Champions League review: PSG’s benchmark, Viking uprising and an Italian-German dilemma

Famous faces in the crowd for English teams’ home matches on Wednesday. While Prince William delighted in his beloved Aston Villa’s 6-0 romp over Fenerbahce, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City homecoming was spoiled by Paris Saint-Germain showing they still represent the benchmark in European club football this season.

The center-circle inquest led by Erling Haaland after Vitinha put PSG 3-0 up was a jarring contrast to the triumphalism shown when City were winning at Liverpool last weekend. The Parisians put on a devastating display in the first half and, although the defiance City exhibited at Anfield on Sunday was on display again in the second half, PSG held on for a 4-2 win. “We could’ve lost this match if they scored the chances they created,” said a magnanimous Luis Enrique.

City may soon be absent from the competition, after they were found guilty of more than 100 charges of breaking the Premier League’s financial regulations. If City wish to sign off with a valedictory trophy lift they now know the standard they must meet – and beat. PSG have had their own issues with financial regulations in the era of petrodollar state ownership but, with the club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi a major powerbroker in European football, they have become an establishment club. While City are now pariahs, PSG have become near untouchables, not least on the field of play.

“He who brings glory to Rome, Rome honors for ever,” read a banner in the Stadio Olimpico. “Your hands are blessed and the people will give you eternal glory!” José Mourinho won hearts during his time in charge of Roma. But his popularity ratings are nowhere near as high in Madrid, though the manner of Real Madrid’s 4-3 comeback win over Roma will calm the gathering storm he has faced since returning to work for Florentino Pérez. The comeback came via Madrid’s next generation: Carlos Espí, 21, pulled the scoreline back to 3-2; the unlikely aerial threat of the 5ft 8in Endrick, 20, made it 3-3; and Antonio Rüdiger scored the winner, via a second assist for Arda Güler, 21. Mourinho embracing youth is a fresh development. This week saw Mourinho block a loan move to Milan for Endrick, and he admitted in Rome: “The first half was the coach’s fault; the second half was the players’ fault.”

A record 78 goals flew in this game week; the previous record was 71. On the wrong end were the Serie A clubs. In addition to Roma’s defeat, Como lost 3-2 at Feyenoord, the decisive moment coming via an own-goal for Robert Sánchez, the keeper loaned from Chelsea. Inter also lost, 4-3 to Club Brugge, whose performances in the competition in recent years meant the result was not much of a surprise. Napoli lost 3-1 to Villarreal, the Yellow Submarines’ first Champions League win in eight matches. Neapolitan focus was on a running battle between Massimiliano Allegri, the Napoli coach, and Kevin De Bruyne. Scott McTominay’s return to the team has pushed De Bruyne deeper. The Belgian made clear his feelings on playing there with some highly demonstrative body language.

Player of the week

There were two hat-tricks this week. Bradley Barcola ignited his Liverpool career with a treble at Lask, whose defending during their 6-3 defeat was suboptimal to say the least. That 4-3 Brugge win was mostly thanks to Nicolò Tresoldi. The striker was born in Italy, but moved to Hanover when he was 13, and he plays for Germany’s under-21s. Italian soul-searching after missing out on the last three World Cups has cast Tresoldi as a new savior. “I always speak Italian at home; I was born in Italy too,” he said post-match. “We’ll see.”

Paolo Di Canio, on Sky Italia, was pessimistic: “He has already chosen.”

Club in focus: Viking Stavanger

After Bodø/Glimt’s exploits over the last couple of seasons and the national team’s admirable World Cup showing, the true football hipsters have a new destination in Norway. Viking play a thousand miles south-west of Bodø, in Norway’s oil capital, Stavanger. The club has co-managers in Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen: the pair were interviewed for the top job before deciding it was best they share duties. Viking are in the Champions League for the first time since the 1992-93 season, and at one point on Tuesday the Eliteserien champions led Bayern Munich 2-0. But a seismic shock was averted via two Harry Kane goals and another from Luis Díaz that put Bayern 3-2 up. Once Herman Haugen headed home at the back post, Viking had rescued a point with a 3-3 draw. “I could have played another 90 minutes,” said the captain, Zlatko Tripić, “I’m so incredibly proud.”

They said it

“I expect more. I’m not going to close my mouth; we need more ambition, we need to talk more about winning Champions Leagues and Premier Leagues in terms of other things.” Lisandro Martínez was undeterred by Peter Schmeichel’s soft-shoe questioning on Tuesday’s CBS broadcast after Manchester United’s defeat to Atlético Madrid.

“If we don’t say the truth, nothing will change,” added Martínez, whose Manchester United contract expires in June. Martínez’s interventions exposed the cracks at United – and highlighted the dubious merits of having a football celebrity do a journalist’s job.

Looking ahead

A quick turnaround sees the third round staged next week, with Manchester United heading to Como for another examination of Michael Carrick’s regime. That follows a difficult Sunday trip to Leeds for United.

A couple of heavyweight ties catch the eye. Barcelona’s 4-1 win at Galatasaray continued their perfect start to the season, and Tuesday sees them visit PSG, a meeting of the two favorites to claim the title. On Wednesday, Arsenal v Bayern may trigger unhappy memories among Gunners fans. Arsenal lost 5-1 to Bayern three times in succession over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, and lost in the 2023-24 quarter-finals to the Germans too. Arsenal did, though, beat Bayern in last season’s Champions League.