Barcelona and Inter Milan put on a show as Barcelona needed a point to stay alive in Champions League play and they got the bare minimum defending the Spotify Camp Nou with a 3-3 draw that Robert Lewandowski salvaged with a late brace. While Inter will have wanted to win the match, they still hold the tiebreaker over Barcelona and can secure knockout round soccer with a victory over Viktoria Plzen in the next round which would send Barcelona to the Europa League.
That Plzen side put up a fight, losing 4-2 to Bayern Munich meaning that the German side qualifies for the knockout stage of the Champions League. Mohamed Salah scored a hat trick off the bench to pace Liverpool past Rangers in a 7-1 victory and Heung-Min Son scored a brace as Spurs held on to win 3-2 over Eintracht Frankfurt to move into first place in Group D.
As for the early slate, Napoli put up yet another crooked number as they dispatched Ajax at home, 4-2. With four different scorers, Luciano Spalletti's balanced side has now qualified for the round of 16 and also run their unbeaten streak in Champions League group stage games to 10. Napoli can't win Group A until Matchday 5, but they're now in the driver's seat with 12 points from four matches.
Club Brugge have also qualified for the knockout stages of Champions League for the first time ever in the Champions League era after a 0-0 draw away to Atletico Madrid. While it wasn't Brugge's greatest game of the tournament so far, they only needed a draw and got just that to make the last 16. Atletico Madrid will now be sweating as they can't break away from the pack which could lead to them missing the knockouts.
Here are a few takeaways from the matches
This season has been a struggle for Liverpool but when the Reds get their scoring going, they do it in a big way. At first, it seemed like Roberto Firmino's brace would be the story of the match as Liverpool brushed aside Rangers opening goal, and then Mohamed Salah came off the bench and scored three goals in six minutes and 12 seconds. It's the fastest hat trick in Champions League history and it's just what the Reds needed ahead of a critical Premier League tie with Manchester City looming this weekend.
While it was a fun match for Liverpool, it does need to be pointed out that blowout victories haven't been a sign of good things to come for the Reds this season. After defeating Bournemouth 9-0 in August, Liverpool would only win one of their next three games dropping points to Everton and Napoli. Similarly, sandwiched on either side of these Rangers fixtures where Liverpool scored nine goals and conceded one, they lost 3-2 to Arsenal but the team needs Champions League Mohamed Salah to show up in the Premier League. Salah now has five Champions League goals and has only scored two goals in the Premier League. For the Reds to charge up the table, these hat tricks need to translate.
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While their 3-3 draw with Inter Milan looks good on paper for Barcelona, their Champions League hopes are hanging on by a thread after drawing the match. Gerard Pique is too experienced of a defender to make gaffes like the one that led to Nicolo Barella's goal for Inter Milan and it could cost Barcelona more than just points considering their risky financial situation.
Barcelona needs to make the knockout stages due to the financial windfall that comes with getting the job done and as of now, Inter Milan are in the driver's seat for the second spot in the group, with Bayern Munich having already secured theirs. While there is still money in Europa League, it's not nearly the same magnitude, not to mention the fact that any money they would make from making a deep run would come too late for any January spending plans. They're really operating on the edge of what is economically feasible already and the registration of Jules Kounde required their directors to put up their own money. Joan Laporta has found levers left and right, but if the team doesn't perform to expectations, options for bailout money will dwindle.
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Napoli's opening goal against Ajax set the tone for the match within the opening minutes a give and go from Pitor Zielinski to Hirving Lozano was unstoppable. From there Napoli were in full flow with four different goal scorers but their key man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a goal and an assist to bring his tally to seven goals and seven assists in all competitions after joining the team from Dinamo Batumi in Georgia. Napoli have become one of the most fun squads in the world to watch and they've been incomplete as they suffer through injuries for most of the season.
