Sports
Game week 7: Champions League highlights and round-up
On Wednesday, 22 January 2025, during Gameweek 7, more woes clouded Manchester City’s Champions League hopes.
Paris Saint-Germain clambered back from 2-0 down to defeat Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Santiago Giménez struck twice to help Feyenoord see off Bayern München.
Paris staged a stirring second-half comeback to beat Manchester City, Santiago Giménez was Feyenoord’s hero against Bayern München and there were also wins for Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Celtic as Matchday 7 concluded in dramatic fashion.
Shakhtar 2-0 Brest
A cool finish from Kevin and Georgiy Sudakov’s cheeky penalty enabled Shakhtar to claim their second win of the league phase.
The Pitmen dominated proceedings early on and got the breakthrough 18 minutes in when Kevin kept his calm to beat the advancing Marco Bizot following a swift Shakhtar break.
Marino Pušić’s side doubled their lead with half-time approaching when Sudakov chipped a stylish spot kick down the middle, with Bizot committed to diving low to his right after the goalkeeper had impeded Irakli Aza
rov.
Player of the Match: Georgiy Sudakov (Shakhtar)
Leipzig 2-1 Sporting CP
Substitute Yussuf Poulsen’s close-range finish gave Leipzig their first points of the campaign.
Benjamin Šeško slid the hosts ahead from David Raum’s inviting 19th-minute cross, but Viktor Gyökeres came off the bench to fire in a typically clinical sixth goal of his first seven Champions League appearances, leveling with 15 minutes remaining.
Poulsen pounced from Christoph Baumgartner’s delivery three minutes later for the German side, who were already eliminated. The Lions remain on ten points.
Player of the Match: Benjamin Šeško (Leipzig)
Milan 1-0 Girona
A piece of Rafael Leão brilliance sealed a fifth successive league phase victory for the Rossoneri.
The Portuguese international powered an emphatic finish into the roof of the net with 37 minutes gone after turning Girona captain David López inside and out following Ismaël Bennacer’s incisive through ball.
Having also struck the woodwork twice in the space of five minutes just before the half-hour via Theo Hernández and Yunus Musah, Milan then held on for their first clean sheet of the campaign thanks to Mike Maignan’s save to deny Yangel Herrera on the stroke of half-time.
Player of the Match: Rafael Leão (Milan)
Lautaro Martínez’s expertly taken winner took Inter to 16 points as they sealed their fourth 1-0 victory of the campaign.
The three-time champions looked assured for long periods at Stadion Letná and went ahead through Martínez’s 12th-minute volley from an acute angle, but Yann Sommer made fine reaction saves in either half from Sparta winger Veljko Birmanče.
At the other end, home goalkeeper Peter Vindahl turned substitute Davide Frattesi’s long-range effort behind, but defeat means the reigning Czech champions remain on four poi
nts.
Player of the Match: Lautaro Martínez (Inter)
Arsenal 3-0 GNK Dinamo
The Gunners earned their third consecutive win of the league phase with a domineering display in north London.
Declan Rice’s sweet half-volley handed the hosts a second-minute lead, the England international sweeping in after some electric Gabriel Martinelli wing play and a deft Kai Havertz set-up.
Though Arsenal continued to dominate possession, resolute Dinamo defending frustrated them until midway through the second half, when another precise Martinelli delivery was headed in by Havertz.
Captain Martin Ødegaard then added a third in added time to seal the victory.
Player of the Match:Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Celtic 1-0 Young Boys
Celtic ground out a hard-fought 1-0 victory courtesy of Loris Benito’s late own goal.
Before that, Swiss champions Young Boys seemed destined to get off the mark in the league phase, thanks to a gutsy display.
Marvin Keller brilliantly saved Arne Engels’ first-half penalty.
The only goal of the game came in fortuitous circumstances. Keller denied Adam Idah, but Benito bundled the ball into his own net.
Brendan Rodgers’ side ended the match with ten men after Daizen Maeda was sent off late on.
Player of the Match: Marvin Keller (Young Boys)
Feyenoord 3-0 Bayern München
Feyenoord stunned Bayern on a famous night in Rotterdam to overhaul the six-time European champions in the standings. Gijs Smal’s diagonal pass beat Minjae Kim on 21 minutes, allowing Giménez to race through and lash high past Manuel Neuer.
The hosts then broke the length of the pitch from a Bayern corner to win a penalty seconds before half-time.
Substitute Raphaël Guerreiro fouled Calvin Stengs, and Giménez finished confidently from the spot.
After the break, Justin Bijlow saved well from both Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala.
Ayase Ueda then slotted in the third, and Bayern’s Sven Ulreich was dismissed late on.
Player of the Match: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord)
Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Manchester City
All the key moments came in a frantic second half as Manchester City gave up a two-goal lead to a clinical Paris side. Jack Grealish lashed in the opener, Erling Haaland added a quick second to put the visitors in control—albeit briefly.
The hosts responded well. First, Ousmane Dembélé swept in from Bradley Barcola’s cutback.
Then, Barcola himself made it 2-2 after Désiré Doué hit the bar.
Dembélé struck the woodwork too, with João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos winning it for Paris late on.
Player of the Match: João Neves (Paris)
Real Madrid 5-1 Salzburg
Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior both scored twice as the defending champions put on a memorable attacking display in Madrid.
Jude Bellingham assisted two first-half goals for Rodrygo, the first a close-range strike, the second a curling effort from distance.
Kylian Mbappé seized a loose ball and deftly slotted it into an empty net shortly after the interval.
Vinícius Júnior weaved through the Salzburg defense, scoring a superb individual goal before adding his second from Federico Valverde’s lay-off.
Mads Bidstrup volleyed a late consolation for Salzburg.
Player of the Match: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook
Continue Reading
