2' min
The second evening of the Champions League was marked by Haaland's brilliance, another goal from Thuram for Inter, Leverkusen's draw, Barcelona's victory over Bayern Munich, and defeats for Atletico Madrid and Benfica. These unexpected results shook up the standings.
Manchester City, after a 0-0 draw against Inter, won the following two games, scoring 9 goals and conceding none. Among the stars of these victories is Haaland, as expected. The goal machine added another highlight to his young career last night with an acrobatic move, flicking the ball with his heel at an almost impossible height, reminiscent of Ibrahimovic. City's 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague saw the Norwegian score twice, with additional goals from Nunes, Foden, and Stones. Staying in England, Liverpool needed just one goal from Nunez to edge out Leipzig. Slot’s side has now won three out of three matches, tying Aston Villa in the standings.
Among the surprise results was the draw between Brest and Bayer Leverkusen. Many expected an easy win for the German side, but the French team gave Xabi Alonso's squad a tough time. Both teams now have 7 points, and if the group stage ended today, they would qualify directly for the round of 16. Also notable was Lille's victory over Atletico Madrid, which surprised many. However, the Spanish side complained about referee Guida's decisions. The Italian official made a controversial call on a penalty awarded to Lille, as the handball actually came from a Lille player before he fell. This decision angered Simeone, who voiced his frustration after the match. The incident played a significant role in Lille's 3-1 win. Feyenoord defeated Benfica with the same 3-1 scoreline.
Other results included Dinamo Zagreb's 2-0 win over Salzburg and Atalanta's 0-0 draw with Celtic. Inter secured a last-gasp victory with Marcus Thuram’s goal, a perfect warm-up for the upcoming Derby d’Italia and his showdown with his brother Khephren. The French striker, coming off the bench, scored in the 93rd minute from a Dimarco assist. The goal even delighted former president Zhang, who commented on social media with the wordplay: "DiMarcus."
Yesterday also saw two Europa League matches. Bodo Glimt and Galatasaray temporarily jumped to the top of the standings with respective victories over Braga and Elfsborg. The Swedes, after defeating Roma, also gave the Turks a tough time, as Galatasaray, leading 3-0, almost let the lead slip but eventually held on for a 4-3 win. Bodo secured a narrow 2-1 victory over the Portuguese side, marking their second consecutive win after defeating Porto.