The match also saw Victor Osimhen score his first goal since August against Monza as he returns from missing six matches due to an injury. His goal showed what he can bring to the attack as Osimhen created the goal by pressing Daly Blind, picking the ball off of him and walking it into the back of the net to add to Napoli's advantage. Spalletti's side are unbeaten in all competitions and with this kind of form, that could be the case for a while.
While Club Brugge has played in the European Cup final in 1978, losing to Liverpool, since the change in format to the Champions League they have never made it out of the group stages of the tournament, That is, until now. It's a great result for the Belgian side as they've been off the pace of Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League.
Getting out of a group with Porto, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen is something to be proud of and Bruge are the favorites to win the group with ten points through four matches.
Joining Real Madrid and Manchester City are Club Brugge, Napoli, and Bayern Munich. Quite a few teams are close to securing places in the round of 16 on matchday five but this was quite a day of soccer with four red cards handed out and only four teams not scoring a goal to close out matchday four.
Gosens thought he had the winner but Eric Garcia found Lewandowski and Barcelona are now level at 3-3 with about four minutes of stoppage time remaining. Absolute end to end stuff!
Alidou was able to score his header to bring Frankfurt within a goal. Harry Kane then hit his penalty kick over the bar as Spurs limp to the finish.
Robert Lewandowski has scored a massive goal but Inter Milan will make some changes as they look to win this match outright.
Off the bench and on the score sheet in a big way for Salah. At this point, how many goals can the reds score?
He keeps it going as Rangers are falling apart. With Manchester City up next, Liverpool need all the confidence that they can get.
This time it's Mohamed Salah scoring again against Rangers, while Salah has struggled in the Premier League, he now has three goals in four appearances for Liverpool in European play.
It won't see them make it out of the group but quite a strike for Kliment as their top striker is finally back in the lineup.
Both of Liverpool's strikers are firing in Scotland.
These current results would see Barcelona knocked out of Champions League play due to Inter having the better head to head record.
They're off and running as Taremi has now hit a brace in the match.
Jhon Mosquera fed Adam Vikanova for a first time finish and Bayern will be sad to lose their clean sheet. It's Plzen's first home Champions League goal of the season.
Firmino's form is next level as Joe Gomez's cross was perfect into Firmino's stride to put Liverpool ahead.
Barella snuck behind the Barcelona defense and one knew what hit the. Bastoni's ball was great but Pique left the chance and paid for it.
Not great for Bayer Leverkusen as the strike from Taremi's penalty take was true.
Ousmane Dembele scores from close range following quite a pass from Sergi Roberto.
After going behind early, Spurs have now scored three unanswered goals as this time it was Hojbjerg who found Son for the goal.
Harit played a pass into the box that found the in-form Sanchez who doubled Marseille's lead. What a start!
Kane's penalty needed a little help to get in as Trapp came close to saving it but it eked past and Spurs are in the lead.
This time Muller is the assistor to setup Goretzka. Muller and Goretzka both have a goal and an assist each and the match hasn't reached the 30th minute yet.
Liverpool's leading scorer on the season is back at it again as Roberto Firmino brings the match level in the 24th minute, that's more like it for the Reds.
This time it's the Kane to Son connection and maybe Spurs just needed to concede a goal to wake up for the match.
Ricardo Esgaio has been sent off with two yellows within the first 20 mintues of the match! The second awarded Marseille a penalty that Matteo Guendouzi slotted home.
With a rotated side and one eye on the weekend, Rangers have opened the scoring with a Scott Arfield -- who Liverpool fans may remember from Burnley -- stunner from outside the box.
Again, Tottenham's spacing in a 3-4-3 is exploited as Rode plays a wonderful pass to Kamada who doesn't miss from close range.
While Bayern's Champions League campaign doesn't begin until the knockout stages of the tournament, goals from Sadio Mane and Thomas Muller will now see them cruise to the end of the match.
Galeno's shot from inside the box was impossible to stop for Hradecky as Porto have an early lead in the match.
Can Barcelona get the job done and keep their knockout stage hopes alive?
