UEFA Champions League 2024/2025

[jimmy jazz]

Could have been us last night had the ref added the correct amount of added time when we played PSG. 3 minutes  was at least five.

The only team who had them shitting themselves.

Villa 

[jimmy jazz]

Rioting in Paris after WINNING last night.

Over 500 arrested and two killed. Also invaded the pitch last night and destroyed the goal.

French fans fast becoming the worst in Europe.

https://x.com/AFP/status/1929092600264343572

[Trollheart]

Fucking unbelievable. Imagine if they had lost! France's shame.

[Trollheart]

They're billing it as "The greatest show on Earth" on the telly, but I disagree: that, for me, will always be the World Cup. However, it's fair to say it can be called "The greatest show in Europe", and it's all kicking off again as 36 teams from across the continent vie to lift the most important trophy in European football. It all starts here!

Note: This time out I'm highlighting what I consider are, or will be, the best matches in the tournament. This would be ones with really high scores (but not expected, so say Barcelona scoring five ho hum), ones where underdogs do really well or where games that looked dead come suddenly alive. I'll highlight those matches in green.

September 16


Atheltic Bilbao v Arsenal
(Spain v England)
San Mames, Bilbao

Arsenal began their Champions League campaign against Spanish opposition, coming close to opening the scoring in the first half, but had to wait till well into the second before they scored, adding a second three minutes from time to take the victory.

Result: Atletic Bilbao 0 - 2 Arsenal
Table positions (after match): 31/7
Next Opponent: Borussia Dortmund/Olympiacos


PSV Eindhoven v Union Saint-Gilloise
(Netherlands v Belgium)
Philips Stadion, Eindhoven

The battle of the Low Countries, as Netherlands took on Belgium, a penalty opening the scoring for Union, and they added a second with a third coming from a corner as they stomped all over PSV. The Dutch got one back late on but it was too little too late as Union register their first victory of the competition ever.

Result: PSV Eindhoven 1 - 3 Union Saint-Gilloise
Table positions (after match): 29/5
Next Opponent: Bayer Leverkusen/Newcastle United


Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
(Italy v Germany)
Juventus Stadium, Turin

An uneventful first half saw the second explode into action as Dortmund took the lead seven minutes in, in a game that had had nil-nil all over it. Ten minutes later Juventus equalised, and this was certainly the classic game of two halves, as the Germans went ahead three minutes after that; an hour just played and now three goals on the scoresheet since the break. And it wasn't over yet. Two more minutes and it was 2-2 as Juventus scored again! Where had both these teams been in the first half?

Less than ten minutes later Dortmund had again taken the lead with their third, while their keeper had to be alert to stop it from becoming 3-3! In the end, a penalty in the dying minutes looked certain to have given the Germans the win, but Juventus pulled yet another one back in extra time, and unbelievably, in the final seconds the Italians equalised for a fourth time to win a share of the points. What a match!

Result: Juventus 4 - 4 Borussia Dortmund
Table positions (after match): 16/15
Next Opponent: Villarreal/Athletic Bilbao


Real Madrid v Marseilles
(Spain v France)
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Nobody, of course, has won the Champions League as many times as Real Madrid, who are bidding for their sixteenth trophy, and began their campaign against French side Marseille, who were ahead on the midway point of the first half, after Real had squandered several opportunities to open the scoring. Six minutes later a penalty had the Spanish side back on parity, while Marseille had the chance to re-establish their lead at the end of the half, but side netting only. In the second half it began to implode for Real as their captain was sent off for nutting the French keeper, VAR upheld the decision and Madrid were down to ten men, but a handball by Marseille came to their rescue and the penalty was despatched to give Real the victory.

Result: Real Madrid 2 - 1 Marseille
Table positions (after match): 13/25
Next Opponent: Kairat/Ajax


Benfica v Qarabag
(Portugal v Azerbaijan)
Estadio da Luz, Lisbon

First ever appearance for Azerbaijan side Qarabag (sounds like something a gay man might carry, dunnit?) as they came up against seasoned campaigners Benfica. Nobody expected much of the debutantes, and indeed the Portuguese side were ahead after only six minutes, another match with an early opening goal, with a second following in quick succession. Qarabag though showed they weren't just there to make up the numbers as they scored one of their own on the half hour, and against all odds levelled the match just minutes after the break, leaving Benfica stunned at home. That turned to utter disbelief as the Azerbaijan side took the lead in the dying minutes to notch up their first ever victory.

