UEFA CL matchday 2: Seven games played, 16 goals scored

SPORT  14 September 2022 - 09:49

Seven games have been played on the second match-day of the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 season on September 13.

Caliber.Az presents the day's round-up, citing UEFA official data:

Group A

Liverpool 2-1 Ajax

Joël Matip's 89th-minute header earned Liverpool victory and ended Ajax's seven-match winning run in the Champions League group stage. The hosts went ahead when Mohamed Salah fired beyond Remko Pasveer after 17 minutes, dominating the first half until Mohammed Kudus equalised with a thunderous strike three minutes from the break. Pasveer produced a string of saves as the Amsterdammers held out, only for Matip's late intervention to send the Reds level with their opponents and Napoli on three points.

Group B

Porto 0-4 Club Brugge

Club Brugge stunned Porto to start Group B with back-to-back wins. The visitors took the lead when Ferran Jutglà was tripped in the box by João Mário and the former Barcelona man tucked in the penalty. Porto made two changes at the break but they did not have the desired effect as Jutglà teed up Kamal Sowah for a fine second. Andreas Skov Olsen soon added a third before 17-year-old Antonio Nusa slotted in a late fourth on a night to remember for Club Brugge in Portugal.

Leverkusen 2-0 Atlético

Leverkusen gave Atlético a taste of their own medicine by scoring two late goals to collect their first points in Group B. A goalless first half gave way to an end-to-end second period in which the home team could have taken the lead much earlier, only for Patrick Schick and Adam Hložek to each hit the woodwork in quick succession. They eventually broke down the stubborn visitors in the closing stages through Robert Andrich's well-placed shot, before Moussa Diaby finished a textbook counterattack to seal the win.

Group C

Plzeň 0-2 Inter

Edin Džeko scored one and set up another for Denzel Dumfries as Inter made light work of Plzeň. The Nerazzurri dominated from start to finish, with the home side indebted to the excellence of Jindřich Staněk for keeping them in it. He was beaten twice, though, first by Džeko's unerring first-half finish and then by an unstoppable Dumfries effort midway through the second period. By then Plzeň were down to ten men after Pavel Bucha had been shown a straight red card.

Bayern 2-0 Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski endured a disappointing return to his former club as Bayern struck twice in five second-half minutes to take control of Group C. Lewandowski fired an early effort over the bar and had a header saved, misses that would prove key. Bayern, disjointed in the first half, went ahead when Lucas Hernández headed in from a corner at the near post. Leroy Sané weaved through the away defence moments later to seal a second win for Bayern.

Group D

Sporting CP 2-0 Tottenham

The Lions made it two wins from two after a remarkable finale in Lisbon. The teams looked like they were headed for a share of the spoils as they went into the 90th minute goalless, but two late goals from substitutes swung the game irrevocably in Sporting CP's favour. First Paulinho headed in a corner at the near post to end Hugo Lloris' stern resistance, before a wonderful solo strike from Arthur Gomes sparked home celebrations.

Marseille 0-1 Frankfurt

Jesper Lindstrøm's first-half goal was enough to give Frankfurt victory and consign Marseille to back-to-back Group D losses. The Danish international capitalised on an error in the Marseille defence to score the only goal of the contest two minutes before half-time. Lindstrøm was denied a second by a superb Pau López save and Daichi Kamada's breakaway strike was disallowed for offside. One goal was enough, though.

Caliber.Az