On a dramatic night across Europe the Champions League delivered a reminder of why it can produce memorable, must-watch football. Liverpool played out a thriller with Milan, Manchester City hit six, an ex-West Ham striker set the evening alight and Lionel Messi underwhelmed – and that was just the start of it.
While Tuesday’s action failed to get pulses significantly racing, Wednesday produced 28 goals as well as myriad stories and sub-plots. It was a matchday that had managers, players and pundits confused and delighted.
Jordan Henderson (centre) scored just his second Champions League goal (39th appearance), 2,485 days since his first, against Ludogorets Razgrad in November 2014
Having between them produced arguably the greatest European Cup final of all time in 2005, when the Reds came back from 3-0 down to win the trophy on penalties, they then gave us Milan’s revenge in another gripping tournament-deciding showdown two years later.
On Wednesday, they produced another see-saw classic that saw the Reds take the lead, miss a penalty, somehow give away two goals late in the first half and then rally in the second to claim the win through Jordan Henderson’s magnificent half-volley.
Not a bad welcome back for supporters to Anfield, who were enjoying their first Champions League game at the ground since March 2020.
“We got carried away by our own football,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport, afterwards.
“It was clear that we had to immediately get back to how we started and then we scored wonderful goals, to be honest. It is deserved but we had 10 minutes where Milan nearly changed the whole tie.”
Defender Andy Robertson added: “First half an hour we blew them away. Then we got sloppy and stopped doing the things we were doing really well.
“We let them back into the game and walked in at half-time thinking ‘how have we let this happen?’
“We need to be smarter. Really tough but we managed to come out second half, play our football and enjoy it again.”
Pep Guardiola is not going to forget his 300th match in charge of Manchester City in a hurry.
One hundred and nine days after their painful night in Porto, when they lost a final to Chelsea they were expected to win, they came roaring out of the blocks to get their Group A campaign off to a flying start against RB Leipzig.
New £100m man Jack Grealish scored an absolute classic as he became the first Englishman to both score and assist on their Champions League debut since Wayne Rooney in September 2004.
“The players are always talking about last season’s final. They’re determined to go one better this year,” said Grealish, whose goal put City 4-2 ahead. “It’s a good start for us. Hopefully we can go all the way this time.” In an incident-packed game, Leipzig finished with 10-men after former Manchester City player Angelino was sent off for two bookable offences. Jack Grealish scored a superb first Champions League goal as Manchester City survived Christopher Nkunku’s hat-trick to beat RB Leipzig 6-3 in a pulsating Group A opener on Wednesday.
Grealish admits the lure of playing on the Champions League stage convinced him to leave his boyhood club Aston Villa to join City in a club record £100 million ($138 million) move in the close-season. The England winger made the most of his first taste of the tournament’s bright lights with a brilliant solo effort in the second half at the Etihad Stadium. Grealish also set up City’s first goal for Nathan Ake with a pin-point corner.
While City were snubbed by Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portugal superstar opted to join Manchester United, Pep Guardiola believes the younger Grealish is more than ample compensation and this influential display underlined why. Nordi Mukiele’s own goal had doubled City’s lead before Nkunku got one back on a memorable personal evening for the French winger.
Riyad Mahrez’s penalty made it 3-1 and Nkunku netted again before Grealish’s moment of magic. Nkunku’s third was followed by Joao Cancelo’s rocket and a red card for Leipzig’s former City defender Angelino.
Gabriel Jesus rounded off the goal-spree as City celebrated Guardiola’s 300th game in charge in fitting style. There was more good news for Guardiola as Kevin De Bruyne impressed in his first game back from the ankle injury which had sidelined him since August 15. Guardiola led City to their first Champions League final last season, but the Premier League champions were denied a maiden European Cup crown in a limp 1-0 loss against Chelsea. Guardiola insists that defeat will serve as the “motor” driving City’s challenge this term and they wasted little time seizing pole position in Group A.
