The UEFA Champions League is back! And it returned with three 1-0 scorelines and one 2-0: Bayern beating PSG away, AC Milan comfortably holding off Tottenham Hotspur at home, Borussia Dortmund edging past Chelsea; Benfica outplaying Club Bruges away (that was the 2-0).
By The Numbers has the best stats from the mid-week European action:
2.14
Chelsea registered 2.14 expected goals (xG) on Wednesday, that's the team's most xG created without scoring in the last three years across competitions.
3
This is the first time since 2006-07 that AC Milan have kept three straight clean sheets in a UCL season. That was also the season they last won the tournament.
3
Dortmund's goal was the third goal that Chelsea have conceded from a counter-attack this season in the UCL. That's the most by any team.
4
Chelsea have scored just four goals in nine matches (all competitions) in 2023. In fact, they have not scored in more matches (five) this calendar year so far than any other Premier League club.
21
Borussia Dortmund faced 21 shots against Chelsea. That's the most they have ever faced in a UCL game (since data is available, i.e. from 2003-04) that they then went on to win.
40
This was PSG's first home loss since April 28, 2021, in their UCL semi against Manchester City. They had avoided defeat at home in 40 consecutive matches across all competitions (WLD: 33-0-7).
PSG have now lost THREE straight matches ❌
It's the first time in the Messi, Neymar and Mbappe era that this happens �� pic.twitter.com/Whd2j9Da8s
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 14, 2023
70
This is the first time in the last 15 years that PSG failed to register a shot on target in the first 70 minutes of a home UCL game. Mbappé's shot on target, PSG's first of the match, came in the 73rd minute.
2006
Warren Zaire-Emery started alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos for PSG: both of those wo veterans had made their UCL debuts BEFORE Zaire-Emery was born. In fact, and this is a properly quirky fact - Ramos faced Arsenal for Real Madrid in a round of 16 match on the day Zaire-Emery was born (March 8th, 2006).
Lionel Messi made his Champions League debut in 2004. Warren Zaïre-Emery was born in 2006.
Today, they start together against Bayern Munich.
WILD! �� pic.twitter.com/dOwnD8C6ZA
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 14, 2023
(Stats courtesy: ESPN Stats and Information Group)