Matchday three of the UEFA Champions League saw plenty of goals with 14 of the 16 matches on Tuesday and Wednesday featuring at least three goals. In Group A, Bayern Munich travelled to Austria to take on RB Salzburg in a match that was hyped as a potential thriller.
It didn’t disappoint. Robert Lewandowski scored a brace in a 6-2 win for the German juggernaut, the latest in a long line of huge away wins on the continent. It put the reigning UCL holders top of the group on nine points, their nearest challengers being Atletico Madrid, who could only get a 1-1 draw at Lokomotiv Moscow, on four points. Salzburg (one point) will be flinching at the thought of what they will have to endure in Munich on matchday four, while Atletico will hope to fare better in their home fixture. They are unbeaten in 11 UCL matches at the Wanda.
Group B may be the most fascinating group in this season’s competition. Borussia Monchengladbach (five points) took the top spot in the group by thumping the previously unbeaten Shakhtar Donetsk (four points) 6-0 in Ukraine. It was a cathartic win for Gladbach, who allowed leads to slip in their opening two outings. Four goals up at half-time, they put this one beyond doubt with time to spare. Real Madrid (four) leapfrogged Shakhtar into second place on goal difference by getting the better of Inter Milan (two) in a 3-2 classic. Zinedine Zidane’s side finally showed their potential with young Brazilian forward Rodrygo scoring the winner. Despite being without a win after three matches, Inter could comfortably escape this group. Home revenge over Madrid on matchday four would help their cause.
Manchester City continued their series of routine wins in UCL by beating Olympiakos 3-0. It puts them top of Group C on nine points. Porto (six) are second in that group after winning their game with Marseille by the same scoreline. Liverpool (nine) are another English side with a perfect record at this stage after they put five goals past Atalanta (four) in Italy. Goals were expected but a contest so onesided was not. Ajax (four) are second in Group D on four points, edging Atalanta in the race to progress to the knockout stage, after a 2-1 win away to Danish debutants Midtjylland (zero).
The Wednesday night action also offered up interesting results. Chelsea (seven), top of Group E on goal difference, beat Rennes (one) 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, a result that meant they kept five clean sheets in a row. It was the first time in ten years that any Chelsea goalkeeper had achieved this feat. Sevilla (seven), second in the group, came from two goals down to beat Krasnodar (one) 3-2 in their home fixture. We expect the leading pair to secure passage to the next round on matchday four.
Group F saw Borussia Dortmund (six) thump Club Brugge (four) 3-0 in Belgium. The result puts Dortmund top of the group and doesn’t bode well for Brugge’s chances of picking up a result in Germany. Lazio (five), meanwhile, travelled to Russia with a depleted squad to draw 1-1 with Zenit (one). The Italians will hope to have more options for the Italian fixture. Barcelona (nine) maintained their perfect record in Group G despite the heroics of Dynamo Kyiv’s (one) teenage goalkeeper. The Blaugrana picked up a routine 2-1 win to put one foot in the Round of 16. Juventus (six) got back to winning ways after their defeat to Barca on matchday two by beating Ferencvaros (one) 4-1 in Hungary. Group G doesn’t hold much mystery.
How things stand after Matchday Three in the Champions League
Group H, meanwhile, is full of intrigue. Group leaders Manchester United (six) took their rotten domestic form on the continent and lost 2-1 at Istanbul Basaksehir (three) with a comedy of errors available for anyone with access to highlights. Last season’s finalists Paris Saint-Germain’s (three) progress to the next round is in doubt after losing 2-1 away to RB Leipzig (six). The French giants had two players sent off in the game, meaning that they will be without Gueye and Kimpembe for the reverse clash with Leipzig. That’s the tasty note to end this UCL round-up on.
Matchday four promises to be a spectacle of thrills and spills. PSG could find themselves looking at an impossible mountain to climb if they fall to another defeat. United will also want to ensure that their bright start is not undone by beating their Turkish visitors. Inter Milan need a first win to arrive if they are to avoid another group exit while Gladbach could steal a march on their rivals for a qualification spot. Stay up to date on all of the latest analysis for these matches by following the expert tips of Sporty Trader here. They create previews on every major match on the continent providing the relevant statistics to help you make an accurate prediction.