You may have missed it with all the games on, but RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch made history on Tuesday. After an emphatic 6-2 victory over Belgian side KRC Genk, Marsch became the first coach from the United States to not only coach a Champions League match, but to win one.
Napoli downed visiting Liverpool in their Champions League opener 2-0 in a tight match until the game slipped away in the final minutes.
Both sides looked evenly matched throughout with a box score to prove. Aside from a few offside calls and sloppy tackling by the Italian side, the team stats were all near identical.
Both keepers played phenomenal but Napoli’s Alex Meret would come away with the clean sheet in his Champions League debut.
Liverpool’s defense of its Champions League crown is off to a shaky start following a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo in Italy on Tuesday. Liverpool supporters will disagree with the game-changing penalty that Felix Brych awarded Napoli in the 82nd minute, but it certainly wasn’t a vintage performance from the Reds.
After sitting on the bench in Euro qualifying for Germany over the recent international break, Marc-André ter Stegen expressed frustration in being stuck behind Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer in the pecking order to be Germany’s No. 1. After watching Ter Stegen vs Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, it’s hard to argue he shouldn’t usurp Neuer.
Ter Stegen made four saves, including one on a penalty kick and a massive double save to help Barcelona draw Borussia Dortmund 0-0 in the Champions League group-stage opener for both clubs on Tuesday in Dortmund.
108 days after Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy in Madrid, we’re set to do it all over again with a competition that’ll reach its conclusion on May 30 in Istanbul. Matchday one begins tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 17) with a couple massive group stage encounters before carrying through to Wednesday with a couple more.
Below, we’ll highlight those four games while also breaking down the Champions League TV schedule on TNT.
Tuesday, September 17
Count Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo among the legion of Parisians happy Neymar did not bolt the French capital to return to Spain this summer. But she’s not content with Neymar sticking with Paris Saint-Germain — she wants the big-eared trophy.
Turkish side Galatasaray made some big moves in the transfer market this summer, signing a total of 12 players. The biggest name on its new signing list is Radamel Falcao.
The 33-year-old Colombian striker, while having some low points in his career, has been one of the top strikers in the world over the past decade. And now he is playing for one of the best teams in Turkey.
I would be pretty excited if Falcao signed for my team. But these Galatasaray fans have gone above and beyond. Just watch how they welcome "The Tiger" to their stadium.
The 2018-19 UEFA Champions League technical report was released today, and it’s got 51 pages of highly entertaining and valuable information that analyzes specific tactical and technical trends at the very top of the world’s game. The comprehensive overview of last season’s competition includes some fascinating insights.
The European transfer window slammed shut yesterday with Paris Saint-Germain at the center of everything. Neymar, reportedly the subject of three different bids from Barcelona, is staying put for another season, and the club further strengthened its ambitions by adding three-time Champions League-winner Keylor Navas from Real Madrid for $14.3 million and Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan on a season-long loan. PSG could sign the striker permanently next summer for a total of $76.8 million.
Thursday’s Champions League draw was all about glitz and glamor, awards and prestige.
Friday’s Europa League draw was all about administrative efficiency and calculated bureaucracy, not even bothering to wait for prime time.