A festival of goals (26) and spectacle on all grounds. The eight matches of the second evening of this first day of the 2022-2023 version of the Champions League group stage, which were played this Wednesday evening, kept their promises.
The French in the spotlight: Antoine Griezmann decisive
At the end of the night and the suspense! It took until the 11th minute of added time to see Atlético de Madrid snatch victory against FC Porto (2-1) thanks to a goal full of opportunism from Antoine Griezmann. A real stroke of Grizou. Note that the three goals of the match were all scored in stoppage time. Mario Hermoso (90th + 1) opened the scoring with a deflected shot which lobbed Diogo Costa, before the Spanish defender then caused a penalty in his area converted by Matheus Uribe (90th + 6).
Entering in the 61st minute, the Frenchman, ideally placed at the far post, deceives the vigilance of the opposing goalkeeper, with a whim. Griezmann frees the people of Madrid from the Metropolitano and reassures a few weeks before the start of the World Cup in Qatar (November 20 – December 18). Confined to a substitute role since the start of the season (this is a contractual concern), he scored his third goal of the season in five entries.
The flop: Liverpool humiliated by Napoli
Liverpool is, at the start of the season, only a shadow of the winning – and scoring – machine that it was last season. Unlucky finalists in the last Champions League against Real Madrid, the Reds started the new European campaign in the worst possible way. They learned a lesson in Naples (4-1) during the clash at the top of Group B. They were already down 3-0 at the break.
Jürgen Klopp’s men, very fragile defensively, were uninspired in attack like the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who missed everything and was taken out in the 63rd minute. A sadly historic setback for Liverpool and English football.
The goalscorer: hat-trick for Robert Lewandowski
There is life after Bayern Munich… for Robert Lewandowski. And she looks prolific. The Polish striker was the great architect of Barcelona’s beautiful and impressive victory against Viktoria Plzeň (5-1), champions of the Czech Republic. The 34-year-old striker has found a new youth in Catalonia. After the opener from Kessié (13th), on a service from Koundé, Lewandowski began his festival and scored a hat-trick (34th, 45th + 3 and 67th). The fireworks are concluded by Ferran Torres. Ousmane Dembélé participated in the celebration by providing two assists before leaving in the 75th.
Lewandowski is the first player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League with 3 different teams (1 with Dortmund, 4 with Bayern Munich and 1 with Barcelona). With now 89 units, he alone takes 3rd place among the top scorers in the competition – which he shared with Benzema before the evening – behind Ronaldo (141) and Messi (125).
The jewel: Sané’s goal with Bayern
It was one of the clashes of the evening, a duel between former winners of the Champions League. In group C, that of the cadors or of death, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich visited Wednesday evening at San Siro, at Inter Milan. And the Bavarians did not make the trip for nothing.
An evening marked by a Leroy Sané jewel. Launched in depth by an opening from Kimmich, he overtook the Inter defense, caught two defenders with a double control and opened the scoring.
The German champion chased away the doubts born of his two draws in the league, asphyxiating an increasingly lost Milan team, after the defeat in the derby against AC Milan (2-3) on Saturday. In the goal, the surprise guest of the day André Onana has however worked miracles and avoided a real rout of his people.
The results
Group A
Naples – Liverpool 4-1
Ajax Amsterdam – Glasgow Rangers 4 – 0
Group B
Club Bruges – Bayer Leverkusen 1-0
Atletico Madrid – Porto 2-1
Group C
Inter Milan – Bayern Munich 0-2
FC Barcelona – Viktoria Plzen 5-1
Group D
Tottenham – MARSEILLE 2-0
Eintracht Francfort – Sporting Portugal) 0-3