Day two of the first round of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) didn’t enjoy the plethora of goals as day one, with only a couple of Wednesday’s fixtures, failed to produce any goal.
Bologna were held at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in a goalless draw by Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, who also missed a 4th minute penalty in their first ever Champions League match.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 18: Lukasz Skorupski of Bologna punches the ball clear during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Bologna FC 1909 and FC Shakhtar Donetsk at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on September 18, 2024 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Spart Prague stunned many with a commanding 3-0 victory of Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg at the epet ARENA, with goals from Kaan Kairinen, Victor Olatunji, and Qazim Laci.
TOPSHOT – Sparta Praha’s Nigerian forward #07 Victor Oluyemi Olatunji displays a shirt with the lettering reading ‘I am a chosen, who are you’ under his jersey as he celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Sparta Praha and FC RB Salzburg in Prague on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP) (Photo by MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images)
Scottish champions Celtic were the biggest winners of the night with a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park as Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah scored for the hosts, and Slovan pulled one back through Kevin Wimmer.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn celebrates Liam Scales scoring to make it 1-0 during a UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and SK Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park, on September 18, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
English starlet Jamie Gittens bagged a brace as Serhou Guirassy scored for Dortmund in their 0-3 away win over Club Brugge in Belgium.
BRUGES, BELGIUM – SEPTEMBER 18: Jamie Gittens of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Club Brugge KV and Borussia Dortmund at Jan Breydelstadion on September 18, 2024 in Bruges, Belgium. (Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga’s late own-goal handed Paris Saint-German a 1-0 home win over the competition’s newcomer Girona.
Finally, at the Etihad Stadium 2022-23 finalists Manchester City and Inter Milan played out a goalless draw.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Yann Aurel Bisseck of Inter Milan, Carlos Augusto of Inter Milan and Ederson, goalkeeper of Manchester City challenge during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and FC Internazionale Milano at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
The action continues on Thursday when Arsenal travel to Italy for a clash with Atalanta, Feyenoord would welcome Bayer Leverkusen, Red Star Belgrade faces Benfica, Atletico Madrid takes on RB Leipzig, Brest tackles Sturm Graz, and Barcelona heads to France to battle Monaco.
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