GROUP A
BAYERN THRASH SALZBURG 2-6
Bayern Munich were at their dominant best in the Champions league on Tuesday evening at their match day 3 group game fixture against Salzburg at their home stadium at the Red Bull Arena. Bayern put 6 past Cican Stankovic in goal for Salzburg in a one sided encounter despite Salzburg starting the better side getting ahead as early as the 4th minute with a goal through Mergim Berish.
Bayern were back in it in the 21st minute through an equaliser from Robert Lewandowski, and they were in control of the game as they got ahead just before the period of half time as an own goal from Rasmus Kristensen got the German side in front to set up an even more dominant second half display, Salzburg however got back on level terms in the opening minutes of the restart courtesy of an equaliser in the 66th minute by Masaya Okugawa and Bayern soon got back scoring, they got 4 other goals which were scored by Jerome Boateng in the closing stages of the game in the 79th minute and Leroy Sane getting in the goals to get the 4th in the 83rd minute.
Lewandowski got his brace in the 88th minute to make it 5 and then Lucas Hernandez making it 6 on the night for Han Flick’s men on the stroke of the 90th minute to keep the reigning Champions of Europe with a perfect start in the competition having won all their 3 opening group matches to stay top of group A.
In the early kick off game in Russia at the RZD Arena, Lokomotiv Moscow played a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid, an 18th minute opener by Jose Gimenez for the visiting Diego Simeone’s side was replied by a well taken penalty kick by Anton Miranchu in the 25th minute and Athleti could not find the winner in a very frustrating game which saw them have play 6 shots on goals as against Lokomotiv having just a shot hitting the target.
Athleti stays second on the group with 4 points behind Bayern who are top of the group 9 maximum points from now winning all 3 opening games
GROUP B
REAL MADRID EARNED A 3-2 WIN OVER INTER
Real Madrid is finally up and running in the Champions league this season after having to wait till match day 3 to register a 1st hard earned win against Inter at their home ground, the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. An early 1st half goal from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos within 8 minutes of each other in the 25th and 33rd minute set up the tune for a very exciting match.
Antonio Conte’s men crawled back to get a grip of the match from a Lautaro Martinez 35th minute goal and also an Ivan Perisic leveller in the 68th minute set up a very tensed and competitive last 22 minutes of the match, but Rodrygo would eventually have the final say for Zinedine Zidane’s side with an 80th minute goal to seal a 3-2 win for Madrid.
Madrid laboured to earn a 1st win over an impressive and strong Inter side and would now stay 3rd on the group with 4 points from 3 games.
The other group B game saw Borussia Monchengladbach run riot against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk at their home stadium at the Stadion NSK Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv ,Gladbach were in the mood putting 6 past the Luis Castro team at their backyard., goals from Alassane Plea in the eight minutes, was doubled by an own goal by Valeriy Bondar in the 17th minutes, Alassena compiled his brace with the 3rd of the game in the 26th minute, Amy Bensebaini made it four just before half time in the 44th minutes and the dominance continued in the 2nd half as Lars Stindl made it 5 for Monchengladbach in the 65th minutes and Alassane Plea completed his hat trick netting the 6th goal to cap up a very embarrassing night for a generally below par Donetsk side.
GROUP C
MANCHESTER CITY AND PORTO WINS 3-0 STRAIGHT FORWARD WINS OVER MARSEILLE AND OLYMPIACOS
Manchester City and Porto are both dominating Group C and they confirmed their dominance with an impressive 3 nil convincing win over Olympiacos and Marseille respectively.
Pep Guardiola’s City got the job done at home at the Etihad Stadium through goals from Ferran Torres in the 12th minute and no goals were recorded in the match despite all the City’s efforts until the last 10 minutes of the game with Gabriel Jesus’ 81st minute goal and Joao Cancelo’s stoppage time goal ensured that City maintained a perfect record with all 9points to top the group from 3 games played.
Porto secured its second group game win in match day 3 with an emphatic 3-0 win over French giant Marseille, They got to it quickly as early as the 4th minute courtesy of a goal from Mossa Marega in the 4th minute, Marseille had an immediate opportunity to level matters 6minutes later when they were awarded a penalty but Dimitri Payet couldn’t convert from the spot.
Sergio Oliviera doubled the advantage for Porto in the 28th minute and Luis Diaz made it 3 in the 69th minute to land Sergio Conceicao’s men all 3 point at home at the Estadio do Drago
GROUP D
DIOGO JOTA’S HAT TRICK HELPED LIVERPOOL THRASHED ATALANTA 5-0
Diogo Jota’s hat trick inspired Liverpool to a 5-nil dominant win over Atalanta at their backyard at the Gewiss Stadium on a night where they were completely outclassed and outplayed.
Jota was already on brace as early as the 21st minute with two brilliant finishes, further goals from Mo Salah and Saido Mane within two minutes apart in the 47th and 49th minutes to put the game beyond a struggling Atlanta side on the night.
Jota would finally complete a very brilliant champions league night with a hat trick with a 54th minute goal.
Ajax were playing away in Switzerland against FC Midtjylland in the second match up of Group D and they got the job done away from home at the MCH Arena coming out with a narrow 1-2 win to earn a vital 3 point. Two quick 1st half goals from Antony and Dusan Tadic put the Dutch side in a commanding position in the match.
