Barcelona’s Champions League hopes are still just about alive after two late goals from Robert Lewandowski gave them a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan.
92,000 fans packed into the Camp Nou witnessed a ding-dong battle which leaves Barca needing two wins from their final two games to give them much hope of advancing. This match was billed by my SBOTOP colleague as a must-win for Barcelona and, after dominating the first half with 15 shots to three and five to two on target, the Blaugrana finally broke through when Ousmane Dembele got on the end of a Sergi Roberto cross to poke home the opener.
But Inter came out fighting after the break and were level within five minutes when Nicolo Barella converted a cross from Alessandro Bastoni. And I Nerazzurri turned the tie on its head just after the hour when Hakan Calhanoglu passed to Lautaro Martinez and the Argentine striker fired home. Barcelona threw everything at Inter and finally Lewandowski struck with fewer than ten minutes on the clock.
But as the Blaugrana pushed for the winner they were hit again as Robin Gosens fired home on 89 minutes. It seemed like Barca were doomed to be six points behind I Nerazzurri with two games left, but Lewy powered home an injury-time header to save the day.
Keep an eye on Napoli
The most prolific club on the continent right now has to be Napoli, who are storming Serie A and ripping up Group A of the Champions League with four wins from four with a goal difference of +13.
After whacking Ajax 6-1 on their home turf last week, the Azzurri set about the Dutch Champions again on Wednesday night going 2-0 ahead with just 16 minutes on the clock. Mexican striker Hirving Lozano opened the scoring on four minutes, nodding home a clever ball from Piotr Zielinski and then the in-form Giacomo Raspadori made it two, smashing his shot into the top corner.
Another Napoli high achiever, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, assisted that goal and then scored his own from the penalty spot, but not before Davy Klaassen had headed Ajax back into contention. Steven Bergwijn made it interesting on 83 minutes when he stroked home a penalty for Ajax, but the fit-again Victor Osimhen made it 4-2 to send Napoli through to the Round of 16.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are the new favourites to win the 2022/23 Scudetto and the Champions League 2022 betting odds are shifting towards Naples too.
Elsewhere in Group A, Liverpool gave Rangers a 7-1 thumping to get within touching distance of the last 16. Of course the Reds were looking to follow up their victory over Rangers last week with another win, but an early striker from ex-Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield put the Merseysiders on the back foot.
But not for long.
Roberto Firmino, who is top scoring in the league for Liverpool, made a start and levelled on 24 minutes with a glancing header from a corner. Then, early in the second half, the in-form Brazilian made it 2-1 to Liverpool, converting a cross from Joe Gomez. Firmino is a class act and he set up the third with a clever back heel to put in Darwin Nunez who finished clinically. Rangers folded and Mo Salah added a fourth for Liverpool with a smart finish …and then a fifth….and then a sixth to bag his hat-trick in six short minutes.
Harvey Elliott made it a magnificent seven and Liverpool fans can look forward to another exciting European journey, while it’s goodbye to sorry Rangers.
Club Brugge finally make the Last 16
Belgian club Brugge battled out a 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to secure a place in the knockout stages for the first time in the club’s history, after nine previous attempts. Former Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet made a number of good saves to keep the Rojiblancos at bay. Atletico’s own hopes of progression now hang in the balance and they need two wins from their final two games to give themselves a good chance.
It could have been worse for Atleti, who were saved from conceding a first-half penalty by VAR, and the Belgian side finished with ten men as Kamal Sowah saw red on 83 minutes.
With 21 shots to five and nine to one on target, Los Rojiblancos will see this as a missed opportunity but the celebrations will be going on in Brugges well into the night.
Son Shines for Spurs
In tonight’s other Champions League 2022 results Tottenham Hotspur beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 to go top of Group D.
Daichi Kamada gave the Eagles an early lead but it was wiped out by Son just minutes later when he was put through by Kane. The England skipper made it 2-1 from the penalty spot and Son made it three with a sublime left-foot volley before the break. Champions League debutant Faride Alidou scored a late goal to make it a tense last five minutes, but Spurs hung on and their fans are toasting that prolific pair of Son and Kane.
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