Mbappe and Haaland shine in a difficult week for German managers’ Champions League results

Even though some fans, players, and coaches had weeks to forget, the return of European football did not disappoint.

That anthem was welcome to hear once more, don’t you think? Matchday one of the Champions League provided yet another reminder of why European football on Wednesdays continues to be so spectacular.

There were eye-catching outcomes everywhere, with some of the continent’s top players coming to play, from Dinamo Zagreb’s unexpected victory over Chelsea to Liverpool’s humiliating loss at Napoli.

But who will want to suddenly forget Matchday 1 after having a week to recall it?

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  WINNER: The new icons

  No one really needed reminding of how good Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are, but the two young icons of European football ensured that they were once again centre-stage on Tuesday.

  Mbappe scored two stunning volleys as Paris Saint-Germain saw off Juventus at Parc des Princes, while Haaland also netted a brace to become the quickest player to reach 25 Champions League goals as Manchester City beat Sevilla.

  The battle between the pair to be the first to lift the European Cup, as well as the Ballon d’Or, is one that could well be decided this season, and both made strong statements to suggest this will be their year.

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  LOSER: (Some) German managers

  While there were wins for Julian Nagelsmann with Bayern Munich and Edin Terzic with Borussia Dortmund, overall this was a bad week for German coaches in Europe.

  Two were sacked immediately after their teams’ defeats, with Thomas Tuchel getting the boot from Chelsea and Domenico Tedesco was relieved of his duties at RB Leipzig.

  Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, cut a forlorn figure as his Liverpool side were torn apart by Napoli in what was another hugely disappointing result for the Reds to start the season.

  One German manager’s disappointment is another’s opportunity, though, with ex-Dortmund boss Marco Rose having been announced as Tedesco’s replacement at Leipzig.

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    WINNER: Shakhtar Donetsk

    There is no doubt about the result of the week in the Champions League – Shakhtar’s stunning 4-1 win on the road at RB Leipzig.

    Having lost around half of their players, who chose to leave in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and with six games on the road to play in the group stages (Warsaw is their temporary home for European games), little was expected of Igor Jovicevic’s side this season.

    But their performance in Germany has left them in a great position from which to launch a bid for the knockout stages, while Mykhaylo Mudryk’s performance that saw him score once and assist twice more will have helped add a few more miliion to his price tag for when he is eventually sold in the next 12 months or so.

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      LOSER: The Old Firm

      For the first time in 15 years, there are two Scottish teams in the Champions League group stages, but Celtic and Rangers’ European campaigns could hardly have got off to a worse start.

      Celtic, to their credit, gave Real Madrid a scare in the first half on Tuesday, only to succumb to the defending champions after the break and lose 3-0.

      Rangers, meanwhile, were never in the game against Ajax, and were 3-0 down before half-time as last season’s Europa League finalists were given a rude awakening at Europe’s top table.

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        WINNER: Robert Lewandowski

        Before Wednesday, no player had ever scored a Champions League hat-trick for three separate teams, but that changed after Lewandowski’s treble for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen.

        The summer signing from Bayern Munich has been as advertised so far, scoring eight goals in his first five competitive games for the Blaugrana.

        Next up in the Champions League for one of Europe’s most in-form strikers? A trip back to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern.

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          LOSER: Massimiliano Allegri

          After last season’s disappointing Serie A campaign, the pressure is on Massimiliano Allegri to deliver both domestically and on the continent for Juventus this season.

          And while he could have done without a trip to a rampant PSG on matchday one, the insipid way in which Juve performed in the first half at Parc des Princes gave real cause for concern going forward.

          They did improve after the break but still lost, and Juve have now won just two of their opening six games of the season. Next week’s clash with Benfica could well be make-or-break for Allegri’s future in Turin.

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            WINNER: Richarlison

            Questions were asked of whether Richarlison possessed the quality required to make a difference for Tottenham on the biggest stage, but the Brazilian answered them in style on his European debut.

            The Spurs No.9 scored two excellent headers to break Marseille’s stubborn resistance and get Antonio Conte’s side off to the perfect start in north London.

            Richarlison’s tearful reunion with his family in the stands, meanwhile, will have endeared him to fans around the continent, and he could yet be a breakout star of this year’s competition.

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              LOSER: Liverpool

              The last word goes to Liverpool, who were absolutely abysmal in suffering a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli.

              While there are injury problems that have caused their poor start to the season, some of the performances from established players in Italy left a lot to be desired, and the pressure is now on Jurgen Klopp to turn things around quickly to stop their season from spiralling out of control.

              On Wednesday’s evidence, this could be the biggest test he has faced in his seven years at Anfield.