Weekly Champions League Update: William, the Prince, Witnesses Notable Aston Villa Victory, Madrid Suffers Surprising Setback
The second phase of this season's Champions League is now concluded, with seven teams securing a perfect record, while some initial faves find themselves in a tight spot.
Let's dissect the recent happenings across Europe.
Prince William applauds Aston Villa's conquest over Bayern Munich
Aston Villa supporter, Prince William, rejoiced in the stands as his team emerged victorious against Bayern Munich.
A stunning second-half strike from Jhon Durán gave Villa, competing in Europe's top tier club championship for the first time in 41 years, a 1-0 victory. This result brought back memories of Villa's 1982 European Cup final win over Bayern by the same scoreline, often celebrated as an iconic moment in the club's history.
Even though Bayern Munich dominated possession with 70%, they failed to unleash their full potential at a thrilling Villa Park. After Pau Torres' first-half goal was invalidated for an offside, the hosts had to wait until the 79th minute to strike when substitute Durán looped a shot over Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
The Villans showed resilience, with Emi Martínez saving impressively from Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane in stoppage time.
"It's great for our supporters and everyone at Aston Villa – coaches, owners, supporters, workers – to share days like these, playing at this level in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and winning," expressed Villa manager Unai Emery.
This upbeat result sees Villa claim two wins in as many Champions League games, while Bayern absorbed a wake-up call following its emphatic 9-2 triumph against Dinamo Zagreb two weeks ago.
The following night, some of the competition's heavyweights – Manchester City, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund – flourished, scoring freely. This event served as a stark reminder that the Champions League is still capable of delivering thrilling drama and upsets.
Los Blancos 'didn't earn the win' against Lille
Bayern Munich wasn't the only team to face setbacks on Wednesday. 15-time Champions League champion Real Madrid tasted its first loss of the season, falling 1-0 against Lille, an early disadvantage in their pursuit of the title.
As time ran down in the first half, Jonathan David converted from the penalty spot after Eduardo Camavinga was penalized for handball. Camavinga had thwarted David moments earlier via an extraordinary double save.
Madrid had chances in the second half, with Rudiger's header cleared by Tiago Santos after beating the goalkeeper, followed by Chevalier denying Bellingham's follow-up attempt.
The goalkeeper rebuffed Rudiger and Arda Güler later on in the contest, as Lille held on for a historic triumph.
"We didn't gel well in the first half and had a difficult time battling," admitted Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
"We could've salvaged a draw, but we didn't deserve to secure the victory. We must learn and improve, just like the last time we lost."
Liverpool's winning streak persists
Liverpool's strong run continued with a 2-0 victory versus Bologna, marking the Reds' second success against Italian opposition after ousting AC Milan 3-1 in the first round.
Two minutes after Bologna's early equalizer was called offside, Mac Allister provided Liverpool with the initial goal, making easy work of an opportunity courtesy of Salah's precise pass into the box.
Ndoye's effort rebounded off the crossbar as Bologna sought an equalizer in the opening half. The forward rattled the post minutes later.
Salah's second-half masterpiece – his fifth consecutive home goal in the Champions League – sealed the deal. This striking performance marked Salah's induction into the club's history books as the first player to accomplish this feat.
Slot, Liverpool's new manager, clinched his eighth victory from nine games in all competitions.
"It wasn't straightforward, but that's to be expected in the Champions League, with many competent teams participating," Slot explained after the match.
"We secured a clean sheet and witnessed some impressive individual performances today, so overall, I am quite pleased."
Juventus triumph despite red card
In one of the night's most exciting games, Juventus overcame a 2-1 disadvantage against RB Leipzig, despite Michele Di Gregorio being sent off in the second half.
Vlahovic equalized for Juventus, and the game seemed to swing in Leipzig's favor with Di Gregorio's expulsion, but the hosts showed great tenacity, reestablishing a lead with a goal from Aubameyang.
This thrilling encounter saw Juventus emerge victorious despite the drama, highlighting the ever-compelling nature of the Champions League.
Another handball call – this time against Douglas Luiz blocking a free-kick – gave Šeško the chance to convert from the penalty spot, making it 2-0 for the home team. It seemed like they were on their way to securing the win.
However, Juventus, despite being down to 10 men, didn't give up easily. Vlahovic scored a stunning goal from outside the box, and then Francisco Conceição completed the comeback with an impressive individual effort, evading David Raum's challenge and finding the back of the net.
After the match, Vlahovic said, "We showed that we're becoming a team. We fought together as our coach asked us to. We deserved this win, even with one man down. This was a great performance. We need to get used to this level and keep pushing forward with even more determination."
Full Champions League Matchweek 2 results
Home team score vs. away team score (winning teams in bold)
RB Salzburg 0-4 Brest
Stuttgart 1-1 Sparta Prague
Arsenal 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 AC Milan
Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic
Inter Milan 4-0 Crvena zvezda
PSV 1-1 Sporting Clube de Portugal
Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 Atalanta
Girona 2-3 Feyenoord
Benfica 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Liverpool 2-0 Bologna
RB Leipzig 2-3 Juventus
Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
SK Sturm Graz 0-1 Club Brugge
Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern Munich
Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 AS Monaco
In the context of discussing European football, Aston Villa's manager Unai Emery praised his team's resilience after securing a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, cementing their spot in Europe's top tier sport.
With Aston Villa's impressive victory over Bayern, football fans across Europe are eagerly anticipating more thrilling matches and potential upsets in the ongoing Champions League.
