Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made a superb double save to secure an away point in their opening Champions League fixture at Atalanta, while 10-man Barcelona were off to a shaky start with defeat by Monaco.
The Gunners found their opening match sandwiched between the North London derby, where they beat Tottenham last weekend, and a visit to Manchester City on Monday (AEST). City also seemed to have one eye on that Premier League blockbuster when they drew their opening match of this year’s UCL a day earlier against Inter Milan.
Much like in the 1-0 win over Spurs, Arsenal were defensive and restrained, and it took some brilliance from their keeper Raya to keep the final score to 0-0.
After Thomas Partey was ruled to have brought down Ederson in the second half, Raya spoke to the team’s goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana during a lengthy VAR delay to determine if the foul was in or outside the box.
Raya returned and dived low to keep out Mateo Retegui’s penalty and the striker had a perfect chance to make amends. His header was on target but Raya sprung up and kept it from going over the line.
“It’s just a penalty, I was lucky to go the right way,” Raya told TNT Sports.
“I was unlucky to give the rebound straight to him but I was lucky to get up and save it. It’s great to keep the clean sheet and help the team get a point.
“The decision to go to the sideline was because it was a long time to decide if it was a pen or not.
“I went to the goalkeeper coach and asked where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to do. He helps me with everything and helped me make the save.”
They were the only two saves required from Raya while Arsenal had just two on target and no shots between the 18th and 75th minute when the out-of-form Gabriel Martinelli spurned their best chance by firing well over the bar.
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“Atalanta can be very proud of their efforts and they should have won the game,”said former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Bosnich on Stan Sport.
“They know that. Only a fantastic double save by David Raya prevented it.
“It was a little bit of a head-scratcher, yes, for me, from the Arsenal perspective.”
Bozza said he understood if Arsenal had an eye on the big clash against City at the Etihad, and that they are having to play without their injured chief creative player Martin Odegaard.
“I still think it’s a very risky policy for them. I understand that they want to add another arrow to their bag, so to speak, being able to play in a defensive way.
“But if you get stuck in that mode… I think it’s actually more risky to be stuck in that defensive mode than it is to play what their natural game is.
“I think it’s an admission that without Odegaard they’re not the same team.
“They know that keeping clean sheets at the moment, they’ve got four out of five thus far, has been their forte. But it’s very dangerous.
“I’ve been in the team before when you’ve got into that mode, thinking that you can basically win something by always just keeping clean sheets. The game is about goals. And for me, tonight, they did not look like scoring at all.”
Atalanta, last season’s Europa League champions, have struggled so far this season, winning two Serie A games, but also losing to Torino and flattened 4-0 by Inter at San Siro.
“Of course there are regrets, a penalty is always a big opportunity and going 1-0 up at that moment would’ve been important,” their manager Gian Piero Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
“However, we should be happy with the performance, which was of a high level to match our opponents. Seeing the rebound, it was an exceptional save, but also the header was too close to him. It’s a pity, as that was perhaps the best performance Retegui had since he’s been here and he worked so hard tonight, he deserved a goal.
“I admire Arsenal a great deal and tonight they didn’t do a lot in attack, but confirmed they are solid and difficult to break down.”
Barcelona beaten, Leverkusen romp
Two of the world’s most exciting young players shone on club football’s biggest stage with mixed fortunes.
Teenager Lamine Yamal’s goal couldn’t prevent 10-man Barcelona from falling to a 2-1 defeat at Monaco at the Stade Louis II, ending the Spanish club’s perfect start to the season.
At De Kuip, it took Florian Wirtz less than five minutes to score his first Champions League goal on his debut in Europe’s elite club competition.
Wirtz also netted another as Bayer Leverkusen romped to a 4-0 win at hosts Feyenoord.
Leverkusen lost in the Europa League final in May, their only defeat in a remarkable season that saw them win the Bundesliga and German Cup.
Atlético Madrid beat Leipzig 2-1 and Benfica topped Red Star Belgrade 2-1, while Brest’s first-ever appearance in European competition ended in a 2-1 win over Sturm Graz.
It was the third evening of the new Champions League format which replaces the traditional group stage.
Now, 36 teams each play eight different opponents through January and are ranked in a single league table to decide which teams advance to the knockout phase.
Wirtz have had a great start to the season, with three goals in as many Bundesliga games.
And the 21-year-old continued that streak on Thursday in Rotterdam. Robert Andrich intercepted a poor Feyenoord pass and slipped the ball through to Wirtz, who surged forward before firing into the bottom right corner.
Leverkusen doubled their lead on the half-hour mark as Victor Boniface’s clever pass from the edge of the penalty area released Jeremie Frimpong on the right and his cross was slotted in by Alejandro Grimaldo at the far post.
Another Frimpong cross was volleyed in by Wirtz six minutes later.
Leverkusen hardly needed any help but were given it on the stroke of half-time when a howler by Feyenoord’s German goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther saw him turn the ball over the line following Edmond Tapsoba’s header.
New Benfica coach Bruno Lage made it two wins out of two thanks to goals from Turkey internationals Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Orkun Kökçü.
(With agencies)
Tony Harperhttps://https://ift.tt/KLJ3y8D double save secures point as ‘very risky’ Arsenal struggle, 10-man Barca beaten, Leverkusen go boom
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