The UEFA Champions League returned with several games played across Europe with lots of goals scored and plenty of talking points for pundits to ponder on.
Spectators and fans were giving a treat to the best Europe had to offer in club football.
The early kick-off Group B games had all the trappings of a typical Champions League night. Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp was being Lionel Messi when he put PSV to the sword with yet another hat-trick.
He makes scoring them look so easy. He put in a five-star performance against the Eredivise champions and the game ended in a comfortable 4-0 victory for Barcelona. Ousmane Dembele’s name was also on the score sheet with a goal of his own in between Messi’s second and third.
FC Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The other Group B game between Inter and Tottenham looked like it was going to end with Spurs running away with the maximum points until the Italians turned it up a gear late in the game to mark their return to the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over the North London club.
Christian Eriksen had put the visitors ahead with a trademark stunner only for Mauro Icardi to reply with a peach of a goal in the 85th. Matias Vecino capped the dramatic comeback with a 92nd minute header.
A belligerent Mauricio Pochettino during post match press conference defended his team by claiming their performance was the best so far this season. However hard he tried he couldn’t explain away the team’s inability to see out the game.
Pochettino loses cool with reporters when asked about selections
Perhaps it’s the mentality of the team. It would have been better suited if Troy Deeney had directed his talk on the lack of cojones towards the Tottenham team rather than their north London rivals Arsenal. Pochettino needs to get his striker Harry Kane firing again if they are to progress from the group.
The Liverpool vs PSG was as entertaining as anticipated. Neymar made his presence felt in flashes in the early stages of the game but the Liverpool team were up to the task of ensuring the night was a long one for PSG.
Daniel Sturridge returned to the starting 11 after a long hiatus to score a nice header with James Milner doubling the goal tally from the penalty spot. Goals from Thomas Meunir and later Kylian Mbappe evened the scores with less than ten minutes to play.
The Merseyside team had dominated for most of the game and it would have been unjust if they had finished with anything but a victory. They were momentarily in danger of losing the game the dying minutes when PSG broke away in a blistering counter attack but saw their effort blocked by Virgil van Dijk.
Substitute Roberto Firmino – who was on the bench due to an eye injury – came on in the dying stages. It proved a shrewd substitution by Jurgen Klopp when he restored the lead for Liverpool with a brilliant shot at the edge of the 18-yard box, leaving keeper Alphonse Areola helpless in its wake.
Napoli and Red Star Belgrade, the other teams in the Group C, played out a goalless draw and the result meant Liverpool were top of the group and PSG were confined to the bottom.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to Spain since his summer move to Juventus when they met two-time finalists Valencia at the Mestalla with a red card, his first in the history of the competition with Manchester United, Real Madrid and now Juve.
He was booked for his foul and attempt to grab Valencia defender Murillo’s hair. Upon consultation with his assistant, German referee Felix Brych gave him his marching orders. With the straight red card Ronaldo is at risk of missing the encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford next month.
The decision to send Ronaldo off generated mixed reactions from fans and pundits alike. The Portuguese’s sister, Katia Aveiro, learnt her voice to the debate stating on her Instagram page that “football’s a shame… justice will be served. They want to destroy my brother but God never rests. Shameful.” Whether the red was a grand design to destroy Ronaldo seems far-fetched but it seemed harsh.
This also brings to mind the call for the introduction of VAR to resolve such controversies. Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri, insisted that the decision won’t have been given had VAR been deployed.
Juventus are back in the winner’s circle. (AFP PHOTO / MARCO BERTORELLO)
Despite being a man down from the 29th minute, a brace from Miralem Pjanic ensured Juventus won the game. The team continue to look like they are due for a third Champions League trophy.
Young Boys of Bern were taught an old lesson that minnows usually don’t stand a chance against the might of an established powerhouses in the Champions League. The Swiss team were not spared when the Red Devils comfortably beat their host as Paul Pogba, who had been in the news over a possible move away in January, put in a man of the match display by scoring two goals and creating an assist for his French counterpart, Anthony Martial to put the scores at 3-0.
Defending champions Real Madrid defeated last season’s semi-finalists Roma by 3-0. While Real Madrid were two nil up, Marco Ascensio attempted an audacious no-look shot which was saved by the Roma keeper.
It seemed obvious that he needed private tutoring on how to successfully execute such a bold move from Liverpool’s Firmino who scored thrice last season with such attempt. The wasteful play by Ascensio didn’t at all impress his coach Julen Lopetegui. The player could be forgiven since the team still went ahead to win the game comfortably.
At the Etihad, two first half goals by Olympique Lyon proved to be enough to seal a surprise 2-1 win against Manchester City.
The games played had several talking points and last-minute drama. Some teams will head off to their respective domestic fixtures over the weekend in high spirits. The same can’t be said for those who were on the losing side. Whatever the result had been they still have five games left to play in the group stage to turn the tide.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Manchester United have survived one of the most astonishing FA Cup semi-final comebacks to beat second-tier Coventry City 4-2 on penalties after a chaotic…
Erik ten Hag hopes Manchester United's nail-biting last-eight win over arch-rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup can prove the turning point in a challenging…
Phil Foden has led Manchester City's fightback - even despite an astonishing miss by Erling Haaland - as the champions beat Manchester United 3-1…
Arsenal remain just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after trouncing Newcastle 4-1 to continue their rich vein of form. Rebounding quickly from…
Watching Manchester United trip, stumble and struggle in English Premier League football is compellingly appealing, satisfying and almost comical for those of us who…
It was a move retro by comparison to much of the Premier League, and indeed modern football: a natural right-footed winger stationed on the…