Result: Benfica 2 - 3 Qarabag
Table positions (after match): 24/10
Next Opponent: Chelsea/Copenhagen

[Trollheart]

Tottenham Hotspur v Villarreal
(England v Spain)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Villarreal swapped the sunny shores of Spain for the rainy skies of London as they met Tottenham Hotspur in Thomas Frank's first ever Champions League tournament, and whether it was the change of climes or the pressure Spurs put them under it was the Spanish team who were under the cosh, their keeper pulling off a real howler as the ball eluded his grasp and ended up in his net, Spurs ahead in the first four minutes. They had a good chance to square things in the second half but the ball blazed wide of the post, then a free for Villarreal also went wide, leaving Spurs with a slim one-nil victory, but still a victory.

Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Villarreal
Table positions (after match): 14/27
Next Opponent: Bodo/Glimt/Juventus

September 17


Olympiacos v Pafos
(Greece v Cyprus)
Karaiskais Stadium, Piraeus

Something of a Mediterranean derby as Greece took on Cyprus, the latter losing a man to a second yellow early on, but they held on for the only scoreless draw of the tournament so far. At least they didn't lose.

Result: Olympiacos 0 - 0 Pafos
Table positions (after match): 21/22
Next Opponent: Arsenal/Bayern Munich


Slavia Prague v Bodo/Glimt
(Czech Republic v Norway)
Fortuna Arena, Prague

I'm used to seeing Sparta Prague, but Slavia Prague? Mind you, Bodo/Glimt is new to me too, so perhaps two teams making their first appearance in the Champions League? If so, it was the Czechs who scored first, while even a penalty award couldn't help the Norwegian team over the line, the shot stopped by the keeper. Slavia Prague made it certain with a second goal to really mark their entrance into the tournament, but with 23 minutes to go, Bodo/Glimt finally netted at the third time of asking to halve the deficit, and really coming into the game now, equalised with a cannon shot that gave them a share of the points in the final minute.

Result: Slavia Prague 2 - 2 Bodo/Glimt
Table positions (after match): 20/18
Next Opponent: Inter Milan/Tottenham Hotspur

Ajax v Inter Milan
Netherlands v Italy)
(Johann Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam)

Inter contested the last CL though Ajax missed out, and the Dutch team were lucky to avoid a penalty being awarded, then missed a golden opportunity to take the lead, very much rueing that miss as Inter took the lead three minutes before the break. A second almost as soon as the second began left the result in no doubt, as Ajax fell to defeat in their first game.

Result: Ajax 0 - 2 Inter Milan
Table positions (after match): 30/8
Next Opponent: Marseille /Slavia Prague

[Trollheart]

Bayern Munich v Chelsea
(Germany v England)
Allianz Arena, Munich

Harry Kane was reunited with some of his England colleagues, though facing off against them this time, and it was the German side who took the early lead, opening the scoring with twenty minutes gone through a Chelsea own goal, then a penalty for Bayern gave Kane the opportunity to double their lead. Any bets? Thought not. 2-0 to Bayern Munich and not even a half-hour played yet. But before that thirty minutes had expired Chelsea had pulled one back through their own talisman, Cole Palmer. Bayern went hard in the second half, anxious to re-establish their two-goal lead and keep Chelsea out, and they came close but the English keeper made sure it remained at just the one. All the pressure coming from Bayern though, and just after the hour they did restore that lead, Harry Kane ensuring there was a mountain now for the London team to climb. They thought they had managed to pull one back late on but the goal was ruled offside.

