5 Takeaways From Champions League Matchday 1

The UEFA Champions League, soccer’s greatest club competition, is back. Matchday One of the league phase spanned three days as all 36 teams began their journey to win the Champions League.

Tuesday’s action was highlighted by the showdown between Real Madrid and Inter Milan, where Los Blancos came out on top 2-1. Wednesday saw two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain demolish Slovan Bratislava 6-1 to start their bid for a three-peat. The matchday concluded Thursday, with Bayern Munich shutting out last year’s Cinderella team, Bodø/Glimt 5-0.

Now that all 36 teams have played their first league phase games, there was plenty to take away from the opening matchday as we wait until next month for Matchday Two. From heavyweight showdowns, star performances, and drama, here are my five biggest takeaways from the opening round of the Champions League.

1. Barcelona’s Attack Makes Them Among The Favorites

Barcelona’s bid to win the Champions League for the first time since 2015 couldn’t have gotten off to a better start as they blew out Feyenoord 5-1 at the Camp Nou. 

A big reason for this result was Barcelona’s attack, which scored five goals to bring their season total to 22 goals in all competitions after five games. Raphinha continued to excel in the role of a No.9, scoring twice to bring his season total to eight. Along with him, Lamine Yamal and new signings Karim Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus found the back of the net, showing the amount of firepower this team has in attack. In the end, Barcelona finished the game with 24 shots, with nine going on target.

There is so much to like about the Catalans this season. Not only do they have depth and firepower in attack, but they look stronger than ever in the midfield. Rodri’s signing has given midfield players like Pedri and Dani Olmo more freedom to attack, create chances for teammates, and dominate possession. This was evident as Pedri assisted Barcelona’s third goal, while Olmo had five shots, with two going on target. The chemistry this team has shown in the first five games of the season has been incredible.

The only blemish was its defense, which allowed one goal and was fortunate not to concede more thanks to offside calls. This unit could hold back Barcelona’s ability to win the Champions League, but its attack is among the best in Europe, strengthening their case as one of the favorites to win it all. If the attack continues to perform at an elite level, it’ll be hard for any team to beat them. 

2. Paris Saint-Germain Is Back To Its Best

It hasn’t been a good start to the season for Paris Saint-Germain. After winning the UEFA Super Cup at the beginning of the season, the two-time defending champions had struggled, failing to win their last four games. However, that narrative is over after PSG blew out Slovan Bratislava 6-1 to get their Champions League campaign underway.

The Parisians got off to a flying start in this game, something they didn’t do in their last four games, as they scored three goals in less than 32 minutes. Everything finally clicked for PSG as they scored six goals, surpassing their total of five in the last four games. Ousmane Dembele scored his first two goals of the season, and Ferran Torres also scored a hat-trick, while key players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue were rested. 

This was a much-needed win for PSG, and it helped them find their form again. After conceding seven goals in the last four games, the defending champions conceded only one goal and limited their opponent to four shots on goal. The offense was more clinical after struggling to score on many chances in past games, and the depth is evident, as Torres has now scored five goals for PSG since joining from Barcelona. Most importantly, they delivered this incredible performance while resting key players.

Things will get harder for the defending champions as they take on Manchester City and Barcelona in their next two Champions League games. But for now, this team showed it’s back, and that they are not ready to relinquish their title. 

3. Arsenal Lacks Difference-Maker In Attack

The perfect start to Arsenal’s season continued as they beat Napoli on the road. However, it wasn’t a pretty win for the Gunners.

Arsenal struggled to be accurate in front of goal, with eight shots on target and an expected goals rate of 4.05. In the end, they only managed to get one in the back of the net. Despite their attacking talent, Arsenal has lacked a difference-maker for the past few seasons. That’s why they brought in striker Victor Gyokeres last year, but he has failed to live up to expectations, forcing Mikel Arteta to rotate between him and Kai Havertz.

This win made it clear that Arsenal will need a difference-maker if they want to win the Champions League. They don’t have someone in attack who can consistently take over a game when it matters most, as they failed to capitalize on so many opportunities to put this game out of hand. Their biggest strength over the last two seasons has been their defense and midfield, among the best in Europe; however, their attack has let them down against strong opposition like PSG. 

There is a lot to like about this Arsenal team. They have plenty of depth; Martin Ødegaard has been incredible in midfield, scoring the game-winning goal in Arsenal’s last two games, and the defense has allowed only one goal. However, someone in the attack will eventually need to step up and deliver when the pressure is highest. If it doesn’t happen, the Gunners could once again fall short of winning their first Champions League trophy. 

4. Real Madrid Are Not Title Contenders Yet

In the first heavyweight battle of the Champions League season, Real Madrid got the better of Inter Milan, winning 2-1 at home. However, despite the win, Los Blancos did not play well, showing they still have a lot to improve.

Real Madrid played a good first half, scoring two goals in less than 25 minutes. However, those goals came from Inter Milan mistakes, including a howler from their goalkeeper, Josep Martinez. They were dominated in possession, with Inter Milan having 64% of it, and after that fast start, they barely survived to win, with Inter Milan having most of the chances. A lot of credit for this result goes to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made seven saves, but their defense looked vulnerable. 

Their midfield struggled to control the game, allowing Inter to dictate the pace for much of the second half. Along with that, it’s becoming more evident that Trent Alexander-Arnold is struggling to fit on this team, as he struggled in the midfield. Despite scoring two goals, Real Madrid’s attack failed to make the most of their opportunities as they failed to score on six of their eight shots on target. When you have players like Kylian Mbappe on the attack, it’s a huge disappointment when you fail to capitalize on your opportunities.

In the end, this was a much-needed win for Los Blancos after losing to Real Betis last week. However, they were very fortunate to come away with the three points, and Jose Mourinho has a lot of work to do. There’s no doubt Real Madrid have the talent to be among the favorites in the Champions League, especially after their summer transfer window. Still, they aren’t ready to be considered a title contender just yet. 

5. Como Will Be This Year’s Surprise Team

Since the Champions League adopted the league phase format two seasons ago, there has always been a surprise team that nobody expected to make a deep run in the competition. After Matchday One, Como, who are playing in the Champions League for the first time ever, have the potential to do just that. 

Italian side Como made their debut in the competition after finishing fourth in last season’s Serie A, earning them a spot in the Champions League. They made a huge statement in their debut as they dominated German side, RB Leipzig 4-1 in front of their home fans. This was a complete team performance from Como as they were clinical on attack, controlled the pace of the game, and held strong whenever Leipzig threatened to score. They were not scared of the moment and even seized it, scoring 15 minutes into the game and converting three of their first four shots on target. 

A big reason for their success has been their head coach, Cesc Fabregas. When he took over as the team’s coach in 2023, Como was playing in Italy’s second division. Since then, the team has been on a rapid rise as he has helped establish a clear identity for the team. He has been able to develop young talent like Nico Paz, who had 12 goals and six assists in the Serie A last season. Only three players in Como’s starting lineup were over the age of 30, showing all the youthful talent that exists on this team. In their win over Leipzig, everyone made an impact as four different players scored, with midfielder Martin Baturina being the highlight after recording a goal and an assist. 

Things won’t get easier for Como as they still have to face top clubs Manchester United, PSG, and Barcelona in the league phase. However, after a great performance against Leipzig, this team has a lot of potential to not only pull off an upset against a top club but also be this year’s Cinderella team. They are well-coached, have a lot of young talent, veteran leadership, and will be playing with no pressure. Don’t be surprised if Como makes a deep run in the Champions League.