Champions League highlights and round-up: Villa beat Bayern, Lille stun Madrid, Benfica, Liverpool and Juve win again
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
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Aston Villa and Lille pulled off the results of the night, while Benfica, Juventus and Liverpool all made it two wins from two.
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Aston Villa and Lille both sprung surprises on Wednesday night, stealing the headlines with victories over Bayern München and Real Madrid respectively. Benfica, Juventus and Liverpool all joined Villa on maximum points with second league phase wins of their own, while Feyenoord, Atalanta and Club Brugge each kick-started their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaigns with Matchday 2 triumphs.
UEFA.com rounds up the drama from the second week of action.
Wednesday night's action
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 Atalanta
Atalanta opened their away campaign in emphatic style with a dazzling attacking display in Gelsenkirchen. Berat Djimsiti deftly steered in Ademola Lookman's cross for the 21st-minute opener, and Lookman sent a cushioned volley against the crossbar before netting with a low finish a minute before the break. Raoul Bellanova nodded in the third three minutes into the second half from a delivery by Davide Zappacosta, who fired against a post moments later.
Player of the Match: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
Matchday 3
22/10: Arsenal vs Shakhtar, 23/10: Atalanta vs Celtic
Girona 2-3 Feyenoord
Two own goals either side of Antoni Milambo's cool finish ensured Feyenoord took maximum points at Girona. David López's close-range finish had given the hosts the lead in their first European home game, but Quinten Timber's header deflected in off Yangel Herrera for the equaliser and Milambo edged the visitors in front with a smart strike. Paulo Gazzaniga had to stop Ayase Ueda making it 3-1 from the penalty spot.
After half-time, visiting keeper Timon Wellenreuther prevented Bojan Miovski from levelling with a spot kick, but instead Donny van de Beek restored parity by side-footing in after good work from Arnaut Danjuma.
However, there was a repeat of Matchday 1's late heartache for Girona when Ladislav Krejčí turned Dávid Hancko's cross into his own net.
Player of the Match: Quinten Timber (Feyenoord)
Matchday 3
22/10: Girona vs Slovan Bratislava, 23/10: Benfica vs Feyenoord
Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern München
Substitute Jhon Durán's majestic 79th-minute lob gave Aston Villa victory in their first ever Champions League home match. In an absorbing contest, six-time champions Bayern almost went ahead when Michael Olise's dipping first-half strike was brilliantly tipped over by Emiliano Martínez. However, it was Durán – prolific from the bench this season – who timed his run to perfection to meet Pau Torres's long pass and lift the winner over Manuel Neuer. Martínez rescued Villa again during added time, thwarting Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane.
Player of the Match: Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)
Matchday 3
22/10: Aston Villa vs Bologna, 23/10: Barcelona vs Bayern
GNK Dinamo 2-2 Monaco
Monaco came from two goals down to secure a point against Dinamo in Zagreb. Petar Sučić scored in first-half added time to hand the hosts the advantage, then Martin Baturina struck after a clever dribble to put Dinamo 2-0 up midway through the second half.
However, Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu headed home from a corner with 16 minutes left, and captain Denis Zakaria dispatched a penalty in the 90th minute to equalise.
Player of the Match: Martin Baturina (GNK Dinamo)
Matchday 3
22/10: Monaco vs Crvena Zveza, 23/10: Salzburg vs GNK Dinamo
Liverpool 2-0 Bologna
Alexis Mac Allister's close-range strike and a sublime Mohamed Salah finish ensured Liverpool continued their winning start in Arne Slot's first experience of a European night at Anfield.
The hosts pounced with their first effort 11 minutes in when Mac Allister connected with a Salah cross to prod the Reds in front. Bologna grew in stature, though, with Dan Ndoye hitting the woodwork and Alisson Becker denying Kacper Urbański and Riccardo Orsolini either side of half-time.
However, Salah made sure of maximum points in style 15 minutes from time, cutting in from the right before curling a left-footed shot into the far corner.
