Revenge is sweet: Great matchday four recoveries
Monday, October 24, 2016
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With sides meeting for a second time in as many weeks, UEFA.com finds that plenty of teams snarled back at their opponents after being beaten soundly on matchday three.
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As they lick their wounds after heavy losses last time out, Manchester City, PSV Eindhoven, Legia Warszawa and Ludogorets Razgrad can take solace from the 14 teams beaten by three goals or more on matchday three in the UEFA Champions League, who then hit back hard on matchday four. UEFA.com presents seven object lessons.
Matchday three: Chelsea 6-0 Maribor
Matchday four: Maribor 1-1 Chelsea
2014/15 group stage
In the group stage for the first time in 15 years, Maribor drew with Sporting and Schalke in their first two Group G games – but were in for a rude awakening at Stamford Bridge in their third fixture.
Didier Drogba's first Chelsea goal since the 2012 final helped the Londoners to a club-record UEFA Champions League win, yet Maribor coach Ante Šimundža refused to lose heart, saying: "Maybe in the home game we will have a few more chances and start to believe. I know we can be better as a team."
His charges proved him right with a battling 1-1 draw in Slovenia, although they needed a late Jasmin Handanovič penalty save from Eden Hazard to preserve the point.
Matchday three: Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Matchday four: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Arsenal
2010/11 group stage
"I hope my team will be braver and more confident," said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu as his side welcomed the Gunners to the Donbass Arena having come unstuck in north London – where Eduardo's goal on his Arsenal return had been scant consolation.
The Pitmen fell behind to a tenth-minute Theo Walcott effort in Donetsk, but Dmytro Chygrynskiy's deflected header and another Eduardo strike meant a giant step towards qualifying for the last 16 for the first time.
"I said before the game that the result in London would have no bearing, and that was borne out," a satisfied Lucescu concluded.
Matchday three: Chelsea 4-0 Real Betis
Matchday four: Real Betis 1-0 Chelsea
2005/06 group stage
The Spanish outfit were punished for missing early opportunities against José Mourinho's men in London, yet Betis coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer's spirit was not broken.
"In football it is not always the big boys who get the victory," he said ahead of the rematch. "Sometimes the side who really want to win can do it, no matter what has gone before."
Substitute Dani duly held off Chelsea defender William Gallas before slotting the winner past Petr Čech in Seville to end the only perfect group stage defensive record at that stage that season.
Matchday three: Monaco 5-0 Sturm Graz
Matchday four: Sturm Graz 2-0 Monaco
2000/01 first group stage
Marco Simone netted a first-half hat-trick as French champions Monaco recovered from defeats in their opening two matches to see off Sturm Graz at Stade Louis II. "The result brings some calm to the squad and keeps open the door to qualification," said Monaco coach Claude Puel.
Arguably too much calm, because Sturm midfielder Markus Schopp scored from close range after goalkeeper Stéphane Porato's 40th-minute blunder, and then added a second two minutes from time as Ivica Osim's men found poise of their own.
Matchday three: Rosenborg 6-1 Helsingborgs
Matchday four: Helsingborgs 2-0 Rosenborg
2000/01 first group stage
Frode Johnsen bagged a treble as Norway's title holders made light work of their Swedish counterparts in Trondheim, Roar Strand striking twice before Stig Johansen's own goal completed the rout.
Helsingborg mustered a consolation through Rade Prica, and the Allsvenskan club quickly avenge their defeat – and posted their first points in the section – the following month, Jesper Jansson and Brazilian forward Álvaro finding the target either side of the break against ten-man Rosenborg.
Matchday three: Dynamo Kyiv 4-0 Anderlecht
Matchday four: Anderlecht 4-2 Dynamo Kyiv
2000/01 first group stage
Having crashed 5-1 at Manchester United on matchday one, Anderlecht received another mauling in Ukraine, Georgi Demetradze plundering two late goals to add insult to injury.
However, Dynamo would feel the Belgian team's wrath after Kakha Kaladze had given the visitors the lead in the return fixture; back came Anderlecht courtesy of Vladyslav Vaschuk's own goal, a Tomasz Radzinski brace and Alin Stoica's strike before half-time, though Valentin Belkevich pulled one back for Dynamo late on.
Matchday three: Bayern München 5-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Matchday four: Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Bayern München
1997/98 group stage
Two goals apiece by Giovane Elber and Carsten Jancker and a further score for captain Thomas Helmer sealed an emphatic group win for Bayern, Simone mustering a consolation for the French side.
Markus Babbel cancelled out Franck Gava's opener as the action switched to Paris, yet Florian Maurice and substitute Jérôme Leroy struck after the restart as Ricardo Gomes's men got their own back.