The second matchday of the Champions League witnessed a Bayern Munich attacking masterclass in London and a defensive capitulation from RB Leipzig. Here’s what each Bundesliga club can take from their game.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Schwarz
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Defensive woes haunt RB Leipzig
When Julian Nagelsmann arrived in Leipzig he was already blessed with a rock-solid defense. In goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi they boast arguably the most improved player in the Bundesliga over the last few years and the club recorded the league's best defensive record in 2018-19. Willi Orban, Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano were the core of a backline which conceded just 29 goals in 34 matches.
But that's come crashing down in recent weeks. After conceding three against Schalke last weekend, they backed that up with a calamitous 2-0 defeat by Lyon. What could first have been covered up as a blip is now looking like a problem for Nagelsmann.
The highly-rated 32-year-old had found initial success in implementing a three-man backline. But all three of his defenders against Lyon - Konate, Upamecano and Nordi Mukiele - were caught out with alarmingly high frequency.
The first goal was down to Konate's poor clearance, while Upamecano and Mukiele combined to gift Lyon the killer second goal. Timo Werner shouldn't remain blameless, having missed two great opportunities in the first half, but the defensive issues are so uncharacteristic that it must be concerning for Nagelsmann.
Bayern send a message to Europe
The Bavarian giants have won six Bundesliga titles and three German Cups since 2013, but a sixth Champions League trophy has eluded them in recent years.
Despite hiring two supposed European specialists in Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, the prestigious tournament has been out of reach – unacceptable for a club with such proud history.
But could it be that the more inexperienced and unheralded Niko Kovac is the man to actually end the drought? The 7-2 victory over Tottenham will certainly have their opponents taking notice. Philippe Coutinho has added a spark of creativity and unpredictability to a squad already boasting the world's most in-form striker, Robert Lewandowski, and an electrifying support cast of Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman.
Manuel Neuer looks back to his best after injuries and heavy spending has reinforced the defense in front of him. Could this be the year Bayern finally remerge as a European powerhouse?
Dortmund did enough against Slavia Prague to claim a 2-0 victory and remain unbeaten in their Champions League campaign, but it wasn't all smooth sailing.
Without injured frontman Paco Alcacer, coach Lucien Favre was forced to not only juggle his starting lineup but also to divert from his favored tactics. Julian Brandt and Marco Reus alternated as the focal point of attack and it resulted in a pretty disjointed offensive performance.
Dortmund had to rely on makeshift attacker Achraf Hakimi (normally a defender) to get the job done with two beautifully taken goals. Without the Morocco international's exploits, and the heroics of Roman Bürki in goal, the match could have seen a different result.
It not only highlights Alcacer's importance to Favre's system but also the short-sightedness of Dortmund's transfer activities. Forwards Alexander Isak and Maximilian Philipp were allowed to depart without any replacements, leaving Alcacer as the only out-and-out No.9.
Favre will be praying Alcacer isn't out with his Achilles problem for too long, otherwise he'll have to find a better solution to replace the Spanish marksman. While Mario Götze has sometimes filled in, shoving Brandt and Reus into unfamiliar territory does not look like the answer.
Leverkusen players look dejected after 3-0 loss to JuventusImage: Reuters/M. Pinca
Leverkusen must sharpen up
"It's not good enough. Maybe it's good enough for the Bundesliga, but not at international level,” lamented a riled up Lukas Hradecky following Leverkusen's 3-0 loss to Juventus.
"We lack the necessary maturity and conviction against such opponents. Juve were miles ahead of us and obviously we can't compete with such teams,” continued the goalkeeper.
Leverkusen weren't out-fought and they weren't dominated in possession. Indeed, they had played a decent first half and were perhaps unfortunate to go into the break 1-0 down.
But in those crucial moments, they went missing, while Juventus' experience shone through as the match descended into a clash between boys and men in the second half. The Old Lady never looked truly troubled and went through the motions to dispatch their opponents.
For a coach who values attacking football, Peter Bosz has now overseen three matches against top-quality opponents (Juve, Dortmund, Hoffenheim) amassing a grand total of zero goals.
The answers will be difficult to uncover. An over-reliance on Kai Havertz has carried over from last season, when he scored 17 goals, and Bosz needs more of his other talents in midfield to step up.
