Tuesday’s eight UEFA Champions League goals produced 30 goals. Through Wednesday’s first halves, the equivalent of four games played, the day’s eight combatants have combined for three goals. And one came via penalty kick.
That was courtesy of Lionel Messi, whose turn in the middle of Ajax’s penalty area prompted Niklas Moisander to pull him down. Moments later, Kenneth Vermeer was pulling the ball out of his own net, Barcelona having claimed a 1-0 lead at the Nou Camp.
The day’s second goal came in Naples, where a cross from the left from Juan Camilo Zuniga found the head of Gonzalo Higuaín. The Argentine’s header found the lower-right corner to put Napoli up 1-0 on Borussia Dortmund.
Atlético became the third to breakthrough, undoing Luciano Spalletti’s move to a three-man defense by converting a 40th minute corner. Miranda’s near post header from Koke’s service gave Diego Simeone’s team the lead.
Here’s how all games look, by the numbers, at halftime.
| Group | Home-Road | Score | Shots | Shots on Goal |
Possession |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | Schalke-Steaua Bucharest | 0-0 | 6-6 | 2-2 | 59-41 |
| E | Chelsea-Basel | 0-0 | 4-2 | 1-1 | 59-41 |
| F | Napoli-Borussia Dortmund | 1-0 | 5-7 | 2-2 | 51-49 |
| F | Marseille-Arsenal | 0-0 | 7-3 | 2-1 | 48-52 |
| G | Atlético Madrid-Zenit St. Petersburg | 1-0 | 9-2 | 3-0 | 50-50 |
| G | Austria Wein-Porto | 0-0 | 9-4 | 1-1 | 34-66 |
| H | Milan-Celtic | 0-0 | 11-4 | 5-0 | 49-51 |
| H | Barcelona-Ajax | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2-0 | 60-40 |