Result: Bayern Munich 3 - 1 Chelsea
Table positions (after match): 6/28
Next Opponent: Pafos/Benfica


Liverpool v Atletico Madrid
(England v Spain)
Anfield, Liverpool

It seems, weirdly, that most English teams in the competition faced Spanish opposition in their opening games! Liverpool were no exception, coming up against Atletico Madrid at home, their first CL match played without the late and very much lamented Diogo Jota, a fact which must have been on their minds as the team walked out onto the pitch at Anfield with the familiar chant ringing in their ears. It only took them four minutes to rack up their first goal in their Champions League campaign after an Andy Robertson free kick put them ahead, a dream start, and it only got better two minutes later when Salah scored his first CL goal of the tournament, the Premiership champions two to the good at home. A very dodgy penalty was rightly overturned by VAR and then Atletico halved the deficit in stoppage time at the end of the half to give themselves a chance, and they pressed their advantage in the second half, all the play coming from the Spanish side. But then a powerful break by Liverpool should have restored their two-goal cushion, the ball coming back off the upright. Atletico went close themselves, but over the bar as time began to tick down, then with nine minutes to go Liverpool again let a two-goal lead slip as the Spanish made it two each. In extra time though Liverpool again found a way as they nicked the winning goal, doing what champions do.

Result: Liverpool 3 - 2 Atletico Madrid 2
Table positions (after match): 11/23
Next Opponent: Galatasaray/Eintracht Frankfurt



Paris Saint-Germain v Atalanta
(France v Italy)
Parc des Princes, Paris

Defending the Champions League title for the first time in their career, PSG met Italian side Atalanta at home as they opened their campaign in Paris, and they were ahead within three minutes, carrying on where they left off last season, coming close to scoring three before the end of the half, but in fact netting their second six minutes before half-time. A penalty awarded minutes before the restart was, well, terrible, perhaps one of the worst penalties I've seen in any CL game, but six minutes into the second half it was three for the French champions and all thoughts of the missed penalty were well and truly erased as they took their fourth in the first minute of extra time to comfortably wrap up the first of what will no doubt be many more victories.

Result: Paris Saint-Germain 4 - 0 Atalanta
Table positions (after match): 2/36
Next Opponent: Barcelona /Club Brugge

[Trollheart]

September 19


Club Brugge v Monaco
(Belgium v Monaco)
Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges

What could only be called a hammering saw Moanco squander a chance to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty, the Belgian team screaming ahead just after the half-hour, and seven minutes later Brugge were two to the good, adding a third just three minutes before the break to leave themselves in total control. Their fourth came with 15 minutes to go, while Monaco grabbed a consolation in extra time, but well beaten by the Belgians.

Result: Club Brugge 4 - 1 Monaco
Table positions (after match): 3/34
Next Opponent: Atalanta/Manchester City


Copenhagen v Bayer Leverkusen
(Denmark v Germany)
Parken Stadium, Copenhagen

Nine minutes was all it took for Copenhagen to open the scoring, but it was the only goal of the first half, Bayer equalising eight minutes from time. With four minutes the Danes came back to re-establish their lead, but in injury time Bayer levelled again to take a share of the points.

Result: Copenhagen 2 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen
Table positions (after match): 19/17
Next Opponent: Qarabag/PSV Eindhoven



Eintracht Frankfurt v Galatasaray
(Germany v Turkey)
Waldstadion, Frankfurt

Eintracht weren't in the last CL and neither were the Turkish team, so while this may not have been a debutante appearance, both had something to prove, and it was the Turks who scored first, not even ten minutes played. Eintracht hit back five minutes before the break, and added a second in extra time at the end of the half, and again moments later to take a commanding lead at half-time. The result was surely in no doubt now as the second half got underway, and the German team made it four just after the hour, finishing off a commanding performance with their fifth with fifteen minutes to play.

Result: Eintracht Frankfurt 5 - 1 Galatasaray
Table positions (after match): 1/35
Next Opponent: Atletico Madrid/Liverpool


Manchester City v Napoli
(England v Italy)
The Etihad, Manchester
Having failed to make it to the Round of Sixteen last time out, a somewhat resurgent Manchester City wanted to start off this campaign well, and they found themselves up against their former talisman as they faced Napoli. The Italian side's cause was not helped when their captain was dismissed for a straight red, leaving the Italian side to contest most of the match with ten men. De Bruyne, however, would not be the fly in his ex-team's ointment, as he was substituted with only 25 minutes played. City then went on to open the scoring just before the hour as Haaland bagged his fiftieth CL goal at the third time of asking, while a fantastic jinking little run allowed Doku  to add their second five minutes later, and put the result beyond doubt, giving City their first victory of the tournament.

