How time flies. There’s now just one match day remaining in the first round of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League after an action-packed Wednesday that provided no shortage of drama.
Here are the biggest takeaways.
Ricardo Pepi’s winner for PSV ousts Sevilla
In his first season with the top team in the Netherlands, Ricadro Pepi has found playing time hard to come by with club legend and former Barcelona striker Luuk de Jong the preferred choice in front for PSV Eindhoven coach Peter Bosz. But on Wednesday, in a crucial game for both teams, Pepi — the 20-year-old U.S. national team forward — scored the biggest goal of his young career.
It was a massive strike for PSV, too. The visitors were down 2-0 in a game Sevilla had to win to ensure that they would have a chance of progressing to the knockout stage with a win in the group finale next month. With the hosts in total control, a second yellow card to Lucas Ocampos changed everything over the final 25 minutes. With PSV up a man, Pepi’s USMNT teammate Sergiño Dest began the comeback with a gorgeous assist for Ismael Saibari, whose finish was even better. An own goal leveled it before Pepi, who only entered the match in the 82nd minute, nodded home the winner in second half stoppage time:
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PSV can punch its ticket to the knockout stage with just a tie at home next month against Arsenal, which smashed French outfit Lens later on Wednesday. As for Pepi, his timely strike can only boost his chances of more minutes not just under Bosz, but especially U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. Berhalter has preferred Folarin Balogun to Pepi since returning to the American sideline in September. Pepi has outscored Balogun off the bench anyway, and his goal on Wednesday, on the biggest stage in club soccer, is exactly what he needed to prompt Berhalter to reconsider heading into a hugely important 2024 for the national team.
Manchester United in trouble after latest Onana nightmare
Few around the Red Devils’ camp had any illusions about how difficult Wednesday’s match in Turkey against Galatasaray would be. The trip to Istanbul is among the most daunting in the global game. Jumping out to a 2-0 lead — on goals by Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes — before the 20-minute mark was a godsend for a team that needed to win to control its own destiny heading into its sixth and final match next month.
And then they threw it all away. Goalkeeper Andre Onana’s nightmare first season with the English titans continued, with Onana arguably at fault for all three goals in the 3-3 tie. Man United even restored a two-goal cushion through Scott McTominay after Hakim Ziyech made it 2-1, but in the end the guests were forced to settle for just one point. Onana has now conceded 14 goals in the group stage, the most of any keeper the competition this season. And United now needs to beat already-qualified Bayern Munich in its Dec. 12 finale to have any chance of progressing to the next round.
Bayern Munich is perfect no more
Thomas Tuchel’s side was one of just three teams, along with defending champs Manchester City and 2022 winners Real Madrid, still perfect heading into the penultimate round of games.
And Bayern seemed set to improve its record to 5-0 on Wednesday when Stéphanie Frappart pointed to the penalty spot late in a scoreless match against FC Copenhagen in the frigid Danish capital. But Frappart reversed the handball call after her VAR suggested a second look, much to Tuchel’s and his players’ chagrin:
No matter. While the draw means City and Real now stand unbeaten and untied alone, Bayern has already clinched top spot in Group A and remains among the favorites to win it all next spring. They’ll also have the chance to make up for Wednesday’s disappointment next month in England, where Tuchel’s squad will have an opportunity to knock old enemy Manchester United out of the tournament two months before the knockout stage even begins.
Arsenal qualify for the knockout stage
In its first Champions League campaign in six years, the Gunners look like legitimate title contenders. On Wednesday, they routed French side Lens 6-0, with five of the goals coming in the first half.
The competition level will increase mightily for Arsenal when the do-or-die two-leg series begin in 2024. That’s a given. Much obviously will depend on the second round draw. But based on all the evidence we’ve seen over the season’s first few months, there’s no reason to think Mikel Arteta’s team won’t be up for the challenge.
Real Madrid’s late show dispatches Napoli
Not for the first time this season, it looked as though record 14-time champs Real would drop points at home late in a match. But just as Los Blancos did early in the group stage against Union Berlin, Carlo Ancelotti’s men never looked fazed, patiently and methodically waiting for the breakthrough to take all three points Wednesday from Italian Scudetto holders Napoli.
The Neopolitans edged ahead after just eight minutes. And after falling behind 2-1 on goals by Rodrigo and Jude Bellingham, they made it interesting when André-Frank Zambo Anguissa made it 2-2 early in the second half.
As the clock ticked toward full time, nobody inside Estadio Bernabeu was surprised by what happened next: late goals by Nico Paz and Joselu that gave the hosts a 4-2 victory and 15 points in all — more than twice as many as their second-place guests.
That stat is downright scary. And it makes you wonder if anyone can stop Real Madrid when the business-end of the tourney kicks off early next year.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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