Hello and welcome back to The Full 90. This week, we will recap all the drama, emotion, and excitement from Matchday 2 of the Champions League.
The first slate of matches took place on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and what a series of matches it was. A large goal tally was shared between all teams with an impressive 33 total goals scored on day one. The first match I would like to highlight was Chelsea FC vs Benfica. The narrative in this game is rooted in footballing history, as legendary Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge to face his former club. With his tremendous history in the club and the current form Chelsea is in, the Chelsea fans were surely in for an anxious night disguised by nostalgia. Mourinho and his new team presented Chelsea with a challenge early on and proved to fans that they could compete toe-to-toe with the world champions. Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca has been under scrutiny from the media due to the club’s poor form, having won only one of their last five matches in all competitions.
The game did not disappoint as both went back and forth until Richard Rios of Benfica scored an own goal in the 18th minute. The rest of the match was a fiery back-and-forth between both clubs; however, Chelsea held onto the single-goal advantage until the very end and secured three points in a scrappy yet necessary Champions League home victory.
Another interesting match from day one came from Istanbul, where Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray faced the reigning Premier League champions Liverpool. Liverpool looked to bounce back after a crushing defeat to Crystal Palace in the league last weekend; however, that would be spoiled by Galatasaray’s record signing Victor Osimhen. Osimhen converted from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after a clumsy tackle from Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai in their own box. Liverpool saw themselves down 1-0 for the entire game and weren’t able to get going.
Another poor performance from record-breaking signing Florian Wirtz and an injury to starting goalkeeper Alison Becker seemed to be salt in the wound for the English giants, as Galatasaray clawed its way to an extraordinary Champions League upset.
Upsets were not unusual for English teams on day one, as Tottenham Hotspur also succumbed to Champions League drama when they drew with FK Bodø/Glimt. The underdog spirit was on display in a game where the English giants were dominated and lucky to get a draw against the humble side from Norway.
As I mentioned earlier, day one of Matchday 2 featured an extraordinary number of goals, with many of them coming in the games between Atletico Madrid and Frankfurt, and Bayern Munich and Pafos. The results of these games were identical as Bayern and Athletico dismantled their opponents 5-1.
Day two of Matchday 2 was filled with mouth-watering matchups, headlined by a heavyweight bout between mega clubs PSG and FC Barcelona. The Spanish side, led by teenage star Lamine Yamal, hosted the injury-riddled Parisian side. The buildup to this game was quite convoluted, as star players on both sides missed the tie. Ousmane Dembele, the former Barcelona player and recent Ballon d’Or winner, missed the game for PSG, alongside key players such as Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and French talent Desire Doue.
The hosts took advantage of these injuries and got off to a fantastic start with a goal from Spanish forward Ferran Torres in the 19th minute. Instead of capitalizing on the goal and pushing for a second, the Catalan side got complacent, and PSG started to grow into the game. Each minute, it seemed as though PSG were growing stronger and more confident. PSG’s resiliency paid off when, roughly 20 minutes later, 19-year-old Senny Mayulu confidently dispatched a composed finish past Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.
From there, the game lost a bit of its spark until super-sub Goncalo Ramos won the contest in the final moments for the Parisians. The 90th-minute winner was neatly taken by the Portuguese striker, who was provided by PSG’s captain Achraf Hakimi’s perfectly placed cross that exploited Barcelona’s careless high-line defense. The defeat will sting for FC Barcelona, as they knew PSG’s lineup was significantly diminished due to injuries, yet they still couldn’t secure the result at home.
On the French Riviera, Manchester City took on AS Monaco. Despite Erling Haaland’s impressive two-goal brace, the Monegasques leveled the playing field and left the match with an impressive 2-2 draw against one of England’s best teams. Similarly, Juventus and Villarreal were stuck in a deadlock. Juventus had the lead until the final moments of the match when former Juventus player Renato Veiga scored an emphatic header in the 89th minute of the game to secure his team a point and leave the match tied.
Matchday 2 provided excitement with captivating games throughout both days. The action and spectacle are sure to continue growing. With six match days remaining, teams will continue to fight for points as the knockout stages approach.