Chelsea Dominates 10-Man Barcelona 3-0; Manchester City Stumbles Against Leverkusen in Champions League Thrills

UEFA Champions League: Upsets and Dominance Across Europe

The UEFA Champions League delivered a night of significant upsets and dominant performances on Tuesday, as Chelsea secured a convincing victory over a 10-man Barcelona, while Manchester City suffered a surprising defeat against Bayer Leverkusen.

Chelsea's Commanding Performance Against Barcelona

In a standout fixture, Chelsea comfortably dispatched Barcelona with a 3-0 scoreline, marking their third league-phase win and pushing them closer to the top of their group. The tide turned decisively before half-time when Barcelona's defender Ronald Araujo received a second yellow card, reducing his team to ten men. The goals for Chelsea came from an unfortunate own-goal by Jules Kounde in the 27th minute, a superb strike by Estevao in the 55th, and a close-range finish from Liam Delap in the 73rd minute, sealing Barcelona's second loss of the campaign.

Manchester City's Struggles Continue in Guardiola's Milestone Match

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's 100th Champions League match as Manchester City coach proved to be a challenging affair. His side, which saw ten changes from their recent Premier League loss to Newcastle, including star striker Erling Haaland on the bench, failed to counter Bayer Leverkusen's rapid transitions. The German club secured a 2-0 victory, with Alejandro Grimaldo netting a low shot in the 23rd minute and Patrik Schick adding a header in the 54th. This defeat meant City missed an opportunity to climb to the top of their group, leaving the top three standings unchanged ahead of Wednesday's matches involving Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Inter Milan.

Other European Action

The evening also saw other compelling results across Europe:

• Benfica Triumphs Over Ajax: Jose Mourinho celebrated his inaugural Champions League win with Benfica, as an early goal from Samuel Dahl and a late strike by Leandro Barreiro in the 90th minute secured a 2-0 victory against a struggling Ajax side in the Netherlands. Ajax's dismal run continued, having now lost all five of their Champions League fixtures and only one of their last ten in all competitions.
• Union Saint-Gilloise Edges Galatasaray: Canadian forward Promise David scored the sole goal, leading Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise to a 1-0 away win against an injury-hit Galatasaray. The Turkish team, missing top scorer Victor Osimhen, also finished the match with ten men after 18-year-old Arda Unyay received two yellow cards.
• Napoli Wins, Honors Maradona: Scott McTominay opened the scoring for Napoli in their 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan's Qarabag. This match also held special significance for Napoli fans, as it coincided with the fifth anniversary of the passing of their legendary club icon, Diego Maradona.

The Champions League continues to deliver high drama, showcasing unexpected turns and memorable moments for football fans worldwide.