The UEFA Champions League is officially back and off to an exciting start. This season’s competition kicked off on September 19, ushering in an adrenaline-filled great first week with Man City, PSG, and Barcelona already up to bat. Here is a look at Week 1’s matches and the pace they set for UEFA 2023-24.
Manchester City Vs. Red Star Belgrade
Manchester City kicked off the UEFA Champions League this year with a 19:00 GMT match against Red Star Belgrade at Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s boys suffered an early shock when the Serbian side found the back of the net during stoppage time in the first half. Alvarez, however, was quick to equalize, scoring a mere two minutes after the break. Several minutes later, the Argentine successfully landed a free kick to bring the score up to 2-1. Rodri scored the third goal 17 minutes to time for a 3-1 win.
Despite the superb win, Man City are not in good shape. Portuguese playmaker and midfielder Bernardo Silva left the field before half-time on injury. According to Guardiola, Silva will “not be able to play the next games.” This has left City in a precarious situation since they are already down key players Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and John Stones, also out on injury.
Paris Saint-Germain Vs. Borussia Dortmund
The PSG and Borussia Dortmund game at Parc des Princes turned out to be a great example of the under 3.5 goals explained, with the game ending with a 2-0 victory for PSG. The French team went in without key players Lionel Messi and Neymar, who they lost over the summer. But Mbappe proved he could handle business, scoring a spot-kick four minutes into the second half. Achraf Hakimi followed this up with a second goal, which Borussia could not counter.
Barcelona Vs. Antwerp
Although Barcelona is the reigning La Liga champions, they have had an embarrassing run at UEFA. Xavi’s boys have failed to pass the group stages the past few seasons and have everything to prove. In their Week 1 game against Antwerp, they did just that,
With Barcelona’s Camp Nou currently under renovations, the Spanish team hosted their Belgian counterparts at the Olympic Stadium. Barca pulled off a magnificent 5-0 win, with Joao Felix scoring a brace and Lewandowski, Jelle Bataille, and Gabi scoring one goal each.
AC Milan Vs. Newcastle
AC Milan and Newcastle met at the San Siro in a tepid game former star Vidal called, the “worst Champions League match of all time.” Neither team scored. Newcastle have not been to the UEFA Champions League in over two decades and will be looking to prove they deserve the spot this season.
Wrapping Up
Week 1 seems to have set the stage for an exciting season this year. Man City are anxious to defend their title, but it remains to be seen how they will pull this off with so many of their key players out on injury. Barcelona last won the trophy eight years ago, and they are desperate to proceed from the group stages. In PSG, Kylian Mbappe is proving a valuable asset to the team bereft of two of its top players.
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