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The start of each UEFA Champions League season restores the true rhythm of a European campaign, as the continent’s best teams compete against each other and face new litmus tests as they seek to answer one question: does their ambition match the ability to perform? away from their goals?
But for Matchday 1 in particular, the teams are tasked with answering a more specific question: is the small number of domestic matches they played in the run-up to their European campaign indicative of their true selves? The good news after three busy days of play is that the results are inconclusive. Some, like AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic, proved they were moving in the right direction. For a handful of top European teams, however, things were quite complicated, with the much-hyped Manchester City and Arsenal hitting a number of stumbling blocks, raising a new set of questions along the way.
As we learn more about Europe’s top teams, here’s a first set of Champions League questions ahead of a long season.
Can Man City be stopped?
The answer could easily be yes. City had everything it took for a routine victory, but despite playing in the first-choice for the first time this season, scoring 22 shots and registering 2.35 expected goals, they emerged with a 0-0 draw against Inter on Wednesday . City looked off balance as their 18-match scoring run in Europe came to an end. Not only did they fail on a few clear chances, but they also lacked cohesion in most areas of the pitch. Pep Guardiola’s side also benefited from some poorly taken but meaningful shots from Inter, which overall produced a mixed bag that is unusual for the team that started the week as the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the whole thing. However, in answering one question, City has set up a Russian doll with other questions: Is this performance a one-off, or is this the first sign that the big city is running out of gas? Furthermore, will Kevin de Bruyne’s absence hurt like it did this time last season?
Is Christian Pulisic the real deal?
That could just be him. For nearly a decade, U.S. men’s national team star Pulisic has faced some tough and sometimes unfair expectations, but charting a career at Europe’s top clubs in a way that few American men have is no small feat. However, the past year and change may have proven a simple hypothesis true: all Pulisic needed was steady playing time. He may have exceeded expectations with his 16-goal, 10-assist season for AC Milan last season, but with three goals and two assists in the first five games of this season, there’s plenty to suggest that Pulisic is the player many want. hoped he would be. Of course, the onus is still on him to keep it going, but it’s hard to ignore his value as he becomes the most reliable player for club and country (especially as he leaves one team in poor form for another) .
How effective is Arsenal without Martin Odegaard?
The jury is still out, but the answer may not be pleasant. Mikel Arteta is building a defensive force at Arsenal, but that doesn’t mean they are known for struggling for goals. Last season they scored 91 goals in the Premier League, second only to Manchester City’s 96. It’s also not uncommon for them to play tight. games against the best teams, as last spring’s 0-0 draw against City is proof of this. However, this was a match that should have been in the first category, but the Gunners managed just six shots and 0.79 expected goals at Atalanta on Thursday without the injured Martin Odegaard in the line-up. Things didn’t actually get much better in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, despite Arsenal’s victory lap in the North London derby. The Gunners were limited to just seven shots and 0.74 expected goals after scoring five goals in two games against their rivals last season. The good news for Arteta is that he has enough attacking talent in the squad to make up for the loss of Odegaard to some extent, but an attacking lull without a captain in the line-up feels like a real problem for Arsenal, especially ahead of a match against Manchester. City this weekend.
Do we know who the best team in Europe is?
Not yet. In theory it’s a stupid question to ask after Matchday 1, but before a ball was kicked it felt like a foregone conclusion that Manchester City or Real Madrid could win the whole thing. That feels like less certainty now that the first round is in the books, especially because the progress reports are ubiquitous for Europe’s top teams. Real Madrid won, but still feels like a very unbalanced team. City, as documented above, finally showed signs of weakness and Arsenal were equally uninspiring in a goalless draw. The jury is still out on Barcelona after Eric Garcia’s red card in the tenth minute played a major role in their loss to Monaco. Bayern Munich won, but a 9-2 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb offers little insight and the same could be said for Liverpool after their 3-1 win over a poor AC Milan team. It could be a sign that this trophy is still up for grabs for Real Madrid, as they were equally unimpressive last season and it didn’t matter much in the end. The optimistic take on Matchday 1, however, is that no clear favorite has yet emerged in the Champions League, adding a layer of unpredictability that makes every competitor better.