The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League resumed this week as the tournament reached the halfway point of the group stage.
Among Matchday 3 highlights, FC Barcelona went a third consecutive road game without a goal, Bayern Munich extended their group stage unbeaten streak to 31 games and Lionel Messi scored against his 40th different opponent to establish a new competition record.
Here’s what stood out from this week’s streak.
Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen sack their coaches after defeats
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has been appointed as the new manager of Bayer Leverkusen, replacing Gerardo Seoane following his dismissal by the Bundesliga club on Wednesday.
Leverkusen have decided to part ways with the Swiss coach following Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to FC Porto in Group B. The same magic in the current campaign. Bayer were knocked out by third tier side SV Elversberg in the German Cup first round and sit penultimate in the Bundesliga table after eight games.
At least the German outfit waited a day to release Seoane from duty. Julen Lopetegui was not so lucky as Sevilla announced they had fired the former Spain national team manager just minutes after their 4-1 home loss to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
The loss leaves Sevilla tied with FC Copenhagen for the bottom spot in Group G with one point apiece. Sevilla sit 17th in the Spanish league standings with a measly five points from seven games, and sit just one point above the relegation zone.
Lopetegui clearly knew his time was up after the final whistle, as he bade farewell to the fans inside the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as they cheered and chanted his name. Sevilla have won a UEFA Europa League and posted three consecutive La Liga top-four finishes in Lopetegui’s three-plus years in charge.
Erling Haaland can’t stop scoring for Man City
The opposing teams must absolutely cringe when they see Manchester City arrive on the program, because they know that they will have to face Erling Haaland.
The scorching Norwegian striker continued his torrid run by scoring a brace as Man City beat Danish side FC Copenhagen 5-0 in Group G on Wednesday. Haaland, 22, scored 19 goals in 11 games for City this season since earning $62. million transfer from Borussia Dortmund over the summer.
Haaland was the epitome of efficiency against the Danes, scoring twice from just four shots on target and 11 touches on the ball in total before being substituted at half-time.
Incredibly, Haaland now has 28 career goals in 22 Champions League games. To put that into context. Cristiano Ronaldo, the competition’s all-time top scorer with 140 goals, hasn’t scored at all in his first 20 Champions League appearances. Or, to put it another way, Haaland has passed Luis Suarez (27 goals) on the all-time Champions League list by playing 51 fewer games!
Canadian competition: Successful debut for Tajon Buchanan
A nagging quad injury sidelined Canadian winger Tajon Buchanan for most of the Belgian league season – he only made his first appearance for Club Brugge at the end of last month.
But Buchanan showed no signs of rust on his Champions League debut on Tuesday, playing a starring role in Brugge’s 2-0 win over visitors Atletico Madrid in Group B. Buchanan had the look crisp as you take on Atletico’s defenders one-on-one and effectively. bonded with his attacking teammates by regularly getting into dangerous positions. His pace and quick dribbling allowed him to regularly unbalance the Spanish visitors, as he completed 89% of his passes and registered one shot before being substituted after 79 minutes.
Elsewhere, Canada full-back Alphonso Davies started and played 45 minutes in Bayern Munich’s 5-0 home win against FC Viktoria Plzeň on Tuesday in Group C. It was a sublime pass from Davies in transition to help set up Serge Gnabry’s goal which gave Bayern a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes. With his 24th Champions League game under his belt, Davies overtook Atiba Hutchinson to become the Canadian men’s team all-time leader in the competition.
Also on Tuesday, Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustáquio made a solid defensive transition, playing the full 90 minutes of FC Porto’s 2-0 home win against Bayer Leverkusen.
Napoli destroy Ajax to stay a perfect 3-0
It’s not Premier League giants Liverpool FC dominating Group A, but rather Napoli, who continued their perfect run through the group stage with a resounding 6-1 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam on Tuesday. It is the legendary Dutch club’s heaviest defeat since suffering a 5-1 loss to Bayern Munich in 1980.
The Italians aren’t the only side to register three wins to start this year’s competition, but they were the most impressive in doing so, scoring a tournament-leading 13 goals, while conceding only a few. of them.
Striker Giacomo Raspadori, 22, has proven to be a revelation for Napoli since joining them on loan from fellow Serie A side Sassuolo. Last month he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3-0 win over Rangers, and added to his tally by netting a brace against Ajax this week.
Most critics thought Liverpool would win this group in the draw in September, but Napoli, who are also unbeaten in Serie A and top of the table, perfectly balanced a dynamic attack with a well-oiled defense that helped them to grind efficiently. results in Europe, including an impressive 4-1 win at home to Liverpool in September and his work destroying Ajax in the Netherlands.
John Molinaro is one of Canada’s leading soccer journalists, having covered the game for more than 20 years for multiple outlets including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic is located here.