Young stars Yamal and Wirtz shine in Champions League but with mixed results
Shortly after lighting up the European Championship, two of the world’s most promising young players have shone on club football’s biggest stage.
With varying fortunes, however.
Teenager Lamine Yamal’s goal couldn’t prevent Barcelona at 10 after a 2-1 defeat at Monaco on Thursday in the Champions League, ending the Spanish club’s perfect start to the season.
Meanwhile, it took Florian Wirtz less than five minutes to score his first Champions League goal on his debut in Europe’s premier club competition.
Wirtz also scored another goal in Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-0 win at Feyenoord.
“I’ve been looking forward to this game for a few days now, and that’s how I approached it. I think it was like that for everyone,” Wirtz said.
“I didn’t think I would end up with two goals, but I had two chances and I used them both. Then I can just build on that and try to take my chances in every game.”
Leverkusen lost in the Europa League final in May, their only defeat in a remarkable season that saw them win the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
Atalanta, the team that beat Leverkusen four months ago, had a penalty saved in a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at home.
Atletico Madrid beat Leipzig 2-1 and Benfica beat Red Star Belgrade 2-1, while Brest’s first appearance in European competition ended with a 2-1 win against Sturm Graz.
It was the third evening of the new format of the Champions League which replaces the traditional group stage.
Now, 36 teams each face eight different opponents until January and are seeded into a single league table to decide which teams advance to the knockout stage.
Unusually, Lamal’s goal was not yet another record for the precocious 17-year-old.
Lamal has a number of mark milestones for Barcelona and for Spain and became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship in summer on the way to help Spain win the tournament.
But his first Champions League goal made him the second-youngest goalscorer in the competition, behind team-mate Ansu Fati, who was 28 days younger when he scored his first goal in December 2019.
Yamal’s equaliser in the 28th minute cancelled out Maghnes Akliouche’s opener. And it was another impressive goal, with Yamal cutting in from the left before slotting the ball between two defenders and into the bottom right corner.
“He gave us a lot of breathing space, it was a different game at 1-1,” said FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri. “It’s a great goal and I’m happy to have him with me.”
Barcelona faced an uphill battle after defender Eric Garcia was sent off with less than 11 minutes to play and 18-year-old striker George Ilenikhena scored for Monaco in the 71st minute.
Barcelona host Young Boys on October 1st.
Wirtz has made an excellent start to the season, with three goals in as many Bundesliga games.
And the 21-year-old continued his fine form in Rotterdam on Thursday. Robert Andrich intercepted a poor Feyenoord pass and slid the ball to Wirtz, who burst forward before firing into the bottom right corner.
Leverkusen doubled their lead after half an hour. Victor Boniface’s smart pass From the edge of the penalty area, Jeremie Frimpong threw the ball down the right and his cross was slid in by Alejandro Grimaldo at the far post.
Another cross from Frimpong was volleyed home by Wirtz six minutes later.
Leverkusen hardly needed help, but it came just before half-time when Feyenoord’s German goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther lost the ball over the line following a header from Edmond Tapsoba.
For all the talk of youth, it is a veteran who has shone for Atletico.
Antoine Griezmann, 33, scored for the 11th consecutive time in the Champions League and also crossed for José María Giménez’s winning goal in the final minutes. Benjamin Šeško had given Leipzig the lead in the 4th minute.
David Raya came to Arsenal’s rescue with a double save from a penalty in the 51st minute after Thomas Partey tripped Ederson.
Mateo Retegui’s penalty was saved by the Spain international but the ball came back to the forward, whose header was deflected off the line by a struggling Raya.
Arsenal struggled in attack with the injury to Martin Odegaard, their greatest creative force, and relied on their typically stubborn defence – and Raya – to hold on to a point in Bergamo. In the next round, Arsenal host Paris Saint-Germain.
Brestois first goal in history In European competition, it was midfielder Hugo Magnetti who scored at home, but far from his own stadium.
Brest stadium does not meet UEFA requirements and so the club’s home European matches were relocated to the Stade du Roudourou in Guingamp, located approximately 114 kilometres (71 miles) away.
Brest finished a remarkable third in the French league last season. This is Sturm’s first Champions League appearance in 24 years, having ended Salzburg’s run of 10 consecutive titles in Austria.
New Benfica coach Bruno Lage made it two wins in two games thanks to goals from Turkish internationals Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Orkun Kökçü.
Kökçü’s strike was particularly sumptuous as he curled a free-kick into the top right corner from 25 yards.
Felicio Milson scored late for the home team.
Benfica host Atlético in Lisbon on October 2.
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