By: Tagdh McGinty
Real Madrid Vs. Plzen
Karim Benzema opened the scoring after just 11 minutes when he headed home Lucas Vazquez’s quality cross to settle the hosts’ nerves, but David Limbersky and Patrik Hrosovsky created many chances to finally equalize before the half-time whistle.
Shortly after the restart, Marcelo struck a good shot at the Plzen’s goalkeeper Ales Hruska to double the home advantage making it 2-0, but Hrosovsky set up a tense finale when he pulled a goal back with 11 minutes to play. The result sees Real Madrid retain Group G top spot, but the performance failed to ease any pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui, ahead of Sunday afternoon’s El Clasico meeting with Barcelona.
From the start, there was an evident desire from the hosts to react and put their recent adversity to bed, and within five minutes they almost had their wish as Sergio Ramos directed a Toni Kroos corner onto the post. Real suffered an early scare, though. Roman Hubnik’s speculative pass drifted beyond makeshift right-back Vazquez, and Milan Petrzela forced Keylor Navas into a low save, before driving the rebound into the side netting. Within a matter of seconds, Vazquez floated a cross to the far post and Benzema was on hand to place a header past Hruska, a goal that moved him fourth on the list of all-time Champions League goal scorers.
The goal seemed to set the tone, yet the Plzen threat would not abate. Limbersky missed wide from close range, and Hrosovsky passed up a golden chance when his poor connection on a cross from the right prevented him from volleying past Navas. Lopetegui who is reportedly on the verge of losing his job after 13 games, replaced Isco with debutant Federico Valverde after the break and the 20-year-old introduced himself by feeding Gareth Bale, who set up Marcelo to dink the second from close range.
Manchester City Vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
David Silva volleyed in the opener after 30 minutes, and Aymeric Laporte headed in from a corner shortly afterward. Bernardo Silva rounded off the scoring when he made it 3-0 in the 70th minute, less than 90 seconds after coming off the bench to replace Kevin De Bruyne, who was making his first start of the season. The win moves Man City to the top of Group F after Hoffenheim scored late to snatch a 3-3 draw against Lyon.
While far tougher tests will lie ahead for Man City, this was an impressive response to Pep Guardiola’s pre-match remarks that his side still lacks “something special” to win the Champions League. City was dominant in the first half and should have scored before David Silva broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark.
Gabriel Jesus was denied by goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov while Riyad Mahrez shot wide and then saw a goal-bound effort blocked by Yaroslav Rakitskiy. David Silva smacked the post from Mahrez’s cross before eventually rewarding City’s constant pressure by drilling a low volley past Pyatov in the 30th minute.
Laporte headed in from a corner five minutes later, and Man City finished with 14 shots in the first half. The visitors eased off slightly after the break but still had chances as David Silva saw a shot blocked, and Mahrez twice went close. Ederson was called into action for the first time in the 51st minute to push away an effort from Ismaily, but City added a third when substitute Bernardo Silva drove through the middle and finished with a low shot that went in off the post.
Valencia Vs. Young Boys
Champions League debutants Young Boys scored their first goal and picked up their first ever point in the competition with a deserved 1-1 draw at home to Valencia Tuesday. Michy Batshuayi gave Valencia a first-half lead—their first goal in Group H—but Guillaume Hoarau equalized with a penalty after the break. Valencia, who have drawn nine games in all competitions this season, have two points from three games in Group H with Young Boys on one. Young Boys goalkeeper Marco Wolfli finally made his Champions League debut at the age of 36 having spent all but one season of his career at the club.
Batshuayi was caught offside a couple of times early on but made no mistake in the 26th minute. Loris Benito hit his clearance straight against Carlos Soler who flicked the ball through to the Belgian, and he rounded Wolfli to put Valencia in front. Valencia goalkeeper Neto saved a Christian Fassnacht header, and Kevin Mbabu fired wide of the post after a loose ball ran free to him as Young Boys came back strongly after the break. The Swiss champions finally scored in the 55th minute when Djibril Sow was tripped by Daniel Parejo and Hoarau calmly converted the penalty to make a small piece of Champions League history.
Sekou Sanogo came agonizingly close to giving Young Boys a memorable late win when he headed against the inside of the post from a corner.
Manchester United Vs. Juventus
Ronaldo had an immediate impact against his former club to silence the masses, firing a cross into the middle which eventually fell for Paulo Dybala to net his fifth goal of the season with just 17 minutes on the clock.
From then on in, it looked like there was only going to be one winner, as Juventus dominated possession and created the better openings, only to be kept at bay by David de Gea in the United goal. Paul Pogba did almost snatch an unlikely point for United late on against his former club, but his fierce strike came out off the post.
A first Champions League defeat of the season leaves United’s hopes of winning Group H hanging by a thread with Juventus way out in front with three wins from three so far, but Valencia’s draw at Young Boys earlier on Wednesday means United remains second, two points clear of Valencia in third.
