Champions League requested and answered: Actual Madrid's luck runs out, Bayern Munich disappoint, Aston Villa excel

By the point the primary batch of Matchday 2 fixtures got here to a detailed, it felt like an uneventful spherical of video games have been within the playing cards. Tuesday’s lopsided wins for Europe’s heavyweights, although, have been fortunately not indicative of Wednesday’s motion, which delivered a wholesome batch of surprises.

Chief amongst them is Actual Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Lille, snapping a 36-game total unbeaten run, whereas Bayern Munich’s 42-match unbeaten streak within the group stage and league part formally ended with a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa. Then there’s 10-man Juventus, who delivered essentially the most thrilling results of Matchday 2 by getting back from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 over RB Leipzig. 

The surprises – and in some circumstances, the anticipated outcomes – imply Matchday 2 supplied some significant check-ins on Europe’s prime groups, largely revealing a batch of imperfections that would tease an entertaining season forward.

This is the newest batch of questions that come up from a jam-packed spherical of Champions League video games.

Did Actual Madrid’s imbalance lastly catch as much as them? 

Sure, a lot to the delight of those that have been bored by the sense of inevitability that outlined final season’s title-winning run. Actual Madrid have lengthy been a reasonably wasteful group in Europe, bailed out by a high-caliber attacking group that lastly ran out of luck on Wednesday. Take their first half towards Lille – they took simply 4 photographs and put solely two on track, mustering a measly 0.74 anticipated targets earlier than happening 1-0. The deficit kicked their dormant assault into overdrive, however regardless of posting eight photographs, 4 on purpose and 1.46 anticipated targets, they may not discover the top product. It is par for the course with Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect, who rank within the Champions League’s prime six for photographs, photographs on purpose and anticipated targets however twelfth for shot-on-goal share. They performed like this final season too, and although it didn’t matter then, it would truly be an issue they’ve to deal with this time round.

How spectacular are Aston Villa?

Fairly spectacular. Aston Villa deliberate to soak up Bayern Munich’s strain and efficiently did simply that, a well-known technique for Unai Emery’s group however one which was executed to close perfection on Wednesday. Coupled with Villa’s type to start out the season in all competitions, although, it is clear Emery is constructing a tactical versatile group with some very proficient goalscorers. Although Watkins managed only one shot, his 4 targets and three assists this season are nothing to scoff at however the breakout star of the season to this point is little question Jhon Duran, maybe the sport’s finest tremendous substitute in latest reminiscence with 5 targets this season. Our James Benge wonders if he is Unai Emery’s Mariano Rivera. An enormous query heading into the season was how Villa would deal with the steadiness of midweek Champions League fixtures and high-stakes Premier League video games over the weekend however issues are to this point, so good, making them a group to control in each home and continental play.

How are Manchester Metropolis coping with out Rodri?

The outcomes are combined to this point, not that Tuesday’s 4-0 dismantling of Slovan Bratislava would point out that. Supervisor Pep Guardiola has run with three totally different midfield duos since Rodri tore his ACL – Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly in an EFL Cup win over Watford, Lewis and Mateo Kovacic in a Premier League draw towards Newcastle United, and Ilkay Gundogan and Matheus Nunes towards Bratislava. The numerous group choice is only a reminder that Metropolis’s means to rotate is one in every of their biggest strengths, permitting Guardiola to relaxation his prime gamers on the much less difficult sport days. It is an essential technique because the group navigates a heavy fixture load however the jury’s nonetheless out on how robust Metropolis are with out Rodri. They dominated possession however have been unconvincing in assault towards Newcastle over the weekend, which maybe means that Metropolis’s issues are larger than simply Rodri. The pattern measurement is small to this point and Metropolis benefit from a comparatively simple league part schedule, however the group’s progress with out Rodri can be value following because the season continues.

How is the race for Europe’s subsequent prime supervisor going?

The surplus of managerial demand in comparison with provide over the summer time highlighted the truth that Europe’s prime golf equipment are keen to find the sport’s subsequent prime managers. Bayer Leverkusen Xabi Alonso leads his technology of managers as issues stand, however he is removed from the one one to control this season. Liverpool’s Arne Slot may be proper up there with him after two consecutive wins within the Champions League, whereas Borussia Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin is starting to make a case for himself with two wins out of two. Thiago Motta additionally got here out on prime in Matchday 2 together with his first assertion win in command of Juventus, the place he is already off to a robust begin.

Two younger managers are most actually in bother at this early stage of the competitors, although – Bayern’s Vincent Kompany and RB Salzburg’s Pepijn Lijnders. The beneficiant learn on Kompany is that the jury’s nonetheless out on him, however he got here out winless within the two greatest video games of his keep in Munich to this point – a draw towards Leverkusen and a loss at Villa. There’s little to recommend to this point {that a} whiplash-inducing transfer from Burnley to Bayern was not too quickly in his younger managerial profession, however at the very least he is not faring as badly as Lijnders. Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant landed a super job in some methods, working for a membership that boasts loads of monetary may of their home competitors and might use European competitors as a launching pad, very like Jesse Marsch did years in the past. As a substitute, Salzburg sit third within the Australian Bundesliga and most shockingly, have been outscored seven to zero within the Champions League to this point. There’s nonetheless time to reverse course, but when issues proceed at this fee, Lijnders’ stab at being a top-level supervisor in Europe may be over earlier than it even begins.