After the first week of football in the best club competition in the world, the Champions League, it can be said that some things are clearer. While there were surprises, such as PSG dropping points against Club Brugge or Manchester United losing to Swiss team Young Boys, most of the results were expected. In this specific post, we're looking at some Champions League matchday 1 takeaways.
That does not mean, of course, that there was no excitement, as Liverpool produced a comeback against Milan to win 3-2 and Real Madrid scored very late to snatch three points from Inter away from home. Here are our Champions League matchday 1 takeaways.
Champions League Matchday 1 Takeaways
Barcelona is in a major crisis
The game between Barcelona and Bayern Munich can be summed up in one sentence: for the first time in their history in this competition, Barcelona failed to shoot at the opposition goal for the entire game. It seemed like the Catalans were entering this game against Bayern with a major point to prove, due to the fact that the same team beat them 8-2 two years ago. However, while they were planning to prove a different point, they managed to prove something else – this roster is nowhere close to the top of European football.
In the game against the Bavarians, it was fairly clear that the Barcelona team was struggling. Not only have they not shot at the goal of their opponents, but they also had major issues containing Bayern players from getting into goal-scoring opportunities. It was not only Robert Lewandowski or Thomas Muller but young stud Jamal Musiala. The striker with a ton of potential shot the ball before two Bayern goals, that hit the post before going straight to Lewandowski for the finish.
The Barcelona problem comes from the fact that in our lifetime, Barca always had a clear leader. It was Ronaldinho then it was Lionel Messi and they were leaders when it comes to being the difference-makers. Ronaldinho could turn the whole defense upside down with his dribbling, while Messi's genius was shown week-in, week-out. Now, the difference-maker should be Memphis Depay, but he is nowhere near that quality. He is a good player, just like Pedri or Frenkie De Jong, but they are supporting players, not leaders.
Chelsea is firing even when the cannon seems empty
When big teams play in the Champions League against much lesser opposition, it does not always mean that they will win all the time. As one example, Real Madrid can be considered. The 13-time champions started the last Champions League campaign with a loss to Shakhtar Donetsk at home and a draw with Borussia Monchengladbach, and it was a draw that they had to save in the dying minutes of the game.
Thus, Chelsea fans must be happy to see that in a rough game versus Zenit St Petersburg, the Blues managed to pull off the win in the end. It was Romelu Lukaku that was the ultimate difference, as the Belgian forward scored a great header in the 69th minute. Chelsea dominated, with 67% possession and 11 shots overall, but only found the back of the net once, which was enough against the Russian team that was only looking to survive the game.
While the result is not impressive, it is games like these that determine the season on most occasions. If games like these are not won, it is difficult to expect wins against stronger opposition. However, Chelsea has the luxury of having Lukaku, who is simply masterful and getting even better. The Inter stint, when he brought them their first Seria A in 10 years, clearly suited him well and he has a lot of confidence, which is key for an attacker of his quality. If he continues firing, Chelsea will definitely present a serious challenge to all comers.
Manchester City still has goalscorers, even without a natural center-forward
In a heated game against RB Leipzig, Manchester City had a great scoring outing, putting six past Gulacsi, Leipzig's goalkeeper. There were major questions coming into this season whether City can challenge on all fronts without a world-class striker. They lost Sergio Aguero in the summer and they were left only with Gabriel Jesus as a classic striker, but it seems like Pep Guardiola has the solution.
From the formation, it is visible that the striker should be Ferran Torres, but on the field, it is him, Jack Grealish, and Riyad Mahrez swapping sides and positions all game. It was similar to the way Spain played in the World Cup 2010, that they won, where Cesc Fabregas was a false nine. It worked for Del Bosque and Spain, so Guardiola is giving it a shot with City.
The result? Six goals, six different goalscorers for the Citizens. Other than one own goal, five City players put their names on the scoresheet. Ake opened the scoring and Mahrez, Grealish, Joao Cancelo and Jesus followed him. If Manchester City can go on like this, they will remain one of the top favorites in the competition – and for good reason.
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