The UEFA Champions League returned this week from a month-long hiatus with UEFA Champions League Matchday 2.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 began Tuesday, October 13, with a shocking result between Viking FK and Bayern Munich. It concluded on Wednesday with a big showdown between UEFA Champions League contenders Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, with PSG winning 4-2 on the road. As we head into Matchday 3 next week, the Parisians lead the league phase table with six points, tied with eight other teams, thanks to a superior goal difference and more goals scored.
Now that all 36 teams have played their first two league phase games, UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 offered plenty to take away as we start to learn who this year’s true contenders are and who could be this year’s surprise teams. From shocking results to drama and heavyweight showdowns, here are the biggest takeaways from UEFA Champions League Matchday 2.
Three Key Takeaways From UEFA Champions League Matchday 2
1. PSG Assert Their Champions’ Credentials With A Rout Of Manchester City
The two-time defending UEFA Champions League champions haven’t had the best start to the season, as Paris Saint-Germain failed to win a game until their first game of the new European campaign and also sit in an unusual sixth place in Ligue 1. They have shown early-season vulnerabilities, raising questions about whether they can three-peat in the UEFA Champions League.
However, a commanding away win over Manchester City in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 sent a clear message to Europe: the French champions remain firmly in the hunt for a historic third consecutive title.
This was a huge win for Paris Saint-Germain, with a showdown against FC Barcelona looming next week. One of PSG’s biggest struggles this season has been getting off to fast starts, as they failed to take an early lead in their first four games. The team has turned that around in their last four games, and for the first time this season, they did it against a heavyweight like Manchester City, scoring three goals in the first 32 minutes.
Their star players, like Ousmane Dembele, have now found form after slow starts, scoring three UEFA Champions League goals, including one in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2. Their defence has improved after conceding seven goals in their first four games of the season, allowing five in their last five, including two against Manchester City in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2. Despite Manchester City’s turmoil, PSG defeated a strong Manchester City side, with star players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and leading scorer Ferran Torres starting on the bench.
Despite having less possession and a lower expected goals rate, PSG showed why they are the two-time defending champions, as they were more clinical than Manchester City. The Cityzens had 23 shots compared to PSG’s 13, with eight on target, but they managed only two goals. PSG had nine of their 13 shots on target and scored four, including three in the first half, putting the Cityzens in a big hole at half-time. In the end, Manchester City’s attack dominated the stats but still lost.
After a slow start, PSG are once again showing the form that helped them become two-time UEFA Champions League champions. This UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 win puts them back among the favourites to win the title, with their elite midfield and attack on full display. Next week’s showdown between PSG and Barcelona will determine who Europe’s team to beat is.
2. Real Madrid’s Struggles Continue Despite Comeback Win Over AS Roma
Real Madrid entered the UEFA Champions League with high expectations after their transfer-window signings. Despite two wins in the first two matchdays, including a comeback win over AS Roma in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, Real Madrid has struggled more than this roster’s calibre should have. These uninspiring wins show that the team must improve if it wants to be a UEFA Champions League contender.
After an uninspiring performance against Inter in Matchday 1, Real Madrid struggled again in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, and AS Roma outplayed them for 82 minutes. Despite an evenly matched first half that saw them level at half-time, Roma dominated Real Madrid in the second half, scoring two goals in 12 minutes to take a 3-1 lead. They dominated possession, posed the biggest attacking threat for most of the second half, and Los Blancos looked off their game. It looked like Roma were on track for a huge result against the 15-time European champions.
However, as they always do in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid found a way back when they looked down and out, scoring three goals in seven minutes to win 4-3. Jose Mourinho deserves a lot of credit for turning this result around, as his substitutions, Carlos Espi and Endrick, scored to tie the game before Antonio Rudiger finished the comeback with a 90th-minute goal. This showcases the depth of this talented squad and how it can inject energy whenever the team is down and out.
