5 Truths: Why Manchester United fans can feel optimistic

Don’t be too despondent, Manchester United fans. Louis van Gaal may be dismantling your club’s philosophy by instilling an insipid brand of football, but it does have one huge plus point: a healthy dose of clean sheets. This approach may harm their chances in a regular league format – with a stingy defence only capable of earning one point on their own – but in knockout football it’s crucial to success.

All too often, English sides fail to cope with an attacking onslaught in the Champions League. Just look at Manchester City in recent seasons. However, current form suggests Chris Smalling’s surprisingly tightknit backline might actually be able to stifle superior opposition. So although the 0-0 draw against PSV Eindhoven will leave many supporters unhappy – and quite right too, given the paucity of excitement – at least they can console themselves with the knowledge they might be alright when the last-16 rolls around… if they make it.

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Real Madrid were in total control for much of this game, but their capitulation late on exposed just how low on confidence the squad is after their mauling at the hands of Barcelona on Saturday. Too many key players are underperforming this season, and for all of Cristiano Ronaldo’s hugs for Gareth Bale it is hard to shake off the feeling that the team’s best players just don’t get on. Rafa Benitez is likely to be the fall guy, sooner rather than later if his team start making a habit of conceding seven goals in less than a week. The lone bright spark is Luka Modric, who continues to put in performances to keep him up there with the very best central midfielders in the game.

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Manchester City started with the chance to top their Champions League group. Instead, they played as if they no longer care about being special. At least, for the start of the season, they had the good grace to perform to the best of their ability. They looked like early favourites after Chelsea's struggles, and they may still win the league in a year when none of the sides are actually competent, but it is dispiriting. Tonight was the chance to ensure they had the best chance to progress to the serious stage of the Champions League, and they blew it, again.

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"The perfect scenario is that we win and I score three goals and everyone afterwards shouts my name."

The first part of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s fairy tale script may not have quite come to pass, but he still departed the pitch to a rapturous reception on his homecoming. The distinctive Swede has had quite the career since departing Malmo 14 years ago, accumulating a tidy 23 major honours. But one still eludes him: the Champions League. If he’s to be indisputably listed among his generation’s greats, he needs that European medal in his cabinet. Sadly, for him anyway, Barcelona and Bayern Munich look set on postponing that dream for another year.

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Borussia Monchengladbach entered their fifth Champions League group stage contest at home to Sevilla with just two points from a pair of draws and a pair of defeats, in a tough group also featuring Man City and Juventus. Before kick-off, the home fans unveiled a tifo which used scoreflashes of three huge giant killings in their history to state that they are often underdogs in the land of the giants - but are capable of results equally huge.

With over 40,000 roaring them on, the Foals gave their support one CL home success - and one which makes them odds-on to pip the Spaniards to the Europa League drop-down. In fact, the breathless, end-to-end 4-2 win was one of the games of match day five. Don't be surprised if they give a qualified City a rough time in Manchester.