{"id":7848,"date":"2024-12-12T07:46:31","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T07:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=7848"},"modified":"2024-12-12T07:46:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T07:46:32","slug":"champions-league-matchweek-six-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/champions-league-matchweek-six-review","title":{"rendered":"Champions League Matchweek Six Review: Manchester City collapse, Saka shines and Liverpool continue their winning record"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\">Champions League<\/a> hurtles towards its final stretch in the new 32-team league format, chaos and intrigue reign supreme. Giants like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/manchester-city-110\">Manchester City<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/psg-480\">Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> are fighting to keep their campaigns alive, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/liverpool-108\">Liverpool<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/arsenal-104\">Arsenal<\/a> continue to ride waves of form led by their talismanic stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elsewhere, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/raphinha-39789\">Raphinha\u2019s<\/a> resurgence has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/fc-barcelona-132\">Barcelona<\/a> dreaming big, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/brest-534\">Brest\u2019s<\/a> underdog story provides a heartwarming counterbalance to the big-budget battles. From injury heartbreaks to historic milestones, this season is serving up the unexpected at every turn. Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Champions League Matchweek Six Review<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#manchester-city-are-on-a-downward-spiral\">Manchester City are on a downward spiral<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#bukayo-saka-just-gets-better-and-better\">Bukayo Saka just gets better and better<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#alisson-returns-as-liverpool-make-it-6-6\">Alisson returns as Liverpool make it 6\/6<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#raphinha-is-in-red-hot-form\">Raphinha is in red-hot form<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#mbappe-was-starting-to-show-glimpses-of-his-true-self-before-he-got-injured\">Mbappe was starting to show glimpses of his true self before he got injured<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#brests-fairytale-story-continues\">Brest&#8217;s fairytale story continues<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"manchester-city-are-on-a-downward-spiral\">Manchester City are on a downward spiral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pep Guardiola\u2019s furrowed brow tells the story. Manchester City are officially in trouble, and another lacklustre outing in Turin has only deepened the gloom. A 2-0 defeat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/juventus-226\">Juventus<\/a> not only highlighted their lack of edge but left them with a dismal record of one win in their last ten games across all competitions. Once Champions League stalwarts, City now find themselves teetering on the edge of elimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sitting five points behind Lille in the race for the eighth automatic qualifying spot, Guardiola\u2019s men face the unfamiliar prospect of a February play-off to keep their European dreams alive. To complicate matters further, a critical January clash with Paris Saint-Germain \u2014 another struggling giant \u2014 looms large. Guardiola will hope to steady the ship before then, but with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/rodri-hernandez-39961\">Rodri<\/a> sidelined and a calendar bursting at the seams, the odds are stacking against him.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-2172959269-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Without Rodri, it will be difficult for Manchester City to win the Champions League\" class=\"wp-image-7849\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt &#8211; AMA\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bukayo-saka-just-gets-better-and-better\">Bukayo Saka just gets better and better<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bukayo-saka-62088\">Bukayo Saka<\/a> is living proof that age is just a number in football. With another scintillating performance against Monaco, the 23-year-old delivered two goals and an assist, putting the Gunners on his back once again. Saka\u2019s tally of 20 goal involvements this season (eight goals and 12 assists) underscores his growing influence, second only to Mohamed Salah among Premier League players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Arsenal\u2019s return to the Champions League, Saka has been a revelation, contributing in five different games \u2014 a club-best achievement. His latest display also saw him equal the Champions League goal tally of legends Dennis Bergkamp and Mesut \u00d6zil in just 14 appearances. Arsenal fans may dream of trophies, but right now, they\u2019re just thankful for their No. 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Premier League&#8217;s assist king!<br \/><br \/>Bukayo Saka added another 2 assists to his name last night, making it 10 in 13 games. <br \/><br \/>Only Cesc F\u00e0bregas, Mesut \u00d6zil &amp; Harry Kane have reached 10 assists in fewer of a team&#8217;s games from the start of a season in the competition. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xGipmPm0s4\">pic.twitter.com\/xGipmPm0s4<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1863151575306273180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 1, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"alisson-returns-as-liverpool-make-it-6-6\">Alisson returns as Liverpool make it 6\/6<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Liverpool have made serenity their superpower under Arne Slot. A 1-0 victory over Girona, courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/mohamed-salah-1439\">Mohamed Salah\u2019s<\/a> penalty, capped a perfect group stage campaign \u2014 six wins from six and 18 points secured. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/alisson-10896\">Alisson\u2019s<\/a> return to the starting XI brought an added layer of calm, with the Brazilian stopper pulling off crucial saves to preserve yet another clean sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Salah, it was business as usual: his 50th European goal for Liverpool marked a historic milestone, further cementing his legendary status. While Salah\u2019s brilliance has papered over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/darwin-nunez-53815\">Darwin N\u00fa\u00f1ez\u2019s<\/a> inconsistency, Slot has every reason to smile. Liverpool are flying in Europe, and they\u2019ve done it with the kind of professionalism that champions are built on.