UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 Highlights
Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona - Stamford Bridge
A comfortable win for Chelsea in a game that most would have favoured Barcelona to take the 3 points in. The stats were dominated by Chelsea with only the possession close to being split. Barcelona were reduced to 10 men just before half time with Ronald Araujo given his second yellow card after a mistimed challenge on Marc Cucurella gave the referee no choice but to send him off. That seemed to change the match with Chelsea adding 2 more goals in the second half and controlling the game for the majority of the half.
The opening goal came from a corner for Chelsea with Cucurella playing the ball short and quickly receiving it back as he moved into the box. He played the ball into the box and Pedro Neto tried to score but it was blocked on the line. However, Joules Kounde and Ferran Torres ended up in the way of each other and with the ball bouncing off Kounde and into the back of the net.
For the second goal, there was good team play from Andre Santos to intercept a Barcelona attack then Reece James with a clever ball to Estevao. The Brazilian continued down the wing and into the box before great footwork and a rocket of a shot doubled the lead for Chelsea.
Just after the 70th minute mark the score was 3-0. Even more good team play from Chelsea with Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandes and Liam Delap involved in the making of the goal. Neto saw a gap for Fernandez in between the defence, then with Fernandez through he played the ball across the box to Delap who buried his shot into the bottom corner. The goal was initially ruled out for offside but a VAR review quickly overturned that decision and awarded CHelsea’s 3rd and final goal.
Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich - Emirates Stadium
A close game for the majority of the match which was in the balance until midway into the second half. Even though Bayern just edged the possession it was Arsenal that had the most chances and shots on target, which led to their victory in a match between 2 of the favourites for this years competition.
The first meaningful attack of the match was a corner for Arsenal in the 22nd minute. The ball was whipped into the near post by captain Bukayo Saka to the near post as Jurien Timber leaped above everyone and into the bottom corner with a glancing header.
A reply from Bayern came just 10 minutes later. An attack that started and finished within 5 seconds. The ball was with Joshua Kimmich in the Bayern back line, a run behind from Serge Gnabry was directly to his feet by Kimmich with an inch perfect pass. A pass along the box from Gnabry which seemed effortless due to how easy it was for the German winger to put it on a plate for rising star Lennart Karl on the half volley. A sensational team goal from the German champions had them level just after the half hour mark.
Arsenal regained the lead in the 69th minute after Declan Rice got the ball back for Arsenal then good play back down the left side between Eze and Calafiori as he put the ball into the box. He whipped it across the box with pace to an arriving Noni Madueke who had a simple finish at the back post. A great goal from Arsenal to put them 2-1 up.
As Bayern pushed for an equaliser they left themselves bare at the back and open to a counter attack. With 7 Bayern players taken out of the game as soon as the attack was broken up. A simple ball over the top from Eze put Gabriel Martinelli through, with Manuel Neuer looking to intercept him he got to the ball first. With Neuer out of the goal and Martinelli through on goal and an empty net he passed the ball in for the third goal for Arsenal and a 3-1 win for the North London club.
Liverpool 1-4 PSV - Anfield Stadium
The outstanding and sock result of the week came from Anfield with Liverpool on the receiving end of a 1-4 defeat to PSV. Despite having the bulk of possession and nearly 30 shots in the game they were only able to score 1 goal. The struggles continued for Liverpool with just 3 wins in 12 games in all competitions following this game. On the other hand, PSV showed no fear to put 4 past the Premier League champions with clinical finishing and 13 of their 16 shots also on target on a busy night for Mamardashvili.
Within the first 5 minutes PSV were awarded a penalty after a handball from a corner by Virgil Van Dijk who pleaded his case for a foul on him but to no avail to the referee or VAR. Veteran and former Tottenham Hotspur player Ivan Perisic took the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way as he slotted it into the bottom right corner.
The fight back did come from Liverpool just over 10 minutes later thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai. Cody Gakpo was given the ball on the left and took on his defender before his shot was saved but also parried into the box. The ball landed perfectly to Szoboszlai who passed the ball into the net for the equaliser.
PSV’s second goal was made by good play from Mauro Junior. He seemed to go past Mohammed Salah with ease before making his way up the pitch freely and picked a pass through the defence. The ball was perfectly into the path of the arriving Guus Till, who fired the ball in to regain the lead for PSV.
Another goal was added due to an error at the back for Liverpool which put PSV on the attack again bearing down on goal. Ricardo Pepi tried to go alone but his shot bounced off the post to a free Driouech who was able to finish it into the bottom corner. Just 3 minutes after coming off the bench he put PSV 3-1 up.
The 4th and final goal for PSV came in added time at the end of the game. The ball was played down the right side to Sergino Dest who ran into the side of the box before looking up, seeing the free Driouech on the edge of the box and laying the ball back to him. A perfectly weighted pass to the edge of the box was hit first time by Driouech, with a clinical bottom corner finish. Another night to forget for Liverpool and Arne Slot and the success of last season looking like a distant memory. However, the credit must go to PSV who seemed to come to Anfield with a perfect game plan and executed it brilliantly to take all 3 points back to Eindhoven.
