It is little over four months since Real Madrid were crowned champions of Europe in style.
A night when Los Blancos clinched a 14th European Cup/Champions League and my word they did it the hard way.
Now they are on the verge of qualifying for this season’s last 16 after again showing their character.
Against Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw – where they are hosting their Group F matches due to the situation in Ukraine – defender Antonio Rudiger headed in Toni Kroos’ long ball in the fifth minute of injury time to rescue a 1-1 draw against the spirited hosts.
The honour of being the first club to progress goes to English champions Manchester City, whose draw at FC Copenhagen (despite playing nearly an hour with 10 men), coupled with Borussia Dortmund’s draw with Sevilla, sealed their place.
While City were displaying character and Madrid were securing a last-gasp leveller in Poland, the side they played in some epic encounters not so long ago – including the 2017 final – are on the verge of elimination.
That’s after Maccabi Haifa produced one of the best results in their history and some notable Champions League 2022 highlights in front of their own fans to leave Max Allegri under further pressure and the ‘Old Lady’ of Turin somewhat embarrassed.
This was the Israeli club’s first Champions League group-stage victory since a 3-0 triumph over Manchester United in October 2002.
However, unlike on that occasion which was a ‘dead rubber’ with already qualified United resting key players, this was a match which was potentially key in Group H.
Omer Atzili scored two first-half goals, his first after only seven minutes when Pierre Cornud’s cross bounced off Atzili’s back and crept in.
The second saw Atzili fire a shot into the top corner after a bright run and pass by team-mate Frantzdy Pierrot.
What it means is that Juve remain on three points from four matches after they had beaten the same opponents 3-1 at the Allianz Stadium last week.
Allegri’s team now have to win at Benfica on October 25 and at home to Paris St-Germain on November 2 to have any chance of making the last 16.
That group is topped by PSG who were held at home by Benfica.
That was not the main talking point, however.
That came hours before kick-off when it emerged that star man Kylian Mbappe is unhappy in the French capital and wants to leave in January, although the club has no intention of selling the forward after he signed a new three-year contract in May.
Mbappe had been expected to leave for Real Madrid in the summer but stunned the Spanish club by committing his future to the team he joined from Monaco in 2017.
It’s suggested he has not been impressed by his club’s work in the summer transfer market and is also upset after being asked to play almost every game this season as a No 9 rather than in his preferred position off the left.
Having said all of that, he has maintained his hot streak and that continued against the Portuguese with a 39th-minute penalty which was his 12th goal in 13 outings this term.
The SBOTOP Champions League 2022 betting odds make PSG one of the favourites for this tournament but, despite being runaway favourites in Ligue 1, the Parisians’ outlay means they will be judged in Europe and Mbappe holds their best chance of success – even if they have the genius of Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar.
The final word of the night goes to Chelsea.
A week ago they put injury-hit Milan to the sword at Stamford Bridge.
Now here was another example of the difference between the two clubs.
For so long, Milan were the best, most attractive team in Europe and then, when new money arrived in the game, Chelsea became a destination that was as attractive for many of those who had previously plied their trade in Europe’s top clubs – the most notable move for me saw Marcel Desailly turn out for the Blues just four years after being imperious in Milan’s 1994 Champions League triumph.
Fast forward to 2022 and Milan have just won a home Champions League match for the first time in nine years and the Rossoneri now tend to sign players who are deemed surplus to requirements in the capital rather than the other way around.
The gulf was clear again once Mason Mount bustled his way into the Milan box and was tugged by former team-mate Fikayo Tomori.
Mount stayed on his feet and, while a penalty was perhaps the right call, it seemed extremely harsh that Tomori was shown a straight red card.
He and Milan were livid, Italian international Jorginho calmly rolled the spot-kick into the bottom left, and the Italian champions’ game was up.
That was clear before the break when Mateo Kovacic teamed up with Mount whose first-time ball was intended for Raheem Sterling only for the England man to leave the ball for Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who emphatically sidefooted home the second.
In that moment, Chelsea were back in control of Group E and the 2021 champions of Europe are recovering from a far from convincing start.
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