Midtjylland got on the score sheet as well in the 18th minute through Anders Dreyer’s goal, but it ended 1-2 in favour of the away side.
GROUP E
CHELSEA BRILLIANT AT HOME DEFEATING RENNES 3-0
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea hosted Rennes at home Wednesday night in a match day 3 group fixture at the champions league and they came out tops with a convincing 3-0 win over their visitors.
Timo Werner got the game up and running through a 10th minute well taken penalty and he doubled the lead yet again through another penalty kick in the 41st minute just before the half and Tammy Abraham sealed it with a 3rd in the 50th minute as they dominated a 10 man Renne with Dalbert getting his marching orders after a second yellow in the 40th minute.
In the other Group E fixture, Sevilla won 3-2 at home at the Estadio R. Sanchez Pizjuan over FC Krasnodar to take them level on 7 point at the top of the group with Chelsea topping the table with a superior goal difference.
GROUP F
BORUSSIA DORTMUD SECURED A 0-3 AWAY VICTORY OVER CLUB BRUGGE
Borussia Dortmund went away to play Club Brugge on match day 3 at the Jan Breydel Stadion and they came out tops winning an emphatic 0-3 away from home to now top the group f with 6 points.
Goals from Thorgan Hazard in the 14th minute was followed closely in the 18th minute by Haaland and Haaland’s brace in the 32nd minute sealed the game for the Bundesliga side.
Russian side Zenit St Petersburg played out a 1-1 draw at home the Gazprom Arena against visiting Italian side Lazio in the other group fixture.
GROUP G
BARCA EDGE DYNAMO KYIV 2-1
Barcelona continued their impressive start to the champions league group games on match day 3 as they made in 3 to stay top of group G defeating Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv at home at the Camp Nou.
A 5th minute Leonel Messi well taken penalty kick was all the goal to report all through the 1st half which Barca dominated expectedly but they could not find a way past Rusian Neshcheret in goal for the visiting side.
Gerrard Pique’s headed goal from a pin point Ansu Fati cross made it 2 for Barca in the 65th minute in a half which Ronald Koeman’s team dominated and deservedly have two goals to the good.
Viktor Tsigankov reduced the deficit for Dynamo Kyiv through a simple tap in finish in the 75th minute to set up a tense final 15 minutes of the match, but Barca held on for the win to stay top of group G.
JUVENTUS BRILLAINT AWAY FROM HOME DEFEATING FERENCVAROS 1-4 AWAY FROM HOME
Cristiano Ronaldo was back in the starting line in the champions league for the very first time this season after missing the first two group games for the season while he was away recovering from COVID-19, but it was Alvaro Morata who was the Champions league hero yet again netting a brace, a 7th minute simple tap in finish from a Juan Cuadrado square ball and a second half 60th minute finish from a Ronaldo assist ensured that Morata’s Champions league scoring form continued to the good of the ”old lady”
Paulo Dybala made it 3 for Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus in the 73rd minute and moments later a horror moment for Lasho Dvali as he put the ball into his own net to gift Juventus the 4th on the night to seal a very dominant display.
Franck Boli would however get a consolation goal in the stoppage time for Ferencvarosi.
It ended 1-4 in favour of Juventus as they are now on 6 points in second position in group G
GROUP H
MANCHESTER UNITED AND PSG BOTH FUMBLED IN GROUP H
Manchester United and PSG both came out empty handed from match day 3 in the Champions league as they both recorded losses as against what the bookies would have predicted.
United played Istanbul Basaksehir away from home in Turkey coming from the back of a loss in the league to rivals Arsenal and it was supposed to be a perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways and continue their impressive form in the Champions league having defeated PSG on match day one and a convincing victory over German Bundesliga side Rasenballsport Liepzig on match day two, but it was not United’s day in Turkey as they came out with a 1-2 defeat.
A familiar face in former Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba fired Basaksehir into the lead in the 13th minute and it was doubled by Edin Visca just before half time in the 40th minute, Anthony Martial got United back into it before the half as well in the 43rd minute and it set the tone for a more robust United performance in the second half as they were better with the possession but all of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s teams pressure didn’t bear any fruit as it ended 1-2 in favour of the home team at the end of the match at their home ground at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu.
PSG‘s poor start to the Champions league campaign continued on match day 3 as they came out second best losing to German side RasenBallsport Leipzig at their home at the Red Bull Arena.
Thomas Tuchel’s side started the better side with the opening goal from Angel di Maria as early as the 6th minute, Di Maria had the chance to get a brace from the spot again in the 16th minute but his penalty was saved by Peter Gulacsi in goal for Leipzig.
Leipzig got the leveller just before the 1st half in the 42nd minute through a Christopher Nkunu goal and they shot in the lead through a well converted penalty kick in the 57th minute through Emil Forsberg. Presnel Kimpembe had handled the ball in the area before the penalty was awarded.
PSG ended the match with ten men after Idrissa Gana Guaye was red carded for a second bookable offence. Leipzig hanged on to the win to hand PSG its second defeat in the group stages
Manchester United stays top of the group with 6 points.
