The group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2021/22 started with great matches. Bayern and defending champions Chelsea are among the teams to score three points. Villarreal and Sevilla tied their respective matches at home.
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Group E
Barcelona – Bayern 0-3
A resounding victory for Bayern at the Camp Nou. The Germans were far superior to Barcelona, taking all three points thanks to a goal from Thomas Müller and two from Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker of the Bavarian team has scored in all of his team’s official matches this season. Müller (49 goals) has surpassed Zlatan Ibrahimović and Andriy Shevchenko on the competition’s top scorers list.
Dynamo Kyiv 0-0 Benfica
The visitors had to settle for a goalless draw despite having dominated for a long time. Local goalkeeper Denys Boyko thwarted Roman Yaremchuk, Alejandro Grimaldo and Rafa Silva as the Portuguese pressed for the winning goal, but it was Dynamo who came close to taking all three points on the last gasp. Mykola Shaparenko’s volley in the 93rd minute caused the madness, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
29/09: Benfica – Barcelona, Bayern – Dynamo Kiev
Group F
Young Boys – Man. United 2-1
It looked like it was going to be Ronaldo’s welcome party to the Champions League with United, but the Young Boys slipped in and spoiled the English celebration. The Portuguese ahead of his team with his 135th goal in the Champions League, but the Swiss came back in the second half. Ronaldo (177) equaled Iker Casillas’ record for matches in the competition.
Villarreal – Atalanta 2-2
A sensational stop by Juan Musso in the final minutes prevented Villarreal, with ten men, from taking the victory. Atalanta started well and Remo Freuler put the Italians ahead, but Manu Trigueros equalized. Substitute Arnaud Groeneveld put the hosts ahead, but Robin Gosens re-established equality. Villarreal saw Francis Coquelin expelled, but he was about to win in the end, only Musso prevented Gerard Moreno from scoring.
29/09: Atalanta – Young Boys, Man. United – Villarreal
Group G
Seville 1-1 Salzburg
Crazy match at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. In the first half there were four penalties: three in favor of the visitors, and one for Sevilla. The Austrians only transformed one, and Ivan Rakitić leveled, also from eleven meters, before the break. In the first bars of the second half, En-Nesyri saw the red, making it difficult for his team to come back.
Key fact: first time in the Champions League that four penalties have been awarded in the same game.
Lille – Wolfsburg 0-0
The French team was held back by Wolfsburg in a very close match. Burak Yılmaz and Jonathan David came close to beating Koen Casteels, but the Belgian goalkeeper, as well as the visiting defense, held out even after John Brooks was sent off in the 63rd minute. Lille did not win a group stage match of the Champions League since November 2012.
09/29: Wolfsburg – Sevilla, Salzburg – LOSC
Group H
Chelsea – Zenit 1-0
Romelu Lukaku inaugurated his Champions League account for the Blues, who got off to a good start in their title defense. The Belgian international scored a header in the second half and has already scored three goals in two home appearances since rejoining the team. Lukaku (three goals) is now Chelsea’s top scorer in Stamford Bridge matches under Thomas Tuchel.
Malmö – Juventus 0-3
The Italian team sentenced the match in the first half, and went into the break with a 0-3 thanks to goals from Alex Sandro, Paulo Dybala (from a penalty) and Álvaro Morata. There were no goals in the second half. Malmö failed to win for the first time in five home games in European competition this season.
29/09: Zenit – Malmö, Juventus – Chelsea
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