Bayern strong, the surprise Sheriff and Haller power 6 … the results of the first leg

0

Before the All Saints holidays, the time has come for the mid-semester exams for the clubs involved in the Champions League. After three days, several trends emerge from this group phase. Franceinfo offers you a barometer of the start of the competition.

The juggernaut: where will Bayern stop?

“Adaptation time”. Here is a formula which does not appear in the vocabulary of Julian Nagelsmann. Arrived this summer on the bench of the Bavarian club, the former coach of Leipzig immediately imposed his paw. The results could not be more telling: after a demonstration among dying Barcelonans (3-0), Bayern pedaled on Dynamo Kiev (5-0). It was – a little – more difficult against a catchy Benfica on Wednesday.

The German club was patient in Lisbon, before registering four in a row at the end of the match (4-0). From there to make Bayern a super-champion? For now, it is undoubtedly the best-run machine in the competition. The indefatigable Robert Lewandowski has already scored 5 goals in C1, while Leroy Sané has 3 goals and as many assists.

The chef’s surprise: the Sheriff under a lucky star

No one would have bet a penny on Sheriff Tiraspol. For its first participation in the Champions League, the club of Transnistria – Moldovan separatist region – inherited the jackpot, with Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. Match after match, the Sheriff and his cosmopolitan workforce surprised. Solid against the Ukrainians (2-0), the Moldovans created a sensation by winning in Spain (2-1).

Inter have put an end to the invicibility of the players of Yuriy Vernydub Tuesday (1-3), but the Sheriff occupies the first place of the group at the halfway point. Enough to stay European in the spring? The club have the advantage of receiving Inter and Real, which could leave feathers in Tiraspol. Above all, the five points ahead of Shakhtar should, barring a thunderous awakening from the Ukranians, allow the Moldovan championship club to grab at least third place. And thus be transferred to the sixteenth of the Europa League.

The player: Sébastien Haller and Ajax shine

In front of Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski, the Champions League top scorer responds to the name of Sébastien Haller. Trained at AJ Auxerre then passed by Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham, the striker scored six goals in three matches for Ajax. Including a delicious quadrupled, on the Sporting lawn at the opening (5-1).

At 27, the Ivorian international is having a blast with an exciting team. With nine points in three matches, Ajax should rally the next round without worry. Will the Dutch club do as well as their memorable 2019 campaign? The demonstration against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday (4-0) in any case gives an idea of ​​Amsterdam’s offensive potential.

The disappointment: AC Milan, all for that …

Seven years that the tifosi rossoneri had not heard the Champions League anthem. In other words, an eternity for a club titled seven times in the competition. For now, AC Milan have lost their three matches and do little honor to their prestigious past. In a very strong group, Milan can regret the defeat on a penalty conceded in stoppage time against Atlético de Madrid (1-2). But Stefano Pioli’s players lacked bite to bring back points away (defeats to Liverpool and Porto).

AC Milan was not helped by the string of wounded (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mike Maignan in addition to Théo Hernandez and Brahim Diaz suffering from Covid-19). The fact remains that the zero point at the end of the meetings seriously jeopardizes the chances of qualification. The Milanese can nevertheless draw inspiration from their neighbors of Atalanta, who snatched their place in the eighth in 2019-2020 in the same situation.


source site