The second matchday of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group stage brought thrilling upsets and dominant performances. Aston Villa and Lille grabbed the headlines with shock victories over European giants Bayern München and Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Benfica, Liverpool, and Juventus continued their perfect start to the campaign. We round up the best of the action from another memorable night in Europe’s premier football competition.
Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage: Wednesday night’s Action
Atalanta’s Away Day Delight: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 Atalanta
Atalanta began their away campaign in style with a commanding 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Berat Djimsiti opened the scoring after a brilliant Ademola Lookman cross, and Lookman himself doubled the lead just before halftime. Raoul Bellanova added a third soon after the break, completing a dominant display from the Italian side.
Player of the Match: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
Feyenoord Edge Past Girona: Girona 2-3 Feyenoord
Feyenoord secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Girona, thanks to two own goals and a composed finish from Antoni Milambo. Girona initially led through David López, but Feyenoord fought back, and despite a penalty save from both sides, the Dutch side emerged victorious when Ladislav Krejčí turned Dávid Hancko’s cross into his own net late on.
Player of the Match: Quinten Timber (Feyenoord)
Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage: Thursday Midnight’s Action
Aston Villa Shock Six-Time Champions Bayern: Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern München
Aston Villa, in their first-ever Champions League home match, delivered a historic win by defeating Bayern München 1-0. The decisive moment came in the 79th minute when substitute Jhon Durán latched onto a precise long ball from Pau Torres and elegantly lobbed it over Manuel Neuer.
Bayern had their chances, with Emiliano Martínez tipping over Michael Olise’s fierce strike in the first half and denying Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane in stoppage time, but Villa held on for a famous victory.
Player of the Match: Jhon Durán (Aston Villa)
Lille Stun Real Madrid in France: LOSC Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
Lille pulled off one of the biggest surprises of Matchday 2 with a narrow 1-0 victory over defending champions Real Madrid. Jonathan David’s first-half penalty was enough to secure all three points, but it was the heroics of teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier that frustrated Madrid’s attack throughout.
Despite Real’s late efforts to equalize, Lille’s resolute defense held firm, bringing an end to Madrid’s 14-match unbeaten streak in the competition.
Player of the Match: Edon Zhegrova (Lille)
Juventus’ Ten-Man Comeback at Leipzig: Leipzig 2-3 Juventus
Juventus emerged victorious in a dramatic 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in Germany, despite being reduced to 10 men. Benjamin Šeško gave Leipzig the lead, but Dušan Vlahović leveled the score with a powerful effort.
After Juve’s goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was sent off, Šeško restored Leipzig’s lead from the penalty spot. However, Vlahović equalized again before Francisco Conceição scored a late winner to seal the three points for the Bianconeri.
Player of the Match: Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)
Benfica Dominate Atlético Madrid: Benfica 4-0 Atlético de Madrid
Benfica’s 4-0 demolition of Atlético Madrid solidified their position as one of the top performers in the group stage so far. Kerem Aktürkoğlu opened the scoring for the hosts before Atlético were denied a chance to level when Samuel Lino’s cross hit the bar. After the break, Benfica turned up the heat, with two penalties from Ángel Di María and Orkun Kökçü, along with a powerful header from Alexander Bah, ensuring a comprehensive victory.
Player of the Match: Orkun Kökçü (Benfica)
Liverpool Maintain Perfect Start: Liverpool 2-0 Bologna
Liverpool continued their perfect run with a 2-0 home win over Bologna. Alexis Mac Allister converted Mohamed Salah’s cross for the opening goal, while Salah himself curled a left-footed shot into the far corner to wrap up the points.
Bologna had opportunities to get back into the game, with Dan Ndoye hitting the woodwork and Alisson Becker making crucial saves, but Liverpool’s defense remained solid.
Player of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Club Brugge Secure First Win: Sturm Graz 0-1 Club Brugge
After a Matchday 1 loss, Club Brugge bounced back with a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz. Christos Tzolis’ curling effort in the first half proved to be the difference, as the Belgian side picked up their first points of the campaign.
Player of the Match: Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge)
Monaco’s Late Comeback Denies Dinamo: GNK Dinamo 2-2 Monaco
Monaco salvaged a 2-2 draw against GNK Dinamo in Zagreb after falling two goals behind. Petar Sučić and Martin Baturina had given Dinamo a comfortable lead, but Monaco fought back with a header from Mohammed Salisu and a last-minute penalty by Denis Zakaria.
Player of the Match: Martin Baturina (GNK Dinamo)
Exciting Showdowns Await: Matchday 3 Set to Deliver High-Stakes Action
As the group stage of this thrilling competition reaches its halfway point, fans are eagerly anticipating the intense battles that await in Matchday 3, running from October 22 to 24. The stakes are higher than ever, with each team vying to secure their place in the knockout rounds. Let’s look ahead at the crucial upcoming fixtures:
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
- AC Milan vs. Club Brugge KV (22:15)
- AS Monaco vs. FK Crvena Zvezda (22:15)
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. PSV Eindhoven (00:30)
- Juventus vs. VfB Stuttgart (00:30)
- Arsenal FC vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk (00:30)
- Aston Villa FC vs. Bologna FC 1909 (00:30)
- Girona FC vs. ŠK Slovan Bratislava (00:30)
- SK Sturm Graz vs. Sporting CP (00:30)
- Real Madrid C.F. vs. Borussia Dortmund (00:30)
- Atalanta BC vs. Celtic FC (22:15)
- Stade Brestois 29 vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen (22:15)
Thursday, October 24, 2024
- Manchester City vs. AC Sparta Praha (00:30)
- RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool FC (00:30)
- FC Barcelona vs. FC Bayern München (00:30)
- Atlético de Madrid vs. LOSC Lille (00:30)
- SL Benfica vs. Feyenoord (00:30)
- FC Salzburg vs. GNK Dinamo (00:30)
- BSC Young Boys vs. FC Internazionale Milano (00:30)
When is Barcelona vs Bayern Munich?
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich is from 12:30 am(IST) onwards on October 24.