The third week saw some close encounters barring the reigning European Club Champions Real Madrid which even without some key players in the midfield managed to score five goals. Here is our analysis of the matches that took place.
GROUP E
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Tottenham
CSKA Moscow 1-1 Monaco
Both the matches of the group ended in a draw. The draw takes Monaco tops of the group with 5 points though there is not much of a gap as each team is separated by one point each and hence the group is turning out to real close. in the first match Spurs will consider themselves lucky to grab a point and they should largely be thanking their keeper Hugo Lloris for making a string of saves throughout the match to deny the Germans a much deserved 3 points.
Lacina Traore, CSKA Moscow’s striker was lined up to face his parent club Monaco and he immediately proved a point across to Monaco by scoring the opening goal in the 34 minute. Traore would have been an unlikely hero had it not been for Bernardo Silva to level things in the 87th minute to give both the sides a point each. The goal also denied CSKA Moscow keeper Akinfeev a first clean sheet in 40 Champions League outings, a run which stretches all the way back to November 2006.
GROUP F
Real Madrid 5-1 Legia Warszawa
Sporting Lisbon 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Madrid ran a goal riot to score 5 past their opponent. Three in the first half itself to close the match. They are now unbeaten in their all group matches and are joint top of the group with 7 points and have infact extend their unbeaten run to 23 games across all competitions. The only surprise of the night of Ronaldo’s name missing from the goal sheet.
Dortmund put behind their troubling times in the past one month which saw them go win less to come good against the Portuguese side. Dortmund took the lead in the 9th minute through Aubameyang and Weigl added a second to give the visiting side a comfortable 2 goals cushion going into half time. But Sporting fought back and got a goal back to make an interesting final third but BVB managed to hold on to register 3 points.
GROUP G
Club Brugge 1-2 FC Porto
Leicester City 1-0 FC Copenhagen
Porto left it late to register the win. Club Brugge took the lead in the 12th minute it was only after the hour mark that Porto finally leveled the match and then went on to do one better and scored the winner in the extra time courtesy a penalty by the young striker Andre Silva. The win sees Porto on 4 points level with Copenhagen and in contention for the knockout stage. Club Brugge will need some miracle though if they have to reach the next stage for they sit bottom with zero points after 3 games.
Leicester are a different team in Premier league and a very different side when it come to European nights. Leicester’s golden boy Mahrez was at it scoring in the 40th minute which proved to be the difference. the win makes it three in three for Leicester who sit top of Group G with 9 points and are more of less assured of knockout stage. Leicester City Champions League winners 2016-17 anyone?
GROUP H
Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Sevilla
Lyon 0-1 Juventus
In Group H one goal was all the difference it required. For Sevilla it was Samir Nasri the loanee from Manchester City whose lone strike in the 37th minute was enough for the Spanish side to beat the Croatian team and keep them level with Juventus at the top stop with 7 points.
Juventus dug deep and it was the veteran Buffon who came for their rescue. He saved a Penalty in the 35th minute and stopped anything that came at his way which left Lyon frustrated. Juventus were reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute when Lemina was sent off after a second yellow card. With 35 minutes left to play Lyon piled on the pressure to be denied by Buffon and it was in fact Cuadrado who came off the bench and scored in the 76th minute to earn the Italian side the win.
The Champions league action continues tomorrow night with another line up of exciting matches and unpredictable results.