Despite the win, Real Madrid still has plenty to improve, especially defensively, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven games and have allowed 1.75 goals per game in their last four, including the AS Roma game. Players in the starting lineup outside of Kylian Mbappe struggled, and the team struggled to create chances outside of set pieces. This result speaks more to Roma’s inability to finish the game, as all three of Real Madrid’s final goals came from set pieces.
One encouraging takeaway for Real Madrid is that they still have their style of play: finding a way to win games when the odds are against them. However, this isn’t a formula this talented team should use if it wants to compete with teams like PSG and Barcelona, who are explosive in attack. Real Madrid needs to improve drastically and find a way to win games more comfortably if it wants to be among the favourites in this year’s UEFA Champions League.
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3. Liverpool Hit Top Form In Win Over LASK Linz
Liverpool has struggled to find consistency and reach top form this season, while Andoni Iraola continues to bring all the right pieces together. However, in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, Liverpool finally seems to have unlocked its potential, routing LASK Linz away from home in a strong response to last week’s loss to Manchester City in the Premier League. This win makes you wonder how dangerous Liverpool can be when everything clicks.
Everything clicked for Liverpool as they played their best performance of the season in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2. They scored their most goals in a game this season and won convincingly for the first time. They got off to a fast start, scoring three goals in the first 38 minutes to take a 3-0 lead into half-time, and they had 19 shots in the half. They continued to play as the aggressor, scoring three goals to put the game out of hand at 6-1, despite two goals from Linz to make the score more respectable. Liverpool finished with an expected goals rate of 3.34, 64% possession, and nine shots on target.
The biggest positive Liverpool will take away from UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 is that underwhelming players like Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola finally seem to have found form, putting in their best performances since joining Liverpool. Wirtz looked comfortable for the first time not just in Iraola’s system, but also at Liverpool, as he threatened in attack and made an impact defensively. He registered his first assist since August 29, plus six shots (two on target), five defensive interventions, and won duels.
As for Barcola, he has struggled since moving from PSG to Liverpool, failing to register a goal contribution in his first six matches. However, in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, he responded, scoring a hat-trick in 66 minutes. On a night when Liverpool’s attack was short-handed with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo injured, Barcola was the team’s most dangerous and effective attacker, scoring three goals from four shots on target and having the second-most shots, behind Wirtz. Along with Wirtz and Barcola, Jeremie Frimpong, who has also struggled, had his best performance, scoring a goal, creating two big chances, and making seven defensive interventions.
This was an incredible performance for a Liverpool team that has struggled to hit top form since Iraola became the manager. Players who have struggled finally looked more comfortable, and they did it without Isak, Gakpo, or Dominik Szoboszlai. Whether Liverpool can replicate this performance against stronger opposition remains to be seen. However, this UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 performance gave us an encouraging glimpse of how good this team can be when everything clicks.
Extra Time Notes
With UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 in the books, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Barcelona and PSG are Europe’s strongest teams right now. They have shown the fewest holes, are more balanced, well-coached, and have won all of their games convincingly. Arsenal could join that picture if they fix their striker issue, and Bayern Munich could do the same if they become more consistent.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 also showed that Real Madrid and Manchester City aren’t ready to be contenders, despite entering the competition with high expectations. Many issues became evident in UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 as they failed to make a strong statement. For now, only four teams should be considered favourites to win the competition.
As for dark horses, UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 showed that teams like Aston Villa and Sporting CP could make deep runs in this competition. Aston Villa blew out Fenerbahce 6-0, while Sporting CP defeated RC Lens 2-0 on the road, with both clubs top of the table on six points. They have made deep runs in this competition before, so don’t be surprised if they do it again.
It may still be early in the UEFA Champions League, with six matchdays left of the league phase, but every game matters in your quest to win this competition. It could be the difference between avoiding the UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-offs and having second-leg home-field advantage in the knockout phase. For those reasons, next week’s showdowns between PSG and Barcelona, along with Bayern and Arsenal, should offer a clearer picture of how these European heavyweights stack up against one another.
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