The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League group stage kicked off this week, as 32 teams across Europe began their quest for club football’s most prestigious trophy.
There were plenty of talking points on Matchday 1, including PSG’s Kylian Mbappé scoring a magical brace against Juventus, Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard scoring his first Champions League goal since 2020 and Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers suffering heavy casualties.
Here’s what else stood out from this week’s first round of matches.
Barca’s Robert Lewandowski sets fire to Viktoria Pilsen
A pair of 20-year-olds in Erling Haaland and Mbappé made headlines on Tuesday after the two accolades secured their teams’ respective victories. But it was Robert Lewandowski, 34, who ended up being matchday one MVP, as he scored three times in Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Czech club Viktoria Plzeň on Wednesday in Group C.
In doing so, the Polish striker became the first player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick for three different teams: Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. It was also Lewandowski’s sixth career hat-trick in the tournament, putting him two behind all-time co-leaders Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Viktoria Plzeň didn’t know what hit them after Lewandowski scored three straight goals to seal the victory for the Spaniards. He gave Barca a 2-0 lead in the 34th with a shot into the far corner from inside the penalty area, then added a second in first-half stoppage time via a header from a center by Ousmane Dembélé. He completed his hat trick with a low shot from outside the penalty area in the 67th minute.
Lewandowski’s €50million move from Bayern Munich to Barcelona over the summer proved fruitful for the blaugranaas he scored eight goals in his first five matches in all competitions.
Napoli beat Liverpool at home
Liverpool looked torn and frayed as the final whistle sounded at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night. The Reds had just suffered a humiliating 4-1 loss to Napoli in Group A, and the damage could have been much worse had it not been for a bit of wastage in front of goal by the hosts.
If Liverpool thought they were going to rise to the top of a group that also includes Ajax and Rangers, then they have something else to come. Completely outplayed and outclassed in the evening by a fervent Napoli side, the Reds looked nothing like the team that reached the Champions League final last year.
Piotr Zielinski converted from the penalty spot in the fifth minute and two more beautifully crafted goals from André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone gave Napoli a decisive lead before half-time. Zielinski added a fourth just after the break, before Luis Diaz replied for Liverpool.
Despite failing to score, striker Victor Osimhen and Georgian Kvaratskhelia were outstanding as part of a relentless Napoli attack that tore Liverpool’s back line to shreds, badly exposing centre-backs Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Canadian Stephen Eustáquio makes his tournament debut
Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustáquio won his first Champions League game for FC Porto on Wednesday. Even though the Portuguese club lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in Group B, Eustáquio stood out with a solid performance on his tournament debut.
Eustáquio, a 25-year-old native of Leamington, Ont., went the distance and played the full 90 minutes, leading all Porto players in touches (69), and tied for second in assists completed (47 ). It also boasted of an impressive 82% success rate.
The Canadian came close to scoring the chance with a howler from 25 yards out, only to see Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak make a fabulous diving save. Eustáquio also contributed on the defensive end by making three tackles and three clearances, and blocking a shot.
With 24 caps to his name, Eustáquio has become a key member of the Canadian national team since making his international debut in 2019, and he played a starring role in the Reds’ recent World Cup qualifying campaign. Playing in the Champions League is a big step for him, especially in a World Cup year. But if Wednesday is any indication, he can hold his own against Europe’s top soccer clubs, which bodes well for Canada when they travel to Qatar for the World Cup in November.
Also on Wednesday, Edmonton-born Alphonso Davies started as a full-back in Bayern Munich’s 2-0 road win over Inter Milan, while forward Cyle Larin was among the unused substitutes in of Club Brugge’s 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Injured Canadian winger Tajon Buchanan did not dress for Brugge.
Erling Haaland continues to go on an absolute tear
Is there a Haaland stop? That’s the question Manchester City’s future opponents must be asking after the Norway international netted a brace in the English champions’ 4-0 loss to Sevilla in Spain on Tuesday in Group G.
Haaland’s game has always been defined by his ability to be in the right place at the right time and that was certainly the case in Spain. He was perfectly positioned to convert a cross from Kevin De Bruyne in the 21st minute and then tapped in a close range rebound in the 67th.
Haaland has been on fire this year since his summer departure from the Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals in Man City’s first six Premier League games. His brace against Sevilla means he has 25 goals in 20 career Champions League games, and he has now scored for three different teams in the competition: Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Man City.
To put the Norwegian’s prolific run into perspective, consider this: Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t score at all in his first 20 Champions League games, and he’s now the competition’s all-time top scorer with 140 goals. .
Haaland is the first Manchester City player to score on his Premier League and Champions League debut for the club. He is also the fourth player in Champions League history to score in his first appearance for three different teams, joining Fernando Morientes, Javier Saviola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Chelsea sack coach Thomas Tuchel after Croatia defeat
Less than 24 hours after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss on the road to Dinamo Zagreb in Group E on Tuesday, manager Thomas Tuchel has been sacked, ending his tumultuous reign at the London club after just 100 appearances.
Tuchel guided Chelsea to a Champions League title, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup crowns. But the German is believed to have fallen out of favor with the club’s new American ownership group, which recently took over.
Led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, the Chelsea estate spent nearly US$300 million during the summer transfer window, bringing in big names such as Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella. But the club’s newcomers have failed to make an impact, and the Blues currently sit sixth in the Premier League table after six games.
Tuesday’s loss in Croatia to lowly Dinamo Zagreb seemed like the last straw. The two-time European champions dominated the game but suffered from a lack of finishing. Tuchel didn’t hold back when asked to assess his team’s performance after the match, saying: “We are clearly not where we need to be, nor where we can be.”
Domenico Tedesco also lost his job on Wednesday, who was let go as RB Leipzig the day after a 4-1 home loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in Group F.
John Molinaro is one of Canada’s leading soccer journalists, having covered the game for more than 20 years for multiple outlets including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic is located here.