Here’s what happened in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, in case you missed it…
The results
Watch match highlights:
CSKA Moscow 3, Viktoria Plzen 2
Manchester City 1, Bayern Munich 3
Juventus 2, Galatasary 2
Real Madrid 4, FC Copenhagen 0
Shakhtar Donetsk 1, Manchester United 1
Bayer Leverkusen 2, Real Sociedad 1
Anderlecht 0, Olympiakos 3
Paris Saint-Germain 3, Benfica 0
The day’s main talking points
1. Nowhere for Joe Hart to hide: Setting aside the fact Manchester City was played off the park by Bayern Munich, the best team in the world, the damage could have been far worse for the English side had Joe Hart not had another howler of a game. Fresh off his memorable showing (for all the wrong reasons) on the weekend against Aston Villa, Hart was far from his best against the defending European champions, as he was beaten from distance by Franck Ribery on Bayern’s first goal on a shot he should have easily parried away. He was also beaten on the near post on Bayern’s third goal by Arjen Robben. In light of his recent errors in the Premier League, it’s clear to see this is not a blip for Hart. England’s No. 1 has lost his confidence, and he is second-guessing his decision-making and not making saves that he normally would. The problem is, who does Manchester City have to replace him? They don’t have a quality backup they can turn to. And even if they did, how much further damage would City do to Hart’s confidence if they did bench him now? Really, the only thing they can do is continue to play Hart and just hope that he sorts himself out.
2. PSG, Ibra make statements: Not to look too much into PSG’s 3-0 win over Benfica, but it was a bit of statement game from the Parisian club and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Benfica is no slouch, having gone unbeaten in their previous six games, so the emphatic victory at the Parc des Princes served as a minor warning to other clubs who may have forgotten about PSG. As for Ibrahimovic, he entered this contest with only two goals in his previous 10 appearances in all competitions. The lanky Swede is a player who divides opinion, with his critics feeling he floats in and out of games, and that he doesn’t ‘put himself about’ as much as he should. But he’s a sublimely skilled player — a world-class player, really — and we were reminded of this Tuesday. Ibrahimovic displayed exquisite finishing on both of his goals, and had a hand in setting up PSG’s other tally. The Swede doesn’t get enough credit for his playmaking skills, but they were fully on display on this night, as his insightful touches and deft passes unlocked Benfica’s defence on more than one occasion.
3. Juventus in trouble: Pegged as one of the pre-tournament favourites, the Italian champions have looked dreadful and uninspiring in stumbling to draws against modest Copenhagen and a Galatasary side that was playing its first game under new coach Roberto Mancini. Juventus was undone by two costly and unforgivable defensive errors – including one in the 88th minute after they appeared to have scored the winner juts moments earlier. In truth, the score flattered the bianconeri, who were thwarted by a well-organized Galatasary. The Turks defended stoutly and broke with pace after winning back possession. The Italians struggled to create anything in the final third (Paul Pogba was the worst culprit, although the usually reliable Andrea Pirlo didn’t wrap himself in glory either) and their static movement off the ball, failure to get bodies inside the box and propensity to cede possession cheaply allowed their Turkish opponents to comfortably contain them. This marks two consecutive group stage contests in which Juventus has looked flat offensively, bereft of ideas and unable to effectively break down their opponents. If the Italians harbour hopes of getting out of the group stage, they need to step up their game, and quick.
4. A (sloppy) thriller in Russia: CSKA Moscow vs. Viktoria Plzen wasn’t the sexiest match-up on paper, but it proved to be one of the day’s most entertaining fixtures. CSKA and Plzen lost their opening matches, and seeing as they’re in a group with Bayern Munich and Manchester City, they both desperately needed a win in order to stay in the hunt for one of two round-of-16 berths. Even though a lot was on the line, both clubs admirably went for it and played assertively, instead of being cautious. It led to an open game — and at times it was mistake-filled. Frantisek Rajtoral’s fourth-minute goal for Plzen set the stage for a wild contest that saw the Russian side come back and then almost blow their lead in injury time.Thursday Europa League programming alert:
Anji Makhachkala vs. Tottenham (Sportsnet ONE, 11:50am ET)
Kuban Krasnodar vs. Valencia (Sportsnet World, noon ET)
FK Rubin Kazan vs. Zulte-Waregem (Sportsnet World Online, noon ET).
