Champions League Match Day-3 games completed, Group A,B,C & D were on action on Tuesday. Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City , Porto, Ajax and Champions Bayern Munich all picked up important wins, while Atletico held by Moskva.
Group A results:
After three games , 2019-20 Champions Bayern Munich Leads Group A with 9 points. Atletico Madrid in second place with 4 points, while Lokomotiv Moskva in third place with just 2 points ahead of Austrian side Salzburg with 1 point. As things stand, Bayern will run away as group winners, second place is up for grabs.
Lokomotiv Moskva 1-1 Atlético
Jose Maria Giménez’s 18 minute goal puts visitors 1-0 up but the lead didn’t last long, Anton Miranchuk converts 25 minute penalty to level the score for home side. The result will significantly frustrate Atleti. They’ve played with much more confidence and competitive equality than their last away game, in Bavaria, but the point is going to feel pretty small recompense. Yes there was a superb save from Lokomotiv’s athletic keeper to prevent Joao Félix adding a cherry on the icing of this thoroughly competent performance. But now the pressure is on to win part two of the double-header when the Railwaymen roll into Spain’s capital for what’s now a 90 minutes with no acceptable result other than victory for Cholo Simeone’s side.
Salzburg 2 – 6 Bayern Munich
Mergim Berisha’s 4th minute goal gave early 1-0 lead to Home team, Robert Lewandowski 21 minute penalty conversion makes it even before Rasmus Kristensen’s 44 minute own goal gave 2-1 lead to Champions Bayern.
Masaya Okugawa scored within 1 minute after coming off the bench in 66 minute to level the score 2-2. But Bayern scored 4 goals in the final 11 minutes to close out the game 6-2. Jérôme Boateng (79 minute), Leroy Sané (83 minute), Lucas Hernández(90+2 minute) all on the score sheet, Lewandowski adds another goal to his tally with 88 minute goal.
Another brave performance from Salzburg, but again they leave with empty hands. Against the reigning champions you have to take your chances, but Salzburg wasted too many and got punished at the end, it was all rather predictable. Bayern, far from at their best, grind out a flattering win late on, while Salzburg fight bravely but leave empty handed again. The three points put the holders comfortably in control at the half-way point in Group A, and that with plenty of room for improvement. A job well done for Flick’s men.
Group B Results :
Shakhtar Donetsk 0 – 6 Monchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach dominated Shakhtar Donetsk and scored 6 goals to win their first game of 2020-21 Champions league. Alassane Pléa scores his first Champions League hat-trick with a 8,26 & 78 minute goals. Ramy Bensebaini (44 minute) and Lars Stindl (65 minute), each scored a goal to take count to 6.
Shakhtar Donetsk came into this match undefeated in their first two games, but they failed to replicate their Match Day 1 performance against German side. The home side managed to register only one shot on target. Valeriy Bondar’s 17 minute own goals says it all about their night.
Luís Castro, Shakhtar coach:
“We were not a team. We played an awful, very weak game. We were not able to press them and control the depth of play. In the first half we didn’t create any problems for them in attack at all. We were not surprised with the way Mönchengladbach played. We were surprised with what we showed in this game.”
“It’s a terrible night for us. The team that achieved a fantastic result just two weeks ago in Madrid were not able to make any problems for its opponents – it’s hard to take. An early goal threw us off our stride, and then we were two-down after only 17 minutes. We were not able to react properly to all this.”
“This result is a huge disappointment for us. We lost three points tonight but we will fight until the very last second and we will try to improve in the next games. We made three substitutions at half-time because when your team play this kind of first half, you can’t afford the same in the second one. We wanted to refresh our side, we wanted to add some energy we lacked in the first half. We hadn’t expected this evening to be so bad for us.”
Marco Rose, Gladbach coach: “6-0 is extraordinary. Today we did a lot of things right – perhaps even everything. The lads were on point from the first whistle. We put our opponents under pressure, won balls and executed our plan brilliantly.”
Real Madrid 3 – 2 Inter Millan
Rodrygo’s 80th minute winner off the bench gives Real Madrid their first win of 2020-21 Champions league season. Karim Benzema scores in 25 minute to give early lead to home side, Sergio Ramos scores his 100th goal for Real Madrid in 33 minute to double the lead. But Inter managed to even it up with Martínez’s 35 minute goal and Perišić’s 68 minute goal.
Antonio Conte’s team stays at the bottom of the group with just 2 points after three Games. They are yet to win a game this season.
Zinédine Zidane, Real coach:
“Things are always tense, because there’s a tough opponent in front of you. We suffered but we need to pat our boys on the back because they deserved to win. We started really well, pressing high as we like to do. We went 2-0 up but we conceded quickly and couldn’t play our football.”
“Hazard and Asensio did some great work, and with the substitutions we looked to take advantage of the space that they were leaving at the back. We need to be happy; you can always do things better but we will enjoy the win. It’s always hard against tough opponents and you need to believe right until the end.”
Antonio Conte, Inter coach:
“I think these kind of steps are necessary for the growth of our team. There are no shortcuts, we have to make our own path. I don’t know how many teams can play as we did here in Madrid tonight. The results we are earning are not the ones we want but it’s also an important lesson for us.”
“Details are decisive at this level and you need to do everything perfectly if you want to win games like this one. The mentality of the team, however, makes me very happy. We are growing exponentially in my opinion. Madrid treated this game like a final but we played on a par with them.”
“We are growing in my opinion, the team play with confidence regardless of the opponents we are facing. There are nine points still at stake, I think we can still fight for qualification. We also need a bit more luck because I think we deserved more from the first three games.”
