UEFA Champions League Matchday 2: Standout Performers

 

The drama continues in the Uefa Champions League as teams look to secure qualifying positions within their respective groups.

Matchday two handed us subtle scorelines as teams played down the tempo and focused on getting the points secured. Today we take a look at the standout performers within Matchday two. Players that put forward performances that enabled their team to win.

But first, let's reflect on the game week that was:

Tuesday, 13th September                                                              

Group A

8:00pm  Liverpool 2-1 Ajax

Group B

8:00pm  Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Atletico Madrid

8:00pm  FC Porto 0-4 Club Brugge

Group C

5:45pm  Viktoria Plzen 0-2 Inter Milan

8:00pm  Bayern Munich 2-0 Barcelona

Group D

5:45pm  Sporting CP 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Wednesday, 14th September

Group A

8:00pm  Rangers 0-3 Napoli

Group E

5:45pm  AC Milan 3-1 Dinamo Zagreb

8:00pm Chelsea 1-1 RB Salzburg

Group F

5:45pm Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Celtic

8:00pm Real Madrid 2-0 RB Leipzig

Group G

8:00pm FC Copenhagen 0-0 Sevilla

8:00pm Manchester City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Group H

8:00pm Juventus 1-2 Benfica

8:00pm Maccabi Haifa 1-3 PSG

Jamal Musiala

Barcelona's misery against the Bavarian giants continued, this episode saw them lose 2-0. The star of the show was a 19-year-old German wonderkid. Against seasoned veterans in the game, Jamal bossed the middle of the park for Bayern Munich and his performance earned him the man of the match award.

Here are the numbers;

Jamal Musiala for Bayern vs Barcelona:

◉ Most passes in the final third (22)

◉= Most touches in opp. box (8)

◉ Most chances created (5)

◉ Most possession won in the final third (3)

◉= Most shots (2)

He also provided an assist.🅰️

 Kostas Tsimikas

The first game of Matchday 2 of the Champions League saw Liverpool host Ajax at Anfield. On Matchday 1 Liverpool suffered a humbling 4-1 defeat at Naples. This heightened the stakes for Liverpool who would find themselves in a conundrum if things went south. Luckily they managed to win through an 89th-minute header from center-back Joel Matip, who was assisted by the Greek scouser Kostas Tsimikas.

 After first-choice left-back Andy Robertson was sidelined due to injury, the left-back was called into action. A blessing in disguise for the Liverpool faithful as Kostas bossed the left flank and provided the last-minute assist

Here are his numbers

• 1 assist

• Created 5 chances (1st in the game)

• Won 2/2 tackles

• 1 interception

Kostas Tsimikas had a chance tonight and he took it. He deserves an extended run in the side now.

Federico Valverde

Valverde's impact within this Real Madrid team is gaining some way overdue attention. The 24-year-old is a Swiss Army Knife of a footballer for Carlo Ancelotti and one improving his composure and quality in the final third. Impacting games at both ends of the pitch, Valverde is a manager’s dream.

Denzel Dumfries

Denzel, a right wing-back continues to impress with his domineering presence for Inter Milan. The Dutch-man scored the second goal, securing the points for Inter.

 It was the highlight of an all-action performance from Dumfries, one which saw him provide seven crosses, complete two take-ons and win 7/9 duels. Marauding!

Ferran Jutglà 

Club Brugge produced arguably the result of Matchday 2 as the Belgian side thrashed Porto 4-0 at the Estádio do Dragão. Ferran Jutglà was at the heart of a ruthless performance from the visitors, with the Spanish striker continuing his impressive start to the season with a goal and assist. 

Lionel Messi

PSG were made to work for their win at Maccabi Haifa as the Israeli side took the lead and proved stubborn opposition.

It took PSG’s star trio MNM to come to the fore to turn the game around, as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar all found themselves on the same scoresheet in a Champions League fixture for the first time.

Messi’s goal saw him become the first player to score in 18 consecutive Champions League campaigns, while he has now scored against 39 different opponents – breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s record – from 19 different nations.