona is banking on a face-to-face meeting with Lionel Messi to try to convince him to stay. Talks with Messis father-agent are expected this week in Barcelona but the club also hopes to sit down with the player himself. Messi invoked a clause that allowed him to leave for free at the end of the season, but Barcelona said the clause expired in June. But so far no word from Messi on anything, and as he keeps quiet, Barcelona keeps reeling.