ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
UEFA Champions League

UEFA Champions League

Five takeaways from the first three UCL match-days

The UC is seeing many more goals with an open feel

byJide Alaka
November 6, 2020
2 min read

RelatedNews

Champions League: Atletico, Real Madrid complete Round of 16 roster

Champions League: Ronaldo sinks Barcelona as Manchester United crash out

UEFA Champions League: Celestine Babayaro’s 26-year-old record finally broken

Champions League: Giroud sets new record as Juventus, Barcelona win big

ADVERTISEMENT

From Moscow to the Bosporus and down to Krasnodar, the action in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League group stage has been exhilarating and surprising. The traditional teams have not had it all their way while the defending champions, Bayern Munich, are looking like a team that could keep their title.

So many goals…and penalties

There have been 156 goals scored in 48 matches; an average of 3.25 goals per match. What with the new hand ball rule, referees are expectedly penalizing and awarding more penalties – 22 in 48, and one can understand the glut of goals. There have already been 20 matches where four or more goals have been scored. While the pursuit of helping teams score more goals is a worthy cause, making the referees look dumb does not augur well for the spectacle the authorities are trying to create.

Brief summer taking a toll on physical endurance

Of the 156 goals scored in the 48 matches in the group stage; 32, almost 21 per cent have been scored in the last quarter of the games. A vivid example is the four goals scored by Bayern Munich against Salzburg in the last 11 minutes of their encounter. Bayern ran out 6-2 winners, and Real Madrid scored two goals in the last five minutes in their 2-2 draw away to Borussia Monchengladbach. As the season progresses and more of the elite players play more games, there is the very real possibility that many matches will be decided in the last 15 minutes.

Marseille continue their losing streak

It was a dark day for Marseille and their manager, Andre Villas-Boas, last Tuesday as the inaugural Champions League winners fell 3-0, away to Porto, to match the longest losing streak in the competition’s history, that stands at 12 and was set by Anderlecht between 2003 and 2005. At 1-0, Marseille were awarded a penalty but their talisman, Dimitri Payet, blasted wide and from that miss, there was no way back. Their next match is at home to Porto on November 24, where they can become the sole custodians of the losing record.

English teams look very strong at this initial stage

After three matches, all the English teams – Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool have all showcased their strengths. Liverpool have a perfect record and are yet to concede; Chelsea have also won two and drawn one and are yet to concede while City have won all their matches, scoring nine and conceding just one. Only United have lost, though they won away to PSG and thoroughly blitzed last season’s semi-finalists, RB Leipzig, 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Some traditional teams are struggling

Real Madrid and Inter Milan have won the Champions League 16 times between them but that pedigree is not showing this season as both teams are struggling in the first three matches as they occupy the last two places in Group B. Real were lucky in scrapping to a 3-2 win over Inter in their last match while Antonio Conte is finding it hard to get points on the board – with a draw against Borussia Monchengladbach, where they needed a last-minute equaliser, and the barren draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Transport ministry proposes capital budget of N205 billion for 2021

Next Post

Premium Times reporter ties knot with heartthrob

Jide Alaka

Jide Alaka

Former footballer, passionate football enthusiast and analyst and a proud Nigerian.

More News

Victor Osimhen [PHOTO CREDIT: @sscnapoli]

Osimhen returns to training after 79 days

January 23, 2021
Burnley defeat defending champions Liverpool at Anfield. [CREDIT: Twitter handle of Liverpool]

Liverpool-Burnley: Defending champions defeated first time since 2017

January 22, 2021
Liverpool FC [PHOTO: LFC]

EPL: Liverpool finally lose at home

January 21, 2021
Joe Erico

Late Coach Erico was ahead of his time- Akpoborie

January 21, 2021
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Late Joe Erico

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Joe Erico is dead

January 21, 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo notches record with Super Cup title

January 21, 2021
Next Post
Together forever: The Mojeeds in a romantic uplift

Premium Times reporter ties knot with heartthrob

Onions (Photo Credit: Unsplash)

Why price of onions skyrocketed across Nigeria

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad




Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert

Heritage Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.