Result: Manchester City 2 - 0 Napoli
Table positions (after match): 9/32
Next Opponent: Monaco/Sporting CP

[Trollheart]

Newcastle United v Barcelona
(England v Spain)
St. James Park, Newcastle

St. James Park was rocking for the visit of the Spanish giants, and Newcastle started well, could have opened the scoring but managed to hold off Barcelona till half-time, scoreless at the break. It was an old nemesis that broke the deadlock though, and Magpie hearts, as ex-Man United Marcus Rashford scored just before the hour mark to put the visitors ahead. Nine minutes later the Englishman had scored against his countrymen again, and the day was Barcelona's. In the final minute Eddie Howe's team pulled one back through Anthony Gordon, and with seven additional minutes hope rose briefly, but in the end they had left it too late and class told as the Spanish giants wound down the clock to the final whistle. The sixty-five million Pound question was: what had happened to Woltemade, conspicious by his absence? I have to say, Howe seems to have blundered by leaving him out of the starting line-up.

Result: Newcastle 1 - 2 Barcelona
Table positions (after match): 26/12
Next Opponent: Union Saint-Gilloise/Paris Saint-Germain



Sporting CP v Kairat
(Portugal v Kazakhstan)
Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon

Another newcomer to the CL, could Kazakhstan's Kairat emulate the heroic feat of Qarabag on Tuesday night and beat the other Portuguese team in the tournament? They started well, when Sporting got a penalty and the Kairat goalkeeper got down to save it with his toe! Two minutes before the break though experience told and Sporting were ahead, and they added a second just after the hour, finishing with a third two minutes later and Kairat were done and dusted. Welcome to the Champions League as Sporting made it four before the seventy-minute mark. The Kazakhstanis did manage to get their goal, four minutes from time, but the night was Portugal's.

Result: Sporting CP 4 - 1 Kairat
Table positions (after match): 4/33
Next Opponent: Napoli/Real Madrid

[Trollheart]

So as usual the Champions League does not disappoint. We've had two debutantes to the competition, one of which showed a well-established Iberian giant they're not to be dismissed, as Qarabag (surely now trending?) beat Benfica to stun the home fans, who must have expected a total walkover. Juventus and Borussia Dortmund stayed in neutral till half-time and then kicked into high gear, scoring four each in a blistering match that had no signs of becoming such in the first 45. English teams did well, mostly, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and City all racking up wins, while Chelsea and Newcastle found it harder, though both fought well.

Title holders and favourites PSG kicked off in fine form, easily beating Atalanta while both Real and Barca carved out wins for themselves, but the biggest score of Matchday 1 belongs to a relative newcomer, Eintracht Frankfurt, who scored five against Galatasaray and now sit top of the table. Dutch teams fared poorly (sorry Marie!) with neither Ajax nor PSV able to win their matches, first-timers Bodo/Glimt and Slavia Prague (playing in the CL for only the third time in their history) fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw, while the only scoreless draw of the first day was played out between Pafos and Olympiacos, neither of whom covered themselves in glory.

Erling Haaland scored his fiftieth Champions League goal, and now holds the record for that achievement, while Marcus Rashford had a night of redemption as he personally led Barcelona to victory with his two goals against Newcastle, but there was to be no starring role for Kevin DeBruyne in his new role at Napoli, though he did receive a great ovation from the Manchester City faithful.

And that's only Matchday One!

[Trollheart]

Which just leaves the table.
And here it is.

