UCL Matchday 6: What To Look Out For In Every Game On Wednesday
The clock is ticking down as the league phase hopefuls eye a place in the round of 16 or knockout phase play-offs.
There are only three matchdays left in the inaugural league phase of the Champions League, but everything remains up for grabs for the 18 teams in action on Wednesday.
Atlético de Madrid v Slovan Bratislava
Atleti did not hold back on Matchday 5, winning 6-0 at Sparta Praha, with coach Diego Simeone pleased with his side’s killer instincts. “We wanted to score as many goals as possible,” he explained. “In the new format, every margin matters.” One of only three sides yet to secure a league phase point, Slovan has cause to fear the worst.
However, their 3-2 home defeat against Milan represented a corner turned. “It was our best match in the Champions League so far,” said captain Juraj Kucka, coach Vladimír Weiss adding: “If you had told me before the game that we would score twice against Milan and still lose, I would not have believed it.” Milan’s Rafael Leão also gave the Slovak champions credit: “I must say that Slovan played very well.” The lesson: There is still hope.
LOSC Lille v Sturm Graz
Lille won 2-1 at Bologna last time out to move to ten points, but if a direct passage to the round of 16 looks like a plausible target for Les Dogues, they are keeping their ambitions to themselves. “We continue to take it match by match, it’s not over yet,” said midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau, while coach Bruno Génésio hoped cool, older heads would help his side: “I’m very happy to see the improvements of the younger players, but now we also need leaders, experienced players.”
Sturm’s 1-0 win against Girona on Matchday 5 was their first Champions League win in 23 years, but while they remain in the elimination zone, the team feels ready for a battle under new coach Jürgen Säumel. “We love playing in this competition,” said full-back Jusuf Gazibegović, with striker Mika Biereth adding: “Anything’s possible. People didn’t expect us to win [against Girona], and they won’t expect us to win our remaining games, but a young team like us can cause problems.”
AC Milan v Crvena Zvezda
Milan withstood late pressure to claim their third Champions League win in a row when they beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2 on the road. However, Paulo Fonseca quickly set his sights on extending that streak, “we now need to concentrate on the next game,” the Portuguese coach said, “our aim is to be one of the top eight teams in the league phase.” The Rossoneri are undefeated (W2 D4) in six Uefa competition meetings against their fellow European Cup winners, but the Serbian side are fresh off their most impressive performance to date as they journey to Milan.
Crvena Zvezda claimed their first points of the league phase in style on Matchday 5 in Belgrade, powering in five unanswered goals after Stuttgart took an early lead. Coach Vladan Milojević reveled in a “magnificent night” and a “well-deserved win”, which came after four losses to start the campaign. The Serbian side held Milan to two draws in their most recent meetings in the Europa League round of 32 in 2021, then coach Dejan Stanković insisted that Milan “did not leave the pitch with proof they are better than us”. Milojević will hope they can leave Stadio San Siro with a similar feeling.
Arsenal v Monaco
Five different scorers helped Arsenal bounce back from defeat against Inter with an emphatic win over Sporting CP in Lisbon. The Gunners had failed to score in their previous four Champions League away fixtures but netted three by halftime as they overpowered Sporting. “I don’t remember the last time we even scored away in Europe,” admitted Player of the Match Bukayo Saka. “We just went out there with full confidence and put that to the back of our minds.” Mikel Arteta’s side will need to carry that attitude forward as they host Monaco, who ended Arsenal’s 2014/15 Champions League campaign – in which Arteta made three appearances – at the round of 16 stage.
Monaco has fond memories of Arsenal Stadium, winning 3-1 on their last and only Uefa competition visit, but Adi Hütter’s side must overcome the setback of their 3-2 defeat to Benfica if they are to repeat that triumph. “There is a big disappointment in the end because we started really well,” said the coach. “I think after the sending off of Wilfried Singo we also played a really good game. But everyone is a little bit disappointed.” The match seems finely poised with both sides on ten points.
Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona
“Five games, 12 points – that’s something to be proud of,” said Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin as he reflected on his team’s campaign with Matchday 6 opponents Barcelona, boasting an identical record, as the sides meet in Germany. Old friendships and rivalries will be at play; Sahin played for Barcelona’s arch-rivals Real Madrid, while Barcelona’s German boss Hansi Flick represented BVB’s historic Bundesliga opponents Bayern as a player and a coach.
Then there is the matter of Robert Lewandowski, who went past the 100 mark in terms of Uefa Champions League goals on Matchday 5 and said: “Sometimes I didn’t believe I would reach this impressive figure in the Champions League. Now I’m in good company with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.” Lewandowski spent four seasons at Dortmund, then scored 27 goals in 26 games against his old club while at Bayern.
Feyenoord v Sparta Praha
The Dutch side have now scored three times in all three of their away games in the league phase after their remarkable 3-3 draw at Manchester City, prompting coach Brian Priske to laud their ability to thrive under pressure on the road. “That’s what we talk about when we play in the Champions League,” he said. “In key moments you need to be able to be clinical and show your quality so big praise to those boys… we definitely showed mentality and character, discipline and effort.” But can they do the same at home? So far, it’s played two, lost two, and seven goals conceded.
By contrast, Sparta Praha’s coach Lars Friis is demanding a reaction from his players after a disappointing 6-0 reverse at home to Atleti. “We made many mistakes that you cannot afford to make at this level,” he said. “We lost the ball when trying to combine. We need to wake up.” The fact that the game was only the second time in 18 European outings they had failed to score suggests the Czech outfit has the firepower to turn the tide.
Juventus v Manchester City
These sides are level on eight points with identical records so far (W2 D2 L1). Juve won their first two games but have wobbled since, though a 0-0 draw in their Matchday 5 meeting with Aston Villa was very much a point gained for captain Manuel Locatelli. “We could have been more disciplined, but taking a point away from such a tough match is still a positive result,” he said.
Manchester City are without a win in two Champions League games, with their 3-3 draw with Feyenoord last time out perhaps more dispiriting than their 4-1 loss at Sporting CP, given that they were 3-0 up at one point. Pep Guardiola concluded ruefully: “We’ve lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course, we needed this victory.” A victory in Turin would deliver a major lift.
Benfica v Bologna
Benfica made it three league phase wins with their dramatic 3-2 success at Monaco but Tomás Araújo believes they can only keep that sort of form going in they perform like they did in the second half at Stade Louis II. “We could have been much better defensively [in the first half]. We were losing a bit of momentum, timing, in one-on-one duels and we made a lot of fouls,” said the defender. “In the second half, we were much better in that respect, we got to the ball earlier, we approached them better.”
Bologna are now five points below the knockout phase play-off places after their defeat by Lille and Lukasz Skorupski knows there can be no more room for error. “This defeat hurts because we were in the game, created a lot, were good at building play, but we need to be more ruthless in front of goal,” said the goalkeeper. “We still have three games left and I guarantee that as long as there’s a chance, we won’t give up.”
Stuttgart v Young Boys
Both teams need a pick-me-up after heavy defeats on Matchday 5 left both entrenched in the elimination places. Sebastian Hoeneß outlined where his Stuttgart team needs to improve from their defeat at Crvena Zvezda, saying: “We didn’t control the match, despite the ball possession. We didn’t have the right rhythm; we didn’t make the right choices at the right moment.”
YB are without a point after their 6-1 reverse to Atalanta but with this game, and contests against Celtic and Crvena Zvezda to come, there is still the possibility of a major turnaround in their fortunes. “We kept trying but Atalanta were too good,” said defender Lewin Blum. “It hurts but we can still get points this Champions League campaign.”