Memorable Champions League moments
As the group stage of a new Champions League season gets underway, we can look forward to many more memorable moments. Here's a look at some of the biggest so far in the history of Europe's top club competition.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/P. Noble
Ajax's dawn
In 1995, AC Milan were the dominant team in Europe. Their title defense against a youthful Ajax should have beenroutine, but the Dutch side (average age just over 23) surprised the Italian side and won it all. The face of the story: A 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert who scored the winner five minutes from time.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Bruno
1997: BVB wear the crown
Even making the final was a sensational achievement for BVB, but the club went one better by winning the final. Against Juventus, the underdogs led 2-0 at the break thanks to two goals by Karl-Heinz Riedle. Alessandro Del Pierro's goal after the hour mark gave Juve hope but only for seven minutes. Lars Ricken scored a brilliant lob with his first touch in a memorable moment of a special final.
Shortly before kickoff for the semifinal between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, one of the goals fell apart when a fence, one that fans had climbed onto, broke – taking the goal with it. A good 76 minutes later, a replacement arrived. It remains one of the most curious moments in the competition's history.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Breloer
1999: Crazy two minutes
Bayern Munich already had one hand on the champagne. Mario Basler's early goal looked enough to beat Manchester United, but then football sprinkled some magic. In the 91st minute, Teddy Sheringham scored from a corner. Then two minutes later, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer added a second to secure an incredible comeback and leave Bayern stunned –even to this day.
Image: picture-alliance/empics
2001: One too many
Wait a minute! That's not a starting 11! Who's the 12th man? It's Manchester United fan Karl Power (top row, left), who somehow outfoxed security at Munich’s Olympic Stadium for his team’s quarterfinal second leg against Bayern. Captain Roy Keane (top row, right) seems to have been the first to catch on to the fact that something is amiss.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Schrader
2004: Special before becoming the 'Special One'
The 2004 final was another one for the history books, with Porto and Monaco making up a final of underdogs. Porto secured a clear 3-0 win, completing one of the biggest coups the Champions League has seen. It also markedthe birth of a superstar, as just days later Porto head coach Jose Mourinho moved on to Chelsea where he announced himself as the "Special One."
Image: picture-alliance/Ulmer/Pic United
2005: The miracle of Istanbul
In the 2005 final, AC Milan were leading 3-0 after 44 minutes. A win looked certain, but Liverpool came back. Steven Gerrard scored, then Vladimir Smicer added a second. After Xabi Alonso put in his penalty rebound, Liverpool were on the home straight. The incredible comeback win was secured after a penalty shootout in one of the most dramatic finishes the Champions League has ever produced.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/P. Noble
2011: Stankovic's 50-meter rocket
Manuel Neuer likes to get involved in the outfield play, but in 2011, he was left looking silly. In the quarterfinals Neuer, then at Schalke, cut off an early Inter Milan attack by leaving his area to head the ball away from an approaching striker. However, his clearance landed right at the feet of Dejan Stankovic, who volleyed the ball straight back into Schalke's goal from 50 meters.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Dal Zennaro
2012: The pain of the "Finale dahoam"
Bayern Munich were seen as the favorites in their final at home to Chelsea in the Allianz Arena. Thomas Müller looked to have won it with five minutes to go, but then Didier Drogba powered in a header to equalize. Arjen Robben missed a penalty in extra time and in the shootout, Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger both missed. The home finale turned out to be another traumatic moment for Bayern.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel
2012 Magical Messi
Lionel Messi has left many players in his dust over the years, but in 2012 he was a nightmare for Bayer Leverkusen. The Argentine scored five against an overwhelmed Bundesliga side, defeating them on his own. At the end of the night, Barcelona ran out 7-1 victors in one of the highest-scoring games in the tournament's history.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Cordon Press
2013: The German final
Germany's two heavyweights went head to head in the 2013 final, with Borussia Dortmund looking to spring an upset over Bayern Munich. In an open affair, Bayern took the lead through Mario Mandzukic after 60 minutes before Ilkay Gundogan equalized from the penalty spot. The match looked to be heading to extra-time, only for Arjen Robben to score the winner in the 89th minute.
Image: picture-alliance/imagebroker/U. Kraft
2013: Lewandowski's four-goal haul
Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski shows how many goals he scored against Real Madrid in a memorable home semifinal against Real Madrid in the 2012-13 season. BVB won 4-1 and secured a spot in the final despite a 2-0 loss in Spain. The final ended in defeat to Bayern, but Lewandowski's semifinal performance was one for the ages.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
2017: Barca's incredible comeback against Paris
Barcelona's exit looked confirmed after a 4-0 loss away in Paris, but in the second leg produced a spectacle. Edinson Cavani's goal just after the hour mark seemed to stop Barca's comeback in its tracks. Barca, 3-1 up, needed three more goals. Then Neymar scored a brace and in the 95th minute Sergi Roberto scored the winner in one of the most incredible comebacks in football history.
