With the new setup of the Champions League started 2 weeks ago, the new format promises more excitement. The Uefa increased the number of teams from 32 to 36 teams, and every team will play at least 8 games in the league phase.

Champions League Games of 1 October – results

Yesterday´s Champions League phase had a great agenda with the Dutch champion of last year PSV Eindhoven. After a disappointing result 2 weeks ago against Juventus, PSV was facing another tough game against Sporting Club de Lisboa. Altough PSV played much better then 2 weeks ago, the game  ended last night in Eindhoven with a draw. PSV missed a lot of chances and Sporting CP grabbed a late equaliser.

PSV- Sporting clube de Lisboa

After the disappointing game against Juventus two weeks ago, there was really nothing for PSV Tuesday night other than to achieve a result. Juventus proved to be too strong for the team of manager Peter Bosz at the time. His team played unrecognizable and especially Joey Veerman had to suffer it afterwards. It was at this point that the midfielder was missing from the Philips Stadium. The Orange international struggled with an injury and was replaced by Ismael Saibari, who was positively impressed in Italy.

Besides Saibari there was also a place for Walter Benítez. The goalkeeper was still missing in Turin and was replaced by Joël Drommel. This time, the Argentine was simply from the party, so Drommel moved to the bench. Incidentally, the assignment was heavy, because Sporting didn’t leave a point in their own country so far. They also won their first Champions League match against Lille OSC (2-0). And then there was the man in the spotlight: Viktor Gyökeres, who has already scored ten times in the competition and was also eligible in Europe.

Schouten makes it for PSV Eindhoven

After a period of scanning, PSV took the initiative at the Philips Stadion. The team of manager Peter Bosz put a lot of pressure on the Portuguese top club and that belief ensured success. And that was largely due to Schouten. The midfielder recovered the ball very cleverly, high on the pitch after a pressure moment from PSV. After skillfully unraveling the ball from his direct opponent, Schouten only had to put it away nicely. A flaming shot followed and the ball flew purely into the corner: 1-0.

It was the crowning glory of a strong opening phase, in which Malik Tillman had already viciously attacked the target. Typical of PSV’s iron will was the fact that after just over a quarter of an hour of play the team of Bosz had already made twelve violations. Because of PSV, which moved across the field a group of hungry lions, Sporting was eaten in the early stages. Typical was the way in which Ryan tirelessly settled Flamingo again and again in physical duels with Gyökeres, who was not a shadow of himself in the first half.

PSV forgets to exploit force ratios

Many chances of playing football did not match PSV and Sporting during the first half, but it was clear which coach was most satisfied with his team. In the second half, PSV started again. Saibari immediately fired badly, while Guus Til skyrocketed wildly in a position of opportunity. The highlight had to follow a quarter of an hour after tea, because Luuk de Jong, who played his 300th official match for PSV, provided a Brazilian feat. Inimitable, with a spectacular assumption, he misled the rearguard, but in free position the captain fired next.

As in the second half, Sporting regained some grip on PSV after the swirling opening phase, without being able to start dangerously. Til founded it, but in a position of opportunity the attacking midfielder wasted a dot of a head chance. Bosz then decided to bring Noa Lang and Rick Karsdorp into the team. These changes almost killed him, as a sloppiness by Lang led to the first great moment of Sporting. Eduardo Quaresma slipped away, to the hilarity of the Eindhoven public and to the relief of Bosz.

Large downer in final stage

In pursuit of the liberating second goal PSV continued to collapse on goalkeeper Franco Israel. Lang and Til, they couldn’t do it. Johan Bakayoko even left three possibilities to put the victory in safe harbor. This made everyone in the Philips Stadion feel what would happen. And it happened: Daniel Braganca did strike on the other side. In a great way, the midfielder shot the ball past Benítez. This left PSV with one point and therefore it did itself a lot wrong.

Champions League Games of 2 October – results

Champions League games 2 October 2024

Girona – Feyenoord

Feyenoord picked up the first points in the Champions League via a crazy match on Wednesday night when they visited Girona. In a duel with two missed penalties, two own goals and a special scoring run, the Rotterdammers eventually won.

In the first Champions League game with Bayer Leverkusen the crazy game was mainly for the benefit of the Germans, so against Girona it ended better for the Rotterdam. After several pins for both goals, the home side struck first. David López worked closely inside in the nineteenth minute when Hugo Bueno, new to Feyenoord’s starting lineup, could not handle a corner header properly.

Feyenoord recovered very quickly and was less than fifteen minutes later on a 1-2 lead. Yangel Herrera of Girona got the ball unhappily against him after a free kick by Igor Paixão, after which Antoni Milambo scored 1-1 on his own goal. Again, Paixão was the declarant, but the dirty work was done by standout Quinten Timber. He intercepted a pass for Feyenoord 1-2.

It could have become even more beautiful for Feyenoord, after again good work by Timber. The captain pressed again at the right time, was placed in the penalty area and received a penalty. However, this was missed by Ayase Ueda.

Particularly, Girona missed a penalty in this game. Keeper Timon Wellenreuther released the ball in the 66th minute after a move and then committed a foul on Bojan Miovski. Girona’s striker then gave Wellenreuther a chance to correct his mistake. The German appeared to be beaten before the penalty moment, but the VAR saved Feyenoord. Dávid Hancko processed a move by Donny van de Beek behind his own goalkeeper, but Van de Beek was offside.

A quarter of an hour later, the ex-Ajax player Feyenoord was still troubled. Arnaut Danjuma, already in the first half, strangled himself along several Feyenoorders and allowed Van de Beek to score. It was his first goal since 22 May 2022, when he scored on behalf of Everton against Arsenal.

That did not bring this crazy match to an end, because in the end Feyenoord still drew the duel. Of course not in a normal way: a second own goal from Gerona was the decisive factor. After a move by Hancko, Ladislav Krejcí worked the ball behind Gazzaniga, making Feyenoord his first Champions League victory. The match did receive a fitting slot, as the match ended with a VAR check. Substitute Julián Carranza got the ball against his hand through his body, but a further penalty was not handed out.

This is how the people of Rotterdam show themselves after rocky weeks in the mental field. FC Twente is the next opponent in the Eredivisie, Feyenoord will go to Lisbon on 23 October for the next Champions League game, with Benfica.

Champions League Games of 2 October – results