[Trollheart]

Matchday 2

September 30


Atalanta v Club Brugge
(Italy v Belgium)
Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
Table positions (before match): 36/3

Having been thrashed by PSG in their first game, Atalanta fought back valiantly after falling behind just seven minutes before the break, to level the score 15 minutes from time when they got a penalty. They then went on to take the lead, and the game, in the final three minutes, to record their first victory of the campaign.
Result: Atalanta 2 - 1 Club Brugge
Table positions (after match): 22/14
Next Opponent: Slavia Prague/Bayern Munich


Kairat v Real Madrid
(Kazakhstan v Spain)
Central Stadium, Almaty
Table positions (before match): 33/13

One of the two newcomers struggling to impress, it wasn't really Kairat's day when the mega-European-champions arrived on their home turf. Having been well beaten in their first game, the Kazakhstanis didn't even get to register their first goal as Real took them apart mercilessly, Mbappe racking up another hat-trick, including a penalty awarded just before the half-hour, and they may in fact have considered themselves lucky to be going in only one down at the break. That soon changed though, as a relentless onslaught saw the Frenchman net twice more before his teammates took over in the final minutes to hammer in two more and leave Kairat reeling as Real Madrid left town with all three points. Was there ever any doubt?

Result: Kairat 0 - 5 Real Madrid
Table positions (after match): 36/2
Next Opponent: Pafos/Juventus


Atletico Madrid v Eintracht Frankfurt
(Spain v Germany)
Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid
Table positions (before match): 23/1

Surely a big upset of the tournament as the league leaders were battered by the ultra-confident victors over Real Madrid at the weekend, but who would have expected the Germans to fold so easily? It only took the Spanish side four minutes to open the scoring, with a second logged just after the half-hour and a third in injury time at the end of the half, to give Atletico a very comfortable lead at the break. Just before the hour Eintracht began what they might have seen as a comeback, but it turned out to be less than a consolation goal, as Atletico netted twice more to take the match easily, their last coming as a penalty. Talk about adding insult to injury!

Result: Atletico Madrid 5 - 1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Table positions (after match): 10/16
Next Opponent: Arsenal/Liverpool


Chelsea v Benfica
(England v Portugal)
Stamford Bridge, London
Table positions (before match): 28/24

The return of "The Special One" to his old stomping ground was expected to give us a match full of excitement, endeavour, passion and, most of all, goals. It really did none of these things, the only goal separating the teams coming in the first 20 minutes, and as a result of a badly-placed header by Benfica's Rios as he tried to clear, instead knocking it into his own net. Chances were few and far between, but you couldn't say the same for fouls, and eventually Chelsea had a man sent off for a second yellow, but managed to hold on for the win. A bad-tempered, scrappy game which did not live up to its billing, but the London team did at least ensure that Mourinho had not a happy return to the Bridge.

Result: Chelsea 1 - 0 Benfica
Table positions (after match): 18/33
Next Opponent: Ajax/Newcastle United


Inter Milan v Slavia Prague
(Italy v Czech Republic)
San Siro, Milan
Table positions (before match): 8/20

Slavia Prague impressed last time out, holding Bodo/Glimt to a 2-2 draw, but they were well outclassed this time as Inter ran rings around them. The game was only half-an-hour old when the Italian giants scored their first, and they followed this up four minutes later to go in two to the good at the break. Slavia had not had a sniff. In the second half they added a third, to snuff out any chance the Czechs had of taking anything from the game, and maintaining their own 100% win record in the tournament.

Result: Inter Milan 3 - 0 Slavia Prague
Table positions (after match): 4/30
Next Opponent: Atalanta/Union Saint-Gilloise

[Trollheart]

Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham Hotspur
(Norway v England)
Aspmyra Stadion, Bodo
Table positions (before match): 18/14

Spurs fought back late on after going down 2-0 to the Norwegians, who themselves missed a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring early when they totally skied a penalty kick. Terrible. They made up for it though by scoring twice in thirteen minutes as the restart got underway, Tottenham replying two minutes after Bodo's second to halve the deficit, but they had an own goal to thank in the final minutes for their leveller, which on balance they kind of did not deserve. But 2-2 it ended, and the points are shared. Bodo's second match to end in the exact same score.

