Saka second only to Salah: 8 things you might have missed from Champions League GW6

Another round of Champions League action is complete, with the league phase nearing its conclusion. 

Whether it’s Liverpool running riot at the top or Man City and PSG desperately struggling to even reach the knockout rounds, this new format has certainly given us plenty to digest. So, what about this week? What were the biggest stats and stories you might have missed?

Alisson equals Pepe Reina record on return from injury

Liverpool had to battle hard to pick up a 1-0 win away at Girona on Tuesday, needing a 63rd-minute Mohamed Salah penalty to get the job done. In fact, they wouldn’t have made it over the line were it not for the performance of goalkeeper Alisson, who replaced Caoimhin Kelleher after a long spell on the sidelines.

Alisson showed absolutely no signs of rust, making five saves, eight recoveries and a high claim to help preserve his clean sheet, ensuring Girona failed to find the net despite attempting 13 shots to the tune of 1.21 Expected Goals.

The Brazilian goalkeeper now has 21 clean sheets in Champions League play for Liverpool, tying him with Pepe Reina for the most in club history.

Mbappe hits half a century, but faces injury worry

Kylian Mbappe kicked things off as Real Madrid beat Atalanta last night, scoring after just 10 minutes in Bergamo. That said, it was 1-1 by half-time and Real Madrid needed goals from Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham to ensure a 3-2 win against their Italian counterparts.

Nevertheless, that brought the France international to 50 Champions League goals, becoming just the ninth player to do so. However, at 25 years and 356 days old, Mbappe is the second-youngest player of all time to reach that total, behind only Lionel Messi, who managed it at 24 years and 284 days old.

But it wasn’t all fun and games on Tuesday for Mbappe, who left the field in the 36th minute after pulling up with an injury. Carlo Ancelotti will be praying it’s nothing serious as he prepares for some key La Liga clashes and the Fifa Intercontinental Cup.

Olise tears Shakhtar apart

Bayern Munich were at their rampant best on Tuesday, overcoming a fifth-minute Shakhtar Donetsk goal to tear their opponents apart 5-1. It was Michael Olise who inspired the Bavarians, scoring twice and assisting once in a stunning individual display that also included six successful dribbles, 11 touches in the opposition box and just one dispossession.

Olise has seven goals and six assists to his name in 21 appearances across all competition for Bayern this season, but his second of the night in the dying moments on Tuesday will be up there among his best, gliding past numerous Shakhtar defenders before finding the bottom corner.

Sublime stuff from Olise, who is undoubtedly being missed by Crystal Palace supporters.

Liverpool motor on in the league phase

That aforementioned win for Liverpool leaves them top of the Champions League with six wins from six, with 13 goals scored and just one conceded — Inter are the only other side who can boast that record in the latter.

Of course, Arne Slot cannot take all the credit for the Reds’ continental exploits. Liverpool have now won each of their last 10 group stage/league phase matches in this competition, with 27 goals scored, just two conceded and a ridiculous eight clean sheets.

Whether under Slot or Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool are just phenomenal in European football.

Duran strikes again for Villa

If Jhon Duran isn’t careful, he’s going to become Aston Villa‘s starting striker very soon.

The Colombian netted Villa’s second goal in the 52nd minute after coming on at half-time away at RB Leipzig on Tuesday, with fellow substitute Ross Barkley scoring late to eventually seal a 3-2 victory in Germany.

Duran now has six goals as a substitute across all competitions this season, which is more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues so far. Across all games he’s played, Duran has nine goals to his name, surpassing his total for the entirety of last season.

Inter finally concede to another Leverkusen late show

Bayer Leverkusen just never, ever know when they’re dead. Time and again, Xabi Alonso’s men have struck late over the last 18 months and without that habit, there’s no way they’d have won a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double last season, or reached the Europa League final for that matter.

Die Werkself did it again on Tuesday, with full-back Nordi Mukiele scoring in the 90th minute to seal a 1-0 home victory against Italian giants Inter, sparking yet more wild scenes of celebration at the BayArena.

Incredibly, that’s the first goal Inter have conceded in this season’s Champions League, which obviously means their unbeaten record has come to an end — Liverpool are the last remaining side yet to lose this season.

Saka ends mini drought to sweep aside Monaco

Bukayo Saka has quite simply been a force of nature this season. The England star scored two goals and assisted the other as Arsenal swept Monaco aside 3-0 at the Emirates on Wednesday night, which actually ends a two-game drought for goal contributions recently.

But even that lean spell won’t register as much of a mark on his record this season, with Saka now on 21 direct goal contributions across all competitions, scoring nine times and assisting 12. In fact, among Premier League players, Mo Salah is the only one who can boast a better record at a mind-boggling 28.

Saka’s heroics on Wednesday mean Arsenal have won all six of their home games without conceding in the Champions League group stage/league phase since the start of last season.

Man City collapse continues

Did you know Manchester City had lost just one of their last four matches across all competitions going into Wednesday? Of course, they’d only won one, too, with that run including the infamous late collapse against Feyenoord and just about scraping a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. A more accurate summary of their form would be just one win from their last nine matches across all competitions.

Well, you can now make that one run from 10 after they went down 2-0 away at Juventus in the Champions League, thanks to second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie.

This truly is a spectacular collapse from a team that has been all-conquering for so long. No stat is likely to sum up their last 10 games better than the fact they’ve conceded 23 goals during that time — as many as they’d conceded in their previous 30 outings.