Four things we learned from Wednesday’s Champions League fixtures
Another interesting night of UCL football
From Real Madrid’s Rodrygo to Tottenham’s freak goal, it was another drama-filled night of Champions League football on Wednesday.
Starting with Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s side secured a 1-1 draw against Atalanta.
Claudio Bravo was also sent off during the clash, with Kyle Walker chosen to go in goal for the last ten minutes!
Meanwhile, Tottenham secured a confidence-building victory over Red Star.
Goals from Lo Celso, Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen secure a 4-0 win.
Elsewhere, a late Shakhtar Donetsk goal secured a 3-3 draw with Dinamo Zagreb, while Bayer Leverkusen beat Atletico Madrid 2-1.
Paris Saint-Germain also beat Club Brugge 1-0, while Real Madrid dominated Galatasaray in a 6-0 win.
Now, we’ve rounded up four things we learned from tonight’s games.
Pep Guardiola has a goalkeeping headache ahead of Liverpool
Manchester City suffered what could be a huge blow ahead of their clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
That’s because Ederson was surprisingly substituted at half-time in City’s clash with Atalanta due to injury.
Claudio Bravo was brought on after the break and it was revealed by BT Sport during their broadcast that Ederson had suffered a ‘minor injury’.
However, with just four days between now and possibly their biggest game of the season, this isn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination.
The situation was then made even worse when Claudio Bravo was sent off in the second half.
Kyle Walker was even asked to go in goal, incredibly saving more shots in his short stint than Bravo did during the Chilean’s time on the pitch!
Regardless, the Ederson injury and Bravo’s horror show will not bode well with Guardiola.
Ederson was substituted as a precaution, after picking up a ‘minor injury’ in the first-half.
— Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) November 6, 2019
Rodrygo could be a star in the making
Tonight, Real Madrid’s 18-year-old star Rodrygo announced himself on the Champions League stage.
The Brazilian officially joined Los Blancos over the summer from Santos in a reported €45million deal.
Despite making just four La Liga appearances so far this season, Rodrygo has scored two goals.
He’s now taken those impressive performances into the Champions League too.
Rodrygo scored his first goal on Europe’s top stage within the first five minutes.
The Brazilian received the ball on the right side of the box, before selling his defender, cutting inside and rifling into the bottom left corner.
His second goal then came just three minutes later, when he scored from a Marcelo cross to complete his brace.
Incredibly, that goal also meant that Rodrygo has now scored the quickest brace in Champions League history.
The Brazilian then went on to get an assist before completing his hat-trick in added time.
Not bad on just your second appearance in the competition!
18-year-old Rodrygo has his first #UCL hat-trick pic.twitter.com/LM5Jly5Rd3
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 6, 2019
FIFA 20 is more realistic than we think…
This evening, we witnessed one of the most incredible goals we have ever seen.
Though, contrary to what you’re probably thinking, it wasn’t because it was a good goal.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
Giovani Lo Celso scored one of the most unfortunate but also fortunate goals of his career.
Harry Kane was sent through on goal by the Argentine, but the strikers effort bounced back off the post.
Son Heung-min then latched onto the loose ball, but his shot was blocked on the line.
The ball then fell to Kane again in the same move, with the striker dragging his shot into the path of Son.
However, the South Korean somehow hit the bar from three yards out, before the ball fell to Lo Celso and he finally put Spurs ahead.
If goals like that exist in real life, maybe FIFA isn’t unrealistic after all!
bar hit.
post hit.
clearance on the line.Lo Celso – eventually – scores on his first start for Spurs in one of the all-time goalmouth scrambles! pic.twitter.com/ccGn4FeYDX
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 6, 2019
VAR in the Champions League is what the Premier League should aspire for
It’s not very often that VAR gets praise in football.
The use of VAR in the Premier League has been under the spotlight for a number of weeks now.
A number of high profile mistakes, misuse of the equipment and consistent debate has somewhat tarnished the idea of technology in football.
However, the use of VAR in the Champions League will give football fans some hope that the system could actually work.
The game we are referencing is Manchester City’s clash with Atalanta, where VAR came in for some rare praise.
Never thought I’d praise UEFA for something but their use of VAR shows what a pig’s ear the Premier League are making of it. I still don’t like it but imagine what that pen/not pen/free kick/ then a pen sequence would have been like in a PL game #MCFC #ATAMCI
— Chris Slater (@chrisslaterMEN) November 6, 2019
Firstly, a penalty was awarded for Manchester City after a tug on Raheem Sterling’s shirt, but VAR rightly ruled it as a free-kick on the edge of the box.
It was sorted relatively quickly and with little drama.
Not long after, VAR awarded a penalty to Manchester City after a Sterling free-kick was blocked by a hand in the wall.
Despite a slightly longer delay, the referee was asked to consult the pitchside monitor and gave what looked to be a deserved penalty.
We can only hope some Premier League officials were watching.
VAR Atalanta-Man City
Referee awards Man City a penalty
Looked to be outside the area
Referee gets whisper in ear
He was wrong
No complaints
Free kick givenVAR used they way it should be
— Adriano Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) November 6, 2019
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