Canadians in Europe: Larin opens Belgian account

Cyle Larin got his first goal for Club Brugge, while it was a mixed bag for Alphonso Davies in a Bayern Munich draw and Stephen Eustáquio and Steven Vitória did battle in the Primeira Liga. Here's a look at what Canadians did this weekend in Europe.

Cyle Larin, Club Brugge - The monkey is off Cyle Larin's back in Belgium. In his seventh match of the season, the Brampton, Ont. native notched his first goal for Club Brugge as the team continued its fine start to the new campaign in a 2-0 win over RFC Seraing on Saturday. You could forgive anybody who decided to head to the exits after the first half. The two teams played to an almost entirely drab first 45 minutes with the only highlights being a couple of booking picked up by Larin and teammate Antonio Nusa towards the end of the half. Things picked up in the second, though. In the 48th, the hosts got the first real scoring chance of the game. From just outside the area, Antoine Bernier sent a curling effort towards the far post, but the shot went wide and past a diving Simon Mignolet. Seraing would come close again minutes later. After a fine run started by Bernier, Sambou Sissoko's blast from distance went wide of the far post. Larin would open the scoring for the visitors in the 52nd. A speculative ball lifted into the Seraing area was recovered by Nusa, who was able to dispossess Abdoulaye Sylla. Nusa found Roman Yaremchuk at the penalty spot, but his marker took away any shooting lane. The Ukraine forward played a deft side-footed ball to Larin, who was able to hammer home with his right foot past goalkeeper Guillaume Dietsch for his first match for his new club. Captain Hans Vakanen would add a second to wrap up the three points for Club Brugge in a 2-0 victory. Canada winger Tajon Buchanan was once again out of the lineup for Club Brugge, still dealing with a quad injury. With the win, Club Brugge kept pace with Genk on 19 points for second place in the table. Leaders Antwerp are the only undefeated team left in the league and have won all eight of their matches to sit on 24 points.

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Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich - You'd have to go all the way back to 2009 to find a Bundesliga season that didn't end with one of Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund as champions (Wolfsburg won that year), but in the early days of the new campaign, there are teams threatening to ensure Bayern doesn't make it 11 straight titles. Through six matches, Julian Nagelsmann's team sits third in the table on 12 points, one back of Freiburg in second and two behind leaders Union Berlin. While there's still no reason yet to believe that Bayern can't finish atop the summit yet again, Bayern was frustrated yet again on Saturday during a visit from Stuttgart. Twice the hosts led, but twice they were pegged back by Stuttgart in what ended as a 2-2 draw. At the half-hour mark, Stuttgart 'keeper Florian Muller was called into action for a pair of quick saves in succession, first denying French teenager Mathys Tel's close-range redirect of a cross and then stopping Serge Gnabry on the rebound. But Tel wouldn't be denied minutes later after some fine work from Alphonso Davies. Marauding down the left, Davies undressed Konstantinos Mavropanos and skipped a cross toward Gnabry near the penalty spot where Tel, instead, met it and sent a low drive under Muller for the opening goal in the 39th. It was the first assist on the season for Davies and the goal made Tel Bayern's youngest ever Bundesliga scorer at 17. Bayern's lead lasted through the half, but the visitors evened matters in the 57th with a break started by an error from Davies. Playing out from the back, Davies' pass to Jamal Musiala was poorly weighted and pounced upon by Mavropanos. Breaking into the area, Mavropanos set up Chris Fuhrich, who made it 1-1. The deadlock didn't last long with Musiala restoring order for the hosts. Taking a pass from Noussair Mazraoui, the England-raised Germany midfielder put Atakan Karazor on skates before curling a low drive past Muller to make it 2-1 in the 60th. The combined age of the Bayern goal scorers was 35. Just as Bayern looked to have grabbed the three points, the referee pointed to the spot in stoppage time. Attempting to close down a close-range shot from Sehrou Guirassy, Matthijs de Ligt caught the Guinea forward with his lunge and a penalty was awarded. Taking his own penalty, Guirassy made no mistake and earned a point for Stuttgart with the match finishing 2-2. For Nagelsmann's side, it was a third straight draw.

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Stephen Eustáquio, Porto and Steven Vitória, Chaves - Canada teammates Stephen Eustáquio and Steven Vitória were foes on Saturday when Eustáquio's Porto played host to Vitória and Chaves. Chaves already did some giant-killing this season when they took down another of the Os Três Grandes in Sporting, but there wouldn't be such luck in Estádio Do Dragão. The hosts set the tone early. Joao Mario's cross into the area was met by Toni Martinez, but his header simply flicked the ball on. Luckily, Medhi Taremi was on the spot and unmarked, heading home for a third-minute lead for Porto. Had Taremi not scored, he would have likely had a penalty as he was bundled over by goalkeeper Paulo Vitor just after his attempt. The match stayed 1-0 until the 70th when Vitória played a part in the action, but not in a good way. Completely misjudging the weight of a back pass, Vitória was stripped of possession by Taremi who broke in on goal alone. With both Vitor and a Chaves defender closing in on the Iran forward to prevent a shot, Taremi coolly played the ball to the oncoming Evanilson, who tapped in into an empty net to make it 2-0. Substitute Andre Franco wrapped up the three points in the 82nd when Vitor misplayed a cross from Gabriel Veron, allowing Franco to tuck home his first goal for Porto to make it 3-0. Eustáquio played the full 90 minutes in the victory, producing six crosses and winning both a tackle and an interception. Vitória also played the full match, drawing a foul and making three interceptions.