UCL talking points: Best player so far, how to save Man Utd?-ZoomTech News

The 2023-24 Champions League group stage is underway, and matchday two is within the books with Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid, Manchester Metropolis and Barcelona the one groups to take care of a 100% document. After an exciting spherical of video games, we requested our writers Gab Marcotti, Rob Dawson and Sam Marsden to reply a few of our burning questions.

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1. Which crew is in hassle after matchday 2?

Manchester United. Two video games, two defeats, they usually’re already struggling to qualify for the Spherical of 16. They’ve scored 5 objectives in video games in opposition to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray however the best way they’ve defended has been appalling, leaking seven objectives in 180 minutes of soccer. They conceded three at house in opposition to Galatasaray nevertheless it might have been even worse. Mauro Icardi missed a penalty after Casemiro had been despatched off, and likewise had an excellent probability in stoppage-time with the rating already at 3-2. It isn’t the primary time in latest historical past that United have been in hassle within the group stage, going out earlier than the knockouts in each 2015-16 and 2020-21. — Dawson

5 groups are on zero factors, however clearly Manchester United stand out, primarily due to the recurring psychodrama within the background (Antony, the Glazers, Jadon Sancho, half the beginning again 4 out, and so forth.) and their horrible league type as properly. I would throw in Paris Saint-Germain as properly, merely due to the way of the 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United, the best way the membership could be a zoo, and the truth that head coach Luis Enrique is, properly, totally different. And if I am Arsenal, I am not taking issues without any consideration both. Sevilla house and away subsequent may be very tough. — Marcotti

It is Man United, is not it?! However so as to add some selection, there may be additionally strain on Luis Enrique and PSG. It isn’t simply that they misplaced to Newcastle, it is that they had been overwhelmed 4-1. Throw within the truth they’re within the hardest group within the competitors and now have a double-header developing in opposition to AC Milan and it is not laborious to think about them failing to make it into the knockout rounds. Three attracts and a defeat in seven Ligue 1 video games present this isn’t only a European situation, both. The post-Lionel Messi and Neymar years, constructed round Kylian Mbappé and French brilliance, weren’t presupposed to be so rocky so quickly. — Marsden

2. Which is your underdog crew to succeed in the knockouts?

FC Copenhagen. They’ve by no means been previous the group stage, however they’ve carried out sufficient within the opening two video games to indicate they have an opportunity this time. They had been 2-0 up in opposition to Galatasaray in Istanbul with 4 minutes to go, and had been solely pegged again to 2-2 after taking place to 10 males; then they took the lead at house in opposition to Bayern earlier than narrowly shedding 2-1. Their destiny in Group A will likely be determined by back-to-back video games in opposition to Manchester United, and with Erik ten Hag’s crew not taking part in properly, the Danish champions might spring a shock. — Dawson

Let’s face it, no one in Group F (Newcastle, PSG, AC Milan and Dortmund), which is vast open, is an underdog. Nor are Lens, frankly. So I’ll counsel Feyenoord. I really like the truth that head coach Arne Slot determined to stay round and provides it a go after profitable the Eredivisie title, reasonably than chasing coin elsewhere like so lots of his colleagues would have carried out. They gave Atletico Madrid an actual fright away, and might do the identical to others. — Marcotti

Possibly underdog is pushing it, however Actual Sociedad had been in pot 4 within the draw so ought to technically be the worst the crew of their group. I do know the science to the pots implies that is not essentially the case however Internazionale and Benfica would nonetheless have been the 2 groups anticipated to progress. As an alternative, La Actual sit prime after two video games due to a draw in opposition to the Italians and Tuesday’s 2-0 win at FC Salzburg. Take Kubo and Brais Méndez are nice enjoyable to observe, they usually have a homegrown backbone that makes it straightforward to root for them. — Marsden

