10 interesting stats from Matchday 2 | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
There were goals and surprises galore on the second Matchday 2 of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.
Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Ajax, Dortmund and Champions League debutants Sheriff have made it two wins out of two. However, former winners AC Milan and Barcelona are two of six teams at the other end of the spectrum, yet to open their accounts after two games.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
AND breathe! 😅
Ronaldo scores added-time winner, Benfica beat Barcelona, European champions defeated...
👀 Moment of the night?
#UCL
In other results, both finalists from last season endured defeats on the night. While holders Chelsea lost by a solitary goal at Juventus, Manchester City were floored by two unanswered goals by PSG in the French capital.
Champions League debutants Sheriff stunned Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, while Manchester United prevailed by the same scoreline at home to Villarreal.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dramatic winner on a historic night. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi opened his account for PSG, while Robert Lewandowski kept doing Robert Lewandowski things.
On that note, here are the ten most interesting stats from Matchday 2 of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League:
#10 Sheriff become the first Champions League debutants to win their first two games in the competition since Leicester City in 2016-17
Champions League debutants Sheriff raised a few eyebrows when they beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 at Tiraspol on their competition debut. However, very few gave them any chance when the Moldovan champions visited Real Madrid.
Sheriff, though, took a surprise lead midway through the first half as the 13-time champions trailed at the break. The hosts levelled proceedings in the 65th minute through Karim Benzema.
Just when it looked like Real Madrid would find a winner, it was the visitors who struck at the death. Sebastien Thill scored in the 89th minute, and Los Blancos could muster no response. This marks the first time in five years that a Champions League debutant won their first two games in the competition.
2 - @FotclubSheriff became the first team since Leicester City in 2016-17 to win their first two games in @ChampionsLeague after beating Shakhtar (2-0) and Real Madrid (2-1). Sensation. #UCL https://t.co/fJPCsTKC4M
Leicester City also won their first two Champions League matches in their debut campaign in the competition in 2016-17.
#9 Barcelona lose their opening two Champions League games of a season for the very first time
Barcelona began their first Champions League campaign in the post-Lionel Messi era with a 3-0 humbling at home to Bayern Munich.
Two weeks later, the Blaugrana travelled to Benfica and suffered a similar fate, losing by three unanswered goals. A Darwin Nunez brace and a Rafa Silva strike condemned the Catalans to their second reverse in as many games in the competition.
That marked the first time Barcelona kicked off a Champions League campaign with successive defeats. The result also marked Benfica's first victory over the Blaugrana since 1961.
This is the first time that Barcelona has EVER gotten zero points from their first two Champions League group stage matches 😳 https://t.co/aDwch40IIp
Barcelona are now in real danger of enduring a humiliating group-stage exit from the Champions League. It needs little saying that manager Ronald Koeman is currently treading on very thin ice.
#8 Mohamed Salah becomes the second-most prolific African scorer in Champions League history
Continuing his fine start to the season, Mohamed Salah scored a brace in Liverpool's emphatic 5-1 win at Porto. The Egyptian ace now has eight goals in as many games across competitions.
With his second strike of the night, Salah overtook Samuel Eto'o (30) to become the second-most prolific African goalscorer in the Champions League.
Mohamed Salah is now the second highest African goalscorer in the #UCL
◉ Didier Drogba (44)
◉ Mohamed Salah (31)
◉ Samuel Eto'o (30)
History maker. https://t.co/3RiY9FStRB
Salah is now only 13 strikes adrift of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. Earlier in the season, the 29-year-old became one of the quickest players to score 100 Premier League goals.
#7 Mauricio Pochettino becomes the fifth manager to register at least four wins against Pep Guardiola's teams
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino enjoyed only his fourth victory against a team managed by Pep Guardiola after his team beat Manchester City 2-0 in Paris.
After he was outsmarted by Guardiola in the Champions League semis a few months ago, Pochettino has provided a swift response. In the process, he became only the fifth manager to register at least four wins against teams managed by Pep Guardiola.
Only five managers have beaten Pep Guardiola’s teams 4+ times across all competitions:
✅ Jürgen Klopp (9)
✅ José Mourinho (7)
✅ Thomas Tuchel (4)
✅ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (4)
✅ Mauricio Pochettino (4)
Poch joins the club.
#UCL https://t.co/ImSdNXqZMV
Jurgen Klopp (9) and Jose Mourinho (7) are the only other managers to beat Pep Guardiola's teams on more than four occasions.