Two matches into this season’s Champions League, only seven of the 36 teams have two straight victories. Eight teams are still searching for their first win.
Last year’s finalist Borussia Dortmund sits atop the table under the new league format, with two victories and the best goal difference. Swiss side Young Boys sits at the bottom with two losses and the worst goal difference.
The two finalists from last season will meet again already on Tuesday at 21:00. Real Madrid is at home and chasing its third win. Dortmund aims for the same, having won by six goals in the last round.
Champions League on Oddsen
Liverpool has been the best team two months into this year’s Premier League season. Now a Norwegian starlet could stop their winning streak in the world’s most prestigious club tournament.
Same evening, there is a big clash as two of Europe’s best teams meet in Barcelona.
Nusa’s Dream Debut in the Champions League
In 2022, Antonio Nusa became the youngest Norwegian ever to debut in the Champions League at the age of 17. The debut turned into a fairy tale, as Nusa came on fifteen minutes before the end and scored for his former club Club Brugge.
This also made him the second-youngest goalscorer in the tournament’s history. Only Ansu Fati has been a younger goalscorer.
Before this season, Nusa transferred to German club RB Leipzig. Already in his debut, the Norwegian scored and became the match-winner with the only goal of the match.
Leipzig is unbeaten in the German league and has only been surpassed by Bayern on goal difference after six matches. In the Champions League, however, it has not gone as well, as after losses to Atlético Madrid and Juventus, Leipzig remains without any points.
Historically Good Season Start
Liverpool is one of the teams that has a perfect record in the Champions League before the upcoming round. The English giant has beaten both Milan and Bologna, achieving a perfect start in the Champions League.
In the Premier League, Liverpool tops the table with seven victories out of eight matches. The only setback for Liverpool came with a surprising home loss to Nottingham Forest in mid-September.
Mohamed Salah has also had a brilliant start to this year’s season. The Egyptian has scored in five consecutive home matches in the Champions League, an achievement no Liverpool player has accomplished before him.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot has had an almost perfect start to his job as Liverpool manager, winning ten of his first eleven matches. No manager in the club’s history has done this before him.
Three Out of Three Possible Wins
Liverpool and Leipzig have faced each other two times before – both in the Champions League.
In 2021, they met for the very first time in the round of 16. Liverpool won both matches 2-0 and easily advanced to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool has won the Champions League six times previously, the last time in 2019. In 2022, they reached the final, where they lost to Real Madrid.
Leipzig has participated in the tournament six times before but has never gone further than the semi-finals. In the last two years, they have been eliminated in the round of 16.
In 2022, the two teams met for a friendly, where Liverpool won 5-0.
Wednesday 21:00: RB Leipzig – Liverpool, the match on Oddsen
Could Achieve Their First Win in Nine Years
Barcelona had a nightmarish start to the Champions League as they suffered their first loss of the season. After being reduced to ten men just ten minutes into the match, Monaco took the lead. Super talent Lamine Yamal equalized to 1-1, but after another goal in the second half, Monaco won 2-1.
In the second match, Barcelona made a strong comeback and won 5-0 against Young Boys.
In LaLiga, Barcelona sits atop the table after a flawless start to the season. The winning streak of eleven straight league victories was broken away against Osasuna, as the home team defeated Barcelona for the first time in 12 years. They still lead the table by three points.
The Spanish giant has won the Champions League five times previously, but has only reached the semi-finals once since winning the tournament last in 2015.
The next opponent is Bayern Munich – a team they have not beaten since May 2015.
Wednesday 21:00: Barcelona – Bayern Munich, the match on Oddsen
First Loss in 41 Matches
Bayern Munich has won the Champions League six times previously. The last time was in 2020. Since then, they have reached the quarter-finals three times, while last year they were eliminated in the semi-finals.
Unlike Barcelona, Bayern had a great start to this season’s Champions League. The Germans set a new record for the most goals in a match in the tournament, beating Dinamo Zagreb 9-2.
The German giant had gone 41 matches unbeaten in the group stage and league phase of the Champions League before they suffered a surprising loss to Aston Villa. The last time Bayern lost at this stage was in 2017.
This loss is Bayern Munich’s first since losing to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga in mid-May this year.
Champions League on Oddsen