The UEFA Champions League’s group stage hits its second round of matches Tuesday, with two Premier League teams in play and a bevy of big names from outside England.
Leicester won again, meaning the unlikely Premier League champions could all-but-clinch a spot in the knockout rounds if they beat Copenhagen in October.
[ MORE: Dempsey out for 2016 ]
Spurs also won to help make amends for losing at home to start the group stage while -- surprise, surprise -- USMNT star Christian Pulisic again was the super sub for Borussia Dortmund, making a big difference in a draw with Real Madrid.
Standings at bottom.
CSKA Moscow 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
There’s no shame in picking up a point so far from home, but a loss in the group stage opener but a little more weight on Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side bossed the play, but found themselves closed down atop the 18 by a stingy and aggressive CSKA Moscow side.
Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min were active, and it was the South Korean who found a break through in the 71st minute.
Played through on goal, Igor Akinfeev got a piece of Son’s right-footed rip only to see the ball crawl across the line. 1-0.
Dinamo Zagreb 0-4 Juventus
Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic scored first half goals for The Old Lady, who has had little trouble establishing itself in UCL this year. Paulo Dybala made it 3-0 in the 57th minute, as we had cruise control in Croatia.
We 👀 you, @PauDybala_JR. https://t.co/uldtM4paih
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 27, 2016
Monaco 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez reportedly cost Bayer Leverkusen less than $10 million, and he’s been an absolute steal. Whatever was missing from his game at Manchester United and Real Madrid has been on full display for Bayer. Hernandez busted the match open with his sixth UCL goal in 11 appearances for the German side. Unfortunately for his side, Kamil Glik leveled things deep into stoppage time.
Leicester City 1-0 Porto
The chemistry between Algeria and now Leicester City teammates Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani is very real.
The former fed the latter for an opening goal on Tuesday in UEFA Champions League play at King Power Stadium, as the Foxes have opened up a 1-0 lead on Porto.
You can imagine the visitors aren’t too pleased with having to meet up with Slimani, who they just managed to see out of their league only to watch him arrive in their UCL group.
And how about the mad dabbing kid shown just after Slimani’s celebration? Wild nights in Leicester, as the Foxes held up to Porto’s second half pressure and went 2-for-2 in the group stage.
Mahrez --> Slimani -->⚽️! The Algerian connection does it for Leicester City. #UCLonFOX https://t.co/gGaYUNgS45
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 27, 2016
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo got on the scoresheet, though the hosts have been by far the more dangerous side. USMNT teenager Christian Pulisic is on the bench for BVB.
Thomas Tuchel’s side threatened to score through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rocketed a shot just over the frame, and the Gabonese man made it 1-1 soon after when Keylor Navas punched Raphael Guerriero’s free kick off Raphael Varane. Aubameyang touched it over the line for an academic marker.
Varane, however, looked to have had the last laugh, poking in a go-ahead goal. That’s when USMNT star Christian Pulisic subbed on for Borussia Dortmund with 17 minutes to go and forced Navas into a save. Emre Mor then did the same.
Then, Pulisic beat his man on the right wing, sending a cross through traffic that Andre Schurrle collected and belted by Navas. 2-2.
Elsewhere
Sevilla 1-0 Lyon
Copenhagen 4-0 Club Brugge
Sporting CP 2-0 Legia Warsaw
Standings |
| Group E | ||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Monaco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 4 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0-1 | 1-0-0 | 3 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0-1-0 | 0-1-0 | 2 |
| CSKA Moscow | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0-0-1 | 0-1-0 | 1 |
| Group F | ||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Real Madrid | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 0-1-0 | 4 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 4 |
| Sporting CP | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 0-0-1 | 3 |
| Legia Warsaw | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0-0-1 | 0-0-1 | 0 |
| Group G | ||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Leicester City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1-0-0 | 1-0-0 | 6 |
| FC Copenhagen | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1-0-0 | 0-1-0 | 4 |
| FC Porto | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0-1-0 | 0-0-1 | 1 |
| Club Brugge | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0-0-1 | 0-0-1 | 0 |
| Group H | ||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Juventus | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 4 |
| Sevilla | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 0-1-0 | 4 |
| Lyon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1-0-0 | 0-0-1 | 3 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0-0-1 | 0-0-1 | 0 |