Champions League review: A deluge of goals as youth rules for Barcelona and Bayern

This week's football action featured an astonishing 71 goals across two nights, with the Premier League contributing significantly to this tally. The high-scoring matches raised questions about competitive balance, as five Premier League clubs secured comfortable victories. Liverpool ended their losing streak with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt, Newcastle defeated Benfica 3-0, Chelsea beat Ajax 5-1, and Arsenal delivered a striking 4-0 victory over Atlético Madrid. Manchester City won 2-0 at Villarreal, with Erling Haaland extending his scoring run to 12 matches. Tottenham was the exception, drawing 0-0 at Monaco.

Ahead of El Clásico, Barcelona and Real Madrid both won their midweek matches. Real Madrid faced Juventus in a Champions League clash, with Jude Bellingham scoring the sole goal in a 1-0 victory. Barcelona showcased their La Masia youth academy's depth, thrashing Olympiakos 6-1, with 22-year-old Fermín López scoring a hat-trick and 17-year-old Pedro "Dro" Fernández providing an assist on his Champions League debut. Real Madrid leads Barcelona by two points in the league standings.

Bayern Munich is also experiencing a youth resurgence, with coach Vincent Kompany signing a three-year extension after a flawless Bundesliga start. He has trusted young players like 17-year-olds Lennart Karl, who became Bayern's youngest ever Champions League scorer in a 4-0 win over Club Brugge, and Wisdom Mike. Harry Kane continued his incredible form with 20 goals in 12 games, while summer signing Luis Díaz scored his first Champions League goal for Bayern.

PSV Eindhoven delivered the week's most striking result, defeating Napoli 6-2. Romanian winger Dennis Man was central to the victory, scoring two goals, including a left-footed strike that was a highlight. US striker Ricardo Pepi also scored as a substitute. PSV coach Peter Bosz defended Man against critics, noting the opponent's playing style allowed for effective pressing.

Additional insights include Liverpool manager Arne Slot's comments on their win, emphasizing the importance of pressing, and Emmanuel Petit's observation that Paris Saint-Germain, who won 7-2 at Bayer Leverkusen, have room for improvement if they maintain their joy in playing together.