Champions League, Matchday 3: Big teams wobble, but Barca are back

The supersized Champions League resumed this week, with all 36 groups again in motion over 48 frenetic hours. Under, theScore’s soccer editors replicate on Matchday 3 in Europe’s premier membership competitors.

Key takeaway from Matchday 3 📝

Anthony Lopopolo: What occurred to Pink Bull’s swashbuckling sides? RB Leipzig and Pink Bull Salzburg are every and not using a level after three matches. Salzburg have not even scored but. Leipzig a minimum of have an excuse, opening their marketing campaign towards Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Liverpool. And whereas they dropped all of them, Leipzig performed nicely sufficient in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Reds, controlling the tempo for giant chunks of the sport. Leipzig additionally had two objectives disallowed for offside. However the undertaking is over a decade outdated now. Leipzig have misplaced steam in Europe since reaching the semifinals in 2020. Salzburg have by no means made it previous the spherical of 16. That is an inflection level for Pink Bull. Jurgen Klopp, its new head of soccer operations, might have an actual job on his fingers.

Gianluca Nesci: The proverbial “large” groups really need to work for this. Concern that extra matches within the new group league part would give the larger, richer contenders extra leeway to coast by to the following spherical was a good critique, however it’s clear by three video games that lots of these sides cannot put issues into cruise management. Paris Saint-Germain are nineteenth within the desk after three forgettable performances. Bayern Munich have misplaced two straight and sit twenty third. After a shiny begin, Juventus was trucked at residence by Stuttgart and tumbled down the standings. Atletico Madrid are in one of many elimination locations. Groups will want roughly 11 factors to get into the knockout playoffs, whereas 15 or 16 factors might safe an automated berth within the spherical of 16. A few of Europe’s most adorned golf equipment want to show issues round rapidly to succeed in these benchmarks.

Which fairy-tale group do you most consider in? 🦄

Lopopolo: Sporting CP. They’re unbeaten after 12 matches to start out the season and have one in every of Europe’s most dependable scorers in Viktor Gyokeres, who already has 13 objectives throughout the Primeira Liga and Champions League. Whereas Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal will certainly check the Portuguese aspect in its subsequent two Champions League fixtures, the remainder of its schedule is winnable, with matches towards Membership Brugge, Leipzig, and Bologna. This group has scored in all however one in every of its final 21 matches in European competitors, and with seven factors in tow, Sporting may even afford a few slip-ups on the trail to qualifying.

Nesci: Aston Villa. Regardless of this being their first look in Europe’s top-tier competitors since 1983, no person thought Villa could be a pushover going into the Champions League. However let’s be actual: not even probably the most ardent supporters might have anticipated this stage of success. Unai Emery, who arrived in Birmingham with the membership mired in relegation bother, has Villa sitting atop the 36-team Champions League desk with a 100% report after beating Bologna on Tuesday. They have not conceded a purpose within the match so far and have a comparatively pleasant schedule the remainder of the way in which. Their league type – Villa sit fourth within the Premier League – crystalizes what everybody on the continent is rapidly studying: Aston Villa are for actual.

This week’s disaster membership 😬

Lopopolo: Paris Saint-Germain. Luis Enrique’s aspect might solely convert one in every of its 26 makes an attempt on purpose in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven, leaving the membership with simply 4 factors from three matches forward of a difficult slate of video games. PSG face Atletico, Bayern, and Manchester Metropolis and will haven’t any selection however to just accept a play-off spot when it is all mentioned and performed. The issue is that they do not have composure in entrance of purpose. They’ve two objectives for the 62 pictures they’ve fired so far. That is the third-most any group has tried within the Champions League and a conversion fee of a little bit over 3%.

Nesci: Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s group, synonymous with solidity for therefore a few years, is having an id disaster. Atletico dropped their second straight Champions League match Wednesday, throwing away a lead and crumbling late in a 3-1 loss to Lille. That comes on the again of a 4-0 shellacking towards Benfica. As soon as Europe’s most miserly defensive unit, taking part in towards Atleti was like working headfirst right into a brick wall. However that wall and the aura that got here with it have crumbled because the membership has tried to evolve and play a extra bold attacking recreation. Atleti, and not using a clear sheet in practically a month, occupy one of many automated elimination locations close to the underside of the Champions League desk. It is time to stick or twist.

Participant of the week 🌟

Lopopolo: Vinicius Junior. As soon as Actual Madrid received their comeback effort underway, the Brazilian took over, flying previous defenders as he accomplished a hat-trick within the second half of their 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund. His second purpose was breathtaking. Vinicius collected the ball in Madrid’s half of the sector earlier than galloping up the pitch and bending an ideal shot previous the goalkeeper. It was the sort of purpose solely a match-winner would rating. And Vinicius has been precisely that. Like Karim Benzema earlier than him, the 24-year-old all the time comes up clutch when Madrid are determined for a response. However he did not simply present the breakthrough. He recovered the ball 5 instances within the second half, exhibiting the starvation to make one thing occur, even when he was dozens of yards away from the opposition third. Vinicius’ power clearly rubbed off on his teammates.

Nesci: Raphinha. What a turnaround. Many Barcelona followers had been eager for the membership to signal Nico Williams this summer time to relegate Raphinha to the bench – or have him shipped out completely. Not anymore. The Brazilian is rapidly changing into the poster baby of Hansi Flick’s revitalized and reinvented group. He scored a elegant hat-trick in Wednesday’s 4-1 demolition of Bayern Munich, carrying the armband and main his membership to a cathartic win over an outdated foe. With 4 Champions League objectives on the marketing campaign, Raphinha has already surpassed his whole from final season’s match. In all, he has 9 tallies on the season, thriving in a nominal left-wing position that provides him extra freedom to float inside and assault the center of the opposition backline.

Ought to Vini win Ballon d’Or on Monday? 🏆

Lopopolo: Completely. You would discover gamers who scored extra final season, however Vinicius excelled in just about each attacking class, producing in large moments and electrifying followers with a season-high 37 profitable take-ons within the Champions League final time period. His two objectives in final 12 months’s quarterfinals towards Bayern Munich helped propel Madrid to the ultimate, the place he additionally scored. Additionally, Los Blancos by no means misplaced a recreation during which Vinicius discovered the online final season. All instructed, he was probably the most invaluable participant on the group that gained the Champions League and La Liga. Why should not he win the Ballon d’Or? That is the extra fascinating query.

Nesci: He will, and he is totally deserving. Nevertheless it’s a little bit disconcerting how a lot of a foregone conclusion this appears contemplating the physique of labor by his closest challenger. Rodri, inarguably crucial participant on a Manchester Metropolis group that made historical past by successful a fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023-24, adopted up that continued success at membership stage by incomes Participant of the Match honors throughout Spain’s run to the Euro 2024 crown. Truthful or not, Ballon d’Or voters have all the time positioned outsize significance on worldwide competitions when deciding who takes residence the game’s most coveted particular person trophy. Vinicius’ Brazil flopped badly on the Copa America, whereas Rodri was essential to Spain’s Euro triumph. Are we positive that is so cut-and-dried?

The place we stand 👀

This is the entire league part desk after Matchday 3. Keep in mind: The highest eight groups advance on to the final 16, and the perimeters that end ninth to twenty fourth head to the brand new knockout part playoffs, two-legged ties that decide who joins the eight automated qualifiers within the spherical of 16. The underside 12 golf equipment are eradicated from the Champions League.