After another night of Champions League action, there was always going to be drama, uncertainty and, as predicted at the outset of a ‘group of death’, a big name casualty.
And so it all proved as, for the second season running, the mighty Barcelona failed to progress beyond the group stages of the tournament.
In truth, the point of no return had already been reached for Xavi’s Barca before they entertained Bayern Munich – my tip to win the tournament this season.
What followed though was an emphatic Bayern victory as they delivered another group-stage masterclass to make it five wins out of five and show a gulf in class.
Bayern didn’t have to give it their all as Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan had outplayed Viktoria Plzen earlier with a 4-0 home victory to send Barca out before a ball was kicked in the Nou Camp.
The Bavarians still turned on the style though and were ahead inside 10 minutes when Sadio Mane latched onto Serge Gnabry’s brilliant through-ball and chipping an exquisite finish over Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage with a clinical strike through the legs of the goalkeeper.
It had long been over by the time Benjamin Pavard turned in a Joshua Kimmich corner in the closing moments.
The manner in which Barcelona have been despatched from the group raises many questions so soon after the club spent a small fortune to sign several top players, such as ex-Bayern man Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Marcos Alonso.
Tonight, they didn’t have a shot on target and haven’t scored in their last four Champions League games. They still have some way to go.
If Bayern (and Inter) – for whom Romelu Lukaku scored within four minutes of coming off the bench in his first appearance since August because of a hamstring injury – enjoyed a night of Champions League highlights, there was a certain predictability about some of the events elsewhere.
Ajax’s home encounter with last season’s beaten finalists Liverpool provided a reality check as the gap between England’s leading sides (which strengthen) and Holland’s leading teams (which regularly sells its prized assets) was clear.
The SBOTOP Champions League betting odds still tip Napoli to top Group A though after Giovanni Simeone’s brace in the opening 16 minutes saw off Rangers.
The son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego, his double portended a chastening contest for the Scottish Premiership side, and the Serie A leaders added a late third through Leo Ostigard.
This was all for a team which was without the likes of Pitor Zielinski, Hirving Lozano, Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, all rested, – presumably with tougher tests in mind.
It’s fair to say Giovanni had a better night than his dad who saw his Atletico team eliminated after they could only draw 2-2 at home with Bayer Leverkusen
Twice they fought back but Los Rojiblancos could not net a winner and the 2014 and 2016 finalists and bowed out of Group B following the most dramatic of endings.
It was Bayer who twice went into the lead, first through Moussa Diaby and then Callum Hudson-Odoi, but Atleti pegged them back through Yannick Carrasco and Rodrigo De Paul.
Then, with the full-time whistle already sounded, match official Clement Turpin was told there was an incident he needed to review. He duly went to the screen and awarded the home side a penalty, only for Carrasco’s spot-kick to be saved by the excellent Lukas Hradecky before Saul crashed the rebound against the crossbar.
FC Porto go through with Club Bruges and that was something no-one predicted at the start of the group stages.
If one animated manager was frustrated in Spain, the scene in North London was of a another passionate boss briefly enjoying himself and then becoming angry.
The match between Spurs and spirited Sporting Lisbon was level at 1-1 deep into stoppage time when an Ivan Perisic cross was knocked back down by Emerson Royal for Harry Kane to fire in from close range.
Antonio Conte let out all his pent- up frustration, running and hugging everyone on the touchline. Yet it wasn’t over because, after a lengthy check, VAR ruled it was offside and Conte let rip at the officials, earning him a red card.
It means only two points separates the four sides in Group D with Spurs (eight points) followed by Sporting and Eintracht Frankfurt (seven points) who were 2-1 winners over Marseille (six points).
Next week’s final fixtures in that group should be the ones to watch.
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