UCL: Ruthless Napoli thrash Ajax as Bayern Munich makes history
The third round of group games saw Napoli’s ruthlessness as they hit six away to Ajax with Bayern making UEFA Champions League history but the German side had to share the headlines as Olympique Marseille recovered from a nightmare start to blow their group wide open.
Here is a round up of all the action.
Group A
Ajax 1-6 Napoli
Rampant Napoli put on a relentless display of ruthlessness to remain three points clear in Group A. Remarkably the visitors did it from 1-0 down after Mohammed Kudus’ early strike. Giacomo Raspadori soon nodded in an equaliser before Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened their Champions League accounts either side of strikes by Piotr Zieliński and Raspadori’s second. Home captain Dušan Tadić had been dismissed for two bookings by the time Giovanni Simeone fired in the sixth.
Key stat: Napoli scored three in a game outside of Naples for the first time in the Champions League to consign Ajax to their heaviest ever defeat in the competition.
Liverpool 2-0 Rangers
Liverpool reinforced their position in second in Group A with a dominant victory at Anfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exquisite free-kick after seven minutes set a tone for the night, although a string of save from Allan McGregor, particularly from Darwin Núñez, kept the score down. It wasn’t until the second half that the points were assured courtesy of a penalty from Mohamed Salah – his tenth goal in as many group games.
Key stat: Liverpool now have six consecutive home group stage wins in the Champions League, while Rangers have failed to score in eight of their last 11 fixtures in the competition.
Group B
Porto 2-0 Leverkusen
Second-half substitutes Zaidu and Galeno struck as Porto got their campaign up and running on a dramatic night in Portugal. Mehdi Taremi teed up both goals, and thought he had found the net himself at the end of the first period only for a VAR check to instead award a penalty at the other end. Diogo Costa brilliantly denied Patrik Schick, and Leverkusen’s second half also ended in disappointment when Jeremie Frimpong received a second booking.
Key stat: Porto have won each of their last six home games against German opposition in the Champions League.
Club Brugge 2-0 Atlético
Ferran Jutglà scored one and made the other as Club Brugge made it three wins out of three. After weathering an early storm, the Belgian champions went ahead when Jutglà teed up strike partner Kamal Sowah for the opener on 36 minutes. The Spanish youngster was denied by Jan Oblak early in the second half, but made no mistake just past the hour after good play from Tajon Buchanan. Antoine Griezmann had a great chance to get Atlético back in it but thumped his penalty against the crossbar.
Key stat: This was Club Brugge’s 14th Champions League win, surpassing the Belgian record of Anderlecht (13).
Group C
Bayern 5-0 Plzeň
Leroy Sané scored twice as Bayern stretched their unbeaten run in group stage fixtures to a record-breaking 31. Sané got the ball rolling with a wonderful solo strike and by the 21st minute it was 3-0 as Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mané also found the net. Sané volleyed in his second of the night early in the second period before substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting finished another flowing Bayern move for number five.
Key stat: This was the 26th time Bayern have scored five goals or more in a Champions League game, group stage to final – five more than any other side.
Inter 1-0 Barcelona
Hakan Çalhanoğlu struck his first Champions League goal in six years as Inter leapfrogged Barcelona in Group C. The Turkish international drilled a low, right-footed effort just inside Marc-André ter Stegen’s right-hand post in first-half added time to cap a solid showing by the Nerazzurri. Barcelona dominated possession but the hosts’ defence kept opportunities to a minimum, with the visitors’ best chance coming when Ousmane Dembélé blasted against the upright on the hour.
Key stat: Inter recorded their first victory against Spanish opposition in this competition since their 3-1 semi-final first-leg success against the Blaugrana in April 2010.
Group D
Marseille 4-1 Sporting CP
Francisco Trincão struck inside the opening 60 seconds but a dream start quickly descended into nightmare for the visitors. None more so than for Antonio Adán, whose two mistakes led to goals from Alexis Sánchez and Amine Harit before a forgettable 11 minutes ended with the keeper’s dismissal for handball. Leonardo Balerdi soon added a third for the hosts, and Chancel Mbemba applied late gloss as OM got off the mark in style.
Key stat: Marseille’s win was only their second in 18 Champions League matches; the other 16 games all ended in defeat.
Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham
Tottenham suffered another frustrating evening in front of goal as they were held to a goalless draw by Champions League debutants Frankfurt. Harry Kane missed three good chances while Heung-Min Son curled narrowly wide as Antonio Conte’s side had the better of the first half. But Spurs didn’t have a shot on target and Hugo Lloris made the only real save of the night to deny Ansgar Knauff from close range.
Key stat: Tottenham have failed to score in four of their last five Champions League games.