Sevilla FC vs. SC Friburg (Sportsnet, 1pm ET)
Rapid Vienna vs. Dynamo Kiev (Sportsnet World Online, 1pm ET).
Lyon vs. Guimaraes (Sportsnet World Online, 1pm ET).
Racing Genk vs. FC Thun (Sportsnet World Online, 1pm ET).
Swansea City vs. St Gallen (Sportsnet, 3pm ET)
Wigan Athletic vs. NK Maribor (Sportsnet 360, 3pm ET)
Esbjerg v SV Salzburg (Sportsnet World, 3pm ET)
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. Dinamo Zagreb (Sportsnet World Online, 3pm ET).
Chornomorets vs. PSV Eindhoven (Sportsnet World Online, 3pm ET).
Match of the day
As stated before, it didn’t feature the highest calibre of soccer, but CSKA Moscow-Victor Plzen was an entertaining, end-to-end affair between two sides that went for it and were not afraid to lose.
Goal of the day
Marquinhos gave PSG a 2-0 lead over Benfica in the 25th minute, capping off a splendid move by the French champions. Benfica failed to clear its lines and Marco Verratti flicked the ball into the path of Blaise Matuidi who crossed low from the by-line for Marquinhos to slot home.
Save of the day
Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer didn’t have much to do, but he did come up with a fine stop in the second half to deny James Milner. The Manchester City speedster cut inside on his right foot and blasted a shot that seemed destined for the top corner, only to see Neuer tip it over the crossbar.
Tweet of the day
The Independent’s Jack Pitt-Brooke brings the funny as Manchester City loses the plot against Bayern Munich:
Manchester City hitting 2006-07 levels of ball possession here. Need to bring Vassell and Corradi into the game more.
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) October 2, 2013European Football Weekly: Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s Dan Riccio, Derrick Brandao and Gord Brunt take an in-depth look at the beautiful game on the European Football Weekly podcast. For more details and to listen to past shows, CLICK HERE
Eight pack of facts
CSKA Moscow has kept only kept one clean sheet in their last 14 home games in the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 26 goals in his last 21 Champions League appearances.
No Portuguese side has ever beaten Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in European competition (two draws and five losses).
Bayern Munich has won their last seven Champions League games (19 goals for, two against).
None of Olympiakos’ last 17 Champions League games has ended in a draw (eight wins, nine losses).
Bayer Leverkusen has won their last seven games at home in the group stages of the Champions League.
Shakhtar Donetsk has always scored against English opposition in the Champions League (seven games).
Juventus has scored exactly two goals in each of their four home games against Turkish opposition in Europe.
Burning questions
How did Viktoria Plzen goalkeeper Matúš Kozáčik allow that tame back pass from teammate Radim Řezník to slip under his foot and roll into the back of the net for an own-goal?
Why is Andrea Pirlo allowed to take corner kicks for Juventus when it is clearly not his greatest strength?
Why does Manchester United manager David Moyes continue to leave Shinji Kagawa on the bench?
3 stars
1) Angel di Maria: The Argentine ace bagged two goals (just like Cristiano Ronaldo) but he was more influential that his Real teammate, as he pulled the strings for los blancos on the night.
2) Zlatan Ibrahimović: Two goals and a hand in PSG’s other one. Not a bad night for the Super Swede, who displayed clinical finishing and a deft touch around the penalty area.
3) Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese netted a brace and was his usual brilliant self against Copenhagen.