Five Things You May Have Missed in the Champions League This Week

Five Things You May Have Missed in the Champions League This Week

There is no sweeter sound than the crescendo of the Champions League anthem as the whole stadium reverberates with "the chaaaaaaaampions." And finally, this week it returned with a bang.

We look at some of the storylines you may have missed from this week's packed schedule.

West vs East - Kairat's Mammoth Journey Across The Continent

Plymouth fans think they have it bad in England with their away days. Try being a Kairat fan.

After beating Celtic on penalties to reach the Champions League proper for the first time in their history, Kairat, based just a stone's throw away from China, knew they faced an intense travel schedule this season.

Gameweek 1 offered no respite. The Kazakh side traveled 7,200km for an away trip to Sporting Lisbon—a Champions League record. The exact number of away fans remains unclear, but we can safely guess it wasn’t many.

Kairat Almaty travelled 4,292 miles to face Sporting in Lisbon, Portugal tonight.

It's the biggest distance between two sides facing each other in the history of the Champions League ✈️ pic.twitter.com/u9cMUg9eI0

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 18, 2025

On the pitch, the Portuguese champions cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory, leaving Kairat to pin their hopes on teams struggling when they make the transcontinental trip.

Is Marcus Rashford Back?

This feels like a question we’ve asked many times, but his performance for Barcelona last night gave us a glimpse of Rashford at his best.

In Lamine Yamal’s absence, the Catalan giants needed someone to step up, and the on-loan Manchester United forward delivered.

The raucous atmosphere on Tyneside didn’t phase him. Rashford, perhaps aided by his familiarity with the stadium and its hostility, struck twice to give Barcelona a perfect start.

Rashford appreciation 👏👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/vqBhc4vQAE

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 18, 2025

His second goal was vintage Rashford—he unleashed his elite ball striking to fire past the stranded Nick Pope.

In his post-game interviews, Rashford openly admitted he would like to stay at Barca for as long as possible, as all parties seemingly accept that a route back to Old Trafford looks unlikely.

Disappointing Debuts - De Bruyne, Trent, and Isak

Each night this week carried the added intrigue of Champions League debuts for three huge summer signings. For different reasons, all three underwhelmed.

Trent started against Marseille, lining up in the famous all-white in their favourite competition. But his debut quickly turned sour—he left the pitch within five minutes.

What we now know as a hamstring injury will sideline him for up to eight weeks, though he will surely target the Liverpool game at Anfield in seven weeks.

Trent Alexander Arnold has been ruled out for 6-8 weeks with a hamstring injury putting his chances of playing at Anfield in jeopardy. pic.twitter.com/YSnz72B8mR

— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) September 17, 2025

On Wednesday night, Alexander Isak finally made his much-anticipated debut at Anfield. It wasn’t a disaster, but he disappointed in large parts before being substituted before the hour mark.

We’ll give the big Swede the benefit of the doubt—after all, he spent most of the summer on strike.

Kevin De Bruyne’s Etihad return may have been the most disappointing of all. After leaving the club in the summer as arguably the greatest player in their history, excitement soared when Napoli drew City in gameweek one.

The Etihad rang with his name as a “King Kev” tifo unfurled. But after Giovanni Lorenzo’s red card, Napoli hooked him after just 26 minutes. Definitely not the homecoming he envisioned.

Kevin De Bruyne was subbed off vs. Man City in the 26th minute following Giovanni Di Lorenzo's red card.

Man City fans still stood up and applauded him as he left the pitch 🩵 pic.twitter.com/ivobuWBrDv

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 18, 2025

Marcos Llorente and His Dog, Anfield

On the eve of the nationwide lockdowns in 2020, Marcos Llorente spearheaded Atlético to a famous Champions League knockout victory at Anfield, scoring a brace. He even named one of his Pugs “Anfield” in honour of that night.

Marcos Llorente named his dog Anfield and 57% of his Champions League goals have come at Anfield as well 🐶🤝⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CAjcfUGDYD

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 18, 2025

Fast forward five years, and Llorente again proved his love for the famous Merseyside stadium, bagging another brace to level the game after Liverpool had taken a 2-0 lead.

This time, the Reds had the last laugh when Virgil Van Dijk popped up with a stoppage-time winner. But one thing remains certain—Llorente loves Anfield. Just ask his dog.

Lloyd Kelly - Turin's Unlikely Hero

Juventus fans didn’t hide their disappointment when Lloyd Kelly arrived in Turin last season, and his early performances for the Old Lady only reinforced their doubts.

After making the move permanent in the summer—thanks to a loan clause rather than choice—Kelly slowly started winning the fans over. The former Bournemouth and Newcastle defender has cemented his place in the backline, and on Tuesday, he rescued a point in one of the club's craziest games.

By the 92nd minute, Juve trailed Borussia Dortmund 4-2 and stared at an opening-night home defeat. Dusan Vlahovic pulled one back to make it 4-3, and then, in the final seconds, Lloyd Kelly—somehow in the Dortmund box—rose to guide a header past Gregor Kobel for a 4-4 draw.

Lloyd Casius Kelly appreciation post. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌟

He's giving his all this season. He's unstoppable.

Stop. Hating. This. Guy. pic.twitter.com/LhPkjCd2bz

— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuveEN) September 13, 2025

That's a Wrap

The first week delivered some corkers and plenty of glorious sub-plots. We can’t wait to do it all over again in gameweek two.