Tuesday September 27th and Wednesday September 28th:
Things got more interesting on Matchday Two as increased motivation met improved gameplay. Teams are now warmed up as the domestic seasons are in full swing. Everyone has played at least five league games with the odd cup tie - and while some teams have lost the odd manager, most are well oiled machines who want to get on the board in Europe to get in better shape for the rounds ahead.
The group stage displays a unique symmetry. Two matchdays are in September, two more in October and the final two in November. By the end of Matchday Two, everyone has played one home game and one away game in Europe. Laces out, it's the big time now.
As always the midweek threw up the usual mix of expected and surprising, impressive and encouraging, boring and thrilling. 32 teams, eight groups, double round robin home and away, six games each.
We recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.
The Expected
Real Madrid 3 - 0 Ajax:
Between 1995 and 2002, these two teams won the Champions' League four times and contested five finals between them. Since then Real has continued its upward ascent reserved for stratospheric super clubs with the backing of half the nation's power base, while Ajax has withered on the continent while losing its domestic stronghold. As a result what should have been a key match between two of Europe's most storied clubs (13 European Cups between them) is a nominal stroll. Neither have won the title or even reached the final since Zidane's exquisite volley against Leverkusen in May 2002.
A repeat of last season's unbeaten excursion by the Madrid giants over their Dutch erstwhile rivals awaits.
Milan 2 - 0 Viktoria Plzen:
Despite looking somewhat tetchy and unsure after retooling its team in typically idiosyncratic fashion in the off season, Milan are still a solid side, well capable of beating the best of Eastern Europe at home on any given day. The only surprising part of this result was that it took a penalty, after more than a half, to break the deadlock.
Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 0 Genk:
The 2011 Bundesliga Runners-up are having a hard time in their return to Europe's top flight, drawn in a tough group. However, against the only team in their group that actually won their domestic league the season before, ironically, Bayer have their best chance of collecting a winning thee point haul. So they did, with a shade of fortune and with a late goal from an old club legend. Genk played well but are out of their league, quite literally, and never stood a chance away from home.
Olympique Lyon 2 - 0 Dinamo Zagreb:
Lyon are top of France and are playing some of their best football since they won the domestic league seven straight times at the turn of the century. Zagreb are one of Europe's great academies but have lost both the lustre and ability to compete with their western European hosts and their kin. The only concern is the lack of cutting edge displayed once Lyon went up 2-0, quite easily.
The Impressive
Zenit St. Petersburg 3 - 1 Porto:
As this blog keeps repeating Zenit are one of Europe's best kept secrets. With the Russian league trailing in their wake they embark once again on another devastating run of fall form that leaves many of Europe's elite quaking. This time it was last season's treble winners who were summarily dismissed, although once Fucile got dismissed at half time, the writing was on the wall.
Napoli 2 - 0 Villarreal:
A match between two other teams to watch this season, went the talented Italian team's way as they showed once again why they are the dark horses to emerge from this group as opposed to their richer and arguably more famous English rivals. Villarreal are still good but after a season of upheaval lack the cohesion to impress in Europe.
CSKA Moscow 2 - 3 Internazionale:
Their second win after shedding their manager, Inter seem to have lost their late summer slumber and are renewed with a hunger not seen since they won their own treble in 2010. In a game of ebb and flow, Inter demonstrated the same resilience that characterized their come from behind away goals elimination of Bayern Munich last Spring.
The So What Else is New
BATE 0 - 5 Barcelona:
It's not just that Barcelona win big, it's that BATE barely pose a threat to the decade's best team. Essentially in games like this, you calculate how many goals Lionel Messi will get, add one for David Villa or Francesc Fabregas and then depending on how much time they spend on the pitch, another pair for the group of Xavi, Pedro, Iniesta or Dani Alves. Once Alex Volodko spotted Barca an early own goal, the match was over.
Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea:
Chelsea are robust away from home, Valencia are solid at home. Like many other members of the G14 group of clubs, these two rarely beat teams away from home. So you just knew that the final result was going to be a draw. Roberto Soldado's late penalty may have prevented Chelsea from wrapping the group up in a game they scarcely deserved to win.
The Solid
Olympique Marseille 3 - 0 Borussia Dortmund:
The French team were tipped by many to emerge from this group but now look odds on favourites to win it outright. A 3-0 win at home is always a solid result, beating the runaway German champions is downright comprehensive.
Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Manchester City:
At the end of the day, Manchester City, with all their money, recently acquired star billing and cultured manager can only dream of the poise, power and pull that Bayern possess. Despite a couple of reasonable early penalty goals, City's clickers came unstuck against the relentless machine that are Bavaria's heavyweights.
The Plucky
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 1 Apoel Nicosia:
Don't look now but Apoel, back in the group stages after a two year absence, are leading this group. For the three minutes between Ivan Trickovski's opener for the Cypriots and Jadson's equalizer, it looked like Apoel may go out of sight. They remain in reach and will be caught but retain the exuberant joy that an overachieving underdog brings to the proceedings.
Manchester United 3 - 3 Basel:
Drawing at one of Europe's fortresses is good, spotting the imperious hosts a 2-0 goal lead slightly lunatic, but continuing to attack with flair and verve to go up and lead 3-2 till the last minute is absolutely fantastic.
The Better Than it Looks
Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos:
In a difficult season, playing a team from a league that has given them lots of trouble over the years, in a typically banana skin fixture and winning, quite comfortably, at home is a rather good result. Throw in the fact that Arsenal were bereft of their manager, fielded only three defenders and had two rookies score and the win looks even better. On such small games are revivals built.
Otelul Galati 0 - 1 Benfica:
Romanian clubs have given plenty of headeaches to some of Europe's powers like Chelsea, Roma, Sevilla, Stuttgart, Rangers in recent years. So, for Benfica to travel there and win quite comfortably is a highly commendable result. Moreover, they are one of only three teams to win away this week, one of only seven such winners this season.
Trabzonspor 1 - 1 Lille:
Turkish teams away are tough trips for teams outside the Balkans. And that's just off the pitch. So, it's extremely encouraging that the French double winners emerge from the tie with a creditable draw. Despite losing three of their best players in the off-season, Joe Cole's new club are still a handy and robust side.
Things I'd like to mention:
- It's the league of 'Brothers in Arms' and not just because Dire Straits asked to refashion the Champions League anthem to the tune of Sultans of Swing. Brothers Lars and Sven Bender turned out for German sides Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, with Lars notching the opener in his side's win. Jordan and Andrew Ayew went one better with Jordan getting a brace and Andrew getting sent off for Marseille against Dortmund. Swiss brothers Alex and Fabian Frei topped the list however, sharing three goals at United as elder bro Alex netted a pair.
- Apoel only started only one local player in their match against Shakhtar Donetsk, with even their manager a foreigner in Serbian Ivan Jovanovic. Savvas Poursaitidis was eventually joined by fellow Cypriot Constantine Charalambidis on the pitch, when Gustavo Manduca went off after just seven minutes. The balance of the players were made up by five Brazilians, three Portuguese, A Bosnian, A Macedonian, A Greek and an Argentine. Still, they got nothing on Arsenal who fielded 14 different players against Porto in 2006-07.
- Doubles all round. Lionel Messi, Andre Ayew, Alexander Frei, Danny Welbeck, Roman Shirokov and Mario Gomez all got in on the act, notching a pair of goals each. One of the most consistently prolific nights in the tournament ever.
- In a massive improvement over Matchday One, 23 players scored for clubs belonging to their country. Despite massive foreign investment, most teams still retain a local core.
- Speaking of local core, Frank Lampard has now scored for Chelsea in the Champions League for the ninth year in a row. Consistent longevity.
- .. but not as prolific as Zlatan Ibrahimovic who has done so for ten years in a row and with Milan, has scored for five different clubs in the Champions' League. Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale and Barcelona were the previous four.
- Brazilian and English players were the most successful with five goals being scored by players from each country. Behind them, Argentine, Spanish and German players scored four goals each with David Fuster, interestingly, being one of the Spaniards on the scoresheet.
- Nine of the 16 matches ended in a clean sheet, which is more than half. With just four draws on the night, Barcelona, Inter and Benfica were the only away winners.
- Six penalties were converted with Alex Frei the only one knocking it in from the spot away from home. He is now the tournament's leading scorer.
- Minnows Basel, Trabzonspor and Apoel are leading their respective groups. I know it's only two games in, but it makes for interesting reading all the same.
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