Dortmund, Brest lead as Arsenal, PSG, Madrid struggle in UCL
As the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League continues to unfold, Match Day 2 brought a flurry of action across Europe, with fixtures played on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This season marks a significant shift in format, introducing a league phase that sets the stage for an exhilarating competition.
With clubs vying for top positions and a place in the knockout stages, fans witnessed thrilling matches that highlighted the intensity and unpredictability of European football.
Traditional giants, Bayern and Real Madrid both suffered 1-0 defeat away on Wednesday night to Aston Villa and Lille.
Similarly, AC Milan has yet to register a single point in the two matches played so far.
Girona and Liepzig also suffer a similar fate.
After two matchdays, teams are beginning to establish their worth, with some clubs shining brightly while others struggle to find their rhythm.
Matches on both days saw teams fighting hard to collect crucial points, with Borussia Dortmund and Brest continuing their unbeaten streaks, leading the pack.
Dortmund, Brest lead charge
Borussia Dortmund has emerged as one of the early contenders, sitting at the top of the standings after an emphatic display across two matches.
With a commanding 6 points and a remarkable +9 goal difference, they have outperformed their opponents and now sit in pole position, looking comfortable for the Round of 16.
Following closely are Brest, who have also accumulated 6 points and a +5 goal difference.
Brest’s unbeaten run is particularly notable as they join the league’s elites with strong attacking prowess.
Benfica, Leverkusen, Liverpool keep pace
Benfica, Leverkusen, and Liverpool have all started strong, each securing 6 points from their opening matches. Benfica’s strong defence gives them a +5 goal difference, while Leverkusen and Liverpool have shown resilience with +5 and +4 goal differences, respectively.
These three teams have kept pace with the leaders and remain within striking distance of securing top spots for the next phase.
Villa, Juve, City stay in hunt
Aston Villa and Juventus are also in the top seven, and they are tied on 6 points.
Villa and City both boast a +4 goal and +3 goal difference respectively, while Man City is just behind with four points, and maintains a +4 goal difference.
These teams have demonstrated strong performances but will need to keep their momentum going in the coming weeks to secure direct qualification to the Round of 16.
Knockout phase play-off positions
The race for the knockout phase play-off spots is intensifying. Clubs like Inter Milan (4 points, +4 GD) and Sparta Praha (4 points, +3 GD) have put themselves in good positions to secure a play-off berth.
Defending Europa League winner, Atalanta have 4 points with +3 GD.
Portuguese club, Sporting CP have 4 points with +2 GD.
Arsenal, after a shaky start, have managed to pull together 4 points with a balanced 2 goal difference, indicating there’s still much to play for.
On the other Monaco is 14th on the table with four points and +1 GD.
Notably, teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who many expected to be higher up the standings, currently sit mid-table with just 3 points and minimal positive goal differences. Bayern have +6 GD while Barca have + 4 GD.
Struggling Giants: Real Madrid, PSG, Milan
The traditional European heavyweights are having a slow start.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), are sitting on 3 points each, with goal differences of +1 and – 1 respectively.
PSG, in particular, will be concerned about their form after a lacklustre opening two rounds.
Lille (-1), Celtic (-2), Club Brugge (-2), Feyenoord (-3), and Athletic (-3), are also all on three points.
PSV and Stuttgart share the dangling 24th position with 1 point and (-2 GD) each.
Teams in danger of elimination
The competition is proving unforgiving for several teams, with Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava anchored to the bottom. Both sides have struggled, accumulating 0 points and a -8 goal difference each.
Teams like Salzburg (0 points, -7 GD) and Sturm Graz (0 points, -2 GD) are also in precarious positions and will need significant improvements in the remaining fixtures to stay in contention.
Bologna (-2), Shakhtar (-3) and GNK Dinamo (-7) all have one point each.
Liepzig, Girona, AC Milan, Crvena Zvezda all have 0 points
Full Table breakdown after Match Day 2
Automatic qualification spots:
Borussia Dortmund: 6 points, +9 GD (1st)
Brest: 6 points, +5 GD (2nd)
Benfica: 6 points, +5 GD (3rd)
Leverkusen: 6 points, +5 GD (4th)
Liverpool: 6 points, +4 GD (5th)
Aston Villa: 6 points, +4 GD (6th)
Juventus: 6 points, +3 GD (7th)
Manchester City: 4 points, +4 GD (8th)
Knockout phase play-off places:
Inter: 4 points, +4 GD (9th)
Sparta Praha: 4 points, +3 GD (10th)
Atalanta: 4 points, +3 GD (11th)
Sporting CP: 4 points, +2 GD (12th)
Arsenal: 4 points, +2 GD (13th)
Monaco: 4 points, +1 GD (14th)
Bayern München: 3 points, +6 GD (15th)
Barcelona: 3 points, +4 GD (16th)
Real Madrid: 3 points, +1 GD (17th)
Lille: 3 points, – 1 GD (18th)
Paris Saint-Germain: 3 points, -1 GD (18th)
Celtic: 3 points, -2 GD (20th)
Club Brugge: 3 points, -2 GD (21st)
Feyenoord: 3 points, -3 GD (22nd)
Atleti: 3 points, -3 GD (23rd)
PSV: 1 point, -2 GD (24th)
Elimination places:
Stuttgart: 1 point, -2 GD (24th)
Bologna: 1 point, -2 GD (26th)
Shakhtar Donetsk: 1 point, -3 GD (27th)
GNK Dinamo: 1 point, -7 GD (28th)
Leipzig: 0 points, -2 GD (29th)
Girona: 0 points, -2 GD (30th)
Sturm Graz: 0 points, -2 GD (31st)
Milan: 0 points, -3 GD (32nd)
Crvena Zvezda: 0 points, -5 GD (33rd)
Salzburg: 0 points, -7 GD (34th)
Slovan Bratislava: 0 points, -8 GD (35th)
Young Boys: 0 points, -8 GD (36th)
Looking ahead
As we move into the next round of fixtures, teams like Dortmund and Brest will be looking to maintain their perfect start, while struggling giants like Real Madrid and PSG will need to rediscover their form quickly.
With many teams tightly packed in the middle of the table, every point will be crucial as the race to the knockout stages heats up.
