Real Madrid could set unwanted record – and other Champs League takeaways
The UEFA Champions League group stage is nearing its conclusion, with most of the group standings already wrapped up, while others are still teetering on a knife edge with regard to whether or not they will qualify for the next round.
Round five of Europe’s club competition served up some interesting results and goals galore.
Los Blancos
Real Madrid could become one of the casualties of the group stage. Los Blancos currently look like a shadow of the team that won three Champions League trophies on the trot, with their most recent coming in 2018.
As it stands, there is a possibility they might not qualify for the next round of the competition, a first in the club’s history.
They sit third in Group B, level on seven points with the team that defeated them 2-0 midweek – Shakhtar Donetsk. Inter Milan, following their victory over group leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach, are a further two points behind.
The good news for Madrid is that their destiny is in their own hands. They simply need to beat Gladbach in their final group game next week and they will be through to the round of 16. However, with only four victories from their past 11 games across all competitions, that they will beat the table-topping Germans is not a foregone conclusion.
Despite the struggles, Los Blancos’s second-most successful manager in history is remaining resolute. Zinedine Zidane was emphatic when asked whether he would resign following the team’s struggles. “I am not going to resign, not at all,” Zidane said. “We are always going to have difficult moments, and we are on a bad run, but we need to keep going.
“I have the strength needed to turn the situation around and I am going to give everything to do that. So are the players. We played well and we deserved more. We just need to lift our heads up and think about the next game.”
Whether Madrid suits harbour the same thoughts remains to be seen.
Higher than the Eiffel Tower
It was the Olivier Giroud show as Chelsea booked their spot in the next round. They beat Spanish side Sevilla 4-0, with Frenchman Giroud scoring all four goals in Seville.
The towering French forward has hardly had a look-in this season, with his manager Frank Lampard favouring Timo Werner as well as Tammy Abraham ahead of him. But when he has played, he has made his presence felt.
Lampard lauded his number nine for his blistering performance, which also saw him become the oldest player to score a Champions League hat-trick.
“He is the ultimate professional,” Lampard said after Chelsea secured the top spot in Group E with a match to spare.
“He isn’t always a regular but his performances have shown that he is a great sign for young players to keep training well. It was an amazing performance; to score four goals in the Champions League is a fantastic achievement.”
Scoring machine
Two landmarks were reached in Juventus’s 3-0 win over Dynamo Kiev. Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored one of the goals for the second-placed Juve in Turin. It was the 35-year-old’s 750th career goal.
Ronaldo is one of four current players to have eclipsed the 500-goal mark. He holds the honour alongside Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski – with only the Ronaldo and Messi part of the 700-goal club.
The second highlight saw Stéphanie Frappart become the first female referee ever to take charge of a Champions League match.
Frappart, 36, had a relatively uneventful evening as she booked three players and ignored one penalty shout from the Ukrainian side in the first half.
Best of rest
Brazilian forward Neymar was at the peak of his powers as he scored a brace to see Paris Saint-Germain ease to a 3-1 win over Manchester United. The victory saw PSG go up to nine points in Group H, level with United and RB Leipzig ahead of the final group stage round.
Meanwhile, Liverpool continue to struggle with injuries to some key players. However, they got the job done against Ajax Amsterdam. Jurgen Klopp’s team guaranteed their place in the last 16 after Dutch keeper Andre Onana’s error handed Curtis Jones the winning goal in an edgy 1-0 victory.
Los Blancos ... look like a shadow of the team that won three Champions League trophies on the trot