Champions League results and all the latest news
Listening to the iconic UEFA Champions League anthem should quickly get you into the moods of watching the biggest club competition in the world. Right from the build-ups to the real actions, there is always a feeling of wanting to know the Champions League results and everything related to the competition.
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The first round of the group stage matches kicked off this week on September 17, 2019, followed by the second batch on September 18, 2019. The Champions League results leave plenty to talk about including the dramas, surprises, scorers and the standings.
Champions League results
As usual, this season’s edition of the competition features 32 teams distributed across eight groups battling out for the main prize. Football fans enjoyed 16 entertaining games in the opening fixtures with some celebrating while others still nursing deeper wounds of agony and defeat. In case you missed some or all of the actions, here is a recap of what happened across various fields.
Group A: PSG trounce Real Madrid to top group
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One of the key highlights of the midweek fixtures featured Paris Saint-German hosting Real Madrid, and the French champions did not disappoint their home fans. A first-half brace from Angel Di Maria and a stoppage-time finish from Thomas Meunier condemned the 13-times champions to a disappointing defeat. Real’s Gareth Bale had a goal ruled out by VAR as the hosts finished with a clean sheet and three crucial points. Another match in the group saw Club Brugge and Galatasaray play out to a barren draw and share a point each.
Group B: Bayern Munich in control of the table
The Bundesliga champions eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over FK Crvena Zvezda after dominating the game at Allianz Arena stadium. Bayern took the lead courtesy of a first-half header by Kingsley Coman. Robert Lewandowski and substitute Thomas Muller added the second and third respectively to secure three points for the Bavarians.
Source: Twitter
Olympiacos pulled a stunning comeback to hold last season’s runners-up Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw. A penalty from Harry Kane and Lucas Moura’s goal put Spurs in the driving seat at first half, but Daniel Podence pulled one back before the break. Mathieu Valbuena converted from the spot nine minutes after play resumed in the second half. In the end, both teams settled for a point in the group.
Group C: Victories for Man City and Zagreb
Manchester City and Dinamo Zagreb both walked away with victories in their opening group C matches. The Premier League champions edged out their hosts Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0, thanks to goals from Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan, and Gabriel Jesus. Zagreb, on the other hand, humiliated debutants Atalanta 4-0 with a perfect hat-trick from Mislav Orsic and one from Marin Leovac.
Group D: Atletico and Juventus share points
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A late scene at Estadio Metropolitano saw Atletico Madrid fight back to draw 2-2 with Juventus. After a goalless first half, Juan Cuadrado opened the scores three minutes into the second half. Blaise Matuidi doubled the lead before Stefan Savic’s header brought Atletico back in the game. A late header from substitute Hector Herrera saved the hosts a point and avoided an embarrassing defeat. Goals from Grzegorz Krychowiak and Dmitri Barinov guided Lokomotiv Moskva to a 2-1 away win at Bayer Leverkusen. Defender Benedikt Howedes pulled one back but was not enough to earn the hosts a point.
Group E: Liverpool bruised as Salzburg hit six
The reigning champions produced one of the shocking Champions League results of the week after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Napoli in Italy. A late penalty goal by Dries Mertens and a stoppage-time masterpiece from Fernando Llorente sealed Napoli’s emphatic win over Liverpool.
Source: Twitter
Salzburg, on the other hand, posted the most significant victory in the fixtures with a 6-2 win of Gent. Braut Haaland netted a first-half hat-trick with Hee-Chan Hwang, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Andreas Ulmer also making into the score sheet for the hosts. Jhon Lucumi and Ally Mbwana Samatta scored Gent’s consolation goals.
Group F: All square as teams share spoils
A late equalizer by Nicolo Barella secured Inter Milan a point following a 1-1 draw with Slavia Praha, cancelling Peter Olayinka’s goal. Spanish giants Barcelona were held to a barren draw by Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Barca goalkeeper Ter Stegen saved a penalty from Marco as both teams failed to find the net.
Group G: Leipzig top group
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A second-half double from Timo Werner led RB Leipzig to a stunning 2-1 victory over Benfica in Portugal. Haris Seferovic pulled one back for the hosts, but it was enough to complete a comeback. Olympic Lyon and Zenit St. Petersburg stumbled to a 1-1 draw in France. Zenit took a late first-half lead through Sardar Azmoun, but Lyon responded six minutes into the second half through Memphis Depay’s penalty.
Group H: Ajax, Valencia in the driving seat
Finally, Ajax eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Lille, thanks to goals from Quincy Promes, Edson Alvarez, and Nicolas Tagliafico. Valencia meanwhile capitalized on Chelsea’s mistakes to record their first-ever win over the London side. Rodrigo scored the lone goal of the game leaving the hosts with plenty of regrets after Ross Barkley hit the bar with a late penalty in the game.
Top scorers
The race for Champions League golden boot is already heating up with unfamiliar faces making headlines. So, who is on top of the scoring chart?
- Erling Haaland (RB Salzburg): 3 goals
- Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb): 3 goals
- Ángel Di María (PSG): 2 goals
- Timo Werner (RB Leipzig): 2 goals
Some clubs will be hoping to forget their Champions League results and focus on their league matches. Others will be hoping to carry their impressive performances in Champions League to domestic duties. The tournament will return on 1 and 2 October 2019 with the second round of the group matches.
Source: Legit.ng
