Four takeaways from Tuesday’s Champions League action

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·1. Oktober 2025

Four takeaways from Tuesday’s Champions League action

Matchday two of this season’s UEFA Champions League got underway on Tuesday night when three Premier League sides were in action.

None of Chelsea, Liverpool or Spurs came out of midweek with much credit, though, while one team put their hands up as a potential contender. Here are some of the learnings we gleaned from yesterday’s games.

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Four takeaways from Tuesday’s Champions League action

Slottage Time has run out for Liverpool

Galatasaray pulled off one of the shocks of the season by beating Liverpool 1-0 at home on Tuesday. Bear in mind that the Turkish outfit lost 5-1 on matchday one to Eintracht Frankfurt, who themselves just lost 5-1 to Atletico Madrid.

It took until the final round of league phase matches for the Reds to lose a game in the Champions League last season; this year it happened in week two. It’s also the first time since March that they have lost twice consecutively.

Perhaps more concerningly, it’s the first time this term they have failed to score a goal, against a team that hadn’t kept a clean sheet in their last 24 European outings no less. Most damningly, Galatasaray deserved to win.

This was an error strewn performance from Liverpool. Yes, Arne Slot rotated his troops, dropping Mo Salah, Alexander Isak and Alexis Mac Allister, but they had more than enough quality on the field to win this game.

There was no sense of cohesion on the field, with Slot evidently still trying to figure out how his expensively assembled puzzle pieces fit together. The defence looks vulnerable, with right-back is a problem position now. The midfield has lost its shape. And Salah looks a shadow of himself; he didn’t take a single shot or create a chance after he came on with the Merseyside outfit chasing a goal.

Moreover, their luck is running out. Liverpool kept getting away with playing poorly in the opening weeks of the campaign by digging out wins with late goals, but now the tables have been turned. First by Eddie Nketiah, then by VAR overturning a penalty call in the 88th minute in Istanbul.

Their issues have only increased with fresh injuries to Alisson Becker and Hugo Ekitike. This weekend they travel to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side that have been in something of a mini-crisis. That encounter looks a lot more daunting now.

There was an assumption that Liverpool would eventually improve and start playing a lot better, but it appears the problems run deeper than we all thought.

Read – Liverpool issue double injury update ahead of Chelsea clash

Chelsea see red again

Here’s a stat for you: Chelsea ended the month of September with more red cards than wins.

The Blues beat Benfica on Tuesday to get off the mark in the Champions League, winning 1-0 at home thanks to an own goal from Richard Rios. It was their second victory of the month, their only other one coming against Lincoln City in the League Cup.

Chelsea were also reduced to ten men yet again, although Joao Pedro had the good sense to wait until very late in the day to receive his second booking, leaving very little time for Benfica to capitalise on their numbers advantage.

It’s the third time in the space of four games that one of their players have been shown a red card, highlighting a lack of discipline that has existed throughout Enzo Maresca’s tenure. They may have won on this occasion, but if the Italian doesn’t get a grip on things then it will cost them badly this season.

Jose Mourinho will be disappointed his side didn’t come away with a result regardless. Chelsea were not particularly impressive, putting in another subpar attacking performance.

Read – Jose Mourinho backs Chelsea to compete for Champions League

Atleti are a serious outfit

After a relatively sluggish start to their LaLiga campaign, Atletico Madrid have laid down a marker in recent days. Diego Simeone’s side have scored ten goals in their last two games, following up their brilliant 5-2 win over Real Madrid with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Giacomo Raspadori opening the scoring with the club’s 200th goal in the competition and was one of five different scorers on the night. Robin Le Normand, Antoine Griezmann, Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez also got in on the act.

It’s possible they are already too far off the pace to challenge Barcelona or Real Madrid for the LaLiga title, but could they be dark horses in the Champions League? On the basis of this past week, they should be taken very seriously indeed.

Read – The greatest shock results in Champions League history

Spurs outclassed in the Arctic Circle

For the second game in a row Tottenham Hotspur required a late equaliser to bail them out of a poor showing against inferior opposition.

Thomas Frank’s men got away it at the weekend when Joao Palhinha found the net deep into stoppage time against Wolves, while a late own goal saved them against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday.

A second-half brace from Jens Petter Hauge, who was brilliant on the night, put the hosts two goals up, and their lead could have been even greater had Kasper Waarts Hogh not missed a penalty earlier in the match.

Spurs were thoroughly outplayed for the majority of the contest before staging a comeback. Micky van de Ven got one back with a powerful header moments after Hauge’s second goal, before Jostein Gundersen inadvertently steered the ball into his own net in the 89th minute.

It’s the first time Glimt have avoided defeat to an English side in Europe at the sixth time of asking, including two previous meetings with the Lilywhites.

Spurs looked toothless throughout the night and have now had their two worst performances of the season to date in back-to-back matches. Frank hasn’t run out of ideas already, has he?

Read – The players to score two own goals in a Premier League match