Things We Learned from Match Day 2 | OneFootball

The Champions League Match Day 2 was another banger. Eighteen games over two days, with 62 goals scored. A veritable cornucopia of soccer brilliance to feat upon. Here were eight big things that we learned.

1. Liverpool Are Fragile

Galatasaray 1 – 0 Liverpool Istanbul’s RAMS Park isn’t a friendly place. 45,000+ rapid Galatasaray fans in full voice harassed and harangued Liverpool for the full 90+ minutes. According to reports their sh!thousery began the night before, setting off fireworks outside the team’s hotel throughout the night.

Despite 66% possession and 2x margin on shots and corners, Liverpool failed to find the net. A nil – nil draw should have been the result (that penalty call was marshmallow soft) but that still would not provide answers to many of the questions plaguing the Reds. Konate was terrible, again. How long can Slot continue to rely on him?

2. Spurs are Terrible; Keep Getting Results

Bodø/Glimt 2 – 2 Tottenham HotspurIf not for Kasper Waarst Høgh’s Worst Penalty Ever, this write-up would have a different tone. Bodø/Glimt were superior by nearly every metric except luck. Hell, two of Spurs’ three goals have been OGs. That’s luck, and we all know how fickle she can be.

3. Ajax Might Be the Worst Team in the CL

Marseille 4 – 0 AjaxOnly four teams have lost both CL games; Ajax is one of those. Sitting in second-last place with a -6 goal differential is not exactly the triumphant return the club expected. But it’s what they deserve, especially after that insipid showing in Marseille. They are one of two teams (Olympiacos) who have yet to score a goal. What’s worse, they don’t even look capable of doing so, especially as their next tie is against Chelsea on the road.

4. Harry Kane (and Bayern) are Unreal

Pafos 1 – 5 Bayern MunichHaaland may be breaking records (see below), but Harry Kane’s overall performance for Bayern has been sublime. The striker has eleven goals in five games, four of those in the Champions League. The rest of the team aren’t slouches either, particularly Michael Olise who channeled The Flash to beat everyone to a ball and slam it home in the closing moments.

5. Qarabağ Are Dangerous

Qarabağ 2 – 0 F.C. København

Champions League Top Six. Source: Sofascore

Look at the company Qarabağ is keeping. Not too shabby. The twelve-time Azerbaijani league champions have exploded from the opening gate, and will not be slowing down as they visit a reeling Athletic Club in three weeks’ time.

6. PSG Have Barça’s Number

Barcelona 1 – 2 Paris Saint-GermainHow’s this for a stat: No team had ever beaten Barcelona four consecutive times in Barcelona. Until yesterday. The match didn’t quite meet “instant classic” criteria, but it was a thriller nonetheless. PSG were missing Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desiré Doué & Marquinhos. Barcelona were also down five players, none of them at the level of the other four. Lamine Yamal was electric, but couldn’t push his side into the win.

7. USG Aren’t All That

Union St.-Gilloise 0 – 4 Newcastle UnitedThis aged well. I will fully own that my prediction of a Newcastle loss was sadly off the mark. The worst part of USG’s defeat was how it made Newcastle look like a squad who found their full set of gears. USG hosts Inter Milan in the next fixture, who will present an even tougher foe. Newcastle host a winless Benfica.

8. Haaland Is Back; Can’t Help City

AS Monaco 2 – 2 Manchester City

Record-breaking performance for Haaland. Source: X

Everyone’s favorite Norwegian goalbot continued his record-setting form, but it wasn’t enough to get City all three points. The equalizing goal was scored by Eric Dier, taking his first ever penalty kick during open play. He also earned it after getting struck in the face by a high boot. Bonus points for not wiping off the blades of grass that stuck to his forehead before taking the kick. Steely.