Champions League Matchday 1: The tops and flops
Highlights from the opening clashes, including Leicester City's maiden Champions League game
Monaco's Andrea Raggi celebrates after the game with Danijel Subasic on September 14, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
With the first-round matches of the UEFA Champions League 2016-17 wrapped up, the overall verdict on the start of the most awaited club tournament can be summarised in one word - spectacular.
With teams scoring a whopping 50 goals in 16 matches between Tuesday and Wednesday, the spectacle on offer was an intriguing one, as the teams were ready to stamp their authority right from the beginning.
From now onwards till the end of the group stage, The Express Tribune will bring weekly tops and flops from the Champions League 2016-17 season.
Tops:
Monaco
French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco undoubtedly registered the upset of the week, as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in front of a record crowd at Wembley.
The Premier League club was rated as the favourite to start their European campaign with a win on their makeshift ground, but were left shocked with two early goals.
The most important part of the victory was the calmness of Les Rouges et Blancs in the second half, when Spurs were pushing for an equalier.
After their unlikely victory at Wembley, Monaco can have their eyes set on qualifying for the knockout stage from a tricky group.
Sevilla
La Liga side Sevilla also claimed one of the biggest results of the first round of group matches, as they held Italian champions Juventus to a 0-0 draw in Turin on Wednesday.
Sevilla’s display was rather defensive against an attacking Juventus side, who were looking to start their new campaign with a victory on their home ground.
However, the La Liga outfit remained defiant throughout the match, and defensively remained compact. The star of the show for Jorge Sampaoli’s men was their goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who made three crucial saves for his side.
Leicester City
The reigning Premier League champions defeating a Belgian club in their Champions League group tie would have been routine news; however, Leicester City’s win at Brugge on Wednesday marked the beginning of something not seen for more than five decades.
Thanks to a sublime performance of winger Riyad Mahrez, Leicester outclassed the Belgium club in their first ever match in the Champions League.
Fresh from their defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, the Foxes made a great start to their European campaign, thanks to Marc Albrighton, who became the first player for the club to score in the Europe’s elite club competition.
Victory means Leicester, who were already termed as the favourites to progress from group H,will finish the first round as the leader after FC Porto held to a 1-1 draw against FC Koebenhavn.
Flops:
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur had a torrid beginning to their return to the Champions League, as they suffered a shocking defeat in their opening fixture in front of record 85,000 passionate supporters at makeshift venue Wembley.
Coming on the back of an impressive performance against Stoke at the weekend, the London based club was hoping for a better result on their return to the Europe’s elite competition, but it was anything but that.
They were made to pay for some sluggish defending in the first half an hour of the play, as they conceded two goals from Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar, and failed to recover from the debacle.
Spurs had a number of chances to equalise after defender Toby Alderweireld got one back for the hosts, but striker Harry Kane looked terribly out of sorts as Maurio Pochettino’s men left frustrated with a poor result.
PSG
French champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG) had a rather frustrating beginning to their Champions League campaign, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
Striker Edinson Cavani scored the quickest goal in the history of the Champions Leauge inside the first minute, but missed handful of chances throughout the game as Unai Emery’s side missed on a golden opportunity to start their hunt for European dominance on a winning note.
Juventus
Italian champions Juventus also had an unexpected draw against Spanish side Sevilla in their opening Champions League match in Turin on Wednesday.
The Italian side had a host of chances to take the lead in the match, but due to some brilliant defensive display from the La Liga outfit, Massimiliano Allegri’s side had to settle for a nil-nil draw.
With the first-round matches of the UEFA Champions League 2016-17 wrapped up, the overall verdict on the start of the most awaited club tournament can be summarised in one word - spectacular.
With teams scoring a whopping 50 goals in 16 matches between Tuesday and Wednesday, the spectacle on offer was an intriguing one, as the teams were ready to stamp their authority right from the beginning.
Late Real fightback stun Sporting Lisbon
From now onwards till the end of the group stage, The Express Tribune will bring weekly tops and flops from the Champions League 2016-17 season.
Tops:
Monaco
French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco undoubtedly registered the upset of the week, as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in front of a record crowd at Wembley.
The Premier League club was rated as the favourite to start their European campaign with a win on their makeshift ground, but were left shocked with two early goals.
Two-goal Mahrez gives Leicester flying start at Bruges
The most important part of the victory was the calmness of Les Rouges et Blancs in the second half, when Spurs were pushing for an equalier.
After their unlikely victory at Wembley, Monaco can have their eyes set on qualifying for the knockout stage from a tricky group.
Sevilla
La Liga side Sevilla also claimed one of the biggest results of the first round of group matches, as they held Italian champions Juventus to a 0-0 draw in Turin on Wednesday.
Sevilla’s display was rather defensive against an attacking Juventus side, who were looking to start their new campaign with a victory on their home ground.
Monaco beat Spurs in front of record crowd at Wembley
However, the La Liga outfit remained defiant throughout the match, and defensively remained compact. The star of the show for Jorge Sampaoli’s men was their goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who made three crucial saves for his side.
Leicester City
The reigning Premier League champions defeating a Belgian club in their Champions League group tie would have been routine news; however, Leicester City’s win at Brugge on Wednesday marked the beginning of something not seen for more than five decades.
Thanks to a sublime performance of winger Riyad Mahrez, Leicester outclassed the Belgium club in their first ever match in the Champions League.
Fresh from their defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, the Foxes made a great start to their European campaign, thanks to Marc Albrighton, who became the first player for the club to score in the Europe’s elite club competition.
Victory means Leicester, who were already termed as the favourites to progress from group H,will finish the first round as the leader after FC Porto held to a 1-1 draw against FC Koebenhavn.
Flops:
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur had a torrid beginning to their return to the Champions League, as they suffered a shocking defeat in their opening fixture in front of record 85,000 passionate supporters at makeshift venue Wembley.
Coming on the back of an impressive performance against Stoke at the weekend, the London based club was hoping for a better result on their return to the Europe’s elite competition, but it was anything but that.
They were made to pay for some sluggish defending in the first half an hour of the play, as they conceded two goals from Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar, and failed to recover from the debacle.
Spurs had a number of chances to equalise after defender Toby Alderweireld got one back for the hosts, but striker Harry Kane looked terribly out of sorts as Maurio Pochettino’s men left frustrated with a poor result.
PSG
French champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG) had a rather frustrating beginning to their Champions League campaign, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
Striker Edinson Cavani scored the quickest goal in the history of the Champions Leauge inside the first minute, but missed handful of chances throughout the game as Unai Emery’s side missed on a golden opportunity to start their hunt for European dominance on a winning note.
Juventus
Italian champions Juventus also had an unexpected draw against Spanish side Sevilla in their opening Champions League match in Turin on Wednesday.
The Italian side had a host of chances to take the lead in the match, but due to some brilliant defensive display from the La Liga outfit, Massimiliano Allegri’s side had to settle for a nil-nil draw.