Liverpool star’s statement after shock contract call; Gunners rescued as $32m Aussie snubbed: Champions League Wrap
Premier League giants Liverpool and Arsenal kicked off their Champions League campaigns in style, while the reigning champions sent a huge warning to the rest of Europe.
But a Socceroo was snubbed in his side’s 3-1 victory, while Barcelona’s big names stood up in a dominant display.
All of this and more in the latest edition of Champions League Wrap.
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RED STAR FIRES STATEMENT AFTER CONTRACT SNUB
Alexis Mac Allister strengthened his case for an improved Liverpool contract with the winner as Andoni Iraola got off to a winning Champions League start by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Thursday.
Mac Allister expressed his frustration at not being offered a new deal on the eve of the match, but responded by blasting home from the edge of the box to cap Liverpool’s comeback.
Marcos Llorente had given Atletico an early lead before Dominik Szoboszlai levelled before half-time.
“It’s difficult to ask for more,” said Iraola, who had never previously coached in European football’s top competition.
“We’ve shown big character, especially the players after a difficult start to do the second half they have done.
“I’ve loved it. The atmosphere has been incredible and I feel lucky, lucky to experience it.” For the first time three players who cost in excess of £100 million ($135 million) were named in the same side as Barcola made his Anfield debut alongside Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in the Liverpool attack.
Isak fired just wide after a purposeful break by Szoboszlai in an energetic start by Liverpool in the first Champions League game of Iraola’s career.
But in their desperation to pour forward, the Reds left themselves wide open to the counter-attack.
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Atletico were humbled 3-0 by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, falling five points off the pace in La Liga, and coach Diego Simeoneadmitted they had a lot of work to do to reach the Champions League final at their own Metropolitano Stadium.
Julian Alvarez’s future has cast a cloud over Atletico on and off the field for the past few months after his desire for amove to Barcelona was steadfastly rejected by the club’s hierarchy.
The Argentine was handed his first start of the season and cut open the Liverpool defence for the opening goal.
“I think Julian was fantastic. He wanted the ball all the time from minute one to minute 90 and that makes me very happy,” said Simeone.
“That’s the kind of performance I want to see from him.” Llorente, who named his dog Anfield after scoring twice in Atletico’slast 16 win over Liverpool in 2020, raced onto Alvarez’s pass to score his fifth goal in three visits to Anfield with theSpanish side.
– Barcola’s first start –
Only a brilliant save by Alisson Becker denied Alvarez from long range before the Liverpool fightback began.
Barcola twice should have marked his first chance to impress his new fan base with a goal.
The French winger, who could cost up to £123 million, failed to squeeze the ball past Jan Oblak with just the giant Slovenianto beat.
However, Liverpool kept the attack alive and Ronald Araujo’s flick teed up Szoboszlai to find the bottom corner on 40 minutes.
Barcola missed an even better chance for his first Liverpool goal when he fired wide after being played in by Wirtz earlyin the second half.
Again, though, the reprieve was brief for the visitors.
Mac Allister had been linked with a move to Atletico during the transfer window and expressed his sadness at not being offereda new contract by Liverpool, while Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have agreed new deals in recent months.
The Argentine international arrowed in a shot from outside the box on his weaker left foot and celebrated wildly in frontof the Kop.
Liverpool’s joy was short-lived as Barcola pulled up holding his calf before the hour mark, but Iraola revealed that was only cramp after his first start since the World Cup.
“We are kind of rushing him a little bit because he hasn’t played any minute in pre-season,” added Iraola.
“We want him there, but at the end we’ve decided today, ok, give us whatever you have.
ODEGAARD’S LATE HEROICS SECURE VICTORY
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard’s sensational late strike broke stern Napoli resistance as the English champions began their bid for Champions League glory with a hard-fought 1-0 win in Naples.
Mikel Arteta’s side, who lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in last season’s final, spurned several glorious chances against the well-drilled hosts before the Norwegian lashed a shot off the post and in from the edge of the area with 15 minutesto go.
It continued a perfect start to the campaign for Arsenal, who began their Premier League title defence with three wins in a row before condemning Massimiliano Allegri’s team to a third consecutive defeat.
Arsenal’s next European test comes at home to Lille on Tuesday, October 13, while Napoli travel to Villarreal on the sameday as they look to bounce back.
Injuries to Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa forced Allegri into a midfield reshuffle as Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour came in, while left-back Mathias Olivera was also selected after the hosts let a two-goal lead slip to lose3-2 away to Inter Milan on Saturday.
Arteta made four changes from Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday as Piero Hincapie, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres earned their first starts of the season.
The hosts set out to soak up pressure and frustrate last season’s runners-up, who struggled to break the low block early onand were almost caught out at the other end when De Bruyne and Matteo Politano both called goalkeeper David Raya into action.
Arsenal carved out a big chance midway through the first half when Merino’s header from eight yards out was pushed over thebar by Alex Meret.
The Gunners, who won all eight of their league phase games to kickstart their run to the final last season, continued to probe as Ben White produced a tame finish froma promising position before Meret scooped a Hincapie cross-shot off his line.
Rasmus Hojlund’s hold-up play was proving a useful weapon for Napoli on the counter, as Politano forced another save fromRaya.
But it was Arsenal who ended the first half feeling they should have been in front after Saka was played through on goal andhad only the keeper to beat, only to lift a poor finish over the bar.
