The 10 Best Players of Champions League Matchday 2-Ranked
The stars were out on Europe's biggest stage this week, lighting up the Champions League across two chaotic days of league phase fixtures. The return to club soccer following the September-October international break got even better when the top teams on the continent faced off in Europe's premier club competition.
Eighteen matches unfolded during Matchday 2, headlined by a marquee clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. The back-to-back Champions League winners carved apart the Cityzens, while Real Madrid completed a vintage comeback against Roma.
Barcelona breezed past Galatasaray, much like Liverpool's dominant win over LASK. Arsenal also collected three points, as did Club Brugge and Aston Villa, among others.
The common thread among all the matches? Players, across all areas of the pitch, stepped up under the bright lights, earning a place in Sports Illustrated 's rankings of the top players from this week's European action.
Arda Güler (Real Madrid) Arda Güler saved the day for Real Madrid. The Türkiye international could only sit and watch as his team went down 3-1 before an hour had even eclipsed on Wednesday.
Güler was promptly thrown onto the pitch and tasked with spearheading a comeback at the Stadio Olimpico. The 21-year-old answered the call in dramatic fashion, using his magical left foot to breathe life back into Los Blancos.
It was his expert ball from the corner flag that Endrick headed home to make it 3-3 in the 85th minute. Five minutes later, it was once again Güler's sublime delivery-this time from the opposite corner flag-that Antonio Rüdiger buried tosteal all three points.
Erling Haaland (Man City) Erling Haaland bagged a brace in Manchester City's lopsided defeat. The Cityzens faced off with defending cup holders Paris Saint-Germain and were quickly humbled after stringing together eight consecutive victories.
The silver lining for Enzo Maresca's side was Erling Haaland. Without the Norway international, an already dreadful night would have turned downright humiliating.