Raya’s double save rescues Arsenal, Barcelona lose

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Arsenal’s David Raya saves a penalty from Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui in their Champions League tie.
Arsenal’s David Raya saves a penalty from Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui in their Champions League tie.

The first save was great. The second was even better.

David Raya came to Arsenal’s rescue in the Champions League on Thursday with a double save from a penalty that was celebrated by his teammates as wildly as a goal being scored.

It preserved a 0-0 draw with Atalanta in the opening round of matches in the revamped tournament, and provided a further demonstration of the shot-stopping qualities of a goalkeeper more renowned for his ability with the ball at his feet.

The Spain international dived to his right to block the 51st-minute spot kick taken by Mateo Retegui, after Thomas Partey tripped Ederson. Raya quickly got to his feet, scrambled across his line and then used his left arm to claw away a header from Retegui off the goal line after the ball had rebounded out to the Italy striker.

Raya gave a big roar and was mobbed by Arsenal’s players in the goalmouth. 

There were no late goals this time for Mikel Arteta’s team, whose creativity and attacking spark has been hit by an ankle injury sustained by captain Martin Odegaard while playing for Norway during the recent international break.

The Gunners were kept goalless by Atalanta, managing only two shots on target in Bergamo .

Meanwhile, two of the world’s most exciting young players shone on club soccer’s biggest stage.

With mixed fortunes, however.

Teenager Lamine Yamal’s goal couldn’t prevent 10-man Barcelona from falling to a 2-1 defeat at Monaco at the Stade Louis II, ending the Spanish club’s perfect start to the season.

Wirtz
Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz strokes home one of his two goals in the 4-0 thrashing of Feyenoord. (AP PHOTO)

At De Kuip, it took Florian Wirtz less than five minutes to score his first Champions League goal on his debut in Europe’s elite club competition.

Wirtz also netted another as Bayer Leverkusen romped to a 4-0 win at hosts Feyenoord.

Leverkusen lost in the Europa League final in May, their only defeat in a remarkable season that saw them win the Bundesliga and German Cup.

Atlético Madrid beat Leipzig 2-1 and Benfica topped Red Star Belgrade 2-1, while Brest’s first-ever appearance in European competition ended in a 2-1 win over Sturm Graz.

It was the third evening of the new Champions League format which replaces the traditional group stage.

Now, 36 teams each play eight different opponents through January and are ranked in a single league table to decide which teams advance to the knockout phase.

Wirtz have had a great start to the season, with three goals in as many Bundesliga games.

And the 21-year-old continued that streak on Thursday in Rotterdam. Robert Andrich intercepted a poor Feyenoord pass and slipped the ball through to Wirtz, who surged forward before firing into the bottom right corner.

Leverkusen doubled their lead on the half-hour mark as Victor Boniface’s clever pass from the edge of the penalty area released Jeremie Frimpong on the right and his cross was slotted in by Alejandro Grimaldo at the far post.

Another Frimpong cross was volleyed in by Wirtz six minutes later.

Leverkusen hardly needed any help but were given it on the stroke of half-time when a howler by Feyenoord’s German goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther saw him turn the ball over the line following Edmond Tapsoba’s header.

New Benfica coach Bruno Lage made it two wins out of two thanks to goals from Turkey internationals Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Orkun Kökçü.

AP