Sometimes the Champions League just hits different and this week was pure chaos in the best possible way.
City stun a wounded Madrid
Pep Guardiola went back to his old enemy, the Bernabéu, and finally got the night he’s been chasing for years. Real Madrid might be a mess under Xabi Alonso right now injuries, infighting, the lot but winning there is never routine.
Rodrygo did his usual “of course I score against City” thing, but young Nico O’Reilly stepped up with a huge equaliser that announced him to Europe.
Then came the moment: a soft, controversial penalty, Erling Haaland on the spot, Jude Bellingham trying to mind-game him by tugging his ponytail… and Haaland just smirked and buried it. That’s pure villain energy.
After overthinking it against Leverkusen, Pep nailed the game plan this time. You could feel it in his words afterwards this is a coach who has his swagger back.
Liverpool thrive in the Salah storm
No Mo Salah. Just gym selfies in Merseyside while the drama swirls around him. And yet, away at San Siro, Liverpool under Arne Slot felt ice cold and ruthless.
With only 14 experienced outfielders available, Slot ripped up the “fantasy front three” dream and went full results mode.
Inter were squeezed, pressed and eventually beaten thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s nerveless and yes, controversial penalty. Ibrahima Konaté, who’s had a rough season, played like a man possessed.
It all felt like another chapter in the whole Salah chaos and Slot’s calm steel you see around Salah Storm, Slot Steel: Liverpool Marches on Amid the Chaos: the superstar sulks, the team responds, and the club somehow moves forward anyway.
Atalanta school Chelsea… again
From the English angle, everyone is panicking about Chelsea’s inconsistency under Enzo Maresca. But from a proper football nerd’s angle? This is Atalanta doing Atalanta things.
Raffaele Palladino has walked in after Ivan Juric’s sacking and instantly lit the place up: back-to-back Champions League wins, Eintracht Frankfurt beaten, and now Chelsea sliced open.
Gianluca Scamacca cancelled out João Pedro’s opener, and then Charles De Ketelaere who looks every inch the leader of Belgium’s new wave produced a filthy solo run that left Chelsea’s defence in pieces for the winner.
Even with Gasperini now at Roma, Atalanta still feel like Europe’s coolest talent factory that actually wins stuff.
Kounde’s header heroics & other stars
Player of the week? Easy: Jules Kounde. From right-back. Two headers. Barcelona 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt. First assisted by Marcus Rashford, second by Lamine Yamal.
First Barca player ever to score two headers in a Champions League game – that’s a trivia stat for life.
Honourable mentions:
- De Ketelaere, who tormented Chelsea all night.
- Noni Madueke, bagging a brace for Arsenal in Bruges.
- Oscar Gloukh, the Ajax winger who fired twice against Qarabag to get their first win.
Chaos on the touchline and in the studio
In Bruges, the fans stole the show as much as Arsenal. “Thanks, Nicky… shame on you,” read the banner aimed at the board for sacking Nicky Hayen, the coach who delivered the 2023 – 24 league title and a brilliant Champions League run.
Ivan Leko came in praising Hayen and basically said he was proud of the fans’ fury. That’s old school football energy.
On TV, Ruud Gullit and Richard Keys went to war over Jude Bellingham. Keys called Bellingham an agitator and even suggested Thomas Tuchel wouldn’t pick him.
Gullit shut that down fast, saying Jude is Madrid’s best player and being let down by teammates who don’t track back. You don’t often see legends get that animated on air which tells you how big Bellingham already is.
Mourinho’s charge and Conte’s concern
Down the line, the script is getting tasty.
Napoli are drifting in 23rd place in the standings and just lost 2 – 0 to Benfica, with Antonio Conte pointing to physical and mental fatigue after a win over Juventus. Meanwhile, José Mourinho has walked into Benfica, found them winless and pointless, and dragged them up to 25th with that Napoli victory.
Of course he couldn’t resist a jab at Conte, saying that talking about Benfica being “fresher” sounded like an excuse. Next for Mourinho? Juventus… and then Real Madrid. You just know he’s already writing the monologue in his head.
Juventus at least have some momentum after a 2 – 0 win against Pafos, with Weston McKennie smashing in the 50th Champions League goal by a USMNT player and Jonathan David also scoring. That Benfica Juve clash in the new year feels absolutely massive.
Big managers flexing, rising stars announcing themselves, legends arguing on TV, fanbases raging at boards, and storylines twisting in every direction – this is exactly why we’re addicted to this competition
