UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 preview: What we've learnt so far

With the UEFA Champions League new format starting to take shape ahead of Matchday 3, this article compiles succinct observations based on data, results, and tables after Matchday 2. 

The resurgence of traditional powerhouses

Through a 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 1, Bayern Munich, inspired by Harry Kane's hat-trick of penalties, unveiled their ambitions to compete for the title despite Zagreb threatening momentarily with two goals. 

On Matchday 2, however, the German champions lost to an outstanding Aston Villa team, who came out 1-0 winners thanks to supersub Jhon Durán's long-range effort, therefore highlighting Villa's growing confidence and capacity for top performance. 

Barcelona bounced back from their terrible 2-1 loss to Monaco in their opening game to demolish Young Boys 5-0 in Week 2. In both weeks, Robert Lewandowski was crucial, scoring two goals in the second game to help revive Barça's title ambitions. 

After beating Stuttgart 3-1 on Matchday 1 thanks to goals scored by Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick in the last minutes, Real Madrid, despite the calibre of their squad, suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Lille in Week 2. 

Discordant outcomes of English clubs

Bar Liverpool, who have been in outstanding form, English teams have all had mixed starts to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season. Following a 3-1 win to AC Milan in Week 1, the Reds, with their outstanding defence and efficient build-up attacks, defeated Bologna 2-0, positioning themselves as early leaders to progress. 

Arsenal have enjoyed a decent but below average start, with their thumping 2-0 win over PSG glossing over a scoreless tie against Atalanta, which emphasised their need for more offensive finesse. 

Despite showing flashes of genius in their 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, Manchester City, based on their own high standards, are yet to hit full throttle, as shown by their entertaining 0-0 draw with Inter Milan on Matchday 1.

Goals galore: Entertaining encounters and big wins

The one thing consistent in the new Champions League format is goals with the attention span of viewers held by high-scoring games. 

Borussia Dortmund whitewashed Club Brugge 3-0 before following up with a 7-1 trouncing of a Celtic team still relishing a 5-1 Week 1 trashing of Slovan Bratislava. 

The Scottish champions and other mid-table teams need consistency if they are to have a chance to advance in this demanding format.

Emergence of new stars

Apart from well-known stars like Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Robert Lewandowski, several new players have mesmerised in the first two matches. 

Two outstanding players who have made an immediate impact are Karim Adeyemi and Viktor Gyökeres, having scored in pivotal moments for Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Lisbon, with the former netting thrice in just two games. 

Further demonstrating the impact of the younger generation on even the most traditional powerhouses, is young Turkish midfielder Kenan Yıldız, who scored the first goal in Juventus's 3-1 triumph over PSV. For teams going through an injury crisis or transition right now, these rising stars offer a priceless supply of tactical adaptability and depth. 

Having earned praise as one of Germany's most promising young players, Florian Wirtz showcased his extraordinary talent on the biggest stage with two goals in Bayer Leverkusen's 4-0 triumph over Feyenoord. 

Underperforming giants

The early challenges of a few traditional powers have earmarked the fierce competitiveness in this year's Champions League. AC Milan have been chiefly disappointing, following a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the San Siro with a pitiful 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, in a clear-cut display of their incapacity to challenge Europe's elite teams. 

In the same line, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have not lived up to their large club expenditures, having been dominated by Arsenal and requiring a 90th-minute Gazzaniga howler to beat new boys Girona. Should the French champions fail to find a consistent formula that can equal their domestic supremacy, their relentless quest for European success could be pointless. 

Even teams with world-class talent can be susceptible, as exemplified by Barcelona's early stumble in a 2-1 loss to Monaco. . 

Although they recovered brilliantly by thumping Young Boys 5-0, the setback showed how easily defensive weaknesses or tactical mistakes might be taken advantage of, especially in the fierce competitiveness of this new format.

Atalanta defensive masterclass

Though the first two match days have been marked by a lot of high-scoring games, there have also been defensive masterclasses, with several sides leaning on discipline and organisation at the back to achieve results. 

With a shutout in both of their first two games, Atlanta has started the season strong, following a goalless opening week against Arsenal with a controlled 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0. Anchored by Sead Kolasinac in a three-man defence, Atalanta have shown their capacity to absorb pressure and react fast, posing a challenging opponent. 

Dortmund, Brest, and Benfica lead the pack

In their two successive triumphs, Borussia Dortmund, Brest, and Benfica have shown defensive consistency and attacking genius, with Dortmund standing out in this regard since it leads the league with a nine-goal difference.

Though Dortmund's emergence might come as no surprise due to their second-place finish in last year's finales, Brest and Benfica were not generally expected to dominate the tournament.

Both teams have defied preseason predictions to post a 100% win record, with matchday 2 proving Brest as contenders of the highest quality after their 4-0 clean out of Salzburg. They have been buoyed by the form of Abdallah Sima, who has three goals to his name. 

Brest, with a balanced team that has scored six goals and conceded only one, have the ability to challenge the top clubs in Europe in the later stages of the tournament.

Benfica's attack has been the most useful weapon in their arsenal, producing six goals. 

With a potent attack that has produced six goals, Portuguese side Benfica is not to be underestimated, as shown by their shock 4-0 triumph over Atletico Madrid. 

Top scorers: Kane, Adeyemi, and Sima in fine form

With four goals—three of which came from the penalty spot—Harry Kane leads the Golden Boot contention right now. 

Despite Bayern Munich's ups and downs, Kane, as the sharpest component of their attack, has been rather clinical with the finish. 

Karim Adeyemi, Serhou Guirassy, and Abdallah Sima, each with three goals, are all in close pursuit of Kane. The German has been very productive for Dortmund with his present performance metrics, positioning him as an easy contender for the top scorer title at the end of the group stage. 

Benjamin Sesko's brilliant individual exploits have been overshadowed by RB Leipzig’s poor start, which currently sees them pointless at the bottom of the 36-team table. 

Conclusion

Third matchday preparations are underway, the competition is getting more fierce, and as the quarterfinal qualifying battle gets more intense, the new Swiss system has increased the importance of every game and guaranteed no room for mistakes. 

While Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG will attempt to exert themselves, Borussia Dortmund, Brest, and Benfica will try to maintain their supremacy. 

Early signals from the Champions League point to this season as one of the most competitive in recent memory, with possible surprises at every turn and minimal opportunity for error as the season runs on. It will be interesting to see how the competition develops since it will expose which teams can fit the new, demanding structure and which ones fall apart.