Bayern Munich started Champions League Matchday 3 off with a bang as they leaned on a Leroy Sane brace to a 5-0 win over Viktoria Plzen. The German side is in complete control of Group C with nine points from three matches while Inter Milan eked past Barcelona at home in the late window.
Sporting CP started brightly with a goal from Francisco Trincao in the opening minute, but a rash 10 minutes from keeper Antonio Adan saw Marseille take the match, 4-1. Adan cleared the ball into the path of Alexis Sanchez for the opener in the 13th minute before being dispossessed for Amine Harit's goal in the 16th minute. Adan would complete his hat trick of mistakes with a handball outside the box in the 23rd minute leading to his dismissal.
Napoli and Club Brugge stole the show in the late window. The Serie A side handed Ajax their worst European defeat thanks to a brace from Giacomo Raspadori. Dusan Tadic was sent off near the end of the match with a second yellow card which made things worse for Ajax, now on three points through three matches. With their next match being an away trip to Napoli, it won't get any easier either. With a 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge have now won three consecutive Champions League matches for the first time in club history.
Barcelona's injuries caught up to them as they dropped an important match to Inter Milan. Hakan Calhanoglu scored a stunner before the end of the first half but Barcelona saw their equalizer chalked off. After Pedri scored, a handball from Ansu Fati saw the goal called off by VAR. Barcelona will now need help to qualify as Inter and Bayern are in the drivers seat in Group C.
Champions League: Matchday 3 results
Group A:
Ajax 1, Napoli 6
Liverpool 2, Rangers 0
Group B:
Club Brugge 2, Atletico Madrid 0
FC Porto 2, Bayer Leverkusen 0
Group C:
Bayern Munich 5, Viktoria Plzen 0
Inter Milan 1, Barcelona 0
Group D:
Olympique de Marseille 4, Sporting CP 1
Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Tottenham Hotspur 0
Group D stands for disappointment
With six points in their first two matches, Sporting CP had an excellent chance to take control of the group with a win. Despite arriving late to the stadium and causing a delay, Sporting got off to a quick start with goal before the joy ultimately faded away. Sporting keeper Antonio Adan had a match to forget highlighted by his clearance into Alexis Sanchez's path for Marseille's opening goal only 13 minutes in. It went from bad to worse as he was red-carded minutes later, which paved the way for a comfortable Marseille victory.
Spurs also needed a result to rise from the glut of teams in the group, but missed chances were again the mane of the game. Since defeating Marseille, Spurs have only won one of their last four games in all competitions as Antonio Conte's side are struggling to score goals. Despite controlling possession against Eintracht Frankfurt, Spurs only placed two shots on target and picked up their fourth point in three matches. Still without Dejan Kulusevski, Conte will need to find a way to improve his team's attacking fortunes quickly before one of their opponents takes control of the group.
A match to forget for Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann got the chance to hear the opening whistle on the pitch as a starter for Atletico Madrid. Griezmann, who has been a super sub this season, saw his team take 20 shots with only five hitting the target. The Frenchman had the biggest chance of the match from the penalty spot. After Casper Nielsen brought down Matheus Cunha in the box, Griezmann stepped up and clattered his penalty off the bar before knocking a follow up into the back of the net, but from an offside position.
While it's a historic victory for Brugge, this is a dissipating result for an Atletico Madrid side sitting at the bottom of Group B on goal difference. With only one win in three matches, they'll need to pick up points sooner than later or run the risk of not even dropping down to the Europa League. Also struggling in La Liga with only four wins in seven matches played, these are the kinds of missteps that could see Diego Simione replaced.
Napoli cannot be stopped
The Serie A leaders are also sitting atop their Champions League group. Napoli are one of the few remaining undefeated sides in league and continental play, joining the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City. Napoli certainly aren't at the level of those two, but the gap could be closing right in front of us. Luciano Spaletti oversees a relentless attack that has scored multiple goals in eight of 11 matches this season with different players pacing the attack each time. It was Raspadori, who made the difference with a brace on Tuesday. Napoli have had four different players score braces in matches this season.
Even without Victor Osimehen, it's seems almost impossible to stop Napoli because every player on the pitch can hurt you. Just tell it to Ajax as they found out the hard way. With their strength in depth, players like Giovanni Simione can score three goals in all competitions playing mostly from the bench. If Spaletti can continue to keep his side balanced, this is a team no one will want to face in the knockout stages.