Player of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Matchday 3
22/10: Aston Villa vs Bologna, 23/10: Leipzig vs Liverpool
LOSC Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
Lille held off late pressure from the champions to see out a memorable victory in France.
Jonathan David's penalty put the French side ahead just before half-time and Ayyoub Bouaddi, celebrating his 17th birthday with his first Champions League start, shone in midfield as the Spanish side struggled to break through a resilient Lille back line.
Real Madrid had a string of late attempts in pursuit of the equaliser, but could not find a way past a superb Lucas Chevalier as their 14-match unbeaten run in the Champions League came to an end.
Player of the Match: Edon Zhegrova (Lille)
Matchday 3
22/10: Real Madrid vs Dortmund, 23/10: Atleti vs Lille
Leipzig 2-3 Juventus
A late Francisco Conceição goal earned ten-man Juventus victory in Germany. Benjamin Šeško had given the hosts a one-goal half-time advantage, only for Dušan Vlahović to equalise with a thunderous strike before the Bianconeri had goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off. Šeško then restored Leipzig's lead, this time from the penalty spot, yet Vlahović again responded for the visitors. Finally Conceição popped up in the 82nd minute with a mazy run and calm finish to ensure the away side claimed all three points.
Player of the Match: Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)
Matchday 3
22/10: Juventus vs Stuttgart, 23/10: Leipzig vs Liverpool
Sturm Graz 0-1 Club Brugge
Club Brugge bounced back from their Matchday 1 defeat with a narrow win at Sturm Graz.
Following a strong start from the Belgian team, Christos Tzolis latched onto Raphael Onyedika's cross-field ball and curled a fantastic effort in off a post midway through the first half.
In their first Champions League game in Austria since 2001, Sturm struggled to seriously trouble their opponents, with only Kjell Scherpen saves from Tzolis and Ferran Jutglà denying the visitors a greater margin of victory.
Player of the Match: Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge)
Matchday 3
22/10: Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP, Milan vs Club Brugge
Benfica 4-0 Atlético de Madrid
Benfica are among the seven clubs with maximum points from two games after this convincing success against Atleti. Kerem Aktürkoğlu fired the hosts ahead but Samuel Lino was unlucky to see his cross come back off the bar, denying him a leveller. Bruno Lage’s men pressed home their superiority after the break, with penalties from Ángel Di María and Orkun Kökçü sandwiching a fine header from Alexander Bah. Benfica now have five successive wins in all competitions.
Player of the Match: Orkun Kökçü (Benfica)
Matchday 3
23/10: Atleti vs Lille, Benfica vs Feyenoord
Tuesday night's action
Salzburg 0-4 Brest
Brest's excellent start to the Champions League continued with a second win which came courtesy of a clinical second-half performance in Austria. Abdallah Sima opened the scoring on 24 minutes when he raced on to Ludovic Ajorque's pass and held off two defenders to score.
Salzburg had chances of their own, but Mahdi Camara added a second midway through the second period, then Sima grabbed the third with a close-range effort. Mathias Pereira Lage wrapped up a memorable night when he swept in the fourth from the edge of the penalty area.
Player of the Match: Abdallah Sima (Brest)
Matchday 3
23/10: Brest vs Bayer Leverkusen, Salzburg vs GNK Dinamo
Stuttgart 1-1 Sparta Praha
Kaan Kairinen's sublime 32nd-minute equaliser earned Sparta a fourth point, curling in a free-kick via a post after Enzo Millot had nodded the opener with seven minutes played. Martin Vitík and Veljko Birmančević headed against the woodwork for the visitors either side of Kairinen's strike, and Birmančević was denied by Alexander Nübel's fine save shortly after half-time. Visiting keeper Peter Vindahl also excelled, turning Fabian Rieder's late long-range effort behind as Stuttgart collected their first point.
