The Champions League returned this week (you can catch all the action on Paramount+) and it certainly delivered with four intriguing contests that set the stage for a dramatic few weeks ahead. Benfica look to be through but two English sides find themselves in an awkward position with both Chelsea and Tottenham having returned from their travels after suffering 1-0 defeats at Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. Meanwhile the marquee tie of the round of 16 seems to have swung in Bayern Munich's direction after they earned a 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain.
Here's what we learned from the first week of European football:
Mbappe's mere presence can swing a tie
Paris Saint-Germain are gazing down from the precipice. It looks to be an almighty drop. Yet if there is a ray of light for the French champions it is the knowledge that Kylian Mbappe should be ready from the off in the second leg, where they must overturn a 1-0 deficit at Bayern Munich. Speaking on CBS Sports' House of Champions podcast (make sure you follow House of Champions to catch the full interview when it drops next week) the Arsenal and France great rather hit the nail on the head when it came to Mbappe's impact on this tie. "When he started to warm up, even then Bayern Munich started to change their tactics," said Henry. "De Ligt went on the other side, they put more pace on the other side to stop Hakimi with Alphonso Davies. The stadium started to scream his name. The team started to believe that they could. There were runs in behind, Bayern Munich started to drop. That was just because of Kylian."
In the 67 minutes before Mbappe entered the fray PSG had two shots to Bayern's 11. From then on both sides had seven each and of course there were the two goals disallowed for narrow offsides. In the build up to the first of those you saw why Mbappe inspires such terror in opposing defenders, the pace to leave speedy defenders in the dust, the technical excellence to overcome any heavy touches and force a chance out of almost nothing. There were an awful lot of cracks to be covered over in PSG's tepid performance, a midfield that lacked dynamism and a front two who existed only to be served. Mbappe very nearly overcame all that.
Henry puts it best once more. "If you go back to the structure, I'm not too sure. If you go back to how they've been playing recently, I'm not too sure. With the desire they have at the minute, I'm also not too sure. But they have Kylian."
Pioli has earned patience at AC Milan
A disastrous start to 2023 brought with it questions over the future of Stefano Pioli and it surely didn't help the AC Milan head coach that standing across from him in the San Siro dugouts was one of the men most heavily linked with his job, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte. Happily for Pioli then, his Milan players delivered a performance that ought to engender patience from Paolo Maldini and company.
Having seen his side concede 14 goals in their first five Serie A matches after the World Cup, Pioli ripped up the Scudetto-winning template, shifting his side to a back five that has tightened things up significantly. Two goals in their last games is a sign of impressive defensive strides. You are not yet going to confuse them with 2020-21 Chelsea just yet, but the shots conceded maps are looking rather more pleasant. The first image, from that disastrous return to action early in the year, is spotted with red dots of staggeringly high xG value.
Against Tottenham there are a few patches of yellow but it is nowhere near as bleak a picture.
One might simply apply the great Sir Alex Fergusonism to that second image. "Lads it's Tottenham," and certainly if any side were coming into the Champions League with as many immediate questions hanging over them as Milan it was Spurs. But Harry Kane and company are nothing if not adept at exploiting to the maximum every mistake their opponents make. Crucially the defenders in red and black did not make many and a defense with all the rigidity of a cardboard colander held on for a 1-0 win that puts them in control of the tie.
The attack needs sparking into gear, but after their early year struggles Pioli's first task was to mend the creaking chassis of this side. Milan's first knockout stage win in the Champions League for nine years was a sign the head coach has done that. He has earned the time to try again.
Chelsea's attack is improving
Amid the rubble of what may be an early exit from the last competition Chelsea can win, the first green shoots might be emerging. Graham Potter's side still cannot reliably pass football 101 -- kick ball into goal -- but they are getting closer to a passing grade. Wednesday's 1-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund saw them register 2.1 non-penalty expected goals (npxG), their joint-second highest return of the season. Only in a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb back in November did they have a higher npxG or more total shots than the 21 they took on Gregor Kobel's goal.
Joao Felix's impact has been immediate and profound; he led his side with eight progressive carries, five completed take ons (almost half of the 11 Chelsea mustered) and his six shot creating actions were only bettered by Hakim Ziyech, who seems more than comfortable in a supporting role. It all looks elegant enough but you cannot help but feel that Potter's Champions League squad -- which did not have room for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang -- is light that one player with true striker's instincts, the player who might be on hand when the ball is slaloming round the box after a corner who would be waiting for five rebounds that might never come.
Benfica are ready for bigger tests
Fundamentally there's not much that can be said when it comes to Benfica's 2-0 win over Club Brugge, a match where the Portuguese side cruised along in third gear, almost certainly doing enough to kill the tie in the first leg. It was probably always destined to go this way, Scott Parker's side were struggling enough domestically without taking on a side who had topped a group containing PSG and Juventus. Tajon Buchanan's early dart down the left flank probably did little more than put Benfica on notice that they would have to up the intensity a mite, when they did after the 20th minute this game was only ever heading in one direction.
It says everything about where these two teams are at that Scott Parker came away looking at the bright side of a resounding defeat, telling his post-match press conference: "Naturally a 2-0 defeat isn't something you can be happy with, but I have seen a lot of positives in this game, especially the first 20 minutes. We showed bravery with the ball. After five weeks of coaching them, I'm finally seeing what I was looking for. Little mistakes lost us this game tonight."
For Benfica, the question is how much of their impressive performance is applicable against Europe's best. Alejandro Grimaldo, Chiquinho and the excellent Fredrik Aursnes combined neatly on the left flank whilst David Neres and Goncalo Guedes brought punch of the bench. This looks like a top tier side but one who needs to be tested against the Champions League's most formidable sides.
Barcelona and Manchester United are ready for the big time
A final, brief word on perhaps the most exhilarating match of the first week back in Europe, Barcelona's breathless 2-2 draw with Manchester United. This was everything one could wish from a European tie, a battle that ebbed and flowed with substitutions (both those made willingly and, in the case of Pedri's exit, reluctantly) turning the tide as some of Europe's finest players seized the moment. Raphinha reminded the watching public why so many top clubs were battling for his signature in the summer but really this was Marcus Rashford's night, a devastating display of individual authority by perhaps the game's most in-form forward.
When Rashford took hold of this game he seemed bound to guide United to the win and yet the Red Devils ended this match clinging on to a draw that, with two away goals in the bank, makes them favorites for next week's second leg. It cannot come soon enough.
