Another round of Champions League action saw Inter take victory over Benfica, Napoli fall to Real Madrid, Lazio edge out a win over Celtic and Milan disappoint in a draw with Borussia Dortmund.
The results of the second round of games have changed the makeup of the group tables – Napoli sit tied second behind Real Madrid in Group C, Inter tied first with Real Sociedad in Group D, Lazio tied first with Atletico Madrid in Group E and Milan stuck in third in Group F.
After another pair of European evenings, what have we learnt about the four Italian protagonists?
Inter 1-0 Benfica: Unreflected dominance
Inter have been in hot form in the early stages of the new season and their carried this momentum into their clash with Benfica, putting on a display at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The scoreline does not reflect what was seen on the pitch, something that could’ve left Simone Inzaghi’s side with regrets, but the evening will keep up the team’s confidence as they look to start taking a lead in the title race.
The Nerazzurri’s only goal came from Marcus Thuram, who comfortably placed his shot at the near post after a cutback pass from Denzel Dumfries. They should’ve won by a much larger margin, considering that they produced an expected goals of 3.81 from their 21 shots.
Their player of the night was easily Nicolo Barella, who continued to show why he’s the beating heart of the Inter midfield. The Italian produced eight shot-creating actions, completed 42 passes and made six tackles, being all over the pitch.
Napoli 2-3 Real Madrid: On the cusp
An inconsistent Napoli finally started to resemble last season’s Scudetto winners in their clash with European royalty, but it wasn’t enough on the night as Real Madrid left the Campania capital 3-2 winners.
An opening header from Leo Ostigard was nullified by a Vinicius Junior strike, before Jude Bellingham’s impressive run allowed him to put Los Blancos 2-1 up. Piotr Zielinski netted a penalty to draw things level, but an incredible long-range shot from Federico Valverde ricocheted off the crossbar into the back of Alex Meret, nestling in the back of the net late in the game.
It was a balanced and positive match for Napoli, despite the result, with their performance showing why they can still be a danger in the title race this season, regardless of their fairly wobbly start under Rudi Garcia.
Despite not being on the scoresheet, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia impressed against Real Madrid, creating seven shots, completing seven progressive carries and winning four take-ons, being a key threat on the left.
Celtic 1-2 Lazio: Last-minute flight once again
Lazio’s Champions League campaign started in fairly magical fashion – a last-minute header from goalkeeper Ivan Provedel secured a point against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, giving the fans something to smile about after their miserable start to the season in Serie A.
Maurizio Sarri’s side continued their love of late drama again in their trip to Scotland. A darting run and professional shot from Kyogo Furuhashi put Celtic ahead after 12 minutes, but Matias Vecino tied things up after bundling home a header in the 29th minute. In the dying seconds, a lofted cross from Mateo Guendouzi was met by a leaping Pedro, who guided the ball past Joe Hart to make it 2-1.
Lazio will now be desperate to carry this European momentum into their domestic fixtures, starting with their weekend clash against Atalanta. Sarri’s side sit a pitiful 16th in the league table, making every match in the coming months key as they look to stay involved in the race for a top four finish.
The Biancocelesti’s man of the evening was boyhood fan Alessio Romagnoli, who played a key role both in build-up and defensive play. The Italian centre back completed 58 passes, won two tackles and took 72 touches, being an active part of their victory in Scotland.
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Milan: Another false start
Milan cut a frustrating figure in their Champions League opener against Newcastle United, failing to find the back of the net despite their on-pitch control, and they were again disappointing in their trip to Dortmund, leaving with just a single point.
It was a fairly balanced match at the Westfalenstadion but Milan came the closer of the two to breaking the deadlock, with close chances coming from Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze.
The result, along with Newcastle’s dominant win over Paris Saint-Germain, leave them in a dangerous third in Group F, piling on the pressure ahead of their trip to the French capital later this month.
Theo Hernandez stood out in Milan’s draw, being a dangerous figure on the left who afforded star winger Rafael Leao the freedom to burst forward. The Frenchman completed 53 passes, made five progressive carries and took three shots, using his dynamism to pose a threat to Dortmund.