Three things we learned from the opening Champions League round
The most storied stage of European football returned this week, turning tales into folklore and once again, making us believe that football is stranger than fiction at times.
Giants in Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City kicked off their campaigns on a bright note, while newer teams on the rise made headlines across the league.
Several sides nearly caused a match day 1 upset. There’s no doubt these teams will continue to raise eyebrows in the coming months, but without further ado, let’s nail down the key stories from the UCL.
League powerhouses start the season strong
Besides the obvious Bayern Munichs and the Real Madrids, some of the teams that won or dominated their respective domestic leagues began their UCL run with fine victories.
Certainly, the likes of Feyenoord and Arsenal didn’t let the emotions of a starry Champions League night in front of their rapturous crowds get the better of them. Feyenoord, who won the Eredivisie by a comfortable seven points last season, put nine-man Celtic to the sword.
The visitors were condemned to a 43rd defeat in 73 CL appearances – the most by any side that has featured in 50 or more games.
Meanwhile, Arsenal looked like a unit that can compete with the best in the continent every season. They presented their fans with a near-perfect gift after six long years away from Europe’s premier competition.
The stars of the new era, of whom murals will be painted on the streets of North London stole the show with a 4-0 rout of PSV.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early, before bargain signing Leandro Trossard scored his second goal in as many games. Gabriel Jesus rounded off a wonderful team move in the 38th minute, and the icing on the cake was applied by the skipper – Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal may take a couple of years to challenge in Europe, but they have all the makings of a stable team on the rise.
Contrast for both teams in Manchester
Manchester City went behind to Crvena Zvezda on the cusp of half-time after a handful of chances went begging. But there was hardly one member at the Etihad that didn’t believe they couldn’t turn it around. Such is the dominance, force, and culture of the club. And so, they did, in emphatic fashion.
Pep Guardiola’s new ‘un-droppable’ asset, Julian Alvarez, scored a brace before Rodri, who seems to score goals at will these days, completed the comeback. All of that with a slew of injuries troubling the Premier League champions. 27 home games unbeaten in the Champions League illustrates how far they’ve come as a frightening force in Europe.
On the other hand, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United suffered a third straight defeat, conceding a total of 10 goals in this mini crisis.
A late flurry of goals failed to paint the picture of the 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich. Andre Onana’s shaky start as a shot-stopper worsened when he couldn’t cover himself in glory for the first goal.
Leroy Sane’s scuffed effort from outside the area, that most keepers including himself, would gobble nine out of 10 times, slipped through his hands and into the back of the net.
The atmosphere around Man United has a tendency to sour in a hurry. On this occasion, though, injuries as well as considerable pressure on Ten Hag only serves to amplify the situation.
The UCL results, among many others, continue to illustrate the gap between where the two Manchester rivals are heading.
Jude Bellingham to the rescue for Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham, every single week, makes you believe that he was built to wear a Real Madrid shirt. Stardom, glory, first-rate technical ability, match-winning prowess, you name it. Bellingham is writing his own destiny at the age of 20.
He’s everything Real Madrid are famed for. They’re ruthless yet artistic, combative yet creative. And most of all, they are serial winners.
Bellingham is another one that just fits the bill. He is an effortless runner, who gives nothing but 100% until the very last minute. He’s turned into a goalscoring midfielder, and the way he moves into the box, kills overloads and turns half-spaces into threatening spots of attacking forays, is simply a joy to watch.
His last-gasp winner against Union Berlin robbed the tabloids of a juicy headline, but there was more to Bellingham’s performance in his UCL debut for Los Blancos.
He created several prime chances for Joselu, controlled the tempo of the game and arrived at the box at telling stages. He has all the makings of a world-beater. Bellingham is a player that will convince you this romantic start to his career in Spain isn’t just a flash in the pan but a pattern of consistency. And long may it continue.
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Football.ua . This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.