How Will Liverpool and PSG Strengthen Their Champions League Title Favorites?

Why did the win over Atletico underscore Ange “Time”’s magic at Liverpool?

The magic of "Arne Time" or victories in the final minutes for Liverpool has proven to be no mere coincidence. "The Reds" have demonstrated this at least in five matches, including when they crushed Atletico Madrid, 3-2, in the UEFA Champions League match at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, on Thursday (18/9/2025) early morning WIB.

The term "Fergie Time" became very famous in the early 2000s. "Fergie Time" refers to the peculiar tendency of MU, under the direction of Sir Alex Ferguson, to always break the deadlock in the final minutes of the match. It is called "Fergie Time" because Ferguson was often caught on camera trying to intimidate opponents by glancing at his watch as the match was nearing its end.

"Fergie Time" gained momentum alongside the glory of MU. After retiring in 2013, MU's performance declined drastically. "Fergie Time" lay dormant for a long time as a myth of the past. However, the phenomenon once experienced by MU has now been reincarnated in a nearly similar form within their eternal rival, Liverpool.

This season, Liverpool has exhibited a peculiar tendency to consistently break the deadlock in the final minutes, ultimately leading them to victory.

Due to the frequency of winning in the final minutes, the public has begun to associate it with "Fergie Time." However, the term has been adapted to the current context, namely "Arne Time," referring to Liverpool Manager Arne Slot.

"Arne Time" once again displayed its magic for the third time as Liverpool achieved a dramatic victory over Atletico Madrid. The goal from tall defender Virgil van Dijk a few minutes before the match concluded further strengthened the magical aura of "Arne Time."

This is not the first time Liverpool has displayed the magic of "Arne Time." In the previous four matches, Liverpool also had to wait until the final minutes to secure victory. In the win against Burnley last week, Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in the 90+5 minute, which became the only goal of the match.

Why could Marquinhos become Paris Saint-Germain's additional striker?

Paris Saint-Germain began their mission to defend the UEFA Champions League title with a brilliant performance. Facing Atalanta at the Parc des Princes Stadium in France, Thursday (18/9/2025) early morning WIB, the team coached by Luis Enrique won 4-0. This significant victory was achieved without the presence of two key forwards, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele. In the absence of these two stars, Marquinhos showcased his attacking sharpness.

The center-back of the Brazilian national team inspired PSG's significant victory by scoring the opening goal just two minutes into the match. The goal originated from Marquinhos's movement as he left his position as a center-back to help pressure Atalanta, who were attempting to build an attack from the back.

Marquinhos' pressing effort dispossessed Daniel Maldini of the ball. This created chaos in the Atalanta defense, which Fabian Ruiz capitalized on with a perfect low pass to Marquinhos. The early goal stunned Atalanta, who had been using a three-man defense.

"It was a very good match. We are happy, we clearly deserved to win. I think we created many opportunities and it is not easy because Atalanta defended with three center-backs against one striker, and it is always difficult to overcome that," said Luis Enrique after the match.

The absence of Dembele and Doue forced Marquinhos to showcase his hidden attacking talent. After scoring, Marquinhos didn't immediately go all-in on the defensive.

He continues to assist PSG's attacking line, as evidenced by his increasing activity in the opponent's penalty area against Atalanta. Statistics show that Marquinhos is the fourth player with the most touches in the opponent's penalty area (five times) in this match.

Why did Real Madrid's victory leave a trail of controversy?

Real Madrid began their journey in the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League with a dramatic victory, 2-1, over Marseille, on Wednesday (17/9/202) early morning WIB at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Spain. Falling behind initially and playing with 10 players, Real Madrid still managed to secure the win.

In that match, the home supporters were taken by surprise by a goal from Timothy Weah, the Marseille striker, in the 22nd minute. However, after that goal, the momentum completely shifted to the home team. Real dominated the game in pursuit of victory. Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot in the 29th minute.

Mbappe once again conquered Marseille's goalkeeper, Geronimo Rulli, this time through a penalty, in the 81st minute. That goal marked Mbappe's 50th goal for Real. The captain of the French national team only needed 64 matches to reach that impressive milestone.

The decisive score for the advantage was created just nine minutes after Real defender, Dani Carvajal, received a red card for a foolish foul on Marseille goalkeeper, Geronimo Rulli. Carvajal headed Rulli in a situation where the ball was not in play.

