Dortmund and Brest lead while Arsenal, PSG and Madrid struggle in the UCL

As the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League continues to progress, the second day of the match brought excitement across Europe, with games being played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This season marks a significant format change, introducing a league stage that sets the stage for exciting competition.

As clubs vied for top spots and a place in the knockout rounds, fans witnessed thrilling matches that showcased the intensity and unpredictability of European football.

Traditional giants Bayern and Real Madrid suffered 1-0 away defeats at Aston Villa and Lille respectively on Wednesday evening.

AC Milan have also not picked up a single point in the two games played so far.

Girona and Liepzig also suffer a similar fate.

After two match days, the teams are starting to establish themselves. Some clubs shine brilliantly while others struggle to find their rhythm.

In the games on both days, the teams fought hard for crucial points, with Borussia Dortmund and Brest continuing their unbeaten runs and leading the field.

Dortmund and Brest lead the attack

Borussia Dortmund have emerged as one of the early contenders and are top of the table after an impressive performance in two games.

With a commanding 6 points and a remarkable goal difference of +9, they have outscored their opponents and are now in pole position and seem to be safe for the round of 16.

Close behind is Brest, who also collected 6 points and a goal difference of +5.

Brest's unbeaten streak is particularly notable as their strong attacking prowess sees them become one of the league's elite.

Benfica, Leverkusen, Liverpool are keeping pace

Benfica, Leverkusen and Liverpool all started strongly, taking 6 points each from their opening games. Benfica's strong defense gives them a goal difference of +5, while Leverkusen and Liverpool have shown resilience with +5 and +4 goal differences respectively.

These three teams have kept up with the leaders and remain within striking distance of securing the top spots for the next phase.

Villa, Juve, City remain in the hunt

Aston Villa and Juventus are also in the top seven and are tied on 6 points.

Villa and City both have a goal difference of +4 and +3 goals respectively, while Man City are just behind with four points and maintain a goal difference of +4.

These teams have put in strong performances but will need to maintain their momentum in the coming weeks to secure direct qualification for the round of 16.

Play-off positions in the knockout phase

The race for the play-off places in the knockout phase is becoming increasingly intense. Clubs like Inter Milan (4 points, +4 GD) and Sparta Prague (4 points, +3 GD) have a good chance of securing a play-off place.

Defending Europa League champions Atalanta have 4 points with +3 GD.

Portuguese club Sporting CP has 4 points with +2 GD.

Arsenal managed to take 4 points with an even difference of 2 goals after a rocky start, suggesting there is still a lot of work to do.

On the other hand, Monaco is in 14th place in the table with four points and +1 GD.

What's notable is that teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, ​​who many expected to finish higher in the table, are currently sitting in the middle of the table with just three points and minimal positive goal differences. Bayern have +6 GD while Barca have +4 GD.

Fighting giants: Real Madrid, PSG, Milan

The traditional European heavyweights are off to a slow start.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) each have 3 points with a goal difference of +1 and -1 respectively.

PSG in particular will be worried about their form after two lackluster opening games.

Lille (-1), Celtic (-2), Club Brugge (-2), Feyenoord (-3) and Athletic (-3) also all have three points.

PSV and Stuttgart share 24th place with 1 point each and (-2 GD).

Teams at risk of elimination

The competition is proving unforgiving for several teams, with Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava at the bottom. Both teams fought with 0 points each and a goal difference of -8.

Teams like Salzburg (0 points, -7 GD) and Sturm Graz (0 points, -2 GD) are also in a precarious position and will need significant improvement in the remaining games to stay in the competition.

Bologna (-2), Shakhtar (-3) and GNK Dinamo (-7) each have one point.

Liepzig, Girona, AC Milan, Crvena Zvezda all have 0 points

Full table breakdown by matchday 2

Automatic qualification places:

Borussia Dortmund: 6 points, +9 GD (1st)

Brest: 6 points, +5 GD (2nd)

Benfica: 6 points, +5 GD (3rd)

Leverkusen: 6 points, +5 GD (4th)

Liverpool: 6 points, +4 GD (5th)

Aston Villa: 6 points, +4 GD (6th)

Juventus: 6 points, +3 GD (7th)

Manchester City: 4 points, +4 GD (8th)

Play-off places in the knockout phase:

Inter: 4 points, +4 GD (9th)

Sparta Praha: 4 points, +3 GD (10th)

Atalanta: 4 points, +3 GD (11th)

Sporting CP: 4 points, +2 GD (12th)

Arsenal: 4 points, +2 GD (13th)

Monaco: 4 points, +1 GD (14th)

Bayern Munich: 3 points, +6 GD (15th)

Barcelona: 3 points, +4 GD (16th)

Real Madrid: 3 points, +1 GD (17th)

Lille: 3 points, – 1 GD (18th)

Paris Saint-Germain: 3 points, -1 GD (18th)

Celtic: 3 points, -2 GD (20th)

Club Brugge: 3 points, -2 GD (21st)

Feyenoord: 3 points, -3 GD (22nd)

Atleti: 3 points, -3 GD (23rd)

PSV: 1 point, -2 GD (24th)

Places of elimination:

Stuttgart: 1 point, -2 GD (24th)

Bologna: 1 point, -2 GD (26th)

Shakhtar Donetsk: 1 point, -3 GD (27th)

GNK Dinamo: 1 point, -7 GD (28th)

Leipzig: 0 points, -2 GD (29.)

Girona: 0 points, -2 GD (30th)

Sturm Graz: 0 points, -2 GD (31.)

Milan: 0 points, -3 GD (32nd)

Crvena Zvezda: 0 points, -5 GD (33rd)

Salzburg: 0 points, -7 GD (34th)

Slovan Bratislava: 0 points, -8 GD (35.)

Young Boys: 0 points, -8 GD (36.)

Looking ahead

As the next round of games begins, teams like Dortmund and Brest will be looking to maintain their perfect start, while struggling giants like Real Madrid and PSG will need to quickly find their form.

With many teams packed in the middle of the table, every point will be crucial as the race for the knockout stages heats up.