Victor Osimhen seek first European goal of the season
Day two of the UEFA Champions League holds today and tomorrow with mouth-watering fixtures spread across Europe. While some teams are seeking to consolidate their positions others are fighting to bring their campaign back on track after a woeful outing on match day one.
In group A, Manchester United will seek to return to winning ways after losing 4-3 to Bayern Munich as they welcome Galatasaray to the Theatre of Dreams. Their lone goal victory over Burnley in the Premier League and their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the EFL ought to have eased the pressure on the team. But their 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at the weekend has increased the pressure again. They are expected to hit the ground running as quickly as possible in Europe.
Danish champions, FC Copenhage, who threw away a two goals lead to draw 2-2 with Galatasaray on match day one will hope to make amends when they host group leaders and six time champions, Bayern Munich at the Parken Sadium.
Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal club will storm France to take on Lens as they bask in the euphoria of a 4-0 demolition of PSV in their return to the Champions League after five years. On the other hand, the French side will hope to build on their 1-1 draw with Sevilla on opening day.
After losing their opening match to Arsenal, Dutch champions, PSV Eindhoven will hope to bounce back as they welcome Sevilla to the Philips Stadium.
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen will hope to score his first goal in Europe this season when Napoli host the most successful side in the competition, 14 time champions, Real Madrid at the Diego Amando Maradona Stadium in Naples. Both sides won their opening matches with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham scoring a 94th minute goal to see off Union Berlin while Italian champions, defeated Sporting Braga 1-2.
Victor Osimhen scored five goals in this competition last season and will seek to score against Real Madrid after ending his recent goal draught with his side’s second goal in their 4-1 bashing of Udinese in the Italian Serie A. the goal was a perfect response to the mocking video of Osimhen’s penalty miss posted on the Napoli’s Tik Tok account.
The match day one losers in Group C, Sporting Braga and Union Berlin will fight to finish at the Stadiom An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin Germany.
RB Salzburg will hope to tighten their grip on Group D when they welcome Real Sociedad to the Red Bull Arena. The Austrian champions took charge of the group after match day one when they defeated 10-man Benfica 0-2.
Inter Milan, who forced Real Sociedad to a 1-1 draw on opening day will host Benfica as they strive for all three points. The three time champions got to the final last season and are hoping to go all the way this season, a feat that will be impossible if they fail to start winning their matches.
In Group E, Celtic of Scotland, who lost 2-0 to Feyenoord after two of their players were sent off will have the opportunity to bounce back to reckoning when they confront Lazio of Italy, at the Celtic Park.
Basking in the euphoria of their 3-1 victory over their city rivals, Real Madrid in a recent La Liga clash, Atletico Madrid will go for all three points when they welcome Feyenoord to the Metropolitano Stadium. They will have to avoid their match day one mistake which saw them lead for more than 70 minutes only to concede a heart-breaking 95th minute equalizer scored by Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. He thus becomes the fourth goalkeeper to score a Champions League and the second to score in open play.
One of the other goalkeepers that have scored in a UEFA Champions League is former Enyimba and Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama. In fact, it was the final goal of his sterling career and a penalty against Lyon for his Israeli club Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
That was by the way, let’s return to this mid-week fixtures. Samuel Chukwueze’s AC Milan who were held to a goalless draw by Newcastle United will be facing a herculean task as they travel to Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund, who were defeated 2-0 by Paris Saint Germain on match day one.
The French champions on their part will hope to sustain the momentum when they lurk horns with Newcastle United at the St James’ Park. The home side recently hammered Sheffield United 8-0 in an English Premier League match, and will be hoping to re-enact such form against the men from Paris in order to clinch all three points.
In Group G, defending champions, Manchester City, who came from behind on match day one to becloud Red Star Belgrade 3-1 will storm Germany to take on RB Leipzig, who were also 3-1 winners over Young Boys on match day one.
The Citizens were recently eliminated by Newcastle United in the EFL and are facing a hot chase in the league by Liverpool. It is time for Pep Guardiola and his wards to get serious in order not to go trophy-less this season. A successful defence of the Champions League will be highly appreciated by their fans.
Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys who both lost their opening matches will clash at the 53,000 capacity Rajko Mitic Stadium, as they search for their first points this season.
Barcelona who were the biggest winners on match day one with a 5-0 demolition of Royal Antwerp will travel to Portugal to take on FC Porto, who defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 on opening day. It will be a battle of ‘who leads the group’.
Opening day losers Royal Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk will clash at the Bosuilstadion in the city of Antwerp in Belgium, as they battle to bounce back to winning ways.