Player of the Match: Enzo Millot (Stuttgart)
Matchday 3
22/10: Juventus vs Stuttgart, 23/10: Manchester City vs Sparta Praha
Arsenal 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain
First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal a comfortable home win over Paris. Havertz put the Gunners in front with a brave header 20 minutes in, and captain Saka scored directly from a wide free-kick 15 minutes later to confirm Arsenal in the ascendancy in north London.
João Neves's shot was deflected onto the crossbar by David Raya as Paris sought to get on the scoresheet in the second half, but to no avail.
Player of the Match: Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Matchday 3
22/10: Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Paris Saint-Germain vs PSV Eindhoven
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 AC Milan
Victor Boniface scored his maiden Champions League goal as Leverkusen picked up a second straight win in the league phase. Boniface struck the decisive blow on 51 minutes after Mike Maignan had parried Jeremie Frimpong's shot. Álvaro Morata came closest to drawing Milan level, but the Bundesliga champions held out for maximum points.
Player of the Match: Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)
Matchday 3
22/10: AC Milan vs Club Brugge, 23/10: Brest vs Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic
Dortmund cruised past Celtic with Karim Adeyemi starring with a first-half hat-trick. Emre Can struck first from the penalty spot on seven minutes, but Celtic equalised two minutes later through Daizen Maeda. Adeyemi soon scored two more, Serhou Guirassy converted another penalty and Adeyemi's third simply sealed Dortmund's emphatic half-time lead. In the second half, Guirassy netted again to make it six, then sub Felix Nmecha's goal eleven minutes from time capped a super night for the home side.
Player of the Match: Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund)
Matchday 3
22/10: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund, 23/10: Atalanta vs Celtic
Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys
Barcelona bounced back from an opening defeat at Monaco with a convincing 5-0 victory, spearheaded by teenager Lamine Yamal.
Two goals from Robert Lewandowski, either side of a headed set-piece conversion from Iñigo Martínez and Raphinha's strike on the rebound, earned the hosts a four-goal advantage early in the second half.
Young Boys hit the woodwork through Joël Monteiro, before Mohamed Ali Camara netted a late own goal to add to the hosts' tally.
Player of the Match: Raphinha (Barcelona)
Matchday 3
23/10: Barcelona vs Bayern München, Young Boys vs Inter
Inter 4-0 Crvena Zvezda
Inter claimed their first win, and made it ten Champions League home matches without defeat, by cruising past Crvena Zvezda. After Hakan Çalhanoğlu had curled in a splendid 11th-minute free-kick, Mehdi Taremi set up both Marko Arnautović and Lautaro Martínez to slot in during the second half. Summer signing Taremi then opened his account for the club by clipping in a penalty with nine minutes left.
Player of the Match: Mehdi Taremi (Inter)
Matchday 3
22/10: Monaco vs Crvena Zvezda, 23/10: Young Boys vs Inter
PSV Eindhoven 1-1 Sporting CP
PSV and Sporting shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 draw at the PSV Stadion. Jerdy Schouten intercepted a strass pass and strode into space before firing past Franco Israel to give PSV a 15th-minute lead. The Eredivisie side had several good opportunities to increase their advantage, but ultimately had to settle for a draw after sub Daniel Bragança equalised with an outstanding first-time finish at the near post from Maximiliano Araújo's cross with 84 minutes on the clock.
Player of the Match: Jerdy Schouten (PSV)
Matchday 3
23/10: Paris Saint-Germain vs PSV Eindhoven, Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP
Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City
Manchester City got their campaign rolling with two goals either side of half-time. İlkay Gündoğan combined with Phil Foden to open the scoring with his first goal since rejoining the club, then Foden doubled their advantage with his opening goal of the campaign. Erling Haaland rounded Slovan keeper Dominik Takáč to make it three – the Norwegian's 42nd strike in 41 Champions League appearances – before James McAtee pounced on Foden's chip for his first goal in City colours.
Player of the Match: Phil Foden (Man City)
Matchday 3
22/10: Girona vs Slovan Bratislava, 23/10: Manchester City vs Sparta Praha