3. Which participant has exceeded expectations to this point?

Manchester United have been garbage within the Champions League however £72 million striker Rasmus Hojlund has, at the very least, been a optimistic. The 20-year-old grew to become the youngest participant to attain in his first two Champions League video games since Erling Haaland when he discovered the online in opposition to Galatasaray after opening his United account on matchday one in opposition to Bayern. His first in opposition to Galatasaray was a thumping header from Marcus Rashford’s cross, and his second was about his tempo and ending capability after racing away from the midway line. Hojlund is beneath immense strain to carry out as United’s central striker and, to this point, he is dealing with it properly. — Dawson

Am I allowed to say Newcastle defender Dan Burn? What, you need any individual extra glamorous? I had zero expectations for Icardi, however he got here up large for Galatasaray final season and it is persevering with this 12 months. Some love for Atletico striker Álvaro Morata too, please. Mendez has been actually spectacular for Actual Sociedad, and Man Metropolis’s Julián Álvarez will get higher each time I see him play. — Marcotti

It is laborious to give attention to one participant after simply two video games, however I will go together with Alvarez. He was the star in Manchester Metropolis’s win over Purple Star Belgrade after which got here off the bench to down RB Leipzig on Wednesday. He is making it unattainable for Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola to depart him out when the large video games come round. A shout out for João Félix, too, who has been good in each of Barcelona’s video games to this point, and Actual Madrid star Jude Bellingham. Even when we anticipated him to be good, we didn’t think about him having this affect so quickly, with essential objectives in wins over Union Berlin and Napoli. — Marsden

4. What wants to vary at Man Utd to hit their stride and make it out of the group?

They should defend higher. Accidents, significantly on the again, have been an issue this season, however Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are more likely to miss the remainder of the group-stage video games and supervisor Ten Hag has to discover a manner of bettering with the gamers he is acquired obtainable. One straightforward repair is to maneuver Sofyan Amrabat from a makeshift left-back into midfield to offer Casemiro some assist. Casemiro must serve a suspension after his pink card in opposition to Galatasaray, however having him alongside Amrabat as soon as the Brazilian is again will make United way more sturdy in the midst of the pitch. — Dawson

It is kinda two totally different questions as I see it, within the sense they needn’t hit their stride to get out of the group. Clearly, they should take 4 of six factors within the double-header in opposition to Copenhagen and keep away from defeat in Istanbul. Then, on matchday six, they play Bayern, who will in all probability have certified by then and should play the C-team. In order that’s eight factors they’ll get with out being significantly good. And that is likely to be sufficient.

How do they really get good? Nicely, that is a much more difficult query. I am unsure their injured guys will likely be again in time to have an effect on this group stage, Casemiro is now suspended, Antony is anybody’s guess. There’s sufficient there that Bruno Fernandes and Rashford can carry them at instances (not on a regular basis as we have seen) however there is a purpose why they’ve solely received three video games all season (I am not counting the win over Palace within the Carabao Cup). And, lest we overlook, Wolverhampton Wanderers had been robbed after outplaying them for lengthy stretches, and United they needed to come from two objectives all the way down to beat Nottingham Forest, who performed the final 23 minutes with 10 males. In the meantime, in opposition to Burnley, they had been totally outplayed and it took a second of magic from Bruno (and … anticipate it … Jonny Freaking Evans!) to get the three factors. Yeah, it is unhealthy, it is actually unhealthy. — Marcotti

As Gab factors out, the 2 should not mutually unique. United are actually in a state of affairs the place they should flip to an previous soccer cliche and take issues sport by sport. In that sense, they’ve a pleasant fixture listing. Again-to-back matches in opposition to Copenhagen, who’ve confirmed powerful opponents in opposition to Galatasaray and Bayern, give them an opportunity to revive their European hopes. Successful these fixtures would arrange an enormous sport in Turkey in opposition to Galatasaray. Past that, they should get gamers again of their pure positions (which isn’t straightforward with their listing of absentees, however Amrabat into midfield could be a begin) and construct round their finest gamers, who for the time being are Bruno and Hojlund. The latter’s goal-scoring capability might assist carry the temper across the crew, nevertheless it appears to be like bleak for the time being. — Marsden