Result: Bodo Glimt 2 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Table positions (after match): 23/9
Next Opponent: Galatasaray/Monaco


Galatasaray v Liverpool
(Turkey v England)
Rams Park, Istanbul
Table positions (before match): 35/11

A horror show for Liverpool, who were already reeling from having lost to Crystal Palace at the weekend, their first defeat of the season. An early penalty set the Turks on their way, and even though it looked like Liverpool were to have their revenge through a spot kick near the end, it was deemed invalid after a check, and the English champions slump to also their first defeat in Europe. Not a good week to be a Red!

Result: Galatasaray 1 - 0 Liverpool
Table positions (after match): 21/17
Next Opponent: Bodo Glimt/Eintracht Frankfurt


Marseille v Ajax
(France v Netherlands)
Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Table positions (before match): 25/30

Ajax have not had a good time of it so far. Beaten by Inter Milan in their opening game, they came up against a Marseille side who, on balance, would not have been expected to have handed out the kind of beating they did, having been beaten by Real Madrid in their first game. But they were making up for that tonight, and already had the game wrapped up in the first half, netting after only six minutes, and scoring a second six minutes after that. Their third came just before the half-hour, and a dejected Ajax side, who seemed out of ideas and low on morale, must have wondered what was in store for them in the second half. Another goal, as it turned out, which came seven minutes into the restart, and dashed any hope the Dutch had of mounting any kind of a comeback.

Result: Marseille 4 - 0 Ajax
Table positions (after match): 12/35
Next Opponent: Sporting CP/Chelsea



Pafos v Bayern Munich
(Cyprus v Germany)
Alphamega Stadium, Limassol
Table positions (before match): 22/6

Having played out the only scoreless draw of the tournament so far against their Ionian cousins, Pafos did at least register their first goal of the CL, though little good it did them as Bayern comprehensively stamped all over them. Four goals in the opening thirty minutes, two of which came from the boot of Harry Kane, left the result in no doubt, and even when the Greeks managed to snatch their goal, to give themselves a sliver of hope, just before the half-time whistle, those hopes were quickly trampled underfoot as Bayern recorded their second victory of the tournament.

Result: Pafos 1 - 5 Bayern Munich
Table positions (after match): 32/1
Next Opponent: Kairat/Club Brugge

[Trollheart]

October 1


Qarabag v Copenhagen
(Azerbaijan v Denmark)
Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku
Table positions (before match): 10/19

Having stunned everyone with their demolition of Ajax in their first game, could Azerbaijani newcomers Qarabag make it two out of two as they faced Denmark's finest? Copenhagen had not exactly impressed with their first game, and would need to do better. It was the debutantes who scored first, just before the half-hour, and despite their best efforts Copenhagen were unable to level, and in fact fell further behind in the dying minutes as Qarabag racked up their second win in their first appearance in the Champions League. Dark horses? We'll see: they have some stiff Spanish opposition up next.

Result: Qarabag 2 - 0 Copenhagen
Table positions (after match): 6/28
Next Opponent: Athletic Bilbao/Borussia Dortmund


Union Saint-Gilloise v Newcastle United
(Belgium v England)
Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels
Table positions (before match): 5/26

A tale of two penalties, both for the visitors as Newcastle took a step closer to automatic qualification for the next round. A fine shot on 14 minutes opened the scoring for the Magpies, while a poorly-given away penalty just before the break let them widen the gap to two goals. Just after the hour a very contentious decision gave them their second spot kick, Gordon again converting to triple the English team's lead. With 10 minutes to go USG came close to reducing the deficit - the game was already lost for them - but Newcastle made it certain with their fourth moments later.

Result: Union Saint-Gilloise 0 - 4 Newcastle United
Table positions (after match): 20/11
Next Opponent: Inter Milan/Benfica



Arsenal v Olympiacos
(England v Greece)
The Emirates, London
Table positions (before match): 7/21

Yet to score a goal in the competition, Olympiacos met Arsenal at the Emirates, and the Greeks were behind within 11 minutes, though Arsenal had to struggle to hold onto that lead, weathering the Olympiacos storm and finally making it certain in extra time as they bagged their second. The Greek team remains scoreless in the tournament.

