Last Updated on October 5, 2023 3:40 pm by Erwin Noguera
Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League 23/24 Group Stage is history, and we enjoyed many intense and exciting matches.
We witnessed unexpected victories such as Braga’s 3-2 win over Union Berlin, Real Sociedad’s 2-0 win over Salzburg, and Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Manchester United. In addition, we saw Lens give Arsenal a hard blow by beating them by 2-1, and Newcastle giving PSG an unexpected 4-1 thrashing.
Likewise, we also had expected victories, such as the case of Manchester City, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
We are sure that, in this edition of the Champions League, we have a lot of quality, as any team can surprise on every matchday. As a result, this leaves us with high expectations for the next 4 rounds of the Group Stage and, of course, for the rest of the tournament.
Now, let’s summarize what happened in some of the important matches of this second day of the Champions League Group Stage.
Champions League Matchday 2 – Roundup – Inter vs. Benfica – Info
When:
Tuesday, October 3, 15:00 ET at San Siro
Moneyline odds:
Inter -123
Benfica +320
Draw Offs:
+280
Where can I watch it?
Inter did the job at the San Siro by beating Benfica with a narrow 1-0 score. While the Eagles could have done a bit more, as they won the ball with 53% possession, the locals repelled all Portuguese attacks.
In addition, it is also fair to mention that Inter displayed all their offensive power in the hands of Lautaro Martinez, as they managed to shoot at Benfica’s goal on 8 occasions. However, it was not until the 62′ minute when Marcus Thuram scored the team’s only goal, which gave them the victory.
This match could have ended with many more goals on the scoreboard, as both teams constantly attacked. However, both defenses and goalkeepers did their job perfectly well.
After this result, Inter is in second place in Group D, level on 4 points with Real Sociedad. While Benfica have lost both matches they have played so far, they are at the bottom of the table.
Result: Inter (1) – (0) Benfica
Champions League Matchday 2 – Roundup – Lens vs. Arsenal – Info
When:
Tuesday, October 3, 15:00 ET at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Moneyline odds:
Lens +450
Arsenal -170
Draw Offs:
+320
Where can I watch it?
One of the pleasant surprises of this Champions League matchday 2 was the excellent victory at home of RC Lens against Arsenal, as everyone gave the English team as clear favorites to take the 3 points. However, the French team was much more and managed to come from behind to win 2-1.
The match was intense, and, of course, Arsenal started by taking control of the ball. So much was the English dominance that in the 14th minute, Gabriel Jesus scored his team’s first and only goal. However, 15 minutes later, Lens would respond with Adrien Thomasson’s wonder goal to level the score at 1-1.
There is no doubt that Arsenal tried until the end, as in addition to the possession of the ball (67%), they managed to shoot at goal 6 times. However, Lens made the Gunners forwards pay for their ineffectiveness in the 69th minute with Elye Wahi’s goal to seal their 2-1 victory.
Lens now leads Group B with 4 points, while Arsenal are close behind with 3 points.
Result: Lens (2) – (1) Arsenal
Champions League Matchday 2 – Roundup – Napoli vs. Real Madrid – Info
When:
Tuesday, October 3, 15:00 ET at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Moneyline odds:
Napoli +165
Real Madrid +153
Draw Offs:
+260
Where can I watch it?
Star+
Finally, a match full of intensity, emotions, and, above all, many goals was one of the best of this matchday 2.
The reigning Serie A champions wanted to give a blow on the table at home against the maximum winner of European Cups in history. However, ‘Los Merengues’ knew how to turn the scoreline around to take home three valuable points.
The match started with intense intensity from both sides, as the two of them were very offensive and looking to take the lead. However, Napoli’s Leo Skiri Ostigard gave the home side the lead in the 19th minute. Sadly for them, this only made Real Madrid wake up, as, thanks to goals from Vinicius Jr. (’27) and Jude Bellingham (’34), the team turned the score around before the end of the first half.
Then, just nine minutes into the second half, Piotr Zielinski (’54) leveled the score at 2-2 to bring Napoli back into the match. However, after constant attacks by the Spaniards, Alex Meret (78′) scored an own goal to give Real Madrid a 3-2 victory.
With this victory, Real Madrid climbs to the top of Group C with 6 points, while Napoli remains in second place with 3 points.
Result: Napoli (2) – (3) Real Madrid
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