Mitch Freeley

Wednesday saw two Champions League games which threw up a variety of interesting narratives as four of Europe’s elite sides battled it out in their first leg round of sixteen encounters. In our regular feature talking points, we have pinpointed the moments that mattered from the Wednesday evening games.  

Ronaldo rattled as Atletico shutout Juventus

Could this be the first time that Cristiano Ronaldo showed that they are human on the European stage? The Juve attacker had an unusually below-par performance from his usual lofty standards as Juventus lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid. 

Ronaldo was surprisingly rattled by the Atletico Madrid fans who chided the Portuguese superstar throughout his visit to the Wanda Metropolitano. The 34-year old who traded Real Madrid for Juventus in the summer failed to create many clear-cut chances with a fierce first half set piece the highlight.

As the game progressed Ronaldo showed his anger flashing five fingers to the Atleti crowd, representing the Champions Leagues he has lifted as a player. This rare break in composure from CR7 certainly highlights how he was unable to influence the game as he was shutout by the Atletico defence. Whilst Diego Godin’s strike rebounded off Ronaldo for the second goal, which would not have tempered the mood of the former Real star. 

Gritty City underline Champions League credentials

Manchester City showed plenty of character to battle back from two goals and a man down to defeat Schalke 3-2 in dramatic fashion on Wednesday evening.  Late goals from Leroy Sane & Raheem Sterling handed the Citizens an unlikely victory after Nabil Bentaleb converted two penalties in the first half. Although Pep Guardiola’s side faced an uphill battle as Nicolas Otomendi after picking up a second yellow with 22 minutes left in the contest. 

Such battling performances have been the hallmark of Manchester City under Pep. The drive and determination to come away with a result, rather than settle for the draw is admirable and has set them up to progress to the quarter-finals. This never-say-die attitude is vital for Manchester City ahead of potential tougher tests in the competition.  

VAR needs time

VAR reared its ugly head midweek as the system was called into play to decide a number of big issues. It seems that the most problems came in the Schalke game, with the on-pitch monitor not working as Nicolas Otomendi was adjudged to handle the ball in the penalty box. It took over two minutes as referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande spoke with his assistance to get the decision right. 

There was always going to be teething pains as VAR was introduced in the Champions League, but just as it has been underlined in other European Leagues it needs time to be adapted and used accordingly. Ultimately the technology will aid the officials in gaining the right decision in game-altering moments which is the most important thing, especially in the high-stakes of the Champions League.