Result: Arsenal 2 - 0 Olympiacos.
Table positions (after match): 5/27
Next Opponent: Atletico Madrid/Barcelona


Monaco v Manchester City
(Monaco v England)
Stade Louis II, Monaco
Table positions (before match): 34/9

While Man United desperately try to show their increasingly-agitated and disillusioned fans that they're on the way back to the glory days (they're not) their "noisy neighbours" are making a good fist of putting the "blip" of the last few years behind them, and facing Monaco seemed, on the face of it, a reasonable way to chalk up another victory, their second in the CL so far. It certainly started well, Haaland getting on the end of a fine chance 14 minutes in to open the scoring and continue his 100 percent scoring rate in the competition, though three minutes later they had been pegged back as the French team that isn't French equalised. Haaland was at it again though before half-time, putting his team in the lead at the break. They held that lead till seven minutes from time, when a free kick for Monaco turned into a penalty, an ex-Englishman again doing for an English team, so to speak, as Eric Dier scored to give his side a share of the points.

Result: Monaco 2 - 2 Manchester City
Table positions (after match): 31/8
Next Opponent: Tottenham Hotspur/Villarreal

[Trollheart]

Bayer Leverkusen v PSV Eindhoven
(Germany v Netherlands)
BayArena, Leverkusen
Table positions (before match): 17/29

Dutch football is not doing so well in this Champions League, with both Ajax and PSV falling to defeat in their first games. Their cousins had already lost to Marseilles the previous night; could PSV redeem the honour of the Netherlands? Well, it was the Germans who struck first, scoring just after the hour, but the Dutch made amends by equalising ten minutes later to take a share of the points, but the wait goes on for the first victory by a Dutch team.

Result: Bayer Leverkusen 1 - PSV Eindhoven 1
Table positions (after match): 25/29
Next Opponent: Paris Saint-Germain/Napoli


Borussia Dortmund v Athletic Bilbao
(Germany v Spain)
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Table positions (before match): 15/31

Having scored more goals than the Spanish in the competition up to now, even if they had ended in a draw, Dortmund opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, their second coming (sorry) just five minutes into the restart, to leave them in a commanding position. At least until the hour mark, when Bilbao struck back to cut the Germans' lead to just the one goal, but any fears of being pegged back in a second draw evaporated for Dortmund as they netted their third with eight minutes to go, and added a fourth, just to be sure, in injury time, to take their first victory in the tournament, while Atletico's wait goes on.

Result: Borussia Dortmund 3 - 1 Athletic Bilbao
Table positions (after match): 7/34
Next Opponent: Copenhagen/Qarabag


Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain
(Spain v France)
Estadio Lluis Companys, Barcelona
Table positions (before match): 12/2

Clash of the titans as the Spanish legends met the current Champions League title holders, and one thing you could be guaranteed with this match was that there would be goals! Both teams came close within ten minutes, though PSG had arguably the best opportunity, followed swiftly by a great Barca chance, only held off by being cleared off the line, and not even 15 minutes played yet! A rare lapse in control saw the French side give the ball away and let Barcelona in for their first goal just before the 20-minute mark. Shots fired! With seven minutes of the first half to go PSG equalised though and so all square at the break. The second half was short on chances, as each side seemed to feel the other out, both perhaps willing to settle for the draw, though it was the Champions who came closest, twice in succession in the dying minutes. Then in the final minute of normal time PSG took it with a superb breakaway goal.

Result: Barcelona 1 - 2 Paris Saint-Germain
Table positions (after match): 15/3
Next Opponent: Olympiacos/Bayer Leverkusen


Napoli v Sporting CP
(Italy v Portugal)
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
Table positions (before match): 32/4

Conquered by Manchester City in their first match, Napoli faced the team Ruben Amorim must wish he had stayed coaching, and to stretch the Manchester link further, it was City's ex-talisman Kevin DeBruyne who assisted United's former player Rasmus Hoijlund to open the scoring for the Italian side ten minutes from the break. Just after the hour a bad-tempered second half exploded into a foul in the box which gave Sporting their chance, and they did not waste it, netting the penalty to level the game. But with 11 minutes to play the two Manc alumni linked up again to give Napoli the win.

