Champions League Sees Rare Goal Drought on Wednesday Night \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Wednesday’s Champions League matches delivered an unexpected goal drought, with Manchester City and Inter Milan drawing 0-0 in a rematch of the 2023 final. This came after another scoreless game between Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk. Only 13 goals were scored across six matches, a stark contrast to the 28 goals scored in Tuesday’s games.
Champions League Goal Drought: Quick Looks
- Low-scoring matches: Wednesday’s six Champions League games saw only 13 goals, compared to Tuesday’s 28.
- Scoreless rematches: Manchester City and Inter Milan replayed their 2023 final, ending in a 0-0 draw.
- Rare shutout at home: Man City was held scoreless at home for the first time in Europe since 2022.
- Dortmund’s late surge: Borussia Dortmund scored three late goals to win 3-0 against Club Brugge.
- Sparta Prague shines: Sparta Prague celebrated their first Champions League group-stage win in 19 years, beating Salzburg 3-0.
Champions League Sees Rare Goal Deep Look
Where did all the goals go? That was the question after Wednesday’s unusually low-scoring Champions League matches, where just 13 goals were netted across six games, a sharp contrast to the 28 goals scored the day before, including nine from Bayern Munich alone.
Goal Drought Across Europe
The standout result of the evening was the 0-0 draw between Manchester City and Inter Milan, a rematch of the 2023 final, where City narrowly triumphed 1-0 to claim their first Champions League title. On Wednesday, however, neither team could break the deadlock. This was a rare occurrence for City, as it marked just their second scoreless home match in all competitions since 2022.
In another scoreless match, Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk also struggled to find the back of the net. These two 0-0 draws were notable, as they came after just 12 games had been played in the new league phase of the competition, halfway to matching last year’s total of four goalless draws in 96 group-stage games. The Champions League typically averages around three goals per game, but Wednesday’s fixtures were an exception.
PSG Sneaks a Late Win
Paris Saint-Germain seemed destined for a 0-0 draw as well, until a 90th-minute error by Girona’s debutant goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga handed the Parisians a late 1-0 victory. Gazzaniga fumbled a routine cross from Nuno Mendes, allowing the ball to slip through his legs and into the net.
Dortmund’s Late Surge and Defensive Heroics
In Belgium, Borussia Dortmund left it late to secure a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, with two goals from substitute Jamie Gittens and a stoppage-time penalty by Serhou Guirassy. Despite the scoreline, Brugge came close to breaking the deadlock early on, with a frantic sequence of four shots in quick succession that included a close-range strike from Hugo Vetlesen smashing the crossbar. Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made five crucial saves to keep Brugge at bay, maintaining his team’s clean sheet.
Sparta Prague’s Triumphant Return
After a 19-year absence from the Champions League group stage, Sparta Prague made an emphatic return by defeating Salzburg 3-0. Prague wasted no time in asserting themselves, scoring within the first two minutes and controlling the game from there. Salzburg, under new coach Pep Lijnders, was outplayed despite their heavy fixture load this season, which included advancing through two qualifying rounds and preparing for the upcoming Club World Cup.
Other Key Matches and Format Changes
The new Champions League format, which replaces the traditional group stage with a league phase, features 36 teams, each playing eight different opponents between now and January. These teams will be ranked in a single league table to determine who advances to the knockout phase.
Celtic dominated their match against Slovan Bratislava, winning 5-1, while Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk failed to break the deadlock in their scoreless draw.
Looking ahead, Thursday’s slate of matches includes Barcelona facing Monaco, Atalanta hosting Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen traveling to Feyenoord. The six games on each of three consecutive nights are part of the new schedule introduced this season.
Man City Held in Rare Home Shutout
The clash between Manchester City and Inter Milan ended in a 0-0 draw, just 15 months after City beat Inter 1-0 in Istanbul to win the Champions League title. Despite their dominance at home in European competition, this marked the first time City failed to score at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League since March 2022, when they were held scoreless by Sporting Lisbon.
Though City extended their unbeaten streak at home in European games to 32 matches, manager Pep Guardiola will likely be frustrated by the missed opportunities, particularly Ilkay Gundogan’s two late headed chances. The result keeps City’s remarkable six-year unbeaten run at home intact, but they will feel they could have taken more from the game.
Dortmund’s Defensive Resilience
Borussia Dortmund once again relied on their defense to pull through, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel making a series of heroic saves to keep Club Brugge at bay. Brugge had 18 goal attempts, including a close-range strike from Hugo Vetlesen that rattled the crossbar, but Dortmund’s defense stood firm.
Despite their defensive resilience, Dortmund had struggled to convert their own chances until Jamie Gittens broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a deflected shot. Dortmund added two more late goals, securing a hard-fought 3-0 victory to continue their clean sheet dominance from last season’s Champions League run, where they led the competition with six clean sheets.
What’s Next?
As the new Champions League format unfolds, the next round of matches will see Barcelona, Atalanta, and Arsenal among the big names in action. With teams facing eight different opponents throughout the group stage, the new system promises more unpredictable and exciting matchups as clubs vie for a spot in the knockout rounds.
Champions League Sees Rare Goal Champions League Sees Rare Goal
