Priceless Moments of the week: Durán, Adeyemi, Çalhanoğlu and Salah shine
Friday, October 4, 2024
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Jhon Durán, Karim Adeyemi, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Mohamed Salah all feature in our Mastercard Priceless Moments of the week for Matchday 2.
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Check out the milestone goals, fairy-tale storylines and eye-popping drama that defined UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 with the Mastercard Priceless Moments of the week.
Adeyemi's 32-minute hat-trick
"I think my favourite was my second goal," commented Karim Adeyemi after playing a big part in Dortmund's 7-1 victory against Celtic. "It was from a tight angle and I managed to hit it really well."
Adeyemi's first hat-trick for BVB – and only the second of his senior career– came in a 32-minute first-half flurry. First, he unleashed a clinical finish from a swift counterattack to beat Kasper Schmeichel at the near post, before powering in an instinctive strike from just inside the area and rounding off his treble with a pinpoint low effort.
In an outstanding performance, Adeyemi also won Dortmund's second penalty of the match in the first half.
Çalhanoğlu, Saka or Kairinen: Whose free-kick was best?
Tuesday night featured a trio of eye-catching free-kicks, including Hakan Çalhanoğlu's stunning opener for Inter against Crvena Zvezda. Taking just a two-step run-up, the Turkish midfielder flashed a glorious strike into the far corner of Omri Glazer's goal, his shot gaining speed before crashing in off the post to kick-start a 4-0 victory.
In north London, Bukayo Saka's low, inswinging delivery from the right looked destined be flicked on by Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Martinelli. However, the awkward ball slipped past the Brazil forward, and after Thomas Partey and Gabriel also failed to get a touch, Saka's set piece ultimately beat Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on its path into the net.
"I hit it well," was Kaan Kairinen's understated assessment of his own free-kick, meanwhile. Up and over Stuttgart's four-man wall, the Sparta Praha midfielder's left-footed strike from more than 20 metres out clipped the upright before rippling the net. Alexander Nübel flung himself high, but it was nearly impossible to keep out a shot executed with such precision.
Salah becomes Africa's top scorer
Mohamed Salah scored a landmark 45th Champions League goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Bologna, surpassing Didier Drogba to become the highest-scoring African player in the competition's history.
The Egyptian's exquisite curled finish from the edge of the area added to an already impressive goal tally, which also includes efforts for Basel and Roma.
Salah's closest active challenger is his former Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mané, with whom he won the Champions League in 2018/19, though Mané is currently playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Villa's supersub Durán strikes again
Jhon Durán's composed first-time lob secured Aston Villa's victory in their maiden Champions League home match.
Sent on in the 70th minute, it took the 20-year-old just nine minutes to find the net. Timing his run perfectly to meet Pau Torres's long ball, Durán glanced up quickly before casually lobbing the backtracking Bayern München goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
The Colombian's latest goal was his fifth off the bench this season, with four others in the Premier League – and four of the five proving match winners. "He comes on and gives defenders nightmares [...] and he's only going to get better," said team-mate Morgan Rogers.