Result: Napoli 2 - 1 Sporting CP
Table positions (after match): 19/13
Next Opponent: PSV Eindhoven/Marseille


Villarreal v Juventus
(Spain v Italy)
Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal
Table positions (before match): 27/16

Villarreal took the lead on 17 minutes but were unable to hold that lead into the second half; only three minutes in and Juventus had nicked one back, and ten minutes later the Italians were ahead. As the last seconds ticked away that looked to be it until the Spanish managed a last-gasp equaliser in the very last minute of normal time.

Result: Villarreal 2 - 2 Juventus
Table positions (after match): 26/24
Next Opponent: Real Madrid/Manchester City

[Trollheart]

Matchday two has seen some interesting results, including top of the table Eintracht Frankfurt being unceremoniously dumped into the nether regions of said table as they came a cropper against Atletico Madrid, one of four teams on the wrong end of a five-goal thrashing. Dutch teams fared poorly, with Ajax slumping to a second defeat, this time against Marseille, while PSV could only grind out a draw with Bayer Leverkusen, though at least they become the first team from the Netherlands not to lose in this tournament. English football suffered too, with Liverpool losing to Galatasaray away, which was surely not in the script, while Man City just managed to hold on to a draw against Monaco, as did Tottenham when they came up against Bodo/Glimt (and they would have lost had the Norwegian captain been able to take a fucking penalty!) and Chelsea owed their 1-0 victory against Benfica to an own goal. Hardly a classic. At least Arsenal and Newcastle did not disappoint, the latter hammering Union Saint-Gilloise in what must be admitted was a rare romp through a match; they never even looked close to losing, though in fairness, two penalties did help them on their way.

Bayern Munich continue to tower above all comers, Harry Kane instrumental in his team notching up their second victory, this time against Pafos, and contributing the second of the five-goal thrillers to matchday 2, while other German teams, as noted, did not fare as well, Eintracht losing badly to Atletico and Bayer just squeezing out a draw against PSV, though Borussia Dortmund did hammer Athletic Bilbao, giving the La Liga side their second defeat of the tournament. Speaking overall, the Low Counties had little to celebrate this matchday, with both Belgian teams losing, USG battered by a rampant Newcastle and Club Brugge beaten by Atalanta, who came back from 1-0 down to take the match 2-1.

Kazakhstan's newcomers Kairat fell to their second heavy defeat, as Real hit them for five without reply, while the real story of the tournament so far as been the other debutantes, Qarabag, who have done Azerbaijan more than proud, beating the mighty Benfica (also beaten this matchday) in their first match and now taking down Copenhagen, to give themselves a 100 percent unbeaten record and leave them already sitting in the automatic qualification places. Bet nobody foresaw that! The big match was of course Barcelona v PSG, and perhaps to the surprise of some, the current champions held on after drawing level with the Spanish giants to pinch the victory in the final minute and maintain their winning streak.

Of the Ionian teams, Pafos are in the lead with one goal, even if the Cypriots were beaten by Bayern, while their Greek counterparts couldn't even reply once against Arsenal; Italian teams all did well, with Atalanta beating Club Brugge, Inter flattening Slavia Prague and two ex-Manchester players coming together not once, but twice, to give Napoli the win against Sporting, who then become the second Portuguese team to lose on matchday two, Sporting the only one of their country's teams to win a match so far, and that was only against Kairat! And surprisingly, a bad night for Spanish football, as Atletico Bilbao, Villarreal and even the mighty Barcelona were beaten, with only Real Madrid and Atletico winning their games, Real being the only Spanish team to have won on both matchdays.

So we have one German team displaced from the top to be replaced by another, and only one English team just clinging on there in the automatic qualification places. Biggest surprise of course is the presence of Qarabag there; whether they will remain in the top eight as the league phase continues or not, only time will tell. Big names, however, which you would expect to see there - Barcelona, Liverpool, Inter, Benfica, Juventus - are conspicuous by their absence, though again, it can all change in a single night. As expected, PSG are right up there, fighting to retain their first-ever double title in the Champions League.