Images via @ChampionsLeague, @juventusfceen, @en_sscnapoli and @FCBarcelona on Twitter
Mixed feelings after this match week. Poor results but good showings dominate, as we look at the performances of Kamil Grabara, Wojciech Szczęsny, Arkadiusz Milik, Piotr Zieliński and Robert Lewandowski.
Kamil Grabara - FC Kobnhaven 0-0 Manchester City
Grabara returned from injury in MW3 in the reverse fixture, and had a fantastic game despite conceding five goals. This week was much better purely from a clean sheet perspective, not to mention the saved penalty and range of great stops from City’s superstars. Grabara showed a maturity he once did not possess, and I for one am really pleased that he is becoming a more assured and accomplished keeper in Denmark. As I said in my article yesterday, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see interest from big clubs in January or next summer simply based on his two games against City alone.
Wojciech Szczęsny, Arkadiusz Milik - Maccabi Haifa 2-0 Juventus
The best thing about Juventus’ performance in Israel on Tuesday was their pink third kit, and even that divides opinion. To blame Szczęsny for Haifa’s two goals would be harsh, although he could probably have got a stronger hand to both, but given the Juve defence seemed intent on offering their goalkeeper no protection I think the blame is to be shared around more equally. When Arek Milik was introduced for an injured Angel di Maria, he didn’t offer a great deal, which is unlike him since his move to Juventus. Milik did have a slight opportunity to turn home a rebound, although the Maccabi defender did extremely well to make it as hard as possible. Milik did at least offer more than Vlahovic, whose slow start to the season continued, and worked hard for the team which seems to be a rarity in this Juve squad.
Piotr Zieliński - Napoli 4-2 Ajax
Zieliński has been one of the form midfielders in Europe’s form team so far this season. He was crucial to the first Napoli goal, turning his man on the halfway line before playing it out to Hirving Lozano. Lozano gave Zieliński the ball back on the edge of the box, who deftly chipped the ball over the Ajax defence for Lozano to head home. It was a sublime assist and yet another goal contribution for Zieliński in the Champions League this season, whose tally stands at three goals and two assists. The second Napoli goal was also started by Zieliński when he released Kvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left. Kvaratskhelia rolled the ball to Raspadori, who smashed the ball into the top corner. Both Zieliński and Napoli were far quieter in the second half despite the goalscoring rate continuing, and Zieliński was replaced with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan
As a famous man once said; football, bloody hell. Lewandowski had a difficult first half, seeing a header from a corner cleared off the line and the first signs that Barca’s defending might not quite be up to scratch. Barca did take the lead as Ousmane Dembele tapped the ball in from a Sergi Roberto pull-back, but Inter hit back after half-time and hit back hard. Lewy missed a couple of chances and had a goal disallowed for a clear offside, but he did get an equaliser with just under ten minutes to go. Unfortunately Barca collapsed at the back once again, and Lewy had to equalise once again. Too much was asked of too few in that Barca team, and Inter did their jobs to near-perfection. Special ire was reserved for Dembele, who was particularly selfish in a game Barca had to win to have a realistic chance of making the knockouts. Many will wrongly accuse Lewandowski of going missing in a big game yet again, despite his two goals and the fact that it was the players we associate with the great Barca teams who were most culpable for the goals, Pique and Sergio Busquets.
Special mention this week goes to Shakhtar Donetsk, who came within seconds of a famous win against Real Madrid in Warszawa, and before the game Łazienkowska was the scene of this beautiful spectacle below:
Second special mention goes to Szymon Marciniak and the other Polish officials who presided over the Barcelona vs. Inter game at Camp Nou. They did a very good job in general, making plenty of the right decisions and one or two understandable errors.
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