Takeaways From UEFA Champions League Matchweek 5 | OneFootball

We're are now more than halfway done with the the Champions League league phase. Matchweek 5 re-shuffled the standings and now the top four leagues in Europe each have one team representative in the top four of the table.

Liverpool remained perfect and leads the way after its decisive win over reigning champion Real Madrid. Inter Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund follow closely behind with three matchweeks to go.

The latest games were full of surprises, comebacks and many goals. Here's a recap of takeaways from the latest round of games in the Champions League.

PSG and Luis Enrique are in big trouble

PSG fell in its visit to Bayern Munich to extend its winless streak in the league phase to four games. The Parisians are currently on the outside looking in of the playoff picture, currently 25th on the standings, two points back of Real Madrid.

The league phase draw wasn't kind with Luis Enrique's side and it's become even more apparent now that the action has ensued. Losses to high caliber teams such as Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and now Bayern make it evident that PSG aren't at the level of the top teams in the continent.

There are three matchweeks left to turn around the situation. Games against RB Salzburg and Stuttgart—teams below PSG in the standings—should be winnable, but both games will be away from the Parc des Princes and the team hasn't won away from home in the Champions League this season. Its only remaining home game is against Manchester City and although it's also going through a rough stretch, by the time the game comes around on Jan. 22 it could be back to form.

Enrique can't afford a league phase exit despite the difficult schedule. PSG's domestic success isn't what its managers are judged for and patience isn't something the team is known for. If PSG fail to turn around it's campaign, then the Spanish manager might be coaching his final days in the French capital.

PSV Eindhoven mounts a comeback with USMNT flavor

With only three minutes to go until the clock hit 90 minutes, PSV Eindhoven were on the brink of losing 2–0 to Shakhtar Donetsk. When the final whistle blew, the Dutch side had turned it around to win 3–2, with all three goals coming curtesy of two USMNT players.

Malik Tillman scored a brace to bring PSV level, becoming the first U.S. player to score twice in a Champions League match. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Ricardo Pepi scored the winner, sending the crowd at Phillips Stadium into a frenzy.

The USMNT stars rescued PSV from what would've been a catastrophic defeat. A loss would've put the team outside of the playoff places, instead, PSV now sits 18th in the standings, with a real chance of making it to the playoff round.

The two young players continue to improve this season. Pepi has eight goals in the last five games he's played for club and country. Tillman has three goals and two assists so far in the UCL, which are even better numbers than fellow USMNT standout, Christian Pulisic, who also scored for AC Milan.

USMNT players continue to shine on Europe's biggest stage, becoming key figures in the Champions League success of their respective teams.

Controversial decision denies Aston Villa a victory over Juventus

Aston Villa hosetd Juventus at Villa Park for what ended up being a scoreless draw in a defensive bout for much of the night. However, controversy surrounds the result.

Morgan Rogers thought he'd scored the winner in stoppage time that would've seen Villa remain in the direct qualification positions. Instead, VAR overturned the goal after it deemed that Diego Carlos had fouled goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio as they both went up in the air fighting for the ball.

"In England it's a goal, in Europe could be not," manager Unai Emery said about the disallowed goal. "The easier interpretation for the referee is a foul, but in England when the opponent is not using their hands to push the goalkeeper or to really touch him clearly usually it's not a foul. But we have to accept it."

Aston Villa is now in the middle of a seven game winless streak in all competitions for the first time since the arrival of Emery. The rough patch has seen Villa fall from first to ninth in the Champions League standings.

Argentina's World Cup Champions Shine

It was a matchweek with plenty of standout performances, including three Man of the Match performances from key pieces of Argentina's national team's recent success.

Ángel di Maria continues to age like fine wine. The 36-year-old had two assists in the final 10 minutes to secure Benfica's comeback against Monaco. The assists put di Maria ahead of Lionel Messi with 41 assists in his Champions League career, one shy of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs for the most all time.

Julián Álvarez scored his first Champions League brace for Atlético Madrid in the 6–0 demolition of Sparta Prague. La Araña scored Atlético Madrid's first free-kick goal in the Champions League in 146 games, the first one in the Diego Simeone era.

Alexis Mac Allister pulled the strings of Liverpool's midfield on the massive victory against Real Madrid. He scored the opener and created plenty of chances over the course of the match. Though it was only his second goal of the season, Mac Allister proved just how important he is in Arne Slot's side.

Most goals ever in a Champions League matchweek

There were 67 goals scored across 18 games in Matchweek 5, a new record for a group stage/league phase round in the Champions League.

The previous record was 63 goals in 16 games on the opening round of the 2000–01 season. The increase of teams participating in this edition definitely helps, but it's still a historic feat.

Half of the games this matchweek saw at least five goals, with the seven scored in Atalanta's 6–1 victory over last place, Young Boys being the biggest contributor to the record. Only one game ended in a goalless draw, the aforementioned Aston Villa-Juventus match.

For fans that love high-scoring, attacking soccer affairs with little to no regard for stout defending, Matchweek 5 was a dream.

The excitement of the Champions League will resume on Tuesday, Dec. 10, with only three rounds to go in the league phase.