18 games, over 50 goals, a lot to watch. The third leg of the Champions League presented a new sight for all of us. Paris Saint-Germain gave Bayer Leverkusen a night to forget and it was the usual suspects who once again had the upper hand as Liverpool secured a stunning victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, it was not entirely without shock. Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur side faltered once again, this time against AS Monaco, but manager Antonio Conte is sure to have a word with his Napoli side who suffered a humiliating 6-2 defeat at PSV Eindhoven.
But in a week dominated by so many goals, who stands out as the biggest winners and losers in Matchday 3 of the Champions League?
Winner: Wirths ends the wait, PSG beats Leverkusen
Winner: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
After four straight defeats in all competitions, Liverpool’s trip to Frankfurt suddenly became their most important. Defeat would have made Arne Slott the first Liverpool manager in the Premier League era to lose five games on the bounce, a statistic that would have raised the most serious concerns during his Anfield tenure.
The Reds looked set for another miserable night when Rasmus Christensen found the bottom corner of Giorgi Mamadashvili’s goal in the 26th minute. It was the type of goal they are familiar with these days.
However, a quick-fire triple from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate quickly led to a sigh of relief around the Liverpool dugout, before Florian Wirtz came into play in the second half.
The German player, who provided goals for Kodi Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, ended a 10-game wait for a goal contribution and finally put on a Liverpool shirt and began his journey to stardom.
Winner: PSG
They may have languished in second place behind Marseille in Ligue 1 in recent weeks, but PSG remain ruthless with the world watching. This time, it was Bayer Leverkusen who suffered. The once invincible Germans looked no match for the European champions, who found themselves leading 4-1 before Leverkusen were evacuated at half-time.
The onslaught continued in the second period. Goals from Willian Pacho, Desiree Due and Juvica Kvaratschelia, as well as performances from Nuno Mendes, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Vicinha, ensured a stunning 7-2 victory.
In full flow, PSG look unstoppable once again, which could leave them on course to retain the European crown this season.
Winner: Fermin López (Barcelona)
When it comes to praising La Masia graduates, it’s usually Lamine Yamal who makes the headlines. Sadly, in recent weeks, Fermin Lopez finally received flowers.
The Spaniard, who attracted transfer interest from the Premier League in the summer, proved his worth at Barcelona and enjoyed one of his best games to date against Olympiakos.
Lopez, who scored a hat-trick as Barcelona beat the Greek side 6-1, is adamant he should start every week for Hansi Flick’s side.
Loser: Salah’s woes continue, Simeone loses his own game
Loser: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Liverpool were desperate for a win against Frankfurt and Mohamed Salah was desperate for a goal. However, after 90 minutes in Germany, only one such thing happened and the Egyptian was left to regret yet another missed opportunity.
Salah, removed in place of Hugo Ekitike in the slot upfront, had to prove a point when he came off the bench. However, he failed to get the ball to Wirtz in an attempt to end his open play drought, exposing his current confidence issues for the Reds watching.
Some were quick to criticize the winger, who has since removed Liverpool from his Twitter header, which could be a worrying sign for Anfield officials. Liverpool may be back on winning ways, but there is still a huge Salah issue to be resolved.
Loser: Bayer Leverkusen
Life without the likes of Xabi Alonso, Wirtz and Jeremy Frimpong has not been easy for Leverkusen. However, humiliating PSG 7-2 in front of their fans remains unacceptable. They tried the Erik ten Hag experiment earlier this season, but it failed. Now it’s Kasper Hjulmand’s turn to turn things around.
However, so far his team has been incredibly weak defensively and will need to take serious steps if they are to compete with Europe’s powerhouses again.
What makes PSG’s disastrous defeat even more frustrating is the fact that Leverkusen went into the game unbeaten in eight games in all competitions. Many goals were noticeable in these matches, but there was at least hope that the Germans would give the French champions a competitive fight. However, that turned out not to be the case.
Loser: Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
In one of the most anticipated matches on this season’s Champions League calendar, Arsenal hosted Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid in a clash of two teams who had perfected their defense before moving on.
In many ways it was an experienced defensive mastermind versus a newcomer on the block, but it was the latter who won. Simeone could only watch as he lost his game, and then some.
Arsenal ran riot, becoming the first team in history to score four goals in 13 minutes against Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, before a relentless second-half performance put things under control.
It was a statement from the Gunners and a night to forget for Simeone, whose power is beginning to wane on Europe’s biggest stage.