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-2175728303-900x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Alisson can help Liverpool to win the Champions League\" class=\"wp-image-7850\" style=\"width:580px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by MI News\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"raphinha-is-in-red-hot-form\">Raphinha is in red-hot form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/raphinha-39789\">Raphinha<\/a> joined Barcelona from Leeds, he was seen as a gamble. Now, he\u2019s paying off in spades. The Brazilian winger has exploded into form, scoring nine goals in his last eight Champions League appearances after a quiet start to life in the competition. With 28 goal contributions in 27 games across all competitions this season, Raphinha has gone from system misfit to statistical marvel. His heroics include a hat-trick against Bayern Munich and pivotal moments in Clasicos and other marquee matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-2172974597-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Raphinha right winger of Barcelona and Brazil celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the LaLiga match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona  at Estadio de la Ceramica on September 22, 2024 in Villarreal, Spain. \" class=\"wp-image-7851\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Jose Breton\/Pics Action\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mbappe-was-starting-to-show-glimpses-of-his-true-self-before-he-got-injured\">Mbappe was starting to show glimpses of his true self before he got injured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/kylian-mbappe-39820\">Kylian Mbapp\u00e9\u2019<\/a>s night against Atalanta was a microcosm of his season at Real Madrid \u2014 flashes of brilliance, followed by heartbreak. His tenth-minute wonder goal, complete with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/cristiano-ronaldo-817\">Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>-esque celebration, seemed like the spark Madrid needed. But just 25 minutes later, Mbapp\u00e9 limped off injured, casting a shadow over what could have been a statement night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Real Madrid managed to salvage three points thanks to second-half strikes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/vinicius-junior-48298\">Vin\u00edcius Junior<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/jude-bellingham-73000\">Jude Bellingham<\/a>, but it was hardly convincing. For Mbapp\u00e9, the frustration is palpable: his 50th Champions League goal makes him the second-youngest to achieve the milestone, but it\u2019s bittersweet as injuries continue to interrupt his flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 hits 50 Champions League goals in just 79 games, equaling Thierry Henry&#8217;s record\u2014who needed 112 matches! ??\u26bd\ufe0f<br \/><br \/>The heir to the throne is here, rewriting history at lightning speed. ?? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7sh8BvSQoV\">pic.twitter.com\/7sh8BvSQoV<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1866579057196011930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 10, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"brests-fairytale-story-continues\">Brest&#8217;s fairytale story continues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a tournament brimming with big-money narratives, Brest\u2019s improbable Champions League run stands out as a reminder of football\u2019s magic. Their 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven \u2014 secured by Julien Le Cardinal\u2019s strike \u2014 made it four victories in six games for a team that was playing amateur football two decades ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remarkably, Brest play their \u201chome\u201d matches 70 miles away due to inadequate facilities, yet their performances have been anything but substandard. With a squad built on grit rather than glamour, manager Eric Roy has his side on the cusp of an unimaginable knockout stage berth. If they beat Shakhtar next month, the dream continues. For now, their story is the stuff of legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Nicky Helfgott \/ @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep up with all the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\">Champions League stats<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\">latest news<\/a> on the&nbsp;365Scores website and app!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"riddle2-wrapper\" style=\"margin: 0 auto; max-width: 100%; width: 640px;\" data-rid-id=\"NMdAJaHi\" data-auto-scroll=\"true\" data-is-fixed-height-enabled=\"false\" data-bg=\"#fff\" data-fg=\"#00205b\"><script src=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/embed\/build-embedjs\/embedV2.js\"><\/script><iframe title=\"Who's going to win the 24\/25 Champions League?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/embed\/a\/NMdAJaHi?lazyImages=false&amp;staticHeight=false\"><section data-block=\"SingleChoice\"><h2>Who&#8217;s going to win the 24\/25 Champions League?<\/h2><ul><li>Real Madrid<\/li><li>Manchester City<\/li><li>Barcelona<\/li><li>Arsenal<\/li><li>Bayern Munich<\/li><li>Other (let us know who @365Scores)<\/li><\/ul><\/section><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Champions League hurtles towards its final stretch in the new 32-team league format, chaos and intrigue reign supreme. Giants like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are fighting to keep their campaigns alive, while Liverpool and Arsenal continue to ride waves of form led by their talismanic stars. Elsewhere, Raphinha\u2019s resurgence has Barcelona dreaming &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":7852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2509,9],"tags":[2593,182,201,1095,2745,244,1126,38,188,14,15,719,1952,158,60,314,59,1354,165],"class_list":["post-7848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-champions-league","category-soccer","tag-alisson-becker","tag-arsenal","tag-atalanta","tag-barcelona","tag-brest","tag-bukayo-saka","tag-champions-league","tag-juventus","tag-kylian-mbappe","tag-liverpool","tag-manchester-city","tag-mohamed-salah","tag-paris-saint-germain","tag-pep-guardiola","tag-psg","tag-raphinha","tag-real-madrid","tag-rodri","tag-uefa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7848"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7848\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}