– Napoli resistance broken –
Napoli were forced into a goalkeeper change during the interval as Vanja Milinkovic-Savic replaced the injured Meret, butArsenal picked up where they left off as Hincapie wasted another good chance by scooping his shot over from five yards.
Arsenal continued to knock at the door to no avail until the 75th minute, when in-form Odegaard smashed an unstoppable shotin off the post from the edge of the area, just three days after scoring a winning strike against Chelsea.
The visitors had a huge chance to settle it with five minutes to go when Noni Madueke had a shot charged down by Milinkovic-Savicbefore fellow substitute Christos Tzolis’s follow-up effort was blocked on the line.
They were almost made to pay when a neat passing move from Napoli left De Bruyne with space in the box, but the Belgian optedto play a ball across an empty six-yard box instead of shooting.
Kai Havertz thought he had doubled the Gunners’ lead in stoppage-time with a tap-in from Milinkovic-Savic’s parry, but theoffside flag was up
REIGNING CHAMPS CLINICAL DISPLAY
It was a fantastic start for two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who kicked off their campaign in style with a 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava.
Ousmane Dembélé kicked off the onslaught for PSG, scoring twice inside the opening 23 minutes.
Spain’s World Cup hero Ferran Torres then showed his class, scoring the next three goals of the contest as the champions piled on five unanswered.
It would take until the 59th minute for Bratislava to respond, with Suleiman Camara scoring their only goal of the night.
Fabian Ruiz would join the goal fest late in the 88th minute to make it 6-1 and give the reigning champs the red-hot start they were after.
BARCELONA THRASH DUTCH GIANTS
Raphinha continued his superb goalscoring form with a brace as Barcelona demolished Feyenoord 5-1 to begin their Champions League campaign in perfect fashion on Wednesday.
Karim Adeyemi curled home brilliantly from long range in between Raphinha’s strikes and Lamine Yamal bent in a free-kick asHansi Flick’s team made light work of their Dutch visitors.
After Sem Steijn pulled one back, Barca substitute Gabriel Jesus netted a fifth, the forward’s first goal since joining fromArsenal this summer.
The Catalan giants, who last won the competition in 2015, have triumphed in all five of their matches across all competitionsthis season — and scored five goals in four of them.
“The first five games, we did really good. We scored a lot of goals but the most important thing is we are playing like ateam, like one unit,” Flick told reporters.
“We controlled the game, we are dominant and this is fantastic to see. This is our style and how we want to play.” WingerRaphinha has been playing up front after Barca sold Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, and has rapidly taken to his newposition, plundering eight goals in five games.
“Playing in front of our fans we always have to show perfect football, or nearly perfect, and with the support of the fansit’s a lot easier,” Barca captain Raphinha told Movistar.
“I think we were very good, from the start of the game, controlling the game and with the chances we had we were able to scoreand it gives us a lot of confidence.” The Brazil international said that despite the club’s excellent start, there was stilla long way to go.
“In a season as long as this, there are many ups and downs,” added Raphinha. “Starting the season like this obviously givesus a lot of confidence and we have to continue like this.
“We have to hope the downs are as small as possible.”
– Barca storm out of blocks –
After days of baking weather in Barcelona, a storm broke ahead of the game, lashing rain down on the Camp Nou pitch and sendingsupporters scurrying for shelter.
By the time it stopped pouring early in the first half, Barcelona were already ahead against Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s side.
Raphinha netted the opener after three minutes.
The Brazilian was razor sharp to break into the box and cut inside, sending two defenders sliding the wrong way on the slickturf, before slotting home.
Adeyemi, in for Anthony Gordon, doubled Barcelona’s lead with a superb strike from outside the area, bent beyond Feyenoordgoalkeeper Tjark Ernst.
Joao Cancelo hit the post before Raphinha netted again in the second half for Barca’s third, running on to Pedri’s perfectthrough-ball and slotting home.
The Dutch side thought they had pulled one back straight away when Nacho Ferri slotted home but it was disallowed after aVAR review for offside in the build-up.
Yamal bagged Barca’s fourth, direct from a free-kick which crept through the wall, his first such strike for the club.
Feyenoord sent on Shaqueel van Persie, the 19-year-old son of former Dutch international Robin van Persie, to try and salvagesome pride.
Steijn eventually pulled one back for the visitors when he escaped Jules Kounde and Goncalo Borges picked him out with a dangerouslow cross to the back post.
It was the only blot on Barca’s copy book on an otherwise strong start to their league phase, rounded off by Jesus’s glancing header from Yamal’s cross for the fifth.
SPORTING RALLY AS SOCCEROO SNUBBED
Sporting CP were able to rally from behind to secure their first Champions League victory against Galatasaray.
Despite the victory, Socceroos striker Nestory Irankunda was denied the opportunity to get on the pitch in the 3-1 win.
After a disastrous start which saw Goncalo Inacio concede an own goal, the Portuguese giants were able to settle and fire three goals past Galatasaray.
Geny Catamo levelled the match in the 27th minute with a clinical finish from 20 metres.
Sporting would then score two goals in six minutes to race to a 3-1 lead and eventually secure all three points.
20-year-old Irankunda, who transferred to the club on a $32 million deal after his breakout campaign for the Socceroos at the World Cup, didn’t make it onto the pitch, unfortunately for Australian fans.
