Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
The UEFA Champions League once again delivered a thrilling night of football,with teams battling for crucial points as the tournament edges closer to the knockout rounds. From Atletico Madrid's last gasp winner to Mikel Arteta's cryfor a controversial penalty, fans across Europe were captivated by high-stakes action.
Here's a recap of all that happened on Matchday 4 of the Champions league 2024/25 group stage.
Atletico Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain (2-1)
Substitute Angel Correa scored a dramatic winner with the last kick of the game as Atletico Madrid snatched a 2-1 victory away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
The Spaniards would have been the happier of the two teams with a draw, especially as goalkeeper Jan Oblak had been forced into several second-half saves.
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos lamented the team's inefficiency and inability to "do things properly" after a 2-1 home loss to Atletico Madrid left it last among the four French clubs in the new-look Champions League.
PSG once again entered the competition hopeful of winning it for the first time, but is now 25th out of 36 clubs after only one win in four matches. The bottom 12 are eliminated after eight rounds.
"We are not improving in terms of efficiency," Marquinhos told Canal Plus television on Wednesday.
PSG coach Luis Enrique blamed his team's 2-1 defeat at home to Atletico Madrid on bad luck, admitting the Ligue 1 leaders' qualification chances were in danger as they plunged into the red zone of the Champions League group phase.
Barcelona vs Crvena Zvezda (5-2)
Barcelona secured their third consecutive victory in the UCL League Phase, clinching a spot in the Top 8 standings for the first time this season. With a dominant 5-2 win over Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday night, the Catalan side showcased their prowess, ensuring a strong position heading into Matchday 5.
Robert Lewandowski netted twice to extend his scoring streak to 15 goals in his last 10 matches with the Catalan club, while an in-form Raphinha also scored for Barcelona, taking his recent Champions League tally to eight goals in his last six appearances.
"We played very well again today," said Lewandowski, who took his tally in the competition to 99 goals.
Inter Milan vs Arsenal (1-0)
Hakan Calhanoglu fired Inter Milan to a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Wednesday to continue their unbeaten start in the Champions League and inflict a first defeat on the Gunners in this year's revamped tournament.
Arsenal's patchy run of results continued but manager Mikel Arteta had no complaints about his team's performance on a night when they dominated one of Europe's top sides.
Arsenal, who have only two wins from their last six games, hogged possession and had 21 goal attempts to Inter's seven at the San Siro, where the winner came via a controversial penalty on the stroke of half-time.
"The worst thing of the night is the result because the performance, the attitude, the dominance that we showed against one of the best teams in Europe in this stadium, I haven't seen it in all the other games that I've watched ...," Arteta told reporters.
Bayern Munich vs Benfica (1-0)
Bayern Munich edged past Benfica 1-0 in a Champions League clash that left German fans feeling a mix of pride, frustration, and relief.
The German midfielder Jamal Musiala scored a bullet header from close range in the 67th minute. Musiala’s chance was set up when Harry Kane headed Leroy Sane’s cross back across the face of goal.
While supporters could celebrate the win, there’s reason for concern over the team's lack of clinical finishing.
Despite dominating possession, Bayern struggled to convert control into clear chances, lacking fluidity in attack. The typically vibrant home crowd remained respectfully silent, showing solidarity with a hospitalised fan. With the Champions League final set to take place on their own turf, Bayern will need to sharpen their play to truly contend for European glory.
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (1-0)
Aston Villa's winning run in the Champions League ended after a bizarre penalty incident that coach Unai Emery described as the "biggest mistake" he's ever seen in his career.
The mental lapse by defender Tyrone Mings, who on Wednesday conceded a spot kick by picking up the ball with his hand after a short goal kick by goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, gifted Club Brugge a 1-0 win.
Villa had won its first three games without conceding a single goal in the club's first appearance in the elite competition since it was the defending champion 41 years ago.
RB Salzburg vs Feyenoord (3-1)
The Red Bull family of soccer clubs that will soon be overseen by Jürgen Klopp finally got a first win in the Champions League.
Before Salzburg's 3-1 victory at Feyenoord on Wednesday, it had been a combined seven straight losses in the league stage of the elite competition for the Austrian side and Bundesliga team Leipzig, which are backed by the energy drinks giant.
While Leipzig has faced most of its toughest opponents first — including a 1-0 loss at home to Champions League leader Liverpool — Salzburg had lost at home to Dinamo Zagreb and at Sparta Prague.
The first win at the eighth attempt came after Salzburg forward Karim Konaté scored twice at Feyenoord. He missed a hat trick chance by striking the crossbar with a late penalty kick.
Salzburg is now 30th in the 36-team standings after four of the eight rounds, and Leipzig is 32nd. Only the top 24 teams in January can advance to the knockout rounds.
VFB Stuttgart vs Atalanta (0-2)
Stuttgart’s unbeaten home run, stretching over a year, came to an end as Atalanta clinched a 2-0 victory in Germany, powered by second-half goals from Ademola Lookman and Nicolo Zaniolo.
The turning point arrived with the introduction of Charles De Ketelaere at half-time, whose deft playmaking proved pivotal. His incisive dribbling outclassed two defenders, setting up Lookman to break the deadlock in the 51st minute before a crowd of 60,000.
Lookman’s goal marked his eighth competitive strike this season, underscoring his standout form.