The controversy has not completely dissipated from Bernabeu. Aside from the undeniable foul by Geoffrey Kondogbia on Rodrygo that awarded Real their first penalty, Real defender Eder Militao also blocked a shot from Weah with his arm in the 31st minute.

However, the referee from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Irfa Peljto, did not consider this to be a foul that warranted a penalty for the visiting team. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) agreed with Peljto's decision on the field.

The handball violation by Facundo Medina, which led to Real Madrid's second penalty, was also debatable. The reason was that before it touched Marseille defender Facundo Medina's hand, the ball struck the Argentine's foot as he attempted to clear Vinicius Junior's cross. This time, the referee and VAR agreed that the penalty was awarded to the home side.

How could a substitute player be a key factor for Arsenal?

Two Arsenal forwards, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, did not take long to address a multitude of doubts since the beginning of the season. Coming off the bench, they concluded the match as the heroes of Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

A decade-long wait to return to the UEFA Champions League made the host team Bilbao play fiercely at the San Mames Stadium on Tuesday (17/9/2025) early morning WIB. The visiting team, Arsenal, faced significant difficulties in the first match of the Champions League group stage, especially from the kickoff until halftime.

Until the 65th minute, the score remained tied with no goals. The attacking trio of Arsenal, consisting of new players Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, had no answers to break down the opponent's defense. Finally, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta made a change.

The substitution of Arteta is somewhat difficult to understand. Gyokeres, who was the only central striker in the Arsenal squad at San Mames, was unexpectedly taken off. He was replaced by Trossard, who is originally a winger. Five minutes later, Eze, who was the source of the team's creativity, was substituted for Martinelli.

Interestingly, the substitution proved to be very effective. Just 36 seconds after Martinelli entered the field, Arsenal immediately took the lead. The goal was scored by Martinelli through a pass from Trossard, which originated from a counter-attack situation in the midfield.

Arsenal punished the high defensive line of the team coached by Coach Ernesto Valverde. Arteta brought in Martinelli, who has a very fast sprint, to exploit that gap. Meanwhile, Trossard was assigned to play deeper to connect the ball from the midfield.

At the end of the match, while Bilbao focused on attacking, Arsenal doubled their lead. This time it was Martinelli who provided the assist for Trossard's goal. Martinelli managed to get past one player on the left side before sending a cross into the penalty area.

What kind of “fino alla fine” spirit did Juventus show against Dortmund?

Coach Igor Tudor instilled the spirit of "fino alla fine," which means "fight until the end," in all Juventus players this season. After falling behind four times, "The Old Lady" managed to avoid defeat, ending the match against Borussia Dortmund in a 4-4 draw on Wednesday (17/9/2025) WIB, at the Allianz Stadium.

The goal-filled battle began rather dull in the first half. There were no goals and no significant opportunities created by either team. After the break, everything turned 180 degrees.

Karim Adeyemi, the winger for Dortmund, opened the scoring parade in Turin with a powerful shot in the 52nd minute. About 11 minutes later, Juve's new icon, Kenan Yildiz, equalized with his trademark curved shot from outside the penalty area.

Before the Juventus supporters could finish celebrating the goal, Dortmund regained the lead thanks to a shot from midfielder Felix Nmecha in the 65th minute. Juventus substitute forward Dusan Vlahovic quickly responded after receiving a through ball from Yildiz in the 67th minute.

After that, "Die Schwarzgelben" took the lead with two goals thanks to a shot from wing-back Yan Couto and a penalty execution by defender Rami Bensebaini. The two goals were scored in the 74th and 86th minutes, respectively.

As hopes of securing points dwindled, the Great Lady scored a double goal during stoppage time. Vlavohic was behind both equalizing goals. He scored through a tap-in at 90+4, and then in the final minute at 90+6, the Serbian forward provided an assist for the center-back, Lloyd Kelly's goal.

"We played well to come from behind, which shows the players' character. We never attacked and always fought like a fine team, which we demonstrated tonight," Vlahovic said, as reported on UEFA's website after the match.

Tudor jumped for joy upon witnessing the goal. Meanwhile, Giorgio Chiellini, the legend and Director of Football Strategy for Juve, celebrated the goal while standing from his seat in the VIP section.