New Delhi: What’s better than frantically switching between four matches at once? That’s right, seven matches! Take the easy way out and read up this overview of what all happened in the second day of this week’s Champions League action. Aston Villa took on Bayern Munich at their own raucous home turf, Anfield was perhaps anxious to welcome another Italian team in Bologna, Juventus travelled to Leipzig, Real Madrid to Lille, Atletico Madrid to Benfica, Monaco to Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge visiting Sturm Graz.
Aston Villa 1 – 0 Bayern Munich
Despite emotions running high, Villa were forced in their own box from the outset by the visitors, quickly settling into possession. The six-time winners in the sixth minute were all up Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez’s twelve, when Joshua Kimmich’s whipped cross set up Harry Kane, his close-range header denied by the Argentine. Shortly after Villa fullback Lucas Digne saw a weighted pass sail over to Bayern winger Serge Gnabry, with his square pass to Michael Olise cleared at the goalmouth. Against the run of play, a free kick for Villa was converted by Pau Torres only to be agonisingly ruled offside. Bayern should’ve scored when Gnabry wasted a opportunity by not squaring it to Kane in the box, while Olise’s long-range effort was wonderfully denied by Martinez.
Bayern rose from the dressing room with their hunting gloves on, with Davies and Gnabry combining in the 51st minute and forcing Villa defender Ezri Konsa to make a last-gasp block. A VAR check and Gnabry’s persistent efforts from the left had the hosts under critical pressure around the 60-minute mark. Time for substitutions, and then came another reminder that Jhon Duran is a name destined for greatness. He latched onto a weighted pass, before instantly pinging it over Manuel Neuer to send Villa Park into raptures. All hands to deck, Kompany and his team’s cool aura broke down into desperate attempts at goal. Some of them did induce gasps, with Musiala’s slicing throughball releasing Gnabry to shoot straight at Martinez, before the keeper denied Harry Kane from close-range in the last minute.
Lille 1 – 0 Real Madrid
Just his second European night in Madrid colours, and star signing Kylian Mbappe was already on his way to France again, albeit on the bench. Lille were only afforded some five minutes of partial control, before the visitors picked up the initiative. Jude Bellingham found Vinicius Jr. in the 6th minute, with the winger decided to shoot from the edge of the box and put his marker down. Young forward Endrick then thought to repeat his Stuttgart heroics, breaking through on goal after being released by Eduardo Camavinga, but sending his effort straight into Lille keeper Lucas Chevalier. In the 27th minute, a lot was asked from Madrid keeper Andriy Lunin, first saving a point-blank header from forward Jonathan David, before clattering the rebound on the post by himself.
But that’s what Madrid do, suffer first and hit later, right? Lille forward Edon Zhegrova’s long range effort collided with Camavinga, leading to a great eruption of protestation from Lille. A quick VAR check later, it was David from 12 yards, who managed to send Lunin the wrong way and score an unforgettable goal.
Liverpool 2 – 0 Bologna
Anfield had been deprived of Champions League for what seemed like an eternity, with the rust and cobwebs rattled off within the opening minutes alone. Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch’s low cross into the six-yard box was teasing but cleared, before Bologna forward Thijs Dallinga had a dream goal ruled offside in the 9th minute. A couple of minutes later, when Mohamed Salah’s whipped cross found midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, he only had to tap the ball into the back of the net. Bologna could’ve and should’ve been swept away, with forward Darwin Nunez getting a goal ruled offside and Dominik Szoboszlai dragging his low effort wide. This allowed the hosts to creep back in, with forward Dan Ndoye hitting the woodwork twice.
RB Leipzig 2 – 3 Juventus
An interesting matchup, which saw the Old Lady, away from the competition for a year, travel to RB Leipzig, the brutish revolutionaries who knocked the unbeatable monicker from Bayer Leverkusen. They were quick to remind everyone of their credentials, when forward Lois Openda powered down the right flank, with his square pass to centerforward Benjamin Sesko cleared by Juventus fullback Pierre Kalulu. Around the 30 minute-mark, Leipzig countered through Openda, who then found Sesko with a chipped ball, gloriously smashed home on the volley. Juventus almost replied instantly, with forward Dusan Vlahovic turning around his man in the Leipzig box but failing to test the keeper with an off-target shot.
Benfica 4 – 0 Atletico Madrid
The visitors would’ve been buoyed on the back of a valiant point earned against Real Madrid, but faced a brutal reality check in Lisbon. In the sixth minute, Benfica forward Vangelis Pavlidis knocked on the door, with his dangerous header already putting testing Atletico keeper Jan Oblak. Flash forward a few minutes later, and Atletico were caught while building from the back. The hosts capitalized on that defensive blunder through Kerem Akturkoglu, who directed his finish past the panicking Oblak. However, the visitors would gradually crawl back and respond. Within the last 15 minutes, the woodwork was struck twice, first by Atletico’s Samuel Lino, with Pavlidis trying to convert from Angel di Maria’s deflected effort.
Zagreb 2 – 2 Monaco
After Monaco spoiled the party at Hansi Flick’s revolution in Catalonia, and Zagreb were torn apart 9-2 by Bayern Munich, a lot was at stake at the Stadion Maksimir in Croatia. The pitch was left treacherous with rain pelting in, but not denying Zagreb’s Martin Baturina to fire a low free-kick on target, before crossing the ball to forward Bruno Petkovic whose bicycle kick was off-target. Monaco’s Takumi Minamino timed his run to perfection in the 12th minute, with the Zagreb keeper smothering the resultant shot. Petkovic mirrored him in the 44th minute, timing his run past the Monaco backline and through on goal. Monaco keeper Phillip Kohn also mirrored his counterpart by saving the shot, only for Petkovic to be ruled offside. Kohn was however, left redfaced when Petar Sucic’s lovely dink gave the hosts the lead.
Sturm Graz 0 – 1 Club Brugge
What do they say about off-pitch and on-pitch realities colliding? It had been a slow start for the two minnows; Sturm Graz were naively spun around by tournament debutants Brest in their opener, while Club Brugge would’ve felt frustrated to lose a single point against a vulnerable Borussia Dortmund. Zoom your scope towards the Merkur Arena in Austria, and proceedings began slow. By the 20th minute, the visitors carried slightly more momentum, capitalizing on it through winger Christos Tzolis, his wonderful curling effort hitting the woodwork before the back of the net. Sturm Graz almost pulled one back immediately, when midfielder Malick Yalcouye’s effort hit a defender first, then the top of the crossbar.
Bayern fell victim to Colombia’s new young hero at Villa Park, while both Madrid clubs managed to experience upsets at Benfica and Lille. Read up on a thrilling Juventus comeback at Leipzig, and more, in this special Champions League match report. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
